My exercise plan has been going very well - running combined with TRX strength training. Thank God for friends that keep me accountable as there have been a few days when I didn't feel much like running but knew someone was counting on me to meet up with her. And one day, I was feeling totally lazy, knew none of my running friends were going to be there, so I was going to take the day off. Dh couldn't take the kids to school, which meant I needed to get dressed and take them (and I usually meet my running friends at the Starbucks by their school). On a whim, I put on my running gear, thinking I just might run into someone else, and took the kids to school. Went over to Starbucks, waited about 10 minutes in my warm car, thought about heading home, but knew I really needed to fit in that run to keep up with my training plan (I have a race coming up). I figured I'd just do about 4 miles, but I ended up at every turning point, choosing to go farther and ended up running 8 miles. I was so proud of myself that I battled my "blow it off" nature sometimes to stay on target with my plan. Now eating is another story. I had lost 5.5 pounds pretty quickly (several were holiday pounds) just from watching my carbs and sugar intake. I also gave up alcohol for Lent. I'm not a big drinker but I do enjoy a glass of red wine several nights a week with dinner. Then, I fell off the wagon (food) - two of my kids and my husband have birthdays in a 2 week period. I couldn't resist the cakes, pizza, etc. So while I'm back to my normal pre-holiday weight, I did gain a couple pounds back and going back to my low carb/low sugar meals. On the bright side, my pants are definitely fitting better and I have started to firm up and regain some toning in my trouble spots, but I have a way to go on my inner thighs and mid section! Weight wise-I don't really have much to lose, about 5-7lbs would be ideal, it's the keeping it off that I struggle with! Oh, I did go (belatedly) for my gyn exam and my blood pressure is still very good (105/70) but I need to get a physical and have some bloodwork done to check my cholesterol and to see if I might be anemic. I don't think so but she was concerned about some blood loss due to heavy periods I've been having. BTW, did anyone happen to catch that guy on The View yesterday? He had some interesting things to say about sugar in our foods. Forget his name - Lindsay something.

OMG, that's a riot, Trin. lololol Loved all of it, but the bit about the barcodes made me really hoot. You need to save that for the next time you go away. He'd love it.

Here are some modest low-budget dishes served in Spain. I made these many times when my girls were small and we were living on a shoestring in Mallorca years ago. Hope you will find something you like here. :-) Arroz A La Cubana - Cuban Rice (small web photo) I was never sure if this really originated in Cuba. But it's a very simple dish which I used to see in Mallorca in small family restaurants and still see today on restaurant menus. My girls loved this dish. For three people: 3 ripe bananas 3 eggs rice - three servings tomato sauce or puré - about 1 cup S & P oil or butter 1) Boil the rice until tender in salted water. Drain. 2) Split the bananas lengthwise and sauté gently in butter or oil. 3) Heat the tomato sauce. 4) Fry the eggs in butter or oil keeping yolks runny. 5) Arrange the rice in the centre of each plate, with a banana half on each side, cover the rice with an egg and pour sauce over top. Add salt & pepper. Poached eggs instead of fried are also good. **************************************** Vegetable & Bread Stew from Mallorca - This is a much loved hearty meatless peasant dish from the Balearic island of Mallorca. Although called 'sopas' or soup, it is actually a stew-like combination of available winter vegetables such as chard, cabbage and cauliflower cooked in water, oil, garlic, paprika and salt, which is then poured over thinly-shaven slices of dry salt-free country bread - called sopas - which are a day or two old. These thin bread slices are available in nearly every corner 'colmado' - as the small neighbourhood grocery stores are called. Those who have grown up with sopas Mallorquinas on the table will probably always look forward to having it again, and again. You can prepare this dish and have it ready in less than an hour. Ingredients for 4 persons: 1/2 lb (200 grams) of thinly shaven slices of country bread (Website showing photos of loaf). A dense country-style bread is best for this and it should be stale, dry and sliced paper thin. Any other type of dry, stale bread could be substituted however. - about 8 young leaves & stems - roughly chopped small cabbage - if possible - roughly chopped 1 onion cut in julienne handful of - roughly chopped - (quantity as in foto) cauliflower - a few florets broken in pieces 1 ripe tomato, peeled and diced 2 teasp sweet paprika powder 4 TBS olive oil 2 green peppers - cut in large dice 2 - 2 1/2 cups water optional: chicken stock cube salt fresh ground black pepper 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed 1) Put the oil in a shallow flame-proof earthenware or ceramic casserole (eg Corning Ware or similar). When oil is hot, add the onion, green pepper and garlic. Sauté without browning. 