Pre-Thanksgiving Turkey...and more zucchini

Today's Recipe of the Week...Turkey, Cheddar and Grilled Zucchini Sandwich.

Because, you know, I didn't have enough zucchini last week and don't have any plans in the near future to eat turkey...

Again, I got it to look a lot like the picture in the magazine.  Apparently, this is easier with food than people.

Verdict: It's good, just not sure the zucchini actually adds much.  This would be a good way to get rid of left over zucchini but I don't think I'd buy zucchini just to make this again.  The rest of this stuff I often have on hand though (or should).

Recipe
Toss 2 zucchini (cut into 1/2 inch planks) with 1 Tbsp olive oil and salt and pepper.  Grill over medium heat until tender, 2 to 3 min per side.  Brush 8 slices of country bread with olive oil and grill until golden brown, 30 sec. per side.  Divide 2 Tbsp each mayo and Dijon mustard, 6 oz sliced roasted turkey, 4oz cheddar, lettuce, and the zucchini among the grilled bread.

I made some modifications - I roasted the zucchini and toasted the bread in the toaster, rather than grilling and I used Greek yogurt instead of mayo.

Now back to praying that Winter Storm Cato doesn't leave me stranded in NY.

Wacky Wednesday with a side of Fried Zucchini

I left my phone at the office today. :-(  So, yeah, that sucks!

Recipe of the Week:  Fried Zucchini with Chive Mayo

It looks just like it did in the magazine, so that's a good start (sorry the picture isn't very good, I had to use my work Blackberry to take it!).

I'll give this one a "good for parties but I certainly don't need to eat this entire plate of zucchini" rating.
It tastes pretty good, but you don't need a ton.  And it requires more bowls (3 plus a put full of oil) than I'd generally want to use if I'm cooking just for myself or the two of us.

Directions (I cut the recipe in half):

• Whisk 1 1/4 cups buttermilk, 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 beaten egg, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.  
• Heat 4 cups canola oil in a large pot over medium heat to 350 degrees
• Toss 2 zucchini (cut into spears) in 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• Coat the zucchini in the batter
• Fry in batches, until golden, 4-6 minutes.

Chive Mayo (I used Greek yogurt, worked great)

• Combine 1/2 cup mayo, 1/4 cup chopped chives, and 3.4 tsp seafood seasoning (such as Old Bay),

Serve with the zucchini and lemon wedges.

It's a keeper and may make an appearance at the New Year's party this year.

Trying again...

It's been over a year but I'm going to try to resurrect this blog!

I was definitely doing better with workouts when posting on here - some accountability even if no one is actually reading my blog :-)

I also have a plan to try a new recipe each week and post the recipe and my review. 
The recipes will be rather random.  I've decided to blindly pick one from my "must try" envelope each week and, no matter what it is, I'm making it.  If I REALLY don't want to try it, it'll go directly into the trash and I'll pick another.  I swear some of these "must try" recipes have been in that envelope since 2002 - maybe earlier.
This week's recipe: Fried zucchini with chive may (see, random).  At least this one's fairly new, from Real Simple's July 2014 issue.
I plan to take Rudy to camp tomorrow so I should be home early enough to do some experimenting in the kitchen. 

Fitbit Flex

I'd be thinking about getting a Fitbit for a while and in honor of my new commitment to weight loss I finally pulled the trigger.
My new Fitbit Flex arrived yesterday and I got it all charged and step up to use today.  10,000 steps is a lot. 
It's pretty cool how it works and how it syncs with myfitnesspal.com

Last week was pretty successful food-wise, still struggling to get my workouts in.  The scale was friendly though. 
We did well this weekend.  I got new running shoes yesterday (bright pink, yikes) and went for a 3 mile run on the bike path.  Today I did Insanity with Brad.  We didn't do the entire DVD because we had to get to the bar for the game.  I managed to resist the bar food and ate a salad at the game.  So I'm pretty proud of myself.
Hopefully I can do better this week with the workouts.  My boss is out for the week so maybe that'll make it easier to get out early and make it to CrossFit.

Happy Sunday.

Happy Tuesday

Every week should start on Tuesday, Mondays are overrated.

I did well today, kept food in take under control.  I had to pick Rudy up from camp, he was staying there while we were in AC, so I couldn't make it to CrossFit.  I did get in a 3 mile treadmill run though.  Yay!

And I got to wear one of the new dresses I bought this weekend :-)

Now Rudy is fast asleep on my lap.  Love it when he's tired from camp!

