Why is Everyone Around Me So Overweight?

Maybe it's because I'm writing this blog, but suddenly I am noticing the number of women around me who are overweight. Like yesterday at Sam's, I'm there during the early business hours so there are a smaller number of people in the store - and mostly women. Women who are much younger than I and not one appeared to be under 200 pounds - some didn't even appear to be under 300 pounds. What is going on? How does this happen to these poor women? Please know I am not judging. I am old enough to remember when being that size was not the norm. I look at these women and feel like they must have accepted their size and all of the health conditions that go with it. They must feel powerless to do anything about it.

So my question really isn't rooted in "why is everyone so overweight?" but really more in "why does everyone feel so powerless?" For one I suspect that losing that kind of weight must just feel OVERWHELMING - especially when we all have other responsibilities in our lives. I have not experienced the need to lose major pounds and I can only imagine the struggle it must be. I also suspect that because it's a struggle, these women feel like failures. It's hard to stay motivated when that little voice in your head is saying "you're fat, you're not disciplined, you're a failure." That alone makes weight loss overwhelming, even if you have only 5 pounds to lose! But how did they get to that weight in the first place? That's really the question.

I am here to say that we are not failing ourselves, our food system fails us. The way food is managed in this country sets us up for nothing but failure. We're busy, we're working, we're raising families and we're encouraged to buy foods that are in a box and we just throw them together. That is if we're even cooking at all which I suspect most of these women are not. It takes time, it takes energy, it takes planning and I'm sure some are afraid it takes skill. (I would disagree.) The whole idea of preparing healthy food to care for the one and only body we have is also OVERWHELMING. And besides, if the food in the stores and we see on TV isn't good for us it wouldn't be there, right? Wrong.

This is all exactly why I am out to prove that I can lose pounds, prepare easy and quick meals with as little effort as possible (with Rachael's help) and fuel myself and my family with healthy, delicious food. I know it's going to work and I hope my little experiment will help at least one other person.

So last night was Beef Stew with Buttered Noodles from Everyday with Rachael Ray October 2009. This meal was SPECTACULAR. It is not beef stew in the traditional way - the only vegetable is onions - which made it especially good. The beef was tender. The sauce was delicious without being loaded with fat. The addition of the vinegar and the cocoa powder along with the subtle sweetness of the tiny bit of brown sugar gives this dish a rich flavor unlike a plan old pot roast. And best of all - it was super easy. I made mine in my crock pot. It took less than 5 minutes to put together and then 8 hours later - tender, delicious beef. I did not use the noodles - I had broccoli on the side instead - but my family loved it on the noodles too. This one is a 5 star keeper.



http://www.rachaelraymag.com/Recipes/rachael-ray-magazine-recipes/on-hand-ingredients-recipes/Beef-Stew-with-Buttered-Egg-Noodles

Flank Steak - Deliciously Flavorful Meat or Dog Treat? - How to Know the Diffrence

Flank steak, where have you been all my life? Rachael's contribution to our diet last night was Dry Rubbed Flank Steak with Basil Butter from the June/July issue with Every Day with Rachael Ray. We are big grillers at our house I have no idea why we have never grilled flank steak. It was fabulous! The rub was the perfect mix of sweet/spicy. The basil butter was amazing - mostly because I pulled the basil from the garden right before eating it. What's better than that? Sadly those garden days will soon end here in Nebraska.

The key component here though is not an ingredient - it's the perfection in which my husband cooked this steak. Typically he overcooks which I suspect has more to do with his ability to be easily distracted than it does with cooking skill. We prefer our meat on the rare side and I suspect with this cut overcooking is the difference between enjoying a delicious meal vs. grilling up a dog treat - which is what this steak would have been if he had overcooked it.

Another 5 star Rachael Ray night! Rachael's not with us tonight but she'll be back Friday for Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs.

And with all of this talk of steak and butter - I have not forgotten that the goal here is weight loss! 

Don't Blame it on Rachael...Blame it on the Frankenchicken

Smart Chicken is expensive!  So all I can say is thank God I didn't spend my money on the Smart Chicken.  It would not have made this night any better and I would have just felt worse for wasting my money.   Rachael and Food Network joined our party last night - here's what I made:

Double Stuffed Chicken Breasts
(from Every Day with Rachael Ray October 2009)
  and...

