Tag Archives: Sugar-free

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2015 EPCOT Food and Wine Festival

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Day 342 in my researching my way to Mickey in October

Today disneydining.com posted an article on FaceBook titled, “2015 EPCOT Food and Wine Festival Booths and Menus.”  As I have mentioned before, we have never been to the Food and Wine Festival.  Let me just say that half of that is wasted on me.  I don’t generally care for wine, so I don’t drink it, nor beer.  Plus the combination of alcohol and warm October Florida temperatures would do me in completely.

However, the food part is pretty exciting.  Here’s what the Disney Food Blog has to say about this event: “Featuring fantastic special events, culinary and beverage demonstrations, celebrity chefs and the ever-popular World Showcase Marketplace tasting booths, this is a not-to-be-missed opportunity!”  Woo hoo!  

The countries/continents/states represented this year are: Africa, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Dominican Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Hawaii, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Morocco, New Zealand, Patagonia, Poland, Scotland, South Korea.

Plus there are booths called: Cheese Studio, Chew Lab, Craft Beers, Desserts & Champagnes, Farm Fresh, Hops & Barley, Intermissions Cafe, Odyssey Coffee Cart, Refreshment Port, Refreshment Cool Post, Showcase Coffee Cart, Sustainable Chew, Test Track Coffee Cart, Wine Studio.

There are so many mini-portion delights for sale.  It will be tough to choose.  From the available menu, I’m a little worried about our vegetarians though.  It seems like there are many meaty choices and few veggie choices.   I hope I’m wrong for their sakes.

That’s it for today, dear readers.  Meet you at the Kingdom!

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Overdue Payday

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Day 341 in my triumphs on the way to Mickey at the Magic Kingdom

Today’s plan was to take stock of things.  Now that I am beyond my cancer surgery by two and a half months, now that our Walt Disney World vacation is only two months and twenty-eight days away, now that I am only five and a half months from retirement, it’s gut-check time.  How am I doing?  Am I on track?  Am I off the rails?

So, with no small amount of fear and trepidation, I stepped on the scale this morning for the first time in a long time.  I have been eating very healthy meals (many more vegetables in my life) and avoiding sugar and extra salt.  But I have not been as mobile as I want to be.  I hope to change that as my breathing gets regulated, and I have a bit more energy.

The scale was my friend today.  I am down 49.4 pounds from my beginning last August.  Come on 50!

I know I have lost approximately 1000 pounds in my lifetime.  I don’t recommend it…yoyo dieting.  It really messes with your metabolism.  When I was younger, I would pick a diet, stick with it and drop 50 pounds, then be sick of it and give up.  Then when I hit my middle-40’s, I would pick a diet, stick with it and drop 30 pounds, (in the same amount of time that I used to drop 50 pounds) then be sick of it and give up. So this 50 pounds has a lot of meaning for me.  I’m nowhere near my goal, but I’ve given up on dieting, and here I am eleven months later still eating healthier than ever before.

Thank you, dear readers, for your support and encouragement.  It means so much to me.  Meet you at the Kingdom!

 

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I’m Melting!

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Day 339 in my trajectory to Mickey

Today was all about survival.  The air conditioner at the church office is being replaced.  We had no air last Thursday and Friday.  And we may not have air conditioning until Thursday this week.  Today, however, should be the worst of it.  87 degrees and 75% humidity.  Argh!  I brought an extra fan to work and stayed quite productive all day, but now I’m melting.  Can’t wait to get home, drink an iced water, crank up the AC and chillax!

I can’t believe it’s already almost the middle of July.  Time is shooting past, and October will be here before we know it.  I can hardly wait!  (And, yes, that is the sound of me wishing summer away.)  🙂

Meet you at the Kingdom!

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Fun Finds

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Day 338 in getting on with it on my way to meeting up with Mickey

Gosh!  I will have been blogging for a year very soon.  And once I get there the end is in site.  I will only blog until just beyond our trip in October.  Then it will be time to focus on retirement and preparing for that.  Wow!  The end is in sight.  Woo hoo!

Today’s plan was to finish yesterday’s plan.  I’m finishing up my mound of laundry.  And part of that laundry included my entire cupboard of dish cloths and dish towels.  The counter has been leaking and the entire cupboard is mildewed and smelly!  So today I folded all the salvageable, washed and dried towels, dish cloths and napkins.  (And we bleached the cupboard. Ewww!)

