This recipe and post comes from our key friend Momomig who felt the need to contribute a recipe. Momomig says she's been working on adding to her repertoire of side dishes for her summertime grilling and making chicken, steak, chops, and burgers on the grill. She found this  Eggplant Lasagna is a welcomed ready-made side dish.

Keep in mind that they layers are THIN!!! This is the trick. Very little of anything at one time!

Peel a large eggplant and slice lengthwise as thinly as possible. Layer the slices on salted paper towels in a baking dish.

Layer: paper towel, salt, eggplant, salt, paper towel eggplant, etc.

Place a smaller baking dish on top and weigh it down with canned and bottled goods. Wait 20-30 minutes.

Remove each slice of eggplant and wipe any salt/liquid off. Dip into a shallow dish of egg beaters (or beaten egg), then into a shallow dish of finely grated Parmesan and/or Romano.

Shake off all excess - this is important!. Set aside until all slices are coated.

Heat olive oil in a skillet and begin to brown the eggplant in the pan. As each eggplant are finished cooking, place onto paper towels and blot.

Take a small amount of tomato sauce (I use Prego) and place a thin coating on a baking dish.

Place a layer of fried eggplant.

Put the THINNEST POSSIBLE slice of mozzarella from the deli on top and then a thin layer of tomato sauce, then the thinnest possible layer of ricotta cheese* thinned to spreading consistency (like warm peanut butter) with egg beaters, and then continue the layers. If done correctly, the eggplant is the star, and the cheese is secondary.

*I used the cottage cheese with egg instead of ricotta. Perfect. I beat the two together, to make the same consistency as ricotta. I used a whisk and I used a hand mixer. Hand mixer works best. Adding extra egg to the CC makes a very spreadable consistency that allows for extra thin layers.

This recipe is divine, and the thinner the layers, the better!

NOTES

About the cheese...I tried the lasagna without the mozzarella, and it was just as good. If you are even concerned about the Parmesan/Romano you can simply fry the eggplant until lightly browned. You may want to leave a bit of the salt on the eggplant, as the cheeses tend to add some flavor.

About the tomato sauce...you can use a tomato sauce with salt. Because of dietary restrictions, I use the Heart Smart Prego sauce, but a more flavorful sauce would help without the cheese.

About adjusting this recipe...I've made this recipe at least 4 ways:
  1. with cheeses
  2. without cheeses
  3. with only the Parmesan to create a "bread-like" consistency on the eggplant
  4. with cottage cheese and egg
I also made a version where I added a layer of grilled hamburger patties. It was gone in 2 days!

Suffice to say that there is really no wrong way to make this. For some reason, the eggplant takes on the consistency of noodles, and so long as you keep the liquid down, and the layers very thin, it seems to be foolproof. 
September 14, 2016
This is key-friendly "egg samich" comes from our key friend Lou. He has perfected cloud bread and has created many different ways to use cloud bread. In this instance, he uses cloud bread to make an "egg samich" on clouds grilled on a dry skillet.

Instructions: follow the recipe for cloud bread, fry an egg or two, place the eggs between 2 cloud breads, place sandwich on dry skillet, and toast on both sides to your liking.

Hmm, I wonder how this would be with my favorite cooked or if I grilled it on my panini grill?
September 14, 2016
Ingredients
  • 1 whole chicken separated into 8 pieces 
  • 3 tbsp olive oil 
  • 1 large onion sliced 
  • 3 garlic cloves minced 
  • 1 red bell pepper sliced 
  • 1 yellow bell pepper sliced 
  • 3/4 c chicken broth 
  • 2 tsp vinegar 
  • 1 ½ cups crushed tomatoes 
  • 1 tsp dried oregano 
  • 1 tsp red pepper flakes 
  • Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
  1. Season chicken with salt and pepper. 
  2. Add olive oil to a large high sided sauté pan or heavy-bottomed pot and place over medium-high heat. 
  3. Add chicken, skin side down and cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes. 
  4. Flip and cook until browned on the other side. 
  5. Move chicken to the side of the pot. 
  6. Add the onions and garlic, and cook until soft. 
  7. Add the bell peppers and sauté for a few more minutes. 
  8. Season with salt and pepper. 
  9. Add the chicken broth and vinegar and simmer until reduced by half. 
  10. Add tomatoes, oregano, red pepper flakes and season with salt and pepper. 
  11. Partly cover pan and simmer for about 35 to 40 minutes. 
Submitted by Sue Zuron
August 11, 2016
Ingredients
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic
  • 3 large handfuls lacinato kale, torn into shreds
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Directions

