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[goblyn]

Maple sugar is easy enough to come by in the grocery stores here!  I MUST make this for Thanksgiving or similar holiday feast! 

I MUST not make it and keep it at home and eat it directly from the jar, because that is TOTALLY what I think will happen...  :lol:

[toadkid]

To make:  According to my friend, pour whipping cream (she used 2 cups in a 4 cup mason jar, but this makes a ton) into a securely lidded glass jar, like a mason jar. Add some granulated pure maple sugar (available around here from the syrup producers, but maybe available commercially, too).  Shake for 5-10 minutes, until thick and puddingy.  Done!!  About the texture of Greek yogurt or sour cream, doesn't mound like usual whipped cream. 

Wow, this sounds amazing. I must not try to make this, though. I would eat all of it.

[shovelqueen]

Maple sugar is easy enough to come by in the grocery stores here!  I MUST make this for Thanksgiving or similar holiday feast! 

I MUST not make it and keep it at home and eat it directly from the jar, because that is TOTALLY what I think will happen...  :lol:

That's basically what I did, but in very small, controlled quantities.  It was WAY too good to throw out the dregs - i had the last couple of tablespoons this morning as breakfast.  Now it's gone - WHEW!!

It's awesome over pumpkin pie. 

[goblyn]

I think it would make a delicious topping to warm gingerbread...

[shovelqueen]

I think it would make a delicious topping to warm gingerbread...

You are making me salivate!! :lol:

Did my first P10 workout last night.  Only 3 exercises, but enough for the first night.  I still need to figure out a routine, the right weights to failure in 6-8 reps, etc.  But a good start.  Also 5 mins on the treadmill - bad Shovelqueen!!  Couldn't resist trying out the Achilles - it's still there.... :?

Having definite "backed-up" problems.  I attribute it to the fact of having whipped cream for breakfast the last couple of days.  I'm back to my Ezekial bread toast and peanut butter - lots of good fibre.  May even eat a few dried prunes this evening if needed. Once that backlog is cleared, I'm expecting a new low for recent weight.

[shovelqueen]

Last Friday, I hit a low of 149.0 lbs.  Today, Friday, I'm back at 149 lbs, having risen to only 151 after the weekend, and after spending most of the week "backed up".  I've stabilized after last week's plunge, so that's just fine with me.  I'm sure I'll continue the downward trend again soon, as SLD oilshots are taken faithfully every afternoon, and my intake is generally about 1100-1300 cals/d. 

Lobster dinner tomorrow night to celebrate both son's birthdays together.  Yum!!

[shovelqueen]

New (this go around) low this morning of 148.  Back-up issues have resolved, intake remains about 1150-1300 cals/day, still using ELOO/WC shots every afternoon.  I did a home workout last night, consisting of about 15 minutes hooping, then pulled out the T-Tapp Basic Workout instructional DVD and did it once through.  I'd forgotten how challenging those workouts are, despite how deceptively simple they look.  I was hot!  I also did the plank and side plank,  a simplified version on my knees for now, until I can get my time up.  With the P10 workouts, T-Tapp, hooping and some Primal bodyweight stuff, I hope to make a difference in my strength levels. 

I'm still practicing positive affirmations every day, and I swear they are a big part of my current success and my very motivated mindset. 

Older DS is driving home from university today for a joint birthday celebration, as both boys were born in Nov.  Just got back from the supermarket, where I dropped BIG bucks for 4 lovely lobsters.  Supper is going to be GOOOOOOD!!

[shovelqueen]

The lobster was awesome!!!  With breakfast at the market and a lobster feast, dipped in melted garlic butter, and a wee wedge of apple pie, I still finished the day at just over 1800 cals.  After dinner, I threw all the lobster bits back into a pot and made lobster stock, tons of it.  I've never had lobster stock to play with before, so I will have to Google recipes using it.  Maybe something with shrimp?  Any ideas?  Where's Falconcy when you need him?

I skipped my oil shot yesterday, knowing I was in for a big meal involving my own little pot of melted butter.  I'll be back to it today. 

I'm still recording everything on livestrong.  Interesting that my diet composition is generally at about 40-50% fat.  Carbs seldom top 100g, protein is always over the way low recommended level of only 37g for my age/ht/wt/sex.  I am absolutely never hungry.  Cals are usually 1100-1300 per day. This is easy!

[goblyn]

Its not exactly healthy, but RISOTTO is soooooo easy to make, and lobster risotto sounds phenomenal...

2 cups of arborio rice (or similar short grain rice)
7 cups of hot stock
1 shallot, minced
olive oil and butter
fresh grated parmesean

Melt the butter and olive oil together in a large sautee pan, sautee the shallots until translucent, add the rice, constantly stirring, until it starts to turn color and smell nutty.

Then add the hot stock, one cup at a time, stirring well between additions.  Stir the rice until it has absorbed all the stock, then add the next batch.

Once you've gotten all the stock in the rice, add the parmesean and salt and pepper if necessary. 

You can also fancy it up even more by using dry white wine or vermouth in place of half a cup of the first additon of stock.

