Jamie V. Guest Posts for the First Day of School

Hey Diners! It is an exciting day around here. Nope, still no work done on the new kitchen, but fun none the less. At the Marshall house, all the boys have a big day. First day of college and first day teaching at the Headstart for my youngest. Taking the middle son back to college today for his senior year. He did fabulous at his internship this summer and is now ready to take the final classes on his way to his brilliant career. Oldest son has a  very important job interview today that would be perfect for the future business partnership he is praying about. John and I are getting ready to go on a small getaway to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary this week. Exciting times for us.

If that wasn't enough, we here at the Diner are uber happy that our friend and ultra famous low carb guru, Jamie VanEaton, aka Cleochatra is today's guest blogger. How cool is that for us? Her guest post is all perfect for the first day of school too. So study her words hard, and it is fine to laugh out loud a bit. I get the feeling Jamie is the class clown.

Back to school: Making the grade with a healthy lifestyle

What can the educational institution, with its share of cooties and hand sanitizers, crayons, crashes and crushes, teach us in terms of living the best lives that we can? Follow along, and put your own luscious lesson plan together, based on these tenets:

Recess. Get more sunshine. Even as days grow shorter and more brisk, it’s important to make the effort to get outside and absorb Vitamin D.

Extra credit: Wear a hat to protect your face from the elements. Lemonade should be freckled, not you.

Lunch. Eat your vegetables. With micronutrients aplenty, you can skip the multivitamins (or at least some of the necessity) with healthy, full-bodied flavor.
Extra Credit: Choose colorful, robust, in-season veggies for maximum nutritional value. Who knows? You might not be able to dance, but you can keep the beet.

Naptime. Naps aren’t just for the very young. Those late nights make you tired, and lethargy can hinder making the right , healthy decisions
Extra credit: Even 20 minutes of shut eye is enough to recharge those batteries. (And no, you don’t have to sleep on a floor mat.)

Gym: Unlike the days of old, when running laps in fashionably questionable gym shorts was the order of the day, playing and working out regularly burns fat and keeps those muscles toned.
Extra credit: See your doctor before beginning an exercise regimen. It’s also a good excuse to compare his/her scale with yours at home.

Math. Keep track of what you’re eating with a reliable food journal. Free programs like fitday.com (or even your Hello Kitty pen and paper) keep you accountable.
Extra credit: Track how you feel to pinpoint possible trouble foods and food intolerances (Sore throat, itchy skin, and a runny nose are possible indicators).

Reading. Check the labels before you buy. Low fat and/or gluten free foods might up the sugar content. Never assume frozen fruits and vegetables don’t contain sugar and starch, unless you read and investigate for yourself.
Extra credit: Learn the other names for sugar. They usually end with the suffix –ose. You’re sweet enough without it.

History. Do you eat when bored? Put off exercise? Set yourself up for success by making new habits and hardwire your brain to the new routine. Even something as simple as putting on your gym shoes will change your mental mode from one of coming home from work to exercise.
Extra credit: It takes 21 days to make a habit, so start today. Like right now.

Science. No need for beakers here. Make sure to get ample amounts of dihydrogen oxide in your diet and beverages, and burn more O2 when you move to keep those Bunsen burners in good shape.
Extra credit: Feeling weak and tired? Consider adding a little NaCl to your dishes.

Music. Music makes us cry, builds us up, and soothes us, so put it to work for you to clean the cupboards, walk the dog, get on the bike, or even to decompress during stretching exercises.
Extra credit: Find your anthem and let it motivate you through the hardest part of workouts.

Show and Tell. Has your lifestyle been one of weight loss and health gain? Let your light shine for others. Just like the cute puppy you brought to class ages ago, your brilliant, healthy smile is enough to make people feel fuzzy inside.
Extra credit: Pay your lifestyle forward to friends. There’s nothing more rewarding than the shared benefits of health. Besides, you can have each other’s back during the rough moments, and laugh when your baggy pants fall down.

