Christine

[Lucy]

Hi Christine,

Just read your journal, and I get the feeling that you need things that you can prepare quickly -- that right?

Since you mentioned somewhere that you prefer vegetables, do you ever get bags of frozen veggy mixtures?

I've discovered a vast array of different mixtures, so I keep the freezer area stocked with the ones I particularly like.

Not only are there different combinations of veggies, but you can get them in different cuts as well. Somehow that just makes it a little more interesting, and it's nice visually on your plate with all the different colors and shapes.

I've found that most of the frozen vegetables are lots better than they used to be, and there's alot more variety, particularly if you shop at different places for them.

Not having to wash and cut them up is very time saving, and with frozen, one doesn't have to worry about something going bad as with fresh foods. Also, occasionally they're on sale!

I try to always have on hand a bag of mixed bell peppers (three colors), and this gives a little "kick" to the veggie combinations. Think Birds Eye even has these with onion pieces in em.

Also, I experiment with different oils and herbs and spices as well as a variety of seeds and nuts for crunch. If you like garlic, you could keep some of those jars of minced garlic and roasted garlic in your frig. Those are good in lots of things. I just spoon out the amount I want -- easy!

Also, I see that you basically just eat fish and chicken..that right? Are there any other meats that you like, for variety?
The uninjected meats are a little more expensive, but since you don't eat all that much, the cost per meal wouldn't be all that much, I don't think.

Wow, I'm going to have to revisit this topic as the sleepies have hit me, bigtime all of a sudden.

Anyway, would love to see you get enough variety in your meals and snacks to keep you from getting derailed on the temptations.

Best wishes! Luce

[TendrTummy]

Hey Luce :)

No amount of variety in the world will keep me from wanting chocolate and candy, cake and cookies, all the stuff that might derail me..

I use a lot of frozen veggies. Where we live (MN), fresh veggies aren't always that great. Summer is good, but winter can be scarce or expensive, so we often buy frozen. The microwave has a frozen veggie setting. You just put how many cups you have and it microwaves it to perfection, but sometimes I put 'em in a pot, for variety.

I can't imagine preparing fresh veggies as well as fresh everything else LOL I'm WAY too lazy for that :)

I do eat quite a bit of beef. Hamburgers, meatballs, tacos.. I guess I think I eat hamburger a lot more than chicken or fish.. but I haven't been reading thru my journals LOL. I just write 'em, I don't read 'em. I'll have to go back and revisit them one of these days, see how it looks..

Christine

[Lucy]

One thing about it, Christine, just having to think about it all the time, and keep up with this board takes the mind away from no-no's, at least during the time you're concentrating on these.

Can't remember -- do you ever do lean pork chops? You can get them in the thinner loin cuts or even the tiny breakfast size if you just want to use it for a condiment. Also, there are safe sausages that I find on occasion, and one thing I did that was really tasty was to put some Italian chicken (I think) sausage into some of Whole Foods corn soup (no soy in it) with some frozen spinach and a little of that Pickapo (whatever it is) Pepper Sauce (not too much, though), and it was really a nice surprise -- just started out as an iffy experiement.

Also, if you like soup, Imagine has a good, safe butternut squash soup that even people who don't like that squash seem to enjoy. I've not found anything yet to mix into it except for a little cinnamon on the top. This would be something nice for you that would be a little sweet, and good for a light meal in the summer months.

Another safe Imagine soup is their Potato Leek soup which I use to braise chicken thighs with baby carrots and sometimes leeks, but usually find it quicker to just do the onions. The soup has seasoning in it, but I usually go ahead and add a little S&P while cooking the chicken thighs. Like the free range for this particular dish.

This is a good one for having lots of leftovers as are the pork chops.
I take a couple of sauces I found at the store and combine them together along with an exotic pepper blend, and in the final stage of cooking, sprinkle on the more traditional crushed sage. Makes for very complex flavors, particularly since each of the sauces has a number of ingredients.
Using something sweet in your sauces might help to satisfy your desire for something sweet -- perhaps you could look up some Asian combinations on the internet and get ideas for making a few of your own. They'll last a bit in the frig, and all it takes is a blender once a few simple ingredients are assembled.

OK, will butt out now. That's almost the extent of all I know anyhow! Haha!

Yours, Luce

[CAMary]

Hey Christine-

Have you ever checked out the Bittersweet Bakery in Eagan? Alice told me about quite awhile ago - when I was in MN in December 2003 it was not yet open for business. I plan to check it out this time I visit. Maybe knowing there is a resource for some good, decadent GF sweets will make it easier on you? My husband really likes it when I make scones, brownies etc...but sometimes I've told him - sometimes I just want to eat a treat without having to be Betty Crocker first!!

Mary

[TendrTummy]

Hey gals :)

Lucy, no need to butt out LOL I'm in no mood to talk food much today with all the stuff going on in the world..

The soups sound pretty good - I'll have to get over to Whole Foods one of these days and check them out more. Last I was there, it was with a 6 yr old, so things were not easy LOL.

Mary, I had NO idea there was a store like that in Eagan. Eagan is quite the jaunt from my house, but maybe on a weekend I can manage to get there.. I'd LOVE to check out some bakery items, but when I went to Whole Foods, I found that most contain either egg, milk products, or soy, and so even tho they're gluten free, they're not edible to me. I will probably call that place and ask if they have items that are free of most allergens.. see what they say before heading all the way out there, but I KNOW what you mean about Betty Crocker. I'd love to have a meal that I DIDN'T have to make from scratch that I can eat and that tastes good. *sigh*

Christine