On the Road Again

Yesterday was a bit of a bust as we were on the road for most of the day and I was at the mercy of restaurants for my food intake and the only exercise I did was turning pages in a book!

I did my best, though, opting for the tossed salad with grilled mahi at the biker bar. Loki got most of the garlic bread balanced atop there, I tossed the rest along with most of the dressing. I shudder to think that had I not ordered it on the side the measly amount of salad underneath would be swimming in all of that junk!



At least I didn't have the Rodeo Burger as Beren did. This thing was smothered in BBQ sauce, Swiss Cheese & mayo, then topped with bacon and jalapenos! Along with most of the fries, he was able to finish half of that monster. UGH!



Because I don't have a full-length camera at home, I took a "headshot" for you in the ladies room. Headshot, get it? I crack myself up.



We went to dinner at a local seafood restaurant, a favorite with the retirement crowd. ...rolling eyes..I was looking for a nice atmosphere to kick off the (early) weekend and I got that even even if the menu left something to be desired.



I ordered Orange Roughy stuffed with crabmeat and a baked potato, could not bring myself to pay $2.95 for a tiny side salad. I definitely need to make up in the vegetable department today so bright & early this morning we headed to the flea/farmers market.

The nice lady weighed my purchase for me; I came home with eleven pounds of fruits & veggies!

Beren asked, "Are you going to eat all of that in the next three days?" To which I replied, "I'm going to eat only that for the next three days!" Not really, but close!


Well, it's about lunchtime here so I'd better get busy preparing some of that loveliness! Afterward I'm going to settle down with Tosca's new book I just picked up from the library, then off to a beauty appointment. Dinner tonight is to be determined but you can bet some contents of that basket will be included!

Hope you're all having a lovely day - TGIF!

Secretary Spread

Joan: I really think this vending machine is a trouble maker.
Lane: I think it's been a great success. Revenue is climbing. I was gonna suggest we get a sandwich machine We'd probably get 40% of the work force keeping busy through lunch.
Joan: Or we'd end up with a bunch of fat secretaries who think the whole afternoon is lunch time because there's always another sandwich around the corner. ~Mad Men

I got home from work especially early yesterday, wanted to give the Castle a good cleaning before we left for the long weekend. As I was on my hands & knees scrubbing floors & toilets, bent over the vacuum & mop, racing back & forth from room to room, folding laundry, moving furniture, etc. etc. I started thinking to myself, "hmm..look at all of the exercise I'm doing here, I wonder if this is the reason I was 20 pounds thinner when I worked from home instead of at the office?" I spent about four hours scrubbing, vacuuming, mopping, the whole deal. Even with only logging two of those hours, check out how many calories I burned:



Whoa! Maybe there is something to this Secretary Spread concept after all! Let's face it, we sit all day long, chained to the desk, only getting up for occasional trips to the ladies room and around our small office. I can't imagine we burn many calories crunching numbers. Then you add the convenience of eating at one's desk and the always-present donutDon't get me wrong, there are plenty of overweight housewives who sit around eating bon-bons and watching Oprah all day, but I wasn't one of them. I had a routine, I stuck with it, lead a very busy & active life. I mothered my three kids, volunteered at their schools, cleaned my house, took care of my husband, and also managed to run a successful part-time business on the side. I wasn't joyous all of the time (hence the divorce) but my house was clean, my kids were happy, and I was thinner. Not skinny by any means but definitely smaller than I am now. Even though I wasn't doing much formal exercise, I was apparently working out enough in my daily routine.

Since I'm not able to quit my job and don't want to become a professional housekeeper, I'll have to find another way to keep the pounds off my already ample hips!

My daily eating was pretty good as well:


I was feeling great last night! Accomplished, in control, content! I do need to up my veggies and lower the white-ish stuff a bit, had too much bread yesterday and am feeling a bit bloated this morning. We had run out of apples (my go-to snack) and I was too tired to run to the store.

NSV: I made crock-pot ravioli & meatballs for my family's dinner. I considered having some, figured just a little bit wouldn't hurt, right? But I stopped, thought about the calories and fat in that little pile of white cheesy stuff, and changed my mind. Instead I was able to enjoy a healthier meal, guilt-free, leaving the ravioli to the skinny folks around here.

It's going to be harder to work in the exercise this weekend since I don't have a treadmill up there, but I can certainly get my derriere to the park down the street for a good walk. Besides, Loki needs it as much as I do.

