Zucchini-Feta Gratin from Cooking Light

It seems like I haven’t made a new recipe in ages. I may be exaggerating a bit, but I’ve just sort of been making a little of this and that. I haven’t made a “big batch” recipe in weeks! With the warmer weather, I’m just happy putting fresh things together and calling it a meal. I ended my little kitchen hiatus today by making a Zucchini-Feta Gratin using this recipe from Cooking Light Magazine. 

This was an easy recipe, and it resulted in a dish that could be a great choice for entertaining too. I love dishes that look more complicated than they really are. Mwa ha ha ha. Tricky. 

I followed the recipe with only a couple of tweaks.

• I grilled my squash on the griddler instead of steaming it. Extra flavor? Yes, please!
• I used a mix of yellow squash and zucchini for a more colorful dish. Plus… that’s what I had in the crisper.
• I used fresh mint from the pot on the balcony instead of using dried mint as directed in the recipe. Why use dried when I have fresh out on the balcony?!

Let me show you how easy it was:

First, I layered the rice and feta mixture in my pie plate, after spraying the plate well with cooking spray:

I made extra rice this morning when I was cooking the rice for this recipe, and I had one of my favorite little breakfasts– rice, sugar, almond breeze and berries. I don’t think I’ll ever stop loving rice, milk and sugar. YUM! It was a favorite when I was a kid, and it has stood the test of time for me.

Ok. Back to the recipe. Sorry about that! I love my milky sweet rice! After I had the rice crust in the pie dish, I grilled my squash on the Griddler. Y’all know I love my Griddler. Here he is:

While the veggies were getting tanned, I chopped up some balcony pot mint:

The mint went into a bowl along with some freshly ground nutmeg. Nutmeg and eggs are a match made in heaven! I bought some lovely brown eggs at the farmer’s market yesterday (along with the squash and the feta!!) This was a farmer’s market dish for sure!

I love pretty brown eggs! 

Once the veggies were grilled, I mixed them with the other half of the feta, the salt and the pepper, and then filled my little rice crust. I sort of used my fingers to spread the veggies around in a nice even layer before I poured the egg mixture on top. After I added the egg mixture, I gave the dish a little tilt–this way and that– to make sure the egg mixture made its way all around the dish.

It went into the oven, and forty -five minutes later, I enjoyed a nice wedge of gratin with some TJ’s turkey meatballs (my answer to quickie “meatloaf” for one), and some sliced fresh tomato.

When I was a kid, I remember how my parents and grandparents would cover a whole plate with fresh tomatoes from the garden after a big dinner. They would add a little salt and then tear into them. It was kind of like the salad course. Me? Did I appreciate the gorgeous, red, homegrown Arkansas tomatoes? Nope. I hated them. What was I thinking??? Crazy.

I got the tomatoes on my lunch plate at the farmer’s market yesterday from some Hanover, VA farmers. They were SO good and very flavorful! I just added a little salt. I wonder where I got that idea? Ha! I think my tomato experience is a good example of why you should try foods that you might have hated as a kid! 

The gratin had a nice flavor, and I love that the edges of the rice crust got a little crispy and browned. I loved the flavor of the fresh mint contrasted with the salty feta. YUM!! I’m sure this would be great made with brown rice, but I’m trying to use up some things from the pantry. This seemed like  great time to use some white rice that has been around for awhile. I’m sure this would be good with steamed veggies, as directed in the recipe, but I’d encourage grilling them if possible. It was delicious, and I can’t wait to have it on my dinner plate over the next few days.

Now that I’ve had a nice lunch, I think I’ll take my bicycle out for another spin. I don’t believe I’ve introduced you. Meet Coby:

You can’t tell in this photo, but he is sort of a Cobalt blue color– hence the name: Coby. Coby and I went out yesterday for a ride, and it was not smooth sailing. I can’t believe it, but it was our first trip out this summer. Time is getting away from me! Before we left, I aired up the tires using a new pump I bought awhile back. Before I was even a mile from home… the front tire blew out. Ugh! We’d barely gotten started.

Feeling the need to take care of the problem ASAP, I walked Coby to a nearby bike shop. While there, they repaired the tire, and they also adjusted the derailleur because I mentioned that the chain always pops off when I try to shift down into first. I live in an area with some pretty big hills, and downshifting definitely makes them easier to tackle. Forty minutes later, thinking all was well, I hopped back on and resumed my trek. I couldn’t wait to shift down into first. I just knew it was going to make the hills much more tolerable. Feeling confident on the first big hill I came to, I clicked my little gear shifter and… the chain popped off again. Aargh!

I put the chain back on, wiped my greasy paws on some bright green grass, and then enjoyed a pretty nice ride. I did not try to change gears again, but I’m sure that just made me burn more calories on the dastardly hills. 

I bought Coby last summer after being passed by bikers while walking/running on the local trails. It looked like fun! How about you? Do you have a bicycle? Do you ride to work?… for fun?… as a serious athletic endeavor? Does your bicycle have a name?  I like to go on long rides on the weekends for a bit of a break in my cardio routine. I also love riding down to Old Town Alexandria and having a little picnic by the water. Riding to places that always seemed far away certainly made my world feel smaller. I kind of like that feeling sometimes!

Oh, I almost forgot! I had another Coconut Cream Pie Holey Donut yesterday before my ride. I promised to try to take a photo since the last couple of tries have failed. Here it is:

This one is my favorite, favorite, FAVORITE of all of the flavors I’ve tried. I’m enamoured.

Speaking of my being enamoured… don’t forget that you still have a few days to save on hottie Jay Robb’s products using a promotion code especially for Just Sweet Enough readers. Check out the bottom of this post for more info.

Now, I’m going to pack a snack and take Coby out for another spin. Wish me luck!

I hope you are having a stellar weekend! I also hope you’ll try the yummy Cooking Light gratin recipe if you are looking for something new to do with summer squash. If you have a garden (or a neighbor with a garden), a bumper crop (or a big bag of squash left on your doorstep in the dead of night) is always a possibility. I know you will want to have this recipe up your sleeve! Ciao for now, y’all!

Griddle Me This, Griddle Me That…

…Griddle Zucchini and Sausage (low-fat…). Summer is here, and I don’t know what I’d do without my Griddler!! More about that later. Let’s begin at the beginning. Here are yesterday and today’s brekkie bowls. The only difference is the shape of the bowls.

Yesterday:

Today:

I did it, friends. I ate Mr. Banana Man. I finished off the last two crazy banana locks this morning! This is the same bowl as usual: oat bran, five grain cereal, Jay Robb’s Vanilla Whey Protein Powder, bananas and TJ’s Peanuts, Berries and Almonds. Yum! 

I snapped photos yesterday, but I didn’t have time to post. I hope you won’t mind seeing double today! I hate to waste my photos! Yesterday’s lunch was another picnic special. Yogi would approve! I even ate outside with friends, so it was a real al fresco picnic instead of a picnic of the fake desk variety.

I love my picnic lunch!!! I was so glad to hear that several of you have nice memories of Yogi and Boo Boo!! What fun!

Today’s lunch was different, since I was working at home, but it shows a similar approach to lunch.

What’s the same? Well, aside from the obvious mini pitas, this is another meal made up of lots of little things. I love little bits of this and that. Yes, I am a fan of tapas! Both of these lunches involve some fresh produce and some protein. That’s a typical lunch formula for me. If you think you have nothing healthy to toss into your lunch bag, consider making a little snack plate like this one!

Today’s plate includes a Dr. Praeger’s Potato Pancake. One of my mother’s favorite little lunches involves tuna salad and tater tots. I thought of her today. This is no tater tot, but it is pretty darn close! I also have some Trader Joe’s triple layer hummus on the side. If you have a TJ’s nearby, and you haven’t tried this hummus, trust me. It’s GOOD!! It’s one of my favorite hummus flavors for sure!

