If You Graze, Does That Mean You're a COW???

I am keeping a Food Journal, like it says to do for Step One in "Potatoes, Not Prozac".  I discovered that I am a grazer.  I am also trying to eat 3 meals a day for Step Two, instead of eating 2 meals & grazing the rest of the time.  Step 3 is taking vitamins as recommended.  I have a habit of forgetting to take my vitamins half the time.  Writing it in my Food Journal helps me to remember.  I do feel better when I take them, I just have to remember to take them!  Step 4 is eating the recommended amount of protein at each meal.  At this time I am just trying to make sure that I have protein at each meal.  You are not suppose to rush through each step, so I am taking my time.  After all, I've only been doing this for 3 days, even if it does seem longer!

Thar She Blows!

Well, we survived Tropical Storm Hermine!  We received some much needed rain & the winds only got up to about 60 mph.  We lost electrical power for about 3 1/2 hours.  It is so boring in the house when there is no electricity, no computer, no TV & barely enough light to read.  I did get to take a good nap though.  It has stopped raining now, at least for awhile.  My rain gauge in the garden says we received 5 1/2 inches! Yea!!!
I have been reading "Potatoes, not Prozac".  According to this book, I am a Sugar Addict. No kidding! I do watch the things that I eat (from the plate, to the spoon, to my mouth! lol!).  Seriously, I eat freshly ground whole wheat bread. I need to make some more, I ate the last slice yesterday.  I eat very little white rice (only on sushi, if they do not have brown rice).  I don't make anything with white flour.  I do eat flour tortillas (1 or 2) at Sazon's (they make the best tortillas!). I try to cook from scratch.  I haven't been eating pasta much until lately.  I have to cut that out. Bad girl!!!
The book said that Step One is keeping a Food Journal of everything I eat, how I feel physically & emotionally, throughout the day in order to get an idea of how food effects me physically & emotionally.  I am also supposed to look for eating patterns. I started one today. I don't have to change how I eat yet.  I am trying to be aware of what I am eating though.
I am also starting on Step Two - Eating Three Meals a Day at Regular Intervals.  I had not been doing that in the past.  I started today.  I think the only bad things I have eaten is a Hershey's Chocolate Almond Bar (1.45 oz size) & I had to take 4 Excedrin's throughout the day.  I'll be lucky if I go to sleep tonight!  I don't have any Diet Coke's at the house, so I haven't had any of those, but I did drink 2 Diet Root Beers.  Oh well.
Amazing how much hair color I can get all over my bathroom when I color my hair!  I swear I cleaned it all up afterward, but when I go back later it is all over the walls, the door, & the floor! Yikes!

Had Too Much Fun on Saturday!

I woke up feeling like a truck ran over me during the night.  I guess I had too much fun on Saturday.  But I needed to go to Church at least to teach Lesson 6 in the Family History Class. Luckily, Church doesn't start until 2:30 pm.  It took 2 Exedrins & 2 Diet Cokes to get me to Church in time to teach my lesson at 3:45.  I got there at 3:15.  Funny how the Lord will carry through what you need to do.  I felt pretty good during the class and the lesson went great.  As soon as I finished my class, the headache returned full force & I had to go home.
I'm still dragging around the house, but I am tired of laying around.  I read Xenia's blog.  If you haven't read it, you need to.
Family History Advice:  Check with your local public library to see if you can get access to Heritage Quest database or other genealogical databases.  In San Antonio, Texas, you can use your library card to access Heritage Quest from your home computer.  If you go to the San Antonio Libraries, you can access even more genealogical databases from their computers.
 I'm reading "Potatoes not Prozac" A Natural Seven-Step Dietary Plan to *Stabilize the Level of Sugar in Your Blood, *Control Your Cravings and Lose Weight, *Recognize How Foods Affect the Way You Feel, by Kathleen DesMaisons, PhD, Addictive Nutrition.  It's pretty good & makes a lot of sense.  I recommend reading it!

Cruizin' On a Saturday Afternoon!

Kim, Xenia, & I went on a day trip to Fredericksburg to celebrate Kim & my 24th anniversary.  Our anniversay was on Aug 22nd, but we haven't had time to do anything yet.  We ate breakfast at Sazon on Potranco.  Then we took our time going North on Hwy 16 (Bandera Rd).  We didn't stop in Bandera as there was a festival of some kind & it was very crowded.  Then we continued to Medina & stopped at the Love's Apple Orchard Store & Cafe.  Bought some Apple Ice Cream and a slice of apple pie and petted the cat, which chomped down on Xenia because we were petting & tickling her.  Sorry Xenia!  Then we drove through Kerrville to Frederickburg.  We then took HWY 290 east about 8 miles to the Wildseed Farms.  We toured through there & saw all the stores & beautiful plants, flowers & butterflies.  Then we drove back to Fredericksburg & ate a nice dinner at Bejas Restaurant.  Then we drove back to San Antonio on I-10.  I took Xenia home & now we are resting.  It was a very nice day!

Gettin' Thru the Day

I spent the morning talking with my ex-husband's sisters.  Their mother is expected to pass away any day.  All the family is trying to reconnect. It was good to talk with all of them.  I am sad that it had to be under such sad circumstances. 

Nutty Applesauce Breadmaker Bread Recipe

Nutty Applesauce Breadmaker Bread
D. Lynn Johnson

3 cups* white bread flour or whole wheat** flour (or 50/50 or whatever you like)
5½ oz water***
5½ oz applesauce, mixed with the water
a cup mixed chopped almonds and pecans (more or less to taste)
1/3 cup milk powder
2 tablespoons cooking oil
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon active dry yeast****
1 egg

Place the yeast, salt, and milk powder in the bottom of the breadmaker pot.

Add the flour (also add gluten powder at this time). Jog the pot to level the flour. This will compact the flour a little and prevent the liquid from soaking through to the yeast.

Add the nuts, honey, and oil.

Hold a spoon down near the flour and pour the water/applesauce mixture into the spoon to avoid
digging a hole in the flour.

Add the egg.

Place the pot in the breadmaker and set the timer.

Some machines suggest putting the liquid ingredients in first, and floating the flour on top. I have
found that this eventually fouls the mixer bearing, causing it to stick and not rotate freely. Putting
the liquid on top in the manner described above solves this problem. The liquid will not soak
through to the yeast, even if the timer is set for ten or more hours.

* I weigh my flour and water/applesauce. For white bread flour I use 480 grams of flour and
290 grams of liquid. For King Arthur traditional whole wheat I use 465 grams of flour and
312 grams of liquid. I also use 1½ teaspoons of yeast for whole wheat.

** Note: I have found that some whole wheat flours are better than others. If your flour
doesn’t give a tall light loaf, try adding 4 teaspoons of gluten powder.

*** Adjust the fluids content as needed. Adding more will give a higher loaf, up to a point, and
coarser pores.

**** A little more yeast may be needed for whole wheat, depending upon the flour.

Wednesday, Trying to Keep Cool!

I am waiting for the DishNetwork Installation guy to show up.  We have had DishNet for 11 yrs.  I am getting a free upgrade to HD.  Since we have had DishNet for so long, we are getting the following: new Dish, new HD receiver, installation, & HD programming all free of charge!  I have had a HD television for a couple of years, but did not have any HD programming.  DishNet told me that the installation guy would be here sometime between 12:00 & 5:00 pm.  I just rcvd a call from him, he will be here around 4:30 - 5:00pm.  Just squeezing in there.  Oh well, since it's free, I'm not complaining.