Labor Day Weekend in Atlantic City

B, J, and I went to Atlantic City for the weekend.  We'd been trying to go all summer and finally just pulled the trigger and went.  It's insane how much hotel rooms in Atlantic City cost, thank God for Starwood points!

We played some blackjack, hung out on the beach, shopped at the outlets, and had yummy dinners at PF Changes and Ruth's Chris. 

In the spirit of my recent commitment to weight loss, I also managed to get in a 3 mile run.  It's hard to eat well while traveling and during the holidays but I think I at least did better than I normally would have.  That has to count for something, right?

The gambling was a bit of a roller coaster but we all ended up taking home more than we went there with, not something you can always say!
I made some great finds at the outlets too, can't complain about that.

Now back to a normal (though short) work week...

Wake up call

So I've been a lazy bum and it needs to stop!
I've been convincing myself that it's no big deal, and then I saw the pictures from our beach house weekend with the family.  Ugh, NOT GOOD!

For some background, my brother and K rented a house on the sound shore in Clinton, CT last week with T & E.  B and I went to hang out with them Thursday and Friday, took a little detour to Mohegan Sun and then headed home.
The days at the beach house were fun.  The kids are cute and old enough to do fun, interactive things with now.  We (the kids) tortured some fish and crabs they caught on the beach.  We had some kayaks to paddle around in and went to check out the sandbar at low tide.  We had a bonfire on the beach and made s'mores and drank beer.  I got eaten alive by bugs.  All in all, a great summer experience.
I was excited to see the family pictures when K sent them over, since we don't have that many with the kid and me and B.  And...BAM...reality hit.

I was going to share the pictures on here but, frankly, I'm too embarrassed to.  I will just say that I need to lose about 10lbs and my plan is to try to use this blog to help me stay on track.  I'm going to commit to working out more consistently, thinking before putting anything in my mouth, and posting about my progress (and pitfalls).

Probably dangerous making this pledge just before leaving for Atlantic City for Labor Day Weekend.  Or, maybe it'll help me avoid doing too much damage this weekend.  Fingers crossed...

Awesome and easy chicken recipe

B found this recipe recently when faced with making dinner for himself at home.  Turns out, it's really good, and easy too!

Sorry, I'm out of practice, no picture today.  At least I'm blogging again :-)

Original recipe from: The Ktchn

What You Need

Ingredients
1 to 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon freshly chopped herbs (optional)
Olive oil
1/2 tablespoon butter
Equipment
10-inch sauté pan with lid

Instructions

1. Pound the chicken breasts to an even thickness with the handle or flat of a knife.
2. Lightly salt and pepper the chicken breasts.
3. Mix about a half teaspoon of salt in with the flour along with a little pepper. Chop the herbs finely, if using, and mix in as well.
4. Quickly dredge the chicken breasts in the flour, so that they are just lightly dusted with flour.
5. Heat the sauté pan over medium-high heat. When it is quite hot, add the olive oil and butter. Let them melt, and swirl the pan.
6. Turn the heat to medium. Add the chicken breasts. Cook for just about 1 minute to help them get a little golden on one side (you are not actually searing or browning them). Then flip each chicken breast over.
7. Turn the heat to low. Put the lid on the pan. Set a timer for 10 minutes, and walk away. Do not lift the lid; do not peek.
8. After 10 minutes have elapsed, turn off the heat. Reset the timer for 10 minutes and leave the chicken breasts in the pan. Again, do not lift the lid; do not peek.
9. After the 10 minutes are up, take the lid off, and tada! Soft, tender, juicy chicken breasts that aren't dried out in the least. Doublecheck them to make sure there is no pink in the middle. Slice and eat.

Herb-Crusted Steak with Fries

I've been trying to increase the protein in my diet and am kind of sick of chicken.  So, I got us a nice big skirt steak and tried a couple of recipes, here's the first one.

Super easy!

Herb-Crusted Steak with Fries

Mix together 1/2 C sour cream (I used fat free greek yogurt), 2 T horseradish, and black pepper.
Rub 1 1/2 lb sirloin steak (1 inch thick) with 2 T herbes de provence; season with salt and pepper.
Cook in 2 T olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high, 3 to 5 minutes per side for medium-rare.
Let rest 5 minutes, then slice.
Serve with oven baked fries (I made sweet potato fries)

Carrots Au Gratin

Not the healthiest veggie recipe ever, but tasty!

Carrots Au Gratin

There are carrots under there, I swear!