Sesame Broccoli
(from Food Network Magazine October 2010)


Here's the deal with the chicken.  First, by no fault of Rachael's and her fine culinary team, the chicken I was able to find at my local grocer that was bone in - skin on was NOT the coveted Smart Chicken.  The breasts I bought, who's producer will go unnamed, were HUGE.  No normal chicken will grow to have a breast this size - these were clearly some sort of Frankenchicken.  I recall reading about chickens who are fed feed and hormones causing them to grow such large breasts they cannot even stand up.  I almost cried when I opened the package and saw that I had unknowlingly taken part in such a cruel and disgusting practice.  No one could even eat a breast that big. 

But I'm on a mission, these poor chickens were already dead and in my fridge, so I must press on.  Preparation of this recipe was easier than expected.  Taste, however, was less than expected.  This is just a boring dish with little flavor.  I give it only 2 stars - and one of those is just because it may have been better with real chicken rather than Frankenchicken.  I'm guessing you sacrifice tasts for size.  Typically American preference don't you think?   No one hated it but no one loved it either and I won't be making this again. 

I am a huge broccoli lover and the Sesame Broccoli however was delicious.  But here's the challenge with fresh broccoli - hello did the dog poop in the house?  Oh no - sorry - just cooking broccoli.  You know what I'm talking about.  But there is a solution.  Not wind, rain, sleet or snow stops me from taking my electric steamer out on the porch and cooking it out there.  No smell to ruin people's appetites.  Anyway, the recipe was super easy and without a doubt will be served here again.  The Food Network staff successfully saved our party tonight.

On the weight loss front - well - I'm just glad it's not weigh in day.  I didn't eat breakfast or lunch yesterday, then ate about 1/4 of the stuffed chicken breast (those things were so huge I couldn't even eat HALF of one) and about 2 cups of broccoli with the sesame sauce.  I have to eat at least 3 small balanced meals with protein in each to lose.  That scale won't budge on one meal a day so tomorrow I must do better. 

On the menu for Wednesday - our first time ever with flank steak.  Using the Dry Rub recipe from the EDWRR June/July Grilling Issue.  However it turns out, at least it's not Frankenchicken.

Links to recipes:
http://www.rachaelraymag.com/Recipes/rachael-ray-magazine-recipe-index/dinner-recipes/Double-Stuffed-Chicken-Breasts
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/sesame-broccoli-recipe/index.html

Smart Chicken Where Are You?

For our RR night today, I decided on the Stuffed Chicken Breasts.  But here's what I want to know - why is it so hard to find Smart Chicken - breasts with bone in and skin on?  All of the other pieces come that way - but all of the breasts are boneless and skinless.  There is no flavor in a boneless chicken breast - and I can't stuff them per the recipe if there's no skin!  So I bought another brand - not Smart Chicken - and I am not at all happy about it.  I hope I can actually eat it. Has anyone ever read about how chickens are raised and fed?  It's enough to turn you into a vegetarian. 

Results of the not so smart chicken breasts to come tomorrow....

10-10-10 A Perfect Day to Begin

I started my official weight loss program with Rachael (and other guests will join us too!) yesterday - 10/10/10 seemed lucky to me.   I weighed in at 141!  Ouch!  I remember while pregnant I hit 140 and thought I would NEVER weight that much otherwise.  Oh how wrong I was.  So I'm going to party with Rachael and lose those excess pounds!  I'll post my weight weekly and share my progress - I'd love to hear from you! 

Today's meals:
Breakfast - Egg, 1/4 cup refried beans, salsa
Lunch - totally forgot about it - not a good idea
Dinner - 1 cup Almost Famous Broccoli Cheddar Soup - Food Network Magazine Jan/Feb 2010
           - Guy's Grilled Romaine with Bacon Blue Cheese Vinaigreet -EveryDay with RR - June/July 2010
              (Otherwise known at our house as "The Best Salad I Ever Ate"


First the soup - this recipe is intended to be a copy of Panera Bread Broccoli Cheese Soup.  Rich, creamy and delicious - this is a must for any broccoli-cheese lover.  It's easy to make with an immersion blender but as you know I advise staying away from putting hot liquids in a blender.  Third degree burns are just not worth it!  Now this isn't low-cal, so the key is measuring out one cup and sticking with it.  It's rich so 1 cup is filling - but it is so delicious it's difficult not to go back for seconds.  I didn't do it though!  Five stars on this one!  Oh wait - I did not use the bread bowl.  No human should ever eat an entire loaf of bread, even if the insides are scooped out.  I ate mine out of a bowl and that was just fine.

