Talkin' turkey about Thanksgiving preparations...

It doesn't get more REAL than this!  All I can say is that last year at this time I waited and waited in line to have Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond sign some cookbooks for me.  DELICIOUS, but laden with fat recipes.  Hey Ree, I loved meeting you and I love your blog...but I have lost a ton of weight since then.  I loved your throwdown on Bobby Flay too...and you did win hands down (love you too Bobby)...but we have to get serious here with America's health.  Can you help me transform delicious recipes into ones that are healthy for us?  I'll come out to the ranch and you can see in person all the real food I can eat and still lose weight!





Here are some of my tips for making my holiday a healthier one:

*  Plan to get some exercise in...ya, me...just sayin'...better get it in early in the day before the turkey starts talkin' nap time to ya.
*  Make some fat free or low fat options to take to your party or to serve at your table.
*  Remember that turkey is a super slimming food!  So, 1/3 of your plate in turkey!  Leave the gravy behind and the stuffing which has soaked up all the fat.
*  Have plenty of to-go cartons handy to send all that food home with others.
*  Be plenty thankful for your health and family and for Slimming World coming to the US!

Love ya!

Suzy, Marcia, Ree, Laurel, Dawn...last year I was eating differently and this year I am planning for success!  How about you?

My FIRST 5K...

 It's never too late to do your first 5K (hey I thought it was  closer to 5 miles than it is, lol)

A bit behind at the start...

Notice, I did say my FIRST...hmmmm, that is because it was fun and I can see myself doing this again. 

Yes Dee, it does feel great to exercise. 

Yes Janet, it sort of was like going to the spa, especially because I got a free 10 minute massage afterwards from a guy with very strong hands (even when I was saying ouch).  And I was a bit late for my first 5K, I mean, the whole crowd had left the starting point and you will see there was one other gal and me rushing to catch up.  And catch up I did because I arrived back somewhere in the middle of the pack and by no means at the end.  I do have this one little itsy bitsy competitve bone in my body.  Ya, I ran part of the way and walked part of the way and I wanted to sprint at the finish but it was almost like my legs were rubber and were not attached to my body at that point and I thought I might fall!

Yep, it was fun.  Because there were lot of people and I love being with lots of people!

Ya, Emily Moore, I should try Zumba...wanna go with me?  That would be fun...oh, I forgot...there is this little pond to cross to do that...

Anyhow, in honor of all you across the pond who have been so lovely, who have encouraged me so much to exercise, and who have all shared such wonderful recipes and ideas and encouragement with me on the journey...as a tribute, I wore my British flag socks! Love ya!  Hey, maybe some day we will all exercise together!

Ha, and someday maybe I will figure out how to turn this right side up!

Flatout Recipes

Three Flatout, all the FATOUT, delicious recipes!

How many times do you need to "bring the snack or appetizer"?  These are simple to make and you can come up with great combinations  and have a beautiful dish to share.  Here are a few of my favorites that were featured on the Flatout page this week... I wanted to reference the recipes here too.

Slimming World Turkey Dilly Rolls

1 flatout of your choice

1/3 cup fat free Greek yogurt

3 sprigs fresh dill or 1 Tablespoon dried dill

1 chopped green onion

3 slices turkey

chopped lettuce

 3 sliced grape tomatoes

Freshly ground pepper

Mix yogurt and snipped fresh dill.  Spread evenly over flatout bread.  Sprinkle with chopped green onion.  Lay slices of turkey to cover surface of bread. Put a row of chopped lettuce down through the middle.  Top with sliced tomatoes and freshly ground pepper.  Roll tightly and refrigerate until ready to slice.  Slice evenly in 10 rounds.

That green stuff is called micro Arugula and it has a very peppery distinct flavor...pure YUM!

Horsey Beef Rolls

1 Flatout of your choice

2 TBSP Fat Free Cream Cheese

½ TBSP Fat Free Greek Yogurt

1 ½ teaspoons horseradish

3 slices lean roast beef

2 thin slices swiss cheese

Arugula ( I bought fresh Micro arugula near the spices)

Mix cream cheese, Greek Yogurt and horseradish.  Layer  roast beef, swiss cheese and arugula.  Roll and refrigerate until ready to cut into rounds and serve.

Turkey Curry Apple Rolls

 1 Flatout flatbread

2 TBSP Fat Free Cream Cheese

½ teaspoon sweet curry powder or to taste

3 slices turkey

chopped coleslaw mix

chopped apple with peel

Walden Farms Thousand Island salad dressing

Mix cream cheese and curry powder.  Spread evenly across Flatout bread round.  Layer with turkey, coleslaw mix and chopped apple.  Drizzle with a small amount of Walden Farms Fat Free Thousand Island salad dressing.  Roll and refrigerate until ready to cut into rounds and serve.

