Trim Healthy Mama Blast and Good Intentions

The scoop is that I decided to join the members site at TrimHealthyMama.com; I chose the three month membership, because I want to see if I will visit there enough and utilize the resources there enough for me to feel like I have spent that money wisely.  As of this day, about 12 days in, I can say it has been well worth the money.

So far I have found answers to some of my recent questions, along with the Stubborn Losers Menus and some delicious recipes.  The Chocolate Milk, and the Eggs and Hash recipes are repeaters, and the FP Peanut Butter Cookie Muffin will be. I enjoyed the muffin this morning, completely surprised at how delicious it was and how much I enjoyed the texture as well.  I do so love it when I follow a recipe as written, taste it tentatively, and then blissfully inhale the end product.  Thanks so much, Pearl and Serene!

While out running this morning, I was reminded that I should start thinking about blog posts for the week.  I remember promising updates about some things, one of which I covered above.

I am still school planning, although I added in a major writing project to this month, which is requiring lots of my discretionary time.  Alongside of that I have had some wonderful, amazing ministry opportunities open up to which I have said yes and run after.  Nonetheless, albeit slowly, I have been working my way through a library book by Cathy Duffy and feeling inspired and motivated.  That in itself is worth the investment of time reading the book and doing the exercises.

On the employment front, I have not heard back a second time about an interview, at least not as of yet.  I am praying about following up somehow.  HE knows how much I would love that job, as well as all of the other details that would be affected by me working part-time.

And that's the scoop as of today.


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Checking in on My Poor Neglected Blog

Dear Escapades,

I have missed you and longed to spend time with you.  Dashing off "Theme Song Thursday" posts as a way to stay connected, though somewhat lame, has ministered to my heart and given me hope that indeed I will once again be regularly posting here.  Thanks for your grace, patience and understanding.

Tummy Pleasing Tuesday Tip

Alongside of my current cranberry craving is a muffin hankering.  Often these two marry into delicious bliss.

Freestyling Trim Healthy Mama produces satisfaction, energy and health, but sometimes produces challenge, like finding a toothsome E muffin.

As of the time of this writing my two favorite E muffins are:

Chocolate Banana Muffins (p. 283 in the THM Cookbook; I make 1/3 or a recipe)

Strawberry Muffins (p. 281), which I tweak by adding more fruit like blueberries, cranberries, peaches, apples, etc.  Because this recipe is a FP, I know that adding non-FP fruit, I can safely stay in E mode.  And I love the texture and flavor of this muffin.

What tweaks are you making in your THM journey?


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Neglected

It feels great to be writing consistently lately.

Of course, you wouldn't know about that here, because I have taken a writing challenge outside of this realm.  I believe it will help me to post more consistently here, just not during November.

That being said, I will encourage you to check out a fabulous THM friendly recipe, which I made this afternoon, and which you can find at alldayidreamaboutfood.com .

Here's what mine looked like; I made a 1/2 recipe and baked it in an 8" round cake pan for 25 minutes:

Cranberry Orange Coffee Cake; recipe from All Day I Dream About Food.

On the topic of THM, I am gearing up for my next Fuel Cycle, which will start immediately after Thanksgiving Day.  My first one was incredibly hard initially, and incredibly beneficial finally.  Otherwise I would not be planning another one! Planning ahead to have the right items on hand will be a key.

What new THM recipes have you tried lately?

What feedback or questions do you have about a THM Fuel Cycle?


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Trim Healthy Update

Over two years ago, my journey with Trim Healthy Living began.  Aligning with this new way of eating has produced the desired effects; check this book out from a library and give it a thorough read through to see if it lands with you.  There are also numerous web sites and articles on-line, though discernment is needed as always when researching on the net.  Pearl and Serene's web site is a trustworthy resource!  THM truly is a lifestyle and not a diet.

If you visit www.trimhealthymama.com, you will see all of their books, two of which are new. Today is the promised delivery date of my copy of their new cookbook.  New recipes feed me spiritually and physically!

Overall, I have been characterized by staying "on plan."  In the past 6 months or so, I have given myself permission far too often to go off plan, however.  A dear friend has spoken grace to me many times (in my memory of her saying this) with "in 3 hours you get to start all over again on plan!" Great self-talk to prevent the "might as well eat ______, since I have already blown it!"

In order to re-synch with the plan, this week is a Fuel Cycle week for me.  A Fuel Cycle is supposed to be a two week event.  Do you already hear my disdain for this idea?  I have been incredibly hungry so far and find the choices limited -- unbelievably, I am kinda tired of sweet snacks and meal ideas. Yep, research is being done as I have time.  And that new cookbook cannot arrive soon enough!!!

