Weekend Getaway

Beren and I are headed out of town this morning for a little road trip. We're not going far, just about half an hour northeast of the Castle. We're meeting some friends for a "swimmingly good time," but I'm not going to tell you about that just yet, you'll have to wait for the pictures tomorrow! *wink*

In the meantime, I'm pondering how in the world I'm going to stay On Program while on this mini-vacation. While I am able to resist decadent desserts quite easily, I have a harder time with rich entrees and the inevitable bread basket. Oh, and then there are the cocktails..groan...this is a beach town, you see, where vacationers often start their day with a Bloody Mary and continue on with numerous poolside cocktails. The frozen drinks are not appealing to me, but a nice cold glass of Chardonnay or a crisp Vodka Tonic..mm....hard to say no to when one's friends are happily imbibing.

So, I'll need an extra dose of willpower today, dear friends. Wish me luck, and see you tomorrow!

Working Girl

Things are changing around the office and I'm having a bit of a hard time with it, frankly. You see, I am only a part time employee and up until now my job has been very easy & flexible. I'm at the bottom of the "support staff" for the partners at our firm which means I could pretty much work my own hours, come and go as I pleased, and if I took a day off here and there it didn't matter very much. Oh, they need and want me, don't get me wrong, but I had few deadlines and was relatively "unimportant," which is exactly how I liked it!

Well, times there are a changin'. Since the new year, my responsibilities have been gradually increasing along with my boss' expectations of me. It appears that they have discovered my talents...grin....and intend to take full advantage of them! I am working harder and longer and find that my days off must now be planned well in advance and with other staff's schedules in mind.

While I am flattered by their confidence in me, am certainly not adverse to hard work and could definitely use the additional income, I wasn't prepared for this shift and it's thrown me off just a bit. My routine has changed, I have less time at home to tend to domestic duties and even fewer hours of Alone Time which is really important to my mental health and well being. I don't even want to talk about how this has impacted my exercise routine but suffice it too say that after a stressful day at the office I'd rather have a glass of wine on the Pirate Patio rather than jump on the treadmill! And my diet? Well, I'm a stress eater which is a bad thing but on the flip side, more hours at the office means less time at home to nosh so I that might work to my advantage.

I'm sure that I will adjust soon, am just feeling a bit overwhelmed and wearing a few too many hats at the moment. I think I need a vacation and fortunately I have one coming up very soon! Pre-planned and Boss Approved, of course.

Hot Dish: Vegetarian Italian Pasta Skillet Dinner

While searching the Weight Watchers site yesterday for Progresso soup info, I stumbled across this tasty-sounding dish which is super-low in POINTS and vegetarian. Since I'm not 100% up to par and don't feel like cooking an elaborate meal, this will be perfect for tonight's dinner!

Vegetarian Italian Pasta Skillet Dinner

Sponsored by Progresso® Light

POINTS® Value: 4
Servings: 2
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Preparation Time: 15 Minutes
Total Time: 25 Minutes

A 30-minute meatless skillet dinner for two, made with a can of Progresso® Light soup.

Ingredients:
* 1 1/3 cups frozen sausage-style soy-protein crumbles
* 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
* 1/2 cup coarsely chopped onion (1 medium)
* 1 can (18.5 oz) Progresso® Light Italian-style vegetable soup
* 3/4 cup uncooked bow-tie (farfalle) pasta (2 oz)
* 2 cups fresh baby spinach leaves
* 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella or Parmesan cheese (1 oz)

Instructions:
1. In a 12-inch nonstick skillet, cook soy crumbles, mushrooms and onion over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until crumbles are hot and vegetables are tender, about 4 to 6 minutes.
2. Stir in soup. Cover; increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Stir in pasta; reduce heat to medium-low. Cover; simmer 10 minutes.
3. Add spinach; cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until spinach is hot and just begins to wilt, about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and sprinkle with cheese. Yields about 1 3/4 cups per serving.

