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KICK in the TUSH Club™
for light-hearted, low-cal loving, nutritional friendly folks who crave mammoth portions of food-facts, recipes, art and inspiration.
April 25, 2005
Our Lady of Weight Loss ™®
is a division of Oy-Caramba! Ltd.
It is always allowable to ask for artichoke jelly with your boiled venison; however there are houses where this is not supplied.~
Lewis Carroll [Charles Lutwidge Dodgson] (1832–1898), British author, mathematician, clergyman.
“Hints for Etiquette: Or, Dining Out Made Easy,” hint XII, in Misch-Masch, repr. In The Unknown Lewis Carroll, Dover (1961).
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Motivational Musings
Gods, Girls and Artichokes
The Past:
According to Aegean myth, the first artichoke was a divine young woman who lived on the island of Zinari.
One day the Greek god, Zeus, visited his brother Poseidon (God of the Sea). (They were some powerful family.)
Zeus emerged from the sea to discover a beautiful young mortal woman. She did not seem frightened by him or seem to notice that he was a god. Zeus, naturally, took full advantage of the opportunity and seduced her. Her name was Cynara, and it all ‘went’ so well that he decided to make her a goddess. This would enable her to live near to his home on Mt. Olympus. (Long distance romance was not his thing.)
Cynara agreed. Zeus had a plan. He thought that whenever his wife Hera was away, he’d get together with Cynara. However, Cynara soon became homesick. She missed her mother, so she slipped back to the earth for a short but meaningful visit with the mortals. When she returned, it was quite apparent that she had a new attitude. Zeus wasn’t particularly happy with her un-goddess-like behavior. He threw a fit and tossed her back to earth, and he changed her into the plant that we now call the artichoke.
The Present:
The artichoke is a part of the thistle group; a member of the sunflower family. The plant can reach heights of three to four feet, and its diameter can cover a six foot area. The “vegetable” we eat is actually the plant’s flower bud, and if allowed to flower, a gorgeous violet-blue blossom will present itself.
Artichokes are available twelve months a year, but their peak season is spring and fall. Most artichokes are grown in France, Italy, and Spain, but California farms nearly 100 percent of the United States’ crop. Baby artichokes are a smaller version of the larger artichokes. The flowers buds are picked from the lower part of the plant, where they receive less sun, which therefore stunts their growth.
Recent German studies indicate that artichoke extract lowers cholesterol.
LINKS:
Don't miss the Artichoke Festival, Castroville, California (May 14/15).
Artichoke Etiquette.
Take the Artichoke Quiz.
Righteous Recipe ~ Artichoke and Sausage Soup - from AnniePie. Thanks for the 'Our Lady approved' recipe.
Ingredients:
1- 14 ounce package of Gimme Lean soy sausage (any brand will do-that is what we have in the local store)
2-#2 cans of artichoke heart quarters
2-#2 cans of diced tomatoes (now the fresh ones are here that would work too)
2 quarts beef broth, fat free
8-10 ounces of clean fresh spinach
1 small onion-chopped
1-2 cloves of garlic, pressed or chopped
coarse ground pepper
salt to taste (if desired)
3 packages of artificial sweetener
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Directions:
The soy sausage should be browned in a Teflon skillet. In a 4 quart soup kettle, dump in the artichoke hearts, the tomatoes, and the beef broth. When the sausage is done,
sauté the onion and garlic. Put everything into the except the spinach. Bring to a boil and then turn down to simmer-everything is already cooked. About ten minutes before you serve, turn up the heat and throw in the spinach.
This is wonderful. Freezes well.
Experiment. I have added green beans to this recipe. Add a little less liquid and it is like a stew.
The soy sausage is about 50 calories per ounce. The veggies barely count.
There is hardly any fat. Kick in the Tush food!
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Want to whip up another dish?
Send Our Lady your favorite recipe! Keep them easy, low-cal and FUN.
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Fruitful Contest - What is not from Jerusalem and not an artichoke?!??
RULES: The 48th to enlighten Our Lady wins an Our Lady of Weight Loss prize! (Sometimes people send in their answers within minutes - even seconds - of each other. Our Lady declares them all winners!)
Write Our Lady.
Last week's Fruitful query: Which famous early rock 'n roll rhythm and blues star had a hit with the song, "I Found My Thrill On Blueberry Hill?"
