Roasted Red Pepper Soup

I am really bad about quantities, so I'll do my best to recall approximate amounts.

1 pint of roasted red peppers pureed in food processor
1 T curry powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp hot pepper flakes
1 pint chicken broth
2 cups corn (frozen, canned or fresh)

Mix all this stuff together, heat it till it almost boils, then add

1 pint non-fat sour cream, whisk into mixture with wire whisk; let sour cream warm up and serve.

You may want to go lighter on the curry powder or hot peppers, so start with a little and add more if desired.

Wow! Thats simple and delish!!!! mmmm You can do many variations of this recipe too. Thanks for posting it.

Have you made it yet? I have the original recipe somewhere and it gives all the nutritional info. It is fairly low cal, low fat, etc. You can vary it and since it is rare that I actually follow a recipe, let's just say it's varied a lot in this house!

I weighed this morning and find I've lost three more pounds and I'm delighted, since I haven't been dieting--just changed a few eating habits. Only two more to go. Now I'm thinking maybe of losing even more. Not too much, though. I read somewhere that, after a certain age, 'you have to choose between your @ss and your face'. I don't want to look older in the face just getting my @ss in shape.

You are too funny Pat! At my exercise class this morning we were discussing increasing weights and whether that makes women's muscles bulk up. The more I am exercising the bigger my upper arms are getting. My thighs also seem to get bigger when I increase weights, rather than do more reps with lighter weights. Anyone know if there is a gender difference on this? One woman insisted that this doesn't happen to women (bulkier muscles with heavier weights). I told her I probably had a Y chromosome then!

I doubt if you're chromosome-challenged, Lynn! Actually, women do bulk up if they do the wrong kinds of weights. Have you seen some of those female weight lifters? Yikes!

Yes - my point exactly, and I do know my own body. I can bulk up pretty easily. I'm sure there are scientific studies about this too. This particular woman likes to boss around the people who are near her so from now on I'll be on the other side of the room. When I did gymnasitcs in college my legs looked like some of the football players' knees and thighs - not too glamorous but very muscular! LOL!

Hey guys. I've been on vacation for a week. I'm back and had a wonderful week completely disengaged from caregiving. My sisters dealt with the problems...including a yeast infection. Anyway, guess what! For the past week I've been having hot flashes. First time for me. I don't think a hot pepper soup would help with that condition but I'm pleased as punch to be in this phase of my life. Now I have to live with this.... I want to lose a bit more weight but I'm cautious about trying to adjust to pere-menopause at the same time as losing weight.

AnnieN

Hey Annie - I'v been wondering what you're doing. Hope you had a great time out on the water (I assume that's where you were!) Lose the weight now - once you go through menopause you will really struggle to lose a lb. if you are like most women I know.
I had hot flashes from age 39 to my late 50s. One of my friends was almost that bad so I had someone to commiserate with. At least that was my worst symptom, so I just learned to live with it as much as I could. Be ready to change sheets and nightgowns often!!! Like my mom, my body temperature seemed to go up about 10 degrees, permanently. I am rarely cold!
How's your mom doing? Lynn

Annie, I'm so glad you had an enjoyable week off! Don't be too worried about menopause. It's not always as bad as some would have it. I did have a lot of night sweats early on and still have the occasional hot flash but nothing really bad. I quit taking estrogen at 50 [I had a complete hysterectomy at 45] and I'm glad I did, in view of the later findings.

Compared to many, Mom is doing well. She has had some minor physical problems and mentally she has more short-term memory issues and has had a drop in cognition, but I expected her to decline much more quickly. When I think about her condition in January and February I am amazed at how well she is doing. In this six-month period at her ALF, I have seen other people decline both mentally and physically much faster than she is. To my eyes, the ones that I suspect have LBD progress more rapidly than those that I think have ALZ. I almost hate to say this because I am a superstitious sailor, but I think we have learned how to deal with this disease. Our constant presence, the right medications, and my Mom's personality are making this doable. I know this will change. With family and friends I'm calling this the golden summer.

Yes, we were out sailing for five days. Mostly in Canada which I love. We were in beautiful places with gorgeous weather and lots of wildlife. This is the season for baby seals. Often when you see a sea lion in the water there is a smaller head just behind the big one with big eyes looking curiously at the boat. This trip provides enough memories to last me for a long time.

Oh, Annie, the San Juans are so beautiful! When we had our boat we cruised up there. Our last trip was two weeks [the most time we could get off, of course] and the weather was perfectly lovely every day until the last day. It was very stormy as we entered Oak Harbor on our way home--just before it got really bad. I remember my husband walking all the way into town from the marina in the storm to buy a bottle of wine. I cherish the pictures we took on our boat trips. Later, when we started RV-ing, we found a lot of similarities. Instead of a marina was an RV park with 'sites' instead of 'slips'. Instead of anchoring off shore you can 'boondock', etc. But there was never the beauty of cruising through the islands. Thank you for the reminder! It's so hard, these days, to remember the good times.

Sounds like lots of wonderful memories, ladies. There is something so uplifting about being out on the water, or in the water, isn't there? I try to get on Lake Champlain a few times a week in my kayak, paddle for a while, take a book and my lunch and pull up on a beach and read for a while. It's good upper body exercise and pretty relaxing (until I get one of those phone calls!) This morning I swam in the heated saltwater pool at the PT place and it's amazing how relaxing that is for me. I actually didn't think about my dad while I was in the wave pool doing "laps". Lynn

Sounds like some very relaxing times on the water. Good that you are taking care of yourselves.

I remember going through the change and having a couple of flashes that were so hot...swore I was roasting to death... I took a cool shower to lower my body temp. All in all it wasn't too bad.

Weight loss update: son is now down 42lbs...blood sugar is normal and blood pressure is normal. Unreal! In two and a half months. He walks a lot.
I am down 17 lbs. I don't walk as much. Knee was giving me trouble so I laid off for a week or so. Just eating healthy. Cut out white things: sugar, bread, rice, potatoes. Eating lots of fish, chicken, whole grains, veggies and fruit. We have dessert now and then...anything we want...just in moderation and measured portions.

Having lots of emotions creeping in as the one year anniversary of my LOs death is approaching. Time flies by so quickly. Seems like yesterday. My heart goes out to all of you still on the path and lovingly caring for your dear ones.

Blessings to all

You and your son are doing so well! Good for you! I finally got serious about my eating habits over the weekend and am going "cold turkey" on the things I shouldn't eat/drink is the only way I can do this. And, following the AA "one day at a time" is helpful too. Going to a class reunion gave me the kick in the you know what I needed! I haven't had a glass of wine for a week, have cut out a ton of junk food (it's amazing how a cookie here, candy bar there, can turn into lots of that stuff daily), and no white potatoes, rice, pasta, etc. for about a week, and 3 days with no sugar or sugar substitutes. Not ready to get on the scale yet, but maybe in a week or two I can do that and hopefully see some results. I remember when I used to have to work at maintaining my weight. What happened to those days?! Lynn