I said Thai not thigh.....

My version of a Thai Soup...
written by Linda Gauthier

I'm having a hard time getting back into routine this week, I'm not sure whether it was the holiday, the change in weather, my missing my family or what the heck, but today was a day of stopping myself as I headed for the fridge.  Strategy to keep hands out of the bread and butter put veggies in front of the toaster, fruit at the front of the shelf, put the cheese at the very back of the fridge, for the most part it worked, does it count if you inhale 3 handfuls of grapes for lunch?  I've got to get back into the routine though, I'm darn well not going to mess this weight loss up.  So I have now printed my menu off and put it on the fridge, the pantry and the cupboard door, overkill or what?

This evening's meal is real easy though, so I'll be in and out of the kitchen quickly, and away from temptation.  

Thai Chicken Soup

6 c Epicure Selections low sodium Chicken Broth
1 cup shredded left over chicken (no skin)
1 1/2 tsp Tom Yum Paste (I use Por Kwan brand from Thailand) 
1 sm pkg Chinese soup noodles (minus flavour pkg too much sodium)
3 baby Bok Choy
1/2 of a green bell pepper sliced into thin strips
mushrooms 3large sliced thinly

Bring broth to simmer, add shredded chicken and Tom Yum Paste, add noodles, when nearly cooked through, add Bok Choy, bell  pepper and mushrooms. The Bok Choy can hide a lot of dirt in it's leaves please be sure to wash carefully and cut in half before adding to soup.

I was also going to have rice and veggies with this meal, but decided it was not necessary after the grape fiasco.  In my original soup I was not going to add noodles.

I should however let you know, around 9 pm, I did have a small cranberry scone and black tea.  I lost the willpower battle.

Thought this was appropriate because of my cravings.

Struggles continue, but I will overcome...

Feel a bit like a freedom marcher singing "we shall overcome", and in a sense, I guess I am.  I'm trying to free myself from this prison of weight.  What I have to remember is that I did not put it on overnight, and it's not going to come off overnight either.  I've been trying to stick to it, and have been increasing my activity in the hopes those euphoric endorphin's will kick in that people talk about from strenuous exercise, but so far that hasn't happened!!! 

However, I guess pushing the exercise machine, my husband got for me on free Victoria, heavy though it may be, around the living room floor is not classed as exercise.  Don't get me wrong, I do use it but I seem to move it more to plug it in, to vacuum, to catch the cat, to remove the laundry drying on it, etc than I'm actually using it for its stated purpose.

This elliptical stair climber thingy works well, I can feel my heart beating after a short time, but I don't really do perspiration well. Could be another reason I have a lard a--.  Thought of attaching a long stick to it with a donut on the end so I could pursue it while on my quest for beauty, but the cat keeps jumping at it and getting far more exercise than I.  I have a skipping rope, which is great outside, in the good weather it keeps the wasps and flies away, but I think I need to attach the pictures to the wall a little better before commencing doing that in the house.  Gary also has a chin lift bar that attaches on the door, great for upper body work etc. but not so effective attached at chin height where I'd like to place it.  My bingo arms are impressive flying in the breeze, but not so much in trying to propel my body into the air and holding it there so I can rest my chin on the bar.  I usually do that after a few Chardonnay.  I hope you realize this was all said tongue-in-cheek and meant to be funny.  I'm not quite as hopeless as I make out.

Speaking of tongue, I cooked a tongue the other night.  Now don't go eew, if you didn't know what it was, you would think it tasted like any other piece of beef.  Why, you may ask, did I cook tongue? Well, it goes back to my childhood.  My mom used to cook it and this is the time of year she passed away just before Thanksgiving, and just about at my age.  So, feeling nostalgic, I decided to make it.
So tonight I used the rest of it up in an easy 1 crust beef pie.

Beef Pot Pie

1/2 lb of beef  (stewing beef, chuck steak or tongue if you have it)
vegetables I used are zucchini, carrots, eggplant, onions, shallots, celery, mushrooms, 2 small potatoes, all cut into cubes. Spinach leaves.
4 cups beef broth low sodium
2 tsp Epicure Selections Herb and Garlic 
2 tsp Epicure Selections Hamburger seasoning
salt and pepper
1 tbsp corn starch mixed with some stock to form a rue

1. Saute onion shallots until translucent in pan sprayed with non-stick oil.  If your meat is raw, add it at this time, if leftover pre-cooked, add at step 5.
2. add celery, carrots, potatoes, cook until starting to cook through
3. add most of the broth, save some aside for the rue.
4. add zucchini, eggplant and mushrooms.
5. add your spices and cooked meat 
6. heat through until potatoes are tender and the meat is cooked through.
7. add spinach at last minute.

I was able to make 4 small pies and have some leftover for my husband's lunch tomorrow.  We ate 2 pies and froze the others for a later date.  I served it with a Brocollini Slaw.

The pastry I used was the Weight Watchers Pastry, it came out tender and flaky.

