Friday, August 31, 2012

I'm Getting Married....


to a mortgage.
Suckers.

 
Alright, folks. Here's some news I've been wanting to share for a while, but I don't normally like to count my chickens before they hatch. I've been in desperate need of some major big girl panties, and I've found them... literally. 


Fortunately, or unfortunately, I didn't purchase. Either way, I've been doin' big things and makin' moves lately. Now, I'm hoping I'm not premature, and I'm hoping I don't jinx myself, but these lyrics from the Pistol Annie's song Lemon Drop seem to fit my life pretty perfectly as of late.
 
Some fine day I'll be drinkin' a beer
In a big backyard I own free and clear
All I know, there's better days ahead
So I'll play my hopes and play my dreams
Just like two coins in a slot machine
Sing "Glory, Hallelujah" if everything works out fine 

 I'M BUYING A HOUSE... with this big back yard. I don't own it free and clear and won't for many years, but hey, who cares.
Here's the front of this beauty. She's almost 2,000 square feet, 11 years old, on a golf course, and almost mine.
Buying a house is something I've dreamed of, something I've saved for many, many years to be able to do. At this point, I'm so proud of myself I could burst. [but I'll spare everyone the mess...] I'm not a fan of change. I don't like the unknown or the unpredictable. This process has been fairly smooth thanks to Mr. Scott Crumrine and Ms. Carrie Woodfin at the Executive Group in Huntsville, AL and Mr. David McGhee with Mortgage America. If you are in the area and looking to purchase a home -- these are your people. Trust me. and no, I'm not being paid to say this. :)

As it stands, I'm one step away from being able to close on my first home! Fingers crossed it's quick and painless!

Now - this leads me to my next point. Why did I update my blog to yellow and grey. I've had a sage green/taupe/brown bedroom for about two years -- I figure when I get this new gig, it's time for a new look. I adore grey and yellow.. and while I realize it's a major "trend" at the moment, I don't much care. I can't wear yellow, no matter how hard I try... It just does nothing for me. So I thought, heck, if I can't wear it, at least I can enjoy waking up to it.... 

BUT.... 

Then I ran across something on pinterest.. Lord, help me. Now, I'm totally confused! Folks, help me out here... seriously. 

Here are some of the color palettes I'm toying with, at least at this very second... 






I'll bore you with more decorating mumbo jumbo in the many, many days to come. You're welcome.









Monday, August 27, 2012

The Big Easy

So - I'm completely and totally aware that I've been slightly absent absolutely MIA since, well, April. Sorry, y'all.. but I've been doin' work. [and I gave the blog a makeover, I'll explain that, too. Just not today, sorry.]


I've been being a "big girl" lately -- and I just got back from my first "big girl" vacation that was fully funded by yours truly. Yea, I said it. All...by...MYSELF. BOOM. Now, to some of you, this may be no great feat, perhaps something you've been doing for years. Here's why this is a big deal... 1) Most of my vacations are "family" vacations.. paid for, well duh, by my family. 2) I am smart with my money a TIGHTWAD, by every definition of the word. Ask anyone. To be frank, I'm proud of it. Feel free to write it down. Note that sometimes being a tighwad sometimes makes it hard for me to actually let go of money!

