My apologies for not posting this blog post earlier. I’m still recovering from being sick. So far, the only residual effect is a linger fatigue that is absolutely debilitating. But, hey! I’m used to fatigue, so there’s that, at least!
The recipe I used for this particular batch of dolmades was a pretty simple one. Mine turned out a bit salty, so I probably just over-salted the mixture. I also found that I could have used more of the filling than just the generous teaspoon I did use. But, hey! This was my first time making these and I was not disappointed with how they turned out!
I know I’d mentioned it in December, but as a reminder and official update, I’ve switched my diet, yet again, to a Mediterranean Diet. This choice came after hitting my goal (and stretch goal!) for weight loss. My ideal weight is about 145lbs and the “stretch goal” was to get to 140lbs because my weight fluctuates based on inflammation. So, I’m very pleased with my progress.
The Mediterranean Diet focuses on an active lifestyle, whole grains (the ones I can eat, anyway), beans and legumes, tons of veggies, fruits, and poultry or fish as the main animal proteins. Red meat should be used very sparingly. So far, we’ve been indulging in various types of salads, fish dishes, and occasionally chicken. Tonight for dinner, I’m going to make Greek meatballs with ground turkey; the other day, I made a quinoa dish that featured tomatoes and green beans. I just got a new food processor, so I’m also going to set up some chickpeas tonight to be ready for falafel for tomorrow night. I love falafel.
We also picked up some Bulgarian feta at a Middle Eastern market the other day! I used some of it on the watermelon cubes I made to go with the dolmades and mackerel we had for dinner. It was a decision I made after the taste test in this video. It was so much better and added the right texture and saltiness needed to really bring the “salad” together.
Another thing about the Mediterranean Diet is that it also focuses on community. I’m hopeful that we’ll be able to entertain others soon. Even though I’m not able to make my normal feed-an-army style meals to share with the guys upstairs, I can still make 4-6 serving meals that will be leftovers for a few days for us. Plus, once I’m actually fully healthy (well, my fully healthy) again, we are planning to start up our daily walks again. So, we’ll be active, eating healthy, and maintaining a community atmosphere in a socially distant way. Because I still make extra stuff for people. Because I’m like that.
Speaking of! I have learned out to make fresh, gluten-free pasta from scratch! Which is awesome because my front neighbor has a pasta company called MillerButler, LLC! They make pastas and pizzas for local delivery. Plus, she has a super cute and sweet cat named Milo. He’s so adorable. Anyway! I’m trying to get some stuff together for Imbolc videos for everyone. Thursday will be one such video! Stay tuned!
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