       
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/almost-famous-broccoli-cheddar-soup-recipe/index.html

Now, for the best salad in the world! 
Ok so who would think grilled lettuce would be good?  I certainly didn't think so but I trust Guy Fieri and so I decided to grill this little baby out of the Everyday with Rachael Ray grilling issue.  IT IS AWESOME!  If you love bacon and blue cheese I urge you to immediately try this.  You will thank me later!  We're rating this one 5 stars plus, for it's unique surprise of grilled romain, the intense and delicious flavor of the dressing and for the ease of preparation.  Easy to make and no processed salad dressing required! 

http://www.rachaelraymag.com/Recipes/rachael-ray-magazine-recipe-index/salad-recipes/Guy-s-Grilled-Romaine-with-Bacon-Blue-Cheese-Vinaigrette

So that's for today - we had Rachael, Guy and Food Network Kitchens as our guests.  The only downside is I didn't meet my protein requirements for today.  My goal is 27 grams of protein at each meal (which equates to about 4 oz. of protein).  I didn't even get 27 grams for the entire day - I must do better tomorrow.

Tomorrow is our weekly "Rachael Ray Night" where I cook a Rachael recipe for my family - and of course continue on my weight loss path.  Tomorrow's options are:

Double Stuffed Chicken Breasts
Stuffed Hot Sausage Meatball Subs
Steakhouse Chili 
(All from Everyday with Rachael Ray magazine - October 2009)

All require a trip to the store so I'm undecided - if you're out there and reading this give me your vote - I'm going to the store in the morning! 

Rachael Ray and Britney Spears Night - A Huge Success!

Our first Rachael Ray night was a huge success - turning my squash hating husband into a squash eater - and you don't even know how shocking that is. My daughter Rhiannon and her husband Dan joined us. Rhiannon and Dan are not fans of "Glee" but our love for Britney required we watch. More on that later - for now the food reviews, All of the recipes we used were from Every Day with Rachael Ray, September 2010

Butternut Squash Soup

We had a bumper crop of butternut squash in our garden this year. Sounds good right? But there's one problem - my husband and I both hate squash. I don't mean we just don't prefer to eat it - we HATE it. \"So why the squash crop?" I asked him. His reply "Rhiannon likes it." Yes but Rhiannon can't eat those 50 squash you picked. Hence the inclusion of the Butternut Squash Soup on our menu tonight. At least we know Rhiannon will eat it.

This soup has only 5 ingredients - butternut squash, onion, potato, chicken broth, and milk
It calls for cubing the squash and then baking it. Have you ever tried to cut and peel raw squash? Are you kidding me? That wasn't happening - I could barely get the thing cut in half. But I did, and then just baked it that way with the onion and potato as the recipe said. When it was done I just scooped out the squash insides and threw it in the pan. I have no idea why Rachael would advise cutting it first. Trust me, it seems dangerous, one slip of the knife and there's blood everywhere. Or fingers missing. Anyway, so you put the cooked vegs in the pan, add the chicken broth, simmer and then liquefy it with an immersion blender. Not only do I have a fear of cutting rock hard vegetables with super sharp knives, I have a fear of hot liquid in a blender. So I say if you don't have an immersion blender don't make this recipe. It's not good enough to justify 3rd degree burns. Once it's smooth, add the milk and it's done.

I must confess I made 2 substitutions. I didn't have enough chicken broth (need better planning for future Rachael Ray nights) but I did have homemade apple cider. (Yes, another product as a result of a bumper crop - this time it's apples.) So for half the chicken broth I used cider. My thought was if it ruins it oh well, i hate squash and probably won't like the soup anyway. I also added about a 1/4 cup cream just for a little more richness.

So how did it taste? Well, yes, my husband the squash hater loved it. Rhiannon loved it but we knew she would. Dan ate two bowls. And for me - well I actually liked the squash taste. What I didn't prefer was the sweetness that the apple cider added, but I think that was really what made it so delicious to everyone else. So all in all I give this one 5 stars. It was delicious, fast and simple - thanks to the immersion blender and skipping the chopping step - and I will make it again. I have to get rid of those 50 squash somehow!

