What could feel more Autumn-y than making up a savory batch of healthy, diet-friendly mildly spicy pumpkin soup!  I created this recipe all by myself, and just taste-tested it on me .... yum yum yum!

one 15oz can of no salt added canned pumpkin (145 calories)

two cups of low sodium chicken broth (30 calories) 

one small yellow onion, diced/cooked (29 calories)

one tablespoon minced garlic/cooked (9 calories)

one-half a small sweet red pepper/cooked (10 calories)

1.5 tsp curry powder (more for VERY spicy)

.5 tsp coriander (more for VERY spicy)

.5 tsp chili powder (more for VERY spicy)

(Optional: salt and pepper to taste)

SUBSTITUTIONS:

Dried minced garlic and dried chopped red sweet peppers may be used in lieu of fresh; vegetable broth may be used in lieu of chicken broth.

PREPARATION:

Chop and cook the onion, garlic and pepper.  In a blender, combine the pumpkin, broth, cooked veggies and all spices. Blend very well. Transfer to either a bowl for microwaving, or a saucepan for simmering 20-30 minutes over low-medium heat. For microwaving, microwave 4 minutes, stir and let sit, then microwave an additional 3 minutes.

SERVING SUGGESTION:

Garnish by sprinkling some paprika on top, or fat free sour cream, or fat free plain yogurt, or fresh cilantro. (Or some combination thereof.)  It is excellent with a toasted english muffin, or toasted bread, or some crispy crackers.

CALORIES:  223 FOR THE ENTIRE BATCH

=^..^= MOLLY

Original Post by ratinhat88:

Aww, Molly, it's so cute how much you love/miss your DH.  How long have you all been together?

We've been married 4 years as of April 13! (So we are currently 4.5 years!) We were engaged/courting about 10 months prior to that.

=^..^= MOLLY

Original Post by danagrl372:

Molly- Inquiring minds want to know, Where did you meet your gem of a DH?

My DH and I almost crossed paths for a number of years, before meeting at church.  For example, we grew up on the same street .... just 4 miles apart, so we attended different high schools and didn't meet in school. Then we both attended the same university, and graduated at the same time and from the same school within the school (School of Arts and Humanities) ...and our names were listed next to each other in the program .... alphabetically ... but we didn't know each other.  We both attended the same church for a number of years, and knew who each other was, but really didn't get to know each other as friends until fall 2001/spring 2002 when we both volunteered for the same "ministry team."  In June 2002, we began a courtship. Five weeks later, we got engaged!!!  (I was 37 when I got engaged, 38 when I got married ... DH is one year younger. This was the first marriage for both of us.)

=^..^= MOLLY

Molly,

Your pumpkin soup sounds delish.  Will be next soup I make!

"We both attended the same church for a number of years, and knew who each other was, but really didn't get to know each other as friends until fall 2001/spring 2002 when we both volunteered for the same "ministry team."

Quite a wonderful story, Molly! I am often in awe of how God works in our lives when He knows the time is right! I met my DH in a very different way, but for a similar purpose...and we've supported each other in our individual 12 Step programs since that first day!

Oh, almost forgot this is the Rant sight! So, I rant at myself for yesterday, wondering "when will I ever learn?" I'd planned too few calroies for the day, and when I got home to emptiness in the evening, I grabbed the first thing I put my hands on, and that led to ther not-so-good choices! So, once again I remind myself of those trigger words : Don't get too Hungry, Angry, Lonely or Tired, remeber to HALT!

Did I hear a collective "aweeeeeeeeeeee" at Molly's romance story? My DH and I met after a circuitous route as well. Sometimes I rant for the time we missed but mostly I'm grateful to have gotten here at all. God bless the broken path...

(Sorry, not much of a rant.)

Today's Rant: Telemarketers!!!

I do try to patient and polite with these folks. At the office I get several calls daily from "free" trade publications. Sometimes they speak clearly and can "go with the flow" of a pleasant conversation. But the majority are simply readers...following a script...and cannot function independently of that laundry list of questions! SOOO frustrating to try to talk to one of these!!!

