Vicky Learns to Cook

 I have a breads class coming in a couple weeks. And with any skill its best to practice.  Since I got my new Kim Joy cookbook, I decided to try the Tanzhong method of bread making. This involves making a roux, sort of. Typically when I think of a roux I think of butter and flour. But in this case, it involves a water flour paste that you cook over the stove, and then add it to the dough mixture. This creates a fluffier softer texture that lasts longer, according to the author, Kim Joy.  And they are cute - cat buns! She did such adorable stuff in the Great British Baking Show that I really wanted to learn the methods.  So here we are, trying out the method on what is similar to a milk roll. If you've ever had those you will know they are delicious!   Here is the recipe. Even the cookbook is adorable with little drawn cats playing with the bread crumbs.  Page 2, showing the method for rolling the buns and making ears.  Here is my attempt at getting the...

This pandemic is causing people to lose jobs and giving financial stress to many. The thing we extroverted hugger/helper people do is try to bring food or give a hug or buy groceries for someone. Problem is, if they arent working there is no health care, and they cant take the chance on seeing you in person. It sucks.  But what I can do is a little research and give you the fruits of that labor. So here you go, try these on for your budget, my friends.  Recipe 1: Sticky Veggie Rice 2 cups rice Can or bag of vegetables Soy sauce Put in 2 cups of uncooked rice with 4 cups of water. Bring to a slow boil. Cook 10 mins with a lid on. Turn off the heat and let it sit for another 10. Mix in a can or a bag of frozen vegetables. Add soy sauce to taste. Enjoy! Recipe 2: Grilled cheese and tomato soup Loaf of bread Sliced cheese Box of creamy tomato soup Butter Butter four slices of bread. Lay two in the pan, butter down. Add cheese, top with last two pieces of bread butter up. Grill unt...

  Tuesday, September 22nd... I am not the worlds most disciplined person, by any stretch. It seems like every day is "start over day" for me and my weight loss saga.  I wake up with renewed enthusiasm only to watch the boys order pizza and I am left with (if you want to lose weight, you need to eat more) meat and veg. I've gotta make this something I look forward to.  I do have some leftover ribs, so at least with that it will be GOOD meat. I cut up a zucchini and sauteed it with olive oil and some dill mix (where are my fellow Pampered Chefs?) This is to simulate the flavor from spinach pie, which I'm not giving up but am WAITING on for when I lose weight, dammit. I have a surplus of peppers and tomatoes, so today I am roasting them. It makes them sweeter and smaller and they can easily be added to eggs in the morning (protein and veg!).  Amazingly I got through dinner without going overboard and had room for a small Popsicle. If I can convince myself that feeling l...

  I'll get back to the motivational posters later. This one feels more appropriate today. Cake anyone? This is where I am today. Its looking like April 10th is my new goal to lose .... not 19 but 25.4 lbs. It sure isn't easy losing weight. It's much easier passing by the oreos 6 times a day and eating some each trip. Then having cheese and nuts, then having fruit... you get the idea. What I've learned so far:  I have to write down what I eat because I am a terrible judge of when to stop I have to plan 3 meals and 2 snacks, then stop I need to keep water next to me at all times, especially now that the furnace is on I have to plan and actually do an activity every day I need to do one chore a day, or the house gets out of control, adding to my stress, causing me to eat I have to let the independent streak both kids are in just BE, so I can exist here too and not grind my teeth to powder, and also not eat my feelings If I have a goal when baking, for who to give it away t...

  I keep coming back around to it. Even when I wake up motivated, I can't give up the carbs.  And two pounds/week may be too much for me. I need to slow it down to 1 / week.  Otherwise I'm not feeling satisfied.  It will take me actually until April this way. But I've been struggling.  Hopefully this is the key to my (slow) success.  Rome wasn't built in a day, right?

  Motivational posters 13, 14, and 15  Trying to figure out the food part of losing weight is hard.  I'm always looking around for inspiration. I found this video on "What a model eats" during one day. Here is the link: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?ref=search&v=158357248941436&external_log_id=1bf1e83c-caf7-4db0-9cc3-96d9c1a48ddd&q=what+model+eats  So I can see maybe this would be a structure I could follow.  Here is the basic idea: Breakfast oatmeal, bananas, strawberries, almond milk, choc chips (cinnamon, peanut butter) Looks like 1/2 cup of the oats, if that helps Snack 1 pop corn - looks like again 1/2 cup Lunch Soup, bread, blueberries, raspberries - small soup, 4 inch wedge of sourdough baguette Snack 2 chocolate bark thins Dinner meat, many vegs, cheese (She used 1 egg for the meat so it would not be a lot, maybe 2 oz?) Snack 3 light ice cream Hope this helps. I like the idea of eating that many times a day but portion control is diffi...

  Today's tip - warm tea with honey on a cool night is a balm to my shivery soul! Also having a fruit at the end of the dinner meal helps me not feel deprived. Whatever works, right? Spent another hour gardening today. Sure is good exercise! Today's patch weeded                                                                                 Today's harvest Hope you're enjoying the fruits of your own labor on this labor day weekend!   --Vicky

  So here is what I did.  I recalled from when I lost weight before I do pretty well with formulas. The formula I used is as follows:  Breakfast - Carb and Fruit, Coffee Lunch - Meat, Carb, and Veg Snack - Fruit Dinner - Meat, Carb, Veg, Fruit Snack2 - Fruit, Cheese, Nuts I felt full, not deprived, and happy about it. This could work.  Also, my exercise has been either the martial arts classes or gardening. But I'm talking knees in dirt, ripping out layers of vines, digging holes, filling bags of roots kind of gardening. I do it for an hour and I try to fill up one bag. I've done this twice.  The hardest part is the soreness later, including all the thorn holes!  Now I'm good and tired, full but not stuffed belly, and I'm going to get another full night's sleep. Ahhh. 

  It's Monday and the results are in - 6/10 of a pound loss.  This isn't much, I know, but after all the really bad eating at night for a few nights this week, I'll take it. Here's to hoping this week is easier.  ...................................................................... Now it's Tuesday and I got so busy turning peaches into tarts and preserves that I didn't realize I dropped most everything else. oops.  ..................................................................... And now it's Wednesday.  Sigh.  I feel good today though because I slept well. I forget how much better I feel when I get a full 8 hours.  It makes a really big difference!