We are just beginning our sixth week of a new way of eating.
It has been a lot harder than I thought it would be, but since change is usually challenging, I’m not too surprised by the struggle.
While I know that a lot of people make these changes and say they feel transformed, have more energy, deal with fewer body aches, etc. I can’t say that I feel radically different.
I think I probably do have a little more energy but I think what I have actually noticed the most is that after I eat a meal, I am not as aware of that meal just “hanging out” in my body for the next few hours . My body feels less weighed down and slowed down; like the food I am eating is working with me, not against me.
After losing six pounds in the first seven days, I have only lost an additional three pounds which is a bit disappointing. But then again, if I look at it a different way I have lost nine pounds in six weeks so I guess that’s not too bad. And even though the main goal of this diet change is to fight inflammation, dropping a few (needed) pounds is a great side effect.
I have cooked a couple of meals that were great successes and I have cooked more than a few meals that were pretty bad. While I have never been an accomplished gourmet cook, I have always been a solid, down home cook who knew my way around a kitchen and was comfortable and confident with the dishes that I prepared. Cooking has always brought joy to me and is one of my favorite things to do. Just like my two grandmas, my mom and my mom-in-law, I love to feed people.
However, since making this change, I feel like I have been demoted to the kindergarten level of cookery where suddenly, after four decades in the kitchen, I know nothing.
As Steve has so rightly said, this diet change has been harder for me than for him since he is not cutting out dairy or gluten. He also doesn’t have the responsibility of searching out new recipes and then going to the grocery store to wander strange grocery store aisles like a pilgrim in a foreign land.
Thankfully, he has been very helpful during the process, eating whatever new recipes I attempt and encouraging me every step of the way. He’s been especially helpful in the kitchen as we have had to decipher mysterious new things. For instance, I have usually just used garlic in a jar (not as good, I know) so Steve figured out the whole thwacking of the garlic clove thing, and then peeling and mincing it. He figured out how to get the skin off salmon (although from what we’ve read since then, you don’t really have to take it off?) and he was also in charge of the peeling, de-pitting, and dicing of a recently purchased mango.
For the past few weeks, we have been running around the kitchen, staring in great puzzlement at recipes and ingredients and then staring in even greater puzzlement at each other and saying, “Do YOU have a clue?”
when I went to buy the aforementioned mango, I honestly didn’t even know what one looked like.
I asked an employee where to find one and he said, “Oh, are mangoes in season?”
And I was like, “Duh. They have a season?”
I know nothing.
He eventually helped me find the mangoes and then we stood there together and stared at them while I tentatively picked one up and tested it for ripeness. Which I didn’t even know how to do. Are they supposed to be firm? Soft? Medium?
My mango helper also was clueless in the mango ripeness department. He went off in search of another employee who came over to the mango conference and conferred upon us the information that some people eat them firm and some people eat them softer but either was fine.
I bought a firm one which Steve and I used to make a mango salsa to put on salmon. It turned out great! But it wasn’t like picking up a watermelon, taking it home and cutting and eating it without a second thought, the way we have done a hundred times. It is just the whole challenge of standing in the produce aisle and staring at unfamiliar items and trying to figure out how to speak the strange language of new food.
I have never, EVER bought mushrooms because I hate them but Steve decided mushrooms would be good in his morning omelets so we are now a mushroom-occupied house. Every time I open the fridge I get a little shiver when I see them but it’s all part of the newness. We have also changed from cow’s milk to almond milk which, fortunately, we both love.
I attempted to switch out my regular yogurt with non-dairy yogurt and that was a whole experience onto itself. I finally found some non-dairy yogurt after scouring numerous stores and bought it, even though it was pretty expensive. It wasn’t until I’d opened the carton that I looked at the nutritional info and realized that instead of 100 calories a cup (which my old yogurt had) it had 290 calories a cup!
I used it up in small servings and am now reconciling myself to a yogurt-free life, even though I used to love to put it on my oatmeal every morning and also had some as part of my lunch just about every day.
I did locate some gluten-free bread which is tolerable when toasted but not so much when eaten plain. I grew up on my mom’s delicious home-made bread slathered with real butter and the world seems to have shifted on its axis just a bit when I realize that my life has taken me from Mom’s bread to gluten-free, weird-textured, weird-tasting bread. Her bread had love baked in. Gluten-free from Publix? Not so much.
The other night I tried to make a Tex Mex vegetarian lasagna and it turned out so bad we had to throw it away. We are very diligent about not wasting food, which tells you how bad it was.
