almost...there...!

hay, happy monday =)



gosh, can you believe summer is half over??? it has flown by!! i sat here eating my brekky (which btw was oatmeal w/blueberries, walnuts, ground flax, cinnamon and a touch of real maple syrup! ), thinking how many months this year my goal was to get to "one"derland...below 200lb...and hmmm, i think it was probably the last 4 months. LOL!!!



i have been sooooo close, just hovering around 205 and im positive my body is saying, "are you kidding?? if you get me under 200 that means i have to lose more!!"


well, somehow by the grace of the Almighty, my scale said 204.2 this morning!! that is the official lowest weigh-in of the year! WOOT :D i keep telling myself if i just stick to eating all those nummy fruits, veggies, homemade bread, nuts, good fats, eggs and a little meat i should EASILY meet that goal this month.



but i dont wanna get my hopes up *teehee* so, im just gonna keep on truckin and if i dont quite make it for july, i will just give myself an AWESOME bday gift by reaching the goal for my bday at the end of august!! hehe!!



by the way, i never told you how my bread turned out a while back! well, since it is not 100% "wheat," there's less gluten to give it that airy texture like store-bought bread, but honestly i LOVE dense bread as long as it is chewy and not dry.



i have been using oatmeal, oat bran, and whole spelt flour. spelt is what they call an "ancient" grain--it is the ancestor of modern wheats. so, its essentially wheat in its most primitive and best form :) it has a slightly nutty flavor as compared to wheat, plus it is more nutritious! its a great source of B vitamins, fiber and protein, and even those who are sensitive to gluten may be able to have it as a wheat substitute.


dont worry tho, if you wanna try it it is easily available! to me, its not really one of those hippy trendy health foods like so many are...its something that's been around for thousands of years. but of course, all us over here in the West take a while to catch onto these things ;) hehe!



anyhoo, i have made 2 batches of the bread so far (it makes 3 loaves!) and the second was better than the first...so hopefully it keeps getting better! each time you make it, you remove a chunk of it to add to the next batch, so the flavor and texture is supposed to improve over time. i think i may add a little more yeast to this next batch, to help it rise a little more and reduce the density just a tad bit.



my hubby likes it, and i do, too, and it does make great little sandwiches and toast. so, i'll keep on making it! it freezes great as well! if you are feeling adventurous and need a good upper body workout ;) here's the link to the recipe! (the only difference is that i substituted the whole spelt flour for the bread flour.)



wellllll, i should get going!! we have a lot going on at our house in a few weeks--LOTS of visitors!!--and i have oodles of projects and a list of to-do's that need to be tackled. have an awesome day and enjoy some sunshine!!



~josey~