Wow - I can eat Spaghetti Pie and lose weight - how amazing is that? I encourage you to modify this recipe to suit your taste, as I have done. I used a mixture of sausage with sage and hamburg, but you may prefer the original recipe, which only calls for Italian sausage. I also skipped the suggestion to use pizza sauce and instead finished off a jar of opened tomato sauce. Make this your way, but any way you make it, as the texture is different from anything else in my usual menu. Plus, it's a good idea to expand our menus and not make the same foods again and again.
My slice of Spaghetti Pie
Prep time: 25 min.
Cook time: 1 hour
Total time: 1 hour 25 min.

Ingredients
  • 1 large spaghetti squash
  • ½ pound Italian sausage 
  • ½ pound hamburg
  • ½ onion, diced 
  • 3-4 pieces of garlic minced or chopped(optional, I love garlic and couldn't resist adding it)
  • 1 cup of your favorite tomato sauce (pizza sauce or any kin of tomato sauce)
  • fresh basil (or 1 teaspoon dried basil)
  • Italian spice blend (or your favorite blend of Italian spices)
  • salt and pepper, to taste (optional - I did not use either)
  • 3 eggs, whisked 
 Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Place whole spaghetti squash on a baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the skin of the squash gives when you press on it. When it's done, set aside to cool.
I baked two spaghetti squash so I have one to make Lemongrass Shrimp Soup tomorrow
3. After the squash has cooled enough to handle it, discard the seeds and then place the spaghetti threads into an 8×8 baking dish.
Use a fork to remove the squash in spaghetti-like threads.
4. Place a large fry-pan over medium heat and cook Italian sausage, hamburg, and onion. Break meats into pieces as they cook.

5. Add the chopped or mince garlic to the pan as the meats cook.
Chop 3-4 pieces of garlic
6. When the meats are no longer pink, place the meat in a colander to drain the fat and then return the meat to the pan.
Cook the meats until no pink remains.
7. Chop the basil (if you used fresh basil) and then add to the pan with tomato sauce, and spices, then mix everything in the pan well.
Add fresh chopped fresh basil and other spices to the meat mixture
8. Add sausage mixture to a baking dish and mix well with spaghetti squash threads.

9. Add whisked eggs to the baking dish and mix everything together until you can no longer see the eggs.

10. Remove mixture from the edges of the dish before you put it in the oven, as the egg batter and stuff you see in the image below burned and made the dish a pain to clean.

11. Place dish in oven and bake for 1 hour or until the top of the mixture forms a slight crust that doesn’t give when you press on it in the middle of the dish.
I didn't wipe the mixture from the edge of the dish and later it was hard to clean.
11. Let dish rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Second time around I wiped the mixture from edges of the dish - much easier to clean.
When I made this dish a second time, I kept an eye on the oven and when the top started to burn I covered the dish. It came out less crunchy than the first time and I'm torn as to which way I like it better. I also used less squash and I sprinkled in a little bit of corn. I liked the extra texture the corn added and having less squash it gave space for the egg flavor to be present.

This is one of my new favorite recipes now. When you make this dish, think of the flavors you like on pizza and use those ingredients so this dish comes out really flavorful!

Inspiration for this dish came from the recipe Almost 5 Ingredient Pizza Spaghetti Pie by paleOMG's. I modified this recipe to meet my taste buds and you should do the same!
November 07, 2014
Lemongrass Shrimp Soup with Spaghetti Squash
Ingredients
  • 1 medium spaghetti squash (about 3 pounds) 
  •  ¾ pound shell-on medium shrimp 
  •  2 tablespoons vegetable oil 
  • 4 scallions, white and pale-green parts only, thinly sliced 
  • 1 lemongrass stalk, tough outer layers removed, thinly sliced 
  • 1 3" piece ginger, peeled, thinly sliced 
  • 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced 
  • 8 cups chicken broth 
  • Kosher salt 
  • Cilantro sprigs
  • sliced Serrano chiles
  • lime wedges
Preparation
  1. Preheat oven to 375°. 
  2. Pierce squash all over with a knife to vent. 
  3. Roast on a rimmed baking sheet, turning every 20 minutes, until tender (knife will easily slide through), 60–90 minutes.
  4. Let cool slightly. 
  5. Halve lengthwise and scoop out seeds; discard. 
  6. Scrape flesh with a fork to remove in long strands. Spread out on paper towels to drain.
  7. Meanwhile, peel and devein shrimp, reserving shells. 
  8. Place shrimp in a medium bowl; cover and chill until ready to use. 
  9. Heat oil in a medium pot over medium-high. 
  10. Cook shrimp shells, stirring occasionally, until bright pink and browned in spots, about 30 seconds. 
  11. Add scallions, lemongrass, ginger, and garlic, reduce heat to medium, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. 
  12. Add broth and bring to a boil. 
  13. Reduce heat and simmer until flavors marry and come together, about 30 minutes. 
  14. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean medium saucepan; discard solid.
  15. Bring broth to a boil. 
  16. Reduce heat, add chilled shrimp, and simmer until shrimp are cooked through, about 2 minutes; season with salt.
  17. Divide squash among bowls and ladle shrimp and broth over to cover. Despite the name, spaghetti squash is still a vegetable and can get mushy when overcooked. Simply ladle the hot broth over the noodles when you are ready to eat.
  18. Top with cilantro and chiles and serve with lime wedges for squeezing over.