So, how's this related to diet? Well, don't we all think about a nice, happy snack to soothe our rattled nerves? Phew, it takes real effort to dis-associate food from feelings, doesn't it? Thank goodness for this venting Post!!

When I was at the grocery store this morning, I picked up two bright orange peppers, and decided to bring them home and try my hand at roasting them. After all, doesn't "oven-roasted peppers" sound delicious?  Anyway, I am new at this whole cooking-actual-vegetables thing. so I bravely just dove right in. First I sliced the peppers into thin strips, removing the "innards" and the seeds. Then I laid them out neatly on the little tray that comes with my toaster oven (covering it in foil on the bottom). Then I spritzed them with I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Spray, sprinkled on some garlic powder, and sprinkled on some Chili-lime seasoning. Then I set the toaster oven to "broil" and stuck them in! (It takes about 15-17 minutes this way, and you need to watch them!) VOILA! Oven-roasted, garlic-lime-chili fresh peppers! (2 small peppers are just 39 calories!)

TODAY'S LUNCH: ROASTED PEPPER-GRILLED CHICKEN SPINACH SALAD

9oz of fresh baby spinach, lightly torn (59 calories)

one medium cucumber, peeled, diced (24 calories)

two small tomatoes, diced (33 calories)

two small, oven-roasted orange peppers (39 calories)

southwestern seasoned grilled chicken (200 calories)

one tablespoon Bacos chips (30 calories)

Walden Farms Zero-Calorie bacon ranch dressing (0 calories)

TOTAL: 375 CALORIES

EIGHT SERVINGS OF VEGGIES!

=^..^= MOLLY

Original Post by krismasself:

Today's Rant: Telemarketers!!!

I do try to patient and polite with these folks. At the office I get several calls daily from "free" trade publications. Sometimes they speak clearly and can "go with the flow" of a pleasant conversation. But the majority are simply readers...following a script...and cannot function independently of that laundry list of questions! SOOO frustrating to try to talk to one of these!!!

So, how's this related to diet? Well, don't we all think about a nice, happy snack to soothe our rattled nerves? Phew, it takes real effort to dis-associate food from feelings, doesn't it? Thank goodness for this venting Post!!

Oh, I am so mean to telemarketers!!! With the advent of the Do Not Call list, we are getting far fewer these days -- yet some still wiggle their way in. (Note before I forget ... if you signed up for the Do Not Call List when it came out in 2003, your 5 year listing expires next year. Google the Do Not Call sign up site now and re-register to restart that 5 year clock ticking!)

Anyway, my goal with telemarketers (which I do as a public service to the rest of you) is to keep them on the telephone as long as I possibly can. I chat. I greet. I make small talk. I ask about the weather. I ask how the calls are going. I comment on their accents. I tell them about my diet. I discuss whatever I am cooking. I ask them to repeat what they just said, promising to listen better.  I ask more questions, the more inane the better. I ask them to hold on while I go get a pencil and paper. I come back and report that I am still looking for paper, but I've found the pen. I tell them about my weather. I ask if they have kids. I ask about their lunch.  I ask how they get paid. I constantly change the subject. Finally, when they get good and frustrated and realize that I've just been perkily playing with them and have absolutely no intention of handing over any money, they usually just hang up in frustration!

Which means I won! WOOOO HOOO!!!

And those unsolicited credit card offers that come in the mail? I save their postage-paid response envelope, glue it on a big manilla envelope, and mail them a huge pile of junk mail and rocks (which are nice and heavy!) hee hee hee.  They need to learn to stop littering in my mail box!

=^..^= MOLLY

Once again, MOLLY, you have me in stitches over here!!

Sure wish I had time in the office to do that to telemarketers. BTW, signing up for Do Not Call is NOT a good thing for a business line! We lost customers that way!!

Molly, I would only have counted the chicken and bacon bits...that's probably why you are losing weight at a steady clip and I'm not!!! 