Ah-Choo!

I'm fighting a little cold here, hard to look my pin-up best when my nose is running and eyes are watery! So instead of pizza tonight as scheduled I'm going to have a nice hot cup of soup and curl up with my box of tissues and a good book. I'm sure I'll be back to my luscious self in no time!

Good in Bed

"Sleep Less, Weigh More? Researchers have found a link between the nation’s growing sleep-deprivation problem and its bulging waistlines. Inadequate sleep promotes overeating and weight gain, according to a recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Lack of quality sleep could also affect hormone balance, behavior and mental function in both adults and children, making us more prone to pack on the pounds."

What do you guys think about this? Could the fact that I haven't slept through the night in about 5 years have something to do with my weight gain? And, if so, what am I supposed to do about it? I have 4 teenage/young adult girls in my house at any given time and another one living half an hour away; that alone contributes to many sleepless nights, not to mention the economy, my job, Beren's job, family issues, etc. etc. etc.

What's a girl gotta do to get a good night's sleep?

Best Intentions

Despite my best intentions this week, I was not Perfectly On Program and the scale reflects that this morning. The good news is that while I didn't lose, I also didn't gain, so I comfort myself with that knowledge. It could have been worse.

Now, to get through the next week OP with the added challenge of a holiday weekend! *groan*

Cool Cocktails

Since I normally don't work on Fridays, Thursday nights begin my weekend. At 5 pm I strip off my work clothes, slip into a sexy outfit and head toward my favorite watering hole for Happy Hour. Sometimes, though, I can't afford the calories or the money spent on said celebration, so I turn toward my home bar and whip up something equally festive yet easier on the wallet and waistline.

Now, living in South Florida where the Cuban influence is so prevalent, you know that Mojitos are a way of life! The addiction to the heavenly concoction is so strong that we likely keep Bacardi in business and many of us, myself included, have added spearmint to our herb gardens lest we run out at an inopportune time! The problem is, while Mojitos are not as fat-inducing as those frozen drinks we all know & love, they can still do some damage, especially in excess which, frankly, is usually how I imbibe!

So, when I found this delicious and easy recipe over at Laaloosh, I was thrilled! My favorite drink, just as tasty with less than half the POINTS? Heaven! You know where I'll be tonight, don't you? Care to join me?

Weight Watcher Mojito Recipe

Ingredients:
- 1.5 oz Bacardi Rum
- 12 fresh spearmint leaves
- 1/2 lime
- 7 oz sprite zero or club soda
- 2 tbsp. Splenda

Directions:
In a cool tall glass, muddle the mint, Splenda and lime juice. Add crushed ice. Add rum, soda and stir well. Garnish with a lime wedge and a few sprigs of mint. Serve and enjoy!

Recipe makes 1 serving
Each serving = 2 point value

Hot Dish: Chicken Sybil

Many thanks to my favorite foody blogger, Alanna at Kitchen Parade, for this fabulous recipe! So delicious, so many variations, and soooo fast & easy!

QUICK SUPPER: CHICKEN SYBIL
Multiple-personality chicken

Hands-on time: 20 minutes
Time-to-table: 20 minutes
Serves 4 (easily adjusts to 1 or 2 servings)

* 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
* 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, about ¼ pound each
* Salt & pepper

* OPTIONAL VARIATIONS Handful of capers, sliced mushrooms, diced tomato, green onion, frozen peas, cooked bacon or your choice
*

SAUCE
* ¼ cup chicken broth
* ¼ cup cream or sour cream or fat-free half ‘n’ half
* 2 tablespoons good mustard

* OPTIONAL SAUCE INGREDIENTS 2 tablespoons orange juice concentrate (my favorite) or maple syrup, marmalade, tomato paste, barbecue sauce or your choice

Melt the butter in a large skillet on MEDIUM HIGH. Between two sheets of waxed paper, pound the chicken breasts with a rolling pin until about a half-inch thick. Season one side, transfer to the skillet seasoned-side down (the meat should sizzle), then season the top side. Reduce the heat to MEDIUM, cook for 4 minutes on one side, then 3 – 4 minutes on the other side. Transfer to warm plates and cover with foil.