Original recipe and photo source: Bonappetit
November 07, 2014
This Kalua Pig recipe is easy to make but it needs to cook for about 16 hours in a crock pot. It's well worth the wait. Kalua Pig is popular in Hawaii where a whole pig is smoked in a sand pit with sea salt, banana leaves, and a special wood. This simple recipe is great for those of us who don't have access to banana leaves or access to a sand pit. The smoked flavor in this recipe comes from liquid mesquite smoke, which you can find in the store next to barbecue sauces.
Kalua Pig
Ingredients
  • 3 lb lean pork shoulder blade roast
  • 1 tbsp liquid mesquite smoke
  • coarse sea salt
Directions
  1. Remove all fat from the pork.
  2. Using the tip of a knife poke all over the pork.
  3. Rub sea salt all over pork. 
  4. Place pork in a crock pot. 
  5. Drizzle the liquid smoke all over the pork.
  6. Set crock pot to low and cook about 16 hours.
  7. Remove pork from crock pot and place on a large platter. 
  8. Remove any fat you may have missed.
  9. Shred pork with two forks. 
  10. Discard liquid reserving a little as needed to keep pork moist.
Kalua Pig

Recipe source: Skinny Taste.com

November 02, 2014
With tears, I post this.

In my heart I have so much thankfulness, and, am so grateful to Julie!

In my life, this transformation is nothing short of a miracle.

3 years ago today, I walked into Julie's office for the first time.  In tears, with great fear and doubt.  I was heading to an early grave.  I had given up.  I was well on my way to becoming bedridden, one of those people you read about that they have to take out a wall of the house to get them out.  I felt so helpless..., so lost, so misunderstood, WHY...

Then came my appointment with Julie:


I am not at my goal size yet, but I know, without a doubt, I WILL get there!
October 24, 2014
Have you ever given someone a compliment, say for example about the blouse they’re were wearing, and they immediately retorted with “This old thing? Look at the stain on it…” Moments earlier you thought it was a beautiful blouse and now all you can see is an old blouse with a stain. The blouse didn’t change—your perspective changed. When you look in the mirror or see photos of yourself, do you see the incredible transformation you’ve gone through or do you only see flaws? If the later is the case, it’s time to change your perspective. It’s time to see the new you.
Have I forgotten I used to be a size 30/32?
It’s time for me to change my perspective too. I had a fabulous dinner with a wonderful key friends last week and the next day I realized I had been harsh about how I looked in photos.

Before dinner, I took selfies with two friends and then I leaned over to share the photos. That’s when my little mean girl (my internal self critic) first came out.

“I don’t like this photo.” I told Karen.

The next morning I started thinking about my little mean girl and I started writing…

Have I forgotten what my life was like three years ago when I was a size 30/32? Why would I ask others to look at my flaws? Do I really want validation that I’m flawed?

And who invited my mean little girl to dinner?

That’s when I realized—it was me—I invited my little mean girl. I’m the one who started the negative conversation. It’s moments like this that I remember why I took so many photos of myself along my weight loss journey and why I encourage you to do the same. It’s moments like this that we can look back and see how much we have changed. Look back and be in awe of who we are today.

I searched my computer for a photo of me when I was bigger to put next to the one I told Karen I didn’t like. Looking at these photos side-by-side (the photo above), I reflected that there have been many times during my weight loss journey that I looked at photos of my larger self and thought, “I don’t know that woman.” I’ve also looked at current photos of me and thought, “I don’t know that woman.”

