Cool Weekend

It has been a ridiculously hot summer since the beginning of May. If I remember correctly, we had precisely 3 days of spring. This weekend we got a major break in the heat - lows around 60 and highs around 80. We took well advantage of the cool weekend.

We celebrated our Millie - five years old. It doesn't seem possible.

My weekend started unofficially with this gigantic cupcake. My sister surprised me at work with this caramel chocolate cheesecake monster. Good thing I hadn't eaten that candy bar yet. Who knows how many delicious calories were in the cupcake. At least, I made it last the rest of the day.

We had a Friday night date night. We tried the burgers at a local ice cream/burger place. We both agreed we'd be back - hopefully not for awhile though :)

The weekend was a balancing act food-wise. More treats than I had planned, but the rest of the meals were on point and I was definitely proud of myself for not allowing a total free-for-all. Saturday lunch was a delicious turkey veggie wrap with hummus.

Loads of yard work helped balance the treats too.  We worked for hours each morning - three truckloads of yard waste gone. We took down part of the fence, trimmed bushes/trees, cut down the weed trees that keep growing in our back fence, weeded flower beds. I started each day with a quick fried egg sandwich on wheat bread - slightly more healthy than the white bread version I loved as a kid.

We took advantage of my in-laws being out of town and used their truck to haul away the yard waste.

I can't believe we ended up with with this much stuff. It is going to make quite a bonfire!

I was pleased with my energy and stamina for the yard work. I am pretty sure I didn't start complaining until the second day and that was mostly because I hate weeding. Although, I haven't started exercising regularly, eating right has already made my whole body feel better.

Saturday afternoon my sister asked me to go to Whole Foods with her. I haven't been there in forever, so even though I was exhausted I jumped at the chance. It was fun to look around at items I don't find in my local grocery stores.

I have never thought of produce as food you would buy in a "party pack", but why not?

I couldn't resist trying a couple of these blueberry sausages, especially after I heard the guy behind the counter tell another customer they were his favorite item in the case. They were good, but I don't need to rush back for more.

I brought my hard-working husband home a little treat. I appreciated all the signs with the calories. One of my pet-peeves with calorie counting is trying to guesstimate calories - I want it to be exact or it feels like I am cheating.

I bought one serving of this Golden Beet salad which I had for lunch today. It was good and again I was very glad to know the calories. It almost stopped me from buying it because 200+ seemed a little high for a salad to go with my lunch.

 A fun little wedge salad bar. Again, above where the calories for each item.

 I got a little bit of this and that - a tasting menu of sorts.

It was fun to see and taste new things. I really wanted to bring home a hunk of goat's milk Gouda they had out for samples. I sampled and I might have circled back for a second taste - don't judge. But at $18/pound it was too extravagant to take home a hunk.

Sunday afternoon my mom and nephew came over for the watermelon tasting. See here for details.

It was a very good weekend. A nice balance of productivity and relaxation. A nice balance of treats and healthy choices. I am looking forward to living my life more like this weekend.

Watermelon Tasting

In addition to all the ridiculously hot weather, this has been the summer of the flavorless watermelon. I finally got one that deserved to be celebrated.

From left to right:

1) Double Serrano Watermelon Bites  I have been excited about these since I found the recipe in my Cooking Light magazine. A watermelon cube is simply wrapped in Serrano ham, then topped with a slice of Serrano pepper. basil and a drizzle of balsamic glaze. The balsamic glaze is a substitute for the pomegranate molasses that I couldn't find. Since I was using the balsamic, I decided to use basil instead of mint (as called for in recipe). My one criticism is the finish. The watermelon disappears quickly as you chew. Then you are left with a glob of the chewy ham at the end. The flavors combination is tasty. I just wish you got the taste of everything all the way through.

2) Watermelon Feta Salad I used the flavors of the recipe, but cut way back on the olive oil. I am not always the biggest fan of mint and was tempted to substitute. However, in the end I used the mint. It was really nice in combination with the salty feta and sweet juicy watermelon. The lime juice pulled it all together with a bit of tart.