It was actually sort of funny. After Steve and I had taken our first bites and started slowly chewing, he tried to be all gallant and said, “This is a nice hearty meal for a cold night.”
Which is loyal husbandspeak for, “This is really awful but I’m not going to say it’s awful. And ‘hearty’ is a nice, non-committal word which isn’t really a compliment and really isn’t a lie.”
And then he saw my face and realized nothing really needed to be said; we were in complete agreement. Without a word, he set our plates to the side, opened the cupboard and brought over one of the few kinds of cereal in the world without gluten. We poured some almond milk on it and wordlessly ate our cold, gluten-free, dairy-free dinner. (I added a few sliced bananas after the picture was taken which elevated the non-inspiring repast only slightly.)
That was the night that actually reduced me to tears because it was just one cooking failure too many. And on that particular night, I was just so incredibly hungry and my vegetarian lasagna, that I had labored long and hard over, was just so incredibly bad.
I ate my pitiful bowl of cereal while wailing to Steve, “I want STEAK. I want PIZZA. I want a HAMBURGER. I want an ICE CREAM SANDWICH. I want my OLD way of eating!”
He listened lovingly and patiently and finally said, “So order a pizza.”
I gaped at him. “I can’t order a pizza!”
He said, “Your nutritionist said you could take an occasional break. You have made a lot of changes in a very short time and I know it’s been really hard. If you want a pizza, then get one.”
And so, I did.
I got a thin crust (to minimize the gluten) lightly pepperonied pizza (1-2 pieces per slice) and thoroughly enjoyed every bite before going back to the eating plan the next morning.
This has truly been a steep learning/adjusting curve for us both. Even though we aren’t 100% consistent with it, we have made some really good, healthy changes: eating vegetarian 2-3 times a week, cutting out beef and pork, largely eliminating sugar and (for me) cutting down dramatically on gluten and dairy.
Of course, trying new foods and recipes has a way of producing “memorable” meals, as I mentioned above. Here are a few more of my recipes that didn’t turn out so well.
were the first thing I tried to make after seeing the nutritionist. They weren’t completely inedible but they were right next to it. And even though they look like raw cookie dough, this what they looked like after they had been baked! Just gross.
Here’s another tuna dish that was really bad. Something about the spices got real out of whack and each bite was worse than the last.
that drove me into the arms of Pizza Hut. (I added cheese on part of it for Steve.) It was the weirdest tasting, weirdest-textured food I have ever eaten.
for healthy cookies containing oatmeal, bananas, dark chocolate chips, and almond butter.
I used really ripe bananas because I knew that’s what you do for banana bread but with this recipe, the banana flavor was absolutely overpowering. Plus it said to mix the ingredients together in a blender but when we added the nut butter it just sat there in a great clump, ignoring our most fervent attempts to get it to blend with everything else.
Steve finally scooped everything out of the blender and then put it back in a little at a time which was a great idea but which took forever and made a huge mess. When all was said and done, we were stuck with strangely gooey cookies with the strongest banana flavor known to man.
Happily, yes.
A sheet pan dinner with potatoes, chicken and green beans was delicious and made enough for a couple of meals.
You just put the ingredients on a sheet pan, season as desired (I used dry Italian dressing) and brush on olive oil or dot with butter. I sprinkled on some parsley and added some sliced cherry tomatoes for color.
Cover tightly with foil and bake at 350 for 60-80 minutes till chicken is tender.
We made tilapia one night. You just season fillets with any of the following: lemon juice, lime juice, Old Bay seasoning, garlic, sliced peppers, onions, etc. Bake uncovered at 425 degrees for 15-20 minutes until fish flakes easily. You can also cook in a skillet.
We found a fabulous bean soup recipe . . . simple as can be but really tasty!
[yumprint-recipe id=’18’]
And here is my Big Success, the dish that was the most enjoyable and impressive! I decided to make this after the whole lasagna/tears/cold cereal/pizza debacle because I needed something to restore my faith in myself as a cook and to restore my faith in the fact that good-for-me-food could actually taste good! It’s salmon topped with mango salsa served on a bed of Asian slaw.
[yumprint-recipe id=’17’]Also, if you didn’t see the recipe from Sarah that I shared in this post, be sure to check it out. (Scroll to the bottom of post.) It has turned out to be one of our favorites.
the last six weeks in a nutshell.
