Great fun at work

This isn't much about food.... although I did learn something listening to the radio today.
David Letterman's doctor (why him? I don't know) said that you should eat carbs at night. People who eat carbs - even oatmeal - in the morning, are hungrier throughout the day.
I've been eating oatmeal because it's quick.
Maybe I'll see about eating something else in the morning for a week.

We will get back to posting Lawrence's dinner pictures. I promise.

This is actually about a game I played today with my residents. So simple and easy.

Called "Tell Me What To Do". You can actually call it anything you want...

You need at least two players - the more, the better!
Materials:
Blindfold
Bucket (we used a small Halloween candy bucket - you can use a box or any other container)
Bean bag (only because I couldn't find a small ball - you just need something small to place in the bucket)

One person places the blindfold on. If you're not in a clear area, I would have a non-resident do this. I was the guinea pig today. Have someone place the bucket on a flat surface. If you are in a room with lots of space, the bucket can be placed on the floor. All players (other than the blindfolded player) sit to the side, and they have to tell the blindfolded person what to do.
Using only questions the residents can answer yes or no to, the person wearing the blindfold must ask questions to find the bucket. Some of the questions I asked were:
"Can I walk forward?"
"Can I walk 5 steps forward?"
"Can I turn to the right?"
"Can I walk to the left?"
"Can I walk 3 steps to the left?"
"Am I close?", and
"Can I drop it in the bucket?"

We played it about 6 or 7 times, and on the third try, I actually got the bean bag into the bucket.
The residents really enjoyed the game, and wanted to keep playing. I started with four players, but by the end I had 10 residents shouting yes and no at me. They also had little conversations about how many steps I had to take and if I should turn or not. It was interesting, for sure.

So, that's all for tonight... and since I didn't win the Powerball, I guess I'll see you guys again! LOL!

We're back at it!

First, before I start - Happy Birthday Aunt Zena. RIP. I still miss you dearly.

I've actually missed blogging about our adventures with food. Let me catch you up:

Today marks one year since my doctor suggested Paleo. But things have changed. We've been eating.... everything. After I started working at the assisted living facility, Lawrence and I were both just too busy to cook a Paleo meal. So we ate. And ate.

And gained weight.

Me - 15lbs. Him - 25lbs. 

We kept talking about what we needed to do to get back on track - someone gave me a paleo book and Lawrence purchased another. They have great recipes... 

then the holidays rolled around.

Who can resist pie? And cake? And Christmas cookies??

We said we were going to start Whole 30 (a Paleo jump-start) January 11. As we started preparing (eating a little better than we were before), I realized nothing much has changed since we jumped off the diet. So instead, we are going to do a modified version of Paleo. 

How are we modifying it? We don't know just yet, but it is going to include some grab and go foods - like maybe oatmeal or granola bars... something not Paleo approved, but something where I'm not starving myself because I can't find anything to eat. 

Be prepared for photos of food and some recipe sharing! 

I don't exercise.

I know... I don't blog, either.
I put most of my thoughts on Facebook, and since I started a "real" job ( I mean, my jobs before were real, but I'm back to a 9-5), I don't have lots of time. My job requires me to take a class, so that takes even more time. When I get home, I am DONE! I'm tired, and without any meds for my several crazy illnesses, I just can't get as energized as I want. And no, I don't want the meds. Unless I desperately need them, and that's not now.
Not yet, anyway.

So... we've been off of our Paleo diet for a while, and with Lawrence and I working 9-5 (ish), it's been difficult to make meals. This is part of the reason we haven't posted much. I've been eating all the wrong foods, and I gained 15lbs back since June.

And I hate it.
BUT... we're back on track. We started over this week, and I've already lost 4lbs.
Feels good.
But I do NOT exercise.

Part of my class for work requires me to train at a skilled nursing facility (I work at an assisted living facility). One of the activities today was sitting exercise. I wanted to help the residents follow along, so I did the exercises as well, just standing.
Well, I hurt. It was two sets of 20 each exercise, and there were 3 exercises for arms, 4 for legs.
Did I explain that I have Psoriatic Arthritis?
Did I explain I have no medication for it?
I HUUUURRRTTT!!!
Then, I stood up for an hour and a half, dancing and singing karaoke.
I HUUUUUURRRRRTTTT!!!!

I need to soak somewhere.


Okay, enough whining. Several updates:
Deven applied to his first college - Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). We're going to Pace University this weekend to check it out, and of course check out a show while we're in NYC.
Ahja has decided to try only for UNCC. If she doesn't get in when she first applies, she will attend CPCC and try again.

Oh, and I'm now selling $5 jewelry. I think it may just be for the holidays... we'll see how it goes. It's Paparazzi Jewelry, and my consultant number is 39315. Here's a link:  https://shop.paparazziaccessories.com/39315

I think that's it for now. If Lawrence decides to make a fancy meal and share it, I'll make sure to update.

Thanks!!

This time, it's not about food.