Where did I go? The great city of New Orleans. Yes, Bourbon Street smells bad, but I expect nothing less. Here are the highlights -- I'll be brief. Since we got to town on Wednesday afternoon, we decided to hit up Acme Oyster House for an early dinner. I had my fingers crossed that since it was mid-week and NOT dinner time, perhaps the line wouldn't be out the front door. SUCCESS! Marinated Chicken PoBoy -- winning. Definitely didn't need the bread, the chicken was to die for. No, really. It was that good. Had drinks at Archie Manning's joint, appropriately called Manning's [original, I know.] Thursday was a straight relaxation day -- lots of lounging and a trip to the casino. Now, while I did call myself a tightwad, I broke down and dropped a little change on the blackjack table. The smart me would've walked away when I was $60 to the good... instead... I tried my luck and left upset uber pissed. Friday, took a totally "touristy" bus through New Orleans. I don't care how many times I see those above ground cemeteries, I'm completely fascinated by them. We also hit up Mother's [as seen on Man vs. Food] and had the Ferdi Special. It's the most amazing sandwich this earth has ever seen. It should be called the Sent from God, Heavenly [for your mouth] Special. Saturday, totally hit up Mardi Gras World. It's a huge warehouse where Mardi Gras floats are created and assembled for the 54 parades held in New Orleans during Carnival. They also make props for casinos, Disney World, Universal Studios, Cruise Ships... quite the laundry list of buyers. Saturday night, I almost showed my "Northcutt temper" in the middle of a restaurant. [I must caveat this brief story with this: I might be a tightwad, but I'm an awesome tipper. Ask anyone.] Story goes like this, Joe and I decide to have Mexican for dinner, venture away from the Cajun gig for a while. It takes a half hour to have our order taken. When we finally got to order our enchiladas and quesadillas for dinner, it took over an hour to get those. We were one of maybe five full tables in the entire restaurant. No big deal, nothin' but time. Then my glass sits empty for 45 minutes, easy. Make note, we've spent close to two hours in this restaurant. [Rule number one of being my server... do not let my drink sit empty. I'll reward you handsomely for it, I swear.] We ordered a dessert since it was our last night out -- he says "he's not sure" if they're serving that dessert. So, he went to check. Twenty minutes later, after he's walked past our table about 8 times, we ask him for the check. That's when he proceeds to tell us he "forgot" to come tell us they didn't have the dessert we requested. As we were leaving, I, for the first time in my life, left a waiter one nickel for his tip... Yes, I stiffed him on purpose. Simple words my friend, you do your job of being a great server, and I'll happily hold up my end by being a good tipper... you decide your fate pal. Hope that nickel spends well, ya jerk!
 
Most nights were spent on Bourbon Street, so I feel no need to provide the highlights. It is what it is.

Here are a few pictures, Instagram, of course. I opted not to take my "big camera" with me, this time!


Archie Manning making an appearance at Manning's
Yum, the world loves Cafe Du Monde... and so do I.
 Cemetery. Call me Creepy.. don't care.
 New Orleans Skyline

 Mother's Ferdi Special  
Sent from God, Heavenly [for your mouth] Special.
 Inside Mardi Gras World
 Delish.







Sunday, August 26, 2012

I Swear --

I swear on all that's holy -- I suck at blogging. Just gave this bad boy a much needed facelift -- stand by for a post. I PROMISE!!

Sunday, April 1, 2012

Day 6: Dining Out -- It's do-able.

I woke up Saturday (Day 6) 1 more pound lighter -- total weight loss 7 lbs.

I was told from the get-go that weekends are the hardest -- true story.

I had a hair appointment scheduled for 8:30 in Winchester -- meaning an hour+ drive, depending on how many old people are out for their morning coffee. Yea, I said it. I was a little late leaving, and that didn't help the cause. I ended up stopping at Sonic and getting an unsweet tea and a side order of [well-done] bacon. I must admit -- it was scrumptious.

After I got my hair done, I went to the ritual "dinner" my family has with the Minors' on Saturday. We're creatures of habit, so we had Mexican for lunch -- just like we have for almost every Saturday for the last few years.. with the exception of the occasional burger joint. I get so happy to be sitting at a table with some of the best people I know that I end up distracted. Judge me if you want -- I had a few chips and salsa. Heck, I was able to refrain on Friday -- that's got to count for something. Either way, I again ordered a grilled chicken taco salad [grilled chicken, lettuce, grilled onions, tomato, extra cheese]. I also got really crazy and ordered a diet coke.. mind you that's the first "coke" I've consumed in two weeks.

I came home and mowed my god forsaken yard -- and raked it, too. Yes, it was that high!

Joe and I ended up going out to dinner [Ruby Tuesdays] where I had a delish dinner. I had the New Orleans Seafood Dinner -- it was creole seasoned Tilapia and Shrimp in a Parmesan sauce with Grilled Zucchini and a Salad. [Downfall: I wasn't up for eating my salad with no dressing, so I did the best I could and settled for low-fat Ranch.. used sparingly of course.]

After dinner, we ended up at Yogurt Mountain [which I now wish I never knew existed. Oh the torturous temptation.] I had about a half cup of No Sugar Added vanilla yogurt topped with crushed pecans [South Beach Diet Approved] and barely a teaspoon of hot fudge. Oh.My.Heavens. It was the highlight of my day, by far. Please note, that my minuscule half cup of vanilla yogurt in that huge bowl gave me quite a giggle.... but I managed. I needed just enough to enjoy, but not enough to over-do it.

