Cilantro Veggie Soup (Day (102)

According to shiatsu teachings, if you do something for 100 days, it becomes indelible habit.  I guess I am there with this diet, then, and consequently will hit my goal, shrink past it and ultimately starve to death.

No!  No I won't.  I will just always know how to do the diet.  I am in Phase One.  As you approach the goal you transition gradually to maintenance helpings of carbs and fats by going through Phases Two and Three.  Phase Four is maintenance.

Anyway, this past weekend was the Muskoka Novel Marathon, the organization of which I co-lead.  A whirlwind of busy-ness, between organizational co-leader duties and trying to write something worth submitting for judging... and a bit of a challenge, similar to travelling, in the IP sense.  I was very much helped by the fact that the Den Mother--whose purview is the care and feeding of the writers--happens also to be on the IP diet.  In fact when I was having moments of weakness--our sponsors were providing us things like creme brule and trifle--she scolded me into adherence, in her loving way.  "Don't even look, Karen!  Don't even look!"

In fact, between the two of us talking it up to the writers, and how we both look compared to last year's novel marathon (she has lost 25 lbs. in 5 weeks), I predict that 2-4 writers who were there will undertake the diet.  Stay tuned.

What, you want to know how I looked?  Well, all right.  To set this up: back when I was in my late 20s or early 30s and still reasonably svelte, my dear friend Louise Hypher tailored a shirt for me based on that which the main character of my published novels wears officially.  Of course it has not fit me for about two decades.  But before the Novel Marathon I decided to try it on, and--ha!--I can get into it.  So I wore it on the third and final day of the marathon, and fellow marathoner Lori Twining got a pic.  I was so much in la-la land I forgot to take off the phones.

July 16, 2012 - down 53 lbs.

Now, enjoy this Cilantro Veggie Soup:

1 packet IP Chicken Flavour Soup, shaken as usual

Bok choi ------
Red pepper        \ ___ 2 cups
Green onions      /
Mushrooms----

1 tsp olive oil
2 tbsp low-carb chicken stock
1 tsp chopped garlic
1 tbsp chopped cilantro
2 tsp lime juice
Fresh ground black pepper to taste

Heat up the oil, chicken stock and black pepper in a frying pan.  Chop veggies, cilantro and garlic and add.  Fry until veggies are done.  Add soup, stir in lime juice, serve.  Some cilantro leaves artistically arranged would be a nice garnish for this.  Non-IP version, substitute regular cream of chicken soup from a can, or home-made chicken stock with heavy cream.  Yes, this is one of mine.