The tuna salad has hardboiled egg, sweet pickle relish and dijon mustard along with a tiny bit of light mayo and some Greek yogurt mixed in with the tuna for a bit of creaminess. There’s just enough mayo for a mayo flavor, but it gets most of its creaminess from the Greek yogurt. That’s one of my favorite salad tricks!

Yesterday, I snacked on a few graham crackers with peanut butter (as usual), and I also had an afternoon stroll to Tangy Sweet where I tried a bowl of their strawberry fro yo. 

Sigh. I do love Tangy Sweet.

This afternoon, I had some sweet and creamy treats too. I sent some skim milk, blueberries and half a packet of Weight Watchers vanilla chai smoothie mix for a little ride in the Magic Bullet, and was rewarded with a yummy and brightly colored smoothie. 

After that, I had a blueberry Oikos with some coconut on top. I don’t know why I’ve never added coconut to my Greek yogurt before. Umm…. yum! It was a nice addition. I’m sure this won’t be the last time I put this pair together!

This afternoon, I also had a tiny little snack bowl:

A few chocolate almonds, a smidgen of granola and a few butterscotch chips made the perfect snack close to dinnertime when I just needed a little something to tide me over until dinner.

So…. Dinner. My title pays tribute to my favorite summertime dinner making gadget: my Cuisinart Griddler. It’s great for me, since I don’t live in a place where I am allowed to have an outdoor grill. It also makes dinner preparation SUPER quick. I love grilled veggies, and this is a nice way to grill them right in the kitchen.

I took a package of TJ’s chicken sausages out of the freezer yesterday, and I had zucchini and other veggies in the crisper. Those ingredients are definitely the makings of several dinners for one. Last night’s plate:

I’m now out of my Dr. Praeger’s Potato Cakes. Last night’s dinner was good. Tonight? Well, not to get all Emeril on you, but I kicked it up a notch. Should I say it? I shouldn’t say it, right?

It has to be said. BAM! Yes, inspired by Mara, I whipped up some quick polenta for one, and it made this one of the best quickie dinners I’ve made in a long time. The whole thing was done in ten minutes!

I only made half a serving of polenta, which was plenty for me. I mixed in some cheddar, and saved some to put on top. I also topped it with some griddlered red bell pepper (yes, the same one I’ve been eating all week… it was big!) and some fresh basil from the balcony. I love polenta when I eat it in restaurants, but I really never think to make it for myself. This was so good! I can’t believe I’ve been missing out!! It took no more time than making my morning oats. Easy peasy!! It was so delicious alongside my grilled zucchini and my chicken sausage. Not to be boring, but I’m pretty sure I know what I’ll be having for dinner tomorrow evening!

I also have some visions of future polenta breakfasts. Oh yes. I have some ideas for sure. Grits are grits, right?

In addition to my evening griddling, I’ve also been diligent in my Holey Donut sampling duties. Last night, I tried the vanilla coconut donut.

Sorry the picture looks sort of electric. I love my blue plates, but they sometimes make for crazy photos!

Tonight, I tried the vanilla crumb donut (and a different camera angle).

What can I say? Not surprisingly, they were both really good. I prefer the coconut donut over the crumb donut, but that’s just because I really love coconut. I’ve had to make a “one per day” rule for these little gems, but I think that just makes me enjoy them more. It would be easy to eat the whole box! “Wholey Donuts?” They are THAT good!

I tried one other new thing today:

The package says that it is “like sticking a straw in a coconut.” I have tasted coconut milk straight from a coconut before, and, yes– that is what this was like. It was good, and it was refreshing. It wasn’t, however, a taste that captured my heart. I would have it again some time, but I’m not going to be making emergency runs to Whole Foods for a Vita Coco fix. It’s kind of sweet, and it does taste sort of like coconut. I don’t know. It was just a little… weird. I may have to try another one soon just to verify my feelings about it. Hmm. Yes. I think there may have to be a second taste test on this one. The jury is still out.  

This has been quite a day. I’m not really one who keeps up with celebrities, but I was certainly saddened by the loss of both Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett. I remember watching Charlie’s Angels as a kid, and I have nice memories of singing “We Are the World” in my elementary school music class. Along with the metro crash this week, and the turmoil abroad, the news is even more depressing than usual. Here’s hoping for some happy news in the days to come!!

I can offer you this bright spot: I want to remind you about the opportunity to save $$ on Jay Robb products purchased from his on-line store using a special promotion code exclusively for Just Sweet Enough readers. For more info, check out yesterday’s post. I have a little Jay Robb in my bowl every morning! If you can’t find these products in a store near you, this is a chance for you to save a bit of money and summon some Jay Robb’s love right to your door. 

Now, I’m going to turn off the television, and finish the book I’m reading. I love knowing that I get to start a fresh new book in the morning! Here’s wishing you a very happy Friday and lots of happy news! Ciao for now, y’all!

Heeeey, Boo Boo… What’s in Your Pick-a-nick Basket?

Hey, Sweetie Pie! Long time no post! I’ve been quite remiss in my posting lately, but I’ve had a lot of things on my plate. I’m in the midst of a bit of a personal project, and I’ve been pretty slammed at work too. The days seem to be getting away from me, even though it’s staying light until late in the day. I love the longer days this time of year! How about you? It would be ridiculous for me to try to catch you up on all that I’ve eaten since last week, but I hope you’ll enjoy a few highlights.

Breakfast is easy enough. In an effort to eat all of my baby bananas, I’ve had the same breakfast every day since my last post! It goes something like this…

It’s a mix of oat bran, five grain cereal, Jay Robb’s vanilla whey protein powder, agave nectar, baby bananas and TJ’s PB&A. Yum! The only variation over the past few days has been the amount of agave nectar. I realized that I really don’t miss it if I leave it out altogether. Making my cereal a bit less sweet only makes the flavor of the sweet bananas pop even more. Yum! If you are intrigued by Jay Robb and his whey protein goodness, be sure to check out the bottom of this post for a little announcement!

In addition to my breakfast reruns, I have also enjoyed basically the same lunch every day. I liked last week’s picnic lunch so much that I’ve sort of adopted it as my standard over the last week or so. Do people still watch Yogi Bear? Do you get the reference about Boo Boo and the pick-a-nick basket in my title? Am I old? Don’t answer that…

I fill a container with a nice assortment of fruits, and then have some protein in the form of cheeses and perhaps a hardboiled egg on the side. I love all of the fresh berries and cherries available this time of year, and I love nibbling my way through a big colorful bowl of fruit. It is a definite bright spot! The cheeses (cheddar, Iberico, goat cheese, ricotta… whatever is in the fridge) along with the hardboiled egg add a nice bit of hunger smashing protein, and the fruit is very filling too. This is absolutely a collection of food that I’d take on a picnic. I love it!

The ricotta in the second photo is slightly sweetened with honey and vanilla. It’s another awesome product from one of my favorite vendors at the farmer’s market: Blue Ridge Dairy. The slightly sweet ricotta smeared on the strawberries is to die for!!

I’ve also had a number of the same snacks over the past few days. Including:

Peanut butter, low fat graham crackers, Weetabix, baby nanners… So many possibilities!

The past few days have also included a few egg beater dinners. I made an omelette a couple of nights ago…

Last night, I made an especially tasty frittata with egg beaters, red bell pepper, ham, cheddar and fresh basil snipped from the pot on my balcony. 

