This week I decided to start on a healthier path. Over the past few years, I’ve put on so much weight, an oompa loompa would feel thin around me…and with age, my hips widened to make my ass as wide as a landing strip. So I decided to give up sweets for Lent. Giving up sweets in Europe is TOUGH, especially since I started craving sweets when I quit smoking. This is only a part of living healthy. Now I know what some of you old time readers are saying to yourself. You’re saying, “We’ve heard this before, Denise. You pledged the same healthy way of life the last time in Germany and many other times.” Well I can assure you that this isn’t just blog babble—I’m not farting from the wrong end. I'm in it for the long haul...and I'm trying to convert my Love from eating sauces, beef and sausages to seasonings and fresh vegetables and fruits.
I started this on Wednesday, and I already feel a difference in my body and digestive system. I’ve been doing my Zumba (I TOTALLY love), eating healthier meals and walking daily. Zumba and walks have only been baby steps that I plan to increase each week. I’d like to be two sizes smaller by summer. Who thinks I can do it?! *Looks around and doesn’t see any hands raised* *glares back at all of you* I'll show you.
I put my culinary skills to work today. We had a nice healthy breakfast, a light lunch and then I worked on my Pork Roast with Orange Glaze (Impromptu). Here’s what my taste test was all about:
I set the oven to 176 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit) while I prepped the pork roast.
- Mixed olive oil and fresh chopped garlic and basted the pork with it and then I added salt, pepper, thyme and rosemary.
- Cut 4 large slices of an orange and placed it on top of the pork, covered with aluminum foil and put it in the oven for one hour.
Orange Glaze
- Squeezed the rest of the orange into a bowl
- Added 3-1/2 tablespoons of chili chutney
- ½ tablespoon of honey
- 1 teaspoon of soy sauce
- grated a square of fresh ginger
- minced one garlic clove
After the hour, I put the orange glaze on top of the pork, turned the oven up to 180 degrees Celsius, and put back in the oven for 30 minutes. I took out and added more glaze, took the aluminum foil off and cooked for another 30 minutes.
It was beautiful…but NO PICTURE! I can’t believe I didn’t take a picture of it, so I posted an old picture of a pancake my Love ordered that had meat, broccoli, spinach and a cheese sauce on it. Psstt…so not healthy.
Served with my Pork Roast with Orange Glaze, we each had ½ of a sweet potato and I made white asparagus sprinkled with lemon pepper. SCRUMPCHEWOUS!
Whatcha got cookin’?
Health and Some Arm Pulling,
Bea