Now -- I know it looks like I veered a little off course, or at least I feel like I did -- but I was told the weekends are tough... and that's so true. I am changing my lifestyle... but I'm not going to sacrifice life's simple pleasures.. so. In your face South Beach Diet.

Day 5: Pizza! Pizza!

Well - on Friday (Day 5) I woke up one pound lighter than I was on Thursday -- making my total weight loss 6 pounds! In the grand scheme of things -- 6 pounds sure doesn't seem like much, but considering I did that in 5 days -- I'm pretty freakin' impressed.

Since I was off on Friday and because of the events on Day 4 -- I slept in. So, I skipped breakfast -- which I probably shouldn't have done.. oh well.

So the day's eats went like this:

  • Breakfast: uh.. what breakfast?
  • Snack: uh... what snack?
  • Lunch: Joe and I went to lunch at casa blanca. I ended up touching none of the chips and salsa and having a taco salad -- lettuce, grilled onions, grilled green peppers, grilled chicken, and cheese. Yum!
  • Snack: I got my nails done, no time for a snack. Priorities.
  • Dinner: I made pizza! Yes, I said it - Pizza. On a diet. Who knew?! Here's the recipe (originally located here).
Skillet Pizza
Ingredients
Sargento Reduced Fat Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
Hormel Pepperoni
Crumbled Hamburger Meat
Diced Onions


Directions
1. Cover the bottom of a small non-stick skillet with the shredded cheese. Let it being to melt over a medium heat.
2. Once the cheese has melted a bit, place your toppings. (note: don't over load the toppings or the cheese won't be strong enough to support it!)
3. Let the cheese continue to melt and wait for the edges to start turning brown.
4. Remove from heat and let cool, then remove with spatula.
5. ENJOY!!

Friday, March 30, 2012

Day 4: Emergency Room. Ugh.

If you read my Day 3 post -- that's where this story begins. If you didn't -- let me explain.

(Side note: I woke up 1 pound lighter than the day before -- total weight loss 5 lbs)

For most of my life I've dealt with a "restricted esophagus" -- meaning, the opening of my esophagus is small, making it very easy to get "choked" on food. Over the course of my life, I've learned to live with it. It's apparently prevalent in my family as my dad, aunt, and uncle deal with the same issue. We've got our "tricks" for making things go up or down (disgusting, I know), and we've learned how to mitigate the risks -- i.e. chewing more, smaller bites, softer foods.

Meats are the notorious culprits. So, Wednesday night, as I'm cutting up my vegetables to grill -- I decided to have a few bites of that wonderful pulled pork. Bad idea. Not realizing that my first bite never made it all the way down, the two bites I took after that just added to the problem. I busted out all of the tricks of the trade to no avail. Mind you, this is 6:30 pm...

I try everything I know to try to get this meat to disappear, one way or the other. No luck. Stress and anxiety seem to make it worse, so I decide to go to bed (in hindsight, quite possibly the most foolish think I've ever done..). Lucky for me, I wake up.

Meet Thursday morning (Day 4) -- 6:00 am. As I get up for work, I decide to take a drink of water to see if said bbq had decided to be on its merry way. Again, bad idea. Water just sat in my throat on that piece of meat until it decided to make it's grand reappearance (the water, not the meat). I called my mom who instructed my stubborn self to go to the ER...

Like a good daughter -- I followed the instructions.

Got to the ER around 6:30 and waited patiently for my turn. Lucky for me -- I was the only soul in there! Mom drove from home to meet me, and Joe came, too! (Insert note that I'm incredibly lucky to have people who drop everything to come to me, even when I'm stubborn and tell them not to!)

The ER doctor came in, we discussed the issue, and he told me there were two options. We could try giving me a muscle relaxer to hopefully relax my esophagus and allow the meat to go down (20% chance of working), and if that wasn't successful, I would have to be put to sleep, scoped, and have the meat pushed down into my stomach. (I'm afraid of needles, so I liked neither of these options...)

We tried the muscle relaxer first -- through an IV (kill me. I hate needles.) -- yep. totally didn't work. Just my luck!

