Archive for May, 2010

This morning, I had the pleasure of speaking with Judith Finlayson, author of “THE VEGETARIAN SLOW COOKER: Over 200 Delicious Recipes”. This book is very relevant as we are seeing a trend of people trying to eat a more vegetarian diet that is both very good for you and the environment. By focusing on the slow cooker, it also compliments our fast paced lifestyle and allows us to appreciate the convenience of the recipes. We can put things together in the morning and come home after our daily activities to a warm, comforting meal.

Judith is a well-respected food writer, journalist, and best-selling author, who is very passionate about her recipes. She has sold more than 75,000 copies of her other slow cooker cook books because of the creation of an extraordinary range of dishes not typically associated with a slow cooker. You can also tell by the description of her recipes that she really loves the process of creating the meal and enjoying it with her family. “To me, there’s more to using a slow cooker than just putting food on the table. In my opinion, the meals it allows you to prepare nourish both body and soul. There are few experiences more pleasurable than coming home to be greeted by the appetizing aroma of a meal simmering in the kitchen.” She also ends each recipe with tips that makes things easier as well as things you can do ahead of time.

All of the recipes have a great balance of ingredients inspired by her various travels. She also frequents many farmers markets and has all of these ingredients and feels some people aren’t sure what to do with them. She graciously allowed me to post some of the recipes for everyone to try.

MUSHROOM AND ROASTED GARLIC CROSTINI

Everyone loves this tasty all-purpose hors d’oeuvre, which is both simple and elegant. It can be used as the first course to a dinner or as a party canapé. …read more on The Vegetarian Slow Cooker

Sharp pencils make me feel good.  They might even make me feel smarter while using them.  For sure, knowing I have a potful makes me feel smug.  So finally, today, I took every worn down pencil from my desk to the basement where the old manual pencil sharpener lives.  It was way more pencils than I have the time or patience to sharpen at once.  So I cut myself a deal, each and every time I passed the sharpener, I would sharpen five pencils.  Somethings are more palatable in increments.  As I moved clothes from the washer to the dryer I sharpened.  As I went looking for the right cake pan for the job, I sharpened.  Eventually all the pencils had pristine sharp points and I had a sweet sense of satisfaction.  Every time I look at them I am pleased, and every time I go to use one, well, color me happy!

In other self care news, my walk this morning was positively fruitful.  I woke at 6 a.m., rather hungry, thank you very much.  I threw on some suitable walking clothes and headed out after a cup of coffee and toast with almond butter.  The morning was miraculous.  So much is blooming, the river near my house was as still as if it were frozen.  I had a lot on my mind but kept reminding myself to remain in the present so as not to “miss” my walk.

Last summer, Linda weighed herself at 293 lbs and began to realize that her health was in even more danger than previously. She had suffered a heart attack in 2006 but instead of taking weight off she was still gaining weight and knew something had to be done. Linda lost 6 lbs in a month so she knew she was serious about losing weight but it was going slow and she needed help. She was worried about her diabetes and continued unhealthy eating, such as the usual fast food. Rebecca was the first RD she found and she made an appointment to get her weight on track.

Linda was very pleased with Rebecca as she is very easy to speak with and very comforting. Rebecca suggested Take Shape For Life and at first, Linda was turned off by the idea of a supplement-based diet. However, knowing she had to do something, she decided to try it. Linda was impressed with the Medifast meals because she wasn’t hungry which was the biggest thing for her. She said if she is every really craving something she has a Klausen’s pickle slice which would satisfy her thirst and need for a crunch!

Overall, Linda has already lost 55 lbs in the past 7 months, and decreased her cholesterol and blood sugar. She has also dropped 4 clothes sizes and can now shop at a normal store which is much less expensive. Her main goal when she started the program, besides her overall health, was to be able to sit comfortably on an airplane so she could visit her son in Africa. The trip was recently canceled so Rebecca helped Linda come up with another goal. Her new goal is to again sit comfortably on an airplane, but this time she is going to Paris. Linda plans to take this trip next spring and having this goal will really help her stay focused.

Linda keeps coming to her appointments and working towards this goal because Rebecca is so easy to talk to and so encouraging. The program itself would not be enough without the support of Rebecca. She recommends anyone in her situation to see a nutritionist and ask about Take Shape For Life. Out of everything she has tried this has worked for her and she is feeling great. Even Linda’s doctor was so impressed by her results on TSFL, he is looking into recommending it to others!

Congratulations on your success so far! We are very impressed with your motivation and we look forward to hearing of your continued progress as you prepare for your trip to Paris!