You you're a sugar addict when...

Yesterday, I was getting my Starbuck's and the barista described to the lady behind me what it was and was in it...I'm thinking "oh a little coffee and milk with syrup" No...it was vanilla syrup and 3 Tbs of Caramel and about 12 ounces of whole milk. Candybar in a cup for breakfast... "only people don't give you a nasty look when you're drinking it out of a cup instead of chewing on a wrapper"

Yes, that is what I said. We all laughed but as I was walking away, I thought, "that's kind of wrong..."

I've always known it was akin to a milkshake and didn't think much of it, especially since I don't get one often - once every couple weeks, as a treat.  But, it did set me to thinking about all the sugar I eat, again.

I've been thinking about sugar a lot the last few weeks.

Ok, so here's the scoop. I've never had problem skin, but recently I've found myself getting really bad breakouts.  So, I was thinking about the things that have changed to cause it. I'm using Clinique facial stuff now...that might be irritating, although unlikely since they pride themselves on being the skin gurus. And my cupboards are starting to see an increased amount of sugar. 

If you have heard of Kris Carr or Suzanne Somers, they will pretty much tell you sugar is the devil when it comes to our hormones (second only to artificial sweeteners and dyes) and can really wreak havoc on our health. But ooooh it tastes so good! and it gives a nice little high when you're feeling dumpy. And it's super duper addictive!!

And, here's my point. I've become addicted.

For the last week I've been meticulously tracking my food on Spark People and noticing trends...sugar. Mostly in drinks. 

This troubles me because there was a point in my life, about a year ago when I rarely had any sugar. Of course, I was addicted to Diet soft drinks instead.

But this week...every day I was having 2 cans of Pepsi Throwback (150 cal each), handfuls of mini marshmallows after lunch, rice Krispie treats for breakfast, 3 times I stopped at starbuck's for my Macchiato, and then came the quarts of grape Koolaid I love, and Bailey's on coffee cubes every night. Believe me, Bailey's has SUGAR!

The moral of the story? I'm coming up with a sugar reduction plan. I tried cold-turkey this morning but for 5 hours all I could think about was rice krispie treats and Bailey's and got kind of shaky and seriously mean. I did a little research and because of it's addictive nature, most people have severe withdrawal, akin to heroin withdrawals...so my best bet is probably a replace/reduce action plan.

If you have any experience or suggestion - PLEASE leave me a comment. Being gluten free and staying off the artificial sweeteners rules out a lot of the "usual" options like chewing gum and sugar free candies or filling up on whole grains for a slow carb energy spike. 

In case you're curious here are the nutrition facts on my Caramel treat, from Starbucks.com:

Caramel Macchiato

Freshly steamed milk with vanilla-flavored syrup, marked with espresso and finished with caramel sauce.

Short 8oz Tall 12oz Grande 16oz Venti 20oz  Nonfat milk Whole Milk 2% Milk Soy (United States) 

Nutrition Facts Per Serving (16 fl oz)

Calories 240	Calories from Fat 60
	% Daily Value*
Total Fat 7g	11%
Saturated Fat 3.5g	18%
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 25mg	8%
Sodium 0mg	0%
Total Carbohydrate34g	12%
Dietary Fiber 0g	0%
Sugars 32g
Protein 10g
Vitamin A 10% Vitamin C 2% Calcium 35% Iron 0%
Caffeine 150mg**
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
**Each caffeine value is an approximate value.

My favorite black bean chili ala Suzanne

Messy looking, right? But I promise, it is the best and easiest chili in the world.

It is actually just a little different from the recipe I got out of a Suzanne Somers cook book. Maybe the white one...I can't remember.

Anyway, it's super easy:

1 can black beans

1 can diced tomatoes and chilies

1/2 medium onion diced

a clove or 2 of garlic, minced

glug of EVOO

Basically, sautee the onion & garlic in evoo for a minute or so then dump in the cans of beans and tomatoes, get it hot and serve with warm corn tortillas.

This is about enough for 3-4 people, depending on your bean tolerance ;p

It is seriously one of my favorite go-to meals any time of year. It takes about 5 minutes, costs about $1.50 and is super comfort food without the guilt.