3) Watermelon sprinkled with Pico de Gallo seasoning. I found the seasoning at a Mexican and Honduran restaurant with a little shop attached. I'd only known pico de gallo as the fresh tomato salsa that I adore. I was intrigued by the seasoning and later learned it is used to season fruit. Super simple and a nice pop of heat with that cold juicy watermelon.

Friday Fly By

Celebrating Friday with a few random pictures...

I have two go-to breakfasts - oatmeal and my sweet potato/kale hash. I was missing key ingredients for both the other day, so I whipped up a veggie omelet.  Inside the omelet I had sauteed spinach and zucchini. I chopped dill and added it to the eggs. Then topped the whole thing with fresh cherry tomatoes and a bit of feta. I am not really a fan of cooked tomatoes, but the raw on top was very tasty.

I bought these tomatoes at the farmers' market last weekend. I was drawn to the yellow ones (Peach Garden Tomatoes) for their matte skin. You can tell a little in the picture if you compare to the red one. Description from the Burpee seed catalog -  A unique heirloom tomato, Garden Peach was reputedly introduced to US gardens in the 1860s. The small, velvety-skinned 2-3 oz. fruits have rich full flavor. The prolific vines unleash multitudinous 3-4" round fruits with peachy-yellow skin and flesh woven with hints of red throughout. Indeterminate. If I can ever be free of the tomato snatching squirrels, this is a variety I would like to try in my garden. They have very good flavor.

My husband was a very happy man last night. He is currently in love with fruit salsa - I've made peach and mango. Last night we had grilled chicken tacos with mango salsa. We love the sweet, spicy combo. I made it just like my pico de gallo except sub fruit for tomatoes. I do not like the recipes that use both the fruit and tomatoes together.

It is strange to me that I am loving the mango. For as long as I can remember, I have been anti-mango, but suddenly here I am truly enjoying them.

I broke down and bought a new food scale. I was constantly super gluing the previous one back together or buying new batteries. I admit the selling point for this one was its sleek red shape. Fingers crossed it holds up well. Weigh all the things!

Lunch prep.  I have the last piece of Corn Zucchini Pie - a bittersweet day.  The salad is Chopped Feta Salad from Skinnytaste. I brought the empty container to shake it up with the dressing right before lunch. Remember the Salad Shakers at McDonald's? I thought they were weird (and I didn't go to McDonald's for their salads!), but now I get it. I don't like a lot of dressing on my salads and to be able to evenly distribute a little vinaigrette makes me happy.

I had to stop at Walmart on my way into work this morning to pick up candy and water for workshops we host. While I was there I picked up some balsamic glaze for a recipe I am going to make this weekend.  This was on the shelf next to it. I am a bit turned off by anything "must".

Magazine cover judging is a fun check out lane pastime. I am guessing "milkshake bliss" is not the key to losing 22 pounds in a week.  But if it is, sign me up! 

I found this in my purse this morning. I think I must be in a good place if I completely forgot this has been in my purse for at least a week and a half. But now that I know...I might have to work it into my plan. Calorie-wise that would not be a problem, but I have been making a real effort to not so much processed sugar. I try to ask myself is this worth it?

Thanks for joining me on this Friday fly-by.  I am happy to welcome the weekend. We are planning a bunch of yard wok since we have a break in the heat. I will be getting some exercise whether I like it or not. I also plan to spend a little time in the kitchen. I am excited about one thing in particular and will probably post about as soon as I try it.

What are your plans?

