Tangy Sirloin

I made this for supper tonight, and it was pretty darn tasty! I would definitely make this again. The steak marinated all day, and I grilled it up, along with grilled sweet potatoes, fresh green beans and cole slaw. I found the recipe in Taste of Home Backyard Grilling Recipes and Tips to Grill Like a Pro. However, I made a few changes (adding more garlic, using less honey and oil, and doubling the marinade.) The nutritional information if off just a bit due to the marinade ingredients.

Enjoy!

Tangy Sirloin

* Exported from MasterCook *

Serving Size 4

2 Tablespoons olive oil
4 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
4 cloves garlic -- minced
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 pound sirloin steak, trimmed
1/3 cup barbecue sauce
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup honey
1 Tablespoon molasses

In a large Ziploc bag, combine the first 6 ingredients. Cut the steak into 4 pieces, add to the marinade. Seal bag and turn to coat. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours, or overnight.

Drain and discard marinade.

Grill steak, covered, over medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes, turning occasionally, until meat reaches desired doneness. (145* for medium-rare, 160* for medium, 170* for well-done.)

Combine the last 4 ingredients. Brush over steak. Grill until glaze is heated.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 407 Calories; 23g Fat (50.0% calories from fat); 22g Protein; 29g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 71mg Cholesterol; 719mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 3 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 2 1/2 Fat; 2 Other Carbohydrates.

NOTES : Adapted from "Tangy Sirloin Strips" (p. 121) Taste of Home Backyard Grilling Recipes and Tips to Grill Like a Pro

Drinking Water part 2

I am still working on drinking water! I have a filled insulated cup that I have out all the time. When I walk by it, I stop and have a sip. So far it's working well...when I remember to have it filled! During the weekend I didn't have it filled and ready. And I didn't drink very much water!

My cup that I'm using is one the I got from the hospital. It's only 19 ounces, but 19 ounces is better than nothing! I have this weird thing about drinking from plastic cups, though. Water takes on a plasticy taste. I don't know if I can really taste the plastic, or if it's just one of those mental things that I think the water tastes plasticy. It doesn't matter what kind of plastic cup it is...a kids cup, a restaurant cup, a canteen, an insulated cup...if it's plastic, it tastes funny to me. To combat this weirdness, I use True Lemon or True Lime to help combat the plastic flavor. And it works!

Here's a little about True Lemon and True Lime: It is crystallized lemon or lime flavor. You can use it for cooking, baking and seasoning. There are 0 calories, 0 sugars, 0 carbs and 0 sodium. Both flavors come in individual packs...kind of like Splenda or Equal individual packets. I always carry some of them in my purse. I usually find these in the drink isle of the grocery store near the Crystal Light. They are about $2.99 for a package of 32. The flavors also come in a shaker that I find in the spice isle of the grocery store. The shaker is about $3.00 for 2.85 ounces...which equals 20 limes (according to the package.) I usually use the shaker for water I drink at home...just a few shakes in my plastic cup and I have a nice lemon or lime flavor...and it doesn't taste like plastic! Some of you may wonder why I just don't use a real lemon or lime to flavor my water. Well, I do sometimes! But more often than not, I cut up a lemon or lime and then all of the small pieces I don't use end up at the back of the refrigerator growing mold. Also, I find that if I leave the real lemon or lime in a glass of water for more than 1 hour, I get a bitter citrus flavor. Strange, I know.

I just checked out the True Lemon website and it's awesome! They have a printable coupon, recipes, free samples. You can even order True Lemon/Lime! (I found it more expensive than what I buy in the store, but still! If you want to shop from home in your pajamas, you can!) http://www.truelemon.com/

All you wanted to know...and more...about how weird I am! :)

Pouch Rules and Water

I think one of my biggest downfalls since having surgery is drinking water. I am not drinking as much water as I was before the surgery. Because of the pouch rules, I am not supposed to drink with meals. The idea behind that is the liquid will wash the food out of the pouch and I won't feel full, which defeats the purpose of the lap band.

I used to drink at least 1-2 big glasses of water with each meal and several big glasses through the day. So far, this pouch rule has been the hardest to follow. I miss drinking with my meals! Sometimes I get thirsty when drinking and just want a sip...but I know a sip will lead me down a slippery slope.

Since I don't drink with meals, I am finding that I forget about drinking in between meals. My goal for today is to drink more! It's hot and I should be drinking lots more than I am! I need to be kind to my kidneys. So today, I'm filling up a cup with ice water and I'm leaving it out so I can drink throughout the day. I'm using the cup the hospital gave me...it's only 19 ounces and I'm aiming for drinking 3 of them today.

I'll let you know how it goes! :)

Greek Couscous Salad

Greek Couscous Salad

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups couscous
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
5 medium black olives, finely chopped
2 medium tomato, chopped
1 medium cucumber, chopped
1/2 medium zucchini squash, chopped
1 cup feta cheese, crumbled
2 Tablespoons Greek Spice Mix (found at Penzey's)
2 Tablespoons water
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1 bunch spinach leaves, torn

Directions

1. In a large saucepan, bring the chicken broth to a boil. Add the couscous (I like to use whole wheat couscous bought at the health food store.) Bring back to a boil, remove from heat and cover. Let sit for 5 or so minutes, until all broth is absorbed. Fluff with a fork. You can also use prepackaged couscous, just follow the package directions and make the entire box. After the couscous has cooked, cool to room temp.

2. Chop the tomato, cucumbers and zucchini. You can use halved cherry tomatoes instead of chopped tomatoes if you'd like.