Both dinners involve egg beaters, ham, cheddar, and red bell pepper. However, the meals are different enough that I don’t feel like I had the same dinner twice. I really love having a lot of versatile ingredients ready to go so that I can have a filling dinner ready in a hurry! The basil really made the frittata snazzy, and my basil plant was happy to get a bit of a pruning.

Speaking of my balcony plants, my first little sugar snack tomatoes are ready to be eaten!

I also have this cute little bell pepper that’s growing larger every day:

I’m obviously not expecting to feed myself with my balcony harvest, but it’s still nice to have a few things growing outside my door.

In other news, curiosity got the best of me. I ordered some Holey Donuts!! They came on Friday, and I’ve been doing my best to sample each of the flavors I ordered so that I can tell you, my dear reader, all about them. Yes, I do it all for you.

They arrived at the door in a freezer package, and they were still frozen solid. I was impressed! I got several different kinds including chocolate crumb and toasted coconut:

I really LOVE anything involving coconut, and the toasted coconut flavor is so good! The coconut cream pie Holey Donuts… I can’t even begin to tell you how good they are. They are my hands down favorite so far. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to get a good photo. I have some left so I’ll try again the next time.

Holey Donuts aren’t cheap, and they can be tough to resist, so I’m not planning to restock my freezer once these are gone. However, they’ve been a great treat, and they really are as yummy as other bloggers have made them out to be. If you just can’t resist donuts, a shipment of these might be a worthwhile investment for you. I think they’d make a fun gift for a sugar loving health conscious friend too. You can be both of those things, right? I’d be happy if these little gems showed up at my door!

In case you aren’t familiar with them, they are cooked in a way that greatly reduces the fat (and calories). They arrive frozen, and you gently thaw them in the micro just before eating. I’m still trying to find the perfect number of seconds that will make the donut soft and warm without melting the icing. They really are delicious, and I don’t miss the heavy greasy feeling that you get from a normal donut.

I ordered mine after receiving an e-mail offering a free half dozen swirl donuts with an order of three assortments. If you sign up on their website, Holey Donuts will send you e-mails with special offers. They really are awesome, but it’s worth waiting for a special offer to get a little more bang for your buck. 

In case you can’t tell from the foods in this post, I haven’t really been doing a lot of cooking. Ok. I haven’t really cooked anything lately! The warmer weather and my busy schedule have really sort of moved my focus from food to other things. I’ve decided that’s a good thing as I was becoming a bit too focused on my eats anyway. I’m really just enjoying collecting the fresh items from my fridge and making a meal of them. The picnic lunches are among my favorite lunches ever. 

I also think it’s so interesting how my appetite changes with the weather. I definitely want to eat rich, warm, comforting foods when it’s cold out. Now that it’s warmer, I’m happier with lighter fresher fare and less preparation too. Have you noticed any changes in your appetite coinciding with the change in season?

I have some garlic scapes that I need to use, and I’m still planning to make my favorite scape recipe soon. I need to eat the rest of the hummus in the fridge first. Is that a hint as to my favorite scape recipe? You bet! 

Now, I have some laundry to fold and some blogs to read so I need to wrap up. I did, however, promise you a bit of Jay Robb’s news. Are you ready???

I add Jay Robb’s Vanilla Whey Protein Powder to my breakfast bowl almost every morning. It’s also perfect in breakfast cookies, and it makes an awesome smoothie mixed with a bit of fruit, milk and ice. I’m a huge fan! If you’ve been wanting to try sexy Jay Robb’s products, but haven’t found them at your local store, I have a deal for you!

The folks at Jay Robb’s contacted me and offered to give my reader’s a discount on orders from their on-line store. I really do like the product a lot, so I was very happy to be able to provide a discount to my lovely readers. You can get 15% off using the special promotion code, BLOGJ9TJSE, between now and July 4th. If you are looking for a way to add a little protein to your day, this stuff is great!! It’s also lower in calories than many of the other protein powders I’ve scoped out. Oh, and… it’s yummy!

I keep the vanilla whey variety on hand because it’s so versatile. I have tried the chocolate and strawberry flavors of the whey powder, and I really liked them as well. I know that there are other JR products that I haven’t tried, including the egg white and rice protein products, and, if you try them, I’d love to know what you think!

That’s all I have for tonight! I expect to continue with my sporadic posting for awhile, but I’m not planning to go anywhere! I’ll be around, and hopefully, in the kitchen a bit more. Although, I have to recommend the no cook lunch pick-a-nick!!

I hope you are having a good week, and that all is well in your neck of the woods. Ciao for now, and check out Mr. Jay Robb if you haven’t already!!!

Mr. Banana Man and Random Portion Size Reminders

Hi!! I hope everyone is having a good week. Tomorrow is Friday, you know. Woo hoo!!! As usual, I’m ready for the weekend. How about you? Any big plans? 

My big plans today included a big bowl of breakfast. I had oat bran, 5 grain cereal, Jay Robb’s vanilla whey protein powder, agave nectar, a baby banana, and some Trader Joe’s Peanuts, Berries and Almonds ((PB&A)) in the bowl. So good!! Baby banana, Sweetie Pie? Just wait. You’ll see….

The baby nanners are super yellow, and super good!

For lunch, I grilled a Trader Joe’s Chile Chicken Lime burger, and used it to make a quick taco salad.

I put lettuce, red bell pepper and corn in the bowl along with some crunched up light Tostitos and some little cubes of Cabot 75% reduced fat cheddar. I topped it with the chopped up burger, and then added salsa, Greek yogurt and a bit of Tostitos Bean and Cheese Dip on the top. I love salads like this one! I don’t want to discuss the ingredients in the Tostitos dip. I’m sure it isn’t the greatest. Speaking of Tostitos products in jars, I have to confess that I love their cheese dip more than I should. Seriously. It’s perfect when I need a Taco Bell type powdered cheese fix. Sometimes it really hits the spot.

Following my big salad….

Introducing: Mr. Banana Man!! I bought this huge bunch of baby bananas at the international food grocery store last weekend, and I can’t seem to make a dent in them. I love baby bananas because of their smaller portion size. They’re also really cute! I have a feeling some of these babies are about to get frozen and dipped in some chocolate, since I have so many, but, um… I’m ok with that! I couldn’t resist playing with my food a bit. Mr. Banana Man has vanilla wafer features, a banana mouth and a PB& Company Cinnamon Raisin Swirl PB goatee. alternatively, he has a PB mouth and a big banana ‘stache. I’m not sure which it is. What do you think?

Later in the day, I sliced up a pretty pink lady apple, and then made a very tasty dip.

I mixed 2 Tablespoons of PB2 with a Tablespoon of Greek yogurt and half a Tablespoon of berry jam. It was vaguely cheesecakey, and totally delicious!! This might be my favorite use for PB2 so far. Too bad I’m out of apples. Luckily, I’m sure it would taste great on a baby banana, and goodness knows I have plenty of those!

Closer to dinner time, I had a little snack bowl.

I often have this mix in the evening, but I really wanted it for an afternoon snack today. I think this bowl is a great example of how quickly little bites of things can add up caloriewise. I put about half a serving of Quaker Essentials Crunchy Corn Bran squares, one fifth of a serving of Zoe’s honey almond granola and one third of a serving of Reese’s peanut butter chips in the bowl. This added up to 115 calories despite being little bits of this and that. That’s certainly not a bad total for a snack, but seeing the total is a great reminder of how the little bites add up!

For dinner, I was feeling the urge to use something out of the pantry. I had so much success with my little freezer clean out project, that I’m now trying to clean out the pantry. It was cool and rainy most of today, so it seemed like the perfect day for a bowl of Trader Joe’s turkey chili with beans.

