Tag Archives: healthy eating

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The Merry and Bright Dessert Party

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Day 410 in taking better care of myself to meet up with Mickey in just 20 days

Today I booked The Merry and Bright Dessert Party at Disney’s Hollywood Studios for Mike and I in December.  This is a brand new, one year only event. Here is what touringplans.com has to say about the event:  “The Merry & Bright Dessert Party will include holiday-themed desserts, specialty alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, sodas, water, tea and coffee. The Dessert Party will take place from November 6 through December 24 from 7:00 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. and on December 25-30 from 8:30 p.m. through 10:00 p.m.  Each guest in the party will receive a keepsake roll-up stadium blanket.  Guests will be able to enjoy the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights from a reserved location at the end of the Streets of America near the entrance to Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show.”

This is the last year for the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights at Disney World.  Those of you who have seen these lights know how absolutely amazing they are.  Those who have not seen it?  It is impossible to imagine, and it is stunning.  I’m so glad that Mike and I will get to see it one last time.

AND I woke up early and walked this morning, stayed sugar-free today, ate healthily and had my three-tooth bridge re-cemented at the dentist’s.  So…today I have been a good steward of this body God gave me.  PTL!

Meet you at the Kingdom!

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Tuning Up This Engine

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Day 409 in pushing through to make it to meeting up with Mickey

Today’s plan was to wake up early, again, and take a walk before work, AND to eat healthy all day.  So far, so good.  Waking up early is not so good, but I do feel more energy during my work day when I get that walk in in the A.M.  So tomorrow I’ll hit it again.  Imagining myself walking down Main Street USA on my way to Cinderella’s Castle is very motivating!  It made me push a little further today.

For breakfast I had a banana with peanut butter on it.  My peanut butter is crushed peanuts with no additives.  So delicious!!  My lunch was two boiled eggs, four mini-peppers and an apple.  For dinner it’s a half cup of wheat noodles with a cup of Mike’s homemade tomato sauce with lean ground beef added and plenty of raw, fresh veg.  Mrs. Bryan (one of Mike’s two bosses) gave us two baskets of tomatoes from her garden, and my wonderful Mike turned them into tomato/spaghetti sauce. Yum!

I have drunk 6 cups of water today and hope to get in three more cups before bedtime.

So it’s been a “treating myself well/nourishing my body/moving my body through space kind of day.  I feel good!

Meet you at the Kingdom!

BTW: My three-tooth bridge fell out today. It’s always something, isn’t it? I was chewing sugar-free gum and out it came.  My dentist told me not to chew gum anymore.  Guess I should have listened. PTLA!

 

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On Track, Fighting Back

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Day 408 in taking the right steps to meet up with Mickey (22 days to go)

Today’s plan, as stated in yesterday’s blog, was to get back on the beam.  It’s been a good day.  I woke up a half hour early and took a walk this morning.  It was torture!

Waking up early is not my thing.  I am not a morning person.  As a matter of fact Mike, Jake, nor I are morning people.  Emi is a morning person, and frankly, I’m amazing she lived to tell the story.  She is an amazing person, and I deeply admire her ability to rise above the morning mourning that happened every day of her growing up.

But anyway I got my butt out of bed early and did it, one morning down.

I have also had a great food day.  We had baked salmon and sweet potato for dinner with plenty of raw veg.   And I am drinking more water again.  No sugar today.  I feel satiated and nourished.

Meet you at the Kingdom!

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Getting Back on the Beam

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Day 407 in my journey to meet Mickey

I have gained a few pounds in the last few weeks.  I sort of threw in the towel and went a bit wild.  But today, I am re-resolved to get on and stay on the right path.  The path where I put healthy fuel (foods) into my body.  The path where I get out of bed an hour earlier every morning and get in a walk.  After all I am only 23 days away from going to Florida. GAH!

Wow!  In 23 days I’ll be there…in my Happy Place.  I can almost smell the sun screen and chlorine now.  🙂  I will kick up my feet at Disney’s Old Key West and exhale…like, really exhale, the kind where I can actually feel the stress falling away.  Ah……

Mike picked veggie sandwiches for dinner tonight.  Shredded brie on bread rolls with sauteed mushroom, peppers, olives and onions.  They will be delicious, but not exactly low-cal.  I will make a point to eat plenty of raw veg (especially broccoli) to help push it through my system.  Then the rest of the week it’ll be:

Monday: salmon and baked pumpkin with raw veg and dip (hummus maybe)

Tuesday: Easy Chicken and Bean Stew with raw veg and dip

Wednesday: Stuffed Green Peppers with raw veg and dip

Thursday: baked chicken with sweet potato and raw veg and dip

Friday and Saturday: Women of Faith Conference  So, Friday-dinner with Jean and Joan.  Yay!  Saturday-dinner with Jean and Wayne.  Yay again!!  I hope to eat some nice dinner salads over the weekend.