Have a Beauty-Full Day,

Just a Quickie

Running late this morning thanks some extra cuddle time with My Man. So worth it and I'm sure that counts as exercise, right? *wink* In addition, I did my 30 minute Loki walk, came home and fussed around with the scale until it gave me some numbers: 171. Two pounds down from when I got cracking a couple of weeks ago. Since during "moontime" last week I actually saw readings of 175, I'll take it!

Off to work, see you later!

Have a Beauty-Full Day,

Woman vs Machine

Loki and I hit the pavement bright & early this morning, did our usual 30-minute jaunt around the neighborhood. We arrived home hot & sweaty, he was dog-tired but I felt like I'd just gotten warmed up. Hmm...I dusted off the treadmill and did another 30 minutes of fast walking, Pink & Madonna blasting in my ears. Got off, feeling absolutely amazing and crunched some numbers:


Wow! Look at the difference between (estimated) calories burned on my home walk as compared to the same amount of time on the treadmill! I mean, I know it's a much more intense workout but didn't think it would make that much of a difference! Guess me and my treadmill are going to be much better friends from now on!

By the way, I haven't posted any weigh-ins lately because my scale is on the fritz. I'll pick up the spare one from Ormond this weekend if I can't manage to get to the store between now & then.

Off to work, hope you all have a Beauty-Full Day!

My Inner French Girl

I arrived home from work today and realized I hadn't planned anything for dinner. Hmm..since Kali's (seriously carnivorous) boyfriend was due home from a business trip, I decided to make him a special (read: meat-laden) dinner to welcome him. I had some ground beef thawed for the dogs I figured he & Beren could share that..giggle. Since it was only just after noon, I figured I could toss something into the slowcooker. A quick google search resulted in this meatloaf recipe. Sounds good, right? I mean, if you're not a mostly-vegetarian watching your weight. Alas, no eggs. I grabbed my keys and was ready to jump into Bettie when I thought..wait! It's a beautiful day, why don't I just walk to the market like the French girls do! Oui! Oui!

While my Suburban streets are nothing like gay Paris, there are lots of shade trees making for a pleasant walk.



Half an hour later, I'm back home preparing dinner, feeling pretty fabulous about my petite accomplissement!

Once again, I stayed on program and managed to burn over 200 calories on that walk. Enough for a little glass of vin, no?

Have a Beauty-Full Evening,

Tempted by the Fruit..Pie, That Is!

The world is filled with temptation, so many opportunities for one to lose their way, fall off the wagon, go down the wrong path. We all have our vices, whether it be booze, drugs, sex, gambling, etc. etc. For some of us, like me, it's food. And unlike other "sins," food is a necessary evil. We can't live without it, we can't avoid it, can't give it up completely. It's everywhere. So we've got to learn willpower, and moderation and self-control. Those are the facts, like 'em or not.

For the past 24 hours I have been paying close attention to the moments when I've been tempted, when I could have gone off my eating plan and succumbed to something that was bad for me. So many opportunities to be naughty, so many times I could have given in to temptation.

From the moment I woke up and found Beren making breakfast in the kitchen - bacon & hashed browns and white toast smothered in butter.

Uh, how about a light wholegrain English muffin with an egg and a bit of hot sauce instead?


Lunchtime at Subway - a big huge Italian sub with chips on the side? Nope..a 6" veggie sub on whole wheat will do quite nicely.


Afternoon vegging in front of the television: want a beer, babe? Or how about some buttery popcorn? Dinner: Want a pile of pasta with your chicken? Another glass of wine? Blue Cheese dressing on that salad? And, ooh, look at that! Lily has decided to make a cherry pie for the season finale of True Blood! Surely one slice won't hurt!



This was truly the hardest one of all. I love pie, especially cherry. I watched her prepare it, smelled it baking in the oven, sat by while she and her sisters ate warm slices topped with vanilla ice cream. And I resisted. I did not touch the pie. I thought to myself, "Is that really going to enhance this experience so much? Isn't sitting here enjoying a show with my daughters enough?" I guzzled water. I waited for the craving to pass. I had a great time with the kids. And then I took one last look at that cherry goodness sitting on the counter...and I went to bed. Had some romantic time with my man. Got a good night's sleep. Woke up this morning feeling fabulous instead of guilty. Yay, me!



