Finally the run of bad recipes has ended! Monday night I made Balsamic Chicken with Mushrooms from In a Flash and it was very good. Quick, easy, low points (only 4 per serving). What more could a cooker/dieter hope for?
All it took was a quick marinade of balsamic vinegar, cook the chicken and then saute the mushrooms. What could be easier?
Here's the bad part - don't ever buy the Kashi that comes in the foil packet that only takes 60-90 seconds to cook in the microwave. Sorry - I don't have more information than that. I can tell you, however, that it was really awful. In fact, we threw it away! Wasteful, I know. I also know there are children starving in Ethiopia. But the truth of the matter is that they wouldn't eat it either!
I'll have to add that to my ever growing list of things not to eat. It ranks right up there with bananas, in my mind.
And on that note...
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Monday, October 19, 2009
Pizza Night!
Let me just start by saying that I'm disappointed that my cooking has dropped to only one night a week lately. Well, disappointed is probably overexaggerating - I'm not disappointed to not be cooking - it's not really THAT much of a treat for me. But I was hoping to blog more often. Maybe I'll write about something other than cooking on my off days.
And, I was supposed to be showing weight loss progress, too, but since I'm hovering around the 10 lb. mark, there isn't much to write about. It really does seem to be a direct correlation to how often I'm cooking.
Anyway, last Thursday night I made Artichoke-Pepper Pizza With Feta Cheese from Day By Day. I've been eyeing this recipe for a long time because I love a good pizza. But I have to say that I was disappointed in this one. The flavor was really strong. The crust was Boboli, and you spread the crust with a mixture of artichoke hearts, low-fat mayonnaise (I used fat free) and some salt, pepper and garlic that was pureed in the food processor to make a nice spread. Then you top that with the red and orange peppers and sprinkle on the feta cheese. It was just too much flavor. Maybe it's because I used flavored feta cheese. Who knows? Manny liked it, but I think he was being generous.
Where they get you is on the points-counting. It was 6 points per serving and each serving was one slice. Let's do a story problem. Two people are sharing one pizza that has been divided into six equally-sized pieces. If each person eats three slices, how many points did they consume? In case any of you went to Nevada public schools, as I did, you might need some help. The answer is 18 points! Now, of course, one doesn't need to eat three slices of pizza, but one slice? It's just not enough. I guess I could have made a salad to go with it, but I have a thing about pizza - if I'm having pizza, I want pizza. Not salad with a side of pizza.
So, I'm on a roll with recipes I don't like. Tonight I'm making something with chicken. Maybe it will be more exciting...although it's relatively hard to get excited about chicken! We'll see.
And, I was supposed to be showing weight loss progress, too, but since I'm hovering around the 10 lb. mark, there isn't much to write about. It really does seem to be a direct correlation to how often I'm cooking.
Anyway, last Thursday night I made Artichoke-Pepper Pizza With Feta Cheese from Day By Day. I've been eyeing this recipe for a long time because I love a good pizza. But I have to say that I was disappointed in this one. The flavor was really strong. The crust was Boboli, and you spread the crust with a mixture of artichoke hearts, low-fat mayonnaise (I used fat free) and some salt, pepper and garlic that was pureed in the food processor to make a nice spread. Then you top that with the red and orange peppers and sprinkle on the feta cheese. It was just too much flavor. Maybe it's because I used flavored feta cheese. Who knows? Manny liked it, but I think he was being generous.
Where they get you is on the points-counting. It was 6 points per serving and each serving was one slice. Let's do a story problem. Two people are sharing one pizza that has been divided into six equally-sized pieces. If each person eats three slices, how many points did they consume? In case any of you went to Nevada public schools, as I did, you might need some help. The answer is 18 points! Now, of course, one doesn't need to eat three slices of pizza, but one slice? It's just not enough. I guess I could have made a salad to go with it, but I have a thing about pizza - if I'm having pizza, I want pizza. Not salad with a side of pizza.
So, I'm on a roll with recipes I don't like. Tonight I'm making something with chicken. Maybe it will be more exciting...although it's relatively hard to get excited about chicken! We'll see.
Monday, October 12, 2009
I Love a Good Breakfast...
Unfortunately, this one was a bit of a let down! I made a Southwest Fritatta from In a Flash. Another not-too-thrilling recipe. Part of my disappointment is that I'm not a fan of bell peppers in eggs, and the main ingredients of this recipe were bell peppers and eggs, so I shouldn't have been surprised when it turned out to not be one of my favorites. It is the price I must pay for saying I was going to make every recipe in the cookbook.
Anyway, a few challenges along the way: the recipe called for red and green peppers - I only had red. It called for onions - I had none...which was ok by me, because I don't like onions in my eggs, either. The recipe called for 2 eggs and 2 egg whites, which seems like a waste of perfectly good egg yolks. They suggested using egg substitute for the egg whites, which is what I did, so all was ok there. And reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese, but I only had reduced fat Mexican cheese, so that's what I used. I should have just rewritten the recipe!