I didn't follow the recipe exactly, just used what I had around, but it worked out.

	4 1/2 CCarrots; peeled and sliced- I used most of a baggie of baby carrots
	2/3 CRitz Crackers; Crushed- I had some wheat thins and tortilla chips around so used that.
	3 Tbutter; divided
	1/2 COnion; diced
	3 TFlour
	1/2 tspsalt
	1/4 tsppepper
	1 1/2 CMilk
	2/3 CCheddar Cheese; or velveeta

Preheat the oven to 350 and lightly grease a 9×12 baking pan.
Steam carrots (or cook with your desired method) until they are just fork tender, but still a bit firm (approximately 10 minutes).
In a small bowl, melt 1 Tbs. of the butter. Toss the melted butter with the cracker crumbs and set aside.
In a medium saucepan heated over medium heat, melt the remaining 2 Tbs. of butter. Saute the onions in the butter until they are translucent and tender. Add the flour, salt, and pepper to the onion/butter mixture and cook (while stirring) for approximately one minute. Gradually add the milk, whisking constantly, and bring the mixture to a boil. Allow the mixture to simmer for a few minutes, until it thickens.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the cheese. Whisk until everything is smooth and melted.
Fold the carrots into the cheese mixture and coat everything well. Pour the carrot and cheese mixture into the baking pan and sprinkle with the cracker crumbs.
Bake for approximately 20 minutes, or until everything is heated through and cheese sauce is bubbly.

Nassau, Bahamas!

B and I had been talking about taking a vacation somewhere for months and just not pulling the trigger.  We really wanted to get some scuba in, and we just love to travel.

So, on a whim, I decided to check to see who flies out of Westchester County Airport.  After all, it's about 5 miles from where we live!  Turns out, JetBlue has several flights out of HPN and a direct flight to Nassau, very reasonably priced.  PERFECT!

Even though we were only planning about 3 weeks in advance, we decided to see if anyone else wanted to join us and we got 4 of our friends (2 other couples) to come along.

So, last weekend (Thursday to Sunday) we went to the Bahamas for a long weekend with some of our friends.  It was SO nice to be away and to hang out with everyone.

It was literally 8 degrees in NY when we left.  It was in the mid 70s most of the time we were in the Bahamas.  Not crazy hot, but definitely NOT 8 degrees!

We stayed at the Sheraton Beach Resort & Casino.  We picked it because Brad has the SPG points, so it was the right price. :-)  The pool area and beach were nice, the food was overpriced (as expected) and the casino was a little lame.  But, it all worked out nicely.
C&R stayed with us and A&M had their own room (first come, first serve for the free rooms!).

We had our first dinner out at The Poop Deck  .  The food was good, if a little pricey.  We tried our first of many conch fritters, and continued sampling Gumbay Smash drinks everywhere we could (started at the pool!).



B and I went on one scuba excursion with Stuart Cove.  We hadn't been on a dive since our certification dives almost a month ago so it was a little stressful, but we got to see some cool stuff.

 

 

 
For lunch we went to the Fish Fry and tried Twin Brothers.  The food was good, service was mediocre, kind of slow.

Dinner number 2 was at Montagu Gardens.  They picked us up at our hotel more than 30 minutes late, but we tried not too get too frustrated by that.  The driver gave us a little tour and history of the restaurant, he was hilarious, so we were in a better mood once we got to the restaurant.  Since we got there so late, we closed the place down!  The food was good, less expensive than the Poop Deck, similar quality.  The wine, drinkable but not so good.  R&C go the Guava Duff for dessert, they had been talking it up the whole trip.  I tried it but didn't love it.

The next day the whole crew went on the "off road" Segway Tour.  I was really nervous that I would fall off the thing, but I got the hang of it quickly and had a ton of fun!

As I write this summary it's starting to look like we were just wasting time between meals. :-)  Most of that time was at the pool, napping, or in the casino, you're not missing anything.

Our last (and best) dinner was at Brussels Bistro.  The mussels were sooo good, and I'm not really much of a mussels person.  The rest of the food was really good too, and it wasn't that expensive.  Once again we closed down the restaurant.  It's a small place but I'd definitely go back if we return to the Bahamas!

Casino Night and new Goat Cheese Log Recipe

Last night we had 25-30 people over for a game night.  In what is now becoming my trademark move, I did not take any photos.  It's unfortunate too, since I did an awesome job decorating (if I do say so myself)!