My body is so ready to get back on the beam!  I feel so much better and have so much more energy when I’m making better choices.  Why do I not just live my life there?  It still shocks me just how easy it is to slip off the proverbial wagon and make non-optimal choices.  Sheesh!  All I can say is, “Help me, Jesus!”  And I know He will.  PTL!

Meet you at the Kingdom!

 

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Top 10 Things I Am Excited To Do at Walt Disney World

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Day 386 in my excitement on my way to meeting up with Mickey

Here are the 10 things I am the most excited about for our trip to Walt Disney World in October:

#10 Riding it’s a small world.  It is my favorite ride!!

#9 Celebrating one year’s-worth of birthdays with “the dip” (see below) and birthday cupcakes.  We have been saving up to celebrate our birthdays together in Florida.  Woo hoo!  Happy birthday to us!

#8 Exploring EPCOT’s Food and Wine Festival.  Looking forward to tempting tidbits of tasty treats.

#7 Experiencing Wishes Fireworks Dessert Party for the first time ever.  See comment from number 8.

#6 Spending the better part of a day at Disney Springs exploring and shopping.

#5 Eating at Olivia’s Café at Disney’s Old Key West Resort. This is by far my favorite restaurant at Walt Disney World.

#4 Experiencing Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween for the first time ever.  I have my costume now.  I ordered it from the Disney Store.  I will wear a Mickey Mouse Skeleton Tee and a Minnie Mouse Ears Headband.  🙂

#3 Spending plenty of resort time and pool time at Disney’s Old Key West Resort.  It is, seriously, my Happy Place.  When I’m chilling at Old Key West I can actually feel all stress leaving my body.  It is the ultimate in relaxation for me.

#2 Meeting and greeting Mickey at Magic Kingdom. This has been the driving force behind this blog.  I am anxious to shake Mickey‘s big, white-gloved hand and get a picture.

And the #1 thing that I am excited about…Looking at the faces of my husband and children and their spouses and spending some quality time together in this beautiful place.  This will be a family reunion extraordinaire!

Meet you at the Kingdom!

*The dip: In a pie plate spread 8 oz. of cream cheese.  Next sprinkle 6 to 8 cut-up green onions on top.  Then spread a can of No Bean chili on top.  (We usually make a second dip with Vegetarian chili with lots of beans.)  Finally sprinkle 8 oz. of grated cheddar cheese on top.  (We prefer sharp cheddar.  The shaper the better.)  Microwave for five minutes and serve with your favorite chips.  (We usually heat it in the oven t 350 degrees for 30 minutes instead, because it seem to hold it’s heat longer.)

 

 

 

 

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Taco-licious!

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Day 385 in healthy eating on my way to the Magic Kingdom to meet up with Mickey

Today’s plan was to write up this week’s menu and get my shopping list ready for tomorrow.  Done!  Yay!  So since that’s already behind me let me share tonight’s dinner recipe with you.  It’s from my favorite cookbook: Betty Crocker’s 30 Minute Meals for Diabetes.

Quick Taco Skillet Casserole

Prep time: 25 minutes-Makes 6-1&1/3 cup servings-3 Carb Choices

  1. Ingredients:
  2. 1 lb. extra lean (at least 90%) ground beef
  3. 1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
  4. 1&1/2 cups uncooked instant brown rice
  5. 1 cup chunky-style salsa
  6. 1&1/2 cups water
  7. 1 can (14.5 to 16 oz) diced tomatoes, or whole tomatoes, cut up UNDRAINED
  8. 1 can (11 oz) whole kernel corn with red and green peppers, UNDRAINED
  9. 1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
  • Directions:
  • In 12-inch skillet or 4-quart Dutch oven, cook beef and onion over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until beef is thoroughly cooked; drain well.  Return beef mixture to skillet.
  • Stir in remaining ingredients.  Heat to boiling over high heat.  Reduce heat to medium high; cook 10 to 12 minutes, stirring frequently, until water is absorbed and rice is tender.  Stir before serving.