But of course the temptations don't end, today is another day, Scarlett. I was seriously considering skipping my morning walk, making all kinds of excuses to do so. Dead i-pod battery, missing sneakers, blah..blah...And then, I saw this:



How could I resist that face? So off we went, only a quick 20 minute jaunt around the neighborhood but enough to get our blood going and breathe some fresh air. Loki's happy, I'm happy, and our Monday is off to a great start!

Have a Beauty-Full Day,

Are You Ready for Some Football?

It's a Sunday in September, so you know what that means: football. Groan. I hate it. Beren loves it. So, what's a gal to do while her man is planted in front of the tv for hours on end: Shop? Nah, I'm not a big fan of that sport either. Clean the house? ewwww! Exercise? Yep, I'll hop on the treadmill for a bit. But what I really want to do is don my apron and head for the kitchen!

On tonight's menu is a redux of this recipe, Maria's Stuffed Chicken Breasts. Since I'm weaning away from meat little by little, I'll make a faux version using Quorn's Naked Chik'n Cutlets for myself and the kids. Beren will get the real thing. Warning: this is not the "skinniest" recipe I've ever posted, the calorie & fat content is pretty high but it is fairly healthy and a good Sunday dinner, especially when served alongside a big green salad.

Here's the original recipe:

Maria's Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Rated: Submitted By: Maria Fontana Photo By: SunnyByrd Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cook Time: 1 Hour Ready In: 1 Hour 15 Minutes Servings: 4

"Chicken breasts stuffed with a spinach/ricotta/mozzarella mixture, then baked in your favorite spaghetti sauce."

Ingredients:

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves salt and pepper to taste 1 (15 ounce) container ricotta cheese 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

1 clove garlic, minced 2 eggs, beaten 1 (8 ounce) package shredded mozzarella cheese, divided 1 (16 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce

Directions:

1.	Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2.	Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper to taste. Slit open on the side for stuffing; set aside.
3.	In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, spinach, garlic, eggs and 3/4 of the cheese. Mix well and stuff each breast with 1/4 of the mixture; secure with toothpicks and place stuffed breasts in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Pour sauce over all and sprinkle with remaining cheese.
4.	Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 45 to 60 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear.

Have a Beauty-Full Day,

Thank You, Thank You!

The ever-so-fabulous Donell from She Shapes Up has graced me with another award! I am truly honored to be considered a Versatile Blogger; thank you, Donell!

I'm supposed to tell you seven things about me, and then pass the award along to seven other bloggers. Are you sure you all want to know more about me? As if I'm not an open book already. *wink* Ok, here goes..I'm adding some photos to make it more interesting for you..


1. I don't like snuggling, or noodling, or spooning, or any other bodily contact while sleeping. Before I'm snoozing, yes, but when I'm ready to get down to serious dreaming, I don't want to be touched. Not by dogs or cats or even warm, sexy men. Thank you very much.



2. Thanks to teen idol Robby Benson who took up the cause in Tiger Beat magazine, at age 11 I became a small time animal rights activist, actively protesting the Canadian harp seal hunt. Every chance I got I was spouting about the horrible abuse, passing around petitions to friends, family and anyone else who would listen. Already somewhat of a geek, this did not help my reputation or popularity. I was teased mercilessly. Boys would walk by me and pretend to be clubbing baby seals. I didn't care. I was dreaming of meeting Robby on an iceberg, our bodies thrown across white fluffy seals..our eyes would meet and he would fall instantly in love with me. Robby, honey, I'm still waiting.....



3. I suffer from a mild case of OCD. I hate clutter, can't function in chaos. My closet is color-coordinated, my shoes are stored in individual plastic boxes, labeled and alphabetized. I can't watch a movie if the family room is messy, everything has to be in place. I would die for Christina Aguilera's closet...swoon...



4. Some of you may not know this: Beren was my high school sweetheart and when he broke up with me (sob) I ended up dating, and marrying, his best friend. Kali is the result of that short marriage. 23 years, 2 more kids and another failed marriage later, we reunited, thanks to Kali and her father. We are all still great friends. Photo above is of myself and Strider, taken at his second wedding.



5. Speaking of Kali, she is not only an art teacher but also a tattoo artist. Her specialty is the Sailor Jerry style. If you're ever in Florida and want to get inked, look her up. Oh, she doesn't always look like a zombie, this photo was taken on Halloween.


6. As a child I was an avid reader, could not get enough of books. Once I was old enough, I'd walk the few blocks to the library every couple of days. I would start at one end of the children's section and make my way to the other, then start over again, hoping new books had arrived. The librarians hated me, nasty women that they were, because I was always asking them to place orders for me from other locations.



