Where I've Been

It's been a busy year.  I didn't forget about this journey or my friends and supporters here, but I was sidetracked.  It wasn't all bad - I must admit.  The scale...my health...how I was feeling about myself...that all needed a facelift.

Last year I started a new position in a new school.  Everything about it was new.  And fabulous.  Stressful at times, but such a good change. 

Somewhere at the beginning of that, I met a lot of wonderful new friends - and my future husband. 

Yep, that's where my weight loss train fell of the track.  Derailed.  Completely.

Over the course of the year, I've made a few attempts to get back on track and have tried a new thing or two, but nothing stuck and I felt like I was playing a guessing game.

Last week, I started back. 

Oh, and two months ago, I got engaged.  Sure, the prospect of buying a beautiful white dress had me thinking it's time to DO THIS!  But more than anything, wanting to be healthy and happy in this beautiful life I'm building with the Mr. has me wanting to get this done.

I was scouring Pinterest earlier for some Lean & Green recipes to add to my repertoire and saw a picture that caught my attention...and looked mildly familiar.  It was a picture from the blog I was keeping on Blogger while doing this journey before.  I got back to that blog (shared that one here, too - as I had been doing all along - and will continue to do) and it brought me back here to share this with all of you...whoever the all of you is, these days. 

Whoever you are, wherever you are...I'm happy to be on this journey with you.  I'm happy to share my adventures with this plan and to learn from you.

Have a fabulous Monday!

Go get 'em, tigers!

Gratitude, Day #5

It’s official.  I’m addicted to the mini donuts.  I love them.  They are easy to make.  They are cute.  They taste fabulous.  Why wouldn’t I love them?

For much of this weight loss journey, I was a fan of meals I could drink.  If I could put it in a cup and add a straw, it was good.  If I could throw it in the ninja with some ice, even better.  Now that I’ve had some time with meals with texture, that require chewing, I’m happy to have them back in my life. 

As I think ahead to what will be portable and easy for life back in the classroom, I’m thinking these little donut gems will be perfect.  I’m already guzzling a ton of water every day, why not give my tummy a little something more to work with.

I’ve also been experimenting with splitting my Lean & Green meal into two meals.  That’s been working out pretty well.  I may be doing that more often.

On the school front, there were lots of little victories yesterday.  I paid off my summer tuition.  I read the first part of the reading assignment for the class that starts Monday.  I found out that instead of teaching three different English classes, it may be only two.  That’s fantastic.  One less class to plan for.  Thank goodness!!!

I also had a little change in my schedule for today, which opens up time to get my reading done without racing through it.  My goal: to have it done before Friday night.  I’ve got a reunion to go to this weekend!

30 Days of Grateful, Day #5: 1. Cooler weather for a few days!  2. Last minute schedule changes that give me the time I was desperately looking for.  3. The coffee is already made!

Go get ‘em, tigers!

Sunday Rest & Relaxation

After the excitement of Friday night and Saturday, Sunday was a time of rest and relaxation.  Ahh…

I spent most of the day in my Brewers’ chair-in-a-bag under a tree with my nook at Mom & Dad’s, alternating between scouring Barnes & Noble for my next great read, playing Draw Some and watching Hunter play catch or hit balls in the park across the street.  Oh, and laundry got done, too!

Tomorrow is my Biggest Loser weigh in at work and with all of the walking and staying on program done this weekend, I’m confident that will go well.  Also, I have a fridge and freezer full of great choices thanks to yesterday’s shopping trip and dad throwing my chicken and burgers for the week on the grill today.  Looking forward to some tasty leans this week – thanks, Dad!

Also, tomorrow I’ll be kicking off my walks with a friend from grad school who lives in the neighborhood and is a fellow English teacher.  I’m looking forward to having a walking partner a few times a week!

It’s about to be another busy week, so today’s fresh air and relaxation was a welcome change.  I’m ready for the week which will include finishing up my final paper for class, getting my seniors ready for graduation (praying for them all), voting in the big recall election, and – as always – working my fanny off to stay on program and get my exercise in throughout the week.  Lots going on, but that’s good.

Time to prep tomorrow’s meals and get ready for school.

Wishing everyone a fabulous week!

Go get ‘em, tigers!

Today's Habits of Health Discussion

Today’s Habits of Health Discussion

Habits of Health Recap

What have you learned ?