Like at a restaurant

One of my favorite things now are Suzanne's zucchini noodles. I have found them to be delightful! So, I coupled them with a steak and leftover mushrooms sautéed in red wine and olive oil. I felt like I'd just ordered a meal at a fancy restaurant.  The mingling flavors and textures were really fun!
I'm such a lazy simple cook that I don't often go to the bother of using things like spices, herbs, wine or garnish. So, when I do it feels really special. When I do it just for myself, it feels indulgent!
By the way, save the insides of the zucchini and use them in salads - so refreshing and a nice option besides cucumbers. *tips from Cocoa's kitchen*

hot food, coming up!

I had to give in and fire up the cooking appliances!
First, it was the micro (ok, that doesn't really count) and the stove to make some pepperoni chips and sauteed mushrooms.

 Then I turned George on and he cooked me a nice steak. 

I had to make my own zucchini noodles on the stove though. 

So good! Gotta say that Suzanne, she knows her veggies!
I'm starting to dread the return to work. Isn't that sad? I still have days left of my vacation yet I start to think of all I'll have to do when I get back. I need a new job.
Any suggestions?

How to use a gallon of milk in 20 minutes or less

Woke up one morning afternoon thinking about the week ahead and how desperately lame the thought of cooking during these gorgeous days of summer can be and decided to throw together a few big bowls of stuff to make it through the week.

Still too sleepy to do much of anything about it, I flailed myself down the stairs in my underwear to grab some kind of fruit for breakfast. My "ripen up" bowl was full of goodies - apricots, pears and tomatoes.  

 So, I grabbed a couple apricots and stood in front of the open fridge trying to pick some carbs. That's the nice thing about being a grown up and owning your own house - no one can nag you to shut the fridge door...well except that voice in the back of your head that sounds vaguely like your mother, reminding you about the lack of money bearing trees in the city.


So back to the carbs. I have a gallon of skim milk in the fridge, about to expire and about 1/2 cup of it was ever used. On what, I still can't remember. What to do?  Rice pudding and ice milk, that's what!

Rice pudding is easy, it goes a little something like this: 1 cup rice, 6 cups milk, 1/2 cup of sugar, salt, vanilla & cinnamon in the crock for 3-4 hours on High. DON'T FORGET THE SALT! I did this time and it came out flat tasting. It can be added before serving though so don't stress.

Ice Milk is similarly simple: 6 cups of milk, 1 cup of sugar, vanilla. Dump it in an ice cream machine and whirl it for 30 minutes or so. I like to put mine in a rectangular pan and freeze it totally solid so I can cut it into chunks to serve later.

Just as I was turning on the heat to the crock pot I hear a key being pushed into my lock! Then feet scraping on the mat (yeah it's deadly quiet in the morning here). So, my first thought was, "someone at the wrong house?" My next thought was. "NO! it's my parents and I'm in the kitchen in my undies!!!"
So, I ran up the stairs as fast as I could and grabbed the first shirt and shorts I could find to throw on. It is moments like that I'm am super thankful I'm not too neat!
Lest you think my parents are completely rude, the door bell did ring twice during this mad dash, then the door opened and the hollering commenced.  Nonetheless, the whole thing probably played out in less than 2 minutes and makes me rethink letting them have an emergency key! I am an adult and as such would like the convenience of wandering around less than presentable in my own house at any hour, even if it is 2:00 in the afternoon.  And no, just because you've been calling all day and I didn't answer doesn't mean you can pretend it's ok because you thought I might have fallen dead.  

I have the right to be dead in the privacy of my own home too.  Ok...so maybe if I don't call back in 24 hours and you've made it clear to my answerer that you're coming over to see if I'm dead and I still don't pick up you can use that excuse. OKAY?!?

I'll be at the pool if you need me

Vacations are wonderful, even if your penny pinching employer forces you to take 2 weeks of your PTO at their scheduled convenience just to get it off the books thus always leaving you with a lean 3 days that you hold on to just in case you need a sick day due to swine flu or some such. Ahhh...vacations!
This week is one such forced vacation, and I'm spending it wisely: reading, sunning, lolling about the pool, taking long walks, and possibly camping.
I bought this:

It's for my porta potty to go camping. I'm a city girl, people! I require running water (even if I have to use a plastic pump or a water jug with a spigot) and a private bathroom of my very own. Is that too much to ask?
I don't think the camping will come to fruition though. Too many anomalies. Which is sad, because I really want to get away to the boonies for a while.
Anyway...I'm standing in my kitchen in a skirt that I deemed long enough to call a dress (ahem) for sunning, filling a mason jar with ice and water to go start my new book out on the porch. When Luke alerts me to the fact that we have not had lunch yet (it's well after noon!) So, here's what I throw together:

I call them nibblets, because I'm not french. It's fresh mozzarella with scallions and tomatoes. I ate a few before I thought to take this picture - I'm on vacation and that means my brain too!
And I always buy the pre-cut mozzarella - why not?

