The Blonde Diaries

Last week, before the holidays and my subsequent gorging on Turkey and Ham, I made a pretty quick and easy meal that I wanted to share. I did not remember to take a photo but I did freeze the left overs so maybe when I unfreeze it later on I will remember and post a photo. I did not go off of a particular recipe for this meal idea. I actually got the idea from a dish I had at an Italian restaurant last year that Mike and I went too and I thought it would be easy enough to recreate at home which it was. This is my version of Cheesy Shrimp Risotto.

1 box of Risotto (Parmesan flavored works nicely)
1 package of medium sized shrimp (I purchased the cooked, pre-peeled and pre-veined version)
1/2 bag of frozen peas and carrots

Prepare the Risotto following the box directions. Boil the Shrimp until cooked and tender. Heat peas and carrots until cooked. Once everything is cooked (takes about 10 minutes total for all 3) combine into a bowl and stir until everything is well mixed. Spoon onto plates and serve. I haven’t perfected this recipe but next time I plan on adding more cheese to give it a more cheesy taste.

I have had some fun in the kitchen lately. It seems like a while since I have posted anything food related but I have been pretty hard at work looking for some new recipes to make to keep me on the track to weight loss and not weight gain. Last week, Mike and I were in a rut and I was tired of eating beef products. It seems like we are in a rut and only eating beef and that is not too healthy. So I bought some chicken but wasn’t sure what to do with it that would be quick and easy. Well, I saw that we had spaghetti sauce, shake and bake, spaghetti noodles, and laughing cow cheese. hmm…

How about Moc Chicken Parmigiana? Talk about an excellent meal and very little prep work. I had Mike coat the chicken with shake and bake and we tossed it into the oven. While the chicken was baking I started boiling the water for the noodles. When the noodles went in, I poured the sauce on the chicken and continued cooking. Once everything was done I cut up the laughing cow cheese into chunks and put on the spaghetti/chicken mixture till they turned a very light golden color (this cheese does not melt). A very tasty twist on an Italian favorite without all the fat and calories! You could even make it healthier by substituting white pasta noodles for whole grain noodles. I am going to try that next time for me at least. This recipe I made up on the fly will be making it into our permanent rotation. Give it a try next time you are stumped.

One of my favorite drinks this time at Disney was the famous Blue “Glow-tini”. I like fruity tasting martinis and the idea that it “glowed” was intriguing to me. So I decided to try and find a menu that it was on so that I could try it. I had a list of beer and frozen drinks I wanted to try at Epcot and alcohol is not sold at the Magic Kingdom so my best bets were either at meals on resort property or at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. I lucked out and both 1900 Park Fare in the Grand Floridian and the Sci-Fi Drive-in Diner at Hollywood Studios both had it. The drink was really good and I loved the flashing glow cubes so I made sure to keep them so I can recreate the drink at home. Lucky for me, Deb at AllEarsNet.com had the recipe so I see a few blue “glow-tinis” in my future. Enjoy!

Disney’s Blue “Glow-Tini”

1 ounce Skyy Citrus Vodka
0.5 ounce Bols Blue Curacao
0.5 ounce Bols Peach Schnapps
1 ounce Sweet & Sour
0.5 ounce Pineapple Juice
1 each Blue Glow Cube (optional)

Prep:
Build in martini shaker with ice, shake, strain, and pour into glass with sugared rim. Add cube.

Well, our music workshop at church was cancelled last night so Mike and I were able to start moving into the new apartment as soon as he and my mom arrived around 7pm. We decided to move kitchen and clothing since those are the easiest things to pack and unpack. So far everything that we both have from our respective apartments are fitting into the new apartment with room to spare. I did notice though that it might be time to upgrade some of our kitchen ware as both of us have very old and very cheap appliances, pots, pans, and bakeware.

I found that Sears is running at Cookware and Bakeware Sale right now. Everything is on sale right now and if you shop today, you receive an extra 20% off when using your Sears card. I really liked the basic essentials 8 piece roster set that came to $4.99 after the mail in rebate ($10 rebate). Talk about a pretty darn good deal. Sears carries all of the well known kitchen brands like KitchenAid, Wilton, and Cuisinart so if there is something you have been eyeing for a while you might want to head over there and see if you can score a deal. I did notice the famous KitchenAid mixer is on sale which doesn’t happen very often. You might be able to find some items to put aside for Christmas or even future wedding gifts.

A few weeks ago, upon my return from vacation, I shared that the impact of the hurricane and vacation on my health had been pretty minor. I only managed to gain 6 pounds but it was 6 pounds I didn’t need to gain. So I have taken to a number of methods to start shedding the pounds. The first was to obviously cut my calorie intake. The second was to start exercising again. The third method I am trying now is to vary the foods I eat and cut down on the number of carbs I take in each day. I have been using the tracker on fit day and man do I eat a lot of carbs! So this week I have been eating more “healthy” carbs like fruits, vegetables, and then lots of protein. I am down 3 pounds so I know I am making a difference. Slow and steady wins the race right?

So this is where I need your help. I need new healthy, low-carb recipes. I have the usual grilled chicken, baked fish, and grilled sausage down but I need help with varying them up. We like Italian but I do not have any good Italian recipes that do not include either a heavy sauce, pasta noodles, or something battered and fried. So any good recipes to share?