**Any readers out there who have pictures, please send them to me!**

I made my standards - crock pot meatballs, empanadas, bean dip, sugar cookies
And some new additions - Oreo balls, Chipotle Rosemary Nuts
And my last minute discoveries

• Goat Cheese with honey and walnuts (Just drizzle some honey over a log of goat cheese and sprinkle with crushed walnuts)
• Mad Money Punch - Orange Juice, Cranberry Juice, Vodka, Squeeze of Lime - went through 2 batches, probably would have gone through most of a third if I had enough ingredients to make another.

Of course guests brought some great additions too - lots of booze, quacamole, etc.

Hot games of the night:
- Taboo (which somehow morphed into a very strange, but entertaining, version of charades)
- Uno - who knew adults could play this for hours on end?
- Jenga
- Black Jack
- Texas Hold 'em

We'll definitely be doing this again!!

The things we do for beauty!

B and I are going on a little trip soon...I'll share details later.
In preparation, I decided to try something new - a bikini wax.


A coworker of mine recommended European Wax Center a few months ago.  At the time, the only one in Westchester was in Yonkers.  Sorry to any Yonkers residents who might be reading this, but it's not my favorite place to go, I get lost all the time.  However, they had announced that a new location would be opening in January in Rye Brook - this sounded promising.

So, I signed up for advanced notice of the opening, specials etc.  They ran a deal for free services in the days just prior to their opening to finalize the training of the staff (more the front desk people, not so much the waxers) so I made an appointment for my bikini wax for this afternoon.

I won't lie, I was really nervous.  I left WAY early, which was good because I had a bit of hard time finding the place.  Once I get there everyone was super nice and helpful. 
The place was clean and pleasant.
I only waited maybe 5 minutes before my waxer came to get me.  She was really professional and friendly and did a good job distracting me and not making me feel awkward.
Honestly, it really wasn't that bad.  It didn't feel good, but I didn't feel the need to yell or swear or whatever. 

I bought a packaged visit deal (buy 9, get 3 free) and made another appointment for 3 weeks.  I might have her do a little more next time. 

So, If you're considering doing this or looking for a new place, check them out - ask for Norah, and let them know I referred you (I get $5 off for referrals!).

Avocado, Strawberry & Goat Cheese Sandwich

I had some goat cheese left over after last week's challenge, so I searched pinterest for some ways to use it.  I already had all the ingredients for this one so thought I'd try it for breakfast...

Avocado, Strawberry & Goat Cheese Sandwich

 Avocado Strawberry + Goat Cheese Sandwich [cold]

• 2 slices of bread (I used Arnold Sandwich Thins. a whole wheat wrap would also work)
• 1 avocado (I only used about 1/4)
• 4 medium strawberries, thinly sliced
• 2-4T goat’s milk mozzarella, crumbled (I used goat cheese from a log)
• 1t lemon juice (optional)
• 1/8t salt
• black pepper + sea salt to top

1. Toast the bread and place on a cooling rack [avoids sogginess] to stay crisp but not hot. 
2. Mash the avocado with a fork and then mash in the lemon juice + salt.
3. Add as much avocado to the toast as desired and add 1 layer of thinly sliced strawberries.
4. Top with salt, pepper, and about 1T crumbled goat cheese per slice.

Lookit what I did with the pictures, too...fun!

No Seasoning Packet Turkey Tacos - Part 1

In an attempt to continue the clean eating pattern, I decided to try to make one of our staple foods (tacos) in a healthier, less processed ways.  This recipe was good, we'll eat it all, but next time I'll try something different.  This one's maybe a 5 out of 10, not a keeper.

Healthier Turkey Tacos

	1 1/4 lbslean ground turkey
	1 tspolive oil/chicken broth
	1 Tgarlic powder
	1 TChili Powder
	1 MedRed Onion, chopped
	1 TPaprika
	1 CanTomato sauce; low sodium, no sugar added
	Lettuce
	1 Tomato
	1 Onion
	Shredded Cheese
	Avocado; or guac
	taco shells or whole wheat tortillas

Cook your meat in a non-stick pan using olive oil, or, if you really want to do away with the fat, use a bit of chicken broth.
Stir in the spices, red onion, and tomato sauce.
Prepare the rest of the ingredients for toppings.
Stuff your shells and serve!

Oreo Cookie Balls

I swear I'm not totally off the clean eating track already!  We're having a party this weekend (which I'm sure will inspire many, many posts) and this is one of the treats I'm making (along with the chipotle nuts).