Hope you love these as much as me! There is no reason whatsoever that you should eat BLAH food!  Make it pretty and make it tasty and make your mouth happy to eat it and your tummy will be happy too and your brain will be satisfied that you ate!  I am just amazed at the wonder of Fat Free Greek Yogurt, but then, that will be a post for another day!

Enjoy y'all!

Flatout Yummy!

I was featured on the Flatout webpage today...wanna see?
http://flatoutfresh.com/2010/11/12/the-smaller-hauler-video/

I'll upload here too if you are patient!

Interview with UsaRadio Network's Scott West and Yvonne Sanders today!

 
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOFJzaTPDi0

Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SisoD2PbQFE

Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BTpTjEwZ6E

Totally Super Target!

Soup Weather

See, it is Fall in Texas...pumpkins in the background and I am wearing LAYERS of clothing!

Okay, I was probably the only person wearing layers of clothing at the Fall Festival at St. Nick's...and it was at least 70F...but hey, it has cooled off in the Texaplex enough to make soup!  I LOVE soup!  Some of you think that soup is just for when you are sick and can't eat anything else...you know who you are and I am not mentioning any names.  SOUP is your friend!  I have many soup recipes to upload here and today I will only tease you with one and then later I will update and add more.  In fact, Mark made up a great soup recipe yesterday and it was yummy.  It is stuffed pepper soup, Slimming World style, in the crockpot!

Today's soup is Cream of Carrot...and don't be fooled...no real cream here but it is creamy and delicious and you will love it!

Cream of Carrot Soup  (FREE)

6-8 carrots, cut in chunks or in food processor
1 large onion, cut in chunks
Pam spray
3/4 cup raw rice
7-8 cups chicken bouillion
1 cup fat free milk
Cayenne pepper
Salt to taste

Spray bottom of a large soup pan with Pam spray and saute onions and carrots until onions are tender.  Add raw rice and broth.  Cook on low until rice is cooked and carrots are tender.  Blend and season with Cayenne pepper and salt!  Add your milk to the blender before seasoning.

I love this Vita Mix...she is my friend too.  See how I added the milk?  What a beauty!

Enjoy with your favorite Flatout Sandwich! 

Now tell me that this doesn't look yummy...a Flatout satisfying lunch if you ask me!

Watch for me on the Flatout website this week for more recipes...hey, maybe I will even post a link if I can get that organized!  Stay tuned for more soups for this cold 70 degree winter weather...brrrrrr.

I did some body magic today...I went hiking with Maria!  Thanks Maria!

'Youtube Diet' Helps Woman Shed Nearly 70 Pounds

'Youtube Diet' Helps Woman Shed Nearly 70 Pounds

Now THIS is motivation to exercise!

Okay, Okay, so maybe this is NOT exercise...it was relaxing to swing for a while...and you should see the big rockers on the porch in the background!  So nice to sit and knit for a bit on those rocking chairs!  I have always been a sedentary girl...with loads of sedentary hobbies! 

If you are thinkin' hey, this girl is not skinny!  Then you are right.  I still weigh more than you, most likely.  I still have at least 40 pounds to lose!  I am not worried in the least about it.  It will come off with the Slimming World plan. And they want me to exercise.  It is part of the plan.  I honestly just have not gotten to it yet.  Oh, I walked once last week for about 40 minutes but there is no regular routine going on here.  Wish I could say I was but I am just being honest.  I am asking Santa for a Wii Fit for Christmas, maybe that would be fun enough.

So today, I get this facebook post from a girl I knew many years ago.  Now I don't think she ever had a weight problem in her life.  Hmmm, maybe because she exercises?  I thought I would share what she said to me because it got me to thinking...and it just might get me to moving!

"This is so awesome! I'm so proud of you! Keep up the good work, but let me give you some encouragement about exercise. It is so hard to make yourself do it, but when you work yourself really hard, your body always feels so relaxed.

You feel like you've pampered yourself and gone to the spa because you feel like you look so good. I don't especially like exercise itself, but I LOVE the way it makes me feel! Keep it up, girlfriend!!!"        -Janet

Hey, I want to feel relaxed and I want to feel like I went to the spa...maybe I should try it?  What should I do Janet?  Thanks for the encouragement, friend.

Smaller Hauler in the news...

Click the link to see me in the news!!!! http://www.the33tv.com/news/kdaf-youtube-diet-story,0,7594216.story