I finally was able to see the gastrointestinal doctor (who was awesome!) around noon. I was sedated, had a scope put down my throat to locate the meat, the meat was then pushed down into my stomach (the size of a half dollar, might I add.), then a balloon was placed in my esophagus and expanded to stretch it out in hopes of correcting my restriction. (Yes, I have pictures, but I will spare you the disgusting.)

When I woke up -- I was the life of the party.. drunker than downtown cootie brown. Hilarious and sarcastic, no doubt. Mom took a video.... I'll have to delete that.

So -- what did I eat on Day 4?.... well... I went nearly 24 hours with no food or drink, not cool. I was instructed to eat soft/liquid food for a day or two. We went to Newks, one of the few places I knew I could get good soup, and I ended up having potato soup. Yes, I know, not South Beach Diet approved. Did I care? NO. I was starving and doing as instructed.

So - for day 4 I have no good recipes, a not so good ER story, and a fantastic bowl of potato soup. Yep, that sums it up.

--T

Day 3: Pork was a Bad Idea

I woke up on Wednesday morning (day 3) two pounds lighter than I was -- total weight loss is 4 lbs.

Breakfast: Lettuce wrap with turkey, american cheese, and 1 teaspoon miracle whip. Yum!

Snack: 7 cheese cubes and a pepperoni stick (seeing a trend??)

Lunch: Leftover Mexican Jumping Beans and Mexi-Baked Chicken (missed those recipes? Find them here.)

Snack: 1 oz whole natural almonds

Dinner: -- Here's where the day gets fun... I decided to have pulled pork bbq for dinner with grilled cajun vegetables. Sounds simple enough, right? Yea -- it totally is, unless you're one of the unfortunate souls who has a restricted esophagus and gets food lodged in your throat on the regular. I mean... really??? See Day 4 for the whole run-down of this fabulous disaster.

Day 2: Fiesta!

I'm recapping multiple days this morning -- so this one will be short, sweet, and to the point!

I woke up Tuesday morning (Day 2) two pounds lighter than I was on Monday! Yippeeee!!

The best part of Tuesday was my dinner, for sure (recipes below!)

  • Breakfast: 2 egg muffins (egg beaters, spinach, feta cheese, cheddar cheese, green peppers)
  • Snack: 7 cheddar cheese cubes and a pepperoni stick (meet my most favorite snack ever!!)
  • Lunch: Salad (lettuce, roma tomato, feta cheese, mozzarella cheese, and olive oil as dressing), sugar free jello
  • Snack: 1 oz whole natural almonds
  • Dinner: Here's the good stuff! I had a "mexican inspired" dinner and it was awesome!

Mexican Jumping Beans
Ingredients
2 small onions, chopped
(note: original recipe calls for one onion)
1 green pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 (15 oz) cans red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup water
half packet of taco seasoning
(note: original recipe calls for 2 tablespoons)
low-fat Mexican cheese blend, for topping


Directions
1. In a medium saucepan, saute the pepper, onions, and garlic in olive oil until crisp-tender.
2. Add beans, water, and seasoning; simmer on low to medium heat until thickened (about 10 minutes).
3. Top with cheese upon serving.


Mexi-Baked Chicken

Ingredients
(note: see original recipe for ingredients prior to my manipulation.)
Chicken Tenderloin Strips
4 teaspoons taco seasoning
1 teaspoon salsa (any heat) per strip
1/2 cup shredded low-fat Mexi-blend cheese


Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Spray a shallow, small baking dish with nonstick spray.
  3. Coat chicken lightly with taco seasoning, on both sides; spoon salsa over top of breast.
  4. Bake, uncovered, approximately 30 minutes.
  5. Sprinkle cheese on strips evenly; bake for another 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.


Enjoy!

Monday, March 26, 2012

Day 1: No Sugar - Everyone's Alive

Why no sugar? I've decided that Weight Watchers requires far too much attention to "counting" than I prefer. Between my job as a Budget Analyst and my obsession over my personal finances -- I'm pretty over counting. I've opted for a "diet" that seems like a more manageable lifestyle. I've never been the "skinny girl" -- nor do I want to be. I want to be healthy -- and in order to do that -- I need to drop some pounds, change my eating habits, and get a little more active. I went from being athletic in college to a sedentary desk job... uhhh... not working out so well at all.

