Friday Food

I have discovered a fabulous new secret:

Nutmeg can make almost ANYTHING taste better.

I discovered this quite by accident and have been testing it lately.  I think it’s just because of the season we are in, but I will gladly stay around this time of year if everything tastes like this.

See, just after Thanksgiving, I made a turkey soup (surprise surprise) and really just filled it with almost all the leftovers I had (stuffing, steamed veggies, even some of the mashed potatoes went in there).  The one thing that went in there that I debated putting in was the baked sweet potato/butternut squash that I had drizzled with olive oil, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

THAT is when I discovered this secret.  I don’t know why I should be surprised, I mean, have you ever tried pumpkin pie?  NUTMEG is in that!

Well, for lunch this week I was making another turkey stew type thing.  I had turkey, broccoli, celery, carrots.  I didn’t have a very strong broth, however, because the turkey stock I did have was in the freezer and the turkey I had was not in a broth.

I was trying to think what I could do to make the broth a bit better.  I had a jar of gravy seasoning in the cabinet and came VERY close to mixing some of that into the stew when my eyes fell on the seasoning rack.  Suddenly it dawned on me…add some nutmeg!

Boy am I glad I did!  That stuff made all the difference!  I’ve tried it on a few other things and I have, in the past, snuck it into my husband’s coffee when I didn’t have flavored creamer (he didn’t know WHAT it was but he did comment that he enjoyed it).

So, what else can I use nutmeg on?  Anyone have any hints?  Have you ever had something that you just tried on a whim and it ended up being fabulous?

Finale

Okay, I am NOT going to ruin this for those of you who haven’t watched yet, but I do want to comment on last night’s two nights ago (yes, you now all know that I actually write these posts a full day in advanced, it’s how I keep up and make sure there’s a post every day) episode of The Biggest Loser…you know, the FINALE!

I was able to watch the entire thing from start to finish and I have to say that this is the first finale that I was completely SHOCKED the entire way through.

Part of the shock was the numbers on the scales.  I mean, they were just amazing.  I was only slightly surprised at the winner.  I wasn’t at all surprised at the proposal for two of the contestants, well except the one proposal for one contestant I wouldn’t have guessed at exactly what it would be, just that there would be SOMETHING.

However, the BIGGEST surprise I had was the contestants.  I mean, seriously, I am suspicious that they didn’t go out and find completely skinny and fit people who had the same hair and eye color and were about the same height as each contestants because, seriously, I didn’t recognize but a FEW of them without seeing them next to their before picture.

I have NEVER seen such dramatic changes in the contestants.  They each looked SO DIFFERENT!  I was shocked and amazed!

Most of them, I thought they looked pretty good (especially the winner).  A couple of them, however, I thought, “What was she thinking doing that to her hair/wearing that dress?” A few more I thought, “WOW she looks so old now!”  And that’s not about the oldest lady on the show, she actually looked fairly decent.

Anyway, I enjoyed the episode and can’t wait for next season.  Did you watch it?  What did you think?  I give you permission to put spoilers in the comments because anyone who didn’t watch the show will now considered themselves forewarned not to read if they don’t want to…okay, so let’s talk, what did you think?

Wednesday Weigh In-Winter Clothes

Date: December 7, 2009
Weight: 258.6
This Week's Loss: +.6
WW Official Loss: 51.4
Total Official Loss: 61.4
Clothes Size: 1x or 20W

Yes, it was a gain…a very teeny tiny gain, but it’s a gain.  I’m not too disappointed thought because, although it was a gain, I blame the clothes.  I had to switch to my winter weigh in clothes.

It was raining and COLD around these parts this week.  We were having major rain storms, whipping freezing cold wind, and just down right cold.

Oh, I still wore my flip flops!  I did have to do without the thin lightweight shorts.  I went to the sweatpants.

Was that ALL of the gain?  Well, maybe the gain, but I still didn’t lose much either.  I think if I had worn my summer weigh in clothes I probably would have been at zero.

I was also glad to see that WW will NOT be changing their plan this year like they typically do this time every year.  I was very happy to see that. 

Have you switched to your winter clothes yet?

Surprisingly Filling

I know it’s not really surprising, but I was surprised.  I’m not a big soup eater, but I have discovered that soups are very filling.  Of course, stay away from the creamy soups since they are full of fats; but the clear broth soups like chicken noodle, vegetable, etc… are fabulous.

I’m not sure exactly why they are so filling, but I do know that soups are very filling.  I can have a bowl of soup and be full halfway through the bowl and it will stick with me for a very long time.

Why is that?  Anyone have a guess?  Is it the broth?  The warmth?  What?

Method Monday-Potato Wrapped Salmon

Okay, this was a recipe that took a while only because I was inexperienced.  I think the next time I make this it will be a bit easier.

I also had a mondoline type slicer so I was able to cut the potatoes very thin.  I honestly think that this is the ONLY way to cut the potatoes for this recipe.  You need to cut them lengthwise because you will be wrapping them around the filet (which is another reason you need them to be very thin).