Once you've got the risotto all made, you can add some veggies and chopped up meat to it, or just eat it as is.  MMMMMMMMMmmmmmm!

Its one of my all time favorite comfort foods, tonight I'm actually planning on makine a pea risotto, using a pea puree for probably half of the stock.  I'm running a little low on groceries and I have all the necessary ingredients, and its very cheap to make, so I'm game!

[shovelqueen]

That sounds great, Goblyn!  I've never tried a risotto before, but I have several bags of shrimp that I could throw in at the end for meat content and then serve with a salad.  If the shrimp are raw, would you add them with the last stock and let them cook the last few minutes?  How much time should I give to the whole process, do you think?

[goblyn]

I would cook the shrimp in the stock (it will add that extra layer of flavor to the entire dish), remove them, and then add them again at the end of the cooking process.

The one problem with risotto is the time it takes, its probably a good 30 minutes worth of stirring, stirring, stirring.  Maybe even longer, in all honesty though, when I make a risotto I'm usually doing so with other people around since its an easy enough dish to make that you can hand the spoon over to a friend and tell them to stir while you do something else.

My one big caution with making risotto is that its all about exaggeration of flavors.  Your stock might need to be overly salty in order to properly season the risotto.  However, its easy enough to adjust the seasonings at the end, just don't be shocked if you find it a little on the bland side once its done.

Oh and leftover risotto, shaped into little cakes, rolled in breadcrumbs and then fried in some olive oil make FABULOUS appetizers!  (I think this would be especially true of a lobster and shrimp risotto, very fancy!  :lol:)

[shovelqueen]

The one problem with risotto is the time it takes, its probably a good 30 minutes worth of stirring, stirring, stirring.  Maybe even longer, in all honesty though, when I make a risotto I'm usually doing so with other people around since its an easy enough dish to make that you can hand the spoon over to a friend and tell them to stir while you do something else.

Sounds like the perfect job for my sister-in-law who's coming for dinner.  She's pretty useless in the kitchen, but this would be a great way to get her involved.  Thanks for a great plan - I'll let you know how it works out.

[goblyn]

Do let me know how it turns out.  I made a pea risotto last night, as I was so incredibly in the mood for risotto (hmm...I wonder why?), and I was having issues getting the rice just right.  Part of the problem was that for whatever reason when I was toasting the rice, it started sticking to the pan, which I've never had happen before.  I think it might have been a temperature issue.  At any rate, the rice didn't toast enough, and I am now convinced that the toasting is vitally important as it prepares the rice to absorb liquid properly.  My rice just didn't quite hold up, it took alot more liquid than I thought it would.  But once it was done it was fine, though the rice really was missing the nice nutty flavor it gets, it was just a pain in the butt this time around.

[shovelqueen]

The risotto was great.  The lobster stock had a wonderful aroma and made it special.  I sauteed the shrimp in olive oil, garlic, red pepper flakes and herbs de Provence, then stirred them into the risotto at the end.  My SIL did a wonderful job of keeping the pot stirred while I did the shrimp and otherwise bustled around.  Your recipe was the perfect size, Goblyn.  We ate our fill (my SIL can really eat!! She lives on a fixed income and shrimp is not usually within her budget), and I have one good-sized serving left for a lunch. 

DH drove away today for a 2 day business trip, so that left just younger DS and me, which always means a good feed of liver, as we're the only two that like it, and we both love it!  I found thick cut liver, not the usual thin stuff, and it was a whole different experience - like cutting into the tenderest steak you could imagine.  Delish - and I'm stuffed.  I know, not everyone's cup of tea, but we love the stuff!

Weight has stayed in the 140's despite a wine and munchies pigout on Sunday night (though it really wasn't that much).  So my post-weekend weight pop-up was 2 lbs lower that last weekend's.  That's great news in my books.  It will be gone soon as I had lots of salty stuff Sunday - all water weight.  I'm aiming to be back into the 130's for Christmas - what a gift for me!

[goblyn]

I'm sooo glad the risotto turned out well for you SQ!  Risotto is my favorite "fancy" dish to make as its pretty easy, cheap, and totally impressive.  You know those cartons of vegetable soup you can buy at the store, they are usually found in the organic section and basically are just stock with pureed veggies?  They have like a pea soup and a mushroom one and a corn one, etc?  Well those are the EASIEST way to make a really yummy risotto, just use one carton of that and a few extra cups of stock, and voila!  Instant side!

I love liver too.  However, the only way I've ever had it prepared is so unhealthy (coated in flour and fried with onions in an incredibly generous portion of butter), how do you make it?  I've seen recipes where people do some poaching in wine, but I've never tried it out.  Liver is so cheap (sometimes, it depends, its odd, it seems like when I'm in the store and not in the mood its the cheapest cut of meat, but then when I really want it, its more expensive than steak!), and its an incredibly good source of leaner protein, not to mention the fact that I feel a bit less guilty about eating meat if I'm eating more than just the finest cuts of steak (I hate to think that an entire cow had to go just so I could have a few filet mingons lol).