2 medium onion(s), thinly sliced
4 tbsp dry sherry, or nonalcoholic wine
4 cup(s) fat-free beef broth
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
4 slice(s) French bread
2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese, such as Parmigiano-Reggiano

Preheat oven to 350ºF. In a large saucepan, combine onions and sherry; sauté until onions are tender, about 6 minutes.Add broth and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, toast bread in oven until golden brown.

Place one piece of toast into each of four bowls. Divide soup among bowls and top each with 1/2 tablespoon of grated cheese. Yields about 1 1/2 cups per serving.

3 points per 1 1/2 cup serving. Makes 4 servings

Ahhhhh. Fresh new year. Fresh shiny new year in which we can do all sorts of good things. All sorts of things right.

This is the year!

The year I will:

Eat healthier and stop poisoning my body with crap.

I will look at healthy eating positively. I am fixing what damage I’ve done over the past 49 years. By the time I turn 50 (in about a month and a half) I will already be on the road to recovery. On the road to feeling more awake and alive than I have in a long time.

To those of you who posted before and those of you who can post (the Baker’s Dozen) I think I was able to update your statusii from “Contributor” to “Author” hopefully allowing you to post an entry without my having to approve it. Give it a try. If it still doesn’t post pronto, leave me a comment and I’ll approve it and see if I can figure something else out.

I’m on a 45 weight loss journey this year. 10 pounds at a time. Here’s to a healthier year for all of us, whether you have just 10 pounds to loose or 10 million!

It’s almost time to start over…

Crap.

I know. Good attitude. But hey, at least I’m honest.

So I got fed up with the no lose and started WW on-line last Wednesday.  So far so good.  I will weigh in tomorrow and have Monday be the day of reckoning!  Anyhow I have been looking around for good recipes with low points and found this beef stew recipe!  I have not tried it yet, since its been 90 degrees for the last few days, but will as soon as the weather cools a bit. 

• 1 Tbs. whole wheat flour
• 1/8 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/8 tsp. salt, plus more to taste
• pinch of ground black pepper, plus more to taste
• 1 lb. top round steak, cut into 1″ cubes (recently, I’ve used top sirloin…its so tender in practically melts in your mouth!)
• 2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 8 oz. button mushrooms, halved (I usually use more)
• 1 onion, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 Tbs. minced garlic
• 1 tsp. dried thyme (I usually use less)
• 2 cans (14 oz. each) fat-free beef broth
• 2 large carrots, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces (I use halved baby carrots)
• 1 lb. sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1″ cubes

In a medium resealable plastic bag, combine the flour, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Add the beef and shake the bag until all the cubes are coated. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.

Set a large nonstick soup pot over medium-high heat until it is hot enough for a spritz of water to sizzle on it. Add the oil. Add the reserved beef cubes to the pot in a single layer. Cook for about 1 minute per side, or until browned. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the mushrooms, onion, garlic, and thyme. Cook for about 10 minutes or until the onion is tender, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon and scraping any browned bits from the pan bottom.

Add the broth and carrots. Increase the heat to high. When the broth comes to a boil, reduce the heat to low so the mixture simmers gently. Cover and cook for 45 minutes.

Add the potatoes. Cook for another 45 minutes, or until the beef is fork tender. Season with additional salt and pepper. Serve your beef stew immediately.

Serves: 4  (HUGE servings)  WWP: 5

I did finally get my bracelet from Kathy, which of course means that NOW I can finally start dieting to lose these 10 pounds.  Unfortunately I have actually gained 5 since signing up here, so I got that bracelet in the nick of time.  Stupid Halloween.

I was going to post a picture of the pretty bracelet here, but it turns out that while I am authorized to post, I am not authorized to upload pictures!  I guess that’s a good thing, in case I was planning to tempt you with chocolate or something.

Anyway, let the losing begin anew, and I will put the pretty bracelet on my Summer Fever website.

So. That Happened.

I somehow managed to add another 7 pounds during my week of weaning off of the anti-depressant, Cymbalta. I knew what I was doing with my weight whenever I was eating ravenously. I just figured I was a mental mess and couldn’t deal with the stress of watching what I ate.

It was kind of scary. I’ve never eaten that way before. Not even when pregnant.

I am down to the fat pants until I drop these pounds again. I’d force myself to wear the too tight pants but then that would just depress me more, so I’ll just stick to the fat pants.

How you doin’?

Dang. I’m getting bracelets returned to me from the post office. Seems I have to add more postage for hand-cancelled letters. Sorry about that. I’ll resend those that come back.

It’s brrrrrrr weather here in upstate NY, so Sunday afternoon I made “Roasted Sweet Potato and Apple Soup” from Real Simple magazine (October 2008). I froze half and we had the other half last night, with corn muffins and a little Waldorf salad. Lightish, but yummyish. If you need “stuff” in your soup, this isn’t for you, but what’s nice is that it tastes creamy without any cream at all. Easy, too!

3 pounds sweet potatoes

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1 celery stalk, sliced

1 apple, peeled and thinly sliced

Kosher salt and black pepper

1. Heat oven to 400ºF. Prick the potatoes with a fork, place on a baking sheet, and roast until tender, 40-45 minutes. (Mine took a lot longer than this.)
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, celery, and apple and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, 10-12 minutes.
3. Halve the potatoes, scoop out the flesh, and add to the saucepan. Add 6 cups water, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Cook until heated through, 8-10 minutes.
4. Puree the soup in the saucepan using a handheld immersion blender. Add water, if necessary, to reach the desired consistency.

Hey Lena – Lex – Annie – Sheila – Liz and Sallie:

Because you have wordpress account, I’ve been able to add you as contributors to this blog. Will you see if you can figure out how to sign in and add something? Let me know if it doesn’t work.

As for the rest of you, sign up at wordpress and let me know that you have (give me the e-mail add you used) so I can add you as contributors, also.

Thanks.

I don’t know about you people but I am still losing and gaining the same 3 pounds this week. It’s the bracelets. We need the bracelets!

Which, by the way, are done but need to be shipped. That’d be me who has to do the shipping. Me, the procrastinator. This is my lofty goal for this weekend. Get your bracelets in the mail!