New Things

I love trying new dishes. Yesterday I went to get a haircut and since the shop I go to is by my parents house I brought my Mom some lunch. We had a BOLANI FEAST!  She mentioned that the potato one sounded good to her so last Tuesday I picked it up.

She really liked it! I think she may have said that she LOVES IT! :) It's fun to try new foods that you normally would never experience!

Then for dinner Sean and I went over to his parent's house. More NEW STUFF! Gourmet Sabzi was the main dish- It is a mix of spices & herbs with lemon juice and dried lemon with black eyed peas & beef. It was delicious!

His Mom also had sweet dolma for me IF I did not like dinner!

Well I liked it AND I had to also eat some dolma because I like those too! :)

Also had rice-

Tadik (YUM YUM!) 

Plus a nice salad-

For dessert I brought some diet soda cupcakes. For those of you who have never heard of these there is a HUGE list of flavor/soda combos that is on the internet so google it I'm sure it will come up but these come out great! I love how the cake mix comes out- so soft & fluffy! 

I used 1 box of Yellow cake mix

2 egg whites

1 can Seltzer 

Baked at 350 degrees for 20 min. Made 18 cupcakes.

For the frosting I mixed 1 1 oz.box sugar free Jello chocolate pudding in with an 8 oz. container of Fat Free Cool Whip. I add this to a large baggie and put in the fridge. I usually cut a hole in the tip of the corner of the baggie and pipe the frosting on the cupcakes. 

However...I think this is NOT a good idea when using chocolate frosting. 

I finished frosting 2 cupcakes and I burst out laughing!

Poop Cupcakes? lol

My tummy hurt from laughing so hard! I think spreading the frosting on in this case is a better idea! Gave us all a good laugh for the evening! :) whoopps!

Happy Friday everyone! Any FUN plans for the weekend? We are waiting and hoping on houses...and hope to see more this weekend too! Off to the pool this morning for me! Have a great day guys! 

BYE! :) 

Did We Like The Okra Fries?

YES we did! So they are more like roasted okra than "FRIES" really... but both Sean and I enjoyed them!

I washed them off- and let out an "OUCH!" as I was rubbing them under the water they poked me! I didn't know that they had teeth? lol SO I stopped rubbing them and just stuck them in a colander and ran under water to clean.

Dried them off on paper towels, added them to a large bowl to drizzle with canola oil and sprinkle with salt & pepper. Baked on a cookie sheet for 20 minutes at 400 degrees-they were a little brown on the bottom.

Enjoyed them with my pita pizza & some lil golden tomatoes.

When Sean came home I told him to put the whole thing in his mouth and bite it off at the "butt" (or end- but, "BUTT" is what he calls it. HAHA)  I did not like taking a bite 1/2 way- weird I know but it was tough to bite through them. lol NEXT time we make them (yes there will be a NEXT TIME!) I want to make them a little bit more flavorful- maybe garlic okra fries? We did not dip them into anything, but maybe adding the garlic will give them a little more something something. :) 

Sean loved them, and I saw him glance over to the kitchen area to see if I had more on the counter...nope! I did not make a lot because I was not certain we would like them! Now I know! :) 

Breakfast today was more baked oatmeal/PB2/Banana combo. Loved it!

Went to the pool- check out my stats:

I reached my HIGHEST numbers in the zone to date! :) Whoohoo! I was able to burn more calories in less time too! LOVE IT! 

Needed a BIG plate of food for lunch and decided on a Bolani FEAST! 

