Ruth Anne Benziger's Blog, page 18
December 28, 2020
Weight Loss: Setbacks, Successes, and Recipes
This year has been hard on all of us. Whether that means financially, emotionally, or with our weight loss goals. For the first part of 2020, I was on #Keto religiously. I was eating all the right foods, all the right recipes, and making sure my carb intake was in the range my doctor set. Then, as it often does, I hit a plateau and lost some of my motivation. I lost 20 pounds in a few months. I was happy with that. I had a regular exercise routine too.
Then, I moved to Wisconsin, spent a lot of time eating at Culver’s and other fast food restaurants, and ruined my entire year of progress. I’m not going to beat myself up about it because it will only make me feel like crap. I moved back to New Mexico and I had a serious sit down chat with my doctor.
The plan is to get back on track. I added the Carb manager app. Before, I was using MyFitnessPal but I really didn’t like it much. This one is mostly set for carb management, which is what the keto diet is all about. So, I’m going back to the beginning and I’m starting again.
No more excuses.
My breakfastI fried up eggs, added some peppers (green, red, yellow) and added a slice of cheese. Butter lettuce on the side.
8g net carbs
13g total carbs
5g fiber
21g fat
22g protein
I’m starting today and I’m hoping to keep on track. If you’d like to join me in my journey and to help me through my setbacks, let me know. We can be accountability buddies. You can never have too many.
Recipes shared by Dr. Gomez (Mountain View Medical Group Las Cruces, NM)
SIMPLE CHIA SEED PUDDING-VANILLA
Servings: 4
Carbs: 8 grams per serving
Ingredients
• ½ cup heavy cream
• 1 cup full fat coconut milk or
unsweetened almond milk(see note)
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 4 packets stevia or equivalent low
carb sweetener to taste
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup chia seeds (see note)
Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl until well blendedLet sit for a few minutes then stir againCover and place in refrigerator until thick like pudding
LOW CARB PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES
Servings: 15
Carbs: 6 grams per serving
Ingredients
• 1 cup peanut butter
• ¼ cup powered erythritol
• 1 egg
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°Combine peanut butter, erythritol and egg mixture very wellRoll the cookie dough into 1-inch balls and place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Press down with a fork to creak the iconic peanut butter cookie pattern.Bake in oven for about 10-15 minutes or until you see the cookie edges turn a dark brown.Let them cool and enjoy with a yummy glass of nut milk!
CROCKPOT CRUSTLESS PIZZA
Servings: 6
Carbs: Approx. 4 grams per serving (may vary based on choice of toppings added)
INGREDIENTS
• 2lbs ground beef, browned
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 ½ cups pizza sauce or marinara sauce(for store bought, look for brands with 7 grams or less carbs per serving)
• 5-6 slices provolone cheese, or additional mozzarella cheese
• Pizza toppings of your choice (pepperoni, mushrooms, peppers, olives, etc.)
INSTRUCTIONS
Spray a 5qt or larger crockpot with non-stick cooking sprayAdd in the browned ground beef and 2 cups of mozzarella cheese. Stir to combine and then spread in an even layer across the bottom.Top with the pizza sauce in an even layer
QUICK LOW CARB BREAD
Servings: 16
Carbs: Approx. 3 grams per serving
INGREDIENTS
• ½ cup butter, melted
• 3tbsp. coconut oil, liquefied
• 8 large eggs, or 6 eggs plus 1tsp
baking powder
• 2/3 cup almond flour
• 1/3 cup coconut flour
• ½ tsp xanthan gum, optional
• ½ tsp salt
INSTRUCTIONS
Break eggs into food processor & blend until yolks & whites are combined.Add remaining ingredients & process until a dough is formed.Spread dough into a greased 9×5 inch loaf pan (use 8×4 pan for taller loaf or muffin top pan for rounds).Bake at 350° for about 40 mins or until top is browned
CREAMY KETO “POTATO” SALAD
Serving: 6
Carbs: 9 grams per serving
INGREDIENTS
• 1 large cauliflower
• ¼ cup sour cream
• ½ cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon mustard
• 1 teaspoon celery seeds
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 4 large hard-boiled eggs (reserve 2 yolks and dice the rest)
• ½ cup diced celery
• 1 teaspoon fresh dill
• 2 stalks green onions, thinly sliced
INSTRUCTIONS
Prepare the cauliflower by cutting the head into bite-sized florets and steaming in a silicone steamer for 3-4 minutes or in a stovetop steamer until the cauliflower is only slightly tender. Set aside to cool.Make the dressing by whisking together sour cream, mayo, vinegar, mustard, celery seed, and salt.Mash the two reserved yolks into the cream mixture and whisk until very smooth.Add the cooled cauliflower, boiled eggs, celery, onion, and dill. Stir to coat.Refrigerate for about 1 hour to allow the cauliflower to completely cool and the flavors to meld together. Garnish with green onion and serve cold.
