Tag Archives: nutrition

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Giving Thanks

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Day 110 in my turkey-trot toward magical Mickey

Happy Thanksgiving, dear readers!  May we be truly thankful for all of God’s bounty.  God is good all the time, all the time God is good!

If you find yourself alone and/or heartbroken this Thanksgiving, then I pray that the Holy Spirit himself be there to wrap you in love, to let you know you are never truly alone.  He is ever faithful and holds you near and dear.

My plan for today is to enjoy my Thanksgiving day and dinner with Mike, Jake and Eliza.  I’ve taken out the sugar and some of the fat from my favorite recipes.  Now I will start with reasonable portions, eat slowly while enjoying the company, and I will stop eating before I am uncomfortable.  After all, it’s not about how much I can stuff in, as much as it is about tasting a bit of everything.

Here’s the final menu:

  • turkey
  • stuffing
  • mashed potatoes
  • mashed rutabaga
  • cranberry sauce
  • a rosemary carrot dish
  • a Brussel sprout, cauliflower, chick pea dish
  • challah bread
  • custard pie

Whew!  It will be a feast for sure.  We are cutting the candied yams and the gravy out for this year.  But with all that bounty, it does not seem like a sacrifice at all.

May God bless and keep you, gentle readers.  Meet you at the Kingdom!

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Of Mice and Thanksgiving

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Day 109 in my planning for a healthier me when I meet Mickey at the Magic Kingdom.

My office stinks…literally.  We are having a mouse infestation at the church.  Anderson Pest Control takes care of us, so they have had to come out nearly every other day for the past twp weeks.  As I type, the efficient Anderson Pest Control Guy is removing the dead carcasses that are stinking up my office.  (And my work partner Debbie’s office, too.)  Whew!  I will not miss that smell.  🙂

I sure hope that Mickey is not too insulted that we are having a mouse-massacre at St. James.  Four more have bitten the dust in the last two days.  (2 in my office and 2 in your office, Debbie.)

I love me some Mickey Mouse, but the other kind freak me out, and I know why.  I remember it like it was yesterday, but in reality I was three years old…a good 55, nearly 56, years ago.  I was sitting on the toilet feeling very exposed and vulnerable, when my mom and dad heard a blood-curdling scream.  They rushed into the bathroom just in time to see the tiniest baby mouse run back under the water heater.  Ever since then, I have an absolute irrational fear of mice.  And an equally irrational love of Mickey.  Hmmm…go figure.

Anyway, my plan for today is to prepare for tomorrow.  I need to get my recipes out tonight and plan ways to cut some of the fat out.  The only sugar will be in the custard pie.  I will allow myself a Thanksgiving celebratory piece-o-pie.  (Mike, my amazing husband, is the pie maker, and he’s really good at it!  He learned from the best, his mom.  Love you, Estella!)  Mike has agreed to only make one pie, or if he makes two, then he will bring the second pie up to the shop for the guys on Friday.  I’m telling you, people, Mike Jarvi is a good guy!

Happy Thanksgiving to you all, dear readers.  May your holiday be filled with family, friends, good food, parades, football (That’s for my brothers; Mike and I watch movies instead.) and lots of fun.  I am truly grateful for each of you in my life!  Meet you at the Kingdom!

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Staying on Track

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Day 107 in my wandering toward Mickey

Well, it’s that time again.  I have 3 days to really focus and be on track, then Thanksgiving Day hits.  We got our shopping mostly done last night, and I finished it off on the way to work this morning.  It will be nice to have a four day weekend at home.

So today my plan is to eat very carefully, being sure to choose low fat proteins and plenty of vegetables with some fruits thrown in for fun.  Salmon tonight, I think, with a big side salad and just a taste of sweet potato soup.

I want to make my plans to prepare the healthiest versions of our chosen foods for our Thursday feast.  I want the day to be about giving thanks to the Father who loves us every day.  More thanks and praise to God; less thanks and praise to my full belly.  🙂

Meet you at the Kingdom!

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Enjoying the View

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Day 106 in my reverie to a reunion with my favorite mouse Mickey.

Greetings from the top of Christmas Mountain.  Today we pack up and head home.  It has been a wonderful, whirlwind of a weekend.

Today my plan is to enjoy the view.  It is a gray morning here and there is a mist in the valley below us, but it is breathtakingly beautiful.