Breakfast looked something like this, after I had a sweet organic pear (seriously, grocery produce is not this good!):

Can't see the lumps eh? I tried to make this with the last of the milk and it tasted f.u.n.k.y! I guess not all my experiments can be successful.
George made dinner for me:

What book am I reading, you ask? Why, it's by the most fabulous Jill Connor-Browne who has taught me so much about life and it's called: "American thighs: the Sweet Potato Queens' guide to preserving your assets"

All hail the salad!

The sun streams through my skylights in the late afternoon and there are only 2 things I'm willing to do then. Cook or sit in my reading chair with a good book. This time, I'm "cooking". 

So my fridge looks a little like that. And I need to eat that Romaine before it turns into something ugly. But it's full of dirt, and mud and I think even a bug. Organics seem to be this way. After a lifetime of nary a grain of sand in my supermarket lettuce, it's an experience. And somehow a pleasant one. Still, I put off the washing.
Just as I get each leaf ripped apart and in the sink full of ice cold water to wash it, the phone rings. As usual, I let the machine get it. I'm scared of the phone and I'm elbow deep in muddy ice water. Ever since a traumatic experience at work answering phones, I freak out just thinking of answering, especially if I don't know who it is. If I thought I'd answer to this, I might get over it:

But you know, most of the time it's this, and that's not worth my time:

Anywhoo, the water thing is also a plausible excuse to give when I call them back.
 Not to worry, it was a debt collector. They've been calling for weeks looking for someone with my same last name. I have no debt - so it's definitely not for me! I delete them.
The romaine, finally washed and ready to be my Caesar goes into a bowl in the fridge, while I run to the store for some dressing.  BRB.
Paul Newman will be missed. I'm so glad that they keep making food the same way! So, I picked up his bottle of dressing (thanks for the coupon mom and dad!).
Thank you to Suzanne Somers (again) for her Parmesan crouton recipe as well!  I make these in batches and put them in the fridge to go on things, in things and sometimes just to snack on! You can find the recipe in her books. Simplified: put some parm in a non stick pan and brown it on both sides - cut up to sizes you like.

Fantastico!
Then, I watched 500 days of Summer. Luvd it! I am that girl. Relationships suck the life out of you and you just end up hurting every man in your path. Then, when she gets married, at the end, I was thinking to myself, "yeah right, it's just the way they had to end it so the lame chicks of the world don't complain about a bad ending." The test audiences must have made them do it. Although, I do wonder, are men really like in the beginning? He thinks that playing some song she likes is "giving her a chance"? This could explain a lot...

I mowed down the last pea sprouts

I mowed off the last of the pea sprouts for my salad today, surprise, surprise! They went great with chopped up ham and cheese doused in a little balsamic vinegar. Simple, tasty and I'm full.

I still have some stuff left from my last Door to Door box and expecting a new one. The new one will have more veggies than fruit this time.

I've noticed, since doing the somersizing that I'm not eating as much fruit as I used to. On level 1, which I'm trying really hard to adhere to, you can only have fruit on an empty stomach. This means first thing in the morning or 3 hours after a meal, then you have to wait the alloted time for the next meal afterwards. So, if I want fruit for a snack it only happens in the afternoon - at work - if I've had an early lunch - and I remember to pack some. This is not often. So my fruit sits. Also, Bananas are funky so I was really just waiting for the green to disappear and I will be freezing them for desperate banana custard attacks before bed time.

Magic Tuna! Heavenly Mayo!

Not too long ago I was reading a post on gluten free faces and Betty mentioned that all canned tuna had soy in it. So I did a little looking when I was at the store and sure enough - all the tuna had vegetable broth in it, that included soy. A couple weeks ago I mentioned it to my mom and she brought out a can of tuna from her cupboard that was just tuna &water ! My Mom is AMAZING, people! And I think more than a little psychic.
So, I looked for it at my store - not finding it for a couple weeks.  Now, I have acquired my very own and I'm going to share it with you (virtually of course!).

