update, question and recipe

Good evening everyone. It appears that not many people are home like me on this Saturday night of a holiday weekend. Bummer - not enough hands to camp with the toddler and hubby working/sleeping all weekend, or I would be at the campgrounds. Anyway, I went to see my pcp yesterday about a numbness around and on the inside ankle of my right foot. He said that it is probably a pinched nerve above the ankle and not to worry unless it starts in another body part or spreads in that foot. Needless to say, the outside of my left foot is now numb. No pain at all, though. (YES, I will be calling him on Tuesday if it continues.) While there, we discussed my progress and the lifestyle changes that I have made. He said that he is so proud of me and of where I am at weight-wise. I asked about his goal for me and he said that any loss from this point is a bonus - that I have already increased my life span tremendously. He said that insurance would put normal weight at about 125 - YEAH RIGHT! Realistic, he said probably 150-160 and any thinner would be unhealthy. I said that I was thinking 175 so my husband does not leave me for a chubby woman (hee hee) and the doc agreed that that would be a great goal. He just kept saying that I was doing so well. (His sister had the surgery about a year before me and has NOT had the same successes as I have. Can't imagine his sister needing the surgery - he is buff and lean and oo-la-la too cute! Yes, hubby knows that I call my doctor "eye candy".) He was very impressed about the amount of time that I am working out and even told me that if I run a local race on Labor day that I will go by his house and he will watch for me. Sorry to go on and on and on - just glad that he approves of my progress. Now for the question - does anyone else dump on peanut butter? I have dumped on it recently every time I have eaten it! Maybe it's because I have 3 tablespoons instead of 2, who knows. I used to be able to eat it some, at least. I tried putting some in some vanilla pudding the other day with some whipped cream on top (I can tolerate a little whipped cream usually, too,) and I dumped then. Then, like a dummy, a couple of days later, I made some s/f chocolate fudge pudding and put peanut butter in it again - DOH! Same thing - dumped! What's up with that? Again do you dump on peanut butter or am I just weird? Lastly, (and sorry this is so long,) a recipe for a fruit tart. It soothes my sweet tooth and is s/f. YUMMY!!! Fruit Tart (taken from the July/August, 2004 edition of Quick Cooking magazine and altered for my picky little tummy): Pastry for single-crust pie (9 inches) 1 package (8 oz) 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened 3 tablespoons Splenda 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon almond extract 1/4 teaspoon almond extract (not a typo) 1 cup fresh blueberries 1 cup fresh raspberries 1 medium ripe peach or nectarine, peeled and sliced (You can substitute any of the fruits, I used canned, drained and rinsed mandarin oranges today.) 2 tablesppons s/f apricot preserves If you have a tart pan, put pastry in that, ***** holes in the pastry with a fork and bake according to directions. (I don't have a tart pan, so just poke the holes and bake the crust as directed in the aluminum pan that I bought it in.) Cool completely. In small mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, Splenda, vanilla and 1/2 teaspoon almond extract until smooth then spread over crust. Arrange fruit over cream cheese mixture with peach in the middle then blueberries and finally raspberries on the outside. In a small bowl, combine the apricot preserves and 1/4 teaspoon almond extract and warm in the microwave. Brush over the fruit. Chill the tart until serving. Sorry, I don't know the nutritional value, but know that it is yummy and I don't feel totally guilty after eating it. Enjoy and God bless, Andrea

Hi Andrea: Sorry to hear about your numbness - at least it isn't from the neck up....lol I hope it improves. I also don't want to be a skinny mini. 175 would suit me just fine too. Thanks also for that recipe - that sounds delicious! Yum Yum Give Me Some! I'm really dehydrated this weekend so I am downing fluids like crazy. I'm in close contact with my surgeon's head nurse all weekend - he is on vacation. Well have a safe and fun rest of the holiday weekend! Carol

Hi Carol! I'm kinda glad that I don't have any numbness from the head up, too. I kinda thought that you were having some probs with dehydration, glad to hear that you are working on the fluids. Also happy that you are in contact with the head nurse!! I was going to respond that my weekend was going to be a bust, but since I first read your reply, my older sister called and said that she is coming up from Illinois and my younger sister already has a cookout planned for all of us tonight. My hubby works tonight and then will be sleeping tomorrow, so I don't know that we will get much done. However, I will have a good day if it involves my sisters! Don't float away this weekend!! God bless, Andrea P.S. I am making another tart and a s/f double blueberry pie for adult desserts for the cookout tonight. Kids get rice krispie treats that my daughter just made. (Hubby and I ate the tart from last night@!)

What kind of peanut butter are you eating? I use Smuckers Natural that has no added anything except salt. Pretty tastey. If that's not what you're eating, you might want to try it. I may have a peach pie recipe on Tuesday, providing it turns out okay tomorrow. No crust. Cream cheese, pudding, and peaches. Really good. I had only a taste of the real thing, but think I can modify it to get rid of most of the sugar. I do love fresh peaches.

Lyn, I have used generic or whatever is on sale since surgery. Sometimes store brand, sometimes Skippy. Haven't done any naturals or low sugars. I will have to try one of those. Thanks and God bless, Andrea

Hi Andrea, I haven't dumped on peanut butter & use Skippy, love my peanut butter toast in the mornings! Only thing I miss is having my coffee with it at the same time, well once in a while I'll take a sip of coffee with it, mental thing I know otherwise don't drink (maybe a sip if need be) with meals. Love the recipe, sounds de-lish. I dumped on instant mashed potatoes last week! Tried some again the other day but first bite was last just didn't taste right. That's good considering! Really proud of you gf Know what you are saying, saw my doc a few weeks ago & he was full of praise also. Person just eats it up don't we?! I think so much of it is we have heard so much negative for so many years hearing the positive makes us feel so much better. Tearing up the streets with my new bike loving it. Me? on a bike...hee hee hee. I got my living room painted so was offline for 2 days. Now just need to clean the carpets. Oh & repaint the kitchen ceiling & paint the laundry room. Not enough days or hours. And I'm feeling every poor muscle that has been laying around for so long! Have fun with sis, cookout sounds good if it doesn't rain maybe we'll try same. Hugs Carolyn

Gmorning Andrea....Been doing alot of lurking lately....don't know what's wrong with me lately! Anyway read your post and had to respong, I too had the numbness in my right foot and ankle very wierd but it is now better!!! So hang in there gf! Janet Schmidt

Janet, How long ago did that happen to you? How long did it last? Give me some specifics, please, cuz now it is in the other foot, too. I'm a little nervous, but still have no pain. God bless, Andrea

Hello Andrea, hope everything gets better for you. take it easy I havent dumped on peanut butter just cant eat very much of it. thanks for the recipie I will be trying it. take care Laurie