2) Add the tomato and the large diced vegetables. Sweat the vegetables and blend in the paprika powder. Season with salt & fresh ground pepper. 3) Add the water and let simmer gently for about 15 - 20 minutes, then taste to check seasoning. (Note: After pouring in the water I added a Knorr chicken stock cube, broken up and scattered over top.) 4) Once vegetables are tender, turn off stove, remove them from the pot with a slotted spoon and transfer them to a warm bowl, leaving the broth in the casserole dish. There should be about an inch of broth. 5) Arrange the thin shaven slices of dry bread over the bottom of the casserole dish so the broth is totally absorbed, and put the vegetables back in the casserole on top of the bread. Let rest for at least 15 minutes before serving at the table. 6) Serve at the table in the same earthenware casserole dish. NOTES: The bread used in this recipe is typical to Mallorca and is a simple bread made of unbleached partially whole wheat flour, water and yeast. It is therefore dense and able to absorb the broth without becoming mushy. Yesterday I didn't have any cauliflower so I used a small quantity of diced squash. There are many variations of 'sopas mallorquinas' as the ingredients depend on what is available in the garden at the time. However those listed above are the main ones used and will give the true flavour of this dish. Photos: - Just after adding paprika ***************************************** Spanish Poor Man's Style Potato Casserole -( Patatas a Lo Pobre) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Serves 5 as a side dish: 2 lbs potatoes 1 onion 1 small green pepper 1 small tomato, sliced 1/3 cup olive oil 2 cloves garlic, chopped 2 TBSP chopped parsley 1 bay leaf 1/4 teasp thyme 1/4 teasp sweet paprika (or saffron) 1/4 cup white wine (optional) 1/4 cup water salt & pepper 1) Peel potatoes and slice fairly thinly. Peel and slice onions. Cut peppers in strips. 2) Pour a little of the oil into the bottom of a flame-proof earthenware casserole or oven-safe pan. Arrange alternating layers of potatoes, onions, green peppers and tomato slices, sprinkling each layer with some of the chopped garlic and parsley. 3) Break the bay leaf into pieces and tuck them among the potatoes with the thyme. Sprinkle with the paprika and pour over the remaining oil. 4) Place the casserole on a medium heat just until potatoes start to sizzle. Add the wine and water. Season with salt & pepper. 5) When the liquid comes to a boil, cover the casserole and put in a medium oven (350F/180C) until potatoes are tender, about 45 minutes. Let the casserole rest 10 minutes before serving. Adapted from: 'Tapas and More Great Dishes from Spain' - Janet Mendel **************************************** 1/2 lb pork ribs or smoked pork chop 1/2 lb chickpeas 3/4 lb potatoes - quartered or cut in large dice a piece of frying chorizo, cut into rings 1 large ripe tomato - diced 1 large onion - finely chopped a bit less than 1/2 lb thick noodles a bit of paprika and yellow powdered food colouring or saffron garlic - 2 or 3 cloves Note: original recipe calls for salt pork ribs which much be soaked overnight to remove salt. I find it much easier to use a Kassler or other smoked pork chop with bone in. I find the salt pork too salty when I make it. The chickpeas are also soaked overnight in water with 1 teasp bicarbonate and rinsed well next day. Rancho Canario started as a humble dish, originally a meal served by the poor. But nowadays it is a popular and tasy dish much appreciated by tourists and locals alike, when it is well made. Preparation: 1) If using salt pork ribs, soak then the day before and overnight in several changes of water, the same with the chickpeas if using dried. 2) Next day, put ribs and chickpeas in a large pot, cover with water and put on to boil. Half an hour later add the potatoes. 3) But before adding potatoes make the following 'sofrito': fry together the diced tomato, onion, garlic and chorizo, adding the paprika and saffron or yellow food colouring. Set aside. 4) Once potatoes have been added and the pot begins to boil again, add the 'sofrito' and stir. When potatoes are nearly done, add the thick noodles and cook for the time noted on the package. 