Everything is A-OK

Today was a good day. It wasn’t outstanding, just nice and normal. My weight is holding steady. I didn’t really think “I’m on a diet today,” I just ate my food and went on my way.

I do have Thanksgiving on the brain. I’ve decided I’m cooking turkey this year and will have my mom and sister visit. They need to see the canary and puppy we’ve added since June, their last visit. I love this time of year for food magazines. The holidays are like the Super Bowl, with all of the publications pulling out the stops for The Best Holiday Ever! As I read them during lunch, I pretend I’m going to make all these delicacies. They don’t call it food porn for nothing.

We used to celebrate my husband’s birthday on Thanksgiving, because his birthday falls on or near it. I would make his favorite, beef Wellington, which is not difficult to make, but just takes all day to do it. But since my husband is not at home anymore, and can’t eat by mouth anyway, I’m making turkey.

The last time I made turkey, I brined it for a few days but seriously undercooked it. This year I’m getting a meat thermometer to ensure it’s done right. Turkey is a great WLS-friendly meat. My mom’s not a big eater and my sister’s on Weight Watchers, so I can take it easy on the sides and everyone can enjoy the feast. And we’ll have turkey for days.

I may experiment with some sugar-free dishes. I already make a great sugar-free cranberry sauce. I buy a bag of fresh cranberries, wash them, then put them in water and let them boil until they pop and the water thickens. Then I stir in 1 cup of bulk Splenda (not the packets). You can add more if you like it sweeter. Stevia probably would work well, but I haven’t tried it. I’ve added mandarin oranges to the mix occasionally. My next experiment will be sugar-free pumpkin pie, with a crust made of almond flour. The recipe on the can uses only 1/2 cup of sugar, so that should be easy to replace.

This year I’m excited about cooking again, which I don’t do much because it’s just me and my daughter. I’m also excited to have people visit, and it gives the daughter and me a real excuse to clean up!

See you tomorrow.