This afternoon I have a follow-up appointment with my nutritionist which will be nice since I have come up with quite a list of questions for her.
And before I close, I would like to thank all of my readers who have been so helpful with your advice and encouragement. If you have any more good tips or recipes, please share them in the comments–not just for me but for all the readers who make Smithellaneous such a lovely corner of the world.
Hang in there, Becky. You’re doing great.
I always struggled to bake fish (not done, not done, not done, OVERDONE – and looking horrible to boot after being poked with a fork so many times to see if it flakes!). I know fish is good for you, but for some reason, I could never get it just right. We found a Citrus Crockpot Fish recipe online, which we have adapted to our own taste. Basically, we rinse and pat dry 2 or 3 tilapia fillets (I cut them in half for smaller servings). Salt and pepper and then put into crockpot with just a few tablespoons of lemon juice in the bottom. Sprinkle with olive oil and season with lemon rind, orange rind, minced dried onion, parsley, Mrs. Dash, or whatever spices appeal to you. Cook on low for 1.5 hours and it’s almost always (98% of the time) perfectly done. We serve with seasoned rice (sorry!) and a salad. Easy and quick and takes the guesswork out of it for me.
Try not to be discouraged – just think of it as a new adventure! God bless.
Jenny
Jenny Jo,
Thank you SO much for a fail safe fish recipe! I really want to start eating fish more; even though people say it’s simple to cook it, I am always unsure if I’m doing it right or wondering if it’s over or underdone. Seems like a crockpot would solve those problems. Will try it this week.
Nine pounds in 6 weeks is nothing to sneeze about. I understand your description of not feeling so “weighed down” after eating. Like you, I had never even heard of a mango until moving to Tampa in 2001. Some of my coworkers quickly filled me in on them and how to cut them. I love them but they aren’t nearly as good in Kansas as Florida. Those tuna bites look awful, I’m not much of a tuna fan to begin with. Keep up the good work!
Phyllis,
Yeah, we are new to the Mango World, too! I actually liked them better than I thought I would; I had pictured them having a stronger flavor but they were actually fairly mild.
Thanks for your encouragement on my new eating plan/weight loss. I appreciate it!
Kudos to you Becky, for trying those new recipes! The failures will be less and less as you go. Hang in there! That bean soup looks really good. I’m definitely going to give that one a try! 🙂
Lee Anne,
Thanks so much for your encouragement!
The bean soup really is good. We had it again last night as a leftover; I just added another can of beans, another can of tomatoes, and a little more broth and it was even better the second time around.
Here is a flax muffin that I make often. I love the nutty flavor of the flax. You can try any type of sweetner in it. I add whatever suits me to it as well-nuts, coconut, mini chocolate chips, raisins. Good warm or cold. Since it has a whole egg in it, it is a good protein breakfast but also fulfills the bread desire and is gluten free. https://www.geniuskitchen.com/recipe/one-minute-flax-muffin-low-carb-295649
Patti,
Flax seed is another one of those many things I have yet to try but definitely need to. I love the fact that this makes one muffin at a time and is so quick. Great recipe!
Becky – regarding cutting butternut squash… it’s a challenge. To start with, I have a very sharp knife. I cut the skin off first, and then slice small bits from the long end a little bit at a time. I’ve also been known to buy mine pre-cut at the grocery store. I’ve not tried cooking it first, but it might work if you pierce the skin to let any steam escape.
Tobi,
I’m glad I’m not the only one who has wrestled with one of those things. I had bought one a couple years ago and then decided to never buy another one since they were so difficult.
Peeling it first, as you said, might work. But I think the best idea is to buy one pre-cut!
That sheet pan meal looks delicious (and easy, which a big thing for me)! And even though I’m not a fan of salmon, that looks good also. I’m glad you allowed yourself some pizza when you reached low. And remember – we all have recipe fails – even when we don’t change our diets. Tonight we ended up throwing out a casserole because we tried making our own hash browns instead of using frozen – NOT a good idea. I hope you have a positive, productive visit with your nutritionist and look forward to hearing what you learn.
Sue Ellen,
Thanks for letting me know about your OWN recipe fail; makes me feel better!
And I definitely recommend that sheet pan meal; it’s really impossible to mess up which, for you at me, at least, is a good thing. Right? 🙂
Hi Becky, I really enjoy this cookie recipe. The banana flavor is there, but not strong.