7. As I've mentioned before, I adore shoes. This isn't unusual, so many women do. I dream of owning a pair of Manolo Blahnik's but, alas, they are out of my budget. However, once I reach my goal weight I am treating myself to a pair. Beren promises to video the whole event to share with you. I'm sure you can't wait!

Now, I hope you'll forgive me for not officially passing along the award but so many of you have been awarded and tagged by me lately. I'm going to just share it with all of you who'd like to post seven things about yourselves, I'd love to learn more about you!

Have a Beauty-Full Day,

Not-So-Happy-Hour

After the rotten day we had yesterday, Beren and I decided to enjoy Happy Hour at a nearby chain restaurant where Kali's friend works. We go there on occasion as it's a cheap date for us and we get to visit with Dana.

Having had such a good day eating both Tuesday and Wednesday up to that point, I wanted to stay on program and figured I could have a little healthy appetizer with my moderate-glass-of-planned-for chardonnay. One look at the Flanigan's menu proved that to be a futile effort. Except for the mayonnaise-laden smoked fish dip or very expensive steamed shrimp, everything else was calorie-and-fat-laden deep fried cheese or animal products. Chicken Wings, Mozzarella Sticks, and Potato Skins are no longer on my eating plan, folks! Giving up on that idea, I looked toward the dinner part of the menu and decided to share a grilled mahi sandwich with Beren, naked baked potato on the side. When the waiter delivered our dish, Beren literally pushed it toward me because he couldn't stand the fishy smell! Not a good sign! I decided to be brave and take a bite, moved the meat off the bread, piled it high with the tomatoes, onion and lettuce, and cut a bite. Ugh! Not only was the fish tasteless, with no seasonings whatsoever, but it was quite obviously not fresh. At this moment I could hear Allan's words ringing in my head: "Don't Trust Restaurants. Ever." So I sent the fish back, ate the potato and finished my wine, frustrated but ever-so-glad that I didn't settle for putting that garbage into my body!

Our weekend travel plans have been canceled due to Beren's work schedule so I'll be home cooking for myself this weekend. I really don't mind, I could use another couple of days to recover from this nasty cold as well as the other dramas that have been swirling around lately.

I mixed up the menu a bit, already served the vegetarian chili on Tuesday, so tonight I'm going to do something with pasta..whole wheat, of course.

This Portobello Mushroom Ragu was originally posted in Clean Eating magazine, I found it at this lovely blog called A Fit and Spicy Life..don't you love that title?
Because I have a bag of fresh spinach about to wilt in my crisper drawer, I'm going to throw that in as well, adding some more veggies and healthy goodness!



Portobello Mushroom Ragu

-------- ------------ --------------------------------
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium red onion -- diced
2 cloves garlic -- minced
2 6 oz Portobello mushroom caps -- trimmed and diced
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
15 ounces canned diced tomatoes
Salt and Pepper
13 1/4 ounces whole wheat pasta

Heat olive oil in a large skillet and saute the onions until lightly browned, 3-4 minutes.

Add garlic and saute for 1 minute, stir in mushrooms and thyme. Continue to cook over high heat until the mushrooms have softened and given off their juice 2-3 minutes.

Add tomatoes and cook until the mixture is thick, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and serve over whole wheat pasta.

Source:
"Clean Eating Magazine"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Serves 6. Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 301 Calories; 6g Fat (15.8% calories from fat); 12g Protein; 56g Carbohydrate; 8g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 250mg Sodium. Exchanges: 3 Grain(Starch); 1 Vegetable; 1 Fat.

NOTES : To clean portobello’s you can use a spoon to scoop out the insides before cleaning and chopping.

On the side there will of course be a big green salad and a glass of red wine..I can't wait!

Have a Beauty-Full Day,


P.S. For an occasional indulgence, Mad Men Style, I'll be looking to this blog for inspiration!

A Purrfect Day!