And gosh, am I totally fed up in general with counting or what???  I count protein grams, fat grams, fiber grams, calories and Weight Watchers points.  All this counting and I'm still creeping along with my weight loss.  It is sooooo not fair!  On Sunday I decided that I am determined to be down to 195 by November 21st...the day before Thanksgiving.  So what happened Monday?  An especially bad bout with irritable bowel syndrome.  It is now Wednesday and I'm still not just right.  You'd think that would help with weight loss, right, but not in my world!  I'm going back to protein shakes for a couple of days...maybe I can jump-start the weight loss a bit by giving the guts a bit of time off.

Not the most charming topic, I admit, but I thank you all so much for "listening".

JJ 

For all of us who find ourselves owned by a cat... 

This is a really cute cartoon...kind of an anti-rant!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmwqpHsMEx

JJ 

OUT OF THE FRYING PAN .....

... and into the fire. After spending Monday and Tuesday in Sacramento helping to coordinate air responses for the fire, my DH Ron is now heading down to the San Diego area to fly airborne reconnaisance missions for the wildfires that are ravaging the southland. He is supposed to be staying at one of the Navy bases down there .... and could be down there for a week or even longer.

Please keep him -- and all those being impacted by these fires -- in your thoughts and prayers.

(Not really a rant, but we don't really mind, do we?)

=^..^= MOLLY

It always seems to be harder to stay on track with healthy eating when my DH is gone. Somehow, that sort of throws me for a loop -- and I spend more time fretting, worrying and over-analyzing things.

Anyway, I did fine today ... well within my acceptable calorie range ... and with a decent breakdown between fats and protein and carbs.  And 47 grams of fiber! (That's about 15 servings of veggies today!) My lunchtime protein was grillled chicken, and my dinner protein was stir-fry shrimp, and my evening protein (snack) was Laughing Cow Light Mini Cheese bits.

Tomorrow night for dinner, my protein will be turkey bacon, cooked up with an onion and some fresh green beans. Then I need to figure out a way to get the other 1/2 package eaten over the next few days ... maybe I will divide that half into quarters for bacon-spinach-tomato sammies? Hmmm.... decisions, decisions. If my wonderful DH was here, I could just FEED HIM the other 1/2 package! It's hard to switch back and forth between cooking for two, cooking for one, cooking for two, cooking for one .... sigh.

I miss him.

=^..^= MOLLY

Ever have one of those mornings when you just wanted to start the day all over? Well, today that's exactly what I did!!

I should start by saying I got my first ever traffic ticket last evening. I'd modified my plan so that I could go pick up part of my Halloween costume at a friend's house, and ended up getting ticketed by the one State Trooper on Grand Island that has a reputation for being a stickler! He got me for no front license plate! We've been driving the car 0ver 5 yrs without one, as it's front end is customized, but on this day, in this town, I got nailed for it!!! Geesh!!Didn't sleep too well because of the anxiety over it!

I had conflicting thoughts as I dressed, wanting to get "dressed up" for dinner and the concert tonight, but still wanting to dress for my morning walk! Determined to walk (not really wanting to, to be honest) I started out, on a different route because the traffic report suggested it, only to find that the alternate route had a major Detour!! Well, tired, upset and frustrated, I just turned the car around and went home to start over! I startled DH on arriving as he was leaving for the day!

But I went inside, had a second cup of coffee, took off the "walking" clothes, stepped into a nice hot shower, and got redressed! Redid my hair and make up, then left again for work. Was late, but so what? Here's hoping the rest of my day will run more smoothly!

PS for anyone interested, I've posted some new photos from our adventure with 2 of the Grandkids at Pumpkin Farm, including one of the DH :)

krismasself .... NICE! Your very own "do-over!"  What a great idea. Sorry about the ticket, though.

It is 9:23am here, I've paid bills, fed the dogs, and had breakfast ... so I suppose I should shower and get dressed, huh?

=^..^= MOLLLLLLY