Down by 80

Down by 80 pounds and holdin -- since August 2008.

I thought we'd be back into warm weather, but St. Cloud just got blanketed with 8 inches (about?) - so it will take a few more days of "solar snow removal" to kick back into the outdoor exercise routines.

Cool Restaurant Guide on the Web

FAST TIP: Ask for the doggie bag with the order - to put half away for later.

I found an interesting site that gives me "photos" of the storefronts of local restaurants.

http://www.minnesotarestaurantsearch.com/st-cloud/index.php

Neat idea! You can see if the place is a "dive" before you even get in the car.

A Delicious Failure

FAST TIP: Have patience when working with yeasts!

This is my first attempt at bread in about 8 years, so I was impatient and failed to observe the number one rule, which is, yeast needs to RISE before it is baked. Because I was using whole wheat (not baking flour), I really should have given this recipe extra time before forming the loaves. However, it tastes AWESOME!

The resulting bread was really dense, and I'm thinking this might actually be a preferable density for bread -- especially to help keep the portions of meat and toppings down.

Here is the recipe to make 2 loaves.

• 3 cups water
• 3 Tablespoons of vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup of honey
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 2 packages of dry, active yeast
• 5-1/2 cups of whole wheat flour
• 1-1/2 cups of raisens

1. Mix the honey into the water and warm in the microwave to a high-luke-warm temperature. Then thoroughly stir to combine honey and water
   
2. Stir in the yeast to the honey/water mixture
   
3. In a large mixing bowl, add half the wheat flour and raisens
4. Add in the vegetable oil to the honey/water/yeast mixture
5. Add the wet ingredients (step 4) into the mixing bowl with flour and raisens. Use a mixer for 2 minutes to combine.
6. Slowly mix in the remaining flour
7. Allow to rise in a covered bowl for 30 minutes
   
8. Form into 2 loaves and transfer to baking pans; allow to rise an additional 30 minutes; preheat oven to 375 F.
   
9. Cook for 35-45 minutes, or until crust is crusty and browned
10. Remove from oven and allow to cool in pans for 20 minutes
    

Pineapple Surprise Whole Wheat Muffins

FAST TIP: Add fruit and reduce the sugar and oil

I'm trying to do more baking with whole wheat. I picked up 40 pounds on sale from a local grocery, and wheat doesn't last indefinitely, so I need to be creative.

I adapted the applesauce-banana muffin recipe below as follows; this makes about 24 "cupcake" sized muffins.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups whole wheat flour
• 2 cups of warmed and mashed bananas
• 1-1/2 cups finely sliced pineapple
  
• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 cup of finely chopped walnuts
  
• 3/4 cup of brown sugar
• 2/3 cup of oatmeal (slow cook variety)
• 1/2 cup of vegetable oil
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and sugar together.
3. Drain pineapple and add to separate bowl with applesauce and oil
4. Warm bananas in microwave for 2 minutes to help soften; well mash these and then add to bowl of wet ingredients (with pineapple); mix thoroughly.
5. Mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients. Ensure that pineapple is well distributed throughout.
6. Spray muffin / cupcake tin with non-stick spray
7. Fill muffin pans even to brim.
   
8. Bake 2 tins for 18-25 minutes in center rack. This will result in moist center to muffin. For drier muffin, lower temperature to 325 and bake for 30 minutes.
   
9. Remove from oven and let cool 10 minutes.
   

Banana Applesauce Whole Wheat Muffins

FAST TIP: Don't Throw Out the Rotten Bananas!

This is an adaptation of the "Applesauce Banana Whole Wheat Muffins" recipe by Patrick Mooney. This recipe makes 6 extra-large muffins.

Begin by getting two separate bowls, one for dry ingredients, and one for wet ingredients.
Into the dry ingredients bowl, add the following:

• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup of brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons of baking powder
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt
• 1/2 cup of old fashioned oatmeal (slow cook)
• 1/4 cup of chopped walnuts

Into the wet ingredients bowl, add the following:

• 3/4 cup over-ripened, mashed bananas
• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 1/3 cup of vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 350F
Mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients bowl
Lightly coat muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray
Fill muffin tins to level with top surface
Bake 20 to 25 minutes in center rack.