Before I popped open this can, can I emphasize POPPED? It has a pop-top so I'm super excited to have another food I can store at work without having to also tote along a can opener!
back to the story...before I saw the lovely solid chunk of tuna in the can, I had prepared a bowl with Best Foods mayo, seasoned salt and some chopped scallions.  Here's where I mention the heavenly mayo.

Can you read the ingredients? No tongue twisters here, that's why I pay more for it than some of the generic brands. You know, plus the GLUTEN-FREE label that makes me do the happy dance?

So I got my good stuff all mixed up and ate it with a green salad.

The End.

SPROUT! as in Pea

I'm happy to report that I finally ate the pea sprouts in a salad. If you're like me and never had them, I'd describe them as tasting slightly stronger than alfalfa sprouts and slightly milder than bean sprouts. They also had an in between texture of the two.  If you've never had any sprouts before...these might be a good kind to try because they were leafier, so more salady I guess.


So, you're probably looking at the picture and thinking "Wow, that's a beeeutiful salad!", right? Here's how I did it:
First, I washed some red leaf lettuce and tore it up. Then I chopped up a cucumber and tomato and washed my pea sprouts and threw some on the lettuce.

Then I used my salad spinner to defrost the pre-cooked jumbo shrimp while I used the Bullet to make the Serrano chili dressing from Suzanne Somers' cookbook.

Voila!
So, I thought the dressing was ok, some might just looooove it. The shrimp went well with the citrusy and of course, salad was perfect for a 100+ degree day! Especially since I got to do most of it with my hands under running cold water.
Now, I'm going to try and not melt for the rest of the day!

Pepperoni salad!

This salad was so satisfying! I think the secret is that I put the pepperoni on a paper towel in the micro for a minute so they got kind of crispy/chewy. Added some mozzarella, balsamic vinegar and a really ripe tomato - heavenly!
It was a really nice/quick dinner after a long day in a small room with loud people!
I'm really looking forward to a weekend full of fun now!

What did I eat today?

I get so tired of packing lunches! Today was ham and cheese rolled up with mustard again and tomato and celery sticks with a scoop of cream cheese. For the next couple weeks there will be more packed lunches because of meetings that might not let me out at lunch. So far, not so creative. Mostly ham and cheese roll ups with veggies.


I have to say, the boxes of produce have certainly helped! I just pick something and eat it - which is so good for me.  Also, the tomatoes from my D2D box are so good! They are way better than the pinkish ones you get at the store. I mean they got R-E-D and juicy and sweet. I pretty much sprinkled salt on them and threw them in for lunch. 


I'm also still finishing off D2D box #2 so for dinner I roasted some broccoli to eat after I scarfed some cooked pepperoni and mozzarella cheese

and washed the rest up for later

There is still more celery and cream cheese for tomorrow!

but dessert is always my favorite. Part of a packet of Equal, a little cocoa powder, a dash of coffee crystals and about 1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream in the Bullet for about 20 seconds.  Yum!

Back to Basics - steak and creative leftovers

I'm back to my basics of steak and salad today. I love trying the new Somersize recipes but I also like simplicity.  So, I actually popped home at lunch and threw this angus filet on George while I spun the lettuce and tossed on some leftover raw zucchini, mushrooms, a roma tomato and some sharp cheddar cheese.  Balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil to dress it.  So simple, so satisfying!


Then I was feeling like creative leftovers for supper and threw some leftover spinach bread in the micro to thaw, topped it with sauteed pepperoni, garlic sauteed in olive oil, a roma tomato and some full fat mozzerella cheese and a smidge of parm. Nuked to melt.  So, best hint here: sautee the pepperoni and drain it a bit - it kept the "pizza" from getting too greasy.  Yummy yum yum!!

Creamy Mushroom Sauce

Today I made the zucchini noodles and creamy mushroom sauce.  I love the zucchini noodles!  They were easy and quick and tasty.  


I'm afraid I overcooked the mushroom sauce though and what started out as kind of runny cream sauce turned into greasy mushroom sauce.  I salvaged some of it though.
I highly doubt I'll try the mushroom sauce recipe again. It was hard to make, one pan but I over cook everything!