This month’s experience of sticking our toes in and starting to get a taste for Dr. A.’s Habits of Health has helped me to take the time to focus on my goals and why I am on this journey. 

It is easy to say, “I want to lose weight.” It is a completely different thing to sit down and imagine a different life for myself – one at a healthy weight that includes a consistent involvement with physical activity…not just when the weather is cooperative – I am in Wisconsin, after all.

The act of sitting down, reflecting on my life, my health, my choices and planning for things to be different is so much more than ordering my Medifast meals from Take Shapefor Life and eating five of those a day plus preparing a Lean & Green.  Planning to be successful, navigating roadblocks and pot holes along the way, choosing to stay on plan, accepting slips and moving forward are all part of this journey.

Sharing my choices and my journey are also something that has been a large part of my success and is something I committed to when I recommitted to this program thirty-six days ago.  Through this blog, my participation in discussion groups and blogs on mymedifast and my two Medifast-focused facebook groups, I am sharing my journey and all aspects of this process with the people in my life and those along on this journey with me.  Having the support and encouragement of as many people around me as I can pull together has helped me to focus on my goals because I know people are watching, listening and cheering for me along the sidelines. 

What positive changes have you made this month?

It has been just over a month since I have recommitted to this journey and to my goals of health, weight loss and physical activity.  In this time, I have made a very focused effort to share my journey, take time everyday to evaluate my progress and where I may need a hand and I’ve taken a step back from my plans for an intense summer cycling program.  I am focusing on each day as its own opportunity for me to move closer to my goal, while enjoying each day as the gift it is.  This time around, I am working to appreciate the process and where each step takes me – not just on what the final portrait will look like.  

To Plan or Not to Plan...

Are you a planner or someone who just goes with the flow and lets things happen?

I have always been a planner.  There have been times when I’ve found this to be a thing that gets in the way of living.  However, when taking on a new lifestyle, planning is a key to success.

Sure, it’s easy to follow this weight-loss program without too much planning – but not planning at all is going to result in not-so-great results.

I love that I just have to open and prepare (in a few cases, open and eat) five packets a day to get most of my day’s meals ready.  That leaves my Lean & Green to plan for.  And it requires planning.  Even the five packets a day require planning.

I need to be sure that I’m stocked up on my Medifast meals and order in a timely manner so that I don’t hit that “I’m going to run out!” panic mode.  That surely wouldn’t do me much good while trying to control my food choices and make decisions that will get me to goal. 

I need to plan my Lean & Green meals so that I have plenty of vegetables and leans (beef, chicken, turkey, tuna, cheese, meatless products) on hand to create tasty meals that will keep me satisfied.

I need to think about what my day’s schedule is like so that I know if I need to have a few bars or bags of bites in my purse or if I can prepare a day of shakes to pull out of the fridge in my classroom.

Tonight, I’ve planned for the next two days.  I know that I’m going to the Brewers’ game right after school tomorrow.  I won’t have time to pick up a healthy dinner between school and the game, so I wrote down my Chipotle order and left money with my dad and he’ll have it packed up and ready to go.  I know that I’ll need one Medifast meal for at the game, so I’ll have a bar or bag of Barbecue Bites in my purse for the game.  I know I’ll need lots of water to get through the night, so I’ll have a few large bottles of water ready to go.  And, knowing that I will be the ball game late tomorrow night, I have my meals for Tuesday planned so that I don’t have to worry about them tomorrow night or early Tuesday morning – when I know I will be wanting to squeeze in as many hits of the snooze button as humanly possible.

This is planning to succeed.  This is how I’ve lost nearly 50 pounds and plan to lose a whole bunch more. 

Sure, I could leave it to chance – but then I’d be having a bratwurst with Secret Stadium Sauce and sauerkraut for dinner tomorrow – followed by a soda or a beer.  And I’d be without meals for Tuesday because I’d still hit the snooze button in the morning.

I choose to plan.  Sure, sometimes I take it a little far – but it’s a long way from the starting line to the finish line.

Go get ‘em, tigers!

Just Saying "No"

Every day I am tempted by foods.  Whether it’s the cover of the local magazine featuring a triple scoop of frozen custard or the smell of the sausages at the ballpark – there is always something catching my attention that looks as good as I know it tastes.  Sometimes, even the lunch at school can be tempting – the chicken strips this week did look awfully tasty!