There is some roasted cauliflower hiding under there, and a couple of blocks of Cabot 75% reduced fat cheddar on top. Sometimes a simple dinner from a can is a nice thing. Finding a meal in the pantry is sort of like finding change in the couch cushions. I love a hidden treasure!

For dessert, I had a serving of the Breyer’s All Natural Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream that we bought while my parents were here.

Mint chocolate chip is such a perfect combo! There is a lesson in this bowl too. In case you haven’t noticed, I have ice cream almost every night. I love it!! I always weigh out a serving because it saves me from having a dirty measuring cup, and I know I get a more accurate serving. The other thing I always do is put it in a small bowl. Tonight, I grabbed a regular sized bowl, and I couldn’t believe how empty it looked! Using a little bowl really does make your brain think you are having more ice cream. This also is a good reminder of what a serving of ice cream looks like. The next time I find myself in front of a huge bowl, I should keep this in mind!

After my little dessert, I went to work out with my trainer and do some cardio. I loved reading about your favorite stretches in the comments on my last post! It sounds like the old classics rate pretty high with y’all. They do with me too! Sadly, I was still a bit sore from all of the Tuesday night lunges when I got to class tonight. Of course, there was more lunging. Ugh! I feel like both of my strength training work outs were really good this week, but I suspect that I have another day or two of soreness in my future. What’s that saying? “Pain is weakness leaving the body?” Well, I think I’m leaving a trail of weakness behind me.

After my work out, I treated some strawberries, 1/2 a cup of unsweetened vanilla almond breeze and 1/2 a packet of Weight Watcher’s Chocolate Smoothie Mix to a little spin in the magic bullet. Yum!! I think this would be an interesting color for nail polish:

I love chocolate and berries together. Strangely enough, I’m still hungry. I think it’s time for a few almonds and then I’m off to bed. I’ve had a hard time falling asleep this week, so I’m going to have a nice cup of chamomile tea along with my almonds and I hope that will do the trick. 

Before I go, I wanted to tell you that Lucky Taste Buds is hosting a massive giveaway, so be sure to check it out. LTB is always a fun blog to read, and I’ve learned about a number of interesting eats from her site. I highly recommend a visit to Lucky Taste Buds!

Ciao for now, y’all and I hope you have a great Friday!

Bacon Chocolate and a Day of Healthy Eats

Today has been a pretty typical day, and I decided it was a good day to do a food journal post. I’m trying to really get my eats back in order. I’m up a few pounds, some from the cruise and a little from last week’s treats, and I know it’s time to buckle down and get back on the healthy train. Today went well!

I started off in a rather usual way:

I had a big bowl of “gritsy bran” (half grits and half oat bran) with some vanilla Jay Robb’s whey protein powder and honey mixed in. I topped it off with a lovely banana and a few grams of my new favorite Trader Joe’s snack: PB&A. Peanuts and almonds coated in a berry vanilla coating…. YUM!!! The PB&A combo was a great addition to my bowl, and gave it a little bit of crunch. Lovely!

For lunch, I had a picnic in my lunch bag. On Saturday night, I went to Wolf Trap with some friends to see the Gipsy Kings in concert. This was our fourth year in a row to sit on the lawn and enjoy the GKs, and, as usual, we had quite a picnic! I ended up with some leftover cheese, and I have a ton of fruit in the fridge so a picnic style lunch seemed like a great idea!

I had a piece of Iberico cheese and a bit of Danish blue along with some berries, cherries, grapes and a hardboiled egg for an additional hit of protein. I loved nibbling on this lunch!

Speaking of our little Gipsy Kings feast, I found an interesting chocolate bar on Friday, and I knew that my bacon loving friends and I needed to try it. We’ve been amused by all of the interesting bacon products popping up these days including bacon salt, bacon vodka and bacon flavored dental floss. I couldn’t resist adding this to the picnic basket:

I love chocolate, and I love bacon. I didn’t really think this would be disgusting, but I was certainly skeptical that it would be good. I was expecting chocolate that had a hint of bacon taste, but nothing too dramatic. I was so surprised to discover that this bar actually has crispy pieces of bacon in the chocolate! No joke! Weird? Perhaps. Good? Well, um… yeah. I cannot tell a lie. It actually was really good. Perhaps I need to get over my skepticism about the crazy bacon products and invest in some bacon dental floss next!

Getting back to my lunch, I decided to finish the meal off with a low-fat cinnamon graham cracker topped with 1/2 tablespoon of Bee’s Knees peanut butter.

Who needs a sandwich when you can nibble your way through eats like these??

Mid-afternoon, I decided to have a peanut butter fudge vitatop. I almost always pick one of the chips off before tossing my vitatop in the micro, which explains the empty little chip crater over on the side.

Later, I had a bowl of Greek yogurt with strawberries and berry jam. 

I got some really sweet little berries at the farmer’s market on Saturday, and I’m glad I got two containers instead of one. They are SO good! I love the pink shade they give to the yogurt too.

I had a camera shy bag of 100 calorie popcorn before heading home to dinner. We got a new microwave in our kitchen at work a few months ago, and I actually go to a different kitchen to make popcorn just because the new microwave turns my popcorn to cinders every time. I stand there. I listen. I still burn the popcorn. It’s worth a stroll up the hallway just to avoid the burnt pieces, and… the burnt smell. Yuck! Today’s bag was just right!

When I got home, I decided to make a quick egg beater omelette, filled with cheddar and ham, and I had some roasted cauliflower and roasted carrots on the side. The melted cheese (that you can’t see in the photo) was the very best part! 

Sorry about the unappetizing photo. I promise that it tasted better than it looks in this picture!

I ended my meal with a bowl of Laloo’s Vanilla Snowflake goat’s milk ice cream topped with some more PB&A. Trader Joe, I love you!!! PB&A on top of my favorite vanilla ice cream in the whole wide world made for a fantastic treat.

I just finished doing 35 minutes of cardio in the gym following a class with my trainer. Tonight involved a LOT of lunges, and I suspect I’m going to be feeling them tomorrow. Honestly, I’m already feeling the aftermath of the lunges tonight! I think I’m going to go and do a bit of additional stretching before I head off to bed. Extra stretching usually helps, and it certainly can’t hurt!

Do you have a favorite stretch? I love the basic hamstring stretch where you cross one foot over the other, and then bend down and try to put your palms on the floor. I seem to have tight hammies fairly often, and that stretch always makes me feel so much better!! I’ve also enjoyed seeing the increase in my flexibility. There was a time when I could really only touch my fingertips to the floor during this stretch. Now, I can almost put both palms on the floor. Yay!!! Sometimes the little things really do make me feel good.

I guess I’d better get to the stretching and move away from the computer. Ciao for now, y’all! If you see bacon chocolate at your local store, keep an open mind. I’m just sayin’.

Sweet Watermelon Sorbet, Peruvian Chicken and a Leftovers Pizza

Hi! I haven’t fallen off the face of the Earth, but I have been super busy! It was so nice having my parents here last week. We had a great time, and we had some yummy eats too. I didn’t snap photos of all of my food last week, but I did take pictures of a few of the highlights. I mentioned a sweet frozen treat that we whipped up in my last post, and here it is:

We made a big batch of watermelon sorbet using my long neglected ice cream maker. Why haven’t I been using this kitchen gadget on a regular basis??? I vow to put it to good use this summer for sure.

A large watermelon arrived in my vegetable box last week, and if I hadn’t been expecting guests, I’m not sure what I would have done with a whole watermelon! I was so glad to have company here to help me eat it. Unfortunately, when we cut it open, we found out that it was already a bit on the “super ripe” side. It was a little mushy, and, even though we are all watermelon fans, it wasn’t very appealing. My mother suggested freezing it and using it in smoothies. Food waste avoidance definitely runs in the family! I remembered the ice cream maker lurking in the back of the cabinet, and we hatched a plan.

