The Life of a Weight Loss Artist

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Motivational Musings

Our Lady Grows Her Own

Outdoor gardening may be on winter hiatus, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t harvest a mean indoor crop of your favorite herbs.

Herbs are herbaceous plants. Their fresh and/or dried parts are used to season foods, make fragrances, natural dyes, and pharmaceutical products.

Adding fresh herbs to your cooking is a great way to transform any run of the mill meal into an extraordinary cooking adventure.  Herbs fill the air with fragrant aromas, while they enrich the flavor of your foods. And they're good for you. Both fresh and dried herbs have antioxidants that may lower the risk of cancer and heart disease. You can use them in your stews, on pasta, in casseroles.

There is a difference between culinary herbs and spices. Basically, culinary herbs are fresh or dried leaves. Spices are seeds, roots, fruits, flowers, and bark. Culinary herbs generally are mild in flavor. Spices have a more pungent taste.

Many beginner chefs wonder about just how much herbs to add to a recipe, when to add them, and what herbs go with what foods. Relax! There are no rules when it comes to herbs. Experiment!

Here are some thoughts on what herbs to mix with what foods, to get you started.

BASIL - a natural mixed with tomatoes; fantastic in fresh pesto; as well as including in pasta sauce, peas, zucchini.
CHIVES - dips, potatoes, tomatoes.
CILANTRO - Mexican, Asian and Caribbean cooking; salsas, tomatoes.
DILL - carrots, cottage cheese, fish, green beans, potatoes, tomatoes.
MINT - carrots, fruit salads, parsley, peas, tabouli, tea.
OREGANO - peppers, tomatoes.
PARSLEY - curly leaf is the more common, but you can try flat-leaf or Italian parsley, as it is more strongly flavored and often preferred for cooking. Try parsley with your potato salad and/or tabouli and on fish, too.
ROSEMARY - chicken, fish, lamb, pork, roasted potatoes, soups, stews, tomatoes.
SAGE - poultry seasoning, stuffings, fish.
TARRAGON - chicken, eggs, fish.
THYME - eggs, fish, lima beans, potatoes, poultry, summer squash, tomatoes.
WINTER SAVORY - dried bean dishes, stews.

SAUSAGE LINKS:
Spices, Herbs, Rubs & Marinades - Oh My!
Spice & Herb Dictionary - a MUST.

Our Lady's favorite links:
blogs, food, fashion, art
and more!

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Pious Project - A Mind-blowin' Spring-Like Indoor Herb Garden.
It may be snowing outside my window, but inside spring is in full herbal bloom. Seriously folks, could I have picked a better time to plant my windowsill garden? I bought grown plants that struck my fancy. Chives - Red Peppers (I think they're purely decorative. I better check before I poison my family!) and Lavendar. Wow! It's a YUM-a-roma!

PS: If you take a look past my windows, you'll see that I live in the city! Cars, buildings - and that gorgeous building with old-school detail right out the window is for sale! Anyone interested? It would be fun to fill it with Kick in the Tush members. We could wave out the window to each other and have Kick parties!

Here's what you can do!
Gather a few clay pots, some high-quality store bought potting soil (a.k.a. dirt) or peat moss; seeds or, if you’re like me, little plants from the local market. Remember, you don’t want to use your backyard soil.  It’s too heavy for potted plants, and it’s possible that it is transporting a multitude of diseases and insects.  Herbs grow well on a sunny windowsill.

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Regarding last week's Pious Project - GIFT TAGS:

Peg G. shares, "I love your tag idea and will shamelessly steal it. This year I am making all presents, paintings, turkey jerky, dried persimmons, hand painted ornaments. I've attached the collage I made for my brother and his husband. This idea of which I shamelessly stole from another artist, Claudine Hellmuth." (for Peg's Turkey Jerky see Righteous Recipe below)