I’m happy to say that in the past three days I have successfully avoided a few mighty big temptations.

On Thursday, there was an offer of Buffalo Wild Wings.  It was 50 cents boneless wings night.  Oh…I LOVE me some wings!!!  Instead, I threw that pork tenderloin that I just defrosted on a baking stone, sprinkled on some rosemary herb seasoning and called it a night.  No wings.  Dinner was a piece of the tenderloin and some mashed cauliflower.  Good stuff! 

Last night, on the way to my cousin’s little league game we stopped for dinner at one of the local custard/burger joints.  The choices of yummy foods there are endless.  Hamburgers, cheeseburgers, fish sandwiches (oh, they do have a great fish sandwich there!), gyros, souvlaki…  I had a fresh green salad with a scoop of tuna salad on top.  And that roll that arrived with my salad, I skipped it.

Today, after running a few errands with my parents, there was an offer of Jimmy John’s.  Sure, I could have had an “unwhich” – the sandwich of my choice in a lettuce wrap.  However, I enjoy having my L&G – the “real” meal of my day – for dinner.  And, since I’ll be at a social gathering tonight, I’m planning on having it then.  So, as much as I love Jimmy John’s, I said, “No, thank you!”

Sure, it took some willpower to make these choices.  And, in many of the cases, I was ready to eat the things that were tempting me – had even said “Yes!” out loud.  But, in the end – after taking a minute or two to contemplate my choices and what the consequences would be – I made the choice that is best for me.

I make no promises about the choices I’ll make later today, tomorrow, next week or even next month.  It’s one step, one meal, one day at a time.  I may have to arm wrestle myself away from a cake or a sandwich or a tub of ice cream, but I’m getting stronger all the time!

Go get ‘em, tigers!

Eating With Friends

I frequently have the opportunity to spend my lunch hour and the occasional social outing with colleagues.  And, of course there are times when I do the same with friends and family.  With the loose summer schedule just around the corner, these opportunities are going to quickly pile up.


These days, I am either enjoying one of my five-a-day Medifast meals, my Lean & Green meal for the day, or sipping on water.  


There were times when it felt weird to be doing something "different" than the rest of the crowd, but I feel differently about that now.  I am making the choice to do what is best for me.  I am good with that and go into these situations not even thinking much about it.   


Somewhere along the line, I got to thinking, "What are they thinking?"  Do the people around me think I'm just the crazy woman eating food that mostly comes in space packets?  Are they thinking that I'm judging them?  If I'm only sipping water, do they think I'm starving myself?  


It can be a strange thing being the kid who's doing her own thing.  Go ahead, sing the "Sesame Street" song in your head - I am!


Yep, I am often eating food that comes in space packets - though by the time they see me with it, it's either mixed up in my little Medifast/Take Shape for Life cup or in an insulated cup.  No, I am not starving myself.  As a matter of fact, I'm not even hungry unless I push the limits with when I need to eat.  And, I am not judging anyone.  If you know me, you know that I LOVE FOOD.  All food.  Ice cream, donuts, cake, frozen custard, butter burgers, fried cheese curds, lasagna, garlic bread, chocolate, pancakes, muffins, cookies, ham, mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, sweet potatoes...you get the picture.  And, those things will someday make an appearance passing my lips - on rare occasions.  But, that day is not today.  It is not tomorrow.  It was not yesterday.  


These are my choices regarding food and taking care of me.  I love the people around me and want to spend time socializing and catching up with them.  If it's time for me to eat, I'm going to eat.  If it's time for them to eat, I want them to eat.  And to eat what they want. And if you have something that I can be okay choosing to eat, you can bet I'm going to want some, ask for some, and go ahead and have some.  


Yep, I had a pickle today.  I skipped the brownies.  That's my choice.  And, it's now almost three hours later and I am not regretting that choice.


Eat on, friends.  I'll be at the table with you!  And, if you're coming here, I'll even cook for you!

Veggie Roasting Sunday

What do you do on Sunday after buying a table-full of produce on Saturday?  You clean, prep and cook, cook, cook!


I know that if I don't address fresh veggies immediately, they will not be fresh for long and too many will be compost-bound.  Not acceptable!  


