Healthy, or at least healthiER, living

So, the chub is getting me down. Have decided I need to be both MORE active and LESS about butter in my life. I'm not going crazy folks. I will never be schmall. But I don't feel healthy anymore, so have decided that I will at least eat healthfully during the week, and can splurge a teeny bit on weekends. I've been living life like it's always the weekend for several months now, and it shows. Right above my waist...right there...you can feel it. Sick.

For this week, my foods will be as follows (it's quite a bit as you see, but I've got a system)

1 container probiotic yogurt (blueberry)
1 packet low sugar oatmeal
1 sandwich with just meat and mustard on whole grain bread
1 apple
1 8 oz glass of milk
Up to 8 vanilla wafers (reduced fat) if I want them over the course of the day
Up to 6 reduced fat Triscuits with up to 1 1/2 oz cheese (Must get that 3rd serving of dairy), if I want it
Sensible dinners featuring lean meats and LOTS of vegs and a lot less carbs.
For example, tonight's sensible dinner will be Greek chicken in a pita pocket (half) with low fat (actually, no fat) tzatziki and salad. I will prob add a TEENY bit of feta for flavor - luckily feta has so much flavor a teeny bit goes a v. long way.

See, a lot of food. And still at least 1500 calories, more like 1800 prob. But combined with more doggie walking/jogging, I imagine I will at the very least starting FEELING healthier in a few weeks, even if my good friend Mr. Chub doesn't go away. And that's the important thing kids.

Don't fret, pets. I will still make yummy things, esp on the weekends. I just won't eat too much of them!

Country luncheon

More tales from the countryside. I dragged Mr. R out to the farm market on Saturday where we bought roasted turkey breast for $2.99/lb. TWO DOLLARS AND NINETY-NINE CENTS A POUND. We pay $6/lb on sale at the K-roger. Also, we got roast beest for $3.99/lb. That's compared to around $7-$8/lb at the Kroger. Seriously. Seriousleh. I heart that place. And it is good stuff too, not like, watery blah shite.

Before we bought meat and cheese though, we stopped at Der Dutchman and had their barn-raising buffet. That is the name, I didn't make that up. On the buffet was the following:
Fried chicken
Pot roast
BBQ beef ribs
Ham
Mashed potatoes
Noodles
Lima beans
Corn
Green beans
Stuffing
Cornbread
Some kind hashbrown type thing
Poultry gravy
Beef gravy
Big ol' salad bar
And at your table, a loaf of soft white bread and apple butter.

It was super fun and good. They have a bakery attached with pies and what have you. I wanted to buy one of everything, but seeing as I'm starting a healthier eating style this week, I thought it less than prudent. It was good. Go Amish!

Stew!

More beef stew. I heart it. I heart dumplings too.

Pre-cooked dumplings, v. small and demure.

Below, post-cooked dumplings, v. puffy and large.






Bowl of stew goodness, although this isn't a particularly appetizing photo

Fancy night out

R and I went to a fancy schmancy dinner last weekend, at Brio TUSCAN grille. Tuscan. I do enjoy the grille, yes I do. We ordered a lovely bottle of Sketchbook Pinot Noir (mmm) and proceeded to slam the following from their lovely dinner menu:
Spinach/Artichoke Dip
I had the Pasta Brio, which was nice
R had the Roasted Lamb Chops, which he enjoyed, but I thought tasted gamey.
For dessert, R had tiramisu and I had the torta di cioccolata. The tiramisu was lovely. My cake was good, although, at this point in life, I want a little more complexity in my chocolate. I want it darker, with background tones like coffee or hazelnut, or something going on. I did eat the whole thing though. And the gelato was delish.

We both enjoyed our meal, but unfortunately, nothing holds a candle to Maggianos.

Tropical pie

In celebration of Miss L's birthday, I prepared a key lime pie (made with key lime juice she procured on a recent trip to the Keys). Very easy, which hopefully translates to tasty. Juice, condensed milk, egg yolks. Pour into graham cracker crust. Dollop with whipped cream. The end.