One Week Down

I made it through week one!! Once I got over my day two freak out, things have going rather smoothly. I am heading into week two with optimism :) 

Monday, Tuesday and probably Wednesday's lunch. I am enjoying my Corn Zucchini Pie. Even with my reductions to the butter and cheese, it still has a decadence to it. I will have to find a replacement for the cherries today, since this was my last serving :( 

Ask for a Star Wars glass and you shall receive a Star Wars glass. This is the only vintage one we have, but my husband has some newer pint style glasses. The vintage glasses are my nostalgia thing. Star Wars wasn't a big part of my youth, so I am not actively searching them out.  In the meantime, Lando says "hello" to a special lady :) 

Oh, and dinner was a turkey burger. I was kinda proud of this meal because we were both hungry and I didn't have a solid dinner plan - the most dangerous time for us to say "forget it, let's go out to eat." But I held firm and came up with this. I chose to do one slice of bread with lettuce as my other "slice." One of my memories of my grandma is that she always seemed to eat her sandwiches that way. Another one was her half a grapefruit for breakfast. I always thought it was cool to use her grapefruit spoons with the little teeth - even though I hated the grapefruit.

Enjoying my breakfast with a big ol' sunflower. I am out of blueberries, so I am going to have to come up with something else for breakfast...stay tuned. I usually boil eggs in advance, a half dozen at a time. Since I was making them right before breakfast I decided to do a soft-boiled egg. I really need to use these egg cups more before it seems like I don't need them and they get purged.

Unfortunately, the egg I pulled out early was already well past soft-boiled. Now that I have my cups out there will be a redo.

Late in afternoon  yesterday, I realized that I had mixed up the dates for Cookbook Club - 4th Tuesday snuck up on me! Now I need to find an excuse to make the Chinese Steamed Buns that I was planning to make next week.

Cookbook Club is a fun new discovery I made at a local library. Once a month they pick a cookbook or cuisine. Everyone brings a dish they have prepared from that book or theme. By the time I realized my mistake, it was too late to shop and make something. I decided to go any way - thankfully, they didn't throw me out and we feasted on many homemade Chinese goodies. Ironically, my favorite was a shrimp dish that the lady said was in her Chinese cookbook, but she didn't really think it seemed "Chinese." Normally, I might frown on that a bit, but it was so good I didn't care :)  I am eager to see the recipe. The group leader sends out an email after each meeting with all the recipes. The next time I make Chinese food I am excited to try a tip for getting the restaurant meat texture I can never seem to replicate. Apparently, there is a marinating technique called "velveting" that makes the meat super tender. The lady who made a wonderful peppered beef said she found an even simpler method of soaking the meat in water with cornstarch. I will be checking into that. I've always been frustrated by dry or tough meat in my Chinese dishes.

To my knowledge, no one put Chinese takeout in their own container and brought it, However, if you had told me there was an impostor - with that velveting technique,the peppered beef would have been my chief suspect :)  I did weigh myself and I am up 1.2 pounds from yesterday...so, no takeout...everyone knows Chinese takeout causes an immediate 5 pound gain :) 

(Sorry about the yellowness of the picture. My cell phone hates the light in that room. Please let me know if you know any ways to correct that issue or at least minimize the yellow.) 

While I was off feasting, my husband was puppy-sitting this cutie. Copper is an almost six month old Bernese Mountain Dog puppy. He is named after the hound in The Fox and the Hound. I can't believe I still have not seen that movie...don't tell his mama. I am glad I had a little time to play with him before I left. I thought Millie would have fun with him, but she ended up being a bit of a snoot. Next time maybe we will set up a play date on his territory.

We are actually Copper's back-up "godparents" of sorts. If anything should happen to his mama and her sister is not able to care for him, we are ready to take him in. I think it is very smart of our friend to include this important decision in her legal affairs. Makes me think we should be doing the same for Millie. It isn't something you like to think about at this stage in life, but you honestly never know. 

On my way home from Cookbook Club this happened. I am not posting the actual picture for your own safety. I wouldn't want anyone to break an ankle tripping over themselves to get their own. It was delicious. I am a sucker for a warm dessert a la mode :)  

Now that I got my post weigh-in treat out of the way. I need to buckle down for the week. I feel like the second week is more of a true test. The first week is exciting with a hefty water weight loss and such.


I just saw these on a friend's Facebook. I can relate.