I just have to say...I absolutely LOVE the food I eat! If you love what you eat there is NO WAY you feel like you are on a DIET! I had pizza last night!!! A 4 point personal pizza!! :) No DIET food in my house! lol

Picked up my new iPhone 4- WOW! Super fast! I don't know who to try out the FACE TO FACE chat with first? lol Mostly because I do not know many people who have it! lol A friend I met at the pool just picked hers up so I will have to test it out with her. :) Anyone else an Apple Addict?? lol 

Dinner- Fake Chinese night!! YIPPEEE I think it has been a while since we had it last! Here is the link for the recipe for my FAKE FRIED RICE. :) This picture is from the last time we had it-shown with edamame. I have snap peas that I am going top sauté and have with it instead. Gotta use what I have in the house. But we are going to have Trader Joe's Chicken Pot Stickers with it! :)

That is all from me tonight! I hope everyone had a great day! :) 

BYE! 

WI & Farmers Market LOOT!

Hello! I have been super busy and my mind is running all over the place! I have one of those minds that do not shut off at night when it is time to go to sleep so I was up tossing and turning all night! humm.. stressed much? lol ANYWAY!!

Yesterday...I whipped up a new recipe that I think I will take a loss on. lol I found this idea over at Angela's blog (click link for her recipe) and I reduced the amount of nuts (to reduce the points) and added 2 egg whites to make them less crumbly but I dunno...it's missing something. I was not really happy with the result. 

Topped it with a lil Tzatziki

Looked hopeful...

I have 5 more....lol 

Moving on....Dinner last night was Fiber Gourmet Pasta w/ fresh Basil, tomatoes, parmesan cheese & fresh pepper. Delicious! :)

Made some Baked Oatmeal last night so I was able to pop this piece in the micro for 40 seconds this AM and top with PB2 & banana for a FILLING breakfast! :)

Went on over to my Weight Watcher's meeting...up .4 eehh I'm OK with that. I had a good loss last week and  I know my body. Maybe next week will be better. :) I had my highest calorie burn week this past week at 1699! :) WHOOHOO! :) I have been doing 4 days now at the pool and still really just love it there! :) 

Stopped at the farmers Market and got a chicken pita. 

I had it before and it was good- however this time the chicken was YUCKIE! I was not able to eat much of it and so I picked at it and ate the cabbage & tomatoes with tzatiki  & did not eat the pita....did you read that? DID NOT EAT THE PITA! WHOA! lol That is worth a pat on the back from myself! lol I love bread and normally would have eaten it. WHoohoo! Small steps!

Bought more goodies and then drove over to the pool for a nice calorie burn of 407 for today. :)

Came home to snap pics of my LOOT- 

HELLO BOLANI!!

Okra that I plan on making into FRIES- because I saw it on 2 blogs this past week and I think they would be good roasted! :)

The best tasting lil tomatoes ever...I love snacking on these!

along with some mushrooms for pita pizzas-

pluots & a couple of necatarines-

Had to grab a snack after the pool workout. I have noticed that I need protein after- like my body craves it! So I grabbed a Fage 0% and chopped up a few strawberries to mix in.

Going to toss those fresh okra in some canola oil and sprinkle with salt & pepper & bake them soon. I took out a couple of whole wheat pitas to make pita pizzas for an easy dinner.  I love EASY, don't you? :) Plus I like saying I had a whole personal pizza to myself for only 4 points! lol :) 

Anyone try the okra "fries" already? What are you making for dinner...or what did you already make? :) What's your favorite EASY recipe? 

Have a great evening everyone! BYE! :) 

How was your weekend?

First where did the weekend GO?  Wow that was FAST! Saturday I went out to spend the day with my Mom for lunch we went to Applebees because I was too tempted to go anywhere else! lol I ordered the Island shrimp, my meal was not the best and I forgot to snap a picture before I cut up all of my shrimp and mixed them into the rice so here is a pic I found online of the plate nice & pretty-

We went out to do a little shopping then came back to eat dinner. Grilled chicken-topped with a lil BBQ sauce, salad, & my Mom made one of my favorite dishes zucchini & potatoes. YUM! :)

Sunday Sean and I were going to drive outta here....run far far away for a gettaway. However we heard from our Realtor and met her to see a house. SO we drove to meet her and then decided to just go to Whole Foods or lunch. Split a piece of pizza & a salad. 