I took time to read the South Beach Diet book and realized I was sorely mistaken when I thought this diet was 'low carb'. In fact, this diet isn't low carb or low fat. The whole purpose of the South Beach diet is to learn the difference between good carbs and bad carbs/good fat and bad fat. I've also vowed to myself to not get in the routine of eating the same thing every day simply out of convenience... I need to venture out.

During Phase 1, which lasts 2 weeks, I can only have food from this list. I've also had to cut out all sugar.

Here I am - Day 1 of Phase 1 of the South Beach Diet. Lord Help!

It's a true story - I've gone an entire day without one gram of sugar, and everyone around me has managed to survive it. Now, that's not to say in five days I won't be a creature from the pits of hades... only time will tell.

I'm hoping to share this "South Beach Diet" journey -- be that a success or a failure -- and to use my blog to help keep myself accountable. (And to share the good recipes I find!) Not to mention -- it helps that I'm not going at this alone.. My mom is doing something similar, and Joe's on the South Beach wagon with me. Accountability and support.... check.

Here's a quick run-down of today's menu:

  • Breakfast consisted of two egg muffins (egg beaters, green peppers, feta cheese, cheddar cheese, spinach, salt, and pepper... YUM!) and a large unsweet tea with extra lemon from Sonic!
  • Snack #1 consisted of a pepperoni stick and 6 cheddar cheese cubes. hellooooo to my new favorite snack
  • Lunch was a large lettuce leaf filled with shredded cheddar cheese and thin sliced deli turkey, homemade cheese crisps, unsweet tea, and sugar free jello.
  • Snack #1 was a 1 oz back of whole natural almonds. I must admit the first two were sort of really bland -- but after a while, they grew on me. No complaints!
  • Dinner -- by far the best -- I had a grilled round steak seasoned with Paula Deen steak seasoning paired with grilled zucchini and onions (made with 4 tsp olive oil, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and Cajun seasoning)... OMG... YES! Please. I'm pretty certain I'll be indulging in this again this week!

Surprisingly, I've felt alot better today than I anticipated. I figured I'd be sluggish and starving. I've been neither. I've been happily satisfied all day -- and I'm actually looking forward to the repeat tomorrow.

Keep up the good work, Me.....
Only 13 more days go without sugar. EEK!





Friday, February 17, 2012

Italian Burgers and Zucchini Fries (Weight Watchers!)

Who doesn't love a burger and fries? Seriously. But who loves 2,000 calorie burgers and fries [which is what you're inhaling at most major chain restaurants -- don't believe me, look up the nutritional information... It'll probably scare you to death.] Here's the solution!!

This recipe is also compliments of EMeals -- If you've read any of my other EMeals inspired posts, you're already aware of how much I adore their product! If you're not familiar -- I'll provide you with the readers digest version -- It's a menu/shopping list planning program. They provide seven meal recipes per week with their corresponding shopping lists. You can select specific grocery stores or specific diets. I chose the portion control (read: Weight Watchers) -- and it's awesome! All for $1.25 a week! (Even cheaper if you're lucky enough to catch a promotion or perhaps a Groupon!)

I <3 eMeals



Focus, T. Focus. So -- the Recipes --

Italian Burgers
Yields 2 Burgers @ 9 WWPP each

Ingredients:
3T diced onions
2 T FF Italian Dressing
1/2 lb ground round
2 light English Muffins, split and toasted

Combine burger ingredients and form into 2 patties. Grill or broil 4-6 minutes on each side or until done to your taste. Serve on muffins.



Zucchini Fries
Yields 2 Servings @ 2 WWPP per serving

Ingredients:
2 Small Zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch sticks
2t Light Mayonnaise (I used Miracle Whip)
2T Italian Bread Crumbs

Coat zucchini sticks with mayo and toss with bread crumbs. Place on a sprayed baking sheet and broil 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown. (I broiled mine a little longer... I prefer extra crispy!)




Burger On!

--T

SAVE TIME AND MONEY WITH EMEALS MEAL PLANS

Pin It

Crunchy Onion BBQ Chicken [with photos!]

But... I thought you already gave us this recipe?? I did, indeed. However, on the original post (here), I promised that the next time I whipped up this beautiful creation pictures would be included.