I know it's been a while.
I've been busy.
I have a new job. Yay!
I am an Activity Director for an assisted living community here in Charlotte. It's been an enjoyable experience so far, and the residents are excited about everything we're going to do.

Now, the reason for this post - the assisted living community is a low-income community. Most of the residents don't have enough to always get their basic necessities. We're also non-profit, so volunteers and donations help immensely with helping our residents have a good quality of life.

That's where you come in.

We need volunteers and donations.
I set up a sign-up sheet on volunteersignup.org for people to volunteer or make donations to our community.
If you want to set up a volunteer drive at your church or work, please let me know, and I'll help you set it up!

Here are the links on the volunteer website:
www.volunteersignup.org/JB3ED - to sign up for morning devotion.
www.volunteersignup.org/DXYPM - to sign up for assisting with arts and crafts.
www.volunteersignup.org/3H99D - to sign up if you want to sing, dance, or provide other entertainment.
www.volunteersignup.org/F97YK - for donations.

For more information on location and other questions, please email me at lginyard@depaul.org.
Thank you for anything you can do!

Delicious soup!

Charlotte is filled with CIAA talk. That's the big event in town this week. I'm a homebody - so is my family. We stayed home and relaxed. I would have loved to hang out with my friends, but crowds... not for me.
So instead of hanging out, I made a great soup today! Everyone loved it!

Paleo Chicken Cauliflower Chowder

Ingredients
2-3 large boneless skinless chicken thighs (or breasts if you prefer), cubed
3 tablespoons butter - divided
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 large zucchini, cut in small pieces
2 lbs cauliflower (fresh or frozen)
1/4 cup arrowroot flour (can substitute tapioca flour or even all purpose for non-paleo)
1 cup coconut milk (can substitute 2% milk for non-paleo)
4 cups bone broth - divided (can substitute for organic chicken broth)
1 large zucchini, cut in small pieces
2 tsp salt
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp tumeric (optional)
1/2 tsp garam masala (optional)
(you can always add more seasoning to taste)
cooked chopped bacon for garnish

Directions
1. Cook chicken thoroughly and cube in to bite sized pieces. Set aside.
2. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in large pot. Add onion, garlic, carrots, and celery and cook until tender - about 5-6 minutes.
3. In another small pot, melt 1 tablespoon of butter. Add flour to butter and stir until mixture is tan. Add milk to flour mixture and whisk vigorously to completely incorporate the flour mixture. Slowly add broth - one cup at a time - whisking after each addition. There may be small lumps - they will go away before eating the soup.
4. Add broth mixture to vegetables. Stir in chicken, zucchini and seasonings. Cook on low-medium heat for about 45 minutes. Break up larger cauliflower pieces once they are soft enough.

You can either add bacon directly to the soup or place as garnish.
Enjoy!!

We definitely enjoyed! I hope there's enough for lunch tomorrow...

Let me know if you made it, and how it went.

Thanks!

New day

Today was the first day at my new job as a tutor. I wore a nice outfit because 1. first day, and 2. I had an interview after work for a part time retail mall job.
Bad idea.
I cleaned my office. Since the room wasn't being used, teachers used it as a storage space. Plus my trainer received the wrong start date for me. Since I was eager to get into my room, I rolled up the sleeves to my new sweater and got to work! Dusty, dusty work. With black pants on.  And wedges.
I'm wearing jeans and flats tomorrow.

I really like what I do already, and I don't start the actual work until next week.
Hopefully I'll say the same thing then. Lol!

Since I'm working early, I made a large batch of  almond flour pancakes. I work part time, so I can easily have lunch at home. This will definitely work for my diet. And my budget.

Lawrence has been making pretty good dinners - as always... today was a simple but tasty dish.

Tonight's dish was cubed boneless, skinless chicken with cabbage, red and yellow bell peppers, onions, and carrots. He added some seasonings - garlic, ginger, salt, and pepper. Cooked it in some oil. Easy. And yummy. 

It snowed today - a dusting - and southerners freaked out. I wonder what's going to happen when it snows the 4-8 inches we're supposed to get on Wednesday night... 

Well, I'm going to find a snack (probably some frozen blueberries) and head to bed.

Have a good night! 

Getting over the hump

So it's been over a month, and our weight loss has stalled.
We've also cheated. Maybe that's why we've stalled. Lawrence had his men's day , then we went to Cookout recently... we've been back on track, but we haven't lost anything.
Good thing is, we haven't gained, either.

I start working for the CMS school district next week. I'll be at an elementary school, tutoring language arts to students during the day. I'm excited to start! But now, I need to figure out lunch. I think I'm going to try the mason jar salads:

(Pinterest)

Just need to get the jars. I saw someone selling a few, but I think I missed out. Oh well, I can get some from Walmart.  

I know I haven't posted much lately, but here's a meal Lawrence made yesterday - grilled chicken covered in a spicy citrus tarragon cactus pear sauce. It was delicious, as always.

                                                       

Also, I have decided to thank God for something in my life every day for the next 40 (39 now) days. At the end, I may even call my dad. 

But that's another story for another day.