GREEN CHILE CHICKEN ENCHILADA CAULIFLOWER CASSEROLE
Servings: 6
Carbs: 7 grams per serving
INGREDIENTS
• 20 oz frozen cauliflower florets, or fresh (about 4 cups)
• 4 oz cream cheese, softened
• 2 cups cooked chicken, shredded
• ½ cup salsa verde
• ½ tsp kosher salt
• 1/8 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• ¼ cup sour cream
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
Put your cauliflower in a microwave safe dish and cook for 10-12 minutes or until fork tender. Add the cream cheese and microwave for another 30 seconds. StirAdd the chicken, salsa verde, salt, pepper, cheddar cheese, sour cream, and cilantro. Stir.Bake in a preheated 375° oven in an ovenproof casserole dish for 20 mins (or you can microwave on high for 10 mins)Serve hot.
SAUSAGE STUFFED MUSHROOMS
Servings: 5
Carbs: 8 grams per serving
INGREDIENTS
• 1lb cremini mushrooms (about 20)
• 1lb mild Italian sausage
• 4 large cloves garlic, minced
• 8oz cream cheese, softened
• ½ cup parmesan cheese, grated
• A few sprigs Italian flat leaf parsley, chopped
• Sea salt and black pepper to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
De-stem mushrooms and finely chop the stemsTo a large skilled, over medium-high heat, add chopped mushroom stems, Italian sausage, and garlic. Cook until sausage is browned and cooked through. Remove from heat and let cool.Preheat oven to 350°In a large mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, ¼ cup parmesan cheese and parsley. Mix until well incorporated.Once the sausage has cooled, add it to the cream cheese mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste.Spoon heaping mounds of the stuffing mixture into each mushroom cap. Place on baking sheet and bake on middle rack of oven for 30 minutes.Sprinkle remaining ¼ cup parmesan cheese over the mushrooms. Broil on high 3-5 minutes or until parmesan is golden brown.Let stand 5-10 minutes before serving
LOW-CARB CAULIFLOWER “MAC” AND CHEESE
Servings: 6
Carbs: 10 grams per serving
INGREDIENTS
1 large head cauliflower, cut into small florets1 teaspoon olive oil1 tablespoon butter¼ cup onion, diced1 clove garlic, minced¾ cup milk (plus more if needed)1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded1 cup mozzarella or Italian cheese blend, shredded¼ cup parmesan cheese4oz cream cheese (sour cream can also be used)¼ teaspoon black pepper¼ teaspoon salt
INSTRUCTIONS
Cut cauliflower into small florets and place in a large microwave-safe bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and steam for 8-10 minutes or until cauliflower is tender. You can also boil the cauliflower in water on the stove for about 5 minutes.While the cauliflower is steaming, heat a large pan or pot to medium high heat. Add the olive oil, butter, and onions. Cook onions for 3-5 minutes or until they begin to brown. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the milk and cheeses. Stir the mixture until the cheese is fully melted and the texture is smooth.Pour in the steamed cauliflower and mix until fully combined. Boil for 3-5 minutes or until the cauliflower is soft and tender or to your preference.
A Kiss
Dedicated to Reagan. 
Your eyes shine like diamonds
Green and clearly true
I’m melting inside
Knowing I get to kiss you
.
I lean against your warmth
You wrap around me
Eyes are focused on lips
A moment stuck in time
.
Lips touch tentative and sweet
Warming with love
Until you open up
And discover heat
.
Lips, tongue, teeth
Explore as you dare
I think I’m falling
Into you being greedy
.
My head is spinning
My heart thuds
I lay it down
And offer it to you forever
December 27, 2020
Tea and Read with Me Coming 2021
In 2021, I’ve decided to start a new weekly post. Tuesdays, we’ll talk about tea we like to drink, and the books we are reading. I’d love for you to join me. I’ll take requests on books, conversation topics, buddy read invites, and book of the month discussions.
Tea
I’m starting it off with my favorite tea to drink. I usually drink the same tea over and over, but I do tend to deviate depending on my mood. I love green, oolong, chamomile, lavender, and sleepy time tea.
Read
This section of posts are for the books of the week. I’ll post images of what I’ll be reading and the description of the book.
This week I’m reading two books. One is Images of Devotion by Kate Alexander and the other is In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren.