The winners are: Kate S., St. Paul, MN. "Fats Domino - for this site, we'll go with 'slim domino!' - Jewells S., Chesapeake, VA. -
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Chewing the Fat -
How you doin'? Write Our Lady.
If you've written and your letter has not been published, it's probably coming down the pike and will be in next week's KICK or the week after! NOTE: If your letter and/or Weighty Confession and/or Righteous Recipe is published, you will receive an Our Lady of Weight Loss prize! Be sure to send your mailing address with your email.
Forgive me, for I have sinned.
I've had a pretty good three weeks. I began a "diet" with a friend and we
check in with each other nearly every day. The first two weeks I lost 8.5
pounds. The last two days were a bit of a challenge for me. I was so
hungry for chocolate that I ate (can you believe it) some of those little
foil covered chocolate money candies that you buy for children. They were
in my cupboard for a while. My overindulgence didn't end there. I then
went and had fish and chips and a beer for dinner.
Anyway, today I am back on the program and even went to the gym this a.m.
and plan to walk with a friend later on today. Thanks for being there for
us. Confession is good for the soul!
All is Forgiven * Move On.
Send your confession to info@ourladyofweightloss.com.
No Names - Strictly Anonymous
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Dear OLofWL,
I recently found your website and enjoy reading your stories and finding inspiration with a bit of humor tossed in. Here's my situation. I am seriously overweight (400 lbs) and working on decreasing that number. Within the past 4 days, I've received comments from children. The first was in Target where a young child (6 yrs) said to her mother, "Mom, that lady is fat." Everyone in the aisle heard, and I didn't want to make a scene. The mother started shushing her child right away saying that's not nice to say. I smiled and waved at the girl, because I knew she was right. Then today I weighed myself because I felt like I've had a good week and wanted to see if the scale reflected it. I work in a Community Center and was walking out of the locker room and a young boy (3 or 4) stated (rather loudly), "Mom, look at that fat lady!" I walked on by as the mother started in with the normal, "Shh, that's not nice. People don't say that," and once again gave my smile and wave not knowing what else to do. The boy continued to say, "But mom, look, she's really fat." I felt like someone in a freak show being pointed at and taunted.
Does Our Lady have any suggestions on how to tactfully handle this? I realize children at this age aren't trying to be mean, just truthful. I don't like to make a scene but hate just walking away. And yes, it does hurt my feelings and depending on my willpower I have been known to binge. How do you explain to a child that it's okay to be fat, and it just because we are all different? Ideally, I'd like to approach the child and have something short and nice to say without getting into a huge conversation. I thought of saying, "Hi, my name is Cathy and yes I'm fat." But what do I say after that? I'd appreciate any suggestions. ~ Cathy S., Waconia, MN
Dear Cathy, Oh my. This is a hard one. I've had an insult or two hurled at me once or twice, and boy - did it hurt. I understand how you feel and how you would want to say something to the child. In a sense you are by smiling and waving. You are showing that you are a friendly, kind, and approachable person. If the situation feels safe, you could ask the child's name, engage him/her in a conversation, and point out that people come in all different shapes and sizes.
There is no one simple answer. So - to all of you who are reading this letter from Cathy, please send in your thoughts! We (Our Lady, myself and Cathy) would appreciate hearing from you. In the meantime Cathy, throw your shoulders back, stand tall and feel confident knowing that you have chosen to face a challenge that this child couldn't even begin to understand. And remember - we are all here sharing the ride with you, and we thank you for sharing your poignant problem with us. ~ OLofWL
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Dear OLofWL , I would suggest that Jan (from last week's Chewing the Fat) consider getting herself a small companion
animal - perhaps a dog. I was diagnosed with diabetes about a year ago
and got a dog to help keep me motivated to get off my butt and MOVE. It
worked like a charm -you can't be lazy with a dog - and I have lost 75 pounds. In addition to the exercise motivation, dogs offer unconditional
love, an open ear for listening and, depending on the breed, soft fur to
catch the occasional tear. Jan also shouldn't be so hard on herself. After all, Rome wasn't built
in a day or it might have been if a woman in charge. ~ Thanks, Laura from the Bronx
Dear Laura, Thanks much for your wonderful 'Creative Act of Weight Loss' suggestion. And a big time congrats on your 75 pound loss. Wowwee, zowwee. ~ OLofWL
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Dear OLofWL, I live in West Michigan where we grow lots of blueberries. The best way to get out a blueberry stain is to pour boiling water on it until it's gone. ~ Thelma, West Michigan
Dear Thelma, Thanks for the tip! I'm passing it on! ~ OLofWL
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 Our Lady's Community Art Garden - A virtual place for you to create, be happy, feel joy and flourish. Send in your poems, photos, art, crocheted socks that have holes in them - and your children's too!
