Comfort Food And Crazy Diets

It really worries me when I hear about another crazy diet plan that people actually try.  I know I've been harping on this subject a bit but all you really need to do is eat sensibly.  That's what the cardiologist's family does.  We really don't deprive ourselves of food unless it's junk food or sweets and we even eat that occasionally.  You need protein or meat, fruits and vegetables and some carbs every day.  There is no need to eat strange things that you will give up on soon anyway without achieving any weight loss.

I'm going to publish our actual dinner menus for a couple of weeks so you can see exactly what we eat.  For breakfast we eat cereal, oatmeal, eggs, pancakes, biscuits or other treats.  The sweet breakfasts come about twice a week.  Lunch for me is a sandwich, fruit, yogurt, cottage cheese or something leftover from dinner.  The kids eat sandwiches, fruit, yogurt, pretzels or goldfish, applesauce or maybe cottage cheese.   I have no idea what Barry sneaks in for lunch but I hear the doctors' dining area has cookies every day.

Now that he can drive, Cameron frequently stops at a fast food place after school with friends or goes for a coffee drink with his girlfriend.  He'll have to figure that out on his own.  Grace still eats pretty decent snacks like cheese and crackers, nuts, fruit, bagels, etc.  She really needs alot of calories as she swims every day.  I try to limit my snacks to fruit but I seldom do without a small serving of peanuts.  (I have a strong peanut addiction and not just any peanut will do.  I'm very snobby about peanut brands.)

Here is this week's dinner menu for the cardiologist's household.
Monday - Cheesy Vegetable Soup with Sourdough Bread
Tuesday - Parmesan Catfish, Couscous with Vegetables, Sourdough Bread
Wednesday - Poorboy Casserole, Sauteed Apples
Thursday - Vegetable Beef Soup
Friday - We will eat out.
Saturday - Sloppy Joes with Cilantro Slaw, Sauteed Broccoli with Breadcrumbs
Sunday - We are having a Greek meal; Pastitsio and a Greek salad.

The Poorboy casserole is ground turkey cooked with tomato paste, celery, onions, bell pepper, Lima beans and pork and beans, topped with homemade biscuits and baked.  When my mother made this dish, it was a good day.  Sundays are family day and we have a wonderful dinner with Aunt Pat joining us.  We may have a dessert and often we have martinis.  So far this week, the only dessert we've had has been one Lindor truffle last night.  So you see, we eat very well, as healthy as I can make it and no one can complain.

I wanted to share a new dish I came up with.  Maybe you'd like to make it this weekend.  It is great comfort food and perfect for cold nights.

Hamburgers with Onions and Mushroom Gravy.
4 beef or turkey patties
1 can Golden Mushroom soup
1 onion sliced thin
1 tbsp. olive oil
4 onion rolls
Spray a nonstick pan lightly with baking spray and cook patties over medium high heat until browned and cooked through.  Drain any grease and return meat to pan.  Add soup and one can of water, stirring until mixed.  Let meat simmer, covered, while you saute the onions in a separate skillet with the olive oil over medium high heat.  Cook onion until nicely browned.  Toast onion rolls, divide onions among rolls and top with a pattie.  Spoon soup over the top.  Yummy!

As you can see, this is easy to adjust for more or less people.  Meanwhile, get out this weekend and enjoy the warmer temperatures!