Dixie has a problem. Her boyfriend just broke up with her only two weeks before the big family gathering to celebrate her grandparent’s anniversary. Even sadder still, she isn’t all that distraught about losing this relationship. Now, a trip she was looking forward to, is tying her up in knots. While she loves her family, she is not looking forward to all the questions and pitying looks when she shows up single… again.
Chase has been Dixie’s friend since they were children. She was his sister’s best friend and was considered a part of their family. After a tragedy took the life of his sister and mother, he devoted himself to being Dixie’s friend as they both healed from their loss. For years, he watched men come and go from Dixie’s life and promised himself that she deserved the best, even if that meant it was someone other than him. He was doing well until she started dating Jay. Jay was cute and would provide a nice life for Dixie, but now they have broken up. Chase is determined not to lose her to another man. He finds an opportunity to fill in as Dixie’s boyfriend in front of her family, and he just has to convince her this is for real.
Can they overcome their past and find true devotion with each other?
One Christmas wish, two brothers, and a lifetime of hope are on the line for hapless Maelyn Jones in In a Holidaze, the quintessential holiday romantic novel by Christina Lauren, the New York Times bestselling author of The Unhoneymooners..
It’s the most wonderful time of the year…but not for Maelyn Jones. She’s living with her parents, hates her going-nowhere job, and has just made a romantic error of epic proportions.
But perhaps worst of all, this is the last Christmas Mae will be at her favorite place in the world—the snowy Utah cabin where she and her family have spent every holiday since she was born, along with two other beloved families. Mentally melting down as she drives away from the cabin for the final time, Mae throws out what she thinks is a simple plea to the universe: Please. Show me what will make me happy.
The next thing she knows, tires screech and metal collides, everything goes black. But when Mae gasps awake…she’s on an airplane bound for Utah, where she begins the same holiday all over again. With one hilarious disaster after another sending her back to the plane, Mae must figure out how to break free of the strange time loop—and finally get her true love under the mistletoe.
Jam-packed with yuletide cheer, an unforgettable cast of characters, and Christina Lauren’s trademark “downright hilarious” (Helen Hoang, author of The Bride Test) hijinks, this swoon-worthy romantic read will make you believe in the power of wishes and the magic of the holidays.
Discussion
This section of the post will be for discussing the book. I will add questions that I have, topics, and themes. I’ll open this up for people to let me know what they think of the book.
Book of the Month
If the books I post for the week is part of the book of the month subscription box, I will say so. I will also add the links to the review I post on that website along with a link to be my buddy. If you pay $14.99 a month, you get a box of your very own.
The book of the year for 2020 was The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett.
Book Review: On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong
Poet Ocean Vuong’s debut novel is a shattering portrait of a family, a first love, and the redemptive power of storytelling.
On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous is a letter from a son to a mother who cannot read. Written when the speaker, Little Dog, is in his late twenties, the letter unearths a family’s history that began before he was born — a history whose epicenter is rooted in Vietnam — and serves as a doorway into parts of his life his mother has never known, all of it leading to an unforgettable revelation. At once a witness to the fraught yet undeniable love between a single mother and her son, it is also a brutally honest exploration of race, class, and masculinity. Asking questions central to our American moment, immersed as we are in addiction, violence, and trauma, but undergirded by compassion and tenderness, On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeousis as much about the power of telling one’s own story as it is about the obliterating silence of not being heard.
With stunning urgency and grace, Ocean Vuong writes of people caught between disparate worlds, and asks how we heal and rescue one another without forsaking who we are. The question of how to survive, and how to make of it a kind of joy, powers the most important debut novel of many years.
My Thoughts
ON EARTH WE’RE BRIEFLY GORGEOUS is a letter from a son, Little Dog, to his illiterate mother, Rose. Little Dog is the narrator is a gay immigrant living in Connecticut. Through his letters, we learn of a mother’s hard work to survive, a boy working illegally on a tobacco farm, and a boy’s lost innocence with another boy Trevor. In this story, we see a complicated family history and identity in America along with issues minorities and immigrants face.
I will say that there were topics in this book that could be triggering to those who have unresolved trauma, are in the healing process, or are not of emotional strength and should proceed with caution. But I can say that despite the triggers, it is well worth gritting your teeth through those rough words.
The story is told in such a way that you are emersed in the lyrical words, forgetting that Little Dog is telling you a story. His story shows the harsh reality that some face and in those harsh times, resiliency, and growth emerge. A sort of confession is what it seems the boy is telling. It shows that even in hard times, traumatic moments, and a journey to survival, we can find a diamond in the middle of the black rock.
