Good news!

I spent three very chilly days in New York City this past weekend. I lived there for 12 years and returning for a few days felt like I never left! My blood has definitely thinned considerably since moving to southern California, and I found myself buying an additional scarf and a hat from a street vendor out of pure necessity. I had planned on seeing a Broadway show, but when I saw the length of the discount ticket line, which is outside, I decided to enjoy a movie instead. I saw An Education, which is a flick about a British teenager who learns about being an adult way before her time. It a great story and a well-made picture. I highly recommend it.

Today, I received the results from the blood tests my doctor took. I am very proud to report that all of my numbers are within normal range. The loss of 40 pounds made all of the healthy eating and exercising absolutely worth it. I have a stomach bug today, so all I've done is choke down toast, but tomorrow I will begin again with the wonderful Diabetic Living recipes.

Hope all is well with you. Have a peaceful evening.

Many of the recipes I've been making require the flattening out of pork or chicken medallions. I've discovered the best way for me to pound the medallions is to put them in a zip-lock bag. They don't move around and the juices don't splash all over the counter. The thinner cuts are much juicier and the outside doesn't overcook.

Tonight, I fried up some pork medallions without doing anything fancy and served them on top of a green salad. I've perfected the vinagrette using olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, and fresh oregano. The oregano truly cuts the tart flavor of the balsamic vinegar.

The day at school was overwhelmingly busy. I always go in with one thing on my "to-do" list. Today, I didn't get to it until 3:10 p.m. It was a heavy day of meetings, responding to people who dropped in for something, and editing things for people. For the first time all year, I didn't step into a classroom.

I was talking to some teachers at a lunch meeting about this blog, and one teacher wrote down the name of the cookbook I'm working through. My weight loss has become inspirational to some; others say I'm too skinny. I'm pretty sure I've plateaued at a 40-pound loss, which is fine with me. This morning, I tried on a pair of pants I bought after losing 20 pounds and they slipped over my hips and fell to the floor. It's getting expensive trying to keep up with shopping for clothes!

Have a good night.

Tonight, I made Crab Cakes with Spring Green Salad (with a Lime Dressing) right out of the Diabetic Living cookbook. The lump crab was mixed with egg white, lite mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, hot pepper sauce, red pepper, parsley, green onion, dill, and panko (Japanese breadcrumbs). After making four 1/2 inch thick cakes, I covered them and chilled them in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Oops! Before I made the crab cakes, I made the lime dressing so it would have time to chill. I used 2 tablespoons of olive oil, two tablespoons of lime juice, one minced garlic clove, salt, and pepper.

After the crab cakes chilled, I coated them in more panko and fried them for 10 minutes in Pam olive oil cooking spray. When they were done, I served them on the dressed green salad.

I enjoy the flavor of the crab, but if I make this again, I will use more substantial bread crumbs to give the crab cakes the crunch that I'm used to. The crab cakes and green salad truly complemented each other, and it was a nice filling meal. The crab, of course, was expensive, and I guess for the cost, I would have liked a more savory dish.

Tonight, I'm finishing The Story of Edgar Sawtelle. I have this thing about finishing a great read. It makes me sad or feeling empty when I come to the end of a great story. I plan on going to bed early so that I have enough time to finish it without thinking about how much sleep I'm losing.

School was exceptionally busy today, which I love. The day ended in what seemed like a blink of an eye.

Enjoy the picture.

Today was my first day back at school. I've got to tell you that I love my job as principal of the PS-5th grade division. I've been at this school for nine years and know all of the kids and most of the parents, so it was great to see everyone. I also work with a particularly talented and committed group of teachers, and it was a pleasure giving hugs all around.

One teacher confessed to me today that her husband, who has been a mortgage broker for 25 years, is struggling to support the family. She thinks they are going to have to give up their home, and there is a possibility that she and her husband will separate because of the financial tension is their household. The strength of this woman was inspirational. Her conclusion was that she would regroup and move forward with her life. She is one of the sweetest, most giving human beings I know and listening to her story was heart-breaking. Her situation truly reflects these hard economic times.