When you lay the potatoes out, alternate them like shingles.  It takes some practice, but it works.  I also left the potatoes in the wax paper wrapped while it was resting in the refrigerator.

I think the next time I make this I will do the first part way in advanced (like that morning or the day before) and then when I am ready just put it in the oven.

Either way, this was VERY delicious!

Potato-Wrapped Salmon

POINTS: 6

2 large potato(es), peeled and thinly sliced lengthwise

2 tsp fresh lemon juice

1/4 tsp table salt

1 pound(s) Atlantic salmon fillet(s), cut into four pieces

4 tsp Dijon mustard

2/3 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Place potatoes in a colander and toss with lemon juice and salt. Let stand until potatoes are soft, about 10 minutes. Pat dry with a paper towel.

Spray a large baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.

Tear off 4 squares of wax paper (about 12-inches [30 cm] square) and spray with nonstick cooking spray (preferably butter-flavored). Shingle all but four potato slices horizontally to form a 5x9-inch (13x23 cm) rectangle on each square. Spray potatoes with cooking spray.

Place salmon lengthwise over potatoes and spread with mustard.

Lift right side of wax paper and fold over salmon, covering it with potatoes. Lightly press paper to help potatoes adhere to fish and peel back wax paper. Repeat with left side of wax paper.

Lay remaining potato slices over seam where shingled potatoes meet and brush with butter.

With a spatula, carefully transfer salmon to baking sheet, turning bundles over so the side with the additional potato slice is down. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate so potatoes set, about 30 minutes.

Preheat broiler. Spray potatoes with cooking spray. Broil 6 inches (15 cm) from heat until potatoes are golden and crisp, about 5 minutes on each side.

Saturday Adventures on Sunday 12.6.09

Remember how I said that one of my goals for this weight loss year was to do something on Saturday NO MATTER WHAT anyone else was doing?  Well, this was the first weekend for me to follow up on that goal.

I had grand plans.  Initially our plan was to go to Sea World on Friday night and I was going to count that as my Saturday since it was going to be a long night.  Then when the plans got changed because of some shed-roof-caved-in-and-got-the-husbands-things-all-wet-in-the-rain catastrophe changed all that, I was still going to go by myself, but the next day instead of Friday night.

Then I got a text message from my mom who had come into town on Friday that they were on the way, by ambulance, to the hospital with my grandmother.  I still wasn’t too concern because I figured it more had to do with the anxiety of what Saturday was (my grandfather’s one year anniversary of his death).  I figured that she was physically reacting to her stress in that.

I texted back and forth with my mom through the night and my grandma was still in hospital in the morning with no clue as to when she would be leaving; but it looked like she wouldn’t be leaving anytime Saturday.

About 11 I texted my mom and asked if she wanted me to bring lunch.  What?  Why wasn’t I already there?  Because my mom and aunt were already there and she was in one of those “share with 5 people” rooms and there really wasn’t much I could do other than stay out of the way…oh and bring lunch and games.

So, my Saturday adventure was to the hospital.  I brought Subway.  I also brought three games that they could easily play.  I visited for a while before leaving.  My grandma was looking tired and so I left her to rest.

That did take a long part of my day.  I left at 11 and got home at 5.  Does that count as my Saturday adventure?  I think it does.  I only wish that it wasn’t to the hospital.

Oh, good news is that it’s not her heart and, when I left, we were thinking that it was something entirely not life threatening but were waiting for the doctor to confirm.  Word to the wise, never have an emergency in the hospital on the weekend…you get weekend help and it is NOT good.

Breaking In

I’ve learned something this week: my husband may be more willing to “expand his palate” more than I initially thought.  The other night when we were watching The Biggest Loser he commented that he would eat the potato thing that they made.

I knew I had all the ingredients in the kitchen so on Thursday night I decided to make it.  He commented, “Did you make this because of The Biggest Loser?”

I commented “Yes, because you said that you would eat that.”

He didn’t say much after that; but later as he was getting ready to leave to go get something from his mom’s (a crazy story for a different time and place) he commented, “That was really good by the way.”

I’ve been trying too hard for a while to make sure to make things that I know he would like and have been hesitant to make some “different” things.  Now I know.

Oh, I’m still easing him in.  There are some things that he doesn’t realize that I do.  For example, on the weekends I make breakfast (he knows I do this).  I typically make 4 eggs, two for each of us.  Before I began my healthy lifestyle, I made 4 WHOLE eggs.  Then for awhile I began making 2 whole eggs for him then I would cook two egg whites for me. 

Well, lately I have been mixing two whole eggs and two egg whites and cooking those together.  This way we each get one egg white and one egg when you do the math.  It’s much healthier. 

In a couple weeks I will cut it back to three egg whites and one egg.  Even healthier.  Oh, I’m not really tricking him.  If he asked, I would tell him.  Heck, if I knew he really cared I would tell him; but the thing with him is no matter what I put in front of him he’ll eat it.

I just also know that he will eat it even if he doesn’t like it.  So I am very careful to make things that he likes.  However, since I made one healthy dish and he liked it…watch out baby, more is on it’s way!