Original Post by shrinking_caro:

Ok everyone, listen up, I have a rant!

Why, when you've had something arranged for ages, does something happen at the last minute to ruin it, grrrr?  Tonight I'm meeting old friends for a "Christmas" get together (yes, I know it's still November, but scheduling is always tricky!).  Earlier this week someone dropped out - the one person I would have predicted, so no real surprise there!  Today though, one of the party has had a disaster at work and is unlikely to make it!  I've been SO looking forward to the dinner and now we're down to 7!  I'm wondering how many will actually make it to the restaurant tonight...

I share this rant... We had our annual ladies holiday dinner on Nov. 19, planned way in advance. I think it was supposed to be 9 and we ended up being 4.

On the plus side, the food was AMAZING!!! Also steak... and seafood. My two faves. YUUMMMY. Have fun ;)

Wow, gone for a couple of days, and I'm having a hard time keeping up!!!

Molly, I loved this:  Veni, Vedi, Veggie! (I came, I saw, I had a salad!)

Brown rice is so much better for you than white, it's worth learning to love.  Of course, I also love brussels sprouts.  Maybe there's a theme here.  And my 15 yo son has loved lima beans almost from infancy.  Hmmm.  And as the youngest of 5 children (and only girl), I grew up eating the chicken back at Sunday dinner.    Hmmmm again. 

Christmas outings with the ladies:  I'm going to one in a couple of weeks.  Planned location is an Ethiopian restaurant.  Anybody know anything about them?  I understand they serve the table as a whole and everyone digs into some stews with flatbread and no utensils.  (!!!)  I'm pretty open-minded about that, but I'm worried about fat & sodium.  Please chime in if you can give any advice on this!

I am very fond of Ethipian food, the bread is called injera and it's a sort of a spongy bread that you tear into pieces and use to scoop up the food.  Yup, with your hands.  Here's a link to an Ethiopian/Eritrean restaurant in my area, you can see some photos of the food and look at the menu.    http://www.asmararestaurant.com/index.html

I would think that the menu is probably similar to what is offered wherever you are going.  Not sure about sodium content, probably higher than what you're used to, since most restaurant food is.  I've only had the vegetarian dishes, so can't recommend anything on the omnivore part of the menu - the lentil stews are very tasty.

Thanks for the link, Megan!  I think it's a good thing we're all good friends going together. I predict food spills on my "shelf." Also good that I'm taking the remainder of the day off from work.

I love lentils, too, and have been eating way less meat lately. I'll probably love the food. 

With only two days left of November, I want to be sure to eat a healthy diet so my November Nutrition Report will be one I can be proud of. I stepped on the scale this morning for an USWID (unofficial sneaky weigh-in day) and I've lost absolutely NOTHING since last Sunday. I can't say that I was totally surprised, since my PMS time just ended and my TOM has started. Still, I was hopeful and just a wee bit grouchy at the lack of scale movement. (I know, I know, I should be grateful that I didn't gain!) Anyway, since I can't focus on the scale today, I decided to focus on eating well!

BREAKFAST

two toasted Thomas' light multigrain english muffins (200 calories)

Walden Farms zero-calorie peanut butter and grape spread (0 calories)

four slices of lean turkey (eaten separately!) (100 calories)

LUNCH

one toasted Thomas' light multigrain english muffin (100 calories)

one tablespoon of fat free cream cheese (14 calories)

45 grams of smoked salmon (lox) (80 calories)

two dill pickle spears (10 calories)

9 ounces of steamed spinach (59 calories)

one medium sliced cucumber (24 calories)

one medium sliced apple (72 calories)

Walden Farms zero-calorie caramel dip drizzled on apple (0 calories)

four cubes of Laughing Cow Light Gourmet Cheese Bites (28 calories)

DINNER

213 grams of organic, lean sirloin, grilled and sliced (225 calories)

one-half a roasted acorn squash (86 calories)

four cups of steamed broccoli with lemon-garlic (103 calories)

one medium sliced cucumber (24 calories)

one cup of sliced radishes (19 calories)

three small tomatoes, diced (49 calories)

CALORIES FOR MEALS: 1195 (excludes snacks)

VEGETABLE/FRUIT SERVINGS: 15

FIBER FOR THE DAY: 53 grams

=^..^= MOLLY

Brown rice??? Brown rice!?!?!?  Brown rice is so ... so.... last month!!! (LOL!)

Brown rice .... one cup cooked ... 218 calories / 45.8 carbs / 3.5g fiber / 4.5g protein

Bulgur .......... one cup cooked ... 151 calories / 33.8 carbs / 8.2g fiber / 5.2g protein

By all means, switch to bulgur (and it cooks MUCH faster than brown rice!) You will save a whopping 67 calories per serving, you get more than TWICE the fiber, you get more PROTEIN, and you get about 60% of the carbs! How can you beat that!?

This Middle Eastern staple sounds more exotic than it is; bulgur is what's left after wheat kernels have been steamed, dried, and crushed. This cereal grain has been a food staple for years because it offers an inexpensive source of low-fat protein, making it a wonderfully nutritious addition to your low-calorie meal plan. High in fiber and protein, and low in fat and calories, bulgur is another food that offers bulk and nutrients to fill you up without adding pounds. One thing to keep in mind, a cup of bulgur has fewer calories, less fat, and more than twice the fiber of brown rice! Another health bonus, bulgur has more fiber than oats, buckwheat, or corn.

We buy organic bulgur in bulk at Whole Foods for 99 cents a pound. It's also sold at Trader Joes, some grocery stores, and most health food stores. You can also order it online from www.Amazon.com.

=^..^= MOLLY

With BARLEY!  One cup cooked --- 193 cal/44g. carbs/6 g fiber/4 g protein.

Ok, you win with bulgur, I just thought I'd add barley to the mix because I read an article recently that touted barley as (in my words) the next oatmeal -- cleans out the cholesterol, etc. 

Happy 100 Days of Dieting to meeee .....

Happy 100 Days of Dieting to meeeee.........

Happy 100 Days of D ... I ... E.... TING ........

And Good Morning from MOLLLLYYYYYYYY!

** cheers and wild applause gratefully accepted! **

I posted about it here ... http://caloriecount.about.com/forums/post/68281.html

=^..^= MOLLY

::CHEERING::  ::APPLAUDING::

 Great job, molly, and great post, too.  It must feel great to know how far you've come.  I have no doubt you'll get to your goals, and until you do, we'll be here cheering your milestones!

** Hip Hip Hurrah **   Clap, Clap, Clap

Rant:  If you were my car keys, and you weren't in my purse like you are SUPPOSED to be, where oh where in my lovely home would you be hiding?

grrrrrr....

=^..^= MOLLY