It’s just that easy.  And it is so tasty!  Try it; you’ll like it!

Meet you at the Kingdom!

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Dunkin Donuts Blues

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Day 384 in my eating my way to a healthier me to meet up with Mickey (1 month and 16 days to go)

Today’s plan is to NOT go to Dunkin Donuts.  Dunkin Donuts has recently built a shop in the lovely town of Lake Bluff.  This is not good news to someone who is a sugar addict and who loves butter crunch donuts, Boston cream donuts, apple fritters, French crullers and more…  Also I can’t ever buy one donut.  I want 2 or 3 or 4 with my cup of coffee.  So today’s plan is to NOT go there.

I shared a delicious salad for lunch today with Mike.  So far, so good.  For dinner I am making baked salmon and baked sweet potato with grilled asparagus.  Just thinking about how it will look on my plate: pink salmon, soft orange sweet potato, complimented by green asparagus delectably seared to perfection, makes me salivate.  Color means a lot to me on my plate.  I like lots of color, and when that color turns out to be a delicious combination, it’s a win-win situation.

Today’s plan is to concentrate on the healthy foods that I will treat myself with today.  Truly treat myself, because my body will LOVE these foods for fuel.  And to just get through this day without hopping onto my car and heading to Dunkin Donuts.

Pray for me, Dear Readers.  I am not good at resisting when the sugar cravings come.  I think today is a minute by minute deal.  I won’t get into my car for the next minute, then I’ll opt to not go in the next minute, etc…  I believe I can do this one minute at a time.  “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13  Help me, Jesus!

Meet you at the Kingdom!

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Sugar Funk

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Day 376 in my realizations on the way to meeting Mickey

Well, dear friends, today I have been in a funk for no apparent reason.

  1. The weather was a cool 65 to 74 degrees, and that’s my kind of weather.  Perfect.
  2. I had a busy and successful day at work, accomplishing all that I hoped to.
  3. Mike’s sister came into town , and I always enjoy visiting with her.

So here’s what I think.  I think that sugar has crept back into my diet, slowly and insidiously.  I haven’t been as careful about reading labels and tracking down nutritional information on my food choices. And most telling I been craving sugar again something fierce.

That’s got to be it now.  I am back on it, and I will be tenacious in my food choices.  Back to label reading, back to cooking more and ordering in less, and less eating out.

Hopefully in the next week this sugar-funk will lift and I can get back to enjoying this journey.  I’ll keep you posted.

Meet you at the Kingdom!

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You Want to Look Where?

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Day 372 in getting healthier to meet up with Mickey

Today’s plan was to meet with my gastroenterologist and set up an appointment for my colonoscopy.  I had one a couple years back, but he is keeping an eye on things.  My appointment was for 2:00 pm and at 3:30 pm I was still waiting to see the doctor.  So frustrating.  I had to meet for this prescreening, because my doctor is with a different practice now.  Once the doctor was available and entered the room he chatted with me for fifteen minutes, going over any recent medical issues (ie. endometrial cancer), getting family history (no colon cancer in my family), etc…  He is a delightful person, I must admit.  I totally trust him with my, well, you know.  Next Wednesday it’s colonoscopy time again.  It’s pretty hard to get excited about that.  😦  But I know from a getting healthy perspective it’s a necessity.  *sigh*

Meet you at the Kingdom!

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Making Smart Choices

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Day 370 in eating my way to a healthier me to meet up with Mickey (1 month and 28 days to go)

Today’s plan is to create my menu for the week, making it as heavily veggie centered as possible.  I need to pack in the water and veggies this week to try to purge all the salt I took in during our vacation.  We ate out and carried in a lot, and unfortunately, these types of foods have much more salt than I cook with at home.  I am bloated with water weight, and I am anxious to get rid of it.  I can feel it in my shoes and clothes.  Yuck!

So this week it’s back to fruits and veggies, lean proteins and complex carbs.  ( And I will stay sugar-free.)  And I really need to refocus on portions size.  It’s so easy to eat too much when you are given such large portions.   I will fill my dinner plate like this: half vegetables, one quarter meat (3 to 4 ounces), one quarter complex carbs (brown rice, quinoa, brown pasta or spinach pasta, rye bread, etc…)

Thank you for reading, Dear Friends and Family.  Meet you at the Kingdom!