This morning I started with cleaning up the brown mushrooms from the farmers market and then letting them take a happy soak in olive oil, balsamic vinegar and a bit of fresh ground sea salt and black pepper.  I then decided that I had too many bell peppers sitting there to not use some today, so a few of them got diced up and added to the happy bath...along with a bit of the scallions.  After the veggies were sufficiently flavored, they went onto the foil-lined baking stone in the oven to roast.


Then the house started smelling like something tasty.  I peeked in on my veggies and saw the pile of fresh zucchini.  They just looked up at me as if they were missing out on the fun.  So, the mandolin came out, the zucchini were quickly and evenly sliced and waited in a similar bath of happiness for the mushrooms to be done.  


Before getting to the Sunday cleaning and preparing to head to mom & dad's for dinner, the zucchini hit the oven for a good roasting through.  


Dinner is now done and was quickly consumed.  Grilled salmon, asparagus, roasted potatoes (for mom & dad), and the roasted mushrooms, peppers and scallions were DELICIOUS!  I didn't even slow down enough to grab my phone and snap a picture...my apologies.


When I get home, I'm going to finish up my roasting with the remaining peppers and tomatoes.  They will then go to the freezer for whatever use I find for them...the fridge is stocked with roasted veggies for a few days.

Stuffed Bella Caps

Tonight's dinner - after an afternoon of shopping and a great haul of fresh produce and meats - turned out to be Stuffed Bella Caps.  


It started without a recipe and evolved into a tasty dinner that I will be repeating sometime in the future, much to my tummy's happiness.


The starring players...

Portabella Mushroom Caps

Ground Turkey

Diced Bell Peppers

Chopped Green Onions

Shredded Cheese

...add in a few shakes of black pepper, crushed red pepper flakes and 3 cloves of garlic.

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Cook the turkey in a pan until not-quite cooked.
• While turkey is cooking, take care of the mushrooms and prep veggies:
• Clean out mushroom caps, a spoon and paper towel are all you need to make quick work of this.
• Arrange mushroom caps on a lightly sprayed cookie sheet.  I line my baking stone with foil and eliminate any messy clean-up.
• Dice peppers and green onions.
• Drain liquid from pan.
• Return to pan with turkey to stove and add the seasoning.  
• Add in diced peppers and onions and cook until turkey is cooked through.
• Once the turkey mixture is done, spoon into mushroom caps and sprinkle with cheese.

• Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
• Enjoy a tasty and healthy meal!

Medifast followers: I made this recipe to serve 2 full Lean & Green meals.  The turkey was a little shy of a full serving of lean, the small amount of cheese made up the difference.  The mushroom caps equaled 2 greens and the peppers & onions made up the remaining green.

If you are not following a specific diet plan, go ahead and zest this up to your liking.  I'd recommend something like a simple tomato sauce with the turkey & vegetable stuffing.  

Happy Cinco de Produce!

Happy Cinco de Mayo, Friends!


I spent my afternoon on an expedition to stock up for some tasty lean & green meals with my mom and dad.


We started at the West Allis Farmers' Market.  It was opening day for the season and today presently mostly plants - herbs, vegetables and beautiful floral varieties.  I was able to pick up a few pounds of fresh spinach and some beautiful mushrooms.  


Next was a trip to the fabulous Metcalfe's Sentry for some items from their amazing meat case.  I just packed up some chicken breasts, ground turkey, boneless pork chops and ground lamb.  Not to shabby for a quick run-in on a Saturday afternoon.


Finally, we took our maiden voyage into Pete's Fruit Market.  Oh...it was everything I thought it would be and then some.  I left there with a bucket of tomatoes, another bucket of bell peppers, a bunch of green onions, a head of romaine lettuce and some zucchini.  All for just over $11!

Now, I must decide...what's for dinner?

A KISS Weekend

My delightful group of Super Sexy MFers (Medifasters) has taken a new approach to weekends.  No longer is it the days of Martini Fridays, Sangria Saturdays and Bloody Mary Sundays.  We've grown up and gained some focus somewhere along our collective journey.  These days, we have KISS weekends - Keep It Simple, Sexies!


No snacks, no extra condiments, simple lean & green meals and lots of water and green tea.  We're sticking to the simplest form of following the Medifast program - wherever we are on that journey - as a form of maintaining our focus over what could be challenging weekends full of tempting smells, delicious drinks and divine dining.