Went to get some groceries- just hit up one store! whoohoo! Trader Joe's LOOT!

Relaxing out on the deck...

This bird decided to join us creek side-

Dinner was all cooked out on the grill. I had never used baby broccoli before but I decided to just drizzle a little EVOO, Salt & Pepper it and tossed it on until fork tender. Then I cut up 4 dutch yellow potatoes and an onion and made kabobs outta them to grill. Along with our sides we made those Amy Lu's  chicken, apple, gouda sausages. YUM! Here is our grill platter that we shared-

Walked over to get dessert...left the camera/phone behind. I got a lil bit of sugar free/fat free chocolate fro-yo with fresh raspberries mixed in. Sean got Jamba juice all fruit pomegranate paradise smoothie. 

We did put a bid in on the house...hard to get excited these days because sometimes it doesn't work out. I think this is 5 (or it is 6?) homes now in 5 months?? uugghh! SO frustrating! We are crossing our fingers and toes! We deserve something good to happen soon, so we are hopeful! :)

Gotta get to the pool this morning and then I am going to be busy in the kitchen- but I will be sure to share with you what I am up to soon! :) 

Have a great day everyone!! BYE! :)

ICE BOX CAKE!

Yesterday I decided to make a cake that my Nan & I made together a few times. BUT, I was going to make it the healthy way. :) The real way includes home made whipped cream & chocolate wafer cookies. I decided to take these ingredients and try to make it, and have it taste just as good!

2 containers light cool whip

2 boxes (I used one box +2 bags-so 8 bags total) 100 Calorie packs Oreo wafer cookies

5 bananas

I used an 8X8 pan- and I know I could have used another layer on my "cake" but I ran out of banana's and cool whip! lol All you do if place a thin layer of cool whip on the bottom and sides of the pan-

Then place the cookie wafters- top with more cool whip & a layer of bananas-

keep layering...

Then on the top make a thicker layer of cool whip and crush a few of the cookie wafers to sprinkle on top. :)

Cover & place in freezer over night or 5-6 hours. Remove from freezer and let stand about an hour before serving. The cool whip makes the cookies soggy and soft and tastes so good! Even though I made it the healthier way I think my Nan would be proud of me. :) Everyone loved it too! :)

I did not add this recipe to the Weight Watcher recipe builder yet! I need too! I estimated my portion last night to be 3 points but I will add it eventually.   Ok Ok so I went and added it and that 3 point portion that I GUESSED on was more like 5. lol SO if you make this as instructed- in an 8x8 dish and divide it by 12 it is 4 points each. If you want larger portions 8=6pts. All in all I bet it is a healthier version than the original one using home made whipped cream right? lol :) Oh well a lil dessert once in a while will not kill us right? :)

Dinner last night was delicious! kabob, grilled chicken, tadik, grilled veggies, corn, & salad. 

Breakfast this AM- Fage 0% w/ a lil honey & a small banana smashed into the cup. lol 

Went to the pool did 1 hour 19 min and burned 424 calories! Whoohoooo! I love seeing the number over 400!! Ever since I added the weights to my ankles  I get a better burn result. I needed to work my body up to that point though. My back is a little sore today, but I'm going to do some stretches to make sure I don't stiffen up later. 

Lunch looked like a HOW MANY VEGGIES CAN I GET IN MEAL HAHA! Let's see- cucumber, carrots, tomatoes, jicama, and spinach if you count it on the sandwich! lol I used some of the leftover ranch that I made with the greek yogurt to dip my veggies in. It was delicious and I enjoyed the turkey sandwich on the bagel thin too! :) 

Just me tonight for dinner and I have a container of leftover goodies from last night at Sean's parents that I am looking forward to enjoying! :)

TGIF! Hope everyone has a great Friday! Anyone have FUN plans for the weekend?? We might try to get out of here on Sunday- just to do something different than or usual shopping chores. Hummm but then I am left to do it on my own on Monday :( boo! lol Naw, It will be ok! 