I got this recipe from my sister in law.  I'm not sure where she got it but I'm guessing from someone on Pinterest.

No Bake Oreo Cookie Balls

1 package Oreos
8oz package of cream cheese
1 package white bakers chocolate

Crush Oreos into small pieces (I place in freezer bag and smash with smooth side of meat tenderizer, you can also use a mallet or rolling pin, etc).
Using hands, mix Oreo crumbs with cream cheese until well combined
Form into 1 inch balls and place on lined baking sheet.  Place in refrigerator (overnight is best).

Melt chocolate per direction on bag.  Roll Oreo balls into chocolate, place back in fridge until hard.  Store in fridge or freezer.
didn't
mmmmm...

Our first attempt at melting the chocolate didn't go well, pretty sure we burned it.  We're blaming our our microwave, which is from circa 1990.  I tried again today, using a make-shift double boiler, much better results!

Clean Eating Reflections

I'm really glad I did the Clean Eating challenge.  I wasn't perfect, but overall ate much better than I usually do (and lost a couple lbs!). 

I found some recipes and ingredients that I like enough to add to my regular meal rotation, once I have one.  I confirmed some I don't like too, which is fine.  I think it's important to keep trying things, you never know.  I eat a lot of things now that I would have said "NO WAY" to a couple of years ago.

I definitely overhauled the amount of food I expect to eat at each meal.  A lot of these meals I just really didn't think would be enough food, but I survived and wasn't even starving most of the time!

I do have a lot more energy...who would have thought that claim was actually true??

I'm inspired to continue on this path as best I can.  Obviously I'll have splurge days (like yesterday at my niece's party) but hopefully I can better control my splurges.

Overall, this was a very positive experience!

Chipotle and Rosemary Roasted Nuts

This is not from my clean eating challenge, though other than the brown sugar, I think they can kind of qualify.
A coworker brought these into the office and once I tasted them I just had to try to make them myself!

They're really easy to make and so tasty!  They've got a pretty good kick, hopefully enough to keep me from eating them by the pound.
Perfect treat for a party.

Chipotle and Rosemary Roasted Nuts

Ingredients

• Vegetable oil
• 3 cups whole roasted unsalted cashews (14 ounces)
• 2 cups whole walnut halves (7 ounces)
• 2 cups whole pecan halves (7 ounces)
• 1/2 cup whole almonds (3 ounces)
• 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
• 2 teaspoons ground chipotle powder
• 4 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary leaves, divided
• Kosher salt

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Brush a sheet pan generously with vegetable oil. Combine the cashews, walnuts, pecans, almonds, 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, the maple syrup, brown sugar, orange juice, and chipotle powder on the sheet pan. Toss to coat the nuts evenly. Add 2 tablespoons of the rosemary and 2 teaspoons of salt and toss again.
Spread the nuts in one layer. Roast the nuts for 25 minutes, stirring twice with a large metal spatula, until the nuts are glazed and golden brown. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with 2 more teaspoons of salt and the remaining 2 tablespoons of rosemary.
Toss well and set aside at room temperature, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking as they cool. Taste for seasoning. Serve warm or cool completely and store in airtight containers at room temperature.

Grilled Chicken Salad

I only had a little bit of Greek yogurt left so I couldn't make the shake for breakfast today, so I had Monday's waffles with strawberries instead.  Yum!  Definitely saving the smoothie recipe to try another time though.

Lunch was another winner.  I never really had goat cheese much before but it was very tasty with the blueberries and walnuts on this salad. 

Grilled Chicken Salad
Top 2 cups of spinach with 1 tbs walnuts, handful of blueberries, 1 tbs goat cheese and a piece of cut-up grilled chicken.  In a bowl, combine 1 tbs. balsamic vinegar, 2 tsp olive oil, season with sea salt, black pepper and garlic powder.  Combine with salad.

Sorry, forgot to take pic so you'll just have to use your imagination on this one.

 

Savory Penne

No one is more shocked than I am that this one is a winner.  I have been avoiding meals with peanut sauce for years.  I'm apparently going to have to rethink that decision.  This was really good!
 

Savory Penne

In a bowl, combine 1 tbs rice wine vinegar, 1 tbs peanut butter, 1 tbs orange juice and 1/4 tsp soy sauce.  Stir until smooth.  
In a medium pan, saute 2 cups chopped kale in 1 tsp olive oil until wilted.  
Add 2/3 cup cooked whole wheat pasta, 1/2 cup cannellini beans (rinsed and drained), peanut sauce; stir until warmed through.