I probably won't be able to photograph a single slice, as it will be served in a group meeting at work later today, so here's the whole kit and kaboodle.

Fiesta at the Barrel

Miss M, Miss S, Miss L, and I all rocked the Barrel on Friday. We hit it, and we hit it hard. To the left, the whole table of food. A cornucopia, if you will. Below, my own personal cornucopia.

Chicken braid take 2

Mmm...the braid. I heart the braid. My last attempt at the braid was delish, but not the best looking specimen necessarily. My most recent attempts were not much better, I'm afraid. Here the braid is unbaked:





And baked.

Mmm...childhood breakfast fave

Soft-boiled eggs on toast. Place eggs in pot. Cover with cold water. Bring to boil. Allow to boil no more than 3 1/2 minutes. NO MORE THAN THAT! While eggs boil, toast bread. Butter. Put on plate. After 3 1/2 minutes, run cold water over eggs to stop cooking. Crack egg with spoon. Spoon soft egg from shell. Smoosh onto bread. Add salt and pepper. Eat. Enjoy.

I would like to point out that these eggs were even slightly OVER done for my taste. Looking back, I would go 3 minutes even. But R was wary of the soft-boiled goodness. Little did he know. Little...did he know.

Cheesecake bars

Not really anything extraordinary, but over the weekend I made the cheesecake bars featured on Baking Bites. They were quite easy. Much easier than a standard cheesecake. I am not the huge vanilla fan that Baking Bites is, so I did not opt for the vanilla power - just some extract in the cheesecake top. But I found it a bit bland. Not very "cheesy" - you didn't get that cheesecake tang. I threw some random strawberry ice cream topping on mine to jazz it up, but fresh fruit would obviously have been better. I did like the idea of these bars however - may have to experiment. Maybe a graham crust? Maybe incorporate dark chocolate? Sour cream, for more tang? Who knows.

A note about about hot bacon dip

I had to go far back in the way back machine to find a post about hot bacon dip. This dip is such an integral part of my life, and yet, I've devoted relatively little time to it on this space. How sad. It is prepared several times a year and is received with much joy and celebration by all who taste it. Except for vegetarians or those who otherwise shun bacon. Mmm. Bacon.


R's brother's friend T-bone took bacon dip to a whole new level over the weekend by serving himself up a dollop of it on a piece of smoked cheddar cheese (from Yutzy's) and summer sausage. Essentially, a blob of cheesy bacon dip on top of cheese and another meat product. V. interesting. Mr. T-bone may or may not have spent the day imbibing adult beverages prior to this feat.

More kielbasa goodness...

Both for ease and for deliciousness, nothing says "welcome to my home" like a huge platter of kielbasa and mustard-roasted potatoes.



With garlic green beans, of course.

Shower Madness

R and I played host and hostess to the baby shower on Saturday. We did fairly simple food. A cake from the Suisse Shop bakery (of M&R wedding fame), savory summer pie, blueberry muffins, and a fruit platter courtesy of the mother-to-be's fam.





I heart the savory summer pie - a quiche without pretension - that uses fresh ingredients. My dad always makes these with fresh garden tomatoes and basil. I was able to use my own basil, but my tomatoes bit the dust this year and just did NOT thrive. I bought some lovely tomatoes from the downtown Farmer's Market. I jazzed mine up with some of last week's ham as well. I also used the pre-made pie crusts from Yutzy's, which were really REALLY good. The muffins were nice as well, although, unless you have the 6 qt Kitchenaid, do NOT attempt a double batch at one time. That almost led to muffin batter engulfing my kitchen.


The cake, as always, was superb. Very VERY moist, and their buttercream is incredible. A lot of buttercream tastes too, well, buttery. Like eating a stick of butter. Which is unappetizing. But this does not. The cake is lightly almond flavored. The raspberry filling cuts the richeness of both cake and icing. Mmm.