Have a good one!

BYE! :)

10 Random Things

Took these out for dinner last night- mushy they were- but I toasted and toasted! They were OK. My salad was FANTASTIC! I realized I had no dressing besides oil & vinegar so I whipped some up using a package of Hidden Valley Buttermilk ranch, Fage 0%, and fat free 1/2 & 1/2. Came out great!

Sean came home early so we walked to the library then went over to the health food store Harvest House. I love this store! They have a HUGE area with BULK BINS! So nice to try a small portion of something- or a large portion too! :) 

Got some rolled oats, unsweetened shredded coconut, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds (both for an experiment. lol) a couple of bars & Sean came wandering back over to me with RISOTTO! lol I just made him the mushroom one from Trader Joe's and now he adds this box to the basket! It does have better stats than the TJ's version. Maybe I will make it just for him.

Spotted something NEW- Coconut Sugar.

 

I dipped my finger in the bag when I got home and it tasted good! Not sure what I am going to try it in first! I will let you know! 

This morning I had one egg+one egg white salad on a bagel thin & some cherries for breakfast.

Ok now some FUN stuff! :) 

Cara over at Cara's Cravings posted a 10 RANDOM THINGS LIST. I liked it so I am borrowing  stealing the idea. :) Feel free to steal it too...it's kinda fun and a cool way to get to know each other better. :) 

TEN RANDOM THINGS

1. I have a scar on my chin from when I was 3. I was afraid of Mr. Snufagufalus, yes the big fuzzy brown character on Sesame Street, and when I heard the music that plays before he makes an appearance- I took off running up the stairs and fell- down on my chin. :(

2. I'm pretty anal about which way the toilet paper roll goes on the holder. I am an OVER believer and will change it if it is on wrong. I also feel just as strong about the paper towel roll too. lol

3.  I am a very light sleeper and I never thought I could sleep in the same bed with my boyfriend. It's not always a peaceful night, but I find it comforting that he is there. 

4. Speaking of sleep- I need a lot. 8,9 or 10 hours will do. If I get anything less than 6 I feel sick. 

5. I have an Apple addiction. No, not the ones you bite into...lol I love my iMac, iPad, & iPhone and would grab all 3 in case of a fire. 

6. I am not originally sealed. What do I mean by this? I had my gallbladder removed through my belly button (I was 17) and since that is the way they SEAL you when you are born (making the knot in the umbilical cord) I feel like because they had to open that part of me up that I am not originally sealed. lol Strange huh? 

7. I love basketball. When I was 9 my Dad was watching a game on tv and asked me if the green team (the Celtics) or the purple team (the Lakers) would win. I picked purple and my LOVE of the game and my PURPLE TEAM was born. I remember watching the following season- the winners got their championship rings. GO LAKERS! :) 

8. If you placed a big ice cream sundae & a sandwich(on a good french or sour dough roll) on a table in front of me I'd grab the sandwich each time. You could replace that ice cream with a slice of cake, pie, or candy bar- I would still grab the sandwich each time. My love of bread wins!

9. I have a lip gloss addiction. DEW KISS lipgloss from Avon is my favorite! When I buy it I get 20 at a time. Hey it's only 99 cents! lol I have them all over the house- on my side of the couch, at the computer desk, on my night table, in my purse, in my wallet (just in case I leave my purse at home.) and when I am driving and Sean is the passenger- If I need to re-apply he knows what zippered compartment my gloss is in and gets it for me. lol 

10. Sean & I met online. He answered my personal on LOVE @AOL (now Match.com) 10 years ago. He asked to meet me right away when we started to chat but I put it off 2 months because I was not confident in myself. I was nervous he would not like me. But he did. :) 

:) What are your 10 random things? Let me know if you STEAL the idea! :)