Sweet Watermelon Sorbet

Ingredients:

4 1/2 cups of seeded and pureed watermelon

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp. lemon or lime zest

The juice of one lemon or lime

Directions:

Place 1/2 cup of the watermelon puree and the sugar in a saucepan. Heat it to a simmer, and remove it from the heat. This creates a simple syrup. Stir in the lemon/lime zest and the citrus juice. Allow this mixture to cool for 20 minutes. Add the sugar mixture to the remaining 4 cups of watermelon puree. Place the mixture in your ice cream maker, and follow the machine’s instructions. It took about 30 minutes in my Cuisinart ice cream machine, and then we put it in the freezer to firm up some more overnight. 

Inga’s parents (you know… Inga, my favorite dog…) invited us over for dinner on Thursday evening, and we had this sorbet for dessert, along with some cute little lemon cookies from the store. Inga’s parents made some awesome steaks, tasty Israeli couscous, yummy asparagus and a nice fresh salad for dinner. It was a delicious meal– as always, and it was nice for my favorite parents to meet some of my favorite friends!  

As you can see from the photo at the top of the post, this sorbet wasn’t smooth like a sorbet that you might buy at the store. I let it sit out a bit before serving because it was quite hard, and I kind of broke it up with a heavy spoon while I was dishing it up. I think it would have been smoother if I had let it sit out a bit longer, but I was too impatient! Maybe I’ll experiment with letting it warm up a bit more the next time I make a batch. At any rate, it was a sweet, clean and refreshing end to a nice meal with family and friends. 

On Friday, I decided to take my parents to check out one of the Peruvian chicken joints in the area. We went to Super Pollo in Ballston, and it really hit the spot!

I had 1/4 of a chicken, white meat only, with some chickpeas and fried plantains. Yum! The green sauce was nice and hot, and it was the perfect contrast to the creamy yellow sauce. I love stewed chickpeas, and the cumin flavored chickpeas might have been my favorite part of the meal. The plantains were sweet and tasted, well, pretty sinful. They were nice and caramelized, and there were even a few super sweet little crispy bits. So good! I decided to go crazy and try an Inca Kola with my meal, and I was a bit disappointed to discover that it tasted just like cream soda. I do love cream soda, but I guess I was hoping for something a bit more… interesting. 

Super Pollo has moist, tender and delicious chicken worth standing in line for, and the price can’t be beat. It was less than $25 for three plates like mine and three drinks. Around here, that’s pretty amazing! If you live in my area, this place is well worth a visit.

After our tasty lunch, we did a bit of shopping and made a quick stop at Trader Joe’s. While we were at TJ’s, I decided to grab one of their whole wheat pizza crusts (out of the refrigerator case) so that we could make a quick pizza for dinner. We did a bit of a fridge clean-out, and it made for a pretty tasty pie.

First, I put some Country Bob’s sauce on the crust. Then, I topped it with some spicy ground turkey leftover from the taco salads we had on Tuesday evening. I chopped the leftover grilled veggies from our Wednesday night meal and added them to the mix. Finally, I crowned the pizza with the rest of the ball of smoked mozzarella (leftover from grilled veggie night) and a bit of low-fat cheddar. After eight minutes in the oven on my hot pizza stone, we had a yummy dinner— and a bit of breathing room in the fridge! 

I had a great time with my parents. We didn’t really do anything very touristy during this visit, but we did see quite a bit of Arlington and Alexandria. They are pros at visiting DC now, and I guess we’ve hit most of the hot spots! I have to say that the leisurely pace they set for the week actually suited me just fine!

I enjoyed lots of delicious food during their visit, but I made plenty of reasonable choices along the way too. I really tried to make sure to eat a lot of fruit and vegetables, and I tried to exercise a bit of moderation when it came to the sweets. There was an impulse Moon Pie purchase that could have been a problem, but I made it through. Perhaps it was easier given the fact that I’ve never seen a Royal Crown cola in these parts. If you are a southerner, you know that those things DO go together!

I know that my posts have been super sporadic lately, and I think I’m in the process of finding a good balance. I love posting (and reading other blogs!!!), but the warmer weather has me spending more time outdoors away from my computer. Things may continue to be sporadic for awhile, but I’m still here! I hope you will keep reading! 

Now, I need to get to bed. Ciao for now, y’all, and have an excellent week!

Little Brown Box

What do you think is in this little brown box? 

If you want a hint, just check out this earlier post. As for the specifics– I’ll get to that in a minute!

First of all, I have to say that I’ve done a pretty good job of healthy eating this week. Usually, when I’m in vacation mode (mine or my parents’…) I tend to eat waaaaay more than I should. My parents arrived on Saturday, and I’ve had some treats but not gone completely bonkers. That’s something I’m proud of! I’ve found a decent balance this week. Woo hoo!

Yesterday’s little indulgence came in the form of a trip to The Pita House in Old Town Alexandria. I’d been once before, and I remembered how good it was. We weren’t looking to have a heavy lunch, and this was perfect. First, we started off with an appetizer:

We shared a bowl of Fool M’Dammas, which is simmered chick peas and fava beans flavored with garlic and lemon juice topped with olive oil. We had some delicious warm pita bread to go along with it. 

Then, we each got some sort of sandwich and shared a plate of fries.

I ate my share of fries for sure. I think it’s funny that “back in the day,” before I started really paying attention to what I was eating, I would have shnarfed down some fries without thinking too much about them. Now, I have them so rarely, that they really are a treat. I’m happy that I’ve moved them into the appropriate category– “treat”!  Along with the fries, I had chicken shawarma, my dad had beef shawarma, and my mom had a very tasty chicken and cheese combo. Delish!

Lunch was lovely, and then we just sort of strolled our way up King Street popping into random little stores here and there. I had planned to get a cupcake at a nearby cupcake place, but realized I was too full so I decided against it. Progress!

I was still thinking about cupcakes today (… not unusual really… I do love cupcakes…), and I decided that, while I was at Tangy Sweet with my friend, G,  during lunch, I’d pop over next door to Red Velvet and get a little box of treats to bring home and share with my parents. G and I split an amazing peanut butter cup cupcake while we were there, but I forgot my camera so I can’t show you a photo. Trust me when I tell you that it was quite good! 

I can, however, tease you with this one:

Before I tell you all about the rest of the tasties in the box, let me show you the much more virtuous dinner we enjoyed before we got to the sweets. 

I grilled some green and yellow zucchini and an eggplant on the Griddler, with cooking spray, salt and pepper, and piled them up on a platter. Then, I grilled some sundried tomato and basil chicken sausages and tossed them on top. I added some roasted red peppers, for a bit of color, and my mom snipped a little sprig of basil for a garnish.

I love all the pretty colors, and I love the flavor that grilling gives to these humble veggies. If you are on Weight Watchers, I have to tell you that this kind of meal was a common one for me when I was counting points. It’s a great and filling low point meal– and it’s beautiful too! I drizzled a bit of balsamic vinegar over the top of my veggies. I love them that way!

I also toasted up the last two pieces of Trader Joe’s naan from the freezer, topped them with bruschetta sauce and smoked mozzarella, and then popped them under the broiler. Smoked mozzarella might be one of the best foods ever!!

After dinner, it was time to open our little brown box. Here’s what was inside:

The obvious chocolate one is called “b-day” and the website describes it as American yellow butter cake and milk chocolate ganache. In the bottom corner, we have “summertime,” which is a lemon cake with coconut frosting. The next cupcake, moving counterclockwise, is a carrot cake cupcake. They don’t describe it on the website, but I can attest to the fact that this is a pretty classic carrot cake. Finally, there is “key west,” in the top corner, which is a key lime cake topped with white chocolate buttercream.