Preparing to Bake
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°
  2. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
  3. Combine the salt, smoked paprika, and garlic in a small bowl.
  4. Wash the kale. 
  5. Rinse the kale leaves, then put them in a salad spinner and spin until the green becomes a blur. Round and round, spinning and spinning — let the kale dry.
  6. After removing kale from spinner, dry it even more with paper towels. Those leaves should be bone dry.
Oiling the Kale
  1. Put the kale leaves in a large bowl.
  2. Drizzle over 1 tablespoon of the olive oil.
  3. Massage the oil into the leaves. You might need more. You might have larger hands than I do. Use your judgment.
Bake the Chips
  1. Arrange the kale chips onto the sheet try and slide it into the oven. 
  2. Bake until the leaves are crisp to the touch but still a dark green. When they turn brown, they turn bitter.
  3. Check at the 12-minute mark, to be sure.
  4. Remove them from the oven. 
  5. Sprinkle with the garlic smoked paprika salt.
  6. Let them cool a bit. 
  7. Eat.
Play with the spices to your liking. I like to add a bit of lemon juice to the oil.

Recipe submitted by Doryne Pederzani-Dinneen
August 11, 2016
Steak with Mushrooms
Ingredients
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil 
  • 3/4 pounds skirt steak, cut into 4 pieces 
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt 
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 5 ounces mushrooms, trimmed and quartered 
  • ¼ teaspoon cup balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves 
Directions
  1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. 
  2. Season the steak with salt and pepper and cook, 3 to 5 minutes per side for medium-rare, reserve the skillet drippings.
  3. Let steak rest for 5 minutes before slicing. I removed all the fat from the steak before serving.
  4. Add the mushrooms to the drippings in the skillet and cook, tossing occasionally, until browned and tender, 3 to 5 minutes. 
  5. Add the balsamic vinegar, stirring occasionally, until slightly reduced and syrupy, 2 to 3 minutes more; season with salt and pepper. 
  6. Top steak with the mushroom sauce and sprinkle with the parsley.
August 06, 2016
In mid-July I was on my morning walk when I realized: this road isn't taking me where I want to go! My morning walk literally leads to a dead-end. As I walked, I wondered: what other paths do I take throughout my day that don't lead to where I want to go?
Is the road you on taking you where you want to go?
This realization felt symbolic of where I was on my weight loss journey: at a dead-end. I started to think about the food choices I'd made that led me to gain weight instead of reaching my goal size. What foods was I justifying as okay, when in reality they were keeping me from reaching my goal? Why was I choosing to stay on a dead-end road?

Here are some of those non-key foods my self-talk justified as okay:
Why not have cheese? At least it's not sugar!

 Yes, I'll have corn tortillas with my eggs. At least it's not bread!

I have 20 minutes before my students arrive and it's just me and a tray of Girl Scout cookies. Who's going to know?
This was the wrong way of thinking! I realized I needed to start making different choices. Each time I justified eating non-key foods, I was choosing a dead-end path that led to weight gain instead of weight loss. I started asking myself: is this food going to take me in the direction I want to go? If the answer was no, I made a different choice.

Weight loss is all about choices. Weight gain is also about choices. We have the freedom to choose which direction we want to go: up or down in clothing size.

I've been struggling on my weight loss journey for the past year. In the past six months I've gained weight and my clothes are too tight. Over a month ago I decided it was time to get back on the right road again.

One of the things I did was to look back through my weight loss journey photos and that's when I had a big AH-HA moment!
There was a time when I was excited and proud to be the size I am today. Why can't I allow myself to feel good about being this size today?

