The Blonde Diaries

Go figure… I bake a surprise and Mike’s sick!

Man!  I stopped by the grocery store after work today to pick up the bare essentials to get us through our half week as we will both be semi-away Wednesday through the end of the week.  So I passed the yogurt area which is right next to the refrigerated cookie dough - so cruel right - and decide to pick up a pack of cookies to bake for Mike as a surprise.  I have a cute penguin cookie jar that is sitting empty right now and no snacks for Mike so it just made sense to bake cookies.  So I came home and while I’m getting dinner ready - a Tyson’s heat and serve meal- I bake the cookies, let them cool, and then place them in their new home until Mike got in.  Well, Mike comes home and is just sick from the minute he gets through the door (I will spare you the details).

I was so disappointed that a) he’s sick and b) he isn’t even interested in knowing what his surprise is.  Of course I hope he gets well soon but go figure he would come home sick like this when I baked him cookies as a surprise.  He’s drugged on the couch right now so hopefully the meds kick in soon and get him well.  We have that birthday party to attend to this weekend and he can’t be sick for it.

Quick and Easy Meal Idea

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.

Moving Right along

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.

Weight Loss Update

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?

Edamame - say what?

In an earlier post I talked about how well I did last night at one of my favorite sushi restaurants by swapping edamame for crab lagoons. Crab lagoons are these fried wontons filled with cream cheese and I think a little bit of crab and you dip them in a sweet and sour sauce - very yummy, not very healthy to say the least! So I knew getting them would be detrimental to my diet so I swapped for edamame.

Edamame is a pea-like vegetable in that you usually have 2 to 3 beans per green pod. I actually did a little research today to learn more about them and if they are a healthy option to eat on a more frequent basis. Edamame is actually soybeans before they are turned into soy products. They are normally served warm at sushi restaurants because they are freshly boiled in salted water. What I learned today makes me even happier to eat them - they are packed in protein (13 gms per serving), low in fat (3gms per serving), and are typically moderate in the calorie content (125 cals per serving). I have noticed them sold in the freezer section of the grocery store so I think I will try and pick up a bag and make this at home. If you have never tried edamame before I highly recommend doing so. It is an acquired taste I will admit but it is so healthy and yummy that you really shouldn’t pass it up. I’ll let you know how the freezer version works out for me.