2 cups rolled oats
3 ripe bananas mashed
1/3 cup applesauce
1/4 cup almond milk
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips (raisins can be substituted)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Stir all ingredients together and drop by spoonful onto baking sheet. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven 15 – 20 minutes.
Lynn,
Thank you SO much for including this recipe. I was just thinking I would love to find a banana/chocolate cookie recipe that worked and lo and behold, yours turned up! Will give it a whirl; it looks delicious.
Thanks again.
Proud of you! We are trying to be better in our eating but it is going to be difficult with so many activities this week. I am helping receive and pack boxes to be shipped out to Charlotte for Operation Christmas Child. We are a collection point this year. I will be doing this daily all week except possibly Wednesday when Jim has a medical appointment. We work 10-1 and 6-8. It is very rewarding thinking of the children who will receive these shoeboxes. Interested in your recipes. Glad you can have almond milk so you can have cereal and your oatmeal.
Ann,
You are one of the busiest people I know, always doing for others. You are definitely an inspiration to me and I know, to everyone else around you.
We have participated in Operation Christmas Child several times and have been so blessed to be able to do it. What a great program!
Hi Becky – Congratulations on your persistence with trying new recipes and new foods! I’m so impressed with the variety of things you’ve experimented with. Yay, you!
This is a great time of year for spaghetti squash, which is remarkably versatile as a pasta substitute. Cut the squash in half, scoop out the seeds, brush lightly with olive oils, and bake, cut side down, on a baking sheet at 375 till the squash is soft when you poke it with a fork. (About 20 minutes). When done, let it cool a bit, then loosen the insides with a fork and put into a bowl. Depending on my mood, have tossed mine with:
Tomato sauce
Browned ground turkey and mushrooms
Pesto
Alfredo (when I still ate dairy)
You get the idea… all yummy!
Another fun squash is Butternut squash. I like to cut it into chunks, toss with olive oil, and bake at 375 till soft. Sometimes I add carrots and onions to the baking pan as well, and once added some chopped apple. Bake till all are soft. Remove from oven, put into a large pot. Add vegetable (or chicken) broth, salt, pepper, thyme, oregano, and cook till vegetables are mushy, then, I get out my immersive blender and cream all ingredients in in the pot. You can add some coconut milk if you like your soups creamy.
While the soup is simmering, cook some turkey bacon ( I do it in a frying pan on the stovetop, but you could also cook it in the oven.)
Crumble the turkey bacon on top of the soup, and serve with a side salad.
I promise that this all gets easier. And congratulations for your weight loss – an awesome side benefit of healthier eating!
Tobi,
Wow–fabulous ideas and recipes!
There is one squash I tried a year or so ago–I think it was butternut–that was almost impossible to cut. Any good tips for cutting it? Would it help to cook it slightly first in order to soften it a bit?
I love the idea of adding chopped apple to a soup; I love apple in anything.
Thanks again for the ideas. The spaghetti squash sounds like it will be especially fun!
Becky, please reach out to Kyla via her BLOG! She’s a genius at this and can recommend dishes, substitutions and possibly books. You’re doing great. Why not take weekly pics of yourself in the same outfit in the same place and pose to track your progress. I know this is not really about weight loss, I’d you can see the change in the mirror it may be the kick in the pants (LOL) you need to keep chugging along!
Jodi
Jodi,
Taking pictures is a great idea; I wish I’d started it a few weeks ago since I have already reached a point where I can wear several pair of pants I couldn’t wear a month ago. Always a good feeling.
I’ve been checking out Kyla’s blog. Lots of good stuff there!
Becky, first off, so proud of you for chugging along with this new Way Of Eating. I’ve seen many folks, including me, who have adopted a plant-based approach, steer away from the D word (diet – as dieting is often painful and temporary).
As for the feeling of food “hanging out” in your body, weighing you down, that is less likely when you eat foods high in fiber. Animal foods, meat and dairy, have NO fiber. When you increase plants and grains, limit meats, and omit dairy, that helps things moooove right along, if you know what I mean! When I feel overstuffed, I give it about 1/2 hour, and it subsides rather quickly! Of course this helps with inflammation, because nothing sits and festers inside. Our bodies are designed to take what is needed, and move things on through. Meat and dairy tend to sit in our systems.