Adri from NY writes, "I wrap five presents a night, after dinner and after work. I love to have an "organized look" for Christmas, it belies my scattered past, lol! This year, for some reason, I hated to just toss the cardboard tube the paper was wrapped in and suddenly I got an idea....make napkin rings! I made one inch demarcations, using a ruler and was able to make 30 one inch "rings" from the super long tube. Then I took some scraps of left over wrapping paper from the presents and wrapped them individually in the remnants. It's festive the elmers glue holds it all together. And ... Here's another idea I worked on last night. We all get many catalogues at Christmastime. I have from Gevalia Coffee, Harry and David fruit, among others. What I did was find appropriate and colorful pictures, cut them out, mount to cardboard to use as place cards for holiday and Christmas dinners and for present gift cards. This was relaxing and got my mind off the marshmallows...works for me. "

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Righteous Recipe ~ Parlsey, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme Trout

Ingredients:
2 trout fillets
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon each fresh chopped parsley, sage, rosemary & thyme
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon coarse-grind black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
juice of 2 limes

Instructions:
In a plastic zip bag, combine all ingredients.
Shake it up and toss the fillets in, shaking and coating them thoroughly.
Zip up the plastic bag
Place it in the refrigerator at least 2 hours.
When ready to cook, toss marinade and grill,
broil or saute trout as you normally would -
about 10 minutes total, turning once, until fish flakes easily!

Peg G. tells us how to make turkey jerky! "I've got a dehydrator to make the jerky. Basically slice it thin, marinate it in soy sauce, worcestershire sauce, garlic, brown sugar, for 24 hours and then put it in the dehydrator for about 6 hours or so at 140 degrees. It's one of those things that you can gnaw around on and it satisfies both the salt and sugar cravings...if only it took care of the chocolate jones too!"

And through odd coincidence, Peg M. sent in a jerky link as well.

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Janet R. sends us a Brussels Sprout recipe, "My husband's favorite veggie is brussels (I never knew that's how it's spelled!!), sprouts and I love making them as a snack. Just wash hem, cut in half and place on a cookie sheet that's sprayed with non-stick 'stuff' and spray a little olive oil from a mister and sprinkle with teriyaki or soy sauce. Preheat oven to 385 or 400, depending upon how hot yours is, and bake for 30 minutes. They come out crunchy and make a delicious, low-fat snack or hors d'oeuvres. You can do the same thing w. cauliflower. Thanks for the work you do; happy holidays."

Send Our Lady your favorite recipe? Keep them easy, low-cal and FUN. If yours is used, Our Lady will send you a prize!

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Chewing the Fat
How you doin'? Write Our Lady

A KICK member asks for YOUR ADVICE!!!

Forgive me, for I have sinned. I couldn't sleep last night. So I watched late-late-late night tv, and I raided the ice box - BIG TIME. I downed the leftover Lo Mein, shrimp dumplings, and chicken & garlic sauce. All is Forgiven * Move On. Send your confession to info@ourladyofweightloss.com. No Names - Strictly Anonymous

Dear Our Lady of Weight Loss, Given the great feedback you always get from your readers, perhaps you and they can offer some insight on a problem I have encountered. I have had to watch my diet closely and lose weight in order to control diabetes. I consider myself a rather private person and I have shared my diabetes diagnoses only with people I know I can trust and who I know will not nag and nitpick. I do have one close friend who does NOT fall into this category. She is overweight and has a cruel mother who periodically gets on her case about her weight (the irregularity with which she does is part of the cruelty). Since I began losing weight (I initially lost about 75 pounds but have regained about 20 ugh) this friend has tried a thousand ways to find out how and why I have done this. She pretends to be absentminded and asks me to remind her of what pill I am taking for weight loss. She asks if I have had my thyroid tested (she herself takes has had very serious thyroid problems). I have been so frustrated by her that I even stopped talking to her for about 4 months to give myself time to cool off. Now that we are "back together" she seems to have backed off BUT she still tries to sabotage my diet at every go - even to her own detriment. I also see that she has gained more weight but I know that it is not MY problem and that she knows she should lose weight for her self-esteem and health. Have any of your readers had a similar problem? I would LOVE a snappy comeback that will shut her up without hurting her feelings. Any advice? Thanks, An appreciative Fan!

