I ventured out tonight.  I made "Spaghetti".  I bought a spaghetti squash when I was doing my shopping for the week and thought I'd try my hand at a no-carb, no fat, no dairy spaghetti dinner.  It was WONDERFUL, didn't taste squash at all and was very light.

 I used Jennie-O 99/1 Turkey Breast, browned in a 

non-stick skillet with lots of dried herbs.

I cut the squash in half lengthwise, 

placed it in a dish with 1/4 cup of water 

and microwaved it for ten minutes.

Then I used a fork to shred the squash.

I used diced no-salt tomatoes and 

seasoned with lots of yummy Italian spices.

I measured out my tomato sauce for two servings, 

two servings of the squash,

then measured two servings of the turkey.  I made

Since I can only have two veggies at a time, 

I only added bell pepper and onions to my hubby's portion,

because the squash and tomatoes count for your two veggies.

It was delicious! I had to use other photos - my camera battery died!

It was a fabulous meal & even my part Italian hubby liked it!  SUCCESS!!!

RETRACTION....I am so very sorry but I misspoke in my last post.  My dear friend AMANDA brought it to my attention.  The birthday party this weekend was in fact NOT Ava's first birthday party invite.  Ava attended her BFF little Miss Taylor Beth's 3rd birthday party a few weeks ago.  She had the CUTEST horse cake and she loves her sock monkey from her Auntie Amanda!!!

What a wonderful weekend! My sweet girl and I attended a little friend’s 5th birthday party on Saturday and enjoyed a breezy morning outside. I was so excited to take her – it was her first birthday party invite! Then we headed out for an afternoon of fun swimming with Daddy at Mimi and Papa’s house. Let me tell you, I feel F-A-N-T-A-S-T-I-C!!! I have so much energy. I’m not tired all the time. I actually want to be busy instead of kicking back. Feeling good is such a wonderful blessing! Yesterday I was up and busy working around the house until 4:00 p.m. AND I didn’t feel bad at the end of the night! That is a miracle for me! The past couple of days I have found that I’m getting full very fast on the 500 calories a day. I’ve had to force myself to eat the remainder of my last two meals. That is just amazing to me.


I love to cook so retraining myself to cook with no salt, no oils/fats and no carbs is quite a challenge; a challenge that I LOVE. I haven’t really missed carbs that much but I do miss the salt. It is forcing me to experiment with lots of different spices and ways to mix what I am allowed to use to create foods that EXCITE my tastebuds!

Over the weekend we enjoyed grilled fish, grilled hamburger patties and a wonderful grilled chicken salad. I love to grill and with this change of eating habits it makes life a lot more simple to dice or slice up some fresh veggies and toss a couple of meats on the grill for dinner and lunch and be done with it.

Here’s a quick and easy vinaigrette I threw together last night for my salad.

Vinaigrette
2 Tablespoons Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar
½ Teaspoon Braggs Sprinkle
¼ Teaspoon Garlic Powder
¼ Teaspoon Onion Powder
½ Teaspoon Dried Onion Flakes
¼ Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
1 packet of Stevia

Directions
Whisk all ingredients together in a bowl and drizzle over salad. Makes enough for one salad.

4 DAYS...10 POUNDS OFF...I AM DETERMINED!!!!!!

Taco Salad
1 lb lean ground sirloin (I used 97/3)
1 1/2 Tablespoons Cumin
1 1/2 Tablespoons Chili Powder
1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
2 Teaspoons Dried Onion Flakes
1 teaspoon Black Pepper
A sprinkle of Mexican Oregano
Fresh tomato, diced
Romaine Lettuce
2 Tablespoons water
Juice of a lime (optional)

Directions
Brown hamburger meat on medium heat in a nonstick skillet.  Add seasonings, stir together, add water & let simmer on low heat until liquid evaporated.  Place lettuce in a bowl or plate and top with seasoned meat, top with tomatoes.  I squeezed half of a lime over the top of my salad and it was wonderful!  Enjoy!

Note:  Check your seasonings carefully.  If you are doing salt-free, closely check your labels.  Some chili powders contain salt, some do not.

[My hubby is sticking with me on this new path, to a degree.  I was so proud, he didn't add salt to this meal!  We did add a sprinkle of cheese to his salad and 2 tablespoons of black beans.  We also added a diced green onion to his salad.]

This is how I enjoyed my salad...

REFRESHING! 3.5 ounces of lean ground beef, 1/2 cup lettuce, 1/2 cup Tomato

REMEMBER:  We eat with our eyes first!  Don't just throw your food on a paper plate and scarf it down.  Get one of your favorite plates or bowls and be creative when you are plating your food.  I LOVE antique dishes.  My greatest joy is finding an old Homer Laughlin white bowl or plate when I'm at a garage sale or antique shop.  I choose a special plate or bowl each day to take to work with my lunch and I choose a special dish at dinner also.  It makes that 3.5 ounces of protein and 1 cup of veggies look like so much more and it makes me smile!

This was my fruit snack yesterday afternoon.  I could have popped three strawberries in my mouth and been on my way.  That was not the case.  I ENJOYED my three strawberries!  I never felt deprived.  I felt special!