5) Remove from flame, let rest a few minutes and serve. Some folks like to add cummin, mashed together with the garlic. ********************************** 2 cups raw lentils or chickpeas assorted diced raw vegetables: carrots, cabbage, onion, cauliflower, garlic, green beans, potatoes. 1/2 cup rich tomato puré 1 small peeled tomato 1 chicken stock cube or 1 cup chicken broth 1 piece chorizo or sausage (optional)as in photo cooking oil salt & pepper Soak lentils or chickpeas in water the night before with a teaspoon of baking soda. (Note: small, fine lentils will not need overnight soaking.) Next day rinse well. Put in large pot (if possible earthenware) and cover with water to cover 2 to 3 inches above lentils. Boil gently for 1 hour or until tender. Add extra water and stock cube or chicken stock. Meanwhile sauté all the raw and diced vegetables in oil in a frying pan, adding tomato sauce and diced fresh tomato, simmering and stirring until all is golden and cooked. When lentils (or chickpeas) are tender, add the vegetables to the lentil pot, along with salt & pepper. Simmer a few minutes until flavours are blended. Allow to cool, then reheat later for maximum flavour. **************************************** - 4 adult servings 700 grams (1 1/2 lbs) ground veal (I use 1/2 pork & 1/2 veal) - (optional - beef & pork) 3 eggs - beaten 1 medium onion - minced 2 cloves garlic - minced flat-leaf parsley - lots 2 teasp oregano 2 teasp thyme 2 teasp sweet paprika powder 2 teasp salt fresh ground black pepper cooking oil 3 medium very ripe tomatoes - (skinning is optional) chopped 1/2 cup milk & 1/4 cup water flour 4 - 6 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into chips (french fries) Utensils needed: - small frying pan about 6 inches diameter - medium or large frying pan or chip fryer - earthenware or ceramic stovetop casserole with lid 1) Mix meat with beaten egg, minced garlic, 2/3 of the chopped onion, salt & pepper, herbs and paprika. Add a few stalks of parsley chopped fine. Mix all together. Pour about 1 cm oil into small frying pan and put on medium heat. Put some seasoned flour (s&p) on a dinner plate and using a small spoon, scoop out meat mixture and begin forming meatballs with help of floured hands, rolling them in flour as needed. Put them on floured plate and when you have six and oil is hot, put them carefully using spoon into the small frying pan to brown. 3) After two or three minutes turn meatballs over using a small spoon. Continue forming more meatballs. 4) As meatballs brown, remove and put them into casserole dish, adding the fresh ones to the pan, six at a time. 5) When done, strain out any burned bits in the frying pan oil and put in the rest of the onion with the tomato, as well as a handful of minced parsley. Cook on medium heat. 6) After a few minutes add the milk and water. Taste and if tomato flavour is too sharp add a pinch of sugar, also some salt. Pour sauce over meatballs in casserole, (optional is pour it through a sieve for finer sauce) put on low heat with lid and simmer very gently 20 minutes, checking and turning them over once. 8) Prepare potatoes and in oil in large frying pan or chip fryer begin making the french fries a few at a time, salting them and keeping them hot in oven. 9) Put a few chips on top of the meatballs, add a bit of chopped parsley and serve at table with extra chips on each plate. . Source: Adapted from 'Cocina selecta Mallorquin' SharonCb

ROTFL!!! Donka, all I can say is "Giddayup". I need to clean out the fridge, so I'm going to make soup base for the freezer with the turkey carcass, leeks, rutabega and carrots. I got some lasagna noodles, so I'm going to slice up some yellow squash that needs using, and the fennel bulbs I just got, and whatever peppers I have, and oven roast them, to layer with the ricotta. I have a little tzimmis left which I think I'll puree into the ricotta. I got some shallots, too. And I got some lamb shanks to braise with baby carrots and pearl onions and leftover sweetish red wine. And a chicken. It's a really big chicken. They tried to tell me it was a fryer, but it's 4.5 lbs.!! I think I'll roast it with the heels of my multigrain bread if it's not gone moldy, and an orange. I can try out the probe because I have no idea (other than the butcher's recommendation) how long to cook this big a not turkey. JRueter, I'm in Gelsonsland, so it has to be an amazing farmer's market to be really tempting. And yes, some of them are more about the social thing than cooking! The worst is being at a dinner party where the hosts are name dropping the truck farmers like they're best friends rather than customers. Needs, keep us posted!!! I'm keeping a good thought for Thursday!