Lunch meeting at work and lucky me, I volunteered/was assigned to order lunch - from Panera.  This was much harder than before because all they have is chicken salads!  So, I ordered a greek salad plus a fruit cup for a snack, but I'd really have liked some protein and the olives fall under funky foods. Maybe that's what drove me into the arms of creamy, greasy mushroom sauce.

Spinach Bread

For dinner last night I made the spinach bread and used it for the Green Eggs and Ham recipe. As you can see, I love mustard!  So the spinach bread turned out really good - definitely a recipe for the future!


Since I had the oven going I also decided to try the cauliflower "tater-tots". Don't let anyone tell you this is a fair substitution for potatoes!  They taste like cauliflower and Parmesan. Not disgusting, not my favorite...not a recipe for the future due to the lack of loving and the labor intensive nature of it.  I mean, it required a food processor, strainer, a piping bag and an oven...

More overnight oats for breakfast and ham and cheese roll ups with leftover Cauli-tots and brussels.

I'm diggin the ham rollups!

S4- Shrimp Scampi

This was my breakfast.  I didn't put together my overnight oats last night so I decided to go savory for breakfast. I am unhappy to report that plain Greek yogurt tastes just like sour cream. Or am I happy to report that? Because it has active cultures in it, so it might be a great substitution for sour cream...and when shopping for sour cream I found all but Daisy brand has mixes of dairy and fillers. So, I had to get full fat Daisy sour cream, which is what I needed.  Now, I'm thinking that if I have carbos meals and want a creamy topping this Greek yogurt will be the way to go.  Plus, yay! good bacteria.

I ran home today at lunch and threw together this shrimp scampi really fast, using pre-cooked shrimp and Oh Boy Oh Boy Oh Boy! It was so deliriously good mmmm %)

Since it's so hot out now I shook up some decaf iced tea mix in a jar to make sure I get enough fluid.  Added some lemon juice and 2 (yes 2) packets of Equal.

For a little snack I also brought back with me some cheese and pickles. Mmm.

I'm contemplating what to make for dinner. I'm thinking Suzanne's "green eggs and ham sandwiches", since the "spinach bread" is all that has to be cooked. 

In other news, I ordered another box from Door to Door to be delivered.  I asked for the bitty box this time with a mix of fruit and veggies.  I'm so excited!!

They let me list the things I don't want (funky foods of course) and things I'd prefer to have (like fresh herbs). I feel like a happy kid who knows she's getting something off her birthday list but it's a surprise to find out what!

Somer day 3 - more steak

I had one more steak for George to grill up in the fridge and thought it would go good with some brussels sprouts for dinner and it did!  I'm actually surprised at how easy this is to do.  I guess I tend to eat the Somers way for the most part except I like to pad my diet with plenty of sugar and caffeine - which are no-nos on this diet!
I do admit - I miss sweets a bit...and when everyone is hitting up Starby's and the only thing I can have is a decaf, fat free latte and only if I don't plan on eating any protein for 3 hours afterwards...painful! But probably good for me!
And in case you're wondering there were overnight oats for breakfast and leftover steak with veggies for lunch - like yesterday. Finally got the fridge cleaned out though!  And I don't feel like having steak for a while now.

Second day of Somer

Well, I have picked a list of recipes from the Fast and Easy book to try & got all the groceries. It totaled $85.71 for at least month's worth of meals (for me).
Today's menu included none of them!
The day started with and apple and 20 mins later overnight oats made with plain fat free yogurt and a packet of Equal. Interesting thing about Somersizing - she has developed her own "natural" sweetener. 

I'm iffy on it, here's the list of ingredients: inulin, erythritol, fructose, citrus peel extract. Doesn't sound really natural to me.  Now, I didn't research these ingredients any further because I try to only eat stuff that I know what it really is. Is it gluten free? Is there anything else in it that will cause a bad thing to happen to my body?  That said, I know that Equal doesn't bother me in small quantities so that is my fake sugar of choice, for now.

 There was steak and broccoli for lunch.

Then for dinner, I was wiped out from shopping so I threw some frozen veggies in a bowl with some ranch dressing.

That wasn't quite satisfying enough so I snatched some pre-cooked shrimp out of one of the bags, nuked em a bit and tossed them with what was left of the veggies & sauce.

Now, it's time for bed!