I’ve written before about how my husband, 4 kids, and now 2 grandkids and a son-in-law, are plant-based. A decade ago, when my husband made a major switch away from the Standard American Diet we had eaten for over 4 decades since our births, I was several hundred miles away with my mom, who at 70, suffered a massive stroke. My mom sadly followed the path of her own mother. Both my mom and grandma died in their early 70’s. They had never been overweight, fairly healthy on the outside, but their inside vascular systems were not strong. My current doctor recommends I stay with a plant-based diet (which she discovered and chose in her late 50’s!) to give me better odds at living a longer, healthier life. I am currently 54.
Like you, I was a solid cook. The kitchen was where I was at my best. I loved to cook for others. It took a long time for me to adjust, and I totally felt like that kindergartener. It took a while, but now I feel like when I cook and make good food, it is TRULY GOOD – healthy and nourishing to the body! And, it tastes good too! It took a while to get to, but I am now proud of the amazing dishes and flavors I can put together!
Like others have said, cook the familiar, adapting old recipes and dishes. And keep it simple! I’m going to try that Italian Bean Soup!
I’m not gluten free, but don’t do a lot of processed grains. Several quick dishes:
Hash brown potatoes (get frozen diced or shredded). Toss in corn, beans, salsa, tomatoes, or whatever! About 20 minutes if using cans and frozen stuff. Put in on a bed of greens, or toss in some frozen spinach (I add chopped frozen kale or spinach to all sorts of stuff!)
Stir fry: rice, tofu or white beans (instead of chicken), frozen or chopped veggies, and store bought teryaki sauce of some sort. I like San-J sauces that omit oils. You can find this in stores, or I mentioned Vitacost before. Great place to find healthy products, and it is easy to check labels.
All the best, Becky! Love following this, and learning from the comments too! Prayers for Grayson and family continue.
Ann,
I so appreciate your encouragement and hard-won wisdom as you have moved from kindergartener status to graduate status on this journey!
I was so excited to see your ideas for hash brown potatoes; I just bought a bag of them because I love potatoes but I wasn’t sure what I was going to do with them. (I used to saute them with turkey kielbasa, which we loved.) I never would have thought of adding corn, beans, tomatoes. I am very excited about doing that recipe this week!
I had another friend mention Vitacost to me this week; she said she gets shipments so often her little daughter calls the delivery truck the Vitacost truck. 🙂 Am perusing their website for ideas.
Again, thanks for chiming in on all of this and letting me know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Your point about still loving to cook for family and friends but knowing you are giving them GOOD food was very insightful.
Have you tried cauliflower crust for pizza? It’s pretty good, and I know you can order from amazon. If your grocery store doesn’t carry any you could check when you go to a bigger city. Also, cauliflower rice is good. We cook in a pan on the stove and let it get a little brown. Use it for a stir fry. I can’t remember the name of the gluten free “soy” sauce but I know there is one. Costco has quite a few gluten free options including a delish cauliflower crust pizza. Maybe you could scrape off most of the cheese? Did you check for a gluten free Facebook group? If there is one you probably could get some good ideas there. I found some good gluten free soups in a can when we were feeding the grands gluten free. The brand might have been Amy’s. There are options out there. Good luck!
Elaine,
No, I haven’t tried cauliflower crusts yet but someone at church mentioned it as being a great alternative. I need to check our bigger grocery store for those.
I have heard of the Amy’s brand and have been meaning to try out some of the food in that line.
Browning the cauliflower rice first is a good idea; seems like it would make it more appealing to eat. I did try some frozen cauliflower rice where it was in a steamable bag. Didn’t like that real well so browning it may make the difference. Thanks for the good tips!
Have you tried unsweetened vanilla almond milk? It is so good on cereal.
There is a Paleo pancake mix (just measure and add water) which contains almonds, coconut, cassava, eggs and monk fruit.
We tried them yesterday and thought they were great. They are called BIRCH BENDERS.
When you go to the city, are there large grocery stores that have a section with items that will fit your diet? Or what about health food stores? Or what about Amazon—they have everything. I imagine the local stores just carry traditional things and not specialty items.
Good luck!
Judy,
Actually that is exactly the milk we have! I accidentally bought sweetened first which tasted really good but was way too high in sugar. I was hoping that the unsweetened wouldn’t taste bad by comparison but we both like it really well!
A Paleo pancake mix would be great since I absolutely LOVE pancakes.
As far as finding the products, a couple of readers have mentioned the Vitacost website which I am going to try for some items. And as you said, Amazon carries just about everything!