Then when we get home, we’ll go and shop for our Thanksgiving feast.  I’m going to skip the candied yams and the gravy this year.  We’ll have turkey, mashed potatoes, mashed rutabaga and a half batch of stuffing.  Eliza and Jake will prepared the Brussels sprouts and salad.  I’m sure Mike will bake a custard pie.  It will be a feast for sure, but with a little healthier twist this year.

That’s about enough for today.  Meet you at the Kingdom!

BTW: I highly recommend Wisconsin Dells in the off-season.  There is still plenty to see and do, but the traffic is way more do-able than in the summer.  Between all the walking and swimming we’ve done, we’ve all managed to get plenty of exercise, too.

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Christmas Mountain Village Part 2

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Day 105 as I sashay sassily toward Mickey at the Magic Kingdom.

Wow, dear readers, we are in a paradise!  Christmas Mountain Village is lightly snow-covered.  Today is the first day the ski slope is open, so we can watch the skiers schussing down the hill.

After breakfast this morning we went and walked around some of the shops.  So fun!  The six of us (John and Joan, our lovely besties, Jake and Eliza, our lovely nearby kidlings, Mike, my birthday-boy husband, and I went to Sprecher’s Brewery for lunch.  They had an amazing grilled chicken “pub” salad, on which I feasted.  I had 3 delicious cheese curds as an appetizer (we split a basket between the six of us).  Then the birthday boy chose a white chocolate creme brulee for his birthday dessert.  We each tasted 2 spoons of that and then Mike finished it up.  Sheer indulgence!

Mike and the kids went to Top Secret, Inc, which is the “White House” (upside down), with a T-Rex coming out of the side.

Now we’re relaxing at the Townhouse.  (But Jake and Eliza are heading to Wizard Quest to play a bit more.)  Then tonight I swim…again!!!  You guys, I had so-o-o much fun last night!  I walked in the pool for close to an hour and came out pruny and happy.  I will do so again tonight.  What a delightful and surprising weekend.

Meet you at the Kingdom!

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Packing for Success

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Day 103 in my marathon to better moves for meeting Mickey

Today’s plan is to pack for success.  Mike and I are going away for a few days with our very dear friends and our very dear son and daughter-in-law.  So today I will pack in such a way as to improve my chances of staying the game.

  1. I will pack my swim suit and hope to get into the pool at least twice while we’re away.
  2. I will pack some sensible snacks for the townhouse in which we will be staying.  (yogurt and fruit, for sure, and maybe even some Skinny Pop for an extra treat)  Do you know Skinny Pop?  It’s a great story and a delicious, low-cal treat.  (Thanks for doing an article on it, Jake!)
  3. I will pack good walking shoes, so when we walk around looking in the shops in town, my feet will be up for the game.
  4. And since this is the Great White North, I will wear a warm winter coat, gloves, scarf and hat.  Sheesh!  What a winter…already!

I will do my best to blog while we’re away, but it all depends on if they have good wi-fi.  Meet you at the Kingdom!

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In the Sweet Spot

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Day 97 in my exciting adventure toward my date with Mickey

My plan for today was to meet with my Health Coach, and I did.  My two goals for the next four weeks are:

  1. Try out walking at the Lake Bluff Health and Fitness Center sprung track.  It is right on my way home from work, so no excuses to not drop in there.  The sprung track will make walking easier on my sore joints.
  2. Research and adjust my holiday recipes, so they are more nutritious and not so filled with empty calories.

Friendly little facts that are making my life exciting:

  • I always weigh myself before I talk to Alex, my heath coach.  And…tan-ta-ta-a-da…I made my 30 pounds this morning!!!  So exciting! I’m very happy about that.
  • OMGosh…Starbuck’s has a Skinny Peppermint Mocha.  I got one yesterday with decaf.  It might be my favorite treat EVER!
  • Jake & Emi (our kid)s, Eliza and James (their spouses), Mike (my amazing husband) and I are booked into Old Key West for our vacation in October.  I have our 5-day Park Hopper passes in hand.  And they are all connected up on “My Disney Experience.”

So right now, gentle readers, life is very good at the Jarvi household. Meet you the Kingdom!

BTW: Shout out to Chris, my wonderful work partner.  (Prayers coming your way, my friend! )  She fell and broke her wrist yesterday.  If you have a sec, offer up a quick prayer for her today.  Thanks, all y’all!