So - you cook the peppers, add the eggs and cheese, and let it cook. At some point you have to flip it over in the pan, which is a challenge, so I slipped it onto a plate, inverted another plate on top of it, flipped the whole thing over and slid it back into the pan. Not a bad idea, I think! Then you cut it in half, and roll each half up burrito-style. That just didn't work at all, so we ate it flat, with salsa on top, which was probably the best part...although I don't particularly like salsa on my eggs, either. Let me just say this - red and green things don't belong in eggs! I think that is a throw-back from when I was little and my mother cooked tomatoes and eggs, and I had to eat them, even though I didn't want any part of it. It seems I remember sitting at the table in front of a plate of cold, congealing eggs and tomatoes, long after everyone else left the table. Mothers of the world take note - when you make your children eat things they don't like it leaves lasting scars!
Anyway, I digress. The good news is that it was only 4 points per serving - the bad news, it wasn't filling. Manny actually had a bowl of cereal after eating his half. I toughed it out until lunch.
What do you think - the round file for this one?
Anyway, a few challenges along the way: the recipe called for red and green peppers - I only had red. It called for onions - I had none...which was ok by me, because I don't like onions in my eggs, either. The recipe called for 2 eggs and 2 egg whites, which seems like a waste of perfectly good egg yolks. They suggested using egg substitute for the egg whites, which is what I did, so all was ok there. And reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese, but I only had reduced fat Mexican cheese, so that's what I used. I should have just rewritten the recipe!
So - you cook the peppers, add the eggs and cheese, and let it cook. At some point you have to flip it over in the pan, which is a challenge, so I slipped it onto a plate, inverted another plate on top of it, flipped the whole thing over and slid it back into the pan. Not a bad idea, I think! Then you cut it in half, and roll each half up burrito-style. That just didn't work at all, so we ate it flat, with salsa on top, which was probably the best part...although I don't particularly like salsa on my eggs, either. Let me just say this - red and green things don't belong in eggs! I think that is a throw-back from when I was little and my mother cooked tomatoes and eggs, and I had to eat them, even though I didn't want any part of it. It seems I remember sitting at the table in front of a plate of cold, congealing eggs and tomatoes, long after everyone else left the table. Mothers of the world take note - when you make your children eat things they don't like it leaves lasting scars!
Anyway, I digress. The good news is that it was only 4 points per serving - the bad news, it wasn't filling. Manny actually had a bowl of cereal after eating his half. I toughed it out until lunch.
What do you think - the round file for this one?
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Talk About Easy!
This was possibly the easiest recipe I made yet. Cajun Pork Chops from In a Flash. Ingredients - 3. Olive oil, pork chops, and Cajun seasoning, and that's all. All you do is rub on the seasoning and cook the chops. What could be easier? And each serving was only 4 points. So easy, even a cave...well, you get the picture.
In fact, it was so easy, that I'm going to make this blog follow suit and end it here!
P.S. Still at 11 lbs.
In fact, it was so easy, that I'm going to make this blog follow suit and end it here!
P.S. Still at 11 lbs.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Cheesy Lentils, Crusty Bread
Cheesy Lentils and Rice from Day by Day was the meal choice for last night, and it was good, but not thrilling. It tasted good, it wasn't difficult (although it wasn't fast, either), it wasn't disappointing, it just wasn't thrilling. I didn't have to have another serving (although I did have an extra spoonful). But it was filling, only 6 points, and healthy, so I can't really complain.
The one thing I learned last night is that red pepper flakes are not the same as ground red pepper. It called for 1/4 tsp. of ground red pepper and I didn't have any...I only had red pepper flakes. So I used 1/4 tsp. of flakes instead. My logic was sound, but wrong. I thought the larger flakes would be less potent that the ground stuff, but apparently that was not the case because the lentils we're a little spicy...the clear your sinuses, make your eyes water spicy. Still edible, but spicy. Let's just chalk that one up to inexperience, shall we?
Exercise-wise, I'm trying to get back to faithfully doing my Wiikouts and not finding excuses to be lazy. I've started the 30-day challenge on the hard level again and am going to try to get the whole thing done in 30 days, instead of the 45 or so it took last time.
So - cooking, check. Exercise, check. Losing weight, check. All is good. Now if I could just retire...
The one thing I learned last night is that red pepper flakes are not the same as ground red pepper. It called for 1/4 tsp. of ground red pepper and I didn't have any...I only had red pepper flakes. So I used 1/4 tsp. of flakes instead. My logic was sound, but wrong. I thought the larger flakes would be less potent that the ground stuff, but apparently that was not the case because the lentils we're a little spicy...the clear your sinuses, make your eyes water spicy. Still edible, but spicy. Let's just chalk that one up to inexperience, shall we?
Exercise-wise, I'm trying to get back to faithfully doing my Wiikouts and not finding excuses to be lazy. I've started the 30-day challenge on the hard level again and am going to try to get the whole thing done in 30 days, instead of the 45 or so it took last time.
So - cooking, check. Exercise, check. Losing weight, check. All is good. Now if I could just retire...
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