Half a cup of strawberries or a sweet summer afternoon treat?

Philippians 4:13 - "I can do all things through Christ which Strengtheneth me."

Day One: Hawaiian Citrus Chicken/Shrimp & Fresh Veggies

Okay. I've already set out my limits on food during the next 44 days.  Tomorrow is Phase Two, Day One.  I got busy with the grill this evening and came up with some great tasting salt-free, oil-free, fat-free guilt-free BUT not taste-free options for tomorrow.

Hawaiian Citrus Chicken or Shrimp
Chicken Breasts or Shrimp
Mrs. Dash Hawaiian Citrus Seasoning (Salt-Free)

Directions
Liberally season chicken or shrimp with Hawaiian Citrus Seasoning. Cook breasts or shrimp on your grill, in your grill pan on the stovetop, in your George Forman or on your broiler pan.  We enjoy it best outdoors on the grill.

LET ME JUST PUT THIS OUT THERE - For anyone needing to consume less salt or  no salt, this seasoning is AMAZING.  There are so many wonderful flavors, sweet, savory, spicy and it is such a refreshing seasoning to the tastebuds!  I admit I LOVE salt, I salt, salt and resalt. BUT I enjoyed both the shrimp and chicken with just the simple Hawaiian Citrus blend.  Give it a try!



Chili Lime Chicken
Chicken breasts
Chili powder
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Dried oregano
Juice from one lime

Directions
Sprinkle each side of  each breast evenly with garlic, onion, and chili powders, cumin and oregano.  Squeeze the juice of one lime on each side of the breasts. Cook breasts on your grill, in your grill pan on the stovetop, in your George Forman or on your broiler pan.  We enjoy it best outdoors on the grill.

Sauteed Peppers & Onions
One bell pepper, cut into large slices
One large onion, cut into large slices

Directions
Place in a hot skillet with NO oil, stir frequently.  Season with garlic powder, black pepper and a squeeze of lemon.  Cook until tender.

Summer Squash & Zucchini
Yellow squash
Zucchini

Directions
Cut squash/zucchini in half lengthwise and cut into one-inch diagonal pieces.  Sprinkle with your favorite seasonings (salt-free if you please) and cook on a grill pan on the grill.  If you choose, you could also place on skewers before grilling and forgo the grill pan, and actually this is my preferred method of cooking because you have more grill contact, making the squash and zucchini more flavorful from the grill. 

I used Braggs Table Blend seasoning on my squash/zucchini and it was good, but I do prefer the Mrs. Dash spice blends over any others I have tried.

This is what 3.5 ounces of chicken & 1 cup veggies looks like! YUMMO!

As Minnie Mouse says, this is EASY PEAZY LEMON SQUEEZY!!! 

TIPS:  Keep your pantry stocked with a variety of seasonings so you have OPTIONS.
A change of seasoning can make the world of difference!

It's all in your attitude.

PHASE ONE, DAY THREE
- I have a fresh outlook.
- I am inspired.
- I did my three days of consuming fats the GOOD WAY!

Tomorrow is a brand-new day, PHASE TWO begins!

- No starch/carbs

- No dairy

- No fat/oil

- No salt

- No sugar

- 1 Gallon of water a day (I'll keep the path hot to the potty!)

- Green Tea

- Black Coffee (1 cup a day - I CAN DO THIS!!!)

LET'S DO THIS!

A New Path. A New Outlook. A New Challenge.

I met with my doctors in Houston last week. 

We now have a plan.

I am on a path. 
A path that will hopefully put this thing called PCOS in it's place.

The path leads to a better life. 

The path leads to a different lifestyle.
The path leads to bicycle rides with my sweet curly headed little darlin’ diva. 

LET’S BEGIN DAY ONE.  PHASE ONE.

FORTY-FOUR DAYS AT A TIME.

I HAVE A GOAL.

I CAN DO THIS!

The day starts...

-          4:30 a.m. Rise & Shine for snuggles, cuddles and a bottle with my sweet girl.

-          Time to hit the scales.  Such an ugly task so early in the day.

-          One cup of coffee, BLACK.  Whew, that’s an acquired taste.

-          Dose 1, Fat Burner – hmm not bad!

-          Given the choice of Phase One the GOOD FAT way or Phase One the BAD FAT way,

                  I choose the good fat way!

-          Time to clean out the pantry!  Out with the pasta, rice, black beans, breakfast bars, crackers             & the oh so yummy popcorn. Out with the BAD and In with the GOOD!  In comes the never-   
            ending supply of green beans, spinach, tomatoes, zucchini, squash, lettuce, celery, onions, plums,
            apples, limes, lemons and cantaloupe!

-          Hi-ho, Hi-ho, it’s off to work I go!  I will pray and strive for LESS STRESS!  It’s a process.

Live with intention.

Walk to the edge.

Listen hard.

Practice wellness.

Play with abandon.

Laugh.

Choose with no regret.

Appreciate your friends.

Continue to learn.

Do what you love.

Live as if this is all there is.

- Mary Anne Radmacher