Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Hi everyone!


I have not posted in rather a long time – I have, ironically enough, been cooking at home almost exclusively this spring, and really don’t eat out much at all.

I began following the Atkin’s Low Carb way of eating on January 4th, and have so far lost 42.4 pounds. Also, I have discovered that I react very badly to wheat products, as well as some sugar alcohols. I decided to experiment with sugar free cookies this last weekend, and, while one or two are very tasty, I have found that the indigestion caused is really not worth it, and I will be passing the cookies on to my parents. Due to two Sunday dinners in a row being Chinese buffet (high sodium) and the subsequent indigestion, my weight has been fluctuating over a 7 lb range (up one day, down another, up again, down again, etc..) for the last several weeks, so I have been unable to record an official weight. I know that I have lost more inches – I have uncrated most of the size 20 clothes, and the jeans, while a bit tight for comfort just yet, can be buttoned and zipped. So, soon I will reach my current goal of 250 lbs – the weight limit of most commercial ladders and amusement park rides – then my next goal will be to wear the size 20 clothes. Little steps, bit by bit, pound by pound, is what will lead me to my weight loss goal.

One of my more recent experiments has been in the homemade ice-pop realm. It’s been a very warm summer here in Alabama, and so I have been sampling various kinds of low carb frozen treats, and have found that they are far to easy to eat too many – my willpower is sadly non-existent when it comes to ice cream. So, in the interests of saving myself, I purchased an ice-pop frame at Walmart for $3. My first experiment, frozen yogurt pops, came out very tart. Not at all what I had in mind. Next experiment will be lemon popsicles, made with lemon sugar free jello – there are several interesting recipes on the internet for this type of ice pop, so I will be experimenting this afternoon after work.

I have finally had success with stopping the drain pan leak on my refrigerator – I finally resorted to elevating it with 2 2x2 wood rails, and was thus able to easily place a catch tray for the water under the fridge. The kitchen floor has been dry for two days now, and this is a great improvement! I fear that the sporadic nature of the leak has probably water damaged the base of the cabinet near the fridge – the paint is bubbled. I will evaluate the possible damage once it has dried completely.

I purchased an Aerogarden 7 two weeks ago. I planted it last Thursday, May 10th, with a mesclun lettuce mix, and I now have some very attractive seedlings – a few are on the verge of producing a second set of leaves already. I am looking into purchasing a second Aerogarden off of ebay with the idea of growing herbs – we shall see if I manage to win one within my price range.

I have also done research into the necessary materials for constructing a raised-bed garden plot in the back yard – it is currently wasted space which I mow – I can’t just dig up a plot due to the neighbor’s lawn service people who were nice enough to utterly destroy the fig tree I planted last year – so I am looking at a raised cinder-block vegetable plot. Cinder blocks are $1.38 at Lowe’s, and with 16 of them, I can create a 4x4 garden plot with an additional 32 individual holes for herbs or strawberry plants. It will cost me about $40 for the cinder blocks and topsoil fill dirt, with another $20 for soil enrichment and plants. So, for around $60, I can build a cute little garden plot. I am planning to pick up some of the cinder blocks today – I only have an Altima, so I need to figure out how many can be safely transported without damaging my car. I have the next 5 days off, so I should be able to have it constructed and planted by next week. Since I have much better water pressure than my parents, keeping the plot watered should not be difficult – I just need to decide if I want to try seeping hoses or a sprinkler system. Choices choices choices.