Weekend in Reno and Recipes for the Week

The house is so quiet. I had to make my own coffee and the other side of the bed was still perfect when I glanced over this morning. Michael left yesterday for his annual trek to Reno and their automobile extravaganza, "Hot August Nights." He was excited to hit the road with Mark, from work. They were meeting so many friends there and, what I so love, many brought their children with them. I have been invited every year but it is high in the mountains and the elevation makes breathing very difficult. And the heat. It is often 100 degrees or more but this year, it is expected to be in the high nineties. Heat + elevation = me staying home.

It is foggy and cool here this morning but it is going to break soon. In order to wear myself out so I sleep well tonight, I am doing a quick mow and blow of the yards then will focus on my "fluffing" project. It may take over an hour of hard work, but the dirt covering the drainage system for the back yard needs to be broken up to allow the rain water to flow into the system more easily.

For an extra special lunch, I am making myself "A Whopper in a Bowl" salad then my Friday night Mongolian Beef leftovers are waiting for me for dinner.

If I can just get through today, Michael will be home after noon tomorrow. We are apart so rarely and it feels so odd not be have him around. He will have so much to tell me and his eyes will be bright as he talks about all the free ice cream during the parade and the cocktail party the first night and being escorted past everyone else to back dining areas and all the food he ate and the new people he met.

It is good for him.

Here are the recipes for the week. These recipes have been adjusted to serve 4, low carb and low calorie. I try to stay about 1,200 calories a day to lose weight and 1,400 to maintain. With that combo, those of us on longtime prednisone therapy will not gain weight. We will be able to process the food properly.

Breakfast:
Summary Pizza Omelet - here
Warm Red Cabbage with Bacon and Goat Cheese - here - I use browned, chopped pancetta instead of the bacon.

Lunch:
Linny's Whopper in a Bowl - here - I use 1/4 of ground beef per serving
Tuna Salad - my own simple recipe of albacore canned tune mixed with a dash of Italian seasoning, a some minced red onion, a bit of pickle relish and low-fat mayonnaise. Serve alone or over greens. Makes 1 serving.

Dinner:
Low Carb Burgers with Asian Slaw - here and the Asian Slaw is here
Low Carb Wicked Chicken with Pasta Slim - here
Mongolian Beef over Fake Rice - here - I use fake sugar
Balsamic Chicken with a vegetable on the side - here - I use 2 chicken breasts (1 pound total) then cut the rest of the recipe in half to make 4 servings.

Pasta Slim and Miracle Rice (here) can be found in Whole Foods-type stores.