For the KiTT* Community - a place to share and grow.
Current exhibition: Fruits & Veggies Rule!
by Wendy Brownlee from Crossfield, Alberta, Canada
I am an artist in need of some slimming. You have inspired me to create some art projects to help lose weight. As a matter of fact, when I got your first kick in the tush I brainstormed about 10 ideas. It is such a change to look at weight loss as something fun and creative instead of a big drag. This is my first project and I hope you like it. I needed to remind myself to eat my fruits and veggies. So, here is a cartoon of my svelte self draped in a fabulous fruit and veggie gown. The colours are supplied by the stickers on fruits and veggies (which by the way are a pet peeve of mine!). I hate the way they get all over my kitchen and house, so I asked my family to help me fill in my glamorous dress with stickers from fruits and veggies we ate. It was fun!
I live on a small farm west of Crossfield in Alberta,Canada. I homeschool my 2 children which means I spend a lot of time in the kitchen. I keep my current work on the fridge to remind me to create, rather than eat. I enjoy drawing and painting, especially with watercolour pencils. Hope you enjoy this! ~
Wendy Brownlee
Want to share your creative side? Community Art Garden
*KiTT - KICK in the TUSH Club
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 The Art of Weight Loss Workshops
Six Week Workshop ~
Gain insight into your inner Weight Loss Artist ™ while steadily shedding pounds.
When it comes to permanent fat removal, thinking outside of the donut box is key! Next six week workshop forming now.
Six Weeks of Inspirational Weight Loss via USPS Mail ~ Revolutionary Concept!!! Very cool, inspirational, art-filled stuff! Motivational, inspirational and fun!
| Six Weeks of Inspirational Weight Loss Testimony ~
"The first package arrived on Friday!!! I am loving it already. I cleaned out my
refrigerator, tacked up the 10 commandments, did my exercise and had a big drink of water.... So I am on my way. Looking forward to next week - both to your envelope arriving and some pounds leaving! Thank you again...Kathie M., Santa Barbara, CA.
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Become a certified Weight Loss Artist™ - at home program. From postcard art to weight loss mantras on mugs- you're gonna' have a blast!
Weight Loss Artist™ Testimony ~
"I received the Weight Loss Artist Certificate program package. How wonderful the stuff is and the projects as well. I will lose the weight I need to. I'm going to have so much fun doing this! - Kate, Saint Paul, Minnesota
"The Weight Loss Artist package arrived and made me so happy. I received it on Wednesday but didn't have a chance to open it until last night. I mostly just took out the stuff and looked at it and touched it. It's like having a package full of possibilities. Everything looked so neat and exciting. AND when I woke up this morning I had lost a pound. Weight Loss Artist indeed!" - Mary, Brooklyn, New York
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For more info... click here or contact: info@ourladyofweightloss.com
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The KICK in the TUSH Club provides a weekly reminder in the form of an Art-KICK for those who wish to anchor themselves to their weight loss and/or health goals (or for those who need to satisfy their craving for a quirky kick). It's fun, fab and fat-free. Sign-up now (there's no charge). Click here! Our Lady. (Or send an email to: info@OurLadyofWeightLoss.com) and say, "YES! I need a KICK in the TUSH.
Volume II, KICK #17™©
Janice Taylor
www.OurLadyofWeightLoss.com™®
a Division of Oy-Caramba, Ltd!
Interested in reprinting the KICK in the TUSH or licensing the art?
Contact: info@ourladyofweightloss.com
Our Lady of Weight Loss has been recommended by:
The New York Daily News, The Arizona Republic Newspaper, SKIRT! Magazine,
Energy Express, Tribune Media Co., Herbs for Health, Good Housekeeping, First for Women,
Family Circle and more...
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Disclaimer: This column is for information only and no part of its contents should be construed as medical advice, diagnosis, recommendation or endorsement by Our Lady of Weight Loss, Oy-Caramba, Ltd! or Ms. Taylor.
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