At what point do we let go of the larger self that we once were and embrace the self we are right now?

This exact moment is as good as any.

Choose to change your perspective: to live in the present moment.

Stop looking back—see the wonder of who you are today.

You are far more than a number on a scale or the size of your clothes.

It doesn’t matter if you’re just beginning your weight loss journey, still losing weight, or at you goal: stop being mean this moment.

Negative self-talk goes beyond ourselves—it projects onto others what we see in ourselves and encourages them to judge us as well.

What are we asking of others when we speak this way of ourselves? Are we asking them to join in being mean to us?

Join me in embracing who you are today, in focusing on how great you feel right now, and in silencing your little mean girl.

There is more to this group selfie than just me. When I step back and look beyond myself in the photo, I see that there aren't any mean little girls here, only a group of vibrant women having fun.
Key-friends enjoying a night out.
That group selfie was just one moment in time. There were eleven of us gathered for dinner and it was a lovely evening with a group of key friends who all have incredible stories of weight loss and transformation through the key program.
Nine key-friends and our waiter.
You can read the weight loss stories of these nine women (and many others) on this blog. It is my hope that in sharing our stories, you too can join us in your own transformation to a healthier body and mind.

Ask any one of us and we'll all tell you:
If I can do this—so can you! You have to want to want it. You can do this!
October 23, 2014
Megan's weight loss journey has taken her from a size 22/24w to a size 10/12. This isn't the only change in her life, not that her weight loss isn't incredible enough on it's own. Megan changed her attitude. She became an avid runner. Megan no longer suffers from acid reflux or the daily pain she had carrying so much weight. Megan makes time in her life to train for 5k runs and half marathons. Megan made this transformation while working full-time and raising her family. Here's a peak into her transformation...
Megan two and a half years ago and today
Megan
My journey began 2 1/2 years ago. For me, I changed immediately after that first session. The change wasn't physical; it was my attitude, that inner voice was singing a different tune for once! I actually had hope. I believed that I could do this. I didn't see a change in size for a good three months. I was OK with that.
Megan experienced more than physical changes - her attitude changed too.
Over the first year, I celebrated small victories:
  • No more acid reflux.
  • No more pain all day long.
  • Being able to paint my toe nails and cross my legs.
  • Fitting in a restaurant booth.
  • Fitting in an airplane seat and being able to fasten the seat belt.
All these things that skinny people take for granted – I could finally do!

 Over the last year, I have not dropped a size. While I am disappointed, I have never wavered. I have had to think about what I have accomplished during this time since I haven't gotten any smaller.

 Over the last year, I have run:
  • Five 5k's (3.1 miles)
  • Two 10k's (6.2 miles)
  • One 7-mile road race
  • Two half marathons (13.1094 miles) - I'm running the second half marathon this Sunday.
Megan before her 7-mile road race; August 2014
And I'm disappointed that I haven't dropped a size?  If I stay this size forever it will be OK with me. I have never been this active in my life and stuck with something for so long!
Springfield Biggest Loser Run - a proud moment for Megan.
I came home from my run this morning disappointed. I said to my husband "I was supposed to run nine miles, I ONLY ran 8!"

 He looked at me like I was crazy.

 I had just run eight miles and I'm not happy about it???

 I needed to put this in writing to remind myself that I HAVE CHANGED – even if I'm not an 8 or a 10. 
I first met Megan after I finished the Hot Chocolate 5k Run in Northampton in December 2013. She recognized me from this blog and introduced herself. I asked her what size she was and she replied that she was a size 12. My response was "if this is how good a 12 looks, then I'm good with being a size 12!"
Megan and Theresa; Hot Chocolate Run December 2013.
Megan's change in attitude is one of the keys to her success, but this isn't something she did only once, she changed her attitude again and again along the way. Keeping herself in check and seeing where she was being too hard on herself was another factor in her success.
Theresa and Megan April 2014
Megan and her husband, who has lost 10 inches from his waist on this program, are running a 5k in early December. I'm training for this run as well. I'll meet them at the start line and then I'm on my own from there. This how this weight loss works too: some will finish sooner than others. This journey is not about how long it takes to reach your goal size - it's about reaching your goal size. This is not a race, but exercise will help you reach your goal sooner. Keep moving forward, stay committed, stay the course (on program), and you too will be a winner (reach your goal).

