Part A: food

So I wandered around the library again and checked out 6 books; four of them were on food and cooking. So I made chili. I made this recipe because it has cocoa as an ingredient and I thought that was interesting. I read the recipe, jumped up from the sofa and went into the kitchen to cook. I had all the ingredients in the pantry. I rarely make chili the same way twice. I vary up the beans, or meat, and who ever heard of measuring spices!

• Meat, one pound ground beef, browned in a skillet
• One onion, chopped, sauté in large skillet with some oil
• Add 3 cloves garlic, minced, along with the following
• 2 Tablespoons chili powder
• 1 Tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 ½ teaspoon allspice
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon and stir for about 30 seconds
• Now add 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes with the juice
• 2 cups pinto beans, drained
• 2 ½ cups broth
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1 Tablespoon cocoa powder

Cover the pot, simmer over low heat for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally.  This is adapted from the book Easy Soups from Scratch with Quick Breads to Match by Ivy Manning (2017).

This freezes well and we also served this for our Super Bowl Junk Food Meal as a dip for tortilla chips. There it is in the bowl in the middle. We also made two kind of wings, a yogurt dip and veggie sticks.

Part B: thoughts on Weight Loss Journey Month One

I made a lot of changes to my routine in January. So the 2 pounds lost cannot be attributed to just one factor. I’m hoping month two will keep the momentum going. At times I had lost 2 ½ pounds but one cannot trust the ½ pound. It was not consistent.

Two pounds in a month’s time seems like paltry results to me. It is not enough to be a natural motivator. If it had been five…maybe. February adds the addition of more mental effort to keep going. I must remind myself it is not just weight loss but health I seek. Here are the things added/deleted last month that are all factors in the two pound loss:

• Circuit training twice a week: 20-30 minutes
• One vegetarian/vegan main dish for dinner each week
• 45-60 minute hikes each weekend outdoors with Hubby
• Counting calories daily
• Taking an Apple Cider Vinegar capsule and a Turmeric capsule daily
• Weighing self-several times per week, if not daily
• Dry January eliminating all alcohol

Going forward into February what might change? Depending on the weather hikes may not always be feasible. I will add back a drink or two occasionally. I’m not ready to give up yet, but would like not to feel so restricted in what I plan for meals and snacks. Baking seems entirely out of the question. There is a birthday in February. though; I might bake a cake!

May blessings to all of you.