If you missed the original post, I found this recipe compliments of Emeals -- If you've never contemplated signing up for Emeals -- or you're unsure of what I'm even talking about -- you're seriously missing out! I mean -- who doesn't enjoy having seven days of meals planned for them with a shopping list included for $1.25 a week?! I just match my coupons up with what's on the list -- most of which comes from the weekly grocery store ads -- and BOOM! Sanity preserved, money saved. Win/Win? Abso-freakin-lutely! [As if the win/win isn't enough -- add one more win... Emeals is endorsed by Dave Ramsey! Now, let's try it -- Win/Win/Win... has a nice ring to it, don't you think?!]

eMeals - Easy Meals for Busy People!

Back to the topic at hand, this chicken. It's absolutely one of my "go-to" dinner options now, and quite possibly forever! It's so quick, easy, and De-lish.

Here's the recipe again (but this time with pictures, as promised!)

Crunchy Onion BBQ Chicken (@ 7 Weight Watchers Points Plus)

Ingredients:

1/4 c BBQ Sauce

1/4 t pepper

2/3 c Crushed French Fried Onions

2 T shredded Parmesan cheese

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts



Instructions:

Place BBQ Sauce in shallow bowl. Mix pepper, crushed fried onions, and cheese in another bowl. Dip chicken into BBQ sauce; then dip only one side of chicken into crushed onions. Place chicken crumb side up on a sprayed baking pan. Bake 20-25 minutes at 400.



I also paired this little ditty with some fresh squash, zucchini, and sweet onions sprinkled with a little Mrs. Dash original blend.






Here's the final product -- feel free to thank me later! ;)




Happy Crunching!

-T

SAVE TIME AND MONEY WITH EMEALS MEAL PLANS

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Valentine's Day

Just a little low-grade bragging --

This is what I had the pleasure of receiving.. err... devouring for Valentine's Day!


Yummy!

OO Ranch Potatoes!

Apologies for the major hiatus from blogging -- I seem to have blog "commitment" issues -- forgive me. I'm workin' on it.

But let's look on the bright side -- a short hiatus means a lot of new recipes all in one day! Yes? Awesome.

This recipe is incredibly simple, but one of my ultimate favorites. I can't take credit for it, unfortunately. About four years ago, at a summer cookout, my cousin brought these potatoes -- I've loved obsessed over them ever since!

The recipe is simple! (This yielded 3-4 servings, depending on the eater! ha!)

3 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil
One Packet of Dry Ranch Dressing Dip Mix
3 Large Russet Potatoes

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 Degrees.
  2. Slice Potatoes and cover with olive oil and Ranch Dip Mix.

  3. Cover with aluminum foil and place in the oven.
  4. The cook time will vary depending on the thickness of your potato slices. This particular dish cooked for approximately 45 minutes. Just periodically stick a fork in 'em and when they're soft -- they're done! and Ohhhhh so yummy!


Enjoy!

Pin It

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Tuesday's Thoughts: Captain of the Costa Concordia


I’m sure you’ve heard about the Italian cruise ship, Costa Concordia, which ran aground near the Tuscan Island of Giglio. If not, you should check it out at MSNBC. Now, let me just warn you, this story burns me up. As these are my thoughts, they’re clearly laced with my opinion. [Consider that the disclaimer.]

How can one man, Captain Francesco Schettino, who is responsible for over 4,000 passengers and crew members, so callously abandon his ship and leave people to die? What a pompous prick. His irresponsibility cost the lives of innocent people, and he single-handedly created the “Italian Titanic”. I thought a good captain always went down with his ship – he does. Thanks for proving that the Costa Condcordia was lacking a good captain. He was on shore when he radioed for help… and, after creating a laundry list of excuses [one including the fact that it was dark] claimed that he would be going instantly to the ship. However, he, in fact, would not be going back to help preserve the lives of his crew or his passengers.