In the process of going through the towels I came across two Minnie Mouse towels.  Yay!  I put one out to use now, and the other will come out next.  It’s only three months until our trip now.  Fantastic!

Now I have one more basket of clean whites to fold, then I can chill until it’s time to make dinner.  It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood.  Thank you, Lord!

Thank you for reading, dear friends!  Meet you at the Kingdom!

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Inhaling and Exhaling

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Day 336 in inhaling my way to Mickey in October (3 months and 3 days to go)

Today I feel like a new woman.  This morning before I left for work, I used my rescue inhaler for the first time.  After completing the two suggested puffs, I sat back and breathed.  Oh, the luxury of oxygen really entering your lungs.  I started giggling like a school girl.  What a delightful feeling.  I worked with more energy than I’ve had, since before my surgery.  And I do believe I had more vim than I’ve had in perhaps years.  I am so grateful for modern medicine and for my doctor, Sandra Yoo.

I was starting to dial things back in my head in my plans for visiting Walt Disney World.  I have been so often exhausted of late.  So often shaky and wheezing whenever I tried to do any little thing.  Now I have a renewed outlook.  I will take some time now; time to adjust to this new energy,  And I will plan my Disney days very carefully.  Maybe only half a day in a park and then time for R&R each day at Old Key West.  Sounds pretty good.

Meet you at the Kingdom!

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It’s COOL to Give!

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Day 320 in my meandering my way to meeting up with Mickey (3 months and 18 days to go)

Things are heating up for me right now, and so I forgot to blog yesterday.   Oops!  Each year at this time we sponsor a benefit for COOL Ministries.  COOL Ministries has two food pantries, one in Lake County (where we live) and another in McHenry County.  They also manage twelve Transitional Housing units.  COOL Transitional Housing Program is designed for families (single parent or two parent households) with children, who have found themselves homeless (or about to be) and without resources. These families may obtain further educational training, better employment, gain life skills, learn to budget, save money, receive counseling and explore personal and spiritual growth. Each family exits the program able to maintain self-sufficiency.

Anyway…the benefit is this Sunday, June 28, from 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm.  It will be located at the Lake Bluff Village Green (at the Gazebo).  There will be three bands playing (My husband and son are in the band playing at around 4:00 pm.), and there will be food to purchase from Graffiti Grill and Best Wishes Ice Cream.  Throughout the four hours we will be collecting cash and food donations for COOL Ministries.  If you’re local, come on by!

So I have been very busy with some last minute details, and I completely forgot to blog yesterday.  Now you know why.  🙂

Meet you at the Kingdom!

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When It Started for Me

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Day 319 in showing my Disney-side as I wait to meet up with Mickey (3months and 20 days to go)

This year Disney has been asking the question, “When did it start for you?” “When did what start?” you might ask.  They want to know when your love of all things Disney began.  I’ve been thinking about this, looking back to see when the connection was made.  Disneyland was opened the year I was born, 1955.  They are having a huge Diamond Celebration this year as the park turns 60 years old.  I remember being very young and faithfully watching The Mickey Mouse Club on TV.  It turns out that it first aired in 1955.  Before I began school, I remember begging my mom to enroll me in The Mickey Mouse Club. For a nominal fee, you could sign up by mail and receive a certificate and Mouse Ears, that proved you were a member.  I waited and watched for the postman every day, and day after day my mom would say, “Not today, Honey.  Maybe tomorrow.”  Finally a few weeks later the package arrived.  I tore it open with such excitement, because at last I was a member and could watch The Mickey Mouse Club with my ears on.  But when I looked at the certificate and the ears, I was disappointed.  In my youth I read that I was an “Artificial Member of the Mickey Mouse Club.”  I went to my mom in tears saying, “Why am I only an Artificial Member?  We paid the money.”  Mom wiped my tears, and read the certificate out loud, “Donna Taskila is an Official Member of The Mickey Mouse Club.  It says you are Official, not Artificial.”  I grinned from ear to ear, and I wore those Mickey Mouse Ears until they disintegrated.