After the success of last weekend, I've kept at the KISS approach.  I haven't stopped. Today marks day eight of my KISS journey.  I'm down over 4 pounds from where I was last Friday.  My official weigh in is Monday.  It's also the day I weigh in for the Biggest Loser contest at work AND the day I weigh in for the May challenge in my health coach's facebook group.

Got Quiche?

My goodness, you would think I've never read a recipe before with the rookie mistake I just made. Mom, I hope you never find this.  Grandmas, I'm sure you're both bowing your heads in shame from above.  Girl scout leader that had a night of baking for us to earn a badge, my apologies.


Tonight was the night I was going to make my first-ever batch of Cauliflower Pizza Crusts.  I was very excited.  I have been wanting to make this since I first spotted the recipe in...August!  I went to the store and came home armed with two heads of fresh cauliflower, two varieties of cheese to ensure proper moisture levels in the final product, and enough Egg Beaters to serve brunch to the neighborhood.  I was ready. I was excited.  


I was blinded.


The recipe CLEARLY calls for 1/4 cup of Egg Beaters.  I don't know what would lead me to read that as 1/2 cup of Egg Beaters - but I did.  And that's EXACTLY how I mixed and prepared not one, but four, batches of Cauliflower Pizza Crust.  


Well, this recipe has a new name...


Cauliflower Breakfast Quiche.  


Follow the same directions as you would for the Cauliflower Pizza Crust, just double the Egg Beaters.


Enjoy!


Tomorrow, I will return to the kitchen to make my first-ever batch of Cauliflower Pizza Crusts...after I go buy more Egg Beaters!

Dinner Time = Clean Out the Fridge Time

Tonight was the night to clean out a bunch of small serving leftovers from the fridge. 

I think tomorrow will be my Cauliflower Pizza de-flowering night! 

Tonight's plate features: 

Mashed Cauliflower

Steamed Broccoli

Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Garlic

Ground Turkey with Italian Seasonings and Garlic

Oh...YUM! 

Today's Sneak Peak Into the Habits of Health

I have mentioned a few times that I am involved in a few facebook groups for support with my weight loss journey.  My health coach with Take Shape for Life has a great group that is quickly growing to include other coaches and their clients.  Everyone is at a different point in their journey and has different goals, yet everyone is open, honest and supportive of the others in the group.  It's a safe place to ask questions and share successes.

Yesterday began the May challenge in the group.  Each day has a theme.  Monday's roll call included a check-in on how you're doing, a weigh-in, and posting a picture of your feet on the scale.  Oh yes...we posted pictures of our weight on facebook.  You bet!  It is a closed, super-secret group and a safe place - but it still takes a deep breath and a prayer to post that sort of thing on facebook.

Today is Habits of Health discussion day.  Each Tuesday my coach will be posting information on the Habits of Health: The Path to Permanent Weight Control and Optimal Health from Dr. Wayne Andersen's book/website for us to discuss and use as a launch pad for our own reflection, goal-setting and focus on our program.

I will admit that I have had Dr. A.'s book since September and have spent a little bit of time with it.  However, I quickly dropped the ball.  I've been meaning to get back to it - and Habits of Health Tuesday's are just what I need to get back to the book.  I will be pulling it out when I get home from school this afternoon and I will work my way through the book and the accompanying workbook Living a Longer, Healthier Life.  I said it here.  I must do it now.

Today's discussion topic from Habits of Health focuses on four things.  1. Identifying the choices that support optimal health and implementing a plan to incorporate them into daily choices, also listing 10 choices that support your health right now 2. Becoming aware of daily choices that do not support health 3. Thinking long term and not instant gratification 4. Creating a microenvironment of health.

Choices that support my health:

• drinking at least 1/2 may weight in pure water each day
• eliminating/minimizing consumption of caffeine
• eating at regular intervals
• walking daily
• running or cycling 4-6 times a week - Yes! Me and the bike have reunited, at last!
• choosing non-processed foods over packaged foods with additives
• adding strength training to my days 3-4 times a week
• asking for support of the people around me
• choosing to eat at home instead of putting myself into situations where I feel I'd make decisions that are not in my best interest
• actively participating in groups that support my journey and encourage me to meet my goals
• logging my daily activity, food choices and water consumption in my journal and online
• using my fitbit to evaluate my progress and set goals for more activity

These things are just a glimpse into what I'm doing each day to improve my health.  I'm sure if I were to revisit this list in a month or two, I would have more to add.