How is it that a ship that travels the same route every week manages to strike a rock and capsize? Captain Pompous Prick Schettino has been accused of traveling too close to the shore so the head waiter could see his motherland and salute the residents of Giglio. REALLY? You’re joking, right? Please, tell me this is a joke. Maybe, instead of jeopardizing innocent lives, that captain could tell his head waiter to save his paycheck and take a vacation. What a novel idea. *Ding!Ding!Ding! Johnny, tell him what he’s won!*

Instead, Captain Pompous Prick Schettino has taken at least eleven people from their loved ones and left 29 missing. Let's not forget to mention the countless scars left engrained into the memory of every passenger and crew member. Over 100 Americans were on board the Costa Concordia, and two Americans are among the missing – Jerry and Barbara Heil of Minnesota. A couple who spent their entire lives working to put four children through college and were finally able to enjoy the opportunity to travel, that is, until Captain Pompous Prick Schettino decided to act irresponsibly and take that away. How can one man jeopardize the lives of the Heils and over 4,000 others to allow someone the opportunity to “salute” residents of a Tuscan island? For the sake of their families, I pray that the missing are found, and I pray they’re found unharmed.

One news station has indicated that the only thing that prevented this from being an even more horrific disaster is the location of the ship in shallow water. So, I guess if Captain Pompous Prick Schettino was going to be irresponsible, at least he did it in shallow water…. [insert sarcasm here]

As for Captain Pompous Prick Schettino, He has a history of disobeying company policy, coast guard orders, and has been caught sailing too close to another Italian shore. [And just why, exactly, was he still employed as a ship captain if he had repeatedly put the lives of passengers in jeopardy???] He’s now being detained in an Italian prison and accused of abandoning ship and manslaughter. On top of that, every eyewitness account that’s been provided by passengers indicates that the crew were uniformed and unwilling to assist passengers. Pretty much like a “survival of the fittest”, every man for himself, save yourself, type of situation.

Carnival Cruise Lines – in the words of Ricky Ricardo – you’ve got some ‘splainin’ to do……

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Spinach Fettuccine [E-Mealz]

E-MEALZ EASY AND DELICIOUS DINNER RECIPES

So - if you've read my previous blog about e-mealz -- you know I'm borderline obsessed. [If you're unfamiliar with E-Mealz, it's a dinner menu planning service (complete with a grocery list) for as low as $1.25 a week!! Click any of the e-mealz links in this post to check it out!

Emealz - Easy Meals for Busy People!

The meal I tried tonight was Spinach Fettuccine [7 WWPP per serving].

Ingredients:

2/3 c part skim ricotta cheese
3/4 c shredded part skim mozzarella
2T shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 c FF milk
1 T margarine (I use I Can't Believe It's Not Butter)
1 T minced garlic
9 oz chopped spinach, thawed & squeezed
1 1/2 c cooked fettuccine (I used Healthy Harvest Whole Wheat Pasta)

Yields 3 servings.


In a blender, combine & puree ricotta, milk, mozzarella, and Parmesan.


In a sprayed skillet, saute garlic in margarine 4-5 min. Add chese mixture and spinach in skillet and cook until heated.


Add fettuccine and toss gently, until heated.


Pair with mixed vegetables or a crescent roll!



ENJOY!
[And don't forget to check out E-Mealz!]

--T

SAVE TIME AND MONEY WITH E-MEALZ MEAL PLANS

No-Bake Energy Bites [Pinterest Inspired]

Could I Pinterest you in -- No-Bake Energy Bites? It shouldn't take much convincing because they are AWESOME!

I found this recipe on pinterest, but it originated at Smashed Peas and Carrots -- and I'm so glad I stumbled across these!



I'm notorious for having a sweet tooth -- but when you're attempting to drop some poundage, picking up the nearest snickers would be heavenly is not the brightest idea!

These were super easy, incredibly tasty, and provide some nutritional value!

Here's the recipe:

1 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup peanut butter (or other nut butter)
1/3 cup honey
1 cup coconut flakes
1/2 cup ground flaxseed
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla


Start by taking your honey, peanut butter, and oatmeal and putting it into a bowl.







Then add some flax seed, coconut, and chocolate chips --









Finally - add the vanilla --


This is what you'll end up with --

Mix it well, and put in the refrigerator for a half hour -- this allows the mixture to set.



Remove from the fridge - roll the mixture to form your Energy Bites!


VOILA!! Enjoy.




Note: These should remain in the fridge for no more than a week [not that they'd last that long anyway -- so yummy!] Also, you can mix it up by changing the "Add ins" [use raisins, crushed nuts, etc.]

Happy Snacking!

--T