Hunger is not usually a problem for me in the THM lifestyle.  This indicates to me that I have not fully understood the Fuel Cycle and am not well prepared with correct food choices for each different type of meal.  (If THM is new to you, DO NOT bog down in this Fuel Cycle rant; I have only recently noticed a change in my metabolism [read that as menopause], which has propelled me to recognize the need to adjust once again.)

On the up side, I know that my body is responding to the fat-flushing power of the Fuel Cycle!  Plus I can hardly wait to go back to "freestyling" on plan, because those favorite foods are magically delicious!

If  you have Fuel Cycle ideas and tips, I'd love to hear from you!

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Miscellany

WARNING:  I cannot remember, nor verify if I blogged about the following gems, "freebies," or not. The new layout of my blog has me flummoxed; do you feel the same way?
 
Officially The Ark Christian Academy opened for classes on Monday, August 17.  Happily The Ark Christian Academy logged in two days of field trips mid-week last week.  Never having started school in this relaxed manner before, I find it exactly what I need this year, especially given that I have been sick for a week now.  Thanks be to God, I am steadily improving!

Freebie #1:

If your dentist offers you Nitrous Oxide before your dental procedure, gladly accept.  You will thank me later!  (Now you can write me and tell me all of the reasons this is a bad health decision -- I am that certain that it won't change my mind:)

Freebie #2:

Are you a Google Calendar and an Outlook Calendar user?  (Yes, I do keep two different calendars on two different platforms; it works for me.  I have tired various approaches over these many years. Feel free to make other suggestions!)  If so, you might want to try initially scheduling your appointments and events on the Google Calendar, and then invite yourself via an email address that you open with Outlook's inbox.  You can then simply accept the invitation with the drop down choices that show up in the email; I choose "accept and do not send a reply," since I am the one who invited myself.

Freebie #3:

Bullet Journaling is worth a "look-see" if you are some who writes things down even though you use other digital means to organize other parts of your life.  There are many, many fabulous videos and blogs out there with lots of amazing ideas about how to use a Bullet Journal.  Find the originator's video here:  http://bulletjournal.com/.  I pretty much follow his basic plan, though I love the creativity and beauty of other bullet journals I have seen.  When I find that I have time to make mine more beautiful, I'm sure I will.  For now my simple analog journal is keeping me on track in this digital age!

As a matter of updating on some topics I know I have blogged about before, I am still living the Trim Healthy Mama way, though I don't always stay on plan.  I hope to do better now that we have more of a routine.  Ultimately I know that it is what's inside of me that will determine how diligently I follow the plan.

Also, I have not written much about our summer adventures as of yet -- finding it difficult to put into words.   I can say, however, that something I blogged about earlier is something I seem to be putting into practice more and more.
(http://abdemoss.blogspot.com/2015/04/fingerprints-and-next-dot.html)
Saying "yes" to God, even when every part of my soul and body are saying "no" is a faith builder. And faith is most definitely spelled "risk."  More on this in a soon-coming post.

Gotta dash out to the bank and to buy some beloved local farm-raised EGGS!

What'supwi'you?

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A Trim Healthy S Cookie that I LOVE!!!

Sheri Graham share oodles of exceptional information on her site, including this Trim Healthy Mama S recipe for Chocolate No Bake Cookies. From my childhood, cookies like this have been a craved fave.  This delish recipe is low carb and sugar free, which matches my adult self's needs -- the best of both worlds!!!

My tweaks to her amazing recipe are:

• use 1/2 butter and 1/2 coconut oil for the amount of fat listed in recipe, 
• use 1/2 coconut and 1/2 oats for the amount of oats listed in the recipe, 
• and add more sweetener to my taste, sending me back to my younger days of making batch upon batch of these yummy cookies!   

What's one of your favorite cookies recipes?

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Tip to Trim Healthy Mamas

  After a year of eating the THM E pancakes (p. 223), I admit that they have started to taste better than at first.  I am thankful that such can actually occur, because for this pancake LOVER, they were disappointing the first time I ate them. . . and the second, and the third, and for quite some time after that.

   A couple of weeks ago I decided to substitute some oat fiber for a tiny part of the oats to try to "dry" them out a bit. One of the things I like least about these jewels are they moistness, (and yes, I have always plopped them from the griddle onto a paper towel).  For my tastes the oat fiber additon greatly improves these pancakes.  They still are not whole wheat flour pancakes, but they are a delectable healthy substitute. One other addition I recommend is some cinnamon, though that is optional.

   What tweeks do you recommend for the THM E pancakes?

   What other pancake recipe do you enjoy?


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And From the Archives

Can you guess what this is?

 Ever have one of those days where more than what is possible lands in that day?