That’s it.  That’s the moment when I became a Disney diehard.  I liked it before, but from that moment I was all in: hook, line and sinker.

I am so excited for October!  Meet you at the Kingdom!

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Shrimp and Peppers..Oh, My!

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Day 313 in moving toward Mickey

Today’s plan was to try a new recipe for dinner, and we did.  We had Shrimp and Pepper Stir-Fry.  The recipe is from Betty Crocker 30 Minute Meals for Diabetes.  I will share it here:

Ingredients

  • RICE-1&1/2 c. water; 1&1/2 c. uncooked instant brown rice
  • GINGER PAN SAUCE-1 T. reduced-sodium soy sauce; 1 T. water; 2 t. cornstarch; 3/4 t. ground ginger
  • STIR-FRY-1 T. canola oil; 2 medium green onions, finely chopped (2 T.); 1 clove garlic, finely chopped; 1 medium red bell pepper, cut into thin strips (1&1/2 c); 1 medium green bell pepper, cut into thin strips (1&1/2 c); 12 oz uncooked deveined peeled medium (31 to 35 count) shrimp, thawed if frozen, tail shells removed; 1 c. halved cherry tomatoes

Directions

  1. In a 1-quart saucepan, heat 1&1/2 cups of water to boiling over high heat.  Stir in rice; return to boiling.  Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 5 minutes.  Remove from heat.  Let stand covered 5 minutes; fluff with fork and let cool slightly.
  2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix sauce ingredients until smooth; set aside.
  3. In a 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat.  Add onions and garlic;  cook 1 minute, stirring frequently.  Add bell peppers; cook about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until softened.  Add shrimp and tomatoes; cook 3 to 5 minutes stirring frequently, until shrimp are pink and peppers are crisp-tender.
  4. Stir sauce into shrimp mixture.  Heat to boiling; cook and stir until sauce is thickened.  Serve over rice.

Makes 4 servings.  2&1/2 carbohydrate choices

I thought t was delicious, but next time would try doubling the sauce amount.  It was a little dry for my taste.

Meet you at the Kingdom!

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Top Priorities

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Day 312 In my path to meeting up with Mickey in October (3 months and 27 days to go)

Today my plan was to work through a couple of the sessions in Module One of Better Beyond 50.  I joined this program, and as soon as I did, we lost our internet at home.  We have been without internet for two weeks now at home.  Argh!  Luckily my iPhone can be used as a Personal Hotspot.

One of the things that I had to do today is write down my five top values, which I think sounds like my priorities.  Just a few years ago, I would have said my top five priorities were:

  1. God
  2. Mike (my husband)
  3. Jake and Emi (my kids)
  4. My job
  5. Hmmm…I don’t know

Today my focus has shifted.  Now my top five priorities are:

  1. God (I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.  This branch can do nothing if separated from the vine that is God.)
  2. Me (my health and working on it, because I need to really learn to love myself)  I still think that sounds selfish, but I need to get over it.  Scripture makes it perfectly clear that we have to love ourselves before we can love others.
  3. Mike (He makes me happy.)
  4. My new career focus (When I retire as Church Secretary in December, I want to get serious about my writing.)
  5. My kids (They are on such strong paths; they don’t need me as much as they once did.  Hallelujah!  It’s time to focus in other things now.)

It was a great exercise to do.  I had to spend some time really thinking about what I want my future to be.  It’s so strange to think about turning sixty.  How do I want to finish this life?   I want to finish as the best child of God that I can be.  I am excited to see what the next twenty plus years can bring.  No matter what comes, good or bad, God will be there, so I can face it with peace in my heart.

Meet you at the Kingdom!

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Delicious Day

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Day 308 in my journey to join up with Mickey at Magic Kingdom in October (4 months and 1 day to go)

Today’s plan was R & R…rest and relaxation.  It has been everything I hoped it would be.  I slept late and have taken two naps since I got up this morning.  I can feel the stress melting away, and I can exhale…  Ahh…

So since my plan for the day is so event-free, I will share my dinner recipe for this evening.  It is from my current favorite cookbook: Betty Crocker’s 30 Minute Meals for Diabetes.  The recipe is called Quick Taco Skillet Casserole.  It makes 6 servings, each 3 carb choices.

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