3. In a small bowl, mix the Greek Spice Mix, sugar and the water together. Let sit for 5 minutes. Whisk in the olive oil and red wine vinegar. Let the dressing sit for about 5 minutes.

4. In a large bowl, mix the cooled couscous, feta cheese and the chopped vegetables. Rewhisk the dressing and pour over the couscous mixture. Chill.

5. Tear the spinach leaves into bite sized pieces and place on a plate. Serve the couscous salad on top of the spinach leaves.

Notes

Servings: 10
Notes: I use whole wheat couscous and fat free feta cheese (you can buy it at Sam's Club.) The nutritional information is not accounting for the whole wheat couscous or the fat free feta cheese. So there is a little more fiber and a little less fat when you use these ingredients. You can find Penzey's Greek Spice Mix here (http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/p-penzeysgreekseas.html )If I don't have the Greek Spice Mix from Penzey's, I use Ken's Steak House Lite Northern Italian with Basil and Romano. I know it's not Greek, but it works well. Any bottled Greek dressing would work well. You can add more or less vegetables according to your tastes. The spinach is optional...if you don't like it, don't use it!

Nutritional Information (from MasterCook 9)
Calories: 191
Total fat: 9 grams
Sodium: 307 mg
Total Carbohydrate: 21 g
Dietary Fiber: 2 g
Protein: 6 g

Food Exchanges:
Starch/Bread: 1
Lean Meat: 1/2
Vegetable: 1/2
Fat: 1-1/2

I Tried the Gum Today

Tonight I chewed gum while making supper. I am not a frequent gum chewer, so this was kind of a big deal. I went out and actually bought gum! (A hint to all of you non gum chewers...tropical fruit Trident doesn't really taste like tropical fruit.) Anyways, it worked! I didn't snack while I was cooking! However, I did notice the sauce I made for the fish needed a little salt. That was easily remedied by using the salt shaker on the cooked fish. I will try it again! But I may need to buy a different flavor of gum.

I made a fabulous Greek inspired couscous salad to go with the fish that needed a little salt. I'll post the recipe tomorrow.

For those of you who did not read the comments section on yesterday's post...my niece saw the pictures and wondered if I had been arrested! I guess my pictures do look like mug shots! :) Thanks for the laugh!

The Dietitian Called Today

The Dietitian, Jennifer, called me today. She asked me if I was having any problems adjusting to real food, rather than the liquid, pureed and soft foods that I had been eating. I am not having any problems. At first, I did eat a few things too fast and I did try and eat just one more bite...and it hurt when I did that. It felt like what I would imagine a heart attack feeling like...a burning, sharp pain in the center of my chest. But I've learned since then. I have to slow down to eat and I have to stop when I feel full and I can't cram in just one more bite. It's hard changing habits.

Speaking of habits, I was making salads for supper tonight for the boys and I found myself snacking while I was chopping the ingredients. Before the surgery, I would often eat a meal before actually sitting down to eat the meal! I would snack on whatever I cut up and would taste what I was cooking...sometimes tasting quite often! I didn't realize I was snacking until after I was done with the salads...and I was full. I had a few pieces of cheese, a few shrimps, some ham, a few slices of cucumber and even a piece of lettuce. Why??? I wasn't even aware of the snacking I was doing. Tomorrow night while I'm cooking supper, I am going to chew some gum to see if that stops the snacking while cooking.

The Decision to Have Surgery

In February 2009, I had parent-teacher conferences. One of the parents told me that she was going to have a lap-band procedure done. I spent the next few weeks thinking about this. The parent was a similar size to me and she had yo-yo'd with her weight...just like me.

A few weeks later, I was at the doctor office for an ear infection and I decided to ask her about having a lap band done. I almost chickened out, but at end of the appointment, I blurted out, "I want a lap band done." She talked to me about the severity of it...it's surgery, it's not a quick fix, etc. And then she entered the information in the computer for a referral! After waiting for 10 days (or so,) I received the referral in the mail and my insurance approved it!

I spent the next few weeks gathering information for my file. I had to have my previous medical records, all of my surgical reports, a mental health exam, attend a support group and information meeting and have lab work sent to Innovative Weight Loss Solutions before I could even make an appointment with the doctor. Finally, I was able to make an appointment!

On 16 April, I went for my all day appointment at Geary County Hospital. I had to meet with Pam and Rhonda at the Innovative Weight Loss Solutions office. Then I met with Jennifer, the dietitian. I also had to do lab work, have an ultrasound of my gall bladder, and EKG, breathing tests, and an upper GI series with X-Ray (I hope I NEVER have to drink the chalky yuck again!) Finally, I met Dr. Hachem and then I made my appointment for my Lap Band surgery. It was scheduled for 19 May 2009!

After eating jello, broth and protein shakes for 2 weeks, I had my surgery! I arrived at the hospital at 10:00 am and left the next day around noon. The roughest part of the surgery was having the IV started! I have tough veins (they are deep and like to roll,) and it was even tougher since I hadn't had anything to eat or drink since the day before! The other tough thing was I was so thirsty after the surgery. I was able to sip a Tablespoon of water in an hour time frame. After I was released from the hospital, I stayed home from work for the next few days and rested. And ate jello. I never want to eat jello again!

I am now one month out from the surgery. I feel great! I've lost 30 pounds so far! :) In 2 weeks, I'll get my first fill and I'm looking forward to it. While I am eating less (and exercising more,) I don't feel much restriction right now. My 5 incisions have healed well. I am very excited for this next chapter in my life!