 Whilst prepping supper for the masses tonight (it's date night, and I won't be here), I landed in the "way back machine" remembering the days when I scheduled daily time in the kitchen early in the morning for supper prep so that I could be freed up enough to nurse the baby and still have supper ready "on time."  There's a minefield of reasons why this was kinda a problem, but the benefit was that I did manage a fairly consistent supper time every day. That one goal was accomplished.  I am celebrating the personal growth and change that has happened since those days.  And I look forward to more in the days ahead.

  Why am I still the one making supper every night, you may ask?  Changing old eating habits to healthier ones requires certain food prep practices that I am still working on myself.  I do have help many nights with parts of the meals plus much of the prep is fairly easy because protein and slow carbs are the featured components.  Along with those things, I also very much enjoy cooking, usually, so it's another life-giving part of my day.

  What personal growth and/or change can you celebrate today?  I'd love to hear from you.

  BTW, it's a low carb egg casserole, THM S friendly and DELICIOUS!

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My Tweaked Bluberry MIM THM S

  I haven't blogged about this (or much other than Theme songs) for some time now, but "Trim Healthy Mama" is still a mainstay in my life as far as food is concerned.

What I Need

  Kris Vallotton said something to the effect that my body, my soul and my spirit have needs.  At church, they tell me all the time about what my spirit needs.  I regularly make time for my body's and my spirit's needs, but I fall short when it comes to my soul. . .

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Tummy Pleasing Tuesday

 Two new to us recipes that have wowed us are:

Creamy Southwestern Taco Soup

from: http://www.genaw.com/lowcarb/creamy_sw_taco_soup.html

Recurrence, welcome and unwelcome

   This is my favorite season of the year, which leads into my two favorite holidays of the year. Although the harbinger of winter, I welcome autumn's arrival.  The colors, the scents, the traditions, the memories, the food, the fellowship, the fun...YES!  I embrace all.

Tribute to Daily Minutia

  Running is a staple in my life for which I am grateful.  The opportunity to do something athletic outside is not something I take for granted.  Sox, our first family dog, and Moose, our current family

Getting It All Done

  If I haven't ranted about this before, I have to say it:  The first two - three days of every work week are incredibly crazy for me this school year. Optimistically I keep telling myself that it's a result of our much busier weekends during the soccer season.  Time will tell if that is truly the case.

  Suddenly all around us the fields are being harvested, and I can see as far as my eyes will allow me to see without any obstructions.  My runs seem more "roaming" though I run the same route day after day after day.  Perhaps these changes are part of the reason my mind has begun to excitedly and expectantly think about Thanksgiving and Christmas.  I LOVE this time of the year!

  On the Trim Healthy Mama front, I have continued to work the plan, though sometimes because of circumstances beyond my control and sometimes because of my choices I go off plan.  My clothes and my husband tell me that the plan is working despite the glitches!  When I initially started down the THM path, I followed the advice of the authors and did not attempt to change everything all at the very same time.  Recently I have begun to implement more E (energizing) meals and FP (Fuel Pull) snacks and desserts.  A couple of my new favorite recipes are: Savory Skillet Quinoa (FP, p. 231), Muffin in a Bowl (FP, p. 259) and Baked Tilapia.  Another recent food love is Fat Free Reddi Whip.

  What's new with you these days?

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Keys (and lots of fab links!)

  I love autumn and the expectation of Thanksgiving and Christmas arriving anon.   I love the change in the temperatures and the crispness of the air, even though these signal that winter will arrive soon enough as well.  I love...

 Being famous for love, that's what life it truly about.  Nope, not famous for the "things" I love, but

More THM Yummyness

  Though I cannot remember all the "Trim Healthy Mama" recipes I have recently made and eaten, I can tell you about a couple that have been quite tasty.  After buying some banana extract, I made myself a banana peanut muffin-in-a-mug (variation is mentioned in my book, on page 257).  I would have preferred walnuts or pecans for my nut addition, but did not have either on hand.  The other difference in this muffin from all of the other MIMs I have tried so far is that I finally purchased some almond flour and used it for half of the "flour" amount, which increased the delicious flavor and improved the texture.  Lately I have been baking my MIMs in the oven (if I am already using it the oven) or in the convection toaster oven, which I also highly recommend for improving the texture.  Finally, the next time I make a MIM using half almond flour and half golden flax meal I will taste the batter and carefully add sweetener until it reaches the correct sweetness for me.  The amount of sweetener I was using in the MIMs made with only golden flax meal was too much for the new version.  By the way these delectable muffins are gluten and grain free!  I think I will try to make a pumpkin muffin this afternoon or sometime in the near future.
 