One of the things that helps me most is having an environment that supports my health.  Living alone, it is easy to keep only the foods I should have in the house.  From Medifast packets to plenty of fresh vegetables and lean meats/meat alternatives to water bottles and a variety of green teas, my kitchen is stocked and prepared to support me on this journey towards improved health.  Of course, I am accountable to maintain this environment and not let momentary struggles and/or lapses in judgement allow me to bring home a pint of frozen custard or a dozen donuts.  But then, I would still have to answer to myself for these choices.

Now I really am looking forward to spending some quality time with Dr. A.'s book and thinking more about my journey and what lies ahead.

Could It Be...A Manic Monday?

Yes, it was 6 o' clock when I woke up and discovered it was a MANIC MONDAY! 

I was up much too late last night, caught up in a facebook chat with my delightful Medi-friend Kelsey.  I didn't get as much sleep as normal.  I was all worked up about the challenge starting in my coach's facebook group, the Biggest Loser weigh-in at school, and just the plain and simple fact that...IT'S MONDAY!!!

My daily dose of green tea brewing.

Now, like any well-planned woman who has to step on a scale at an appointed time, I was not about to be eating, drinking, slurping or biting on anything until ALL of my weigh ins were done.  And this wasn't any ordinary Monday morning.  

Oh no!  There was no waking up and doing the birthday suit weigh in and calling it a day.  Nope!  

Today, I had to take a picture of the number on the scale...showing my feet.  And I had to post it to the coach's facebook group for all the world - well, all the world of the super-secret-it's-okay-to-post-your-weight-facebook-group - to see.  Yep.  That's what I did first thing today.

Then, I got ready for a Monday at school...still no food...and headed to school.  I started my first class of the day and then...I weighed in AGAIN.  That's right, friends - today was weigh-in day for The Biggest Loser at work!  And - I'm down 4.5 lbs. since we first weighed in last Monday.  Oh YEAH!!!

And, as much as I was in a funk, waiting to get my first meal of the day in and waiting for the nurse to make her way to her 3rd floor office so that I could 1. get the weigh-in over 2. see how I did on her scale and 3. get back to my classroom and enjoy my Cappuccino, I can't tell you how great it felt to see the 4.5 lb. loss and Nurse Natasha's face when she did the math.  Oh yes!!!  THIS GIRL is going to be winning The Biggest Loser...work edition!

The rest of my day went on as usual and I'm safely back home about to enjoy my Lean & Green dinner of Romaine, Light Hidden Valley Ranch, Spaghetti Squash and Ground Turkey with Italian Seasoning...mostly leftovers from last night - which I have been looking forward to all day.  Then, it's time to lace up the shoes and head outdoors for some fresh air and a walk.

My friends, have a fabulous rest of a Monday and I will see you tomorrow.

Go get 'em, tigers!

Spaghetti Squash, Italian Ground Turkey, and Roasted Green Beans & Mushrooms

Tonight's Dinner...

Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Olive Oil & Garlic

Roasted Green Beans with Mushrooms & Balsamic

Jennie-O Ground Turkey with Italian Seasonings

The Roasted Green Beans with Mushrooms & Balsamic recipe is from Kalyn's Kitchen.  

I cut out the cheese to stay within my Lean & Green requirements.

The ground turkey was prepared with just a spray of the pan and 2 cloves of fresh minced garlic.

The spaghetti squash was roasted in the oven and then sauteed with 1 t. olive oil and 2 cloves of fresh minced garlic.

Friends, if you're doing a low-carb diet, Kalyn's blog is a place you must check out.  I love that you can search recipes by vegetable!  I saw a long list for cauliflower...

Tonight's Pinch Hitter: Tuna Salad

Originally Published April 24, 2012


I was inspired by CurvyTika to switch up my dinner tonight from what I'd planned.  Not to say that Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken is anything to run away from, but I have a bit of tuna on hand, so I thought I'd whip up something else for tonight.

I like to just have everything mixed together, so instead of tuna boats and tomato cups, I made a tuna salad and put that on 2 cups of romaine.

Tonight's Dinner: Tuna Salad over Romaine

7 oz. tuna, drained

1 T. ff mayo

1 t. tartar sauce

1 dill spear, diced

1 tomato, diced,

S & P to taste

Mix together. Serve over 2c. chopped Romaine.

Warning:  Final product is larger and more filling than it appears!