I was beat when I got home, so I made my favorite Spinach Panini sandwich again. I had left-over basil and feta cheese from the last time I made it so it beat going grocery shopping for something new.

When I'm at school, my breakfast consists of Carbmaster yogurt, available through Ralph's Grocery Store, a Think Thin bar (check out the website), and a cheese stick. I generally top off the yogurt with sugar-free granola. The crunch is bliss!

I didn't hear from my doctor today about my blood numbers, but I assume that no news is good news.

I sent out a large soap order that came in on Saturday. When people receive a box of soap from me, the scent upon opening the box is overwhelmingly fragrant. I wish I were a fly on the wall at that moment. I'm going to post my latest Valentine soap. It's simple to make, but it's the fragrance choices that make ya want to eat the soap. This heart soap comes in Chocolate Mint, Chocolate-Covered Cherry and Chocolate Cappuccino. Mmm-mmm, good.

Have a good night.

I go back to work tomorrow after a two-week break. Besides a lot of cooking, I read a couple of excellent books. One was Greg Mortenson's Stones into Schools. He was a mountain climber, who after failing to reach the top of K2, wandered into a back water Afghan village and left with the promise that he would build a school for the girls of the village. After recounting his experience in the book, Three Cups of Tea, he wrote Stones into Schools as a follow-up. In this book, he tells of his continuing saga of building schools in remote parts of Afghanistan and Pakistan. It's an amazing example of how one person can make a difference in thousands of lives.

I'm finishing The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, a Christmas gift from my mother. It's a novel about a boy who is born without the ability to talk. He and his family raise very special dogs in a small town in the northern midwest. Edgar is an extremely intelligent young man, who has a special connection with his dogs. The story is absolutely riveting, and it's hard to put down. I recommend this book, as well as Mortenson's fantastic story.

Today, I strayed away from Diabetic Living and roasted chicken for dinner. Of course, there are plenty of chicken recipes in the cookbook, but I decided to do a plain old roasted chicken. With it, I served butternut squash and broccoli with pecans. It hit the spot.

Because I'm returning to work tomorrow, Stella is returning to Doggie Day Care. She is not going to like it. She loves being at my side every second, and when I try to hand her over to a dog care worker, she's going to protest. She and I have had a great two weeks together. We've done many parks, went to the ocean a couple of times, and have shopped at Pet Smart and Pet Supply, her favorite stores.

Here's one more picture of Stella. If she could talk, she'd be telling me to not even think about taking her back to Doggie Day Care!

For the past two days, I have enjoyed pork, spinach dishes, mashed sweet potatoes, and a green salad. Last night, I made a pork roast (with fat trimmed), which lasted for a couple of days. To go with the pork, I made my favorite dish, mashed sweet potatoes. I boil two cut up sweet potates and a Gala apple, while a whole garlic is roasting in the oven on 350 degrees for one hour. Before I wrap the garlic in foil, I sprinkle it with fresh rosemary and EEVO. When the potatoes are done, I drain them and put them in a bowl. Into that I squeeze out the roasted garlic and add a teaspoon of balsamic vinegar and fresh pepper. The ingredients are mashed together and served. No butter needed! To go with the pork tonight, I heated a few kalamati olives in Pam cooking spray for three minutes, then set them aside. In the same pan, I placed a cup of baby spinach leaves, stirring them constantly for two minutes, or until wilted. I placed the spinach on a plate and covered them with the olives and a sprinkling of feta cheese.

I love these recipes. They are incredibly flavorable, and I can eat as much of the greens as I want. I never feel full, just sated.

I talked to my family on the east coast today, where it is 4 degrees! I took my dog, Stella, to the beach today here in southern California. Between walks with the dog, I have been trying out my new exercise tools. The weights are great, and I can feel the difference. With all of the weight I've lost, I need to tone up certain parts of my body. The hula hoop is great, but it has made my mid-section sore. Perhaps it is too weighted. I can't wait until this ear infection is gone so I can get back in the pool.

Tonight's picture is of me and Stella. Have a good evening.