Book of the Month-December
I joined the Book of the Month subscription box! If you want to be referred to get your own book of the month, you can do so by clicking here
Unboxing
You can also check out my unboxing video where I show you how the book is packaged. I posted it on my new Youtube Channel. It is a rough video from my kitchen because I can’t be bothered to go out and buy equipment. lol.
Enjoy.
In a Holidaze
THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
One Christmas wish, two brothers, and a lifetime of hope are on the line for hapless Maelyn Jones in In a Holidaze, the quintessential holiday romantic novel by Christina Lauren, the New York Times bestselling author of The Unhoneymooners.
It’s the most wonderful time of the year…but not for Maelyn Jones. She’s living with her parents, hates her going-nowhere job, and has just made a romantic error of epic proportions.
But perhaps worst of all, this is the last Christmas Mae will be at her favorite place in the world—the snowy Utah cabin where she and her family have spent every holiday since she was born, along with two other beloved families. Mentally melting down as she drives away from the cabin for the final time, Mae throws out what she thinks is a simple plea to the universe: Please. Show me what will make me happy.
The next thing she knows, tires screech and metal collides, everything goes black. But when Mae gasps awake…she’s on an airplane bound for Utah, where she begins the same holiday all over again. With one hilarious disaster after another sending her back to the plane, Mae must figure out how to break free of the strange time loop—and finally get her true love under the mistletoe.
Jam-packed with yuletide cheer, an unforgettable cast of characters, and Christina Lauren’s trademark “downright hilarious” (Helen Hoang, author of The Bride Test) hijinks, this swoon-worthy romantic read will make you believe in the power of wishes and the magic of the holidays.
As always, you will see my review posted on here as soon as I’m done reading it. 
December 25, 2020
Blogmas Day 25: Merry Christmas!
I had the best Christmas with my family. We stayed within the small group of us who have been isolated for the pandemic. So, there was no worry of risking COVID in our group. The kids had a great time.
Here are some pictures of the family.
Gift giving, food, family, music, and fun! My kids really were blessed this year. I’m happy to have them excited about getting to all the toys and projects they now have to keep them occupied until school returns.
This year may not have been what we are used to. Surrounded by family and having the kids run the show. Eating too much until our stomachs hurt. Struggling to keep the kids from opening the boxes of their gifts. Shopping until we drop. You know tons of things that happen during the holiday season. Well this year was a bit subdued, but we still managed to have a great time.
Merry Christmas!
December 24, 2020
Blogmas Day 24: Personal Recipes
As you know, cooking and baking are something that I enjoy doing. I think you can tell by the many recipes that I post on this website. Some of the recipes are mine or come from my family. I’m going to share the ones that are mine, but I’ll also add some new ones that I’ve never shared before.
Enjoy!
Recipes I’ve Shared
[image error]
Chocolate-Topped Rice Krispies Treats
Spicy Spaghetti With Mushrooms
[image error]
Recipes I’ve not Shared
If you’d like me to post the recipes in different posts, please let me know and I’d be happy to post them. For now, I’m only going to post pictures of things I’ve cooked or put together.
December 23, 2020
Blogmas Day 23: Christmas Traditions
I’m going to share a few posts from the last couple of years on the blog. Traditions are fun to share and I love to see what others are doing as well.
Jeanne and the Christmas Pinecones
December 22, 2020
The Shadows
I wrote this when I was thirteen years old. While it ended up being a song, this was originally a poem. I have memories of singing this on video when my dad encouraged me. It’s something that propelled me forward in poetry writing.
©RuthAnneHeimerman 2001 (maiden name)
.
I came out behind the shadows
Behind the shadows of hell
Becoming no more scared of you
Why Can’t I get you off my mind?
.
The shadows of hell came over me today
But ’cause of you, I have no fear
Sometimes when I sit here and think of you
I have no where else to turn
Just here looking back at
The shadows of hell
.
When I first saw you and knew you
I could not fear no more
But then my feelings changed deeply
And then I lost you with just one blink
.
The shadows of hell came over me today
But ’cause of you I have no fear
Sometimes when I sit here and think of you
I have no where else to turn
Just here looking back at
The shadows of hell
.
Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
Blogmas Day 22: Must Reads 2021
There are so many books coming out in the new year along with the huge list of books that I want to read. I created a list of books that I plan to read in 2021. These books are the ones that have been most recommended. They are also books that I’ve been meaning to read and haven’t gotten around to reading yet.
[image error]
Most Recommended
[image error]
Meaning to Get To
[image error]
Books I want to read based on Author
[image error]
Books I want to read with my Kids
[image error]
