Baked Banana Oatmeal

I've had a handful of people approach me regarding my weight-loss. "How'd you do it?" "What do you eat?" "Give me everything you have so I can do it too." I have to admit that I'm flattered to be an inspiration to others, but I want to express that I couldn't have been as successful as I have without the love, support, and encouragement of my family, friends, and colleagues. You really don't know how much your kind compliments have affected my ability to work through temptations and make good food/activity choices. In return, I thought this might be a fun way for me to share some of the recipes I have accumulated and/or modified to fit my new lifestyle. Occasionally (especially with the onset of the Holidays) I might post something "naughty." And that's okay, because I allow myself to eat what everyone else is eating. I just make appropriate adjustments to accommodate my choices now. The number in parentheses at the end of the recipe represents the "caloric count" of the weight-loss program I'm currently following. (Get it??)

Today's recipe is one of my staples; I make it almost weekly. It is a fantastic substitute for banana bread, especially when it's warm. =) Enjoy!

Baked Banana Oatmeal

2 c. oats (I use 1 c. quick oats & 1 c. old fashioned--or whatever I have on hand)

1 1/2 t. baking powder

1 t. salt

1 c. skim or 1% milk

1/2 c. unsweetened (or natural) apple sauce

1/2 c. egg substitute (I use Better'N Eggs)

1/4 c. Splenda for Baking (it's less "artificial" tasting than plain Splenda)

1 t. vanilla

1 T. cinnamon

2 ripe bananas, smashed

Combine ingredients in a large mixing bowl. (I do it in the order listed.) Mix with a fork until well combined. Pour into 6-count giant muffin tin (about 1/2 c. each). Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Refrigerate or freeze after cooling.

Yield: 6 muffins (3)

A Touch of Elegance

My grandma Shirley would be proud of me today. I used her Pickard China I received from my mom for Christmas last year for the first time tonight. We had a lot to celebrate, so I figured, why not?

The predominate reason my husband's family and I feasted tonight was in celebration of the marriage between Robert and Diana, my husband's cousins. They were married in California two weeks ago and were home this weekend for a Minnesota reception. On their way back to the Cities, they stopped by for supper. I asked Robbie last night what he wanted to eat, and without hesitation he replied, "turkey." So that's what we had, Thanksgiving in October: turkey breast, mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing, squash, cheesy green beans, fruit salad, pull-apart buns, whole cranberry sauce, relish tray, and, of course, desert... apple crisp pizza and home-made pumpkin pie ((thanks Amy)). YUM!

The other cause for celebration is that my mother-in-law, Deb, finished her last chemotherapy treatment on Thursday. Deb was diagnosed with breast cancer last spring. She had surgery to remove the cancer almost immediately, spent the summer undergoing radiation treatments, and finished this fall with a series of four chemotherapy treatments. And through it all she has chosen to remain positive and solid in her Faith. She is a survivor (in more ways than I can even put into words at this moment); I can't think of a better reason to break out Grandma's China.

Call me crazy, but I believe Grandma Shirley was with me tonight. The turkey turned out perfect, tasty and juicy, the potatoes were "ridiculous" according to my brother-in-law, Blake, and, most importantly, I remained calm throughout the whole evening. The calm is important to emphasize because even though I LOVE (love-love-love) to cook for and entertain my family, I usually end up going into a "high-stress-frantic-Becky" kind of mode and forget to relax and have fun. Grandma was never like that. She also loved to entertain for her friends and family. In day-to-day living, Grandma was gentle, kind, encouraging, fair, silly, creative, supportive, casual, and unruffled. But when she entertained, she was elegant: fine linens, gourmet meals, decadent desserts, and of course, everything was served on her Pickard China. I truly feel like through all of my most elaborate dining endeavors there was just something missing... until tonight. Tonight I felt like she was here with me, guiding my judgement, directing my cooking symphony, but most notably, she was my calm.

Holiday Grapes

Trivial, I know, but the Holiday Red Grapes are hands-down the best grapes I've ever eaten. In fact, they are the ONLY grapes I enjoy eating, and it's probably a good thing I only brought 1 cup of them for lunch today... plump bites of juicy fruit bursting droplets of sweetness -- YUM! The problem is that they're only available close to the holidays -- hence the name. I find myself gorging on them during the fall (especially when they're on sale). And if I'm gorging on anything, it's better that it's grapes, I guess. =)

Another great figure-friendly- food-find is Earth Grains "Thin Buns." They're kind of like a pita but without the pocket. And they're on sale at Hugo's this week, $3 for 8 buns. They go splendidly with chicken salad and English cucumbers. ((Can you tell I'm enjoying my lunch today?))

The Last Lap

Now that I've participated in (and completed) three 5Ks, I've noticed a trend. The first half mile or so is brutal, the middle 2.5 miles are fantastic, and the last .2 is agonizing. I realized at my weigh-in last night that my weight loss journey has been the same. The beginning (learning to make healthy choices and control portion sizes) was grueling, the middle 9 months seemed to be easier (the more I learned the easier it got), but the end, these last 10 pounds, have been the most difficult to lose and, more importantly, keep lost. I wish I had a logical explanation. Three weeks ago I hosted my son's third birthday party on Saturday and lost two pounds by Monday's weigh-in. The next week I was completely "on plan" (as it's called in WW world) and GAINED the two pounds back. This past week I wasn't feeling the best, so I ate sporadically and didn't run at all -- with a 2.8 pound loss. Strange. The bottom line is that I've jogged too far to just give in and walk now. I need to refocus (or as Jillian and Tara would say "find my core strength") and finish this race. I really want to be at my goal weight by my 1-year WW anniversary (Nov. 2) which means I'll have to lose 2.3 pounds each week. (Seven pounds to go!) So, how do I run a 5K? One step at at time. And I'm on the last lap.