I haven't gained all my weight back and I choose to stop feeling horrible about my weight gain, because all that negative self-talk from my inner-critic (Little Mean Girl) wasn't helping.
I've always advocated of taking photos while on this weight loss journey and taking them often. New discovery: this is a good idea when you are struggling as well.

This first of August I took a few photos of myself, including an OMG side profile. I'll take more photos in the same outfit at the end of the month. I'll repeat this every month for the rest of the year. Those photos were a big reality check for me. I had to hush my Little Mean Girl, and I'm not ready to share them, but I look at them daily, to remind myself of where I am today and to help me make healthy choices.

I encourage you, whether you're On or OFF program or somewhere in between, to take a photo of yourself today. Mark your calendar to take another one in 30 days and repeat each month. You don't have to share the photo today (or ever), but do this for yourself. Hush your Little Mean Girl if you don't like what you see and use that photo to motivate you to make healthy choices.

I'm editing a video about a place in New Hampshire that was called Freedom Acres; it closed decades ago. The interviewer asked the woman telling the story "why do you think they named the place Freedom Acres?

"Because it gave them the freedom to do whatever they wanted," she replied.

We have the freedom to choose whatever we want too: to continue on our weight loss journey or to call it quits. I'm choosing to stay on my journey and I'm going to use Freedom Acres as my metaphor of where I want to live.

My Freedom Acres doesn't have dead-ends, it has fields of unlimited possibilities and gardens full of unseen spirits that guide me when I need it. In my Freedom Acres my body is free from stress and struggles, because I'm connected with my life purpose and I choose to live my best life every day. I'm relaxed, calm, peaceful, and I choose to eat healthy.
My Freedom Acres
Where are you on your weight loss journey? Are you on a path that leads to a dead-end? Is it time for you to get off that path and onto one that leads you to success?

You have the freedom to choose where you're going - where do you want to go?
August 06, 2016
During my recent struggle to stay on program, I've been talking with Linda, my key-friend and blog contributor, who was also struggling. We were both shocked to find ourselves by the river side (off-program). Now that we're back in the river, we want to share this part of our journey.
Step away from the river side and jump back into the river.
Theresa:
It was hard for me to believe that after five years of being on program, I would found myself on the old familiar roller-coaster ride of on/off program and obsessed with thoughts of being a failure. Round and round I went. I couldn't find a way to get off the ride.

I was finally able to get off the roller-coaster when I decided that feeling good far outweighed the restraints I once had to keep me from eating whatever I wanted. My stomach-churned from unhealthy food choices. I started having lower back pain at night. I felt lousy all day, day after day, for weeks. Then there was the absence of the visceral thrill of the drop in size; after all I had not reached my goal size. I felt like a failure. I felt shame for gaining weight and for wanting to hide.

Linda and I had long phone conversations to talk about our struggles, successes, and to support one another. Despite those inspiring conversations, jumping back in the river didn't happen right away for me. Sometimes I caught a ride on the roller-coaster for days. Other times I did well for a month or longer, but then I returned to the roller-coaster and was on and off program again.

Finally, sick to death of feeling so poorly, I cashed in my roller-coaster ticket for a one-way-ticket back to the river. I focused on how, just a few months earlier, I had been I was so comfortable in my body, full of energy, and living pain-free. I incorporated a daily visualization of feeling good in my body to reinforce my commitment to stay the course.

I reminded myself how happy I was when I last reached the size I am today, to help me push away those thoughts of shame. Today, I choose to feel proud of where I am and where I'm going! No more roller-coaster rides for me. I feel nauseous just thinking about getting on another roller-coaster.

Life is about making choices. Each time I make choices that take me where I want to go in my life, to eat healthy and to exercise, my life fills with hope.
Linda:
I was so off course and I hit a VERY BIG pothole in my journey. I wrote in a journal how I felt, how miserable, how unhappy, and how frustrated; I got all my emotions out. Then I wrote my plan for the day, In big bold letters:
  • I WILL STAY ON PROGRAM.
  • I WILL EAT ONLY MEAT AND VEGGIES
  • I WILL NOT EAT CHEESE
  • I WILL NOT EAT SUGAR — SUGAR IS POISON!!!
I continued writing each day how I physically felt, mentally felt, and my plan for the day.
  • I WILL WALK WALK WALK!
Each day I got stronger.

