I've had a few requests for the recipes mention in the "Normal Saturday" blog.  Here they are.  I hope you enjoy them as much as I do...

Turkey Spaghetti Sauce

Makes about 3 cups

Ingredients
1/2 pound            ground turkey
1/2 c                      chopped onion
1/4 c                      chopped green pepper (I like pablano, but sweet will work)
2 tsp.                     minced garlic (probably 3 cloves if using fresh)
1/4 tsp.                  nutmeg
                               salt, to taste
                               black pepper, to taste
1 TBS                    sugar (optional)
1 can (14.5 oz)    diced tomatoes (no salt added)
1 can (6 oz)          tomato paste
1 bunch                fresh basil (about 20 leaves, chopped fine)
3 TBS                    fresh parsley, chopped fine
                               

Directions

Brown turkey, onion, pepper and garlic in a saucepan. Don't drain it. add nutmeg, salt, pepper and sugar (if using). Saute for 1 minute. add tomatoes and tomato paste.  Simmer for 1 hour on low, stirring as needed.  Stir in basil and parsley, simmer for 5 minutes. Enjoy!


Pizza

Ingredients
1 flat out wrap (or low carb tortilla)
Prepared pizza sauce
Mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses
Toppings (anything legal for you to eat per your doc or NUT) No more than 1/2cup total or your pizza will be too heavy

Directions
If you like your pizza crispy, pre bake the flat out in a 400 degree oven for 3 minutes.  Build your pizza any way you want to.  I used pork Italian sausage, turkey pepperoni, diced onion and fresh basil. Bake in 400 degree oven for 8 minutes.  Check the pizza to be sure it is cooked the way you want.  If not cooked enough, just leave it in for 4-5 minute intervals. I can only eat about 1/2 of this. 


Lower Sugar Baked Beans

Ingredients
1 can            Mixed Beans (Pinto and Great Northern)
1 can            Kidney Beans
1/2 c              onion, chopped
1/4 c              green pepper
2 tsp             minced garlic
2 TBS           Splenda/Brown sugar mix
1 TBS           Sugar Free Syrup
1 TBS           Ketchup 
3 TBS           Tomato paste
1/4 c              Water
1/2 tsp          mustard
1 tsp             molasses 
4 strips        bacon

Directions
Mix all ingredients in a bowl, except bacon.  Chop 2 strips of bacon in to little pieces and stir in the bean mixture. Put bean mixture in baking pan.  Lay other two pieces of bacon on top of the beans. Bake in 350 degree oven for 30-45 minutes until bacon on top is done, and beans are bubbly. 

I hope you enjoy these as much as I have. Be sure chew, chew, chew! If a food is new to you, just eat a bit to see how well you tolerate it.  I am making the beans today for the little cook-out that I'm having!  I will have franks and beans for my holiday meal!

Yesterday I decided to lay around in the morning.  You know, recuperating from my two days at work!   Then I put my grocery list together and headed for Wal-Mart to fight the holiday crowds. Well, I actually found a parking spot that was in the next county so I thought "Maybe this will be a good shopping trip!"

The calcium pills I had bought earlier were making me sick (I've switched brands now). I had no idea if they would take  back a 1/2 empty bottle of vitamins... but they did! Then I started my shopping. 

I wanted a loaf of the bakery bread, so I asked them to slice it for me. While I was waiting, the smell of the icing (they were decorating cakes at that particular moment) made me so nauseous, I thought I was going to dump right there from the smell alone!  Lawd! 

Then I went for it!  I bought stuff to make low-carb pizza; turkey spaghetti sauce; low sugar baked beans; and regular eating for a while... (The total for the bill: $47. Can you believe it?  Pre-surgery days this bill would have been over $100; and it would have all been crap food!)

After I finished my shopping, I was getting a bit lightheaded... and of course I hadn't brought a snack with me... and of course everything I bought required real cooking... so I thought I was going to be short... 

But then... I remembered the deli!  I went to the counter and asked for a sample of smoked turkey.  Got a slice, tasted it (yum), and declined to buy any... didn't really want anymore.  I was back to normal in a matter of minutes and feelin' fine! 

I had to go to another store to get the brand of Greek yogurt I like... and then I was on the way home. At home, I had a snack of turkey pepperoni, cheese and two crackers... I put the groceries away, and relaxed the rest of the evening.

For dinner, I had Turkey meatloaf (Jenny-O) and two bites of a crisped-skinned baked potato. Very good... I'll be having this dinner again!  Everything went down nicely.   

So life is returning to normal. It's easier to cope with the every day stressors when I'm 47 pounds lighter! So I am looking forward to more days like this...normal.