Recipe coming soon!

Recipe: Tangy Chicken in Crockpot

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 4 hours on High crockpot

Ingredients

• 3 pounds of frozen, skinless, boneless chicken
• 1-1/2 cups of apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cups of lemon juice (concentrate from bottle)
  
• 2 green peppers
  
• 2 white or yellow onions
• 1-2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1 can pineapple in natural juices.
  

Combine apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, paprika, and cinnamon in a large crockpot.
Add frozen chicken pieces.
Layer the top with green peppers and onions cut into large chunks.

Cover and cook on HI crockpot setting for 3 hours.
Stir ingredient to bring bottom items to top, and then top items with pineapple.
Cook an additional hour on HI.

To serve, select and drain chicken pieces and then top with drained pineapple, onions, and green peppers.

I'm such a Dumbbell....

FAST TIP: To avoid mindless eating, pick up a dumbbell as you watch TV

One of my hardest habits to break was grabbing something to eat each time I decided to watch television, and then sitting in front of the television for hours at a time (eating, of course).

I purchased several different sized dumbbell weights, and now I often pick up the weights as I watch television. As I'm lifting, I'm building muscle (in a mindless-television style), and when my arms start to ache, I figure that I've had enough of the tube.



If you haven't used Dumbbells before, a site that demonstrates proper lifting techniques is Changing Shape > Types of Exercises

Bread in the Crock

FAST TIP: If you have no bread machine, any crock will do... If you have no bread machine, then god bless you...

I've read several places that you can bake bread in a crockpot.
The claims are considerable savings (crockpots cost quite a bit less than bread machines), fewer breakdowns (a crock is pretty technology -- whereas plastic and aluminum gears in a bread machine tend to lead to short lives), and there is a huge substantial energy savings versus running an oven for the bake time.

Here are some links for recipes I want to try.
(links open in a new window)

• Fat Free Honey Whole Wheat Bread (LoveToKnow Recipes)
• Honey Wheat Bread - Diane S.
• Low Calorie Whole Wheat Bread(LoveToKnow Recipes)
• Honey Wheat Bread (RecipeTrove)
• Crockpot Honey Wheat Bread (FiveStarRecipes)
• Whole Wheat Bread (CrockpotCooking.Tribe.net)
• Honey Whole Grain Bread (CdKitchen)
• Honey Wheat Bread for Crockpot (Recipeland)
• Apricot Nut Bread - Crockpot (PaperTheTown)
• Crockpot Banana Bread (PaperTheTown)
• Oat Applesauce Muffins (AllRecipes)
• Honey Wheat Muffins (AllRecipes)
• Wheat Honey Bread (Razzledazzlerecipes)
• Whole Wheat Bread III (AllRecipes)

Other Crockpot Recipes

Half the Man I Used to Be

I'm James, and the Cooking for Half blog site is my personal journal of becoming half the man I used to be. In August 2007 I was 40 years old and over 400 pounds (at 5'10"). I'm not quite sure exactly how much I weighed, because my weight exceeded what the scale could measure.

Now in January 2008, I'm at 340 through the use of daily exercise and better eating. No surgeries, no hospital stays, just old-fashioned "eat less, exercise more."

I'm increasingly disgusted with American food manufacturers and restaurants. Sugar and corn syrup is in everything! I've even seen it added to cans of vegetables (yes, Virginia, how about a couple tablespoons of sugar with your serving of green beans???).

As part of my effort to eat healthier, I have decided to do more cooking for myself, and I intend to use this site to help keep track of recipes I'd like to try, report on recipes I've created, and discuss exercise strategies for those who are morbidly obese and willing to make the change to a "new lifestyle" (not a diet, but an "I must eat this way and work this way every day until I die, unless I want to die early").

If you have words of wisdom to share, please post a note to the articles. I will need to review these before they become public (to avoid spammer attacks to this site).

I wish you success!

James