Sunday, 10/17/10:

WEIGHT before eating today:  156.0

Daily Calorie Goal:  1200 or less 
Total calories eaten today:  Over 2000.  (An educated guess.  Didn't write anything down again today.)

Another day of cleaning for me.  The hubby went duck hunting in the morning, and then to the cabin with a buddy in the afternoon to take our dock out of the lake.  (Thanks, honey!)  I spent the day hanging out with the girls and trying to do cleaning projects here and there.  I wasn't as motivated or as energized today as I was yesterday, and that definitely affected my productivity.  I was dragging and bleary-eyed with exhaustion by 9:00 p.m.  I could probably have managed a treadmill workout today, or some crunches, but I didn't.  


The day ended on a good note, however, with a home-cooked meal of roast duck, boiled potatoes from our old garden, fresh acorn squash, and stuffing.  I washed it all down with a glass of Sangria, yum!  A huge meal, but mostly high-protein and healthy veggies.  Baby even likes duck!  (It's a good thing, because Daddy's been bringing lots home!)

I baked small pieces of duck with a little water and a lot of butter, in a covered baking dish.  It turned out great!

I love acorn squash with butter and brown sugar.  YUM!

My favorite brand of Sangria, from my Hacienda del Sol waitressing days.  Fiesta!!!

I'm getting ready to start making more home-cooked meals, with summer over and hunting season upon us now.  I love cooking and baking in the fall and winter.  We eat a lot of crock-pot roasts and stews, as well as homemade chili and Grandma Plank's fabulous potato-ham soup.  My hubby came home from a rummage sale a few days ago with a stack of old cookbooks, which will hopefully motivate me to try some homemade bread recipes soon.  I love eating homemade bread, but since almost all bread is a dreaded-hated-revolting CARB, I have avoided going there.  This winter, however, I just might go there, for the fun of baking it.

A recipe too good not to share:
Florence Plank's Homemade Potato-Ham Soup

Ingredients:
3-4 slices, 1/4-inch thick each, of sliced honey-ham (from your deli)
6-8 medium potatoes, cubed
1 medium sweet onion, chopped
2 cups diced carrots (I use mini-carrots)
4 stalks chopped celery
9 cups water
5 rounded teaspoons chicken bouillon granules
1 can (8 oz.) Vitamin D evaporated milk
1 stick real butter
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
dash pepper
dash dried parsley

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Place ham and veggies in a 5-quart dutch oven-sized pot.  Add the water, chicken bouillon, salt, and pepper.  Bring to a boil and then cover, boiling on medium until all veggies are soft (about 25-35 minutes).  Add stick of butter, evaporated milk, and parsley.  Serve (with crescent rolls or baking powder biscuits!) as soon as butter is melted.  ENJOY!!!

Any soup that contains an entire stick of butter has to be amazing, right???