Happy Sunday!

It is a beautiful Sunday morning in Southern Indiana, and it is almost time for church. The girls are singing this morning in the childrens choir, and then afterward, we are having a "pitch-in" (thats a potluck for those, like me, who didn't have a clue what it was until last year!). After church and the dinner, we are going to another   cook-out at a dear friends house. It is the woman that drove the car for Molly on Friday night.  She has almost 15 acres, and we are going to play games,     and just have a wonderful day of fun and relaxation for all of the co-workers that will be coming.   Of course, since it is a cook-out    , I had to make stuff to take for BOTH occasions! LOL  I decided to make a double batch of my fresh pasta and vegi salad.  Loaded down with all kinds of   fresh vegis,   and italian dressing   (fat free, but I won't tell anyone!) and the tri-colored pasta to make a couple of HUGE bowls!  I have 2 8-qt tupperware bowls and filled them both!  The girls helped me cut all the vegis. They did really good too.   They both want to become chefs   also. Mariah has already been helping me for almost a year. Her favorite channel on TV is The Food Network, and her fav is Rachael Ray! LOL  Her dream when she is older, and Molly also, is for us 3 to open our own catering business and resturaunt.        (She knows that I had my own catering business right out of culinary school, so that is why she wants to do it again!) I told her that if she is interested in it that much, I will help her get into Culinary school, and go where I did, so she can learn just from the best. That is going to be one of my biggest problems after surgery.......when I was going to school for my chefs liscense, we were always taught, "Never trust a skinny chef!"   I think that was one of my biggest things during school also, because when we started preparing meals, we had to taste EVERYTHING!  All the sauces, soups, batters, and everything that goes with a meal.   It was hard, but I enjoyed culinary school so much. But, I am sure that I will make it thru just fine, and be ok with it. Enough of my rambling, time to get ready for church! Have a wonderful day!

Sounds like you have a great day planned!  How about sharing your recipe for the veggie pasta salad?  Do you put the veggies in raw, or pre-cook them just a little to soften them up? I also love to cook and love the Food Channel ... except most of their chefs are skinny ... hmm, probably because they're "celebrity chefs?"  They must have personal trainers and some sort of contract rules about staying slim for TV.  Just kidding ... or am I???  Oh well, either way, I'll let Alton Brown into my kitchen any day, any weight!

I love the food channel to. Paula Dean is my fave. Not much going on today. DH's work week starts on Sunday,so today is like our Monday. It really ruins the whole weekend.  The food channel needs to start a show up for WLS patients and see how that goes. They might be surprised and it go over well. Have a great week everyone.

My parents went 2 weeks ago to Paulas restraunt.  They said it was really good.  Today shes been on  QVC selling her pots and pans all day along with a cookbook and pre packages foods.  I think she has her last show at 11pm if u still wanted to check her out....lol

I'll look and see if I can find it... thanks a bunch for letting me know

Hi LaChelle. I would love to have the recipe for the pasta salad. I love that. I put some veggies in but not near as many as I should. I use the fat free Italian dressing too. I use to like to cook but the older I get the more I don't care as much for it. I love the food network and my favorite is Paula Dean. I think I would really like a lot of her recipes but then it goes back to you have to fix them! lol Maybe once I get to feeling better after surgery I will feel more like doing the cooking like I use to. I use to love to make up different recipes. I think a WLS show on food network would be a great idea too! Maybe we should all write the letters. I bet if they got enough they would get tired of us and maybe put a show on! lol

This is not meant to be a serman but just wanted to share.  We do need a small amt of  healthy fats in our diet...we never need  refined sugars!!! Just a couple of notes about the fat free dressings....one when they take out fat they usually replace it by putting more sugar in the product...which post op causes many to dump!!! Also not all fat is bad for you.  Often ppl who diet and take all fat out of their diets end up having to have their gall bladders removed.   So u want to be very careful about going totally fat free.   Also, you do need fats to absorb fat soluable vitamins.  Post of we have a hard enough time getting those in so u do need that fat so they will be absorbed.....Its a fine line to get a little fat but not get to much. I will tell you that making your own u can control the amt of sugar and by using a good oil and not the hydrogenated ones that arent good for us.  One over the counter one that is very good is the Paul Newmans Oil and Vingar dressing.  Its very similar to Italian but no sugar and only natural ingredients.   Read labels very carefully.  

I AGREE WITH YOU PAMALA, WHEN I HAVE A SALAD I EAT REG DRESSING AND THEN WALK A LITTLE MORE FOR THE EXTRA CAL. I GET. THE FAT FREE OR NO FAT DRESSINGS SONT TASTE GOOD TO ME. SO IF I FEEL A NEED TO USE IT I JUST EXERCISE A LITTLE MORE . I DONT STARVE MY SELF NOW BUTI AM VERY CAREFUL ABOUT WHAT I EAT AND HOW MUCH AND SO FAR ITS WORKING FOR ME.  GOOD LUCK TO ALL. VICKI