Add variation ingredients (if any) to skillet, stir 1 – 2 minutes until warm. Add sauce and optional sauce ingredients (if any) to hot skillet, stirring to incorporate bits of chicken left in pan. Let thicken slightly. Pour sauce over chicken. Serve and enjoy!
NUTRITION ESTIMATE Per Serving: 178 Cal (36% from Fat); 7g Tot Fat; 4g Sat Fat; 1g Carb; 0g Fiber; 82mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 4 points

Hot Dish: Pizza Night!

It's Pizza Night here at the Castle and while the rest of the family's gorging on the greasy take-out pie, I'll be serving up my own lighter fare thanks to the always-awesome Hungry Girl! Yummy!

‘Meaty’ Thin Crust Pizza

(Entire pizza: Approx. 260 calories, 5g fat, 1,200mg sodium, 35g carbs, 20g fiber, 9g sugars, 25g protein = 5 Points)

Ingredients:

1 La Tortilla Factory Whole Wheat Low-Carb/ Low-Fat Tortilla; Large Size
1/2 cup fat-free tomato sauce
1/2 cup Morningstar Farms® Meal Starters™ Grillers or Sausage Style Recipe Crumbles™
1 1/2 oz. shredded fat-free mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Thaw crumbles in the microwave for 30 seconds. Bake tortilla for 5 - 6 minutes on each side, or until slightly crispy. Remove tortilla from oven and spread on tomato sauce. Next, sprinkle on crumbles and top evenly with cheese. Return pizza to the oven for approximately 5 minutes, or until cheese has melted. Use a pizza cutter or a sharp knife to cut into slices.

The Devil Made Me Do It

Once again, despite my best intentions, I have thrown caution to the wind over the weekend and find myself fighting with the scale this morning. We had several days of whirlwind social events, perfect opportunities to overeat and overdrink, seemingly unable to handle the temptation of bread, buffalo shrimp, onion rings..etc..etc..groan...

So, here I am, disappointed with myself but not going to give in to self-loathing which we know only leads me to emotional eating. I'll get back on track, put the devil behind me and hope that I learned my lesson and will do better this coming weekend.

Weekly Weigh-In

Well, all I have to say is Whooooo-Hoooooo! After only 4 days Perfectly On Program, I have lost 2.2 pounds! I think that's a very good start and just the motivation I needed to keep on going.

TGIF, indeed!

Slender

So we must be "slender" to be sexy? *Shaking head* As much as I want to be thinner/healthier and know that I do feel more attractive at a lower weight, being more curvy certainly hasn't affected my sex life! Thank the goddess neither My Man nor I believe this load of vintage sexism!

Back in the Saddle..Again

I'll be honest, in the past few months since my mother's death I have not paid a damn bit of attention to my diet and exercise. I was too depressed, too stressed, too sad to worry about something as seemingly insignificant as my own health and appearance. And the scale shows it. My weight is at an all time high, I weigh as much today as I did the day I delivered my eldest daughter. Yeah, I know, I was only 100 pounds to start with but still...I am NOT HAPPY.

Now the dust has settled and even though I miss Mom more every day, life does indeed go on and, frankly, I'm doing her a disservice by not taking care of myself. She would be disappointed in me, almost as much as I am in myself. So, this week I'm back in the saddle, tracking everything I eat and moving my body whenever possible.

Because of a Blogger glitch, I've had to re-start this blog and delete all of my old posts. Not sure what happened but maybe it's a sign, a fresh start is a good thing.

I've got to get fit & healthy because I sure don't want my kids to go through this pain I've experienced. Life is truly short enough.