Jamie VanEaton is the author of Your Lighter Side, and has acted as the National Low Carb Examiner since 2008. From her bat cave in Denver, Colorado, she spends her days keeping the dog from eating the dirty laundry, coveting bacon, and writing recipes as a thinly veiled excuse for snacking. Her four kids say she is so old she owes Sophocles a buck. She can be reached at YourLighterSide@gmail.com.

Be sure to tell Jamie thanks for the advice!

Storm Damage Update and Newsletter Challenge

The adjuster finally made it out today. The good news is that which we were covered. The bad news is--the amount of work that needs to be done and the speed--or lack thereof--of the integral workings of the insurance and contract labor professions. It may be a couple of weeks before we see any money or further authorizations for work. In the mean time, we live without flooring in half the kitchen, and much of the living room. The gameroom had the pad yanked out from under the carpet and all the furnishings and books cast in piles on one side of the room. Too hot to deal with that now. That is not too bad, since we avoid that room in the summer time anyway.

I don't have ceilings most of my kitchen and half of my living room. That is a pain because these rooms dump dust and insulation on us, and stay incredibly hot. We tacked a giant sheet of plastic up as make shift ceilings, so it is just lovely to look at. I will get new paint and wallpaper. Now to find wallpaper. I think hardly anyone uses it anymore,but I loved the scrubable vinyl I had. My bedroom is getting new carpet since they had to rip it away from the doorway. I am really happy about that one! A couple of bathrooms are getting new paint jobs, at least on the ceiling. The gameroom gets new walls and ceilings too. Can you imagine the number of workers that are going to take over my home soon? Even better, nothing can be done inside until the roof is repaired. Well, maybe the fence, but we don't have any money for that one yet.

I am worried about the newsletter for September. I just don't have the ability to get in the kitchen and try out a lot of new recipes. I may have to get creative. I may borrow  my mom's house to get some cooking done. In the mean time, if you wonderful Diners have any ideas... it would be really fun to feature a theme-- kind of like the "Chef's Special" where I could publish favorite recipes sent in from the readers of the blog and facebook fans. What do you think? If you have a favorite recipe to share, send it to me. I will add my email link to make it easier to find me.
moty2000@sbcglobal.net

If you aren't already a subscriber to the Diner Newsletter, it would be a great chance to check it out, as I will give every contributor a 6 month subscription, or additional months on a current subscription. Remember, I am still looking for guest bloggers too. I have one promise from a low carb guru you will all be thrilled to hear from! Be watching.

Loretta Guest Blogs

Loretta has been a favorite Diner of mine for quite a while. She is a natural encourager, a sweet spirit, and I sure wish we lived closer together because  we would have great visits at each other's kitchen tables. When I put out the call for guest bloggers, she sent me this email that really lifted my spirits. What a jewel this woman is!

Just Sayin' Thanks

When I read that Lisa's home was hit by catastrophe and she asked for guest posters, I decided this was a great way to say "thank you" to Lisa. Without realizing it, she has helped me tremendously in making my Low Carb way of life PERMANENT. 

How, you ask? Well, I'm glad you asked...let me tell ya! 

When I first started, I had what I will politely call "resistance". My normally sweet and supportive husband got ruffled when I explained that I wanted to stop eating sugar and flour.

He looked me right in the eye, and emphatically declared: "I love my carbs... I am NOT giving up my carbs!"

Okie dokie then! Right from the start... it was a challenge. I pouted. I felt sorry for myself. I felt sabotaged. I thought "if he really loved me" he would support me. You know... all the self-serving stuff we tell ourselves when we want to be Right!!

But then a great thing happened... *I* changed. Yep, I changed my thinking. I was made to realize... after much whining and complaining to God (disguised as Prayer) that I had a choice. I could continue to have a Pity Party... or I could take this as AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET STRONGER. 

Holy cannoli... I hadn't thought of it that way before. And so... I changed my mind, as solidly as I changed my menu. And when I found Lisa's 24/7 Low Carb Diner blog, I felt encouraged. Here she was, cooking for a whole crew with mixed nutritional needs... and she was making it work! And generously sharing her ideas on this blog.