Somersizing - I'm fast and easy

Now, don't roll your eyes but my next dietary endeavor is to follow the Suzanne Somers plan for a while.  How long, you ask? I'm not sure yet. Maybe 2 weeks, maybe the rest of my life. We'll see how it goes!
I had to try those crepes and it piqued my interest and my taste buds enough to go ahead and give Somersizing a shot. I checked out a couple more of her books at the library for more recipes and information and I guess she convinced me that it is a healthy way to eat and might solve some of the health issues I've been having...chronically.
Step 1 is to stand in front of a mirror naked and if all your fat is around the middle it's a sign that your insulin levels are elevated.  The theory is that insulin stores your food as fat when you don't use all the calories you intake so if you separate the food so that your insulin isn't spiked in the presence of fat and protein, you will store less fat. When you eat carbs, insulin is produced but your body will use the carbs for instant engery and no harm, no foul. When you eat protein no insulin is produced, therefore to fat storage.
So, me naked - yes all the roly poly in the middle. 
I really want to rationalize all this away with facts about how my celiac ruined my metabolism...blah blah blah. The fact is, I eat pretty decent but I could do better. And if my metab is all messed up, maybe this can change it!
So, I'm on an adventure - a food combining adventure.
Today wasn't too bad.  I cheated right off because I'm weak and want to finish the food in the fridge rather than toss it out. And maybe have a last hurrah.  So I had an Oikos Greek Yogurt with honey on the bottom. These are little cups of heaven, even though they are fat free - the sugar is off limits so slap me on the wrist!

But, I came right back with Brown Rice pasta and home made tomato sauce ala Magic Bullet for lunch.

In the sauce: 2 roma tomatoes, 1 clove garlic, 1/4 onion (maybe a little more), a shake of basil and oregano and S&P. Zipped it in the MB and zapped it for 2 mins. It was a great lunch! Every instinct told me to toss some Parmesan on top,  but I resisted! I'm well on my way now.

3 hours later, for my snack I had 2 mini dill pickles and a piece of cheese.
Dinner - leftover crepes...I'm going to have to be more creative!

GF Crepes aka ode to Suzanne Somers

Suzanne Somers is a brilliant cook.  There, I said it.  When I lived in Oklahoma, my mom and I managed to gain some weight eating fried catfish and BBQ galore (shocking, I know!), so we turned to the diet book section at Hasting's and who else would we choose to consult first except Suzanne? When I was a little girl I pretended to be her, I named my doll baby after her and begged to watch Three's Company reruns on late night.
Mom bought one of her books for us to share

I often ask to borrow it, but she's having none of it.

So, years ago - I mean like 7, I bought another one of her books

I won't let my mom borrow it either. Ha!
Back to the story....so mom and I went on the "Eat Great" diet and were immediately sabotaged by my dear daddy.  As we went through the store picking up fat free dairy to eat with our carbs and full fat cheeses to go with our eggplant and chicken, he was picking up creme horns and Chunky Chips Ahoy.  Did I mention this was a summer while I was in college? So, I was still living with them and I couldn't realistically throw a fit?
We tried so hard to ignore the goodies. I ate my whole wheat pita (little did I know back then about cd!) with cuc & toms and fat free cream cheese while staring at dad shoveling cookies and ice cream down his gullet.  Mom and I would be drowning in our eggs with cheese and spinach while dad scooped Honey Nut Cheerios for breakfast.
Mom broke first. I threw fits, guilted her and finally I broke too...after about 4 days.
I guess when it came down to it, it's a good thing I caved in. I was getting sick from the whole wheat and barley, which now I know was the celiac.  At the time I just thought it was the food combining method.
Umm...where was I going with this? Oh yeah, crepes.  So I had another enjoyable evening thumbing through cookbooks looking for new recipes. The "Eat, Cheat" book had a lovely recipe for crepes w/ filling and here we are. Making egg crepes with spinach ricotta filling and creamy Parmesean sauce.

I ate 1 and was so full.  They are decadent and surprisingly in expensive and quick to make.  I think when I have time I might make a bunch of crepes and freeze them to have on hand for other fillings too.  For now, I put the rest of these in individual containers and froze them for later - no way I could eat them all, not even for leftovers all week.

The End.
P.S. I tried to "borrow" that book from my Mom again and she caught me  :(
I get it -she's concerned that I already have a strict diet and doesn't want me to go crazy. Guess I will have to buy it myself then...