Seems as if avoiding wine this week got the scale moving again. I’m down a pound for a total loss of 141 lbs.

Saturday was a very happy Independence Day for me! The “No Wine!!!!” pledge got my weight moving again. I’m down a pound. I have no idea if I’m in ketosis yet, but it feels like the weight is starting to reflect the changes in my waistline again.

I thought about picking up some low carb beer for Saturday’s cookout before we set off our fireworks. But then I realized that my July 4th menu didn’t taking a holiday from how I normally eat, so why break my pledge with crappy light beer?

So my “No Alcohol” pledge continues. Until…

I Broke The Pledge
I’ve noticed when I up the amount of fat in my diet, it’s like hitting the reset on my hormones. Sunday was a bad day. Lots of cramping and back pain that no amount of Midol could make go away. Sunday night I treated myself to a glass of red wine and a small square of dark chocolate.

Yes it helped. Certain times of the month us ladies need to pamper ourselves. The good news was it was in moderation and as Julia Child says:

“Everything in moderation…including moderation.”

As of Monday, the pledge is back in place.

My first attempt with a Julia Child recipe. I opted for roasted chicken and it was the best tasting chicken I’ve eaten. I served it with a side of my second Julia Child recipe — butter green beans. Double yum!

Oh, That Roasted Chicken – An Update
Friday night I made Julia Child’s roasted chicken. Following Julia’s recipe to the letter, I know the American Heart Association would have a total meltdown if they saw what I did to that bird! Tender, juicy and oh so buttery, the full recipe calls for 6 tablespoons of butter. Yum!

It was the best chicken I’ve ever made…period.

I’m starting to drool just thinking about the flavors. Hmmmmm…

The sauce from the chicken drippings turned out amazing. The recipe called for basting the bird with a mix of 2 tablespoons of butter with 1 tablespoon of another oil. I was shooting for a buttery flavor so I didn’t use olive oil or my unprocessed coconut oil. Both have strong flavors and I feared they’d overwhelm the butter. So it gave me a chance to break open my jar of lard. Oh yeah!

Did I mention it was the best tasting bird…ever!  The husband couldn’t get enough. Thankfully I put away most of the bird before he came back for seconds.

I do wish I thought of taking photos of preparing and cooking the chicken, but I was a bit stressed, as it was my first time with this recipe. You really have to hover over the bird while it cooks (you baste the bird every 8 minutes and turn it on its sides!). But next time I’ll take plenty of action shots.

Needless to say, I’m making a couple of other Julia recipes this week – Sautéed chicken (I have a lot of chicken in my freezer I’m burning through) and Pepper Steak with Brandy Sauce. And my camera’s at the ready.

July 4^th Dinner: Hot Dogs & Venison!
For dinner we grilled hot dogs and a venison burger served with avocado and tomato slices.

I’ve never had venison before. It was a bit pricy, so we picked up just 1/2 a pound. I figured I’d take a small bite of husband’s burger to see if I liked it. My husband didn’t want any seasoning because he wanted to taste the meat in “all its glory.”

Unfortunately meat tasted far to gamey for me. I think the seasoning might have helped me ease me into how it tastes. But I’m not giving up on the idea of venison. After all, I hated ground bison but I really enjoyed the taste of a bison rib-eye steak. So I’m keeping hope alive for venison.

Hope you and your family had a very Happy Independence Day!