So I became a copy cat. I would make meals like she suggested, with the heart of it being low carb stuff that I could eat. And then just make add-ons for my man. And the funny part... he never guessed. He didn't realize that slowly but surely, he was eating less and less sugar. Less and less starchy stuff.  

I didn't overdue it, or push it, or preach it. I just did it. In other words, folks, sometimes it pays to keep your mouth shut, LOL! This year, after almost 2 years, and after a medical diagnosis of diabetes, he made the choice to officially join me in eating Low Carb. And it is now easier. I'm not perfect, and it isn't always easy. But it's doable.

But because of that initial resistance, I was forced to make a choice: In or out. Yes or no. And thankfully, I'm all IN. And part of my success is due to seeing how this low carb healthy lifestyle can be lived in the real world, in real life situations, as Lisa shows on her blog. So, thank you, Lisa!

Enjoying the journey,

Loretta

http://lorettasjourney.blogspot.com/

Loretta,  I am so glad my efforts have made a difference!

Update on the storm damage: Some meteorologists are now admitting we were hit by a small tornado. Because the warning system never went off, they aren't willing to admit much...

We have had the emergency work completed, but the adjusters are just too busy to bother with us it seems. We won't see one until Friday. My hubby is really stressed out trying to pay for eating out plus our other bills. We only have a plastic sheet for a ceiling, no insulation in that area (Except that which falls into our food when we try to eat at home), missing walls and concrete floors.  At least all the noisy blowers have been moved out,  so we can hear each other now. Unfortunately, the temps are going back to the upper 90's outside, which seems to equate about 10 degrees hotter than that in the uninsulated areas of the house. Hardly habitable, but the insurance won't promise to pay for a hotel. We just aren't sure how to handle it all.

Guest Blogger- NeeCee's Philly Cheeseburger Skillet Dinner

I love when you Diners share recipes with me too. Here is one sent by one of my dearest friends. I think she got the very first copy of my e-book out there!

NeeCee's Cheeseburger Skillet Dinner

1 lb hamburger
1 small onion chopped
1 can sliced mushrooms
1 yellow pepper chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
4 cloves garlic minced
2 cups coleslaw mix
salt, pepper and cayenne pepper to taste
1 cup Monterey Jack cheese grated

In a large skillet, brown the meat with the onion. Drain the grease. Add the mushrooms, yellow and red peppers, coleslaw mix and garlic. Stir fry until the peppers are tender crisp, seasoning with salt, pepper, and cayenne. Stir in the cheese and cook over low heat until melted.

Love the addition of cayenne. NeeCee is an herbalist too, so I am betting that is in there for the healing properties. I know it isn't because she is such a big fan of spicy foods. I have seen her beg for milk at an Indian restaurant, when I couldn't find one dish I thought was spicy. Funny how we all have different taste buds for such things.

Thanks for the contribution, NeeCee. It looks yummy, especially with the steam still rising off the food. I can almost hear you calling "dinner" now. If you would like to check out her blog, go here.

Grilled Eggplant Slices with Beef

I am having a super busy few weeks here. My friend and fellow diner, Tinkerbelle, told me about a meal she created using leftover beef and one of her favorites--grilled ggplant. I thought it sounded wonderful, so I asked her if she would snap a photo and let me feature her as a guest blogger. Fortunately, for all of us, she agreed. It takes a little pressure off of me to feature more of your ideas, and gives you creative cooks a chance to share your creations too. I would love more guest bloggers!

Lots of you liked the idea of the eggplant pizza rounds. This is similar, but takes advantage of the wonderful flavors of roast beef, Italian seasonings and Havarti cheese. Oh my!

Tinkerbelle's Eggplant Beef

Grilled Eggplant slices
3-4 oz shredded beef (I used leftover Tip roast)
4 oz tomato slices
1.5 oz Havarti
Simply Organic Italian Seasoning

Layer and pop under the broiler till cheese bubbles. I had it with 1/4 cup Daisy Sour Cream for a dipper.

Simple ingredients, but a wonderful flavor combo. I am certainly going to try it with the next roast I cook. It would make a super addition to a roast beef Triple Play meal, don't you think?