  Just a few minutes ago I made myself  a Low Carb English Muffin. I have been craving some snacks that are not sweet but are THM approved, and this recipe looked promising.  If you click the above link and go the recipe you will find a picture.  I did not toast mine quite long enough as it was not as brown, but it did taste ok.  I think I will plan to add more salt and perhaps some onion powder or garlic powder of both to give this more flavor.  I topped mine with butter but will try 1/3-reduced fat cream cheese the next time I make one -- which might be as early as this afternoon.
 
  Another recent recipe I made and devoured is Pumpkin Spice Frappe. The bonus about this lovely autumn tasting drink is that it is a Fuel Pull food.  What is that, you ask?  To summarize from the book, the science behind the Fuel Pull is to strip down both fat and glucose, the two primary fuels, almost fully away and force the body to immediately burn its own fat as fuel.  "...Fuel Pull meals swiftly shed excess weight."  In other words, these foods are like "freebies" when you are hungry.
 
  Now for some balancing feedback, I have tried some recipes that were for me flops.  I plan to continue to tweak the chocolate cake in a mug recipe to my taste, though so far it's less than pleasing.  Also I have been making gluten free/grain free gravies and sauces using glucomannan powder or xanthan gum as the thickener, which does work, but is kinda slimy.  I think the more I cook with these healthy alternatives the less I will notice, but time will be the true test.  Further I am awaiting a tweaked recipe for "Skinny Chocolate" from a friend, though I do enjoy the "Chocolate Slab" recipe.  To this date I have made it without the nuts since I tend to snack on nuts already during a day.
 
  Did I mention that you really, really, really should read this book?  I am hopeful to buy the pdf version soon, so that I can search within the text more easily and print off the recipes in the book, also.  My softbound copy sits on the top of my portable dishwasher, ready for multiple perusals throughout the day.

  What yummy food have you been enjoying lately?

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Repeat

www.trimhealthymama.com

  Have I mentioned the above book?  Tee-hee...

's up?

  "Pancakes are awaiting at the end," I huffed and puffed aloud to myself at the 1/4 point in my morning run.  The oppressive humidity and warmer-than-I-enjoy-for-running temperature was threatening and berating me.  I spoke those words as a response to the thought that I could just be finished at the 1/2 point, which is our house. Thankfully, in what seemed like seconds but what was in reality much longer, I noticed by my watch that I had less than two minutes left in the run.

  The promised "Trim Healthy Mama" pancakes were filling and lovely once again, and now after having enjoyed breakfast and a refreshing shower, I am exponentially grateful that I did not wimp out of the remainder of the run.  Words are so powerful and change spiritual atmospheres!

  And speaking of THM, the salmon dip I mentioned in my cheesecake for breakfast post is most delicious.  Three of our daughters also partook in the dip and raved about it's delectable goodness.  I hope I am creating and/or increasing your curiosity about this book and new way of eating because I mean to do so.  While there are some things that to this point I do not feel comfortable sharing explicitly about, including finances and my personal weight details, I can say that I have lost some pounds and some inches already.  I will also say that my belly fat is slowly shrinking, which makes me extremely happy!

  Having said that I will also tell you that I have enjoyed several off plan treats during the month-ish since I began THM eating.  These have included homemade lemon meringue pie, a Jack's doughnut and a Kinser's Bakery doughnut or two.  Some foods are simply too incredibly tasty to pass up, especially when they are on occasion and not as a habit.  (That last sentence is not endorsed by THM, by the way.) The Kinser's Bakery doughnuts could easily become habit forming, which I readily admit and am on guard against.

  Alongside of eating, school planning is back in my focus.  Donna Young created a new version of her lesson planner, and after trying out the new BETA version I have decided to use the new planner.  Cudos and thanks to Donna for the changes she has made which make the planner more flexible and user friendly!  You can read about and view the changes she has made here.  NOTE:  I use her Lesson Planner V3, because I keep track of the grades, GPA and other records separately.  The bells and whistles on the Lesson Planner are not as slick as the V Planner V3, but so far suit my/our needs best at present.  This is a product I value highly!

  Having said that, it's time to start inputting the data into my new Lesson Planner V3.

  What's on your "to do" list today?

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Of Cucumbers, Frappas & Zucchinis

 Natural discovery of the day:  another cucumber and zucchini  were ready for picking!  These were the second of each kind picked in the last couple of days.  A week of rain followed by a week of warm sunny weather will do that, I see.

 Foodie discovery of the day:  Fat Stripping Frappa, "Trim Healthy Mama" style.  The recipe in the book makes a gianormous amount, so I think the next time I will make a half batch when having a snack.  Now I can make it until suppertime plus be able to focus on my school planning...

...which I should be doing right about now -- gotta run!

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