Very Vegetable-y

I’m trying not to jinx it – this renewed passion for eating better and exercising.  Maybe it’s the fact that half my summer clothes don’t fit.  Maybe it’s the two dresses my mom bought me that I can’t zip up all the way.   I’m not going to analyze it too much.  I think that’s what gets me in trouble.

Anyway for the last few days I’ve been making vegetables more of a part of what we’ve been eating.  Steam them or grill them and add some spices and done.

I love pasta – but pasta doesn’t love me so much.  I wanted to try something a little bit different.  My initial idea was Shrimp w/Cannellini Beans but we were out.  I have been threatening to make my own hummus one day so we had lots of chickpeas.  In an effort to eat less pasta – I subbed orzo.You basically throw all the ingredients in a pot – even the pasta and simmer away.  For the record I always steam my broccoli and then throw it in at the very end so it doesn’t over cook.   Plus I threw in some spinach.Simmer simmer.  I will definitely make this again. The other day I had a sandwich for lunch.  It was turkey and cheddar w/spinach and hummus and honey mustard on Nature’s Promise Flax and Whole Grain Bread. You can now go back to your regularly scheduled program.

Dinner on Tuesday was my attempt to get the kids to eat more vegetables.  2 out of 3 children approved. Dave got me a new charger for my DSLR battery.  He’s so….great. :) I basically sauteed onions, garlic and peppers in a little olive oil and soy/teriyaki sauce.   I used a Newman’s Own Sesame Marinade and grilled a steak, sliced it and put it on the side.  I added shrimp to the stir fry mix, some broccoli and spinach and brown rice.  DELICIOUS. Last night Dave and I had Caprese Salad.I know.  I’ve never made that before. :)   I also grilled some chicken – marinated in white wine, lemon juice and Montreal Chicken Seasoning. Served with Alexia Sweet Potato Fries and Grilled Asparagus.

In other healthy living news - we are joining the gym tomorrow – I’ve been weaning myself off Diet Coke.  It’s not easy and I’m not sure subbing Crystal Light is actually doing me any favors since they are pretty much sweetened the same way.   My goal is to drink more seltzer and less soda.  White wine spritzers instead of gallons of Pinot Grigio.   On special occasions Vodka and Soda w/a splash of cranberry.  Like that.  You know.  Baby steps.

Aaaaaand that’s all I’ve got – EXCEPT the story about the Dave and the bug in my apartment.

Probably not the best to tell after I show you all that food but I’m afraid I’ll never get to it.

SO.  I got home on Friday last week to find a huge bug near my front door.  I mean HUGE.  Like all the bugs in Manhattan morphed into one giant bug.

OK.  I might be exaggerating but it was definitely big.

Anyway I got one of Dave’s sneakers and tried to kill it but it scurried into the bathroom.  In a total novice move I tried to spray the bug with bathroom cleaner.  It was then it decided to go live in my closet.

I called Dave.  Told him to leave work immediately and come kill it.  Then I ran out of the house and went to Old Navy.

I came back, huddled on my bed biding my time.  By around 3:30 I couldn’t take it anymore and went out for another walk.

FOR THE RECORD – my apartment is ONE ROOM.  Just one.  In the 6 years I’ve lived in NYC I have seen about as many bugs and nothing this big unless you count the Palmetto bug that stowed away in my luggage on a trip back from Florida.

(Dear The South – You are not kidding anyone with that fancy name. A roach is a freaking roach. Love, NYC)

Suffice it to say there is not room for me and any sort of critter in that small space.

Dave comes by after work.  He roots around the location of the bug for a bit and finally admits defeat.  Laden with various bags and boxes (You don’t think for ONE MINUTE I am leaving any garbage in that place) we get on the elevator.

Dave shrieks like a schoolgirl man in great distress.

“Don’t be alarmed,” he says “but I think the bug’s in my pants” 

I glare and say  “NOT FUNNY”.

Until I realize he is not kidding.

I am such a wimp at first I won’t even follow him down the hall to the laundry room so he can drop his drawers to find the thing.  Then I decide to go be lookout because HELLO I don’t want him to be the creepy pantless guy in the laundry room.

I have never seen a pantless guy – creepy or no - in my laundry room btw.