 

 

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Pay Day–Weigh Day

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Day 94 in my Mickey-meeting journey

My plan for today was to weigh myself.  I keep trying to not have any expectations, so I won’t have any disappointment when I step on the scale.  After all, that’s why I’m only weighing myself once a month.  The scale depresses me, in general, so weighing less often is better for my psyche.

But let’s get real.  I was hoping to be 30 pounds down when I stepped on the scale today.  What I found when I stepped on the scale is that in the last 94 days, I have lost 28.6 pounds.  And instead of being elated that I’ve lost 28.6 pounds, I was a little disappointed that it was not 30 pounds.

I guess after 40+ years of dieting, it’s just my human nature to want more.  But here’s the thing: I already feeling the difference.  I feel it in the way my clothes fit and in my ability to be a better employee and in the improvements I see around my home.  I just plain have more energy.  I owe it all to nutritious foods and more movement.  I quit “dieting” and I am down 28.6 pounds.  Halle-j-lujah!

And so I press on, dear readers.  Thank you for taking this journey with me.  Meet you at the Kingdom!

BTW: I really owe “it all” to the God who loves me, who considers me precious and keeps me close.  A God who is the King, which makes me a princess…a princess who is 28.6 pounds down.  🙂

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Rewarding Manuel Labor

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Day 93 in making my way to a healthier me to meet up with Mickey

My plan for today is to help to load up the food for the PADS program at work/church.  PADS is a non-profit organization that provides temporary shelter for the homeless.  Once a month our church, St. James, takes on the task of providing the dinner meal, along with food for breakfast and a sack lunch the next day to a PADS site.  Today is PADS day, so I will:

  1. roll the cart with the non-perishables, out to our volunteer’s minivan
  2. unload the non-perishables
  3. roll the cart back through the building to the kitchen
  4. load up the perishables from the refrigerator and freezer
  5. roll the cart out to our volunteer’s minivan…again
  6. unload the perishables into the minivan
  7. give the volunteer a hug.

I like the idea of being helpful, rather than sitting at my desk and typing while she does all the heavy lifting.  It’s good to have some energy to be able to help.  Thank you, Lord, for nutritious foods, and thank you for the ability to be moving more!

Meet you at the Kingdom!

 

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My Alternative Lifestyle

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Day 90 in my disco-dance to Disney and my buddy Mickey

Today my plan was to get stuff done, and not to just sit in my chair all day watching Hallmark Christmas movies and napping off and on.  So, here’s what I did.

  1. I called a loan officer and straightened out an auto-payment that was messed up.
  2. I straightened out the two slacks drawers in my dresser.  I put away my summer shorts and trousers.  I rehung and reorganized some of my tops.  By the time I was finished, I had a huge sack of clothes to give away to Good Will.
  3. I reorganized my bazoo drawer.  (If you can’t figure out what that is, you’ll have to ask Jean Carlson or Laura Elliot.  🙂
  4. I reworked a song for Damascus Road (the contemporary band that I play in at church).  I changed the key and simplified the arrangement on “Let Justice Flow Like a River”, a song we’ll do at worship this Sunday.
  5. I finally cleared the clutter off of my refrigerator.  Some of that stuff had been there for as long as I can remember….Yeesh!
  6. I prepared a nutritious dinner for my man, Mike.  (Note to Maria-I know he’s really God’s man…but I kinda love the guy!)  We’re having “Souper Chicken” from the cookbook  “Recipes to Lower Your Fat Thermostat.”

I figure, any activity is better than no activity, right?  And hopefully I’m building back some stamina and even some muscle.  It’s been a great day and I look forward to spending the evening with my honey…probably watching Christmas movies on Hallmark.  🙂  Or maybe we’ll watch “Maleficent.”

Meet you at the Kingdom!

Recipe: In a nonstick pan stir 2 cups of uncooked brown rice, 1 cup of chopped mushrooms and 4 cups of vegetable/chicken broth/ bouillon.  (It depends on if you prefer veggie or chicken flavor & if you prefer broth or bouillon.)  Lay 6 pieces of skinless, boneless chicken breasts in the pan on top of the mixture.  Sprinkle one envelope of onion soup mix on top.  Cover with foil.  Cook at 350 degrees for one and a half hours.  It smells go-o-o-o-od in here!