We had a whole quartet of cupcakes to sample, and we decided to make a little contest out of it. We split each cupcake into thirds, and had a tasting party! My dad and I polished off each section as we went, but my mother kept a little nibble of each so that she could do a more proper job of judging. She was thorough when it came to the frosting. She took her duty seriously!

Luckily, I didn’t need to taste any of them a second time. My number one choice was a very easy one to make! My mom decided pretty quickly too. My dad, well, he said that they were all good. We tried to get him to pick a favorite, but  he resisted until the very end. I’d say that his desert island cupcake choice would be a magical cupcake with carrot cake, lime cake, lemon cake and b-day cake sections in each one. Come to think of it, that might be a pretty smart way to go!

If my mother and I found ourselves stranded on the proverbial desert island and could only have one cupcake (although, I would prefer a dessert island if given the choice…), we would choose…. drum roll please…

“Summertime”

The cake was dense and moist with a lovely citrusy tang, and the icing was rich and sweet. I like just about anything that includes coconut, and this cupcake did not disappoint. It really did taste like summertime. Not only is it my favorite of the four we sampled this evening, I’d say that it beats the peanut butter cup, red velvet, and vanilla bean cupcakes I’ve tried from Red Velvet too. 

Now, of course, I need to figure out the best way to make a healthier version of this little gem.

So, that’s what we’ve been up to the last couple of days. Tonight, we whipped up a batch of a summery frozen treat, but I’m going to save that for my next post. I hope you are having a great week, and that you’ve enjoyed a special treat and lots of healthy eats today too. Ciao for now, y’all!

Weekend Recap

Hi, y’all! I’m having a great time with my parents, but I haven’t taken time to post since they got here. I just uploaded the photos I’ve snapped  over the last few days, and realized that I haven’t taken very many! So, get ready and hold on tight. Here’s a quick recap. Really. It will be quick. I’ve got parents to hang out with!

Saturday, I met up with some friends for brunch at Le Pain Quotidien. I need to be a “lovely lady who brunches” more often. It was such fun! You might remember that I tried LPQ for the first time back in April, and I loved it! The food was awesome, and I always appreciate places that provide me with calorie counts for Pain au Chocolat. Hee hee!  I was excited to go to LPQ again and to try a couple of different things from the menu. First, I had coffee:

The coffee was followed by an Apple Pear Turnover. Yes, I had dessert first!

Then, I had the Grilled Chicken Cobb Salad with avocado, bacon, Fourme d’Ambert and lapsang souchong vinaigrette. YUM!! 

This salad has tons of things on it that I love, and it had very reasonable portions of each one. The dressing, which I couldn’t wait to try, had a distinctive flavor and was sweet and tangy. This salad was yummy, and filling. It was the perfect pick since I had been for a run and was HUNGRY! I needed some protein and some volume to fill me up. Check and check! 

Now, here’s where things start to get scattered. My parents’ flight was delayed a bit, and I took the opportunity to make a quick pasta salad for them to nibble on if they were hungry and for me to have for lunches this week. I’m not taking the whole week off, since I used so much leave during my recent vacation, and I needed something to go in the lunchbag. 

I cooked up six servings of dried tricolor cheese tortellini that has been in the pantry for… awhile. Then, I added a small chopped onion, some chopped roasted red bell pepper from a jar (as usual!! ), as well as a can of drained and rinsed chickpeas. Then, I dressed all of that with 3/4 cup of nonfat plain Greek yogurt mixed with 1 Tbsp. of rice wine vinegar and a packet of Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix. Not fancy– but quick and yummy. Sometimes that’s the way to go! I had 1/12 of this big bowl for my lunch today, and it was even tastier than when it was fresh. Using Greek yogurt in place of mayo makes a HUGE difference in the fat and calorie count, but leaves you with a delightfully creamy dressing nonetheless. If you haven’t made that switch in your salads, I want to encourage you to give it a try!

On Sunday, I woke up and decided to make a batch of muffins using one of the Southaven Farm Baking Mixes from the pantry. If you aren’t familiar with these baking mixes, let me just tell you that they are all natural, whole grain and VERY versatile. I first learned about them on the Weight Watcher’s message boards, and I’ve been a fan for a couple of years now. The mixes are unsweetened, which gives you the opportunity to decide on the type and quantity of sweetener. There are also suggestions for the moisture component including non-dairy suggestions on the back of the package.

The most basic recipe suggested on the package involves sugar, yogurt and milk. I like to mix up a box of sugar free fat free chocolate fudge Jell-o pudding and use that in place of the yogurt and milk, and then reduce the suggested amount of sugar down to 1/2 cup. I usually toss in a couple of Tablespoons of sugar free Torani syrup too, and a bit of instant espresso is a great addition to the mocha mix. I’ll admit that these muffins are pretty heavy on the artificial sweeteners by the time I’m done with them, which is not ideal. However, the smaller calorie count per muffin made it possible for me to enjoy some of the bacon that sat alongside the fruit and hardboiled eggs on the little buffet I laid out for Sunday breakfast!

These could be made with all natural ingredients and tweaked to suit whatever your particular dietary preferences might be. As far as I know, the mixes are only available for purchase on-line, but I think these mixes are a worthwhile purchase. In addition to the mocha flavor, I really like the cinnamon mix and the ginger spice. The ginger spice is awesome made with pumpkin in the fall!! As you can see from all of the recipes on their website, people get creative with these mixes. Have you tried them? Do you have a favorite recipe? I’d love to know!!

After our little brekkie, we decided to go and walk around at Eastern Market on Capitol Hill.  I love going to the market, which was built in 1873, and strolling through the flea market held on Sundays in conjunction with the usual array of permanent vendors selling fresh produce, exotic meats, beautiful flowers, yummy baked goods and a host of other items. There are also many craftspersons with a huge variety of cool creations for sale. It’s a lively and fun place to spend a sleepy Sunday afternoon. I don’t know why I didn’t snap more photos of the market itself, but I promise to do better next time!

When lunchtime rolled around, we decided to keep it simple, and we grabbed sandwiches from a little Italian deli. I had ham with provolone on a fluffy white sub roll. Yes, I had mayo too. I was indulging a bit, and I enjoyed every bite! 

I also got a cookie with oreo cookie in it, which I split with my parents. It was only so so. I wasn’t that impressed with this cookie in a cookie, but it was still a nice bite of something sweet. 

We also nibbled on cherries and surprisingly luscious peaches from the market.

After our little al fresco lunch, we walked around a bit more and eventually found ourselves at one of my favorite little used bookstores: Capitol Hill Books. I caught my dad posing in front while we were waiting for my mother to make a couple of purchases:

This little bookstore is packed from floor to ceiling with books, books and more books!

The books are organized, and, while chaotic, it still makes some sort of sense. The shelf tags are the key to this organizational system, and I love the humor in many of them. Check out this one:

We had a great time poking around the bookstore, and checking out the market. I think that Eastern Market may be one of my favorite Sunday destinations. I’ve never had a bad time strolling through the market on a sunny Sunday, and I have to recommend it if you are looking for something to do on a weekend in D.C. 

Those are the highlights of my weekend. As for today? Well, it was a Monday. There wasn’t anything very noteworthy, although I did make a homey dinner:

Please ignore the hotdog. I bought a pork tenderloin at the farmer’s market on Saturday to go along with one that I had in the freezer. I forgot to thaw out tenderloin #2, and I didn’t have as much to go around as I would have liked. I decided to let my guests have most of the pork, and to supplement my tenderloin sample with a Hebrew National 97% fat free beef hot dog. They are my very favorite low fat hotdogs. I love them!