Grilled Chicken Soft Tacos with Scallion Dressing

I chose this recipe to maximize my grilling time - it's not winter yet so all food must be grilled out by the pool. I'm not a huge fan of chicken or soft tacos, but this looked simple and I thought I could do some things to spice it up a bit. Here's the recipe from the RR site and the link:

http://www.rachaelraymag.com
/Recipes/rachael-ray-magaz
ine-recipe-index/dinner-re
cipes/Grilled-Chicken-Soft-Tacos



By: Ivee Stephens

4 Servings Prep 15 min Grill 20 min Ingredients:
1/4 head green cabbage, cored and thinly sliced Juice of 2 lemons (about 1/2 cup) Salt and pepper 6 slices bacon 8 small flour tortillas 4 scallions 1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 2 chicken cutlets (about 1 pound) 1 granny smith apple, peeled and cut into matchsticks Sour cream, for serving Prep the apple just before using to prevent it from turning brown.

Marinate a seeded and finely chopped jalapeño in the lemon juice to add a kick to the slaw and dressing.

Skip the small tortillas and fill large wraps with the chicken, bacon, dressing and slaw.
Directions:Preheat a grill to medium-high. In a bowl, toss the cabbage with half of the lemon juice and season with 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Microwave the bacon on a paper towel- lined plate on high heat until crisp, about 4 minutes; crumble.

Grill the tortillas, turning once, until lightly charred, about 3 minutes; wrap in a kitchen towel to keep warm.

Meanwhile, in a bowl, toss the scallions with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill, turning, until slightly charred, 3 to 5 minutes. Using the same bowl, toss the chicken with 2 tablespoons olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill, turning once, until cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before thinly slicing along with the scallions.

In a small bowl, add the remaining lemon juice and slowly whisk in the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Stir in the sliced scallions and the apple. Divide the chicken among the tortillas and top with the vinaigrette and bacon. Serve with the sour cream and slaw.

I added additional seasoning to the chicken, and I'm glad I did because with the garlic, cumin and Cabela's Maple Jalapeño Seasoning, it was just right. Without would have been too bland for us. And to the dressing I added some sour cream and green salsa - making it a creamy sauce rather than a oil based dressing. The sauce was the hit of the meal.

Overall, I give this recipe 3 stars. It was easy to make and met my using the grill requirement, but the method for warming the shells made them too tough and crunchy. And the seasonings as shown in the recipe are not enough for us. We like some spice in our food!

Spiced Roasted Edamame

No one said that edamame goes well with tacos. This little snack wasn't intended to go with the meal, it was just an attempt to use one of the 5000 bags of frozen edamame in my freezer. Ok, it's not 5000, but it feels like it because who needs more than one at a time? Anyway, this is a short recipe, just edamame tossed with olive oil, onion powder, ground coriander, cumin, smoked paprika and salt - then baked until the beans start to brown. However, I was not wearing my glasses while preparing this - and was also distracted by a particularly ridiculous plaintiff on Judge Judy - and sprinkled curry instead of ground coriander. I did realize this once I smelled the curry and again thinking "oh well", went ahead and added the coriander. If you like edamame and the flavors of Indian food, you'll love this snack. Healthy, delicious and easy to prep - this is something I'd take with me to eat on the plane. Minus the curry that is. Seat mates get understandably cranky when you bust out the container of highly seasoned food. I give this 4 stars as a snack - but don't recommend it as a side with grilled chicken tacos.




We ate all of this yummy food and then headed off to watch the Britney episode of Glee. Now you must know - we love Britney. We saw Britney once in Maui, on the beach and in the lawn chairs by the pool right next to us. (Justin was there too but who cares. It's Britney we love.) The beauty and sweetness that just exudes off this girl is incredible and we have loved her ever since. And as a mother I ask - what was her mother thinking?! No child should be deprived of a normal childhood for any amount of money - and look what the results are. Lynne Spears I hope all that money was worth it to you! Shame on you! But enough parenting commentary.

The Glee cast did a great job with the Britney songs - even Glee hater Dan enjoyed the show. The cameos by Britney were great too and I was happy to see her looking healthy. I'll watch again next week - but mostly to catch a glimpse of John Stamos.


Starting weight:  139.8
Starting date:  9/28/2010