Dear Appreciative Fan, As I see it, you have three options. 1. Take another 4 month break; 2. Keep quiet and suffer; or 3. Communicate your frustrations to your friend. My advice is to tell her gently but firmly - and without blame or incrimination - just how you feel. Talk to her when you are in a measured space. Not when you are angry. Remember - there's no blame. Just a straight and honest communication about how you feel. True friendships (and relationships) should be able to withstand an honest communication. But once again, remember: only speak to her when you are grounded as you cannot predict her response - be honest and direct; do not cloud it with your emotional baggage - and without blame, nasty words. ~ OLofWL

KICK MEMBERS - An Appreciative Fan wants to know what you think. It's always great to receive support from each other!

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Dear OLofWL, Why is it after I have a nice lunch out with my friends, I'm hungry all afternoon? If I stay home and at my usual lunch, I'm fine. Is there anyway to curb the cravings that set in after a day with the ladies? Enjoy your web site. Thank for all the help. ~ June K. Springfield, VA

Dear June, I'm not sure what's happening, but let me ask you a couple of questions: Do you eat differently when out with your friends? Perhaps less and that's why your hungry? OR ... does lunching with your pals activate your emotional eating button? OR ... is it just so tasty that you want more? To curb cravings, here's what I do: I either wait 15 minutes. More often than not, the craving has dissiptaed into the ethers.. Or I brew up a nice, hot cup of decaffeinated herbal tea. Or I get busy creating something. A fun Pious Project does the trick for me! Crocheting, knitting, walking, gardening, scrapbooking. Anything creative and FUN! ~ OLofWL

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Dear OLofWL, I started working on my artwork again. Remember "Living Outside of the Donut Box?" Your encouragement and the encouragement of friends got me to apply for an art show in a swanky gallery. And they selected me! My show will be next July. I have been making Art Trading Cards and selling them on eBay and collecting all sorts of "Art for Real Moms" ideas. I continue to struggle with my weight, but by doing my artwork I am able to get in touch with my feelings again and find humor in a sometimes depressing world. I send friends to your website all of the time, and I just can't wait for the book! I hope you sell zillions! ~ Peggy

Peggy ~ Big time Congratulations! You go girl! I'm so happy for you. And thanks for your good book wishes. Much appreciated. Send us an invite to the show at the swanky gallery! ~ OLofWL

ORDER your copy NOW! Our Lady of Weight Loss's Ten Commandments of Permanent Fat Removal THE TEN COMMANDMENTS of PERMANENT FAT REMOVAL as seen on TV! Good Morning America!

 

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The Life of a Weight Loss Artist -

Janice Taylor lives in a world where vegetables are sexy,
weight loss is fun, and the bottom of the food pyramid
is filled with glue and glitter.

Get Inspired!
This low-cal, low-fat seminar ... coming soon.
Put your name on the wait list. Write Our Lady.

Janice Taylor spent a lifetime losing and gaining weight, until Our Lady of Weight Loss entered her life and told her to make weight-loss an art project. Now more than 50 pounds lighter, Janice will have you laughing on the Rocky Road to Sveltesville, as she shares Our Lady's secrets that will help you to:

* Connect to your "inner thinner core,"
* Stay inspired with "motivational musings" and tips,
* Curb your cravings and keep your creative appetite satisfied with "pious projects,"
* Confess your chocolate or French fry transgressions and move on, and
* Indulge in healthy and simple "righteous recipes."

Janice is a professional weight-loss coach, our country's premiere Weight Loss Artist and creator of the popular e-newsletter, KICK in the TUSH Club. She is also the author of Our Lady of Weight Loss: Miraculous & Motivational Musings from the Patron Saint of Permanent Fat Removal (due to hit the shelves August 2006; Viking Studio, Penguin). She has been featured in Good Housekeeping, Family Circle, the New York Daily News and Good Morning, America. She lives in New York City

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If you can't make it in person ... there's always the good ole' mail!
Six Weeks of Inspiration by Mail Weight Loss via USPS Mail ~ Revolutionary Concept!!! Very cool, inspirational, art-filled stuff! Motivational, inspirational and fun!

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."