What A Chili Day

Midwest temperatures dropped to the high twenties the night before last as the area moves closer to winter. Though warned, waking to frost on the roof is a sure sign one's breath will be visible in the outside air. As chilly as it is outside, temperatures inside can get warmer quickly with a big batch of homemade chili slow cooking on the stove. Chili provides plenty of nutrients, lots of protein, outstanding flavor, and the Sonoma Diet folks list it as a preferred meal, especially when out and wondering whether to purchase McDonald's nuggets or Wendy's chili. Go with the chili.

Making chili is easy. Pour enough good quality olive oil into a fry pan to coat it, to a depth of less then 1/8 inch, then add one large diced onion, 2 cloves of mashed and diced garlic, as much celery as you have in your house cut into small pieces, and saute until soft. Add chunks of the ground turkey and continue cooking until all the turkey is sauteed. Salt and pepper to taste. Add some dried basil and a few shakes of oregano.

In a large pan pour in one 30 ounce can of diced tomatoes, one 28 ounce can of undrained kidney beans, and two 15 ounce cans of undrained black beans. Mix well. Pour the onion/garlic/turkey mixture into the pot of tomatoes and beans and mix together. Add chili powder, how much depends on your taste buds, but I use about 3 to 4 tablespoons. To cut the acidity of the tomatoes, add 1/2 teaspoon of sugar and mix well.

If one doesn't regularly consume beans, one might find comfort in Beano, a popular product used to prevent intestinal discomfort and to help the body digest beans. To further understand Complex Carbohydrate Intolerance, check out this fact sheet. This beautiful and aromatic chili mixture will continue to cook slowly on low heat on the stove for an hour. Keep mixing so it doesn't burn and add additional salt and pepper as needed. While this makes a wonderful lunch or dinner, it is also a splendid breakfast, topped with a dollop of sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese or Greek yogurt. Soon the chill of the day will be gone and chili will be warming your inners.

Cancer: Away With You!

My best friend has neuroendocrine tumors -- NETs -- another word for cancer. Val had surgery in late September, previously discussed here. For five days early last week Val had a fever ranging from 100.6 to 103.0, complete with chills, and shaking body ache, the whole thing that goes with a bug of some sort. Good news came today: her temperature was 98.4. Can you hear my big sigh of relief?

Recovering from surgery of any kind is tough, especially when one is active, always on the go, and thought to be in excellent health. Val was my Sonoma Diet buddy, and together we lost weight; now Val has lost 15 more pounds of weight she didn't need to lose. She is tall at 5 foot 8 inches, carries herself with distinguished grace, and has always looked tall and thin. Now she is tall and too thin, if one can ever be too thin. Time to bring in the refrigerated bottles of Ensure, each worth 350 calories of protein, calcium, and several nutrients and minerals. A strawberry Ensure for Weight Management was the flavor of choice, and after a little nudging, nothing remained but an empty bottle. She had consumed 550 calories for the day. With a little hope, a lot of herbs and seasoning, and a fair amount of nurturing, she might be able to reach 2000 calories by dinner.

Sonoma Diet To The Rescue - Again

Eighteen months ago, in April of 2006, I went on yet another diet in pursuit of a slimmer more svelte body. If I were to number each attempt at weight loss, this would be Diet 142, or 3, or, you get the picture. But this time I followed sage advice from my husband's homeland, Greece, and I used olive oil, Kalamato olives, tomatoes, whole wheat pita, fish and fresh vegetables. I bought the book, The Sonoma Diet, read it and followed it, and in a few short weeks had lost 2o pounds.

The Sonoma Diet is actually a lifestyle that allows one to eat, drink wine, and relax while losing unwanted fat from the prime fat location on any woman: the stomach. Based on the eating habits of those living in the Mediterranean area, the Sonoma diet asks one to divide their dinner plate into fourths, filling two fourths (or one half) 0f the plate with salad and veggies, one fourth of the plate with a whole wheat carb, and one fourth with a protein. The goal is to eat more veggies and fewer carbs while removing anything "white" from the diet: no white flour, no sugar of any sort, and during the first 10 days, no fruit.

Amazing things happen around the 12th day -- the scale indicates a loss of anywhere from five to ten pounds, and the weight stays off. I have been amazed at the difference in my eating habits since April of 2006; I have been happy with Greek Salads and know where to find the best ones in Chicagoland. I have Greek olives in my refrigerator at all times, and I am not hungry, except for air popped popcorn. My weight has been maintained, for the most part, but I am back on Sonoma big time again to lose five pounds that found their way back on with the hot summer ice cream splurge(s).

Today the scale was again my friend, as I have lost two pounds in about four days by following the Sonoma diet plan. My staple is a wonderful mixture of brown rice and wild rice that I make and then eat as my carb for breakfast and dinner. I fill in with other carbs, proteins and veggies. Here is the recipe:

1 1/2 cup of brown rice, 1 1/2 cup of wild rice, 1 large can (that holds 6 cups) of chicken broth, a large diced onion, and some parsley, dill, basil, salt and black pepper. I cook it for about 30 minutes and then let it rest to reabsorb the liquid.

This tastes great --- hot or cold, it is good to eat. Add some cooked chicken or fish and it is a complete meal, except you need to eat 1/2 a plate of veggies as well. So give it a try -- I have, and if it works for me, it will work for you as long as you don't cheat and eat anything white....unless it is popcorn from Trader Joe's.