At least, I am not currently following Garfield's eating plan. However,I do look like him a bit here (except I am wearing pants). One step at a time, right?

Marketing, Cooking, Eating

SPOILER ALERT:  I didn't get in any exercise this weekend and I went over on calories on Sunday.
However, those two facts do not negate a good weekend.

Saturday morning I got the weekend off to a fun start with a trip to the farmers' market...well actually two markets in two separate towns.  I like different things about each market. Here is my bounty....

I wanted to get more of of the Northeast Pole Beans I bought last week at the first market - got their last bag! I like the way the flatness looks.

Bought two of these pretties - only $1 each!

I went to the second market mostly to meet up with my mom, niece and her grandniece (I know, I don't think I am old enough for that either).

I bought a few more tomatoes. I felt so badly for one of the vendors. She had the last of her tomatoes because a hail storm wiped her out..."total loss" she said. She did have other items for sale, but I think her tomatoes were the majority of her business.

My niece had asked me the other day for zucchini ideas.  I had completely forgotten about my zucchini pies of previous summers. I decided to make this Sweet Corn and Zucchini Pie. I've made it before and remembered liking it.

I am a bit obsessed with corn on the cob. I love to grill it and eat it with nothing on it - seriously no butter/salt needed. I also cut it off the cob to use in all sorts of dishes. For this recipe I am starting with raw corn. My favorite part is how some of the kernels stick together. I can never resist nibbling.

 All the veggies are sauteed until tender before mixing in the cheese and eggs.

Ready for the oven! The recipe said to line the pan with parchment paper. I did in hopes it will be easier to get out and hold together better for pretty portions. Let's see how it worked.

I did make two tiny revisions to the recipe. I reduced the butter by 2 tablespoons and the cheese by 4 ounces. Divided into 6 servings, my modifications will save about 100 calories per serving (322 per serving). I don't think it is quite a meal on its own, so a few less calories will give me a little wiggle room for "sides".

I ate a piece for lunch, took a sample piece to my niece and have four servings ready for meals this week.  Saturday's lunch was delicious with a side of cherries and cherry tomatoes.

I' made one of the Cooking Light recipes I mentioned the other day - Grilled Romaine with Feta and Nuoc Cham  Nuoc Cham is a Vietnamese sauce (super simple to make). Yes, that is me grilling lettuce! It isn't on the grill long but enough to wilt a bit and get some grill flavor.

While I grilled Millie stationed herself between the garden and the shed. She has dreams of catching a rabbit or squirrel one day. She chases them out of the garden and they run under the shed or up the tree by the shed.

I finished off my salmon with a bit of peach salsa.  The romaine was very tasty. The Nuoc Chom sauce has great flavor (salty/sweet/tangy) and the feta is a nice complement or the crunchy lettuce texture. (Look closely and you can see the pretty grill marks.) The lettuce retained much of its crunch. I ate two servings!  I think I will save this sauce recipe for my upcoming summer roll plans.

Maybe I am the absolute last to know this, but just in case...MyFitnessPal will do all the work for you when entering a new recipe!! All you have to do is copy the URL and voila!!  I thought I was just going to have to quick add some calories for things not in the database because I was too lazy to enter ALL the ingredients. You have a chance to edit the ingredients before logging it. When I made my zucchini pie I edited it to reflect less butter and cheese. For the recipe title I did mark it less butter and cheese so future users would know it had been modified.