For the pastry:

5 1/2 oz plain flour
pinch of salt 
2 1/4 oz low-fat spread.  I used a vegan butter substitute, you could use Becel or other diet margarine.

Sift the flour and salt into a bowl.  Rub in the low-fat spread until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.  Add just enough cold water to bring the dough together.  Shape into a disc, wrap in clingfilm and chill for 30 minutes.

Moving on to new a new week, new adventures..

A weekend of Thanks
written by Linda Gauthier

I love the colors of fall and the wonderment of where this lane goes

Whew!!  made it through the Thanksgiving  weekend.  It was fun and had a great time, and truly recognized all the reasons I'm grateful for my family and friends.  We are truly fortunate for all that we have and all those we love.  This weekend also brought home the reality that so many of our neighbors and people we pass daily on the street do not enjoy some of the comforts we take for granted.
Over the next couple of weeks, I'll be setting up a fundraiser for a local organization that does so much to help our homeless and working poor in the Victoria area.  My husband and I, for the last couple of years, chose not to exchange gifts at Christmas and donated the money we normally would spend on each other to 
"Our Place" an outreach and support agency for people less fortunate than we are.   Please watch for the information I will be posting as to how you can help, if you'd like to join me in this effort.

On Saturday, after my husband and I had been to brunch and were enjoying our day, walking and window shopping taking pictures of our city I spotted  this fellow.  He sat without saying a word, with great dignity,as others rushed by on their way to their dinners, jobs, family, invisible to many, and possibly to myself, if I had not taken the time to notice and remember I had seen him there the previous week .

I'm not trying to be preachy or say we should feel guilt for what we have but I'm thankful I do have a warm bed, a full tummy and family and friends to support me.  It could be anyone of us out there and at one time I did believe that is where I'd end up.  I had a vision of myself being one of those ladies we see in the park, wearing layers of clothes and pink slippers surrounded by cats and birds and a shopping cart near by with all her belongings in it.  It was not a future I looked forward to.  As do, I believe, many of these people.  Through government cuts, economic downturns, and misfortune we have a growing population of the invisible people on our streets and sleeping in our parks.  It is my belief that we can all work together and share what little we do have to help the few, who in turn may be able to help another. 
  
So any way on to the business I started to write about, this week's menu.

I can't believe it I'm starting week number 6, it has gone by fast.

  





I leave you with fall on your mind, cool nights and glorious days, wishing you comfort, good food and good friends.  Have a great day.  

Mouthful of Yummy Pumpkin Spice Cakes

For the finale of the day we had these yummy Pumpkin Spice Cakes, I say we but it was more like he. I left the plate unattended, came back to find that my hubby decided he'd save me from the guilt of eating these yummy things and he had devoured all but one.  "My Hero", she says with a sad smile. He grins as he wipes the crumbs of his chin, looking like a naughty little boy, but I am glad he enjoyed them, besides it is his tummy that will see the results not my thighs she thinks with a big smile.

Almost guilt-free treat, with all the flavour I crave at this time of year. 

Here is one of my solutions for Thanksgiving;

To avoid having to make a pumpkin pie, which I love, but would be too much for just my husband and I, I made small spice pumpkin cupcakes and iced them with the Epicure Chai Tea Icing.

For my miniature cupcakes, I used a Duncan Hines spice cake mix, to which I substituted 1/3 of a cup of pumpkin pie filling for the oil being called for in the mix.  The mix originally called for 3 large eggs, 1 1/3 c water and 1/3 c oil.  

The cake was moist and flavourful,  I was able to make 3 small loaf pans plus 24 miniature cupcakes. 

Epicure Chai Tea Icing:

A perfect topping for cupcakes, carrot cake and Epicure's Chai Tea Loaf.

Makes 2 cups (500 ml)

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

1/4 cup (60 ml) water

1 Tbsp (15 ml) Epicure's Chai Tea

1/4 cup (60 ml) butter

1 x 8 oz (250 g) pkg light cream cheese

2 cups (500 ml) icing sugar, divided

Instructions

1. Bring water and Chai Tea to a boil in Epicure's Multi-Purpose Pot. Simmer until liquid is reduced by half. Strain, reserving liquid, and let liquid cool. 

2. Beat butter and cream cheese in a stand mixer on medium speed until combined. Add steeped tea and half the icing sugar. Continue beating until smooth. 

3. Slowly add remaining icing sugar in stages until desired consistency and sweetness is reached.

Per Serving (2 Tbsp (30 ml)): Calories 120, Fat 5 g (Saturated 3.5 g, Trans 0.1 g), Cholesterol 15 mg, Sodium 85 mg, Carbohydrate 16 g (Fibre 0 g, Sugars 16 g), Protein 1 g.

The loaves and extra cupcakes were wrapped and frozen for future use,  this was done immediately because I know if I leave them in my kitchen iced and looking so yummy I will succumb to their temptress ways.  Frozen and out of sight requires more work.  I only iced what we need, and put the left over icing in an airtight container in the fridge, to use later.