So he still can’t find it and gets dressed.  We head out to the sidewalk.

Moments later we see the bug from hell casually crossing the street.

Apparently it had jumped to another location while Dave was trying to find it.

Moral of the story – Dave is stronger than me because I would be in a freaking mental ward at the moment if it had been me rather than him with the bug in my pants.

PS – Thank the Lord for skinny jeans.  They are virtually bug proof.

The end.

Lighten Up

It’s been another busy weekend.  We were out on Long Island helping my mom & Jen clean out the basement.  Dave fixed a hose, Jen and I fixed brunch.

All in all a lovely time was had by all.

It’s been a while so I thought a food oriented post was in order.  I really am trying to go on the light side these days.  Some days I’m successful – others not so much.

You will shortly see that I am a big fan of potatoes cooked with onion.   And wine made by penguins.

Mother’s Day. 

   I opted for a fried egg over easy. Dinner on Sunday – Dave and I used the new grill.  Shrimp marinated in olive oil, Old Bay, garlic and lemon.Orso with onion, garlic, tomato and goat cheese.  Last night Dave and I went to see Something Borrowed – which I very much enjoyed even though the book was much better.  Beforehand I made us some dinner. More potatoes. Pork chops – marinated in buttermilk, covered in panko, baked for 35 min at 375.  More potatoes! More penguins! Dave and I are working from home today.  I made us some lunch.  Grilled chicken – teriyaki for him over a salad.

Barbecue for me on a Goldfish thin.

The weather here is so beautiful.  I went for a 3 mile walk yesterday – I could have walked for days it was so nice to be outside.  Tonight dinner is Chicken with the Sauce and I’m heading to Zumba. 

I’m still craving chocolate but at least I’m getting some exercise.

Hope you all are enjoying the spring.  I’ve realized I’m so much happier when I can get out and walk.  Yesterday I kept thinking I should have started running at some point but I’m still not sure where I will end up once I get started.   I’d walk to Zumba if I could but I have to walk on the highway and that might not be a great idea.

Happy Tuesday everyone!  

A feast for the eyes

I am sure I am forgetting something here.  I’ve eaten in different cities, different states, in 80 degree temperatures and in places below freezing.

Some of it was great – some of it was so-so. 

Greetings from Club Red in beautiful Boca Raton.  Mom, Jen and Jen’s friend Marge went to visit my Uncle Red and cousin Erin.  We ate at Duffy’s Sports Bar.

(say that with a South Boston accent.  It’s funnier that way).   It’s the official spot of the Florida Panthers.

I had a very delish Black Bean Buirger and yeah… fries. Lunch at the Boca Town Center.  Say hi to my cousin who works at Macy’s if you stop by. Short Rib and Grilled Cheese with a side salad.Super cute shoes courtesy of Jessica Simpson. See this?  This is me trying to tell you I didn’t make a waiter sit down at our table and ask him to explain to me what “We don’t have any more Pinot Grigio in the place” actually means in a way I can understand by making you think all I had was Diet Coke. Mellow Mushroom where your waiter will keep telling you if you order too much you can have the rest at 4:20 in the morning. Me thinks he knows a lot about the numbers 4 and 20. The Office – not to be confused with where Jim and Pam work.I don't even own *a* gun, let alone many guns that would necessitate an entire rack.  Uncle Red’s B-Day featuring an old school canned ham.Bruschetta is better.My plate.Some people like these.I am not one of those people.

Hotel, motel….Holiday Inn.A Vanilla Mudslide And chocolate ice cream.Jen got sick.  :(   I made dinner.  She ate rice at 11 PM.   Back in NJ – and the Muscle Maker Grill.  I ate half the wrap and all the potato. Dave wanted Lamb Chops, Brown Rice and Brussel Sprouts I wanted a Pork Chop, Asparagus, potatoes and creamed corn. So I made both.   And I also tried to make my dad’s meatloaf.  It’s not quite there yet – but closer. In the NYC - Salad with chicken, made at the cafeteria yesterday. A small potato with low fat sour cream, roasted asparagus….

And a Foreman Grill Burger – with grilled onions and mozzarella on an English Muffin. 

It’s good to be back.