I really believe writing these thoughts down on paper helped. I was SCARED!!! I had gained weight!!!

I began thinking positively. My thought process changed as each day became another step. I forgave myself.

I do not dwell on where I was. I dwell on how happy I was when I reached the size earlier in my journey.
What about you? Are you struggling to get back and stay in the river? Stay tuned, as we continue to once again share our weight loss journey.

What as that noise? That was water splashing — as you too jumped back in the river!
July 13, 2016
For those of you struggling on your weight loss story, here's a story from one of our key friends who overcame the many obstacles in her life and successfully reached her goal size. Melissa shares how she went off program three times and got back on program on her own.
It's been an unforgettable four years!
April 19 was my four-year anniversary since hypnosis. To say the least, it has been an unforgettable four years.

When I began this journey I was 42, weighed 232 pounds, was stuffed into a size 20/22 with high blood pressure, a fatty liver and I was a borderline diabetic with a five-year old daughter. I was the epitome of unhealthy.

I will never forget my doctor appointment in November 2011 when I was told if I didn't change my lifestyle my daughter would grow up without her mother; that's all I needed to hear. I called Julie's office and I was added to the wait list. I finally received my call for April 19, 2012.
That call changed my life.

I went nearly 2 ½ years 100% on plan, cycled through maintenance and I have had 3 rough patches of screwing up, because I'm human.
When I went off-program the first time, I chose to disappear and hide instead of owning my mistakes. Since then I learned a valuable lesson: to make the conscious decision to do it so I must own it. Being vocal about it seems to have helped others know that it's OK, shit happens, we're all human, and that by owning it I became accountable. It's made it easier for me to be honest and embarrassed in hopes I can give other the motivation to get back on track. 
I'm happy to say that I'm in a really good place now. What I've come to realize is we are never fully happy with our bodies and this is something I am working on now. I totally went off plan, but I also know that it only brought me more sadness, frustration, and sheer fear of never being able to regain control.

But guess what? It's mind over matter...
I've gone off program three times and I've had the mental ability to get right back on track without a refresher to do so.
I went back on-program with this theory: the time is going to pass either way, I can make the best of it and follow what I've learned or be miserable and unhealthy again. Time is not going to stop for me and so I need to commit.
Before I knew it, five months passed, and it was honestly mindless.
It's been since 2012 when I was initially hypnotized by Julie and nearly three years since my last refresher. I've got this on my own. So if your still questioning, "Can we get back and lose without a refresher?" the answer is absolutely, positively, 110% yes!
Never give up hope because it's all within you. I will continue this lifestyle, because it's taught me so much about myself and I'm so much happier as a smaller me. 
My weight loss progression during the last four years:
My starting picture taken the night before hypnosis.
April 2012 - November 2012
At my smallest being a size 4/6.
June 2013 at my fittest
September 2013
December 2014
Off-plan from Dec, 2014 back on by May 2015
February 2016
February 2016
Current photo
I guess my point is this: we will have ups and downs. Just be aware that your capable of anything you put your mind to because you have all the power! 

I'm looking forward to see what the next 4 years brings!
Fitting into one leg of my starting size pants
The picture above to show the pants I started with and working my butt off to get my body in just one of the legs, to me that is success! That's my last 4 year journey after hypnosis!
Thank you Melissa for sharing your journey with us. For those of us who have been struggling, it's refreshing to hear from others who have been where we are and have made it to their goal size.

You've inspired me in so many ways. One way, is that I will begin to share more about my imperfect year, so I too may help others who are struggling. Another blog contributor is joining me in posting the successful journey back from the side-trip and on-program once more.

We're all in this together, but it is a solo journey as we make each choice to live a healthy life!
June 02, 2016