Sunday morning my husband had a group of friends over to play nerd games. It was a brunch potluck. I have never made chicken and waffles and decided Sunday was the day. I used this recipe.
It was pretty straightforward and called for boneless skinless chicken thighs. Not only did it reduce extra calories by being skinless, it reduced my anxiety about properly frying the chicken by being boneless. Win/Win.  They turned out very well. I ate two waffles and two small pieces of chicken. Because I made a batch and a half and didn't really keep track of how many waffles it made and didn't weigh portions of chicken. The recipe came out to about 450 per serving (my educated guess with MFP). I had two delicious servings just like below. The syrup was a supposed to be a mix of maple syrup and hot sauce. However, my maple syrup had gone bad (I didn't know it did that), so I had to scramble and make my homemade syrup, to which I added the hot sauce. It sounds strange, but the hot sauce really makes the dish. I could have eaten several more servings. The boys all tried it as chicken and waffles and then ended up eating up all the chicken plain - I even had to fry them more. They played and I cooked another win/win :)

I did track my brunch, but that was it for the day. I had planned on a nice salad or something for late lunch, but we ended up going to our Mexican place. I didn't even begin to guess the calories, but I had about half of my steak fajita nachos (subbed chips for tortillas), so it was not a calorie disaster by any means. It does bother me not to be able to be exact, but I am not letting that trip me up from the big picture.

I ended up not being hungry at dinner time, so I just skipped it. I confess I was a bit hungry before bed, but decided to just sleep it off. So overall, I am not at all unhappy with the day. I am working very hard to keep balanced this time around. It has to be something I can do forever. And now that I know about these chicken and waffles I have to be able to work them into my lifestyle.


Good weekend behind me and back to 100%  tracking today :)

I spy corn and zucchini pie...can't wait until lunch. I also have some Rosemary Sea Salt hummus I am looking forward to. I promise I will eat it with the carrots...not my fingers.

And so starts a new week. I might be faking it until I make it, but I am ready for you, Monday!

A Better Day

My brother-in-law checked out our oven last night. And surprise, surprise...it worked fine. Isn't that always the way? I am planning to fire it up tonight, but you can be sure I will do that before I start mixing up whatever it is I decide to make.  He mentioned that his oven (almost identical to ours) had intermittent issues before it croaked for real. We went ahead and order the "suspect" part, so at least it will be on hand if needed. It was only $26. If it is never needed, I can live with that as an insurance cost.

Yesterday was a drastically better day for my meal enjoyment.

Breakfast -

An old standby - chicken, kale, and sweet potato topped with an over easy egg. I've actually eaten this three days in a row. It makes me feel super healthy first thing in the morning.

Lunch -

As I mentioned yesterday, I was planning to have Subway for lunch to reset after after my unappealing lunches the first two days. It was a good sandwich. 

Dinner -

Salmon - How is salmon a healthy food??  I have no idea - to me it is so decadent. I simply sauteed it with no seasoning and it was perfect. I picked up the beans at the farmer's market.  I don't know the variety, but they are flatter than regular green beans. Such great flavor too!  Hummus on bread and Bing cherries rounded out the meal  I loved EVERYTHING about this dinner...all 505 calories of it!

I know this is going to sound a bit disingenuous, but I swear it is true. I ended up leaving 275 calories uneaten because I truly was not hungry. Sure I could have eaten them - there is always room in my tummy for a snack.  I am trying to be better about seeing food as "fuel" for my body, not just eating for the sake of eating.  I felt good, so I left it there.

I bought blueberries and strawberries last night.  That called for a different breakfast - "berry explosion" oatmeal. I will probably be on this for a few days - until the berries are gone. I do like variety of meals, but breakfast is the one meal I can eat the same thing over and over.

The main reason I wanted to include this picture is to show the other side of the glass I used last night. I am in love with my vintage glasses. I pick them up at yard sales and resale shops. My mother-in-law gave me this one for my birthday a couple of weeks ago. It is kinda perfect for us...my husband obliviously mowing and throwing grass on my project. Aren't we adorable? :)  There are many more glasses on my wish list, but I might have to purge a few of my less favorite glasses to make room.

This is the set I am currently eyeing. I saw it on eBay a couple weeks ago, but didn't buy it. I have a couple of them. I need to take an inventory of my current collection. There have been a few broken along the way and I need to update my wish list.

I am hoping to get in some exercise this weekend. My husband has been getting up early to run. As long as it is not too crazy humid, I think I will go with him and walk while he runs. 

What are your plans this weekend?