Wait! I’ve re-read your whole post and this just occurred to me: it seems like you’re trying to make “all new” recipes instead of de-glutenizing and de-dairying your existing recipes. Adapting familiar, comfortable recipes is easier on your body (and your brain) than eating “all new everything.”
🙂
When we did the Whole30, we ate a LOT of baked chicken breasts with lots of varied seasonings, with whatever vegetable(s) we had on-hand. And eggs – boiled, scrambled, baked in muffin cups, poached… Turkey bacon isn’t half-bad, either. 🙂
Stefanie,
Yes, I have been trying a lot of new recipes. I hadn’t really thought of de-glutenizing and de-dairying anything because I guess I felt like that was more complicated than starting from scratch! But that does get me started on a new thought process of things I could try. Thanks for that!
Yeah, chicken breasts are great; they can be flavored so many ways and used in a lot of dishes and recipes. We are definitely learning hard on those.
Will have to give turkey bacon a try, too. And yep, eggs are my go to when I need a simple meal. I usually cook two eggs and have them with one piece of gluten free toast. Comfort food for me since my mom used to serve us poached eggs when we didn’t feel well.
Hi Becky,
How about cracking open the slow cooker (crock in US speak?). I wanted to reduce the amount of prep (busy family) and reduce our reliance on the go-to-pasta plus cut down on our meat intake. I found the following website, where I open a gallon bag, chop ‘stuff’ into it and chuck it in the freezer. Thaw ’em overnight, throw in the slow cooker (switch on – sometimes a challenge!), add some veg and dinner is done – I rarely make the sides, sometimes add a baked potato. There are some fantastic veggie meals in there. Sometimes I need to thicken (a quick poke will tell you) at the end prior to serving (cornflour, no gluten) and I always have leftovers to re-freeze for another day.
Just wondered if during this time of adaption and change, it might be nice to have a couple of nights a week where the stress of the kitchen and planning is completely removed. They are healthy, simple, low # of ingredients and completely unprocessed…some of them might fit your new style. We particularly love the black bean chilli and the sweet potato curry (both made mild).
best wishes, and keep swimming.
Wendy
Wendy,
Yes, I LOVE my crock pot; just hadn’t thought of it much in relation to this new way of eating. Thanks for the idea to incorporate it more and thanks for the great website with the recipes
You are so right about needing a break from the nightly stress of “What am I going to cook?” The black bean chili looks great!
That salmon looks delicious!
As for the bread – I just don’t eat it anymore (unless I’m in Europe). I sometimes miss it, but not enough to eat the gluten-free breads available. I know what bread does to me, so it’s easy (for me) to say no.
OK – pizza. BECKY!!! There are a LOT of places that offer gluten-free crusts, including Pizza Hut, Papa John’s, and Dominos! I treat myself about once a month to a frozen gluten-free pizza from the grocery store, and I love it. Freschetta makes a great one, and I’ve found that I really like it more than regular crust. Udi’s has frozen gluten-free pizza crusts that are also really good.
Navigating a gluten-free world is a challenge, sometimes, and eating out is frequently frustrating – but I had a burger at Steak-n-Shake on Sunday (no bun) and it was fine. Word of advice: do not order a grilled chicken sandwich from Chick-fil-a on the gluten-free bun because that bun is just not worth the extra $$ they charge for it. Get the Cobb salad instead. 🙂
Stefani,
I didn’t know Pizza Hut had gluten free crusts! Also, didn’t know Freschetta makes them; will definitely pick up one for a treat night. It’s a lot easier not to feel deprived when some old food (or versions thereof) can be taken along on the new journey.
Thanks for the advice on the Chick-fil-a sandwich. I love their Cobb salad!
That salmon does look great. My husband used to grill it with a mustard sauce and that was so good. I love mangos and they are hard to pick. I like them softer but if too soft they are hard to cut. Check a kitchen supply store for a mango cutter. They work really good if the mango isn’t too soft. I put some mango in the blender with just enough pineapple juice to get it to blend, then froze it in our ice cream maker. Really good mango sorbet. My epic fail was some black bean brownies. They smelled great, the dough tasted great, but the cooked brownies were one of my few things to throw away. Your mexican lasagna looked good, too bad it didn’t taste good. I do love the oatmeal cookies, but I just mix them by hand. I make them often and love the chewy, nuttyness of them.
Patti,
Yeah, that Mexican lasagna was pretty strange! I think I may have gotten the spice ratios off somewhere.
I agree that mixing cookies by hand makes more sense than trying to put them in a blender. That was SUCH a big mess!