Earlier this week was Mardi Gras as most of you know. I had the fortune of spending the evening with two of my most favorite people, my hubby and my sister. We got spent the evening in dowtown Tulsa for the parade that was put on by the businesses located in the Blue Dome district. Dinner at McNellie's followed (yummy burgers and beer) where the hubby and the sister played some pool while I tried to take pictures (none of them were very good though). Anyway, a day or two later my sister uploaded her own pictures to her Facebook. Comments kept trickling into my email about some of the ones that had been tagged of me. When I got around to looking at the pictures, I was disgusted at what I saw. I know that I'm a big girl. No one could ever mistake me for being anorexic. But the person staring back at me from those pictures was not the same person I see in the mirror. Needless to say, I started taking stock of what I've been eating (and cooking). I've been making very rich and fattening foods. I'm making a promise to myself to try to be more healthy, and to show I'm serious, I've included the picture that made me sick (all the way at the bottom).
The first recipe I decided to tackle for my new healthier version of myself is a soup recipe I found in Taste of Home magazine. Tomato Tortellini soup is so simple and super tasty. I adapted the heck out of this thing and plan on doing some things even more differently next time (I'll add some grilled chicken and have a smaller portion with a small salad next time to make it extra filling). I hope you'll keep me company as I go on this journey to try to lighten some recipes up. Enjoy the soup!
Tomato Tortellini Soup
Recip by Taste of Homes, heavily adapted by me
1 pckg. (9 oz.) refrigerated cheese tortellini (next time I'll use the whole wheat variety, they just didn't have any this time at the store)
2 cans (10-3/4 oz. each) reduced-sodium condensed tomato soup, undiluted
2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
3-3/4 cups skim milk
1/4 half and half cream
1/2 chopped oil packed sundried tomatoes (I cheated and used a pre-chopped variety; next time I won't use the oil packed)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. dried basil
1.2 tsp salt
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
- Cook tortellini according to package directions (should just be boil some water, add tortellini, cook for 7-9 minutes).
- Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, combine soup, broth, milk, half and half, tomatoes, garlic, and seasonings. Heat through, stirring frequently.
- Drain tortellini and carefully add to the soup. Stir in 1/4 cup cheese. Serve and top with remaining cheese.
So we'll call this the before picture, and hopefully by this time next year, the after picture will be much better.
Posts
4 comments:
Horror, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder and I do think you're beating yourself up. However, I wish you luck and hope Hubby doesn't moan too much at his lower-calorie dinners.
Advice from one who's got to a stage far, far worse than you - the
less fat there is to lose the quicker you'll reach your goal. I gave up alcohol and cigarettes four years ago and my sin of choice is sugar and, oh boy, have I piled on the pounds but I've got to a stage where there's so much to lose it's hard to get motivated.
Good luck from me to you.
Well I think you're beautiful, but you know I support you in this! If you want any help or suggestions - Steph and I had a lot of luck with our food regiment a couple years back - just ask. Love you Fina.
Well, I think you're lovely. Don't beat yourself up - the camera isn't always flattering even under the best of circumstances! However, healthy eating is always a good goal. Keep in mind, though, food must still be delicious otherwise it won't last. Work on finding really easy, delicious recipes you want to eat for the rest of your life! They're out there. :)
Don't be so hard on yourself. And, whatever you decide to do, enjoy good food and enjoy yourself.
Post a Comment