You don't have to run a marathon to lose weight, in fact you don't have to run at all, but exercise helps transform your mind and body. Find a form of exercise a part of your life helps tone your body. This is your journey and you get to choose what form of exercise works for you.

October 09, 2014
Roasted cauliflower? A whole head of cauliflower? This recipe has you slathering cauliflower in a spicy yogurt marinade and roasting it at a high temperature. The result is an amazingly delicious dish that’s as dramatic in presentation as it is easy in preparation.
Spicy Whole Roasted Cauliflower
Ingredients
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 head cauliflower
  • 1½ cups plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 lime, zested and juiced
  • 2 tablespoons chile powder
  • 1 tablespoon cumin
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon curry powder
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 400° and lightly grease a small baking sheet with vegetable oil. Set aside.
  2. Trim the base of the cauliflower to remove any green leaves and the woody stem.
  3. In a medium bowl, combine the yogurt with the lime zest and juice, chile powder, cumin, garlic powder, curry powder, salt and pepper.
  4. Dunk the cauliflower into the bowl and use a brush or your hands to smear the marinade evenly over its surface. (Excess marinade can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to three days and used with meat, fish or other veggies.)
  5. Place the cauliflower on the prepared baking sheet and roast until the surface is dry and lightly browned, 30 to 40 minutes. The marinade will make a crust on the surface of the cauliflower.
  6. Let the cauliflower cool for 10 minutes before cutting it into wedges and serving alongside a big green salad.

October 02, 2014
Pistou is an olive oil—based basil sauce from the south of France that closely resembles Ligurian pesto. Like its Italian twin, pistou can also be served as an accompaniment to grilled meats, poultry, fish and vegetables. I searched online for other ideas on what to do with pistou and discovered you can add it to soups; I included those instructions and a recipe for Pistou Meatball soup.
Photo © Quentin Bacon.
Pistou

There's only one way to make true pistou—by hand. Tear the basil leaves into pieces first, then grind the leaves against the side of a mortar with a pestle to puree them into a silky, creamy sauce. 

 Ingredients
  • 1 tablespoon crushed garlic 
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt 
  •  4 1/2 cups basil leaves, torn into pieces (2 ounces) 
  • 1/4 cup coarsely grated plum tomatoes 
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 
  • 1 cup finely grated Mimolette or slightly aged Gouda (3 ounce)
Instructions
  1. In a large mortar, pound the garlic with the salt to a paste. 
  2. Add the basil by the handful and grind the leaves against the side of the mortar until almost smooth. 
  3. Stir in the tomatoes, then gradually stir in the olive oil until it's incorporated. 
  4. Stir in the cheese and refrigerate until ready to serve. 
Above recipe and photo source: Food and Wine

Add Pistou to Soup
  1. Make the pistou first and let it sit around for a while, enhancing. 
  2. Put the finished soup in bowls and then add a dollop of pistou to it just before serving, releasing a fragrant aroma of basil and garlic. 
  3. Or just add the pistou to the pot after the soup has finished cooking and be done with it. 
Pistou Soup with Meatballs
Pistou Meatball Soup
 
Ingredients
  • 1 cup of basil leaves
  • 6 garlic cloves
  • Olive oil
  • 2 tbsp grated parmesan
  • 1 lb ground meat
  • 1/2 cup bread crumbs
  • 2 eggs
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 large leek, thinly sliced
  • 2 carrots, diced
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 tomatoes, diced
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 3 quarts water
  • 3 small zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced
  • 3/4 lb Romano green beans, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
Instructions

In the food processor or blender or mortar and pestle, make a thick paste with the basil leaves, garlic and olive oil. Add the Parmesan cheese and set aside.

Form small meatballs with the ground beef, bread crumbs, eggs, salt and pepper. Set aside.

Saute the leek, garlic cloves and carrots in the olive oil until the leek slices are wilted. Add the tomatoes and cook for about 5 minutes. Add tomato paste, bay leaf, water, bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the meatballs and continue to simmer for about 20 minutes. Finally, add the white beans, zucchini, and green beans, cooking until the green beans are crisp tender.

Either add the pistou directly to the cooked soup or add a dollop to each bowl. Serve with shaved Parmesan.

Above recipe and photo source: Cooking in Sens. I modified this recipe to be key-friendly.
September 30, 2014