There are also some roasted turnips (LOVE) on the plate, along with their tops, which I cooked down yesterday. I’ve always LOVED turnip greens. Just the smell makes me happy! I also steamed some red potatoes and fresh peas from the farmer’s market, and then tossed them in a bit of peppery milk gravy. I made my gravy with a small amount of butter, flour and skim milk and then seasoned it with plenty of salt and black pepper. I’m sure that bacon grease would have been tastier, but this was definitely a healthier version of an old favorite. Having my parents here must have put me in the mood for some southern fare! This was also a quick dinner to throw together once I got home. Perfect!

I worked all day today so that I can take all day Friday off. I’m working a half day in the morning, and I need to get to sleep so I can get an early start (and an early finish.)

I’ll apologize once more for my sporadic blogging. I think I’ll get back in the groove eventually! This week, I plan to enjoy my parents and not worry about it too much. I’m sure y’all understand! Ciao for now, y’all and have a great week!!

If you like Pina Coladas… and Getting Caught in the Rain…

Hi, y’all! You know that song, right? It seemed like a good title for this post. You will see why in a bit.

Well, I’m not doing very well with keeping up with my blogging lately. That’s for sure! Other things seem to be taking a bit of priority, but I’m hoping that everything will settle down soon, and I’ll get back in the kitchen. I haven’t been cooking much lately either, and I’m missing my kitchen therapy time! Cooking is so relaxing! I’m sure that many of you would agree.

I thought I’d do a quick “two fer” of a post– two days for the price of one post. I’m not going to post all of my eats from yesterday and today, but I am going to give you some highlights.

I’ve had the same breakfast the last two days:

I love my “gritsy bran!!” I have really been enjoying it with some vanilla whey Jay Robb’s protein powder, agave nectar, almonds and a crisp pink lady apple on top. I mentioned this before, but I realized, during my cruise, that I really like crisp apple or pear on top of my bowl even more than when I cook the fruit in with the oats. It’s kind of like gritsy bran apple dip! Yum!!

Yesterday’s lunch and today’s lunch have a component in common: Refried beans. I opened the can the other night when I made a frittata to feed a craving for Mexican, and I’ve been enjoying the rest of the can over the last couple of days. Yesterday’s lunch:

I topped a bowl of beans with some feta and salsa, and had a quick salad made of cucumbers, tomatoes and fresh basil from the pot on my balcony. I topped it with salt, pepper and rice wine vinegar. Basically… I was out of lettuce, and needed some veggies in my lunch bag. This salad was quick, easy and fresh!

I also tried yet another Clif bar, my third this week, and the Chocolate Chip bar was yummy! You might recall that I tried the Carrot Cake bar a couple of days ago, and I had the Maple Nut bar on Tuesday. If this was a race, Carrot Cake would be winning. It is still my favorite so far. 

Today’s lunch:

I cooked  a big batch of brown rice this morning, and topped a serving with the leftover veggies from frittata night. I sauteed twice as many as I needed on Tuesday, thinking that I’d make another frittata. Instead, I made a bowl with brown rice, veggies, refried beans, feta and salsa. I added a dash of chipotle Tabasco too for a little more flavor. Yum!

Yesterday’s snacks included a bowl of Greek yogurt with berry jam and strawberries as well as a bowl of afternoon instant oatmeal. I think you know what they look like by now. Today’s snacks, however, were a bit more interesting. I tried two new things, and I also had a smoothie in the mix. 

Smoothie: half a pack of chocolate Weight Watchers smoothie mix, 3/4 cup of milk, strawberries and two ice cubes. 

New thing #1:

I liked this Clif Mojo Peanut Butter Pretzel bar! It was a little bit salty and a little bit sweet. The best part was the peanut butter chips! Chippy goodness aside, it also packed a nice amount of protein, and made for a satisfying snack.

New thing #2:

I’ve been trying new salty snacks lately, partly because I’ve been trying not to eat so many sugary snacks. I tried the barbecue flavor of Pop Chips the other night while I was watching my movie. Today, I decided to try the Parmesan Garlic flavor. My opinion? These were good, but the barbecue flavor was better. These had more garlic flavor and less parmesan taste than I was hoping for. They were good, but they probably won’t be my first choice the next time I’m at the store. I do think they make for an interesting photograph!

Now, hopping back to yesterday (I really hope I’m not making you dizzy going back and forth!), I had dinner at a new place and loved it!! I met up with my friends AW and JB to grab a bit of dinner before heading to a reception for alumni of our law school. AW suggested Sandella’s, which is a cool new flat bread place at 19th and I. She mentioned that they have their nutritional information on-line. Score! I checked it out, and it looked amazing! I decided to order the Brazilian Chicken Grilled Flatbread– grilled chicken and mozzarella on top of a Brazilian sauce. Now, I know where I’ll be going if I have a craving for pizza!

I had already eaten about 2/3 of my flatbread before I remembered to snap a photo. I was having too much fun talking to AW and JB. Oops!

I’m not a fan of really thick pizza crust, so a grilled flatbread is perfect for me. Yes, I eat my pizza for the toppings. I’ve been known to just pick the cheese and other yummies off the top and leave the bread alone. Do you like your pizza crust thick and doughy or thin and crispy? 

This flatbread was thin and chewy, and the Brazilian sauce was sweet and spicy. The cheese was perfectly melted, and the chicken was nice and tender. For 459 calories, it might be a little heftier than a dinner at home, but it is certainly a better choice than many other pizza options I could choose. Plus, I got to eat the whole thing! JB got the Aloha flatbread, and when I saw the pineapple, I knew what I’d be having on my next visit. I kind of wanted to steal his, but I restrained myself.

After dinner, we started walking to the reception and got caught in a major rainstorm. AW and JB were both in suits and serious lawyer shoes, and I was wearing a silk dress and sandals. Running clothes and rain panchos would have been preferable. We found ourselves trying to huddle under a tree at one point, because we were in a park near the White House with no building for shelter, but this rain was no joke and no match for a tree. Just imagine a wall of wind and water. Umbrellas were no use, so we finally just made a run for it. Unfortunately, there was a fatality:

I borrowed this book from Inga’s mom and dad, and it is demolished! Ugh! Getting caught in the rain while trekking around the city is a definite hazard of city life. My work papers are all crinkly and weird too.

Getting caught in the rain was an unexpected twist to the day, which might be part of the reason it made me laugh. I’m not sure that my friends would agree, but it was actually… kind of… fun. I splashed in some puddles, and laughed and squealed as the water soaked me through. It isn’t every day that I show up to an event with the ability to wring water out of my hair, my sweater, my dress and my book. There were no pina coladas, but I had definitely earned a bit of wine. I don’t have any photos, so just imagine a plastic cup full of sauvignon blanc and you will have the picture. If you imagine me looking as if I’ve had a bucket of water poured over my head, you will have an even better idea of the scene.

Tonight’s dinner wasn’t followed by a frolic through the rain, although, it has been raining all day. I’m hoping that the rain will be over by the time my parents come to visit. Sometimes I really do like the rain, but sunshine is much better for playing tourist! I had a simple salad with grilled chicken and feta. I also whipped up a quick dressing with mustard, honey and lime juice. I got a veggie box last night so I have lettuce in the fridge again. 

I had a little bowl of gelato for dessert after that. Then, I made the executive decision not to work out tonight. I made a deal with myself that I will go to the gym tomorrow night, and I’m sure I will unless last minute cleaning preempts it. Fridays are usually a night off, but it is always good to know that I have Friday in case I do need a back up day.  