For the first time in a looong time, I am able to report a (mostly) perfect on-program day! I did so well, resisted so much temptation, that I am sharing my Sparkpeople nutrition report with you:



As you can see, I did have a beer and a bit of "white stuff," but I was still under my calorie range. Early in the day, I'd decided to cancel Pizza Night, not feeling strong enough to resist the ewwwy gooey bready cheesiness, and opted to make vegetarian chili for the family. I baked them a batch of Kenny Rogers' corn muffins which, if you're never had them believe me, are the best corn muffins on the planet! I ate one. That's it. Just one. If that's not a NSV I don't know what is! For myself I sauteed some shrimp and steamed broccoli and along with that muffin, I was full & satisfied. Another NSV: I didn't eat a bite after 7 pm. That may not make any difference in the weight loss department but I myself hate to go to bed on a full stomach. I feel bloated and out of control when I indulge in that late night feasting.

I felt really good about myself this morning when I woke up and had nothing to feel guilty about (well, diet-wise anyway..wink..) and could start my day knowing that I hadn't failed, wasn't starting over once again. I know, it's only one day, but that's all we can focus on, right?

And considering how my morning started out, I'll take all the good stuff I can get!

As for the rest of the day, I'm determined to keep this streak going, hope to share another (nearly) perfect report with you tomorrow. Since Patrick expressed an interest in tonight's planned dinner recipe, I took a picture from the magazine to share...I doubt that mine will look quite as pretty but we'll see!



Have a Beauty-Full Day,

Why, Thank You!

I'm thrilled and honored to discover that the always-fabulous Misunderstood and Admired?? has given me an award! So many things make me happy but here are just a few things that make me smile:


Ten things I like (in no particular order)

1. Long Sunday afternoons floating in my swimming pool
2. moonlit dips in the hot tub with my honey
3. lazy mornings with nowhere to be and nothing to do
4. traveling to a new destination
5. family dinners filled with love & laughter (who cares what's on the menu?)
6. Shoes. The higher & sexier the better
7. Champagne, even when there's no real reason to celebrate
8. The color Red, in abundance
9. Purring kittens
10. Pin-ups (of course!)

And because I want to share the happiness, I'm going to pass on this award to all of you! Please, tell me: What do you like? What makes you happy?

Happy Labor Day!

To all of my American friends who have the day off from work, enjoy! I know that some of you, such as my Beren, aren't as fortunate. The poor dear was woken by the alarm at his usual time and is already headed to the office. I could have lolled about in bed but being the good woman that I am, I got up with him and shared our morning coffee routine. I'm still in my nightie, though, in no hurry to get dressed and start tackling the multitude of household chores that await me! What is it they say, a woman's work is never done? How true that is! The overflowing baskets of laundry don't care that it's Labor Day, now, do they?

But first, I'll finish this cup of coffee while I do some menu planning, how about that?

Monday ~ Tomato Zucchini Casserole (redux recipe below)
Tuesday ~ Pizza Night for the family, leftovers for me
Wednesday ~ The Loaded Bowl
Thursday ~ Vegetarian Chili
Friday through Sunday ~ Out of Town, TBD

You'll note that I have no formal menu for the weekend because we hope to be in Ormond Beach house and I have no clue what my pantry up there contains at the moment. We're sticking really close to the budget this month since 1) we're broke and 2) we need to save money for next month's trip to NY! More about that later, I really should get my tush moving because the house isn't gonna clean itself.

As you can see, I tweaked the original recipe to lower fat & calories and increased the serving size to accommodate my brood. Enjoy!


Tomato Zucchini Casserole Redux

2 1/4 cups reduced- fat grated Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
3/4 teaspoon dried basil
3 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
3 medium zucchinis, thinly sliced
1 cup canned diced tomatoes
1/4 cup light butter substitute
2 tablespoons light butter substitute
3 tablespoons finely chopped onion
1 cup and 2 tablespoons fine bread crumbs

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly butter a 9x9-inch pan.

2. In a large bowl, combine Cheddar, Parmesan, oregano, basil, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper, and set aside.

3. Arrange half of the zucchini slices in the pan. Sprinkle 1/4 of the cheese and herb mixture on top. Arrange half of the tomatoes, and top with another 1/4 of the cheese mixture. Repeat layers.

4. Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in onions, and cook until soft and translucent. Stir in breadcrumbs; cook until they have absorbed the butter. Sprinkle on top of casserole.

5. Cover loosely with foil, and bake in a preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil, and bake until the top is crusty and the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.

Number of Servings: 6;255.3 Calories; 10.5g fat; 16.0g ProteinHave a Beauty-Full Day,

Week One Weigh-In: Happy Camper!

Yippee! The scale revealed a one pound loss this morning! After weeks of not budging, or, even worse, going in the wrong direction, I'm a happy camper today!

Hugs & Kisses,