This week's topic is…
Side Dishes
What do you like to have with your favorite entrees? Do you have some great recipes for vegetables? I have to confess I'm not a big fan of anything green. So I'll be interested to see what you have to share. I hope you'll join me!
I have to confess that we're rather boring in our house when it comes to side dishes. We tend to have the same things over and over and over again. We have side salad almost every night for dinner or a fruit.
We love roasted vegetables for dinner too. My favorite is roasted cauliflower. It's easy to do. Toss some cauliflower with a little olive oil and salt & pepper. Then bake in the oven at 425 until they are at the desired doneness. We also do the same with potatoes and zucchini. Although admittedly I like the zucchini more than my guys do.
My guys love brussel sprouts and green peas. I try to keep frozen ones on hand for them. I am tempted to buy fresh brussel sprouts and roast them. But you know how I am about green veggies. So I'm not sure how brave I am. As for the peas, well let's just say I definitely leave those for the guys. (ICK!)
I also try to keep canned french beans on hand. I rinse them and cook in beef broth. Once they are heated through, I drain them and add real bacon bits. Super yummy!
I have found some recipes for side dishes from eMeals. Here are a couple of them:
Pecan Carrots – 2 lbs carrots, peeled, sliced, & boiled. Then stir in 3 T light margarine, 3 T orange marmalade and 1/4 c chopped pecans.
Broiled Pears – Place 3 pears pealed & halved in a sprayed baking dish. Top each half w/1.5 t light margarine, 1 t brown sugar and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Then broil for 5 minutes.
So as you can see, I definitely need help with side dishes. I will be interested to see what you have for dinner!
Speaking of help, I also need help at the scale. This week I maintained last week's weight. I realize that is better than gaining. But I worked very hard at Blissdom to eat right. I even attended the two 7:00 am workout sessions. So the maintain was more than a little disappointing.
This is why I don't like setting goals. I now feel behind in my goals. I feel like I should have lost that 1.5 lbs to keep me on track. Not to mention the fact that it is super frustrating to try so hard only to maintain.
But I am not so frustrated that I am going to quit. I have come a LONG way. I was able to buy a dress for Blissdom that was 3 sizes smaller than I used to wear. And it looked amazing on me. I felt so good wearing it.
Instead of focusing on the scale, I am focusing on that feeling. And I will focus on the words of Paul…
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Hebrews 12:1
My friends, we can't get so caught up in the number on the scale. We have to focus on the bigger picture. We are running a race that has already been marked out for us. We just have to be persistent and keep putting one foot in front of the other. That's the only way we will ever reach our goals!
How are you doing with your weight loss goals my friend? What are some of your favorite side dishes? Why don't you join us for Weight Loss Wednesday and share? Remember…we're all in this together!
It's easy. Write a blog post about this week's topic and link back to this post. Then register with Mr. Linky below. Please know, though, that I reserve the right to delete any link that does not conform to the spirit of Weight Loss Wednesday. You can also join us on Facebook and Twitter using the hashtag #wlwed.
Also please remember to visit some of the other participants as well. It's very encouraging to know you are not alone in this journey.
For the next few weeks, our topics are going to cover a series. We are going to go through each meal, including snacks, and talk about some of our favorites. Sometimes the biggest challenge to eating well is knowing what to eat. I love to know what others are doing. It always gives me great ideas.
Next week is all about snacks.
Healthy snacks are an important part of any weight loss plan. What are some of your favorites? What keeps you on track and away from the cookies? What helps when the munchies hit? Although I have some favorites, I'm always looking for ideas. So I hope you'll join me!
In the meantime, remember….
Quitting is not an option!
Twitter: getfitlbk
says:
You got to workout with my friend Suzanne Bowen! I am so jealous. She's awesome isn't she? With the change inyour routine that blissdom probably provided, it's good you maintained. If you weren't getting the same amount of sleep, not drinking as much water, anything like that, it's easy to see why you maintained and did not see a loss. You are doing great friend!
Yes, Chelle, I did get to work out with Suzanne. She was great! I thought about the lack of sleep and wondered if my body wasn't compensating for that. Hopefully next week will be better. Thanks for the encouragement!
I have had to remind myself not to get too hung up on what the scale says. It is just the beginning of my journey and while I would love to see results right away this is going to take a lot of work and I can't get discouraged every time I get on the scale and do not see progress. I am having to try to focus on the long term instead of the right now to keep from getting down on myself. Little changes will add up to more weightloss in the long run.
Amen, Wani! That's great advice. Little changes really do make a difference. And thank you for the reminder to focus on the long term goal. It's so easy to get tripped up. Thanks for the encouragement!
So proud of you for maintaining and for continuing to workout while you were away, my friend. Those 2 things are not always easy to do when you are busy and away from routine! Awesome job!
Thanks, Kerri! I did try really hard. So I am hoping next week will be better. I hope you have a great week too! Blessings my friend!
I GAINED weight over the last few days – maybe as much as 2 pounds! ACK! Going out shopping & still trying to make good decisions just isn't easy. Those green beans & collards I ate were probably chock-full of sugar.
Oh, well…….try roasting some colored bell peppers! They're expensive, but I consider them a substitute for fast-food french fries, and that helps me rationalize the cost. If you haven't had sugar in a while, they will taste super-sweet! I don't coat them in any oil, but I do use cooking spray on the pan, then throw thin crescent-shaped slices in the oven at 450 for maybe 20 minutes.Sometimes I remember to turn them over 1/2 way through the cooking time, sometimes I don't & it doesn't seem to matter much. Lots of recipes call for roasted red peppers, but I like to eat them warm from the oven & I never have any leftovers to put into a recipe! Rainy