I just didn’t feel like going tonight. That’s all I can say about it. My upper body, and especially my shoulders, are still quite sore from Tuesday night’s work out. I also feel sort of tired today. Going to the gym sounded like torture, and, uncharacteristically, I just didn’t go. I know I mentioned my bad workout on Tuesday night, and the fact that I don’t think I always allow time to recover properly between workouts. I’m hoping that I will feel awesome tomorrow, and I suspect I will have a better workout after another rest day anyway. 

So that’s about it for me. I’m tired and need to get to bed. I’m so glad that tomorrow is Friday! I hope to post regularly while my fam is visiting, but I guess we’ll see what happens. I can at least say with certainty that I’ll be able to spend some time in the kitchen. I’m looking forward to it!!

Here’s wishing you all a great Friday and an awesome weekend. Ciao for now, y’all!

Introducing: “Gritsy Bran”

Hi, y’all! I hope this post finds everyone well. My work week is going much better after having wrapped up several things on Friday. I’m breathing a sigh of relief! My big news this week is that my parents are arriving on Saturday to spend a week hanging out at Chez Sweetie Pie. It’s always fun when they come to visit from Arkansas, and I’m looking forward to seeing them. I’m also looking forward to cooking all sorts of things. I love having people to feed!

Today, I’ve been busy feeding myself. I got creative this morning, and had an interesting mix in my breakfast bowl.

I love grits, and I love oat bran. I decided to try the two together. They make an awesome couple! Who knew? I really like the taste and texture of “Gritsy Bran.” It’s unique, and half a serving of grits plus half a serving of oat bran made for a hefty and delicious bowl. I also added some Jay Robb’s protein powder, as usual, along with a bit of agave nectar. Then I topped it off with an apple and some chopped almonds. You can expect to see more “Gritsy Bran” in my breakfast bowls. I lurved it!

Lunch today looks much like yesterday’s lunch– complete with the picnic blanket. Yay!!

I had a salad with light Italian dressing, and topped it with an Amy’s Texas Veggie Burger with melted cheddar. It was good yesterday, and it was good today!

I wanted to say a quick thanks to those of you who told me about the salad dressings you enjoy. I do love straight vinegar, and I often make my own concoctions involving mustard, vinegar, hummus, salsa, Greek yogurt, lemon juice and other things of that nature. I just think it might be fun, now that we are entering “salad season,” to buy one already made for me. I’m very much out of the loop, so it was great to hear about some of the products you enjoy. I plan to invest in some dressing on my next grocery shopping trip!!

The new item on today’s blanket is the Maple Nut Clif Bar. I loved the Carrot Cake Clif Bar I tried yesterday, and I was excited to try another flavor. I’d always avoided these because they are high in calories (and points), but they work well to round out a light lunch by serving as a protein packed “dessert.” I liked the Carrot Cake bar the best so far, but Maple Nut wasn’t too shabby!

I lunched with a couple of friends again today, and my friend, Miss C and I decided to take a quick stroll over to Tangy Sweet. I needed second dessert! I might be am totally hooked on Tangy Sweet! It’s close enough to the office to be dangerous! Today, I had a small chocolate fro yo topped with teddy grahams.

I counted the Teddy Grahams (16) so that I could figure out the calories when I got back to my computer. I might be a little nutty, but I like to know what I’m working with caloriewise so that I can adjust the rest of my eats if need be. It was good, but I actually think I like the chocolate fro yo better with strawberries. Good to know! 

Later in the afternoon, I felt a bit snackish so I  had a bowl of Blue Ridge Dairy Greek yogurt mixed with berry jam and strawberries from the farmer’s market.

I didn’t snack much this afternoon since I had the bonus fro yo with lunch, but then, I wasn’t particularly hungry. Funny how that happens when I eat a bigger lunch! In addition to the Greek yogurt, I had the half serving of Snikiddy Pizza Puffs that I’d tossed in my lunch bag when it was close to time to head home.

I’m loving this little snack for its crunch factor. Substance wise, of course, it’s kind of like eating air– tasty, tasty air! 

I was really craving Mexican this evening, so, while riding the metro home, I was thinking about what I had on hand that I could turn into a Mexican-esque dinner. I liked my final creation, and it was nice to use what I had on hand. Check it out!

It looks a little weird, but it tasted awesome! I seasoned half a chopped onion, half a chopped red bell pepper and some spinach with a bit of Adobo and gave it a quick saute in a bit of cooking spray. When the veggies were soft, I poured 1/2 cup of egg beaters over the top of the veggies and let the mix cook in the skillet until the egg was nearly set up. Then, I put 1/2 cup of fat free green chili refried beans on the top, sprinkled an ounce of feta on the beans, and put it under the broiler just to finish setting up the eggs and to brown the cheese a bit. After it was done, I added some salsa and chowed down.

I had tortillas in the fridge, and I considered making bean tacos. I decided that I wanted more protein, and the tortillas got replaced by egg beaters. Eggs/egg beaters really are a “go to” food for me when I want more protein on the menu. I’m constantly amazed at how versatile they are.  This frittata was filling, had the flavors I wanted and really hit the spot! 

I followed it up with a bit of Dark Chocolate Dreams PB on Multi-grain bread.

You can’t go wrong with bread and chocolate, and when you add a PB twist… yum.

After my little dessert, I went to class with my trainer. Tonight’s workout was AWFUL! I’m not sure what the problem was, but I suspect I should have rested last night instead of doing cardio.

I struggled through the ab workout, and had to do easier versions of some moves that are usually not a problem. When it came to lifting, I reached failure sooner than usual, and I had to use some lighter weights. It was frustrating! I felt so weak and wimpy. Ugh! These sorts of workouts happen on occasion, and I just hope the next class will be better! 

I usually rest on Mondays and Fridays, but my workout schedule has been sort of screwy lately. After vacation, I returned to find that my trainer was in the midst of a project that has caused several cancellations. Glitches in her schedule are the reason I haven’t been back to kickboxing. In addition, I have a reception to attend tomorrow night, so I decided to trade my Monday night off for a Wednesday night off this week. That means that I didn’t take a rest day between my Sunday and Tuesday strength training workouts. I’m really looking forward to getting things back to normal. I think it makes a big difference!

I liked reading your comments about how you incorporate strength training into your lives, and now I’m wondering how you incorporate rest and recovery. How many workout days do you shoot for each week? Do you place great importance on recovery time? Can you tell when you haven’t recovered properly? 

After my disaster of a work out (I still burned 500 calories, but I struggled through every one!!), I had the interesting sensation of knowing exactly what I wanted for dessert. The bread and chocolate, well, that was a teaser! It is rare that I crave something specific, and even weirder when it is some sort of junk food. It seemed like I should honor my craving.

I’ve never mentioned this before, but there is a convenience store located in my building. That means that I can hop in the elevator and grab any old junk food I might be craving with very little effort. The store actually has some pretty gourmet choices too, and it’s great if I’m out of milk or looking for an emergency jar of salsa. It’s also perfect if I happen to have a specific craving for….

…. Oreos! I’m not sure why these were on my mind, but there was a mention of them in the book I’m currently reading, Underworld. Did that cause it? I don’t know. What I do know is that I really wanted Oreos, and I took advantage of the store downstairs by going down and snagging a single serving package. I enjoyed every bite! Although, I’m glad I opted for the single serving pack. I could have schnarfed tons of these little junk food gems. Instead, I savored my little packet. I wish it was always so easy to know exactly what will hit the spot, and I’m going to try to do a better job of responding when the answer is clear. 

With that, I’m going to bid you a goodnight. I need to empty the dishwasher, program the coffee maker, and put a load of clothes in the dryer. Fun fun fun!!! I also need to make sure I have a nice big bowl ready for some “Gritsy Bran” in the morning!

I hope you have a great humpday! Ciao for now, y’all.