Monday, May 11, 2009

A Treat

Mother's Day isn't exactly my favorite holiday. It's stressful. My DOM passed away a few years ago so it's bittersweet. MJ's mom is hard to please. So, I decided not to try. It was going to be what it was. Of course, I decided this after we had gone to pick up dinner fixins from Harris-Teeter. I'm a huge beef fan. The music from the "Beef, It's What's for Dinner" commercials could be my theme song. We picked up a few ribeyes (on sale), some chicken breasts (BOGO), asparagus (on sale), onions, garlic and a rotisserie chicken for lunch. Well, after lunch I didn't feel like doing anything. And my MIL let us (read me) off the hook. She said that would be enough.

Okay, you know my grill situation. I can't have one b/c of the fire code in Alexandria. Well, those beautiful steaks kept calling me from the fridge and freezer. The slacker in me kept turning the volume down. Then a beautiful thing happened. MJ's brother-in-law walked in. He was hungry. He didn't want to do the prep, but he'd man the grill. A plan started to form. You see I had picked up some packets of grill seasoning from good ol' HT. MJ and I got prepped the meat. I made a quick marinade for the asparagus and we were ready to go. My SIL and I went to pick up some microwaveable sides and life was good.

What do you like on the grill? Do you grill your veggies like I do? Are you a charcoal snob or will you use gas in a pinch? I must say I prefer charcoal, but my SIL's Weber gas grill is kinda nice. There's something to be said for instant temp. control.

Thursday, May 7, 2009

Lunch

I just had my Jenny Craig lunch. The container said Beef Chili with Beans. They lied. It was beef flavored bean chili. ICK! You might be asking yourself why did she buy the chili when she knows that she doesn't like beans. Well, I'll eat a few beans, but they are not my favorite by a long shot. And I love chili. I haven't had it in a while. My dad used to make chili that would burn so good. It was thick beef chili. He made two batches, one for TY and me with no beans and one for him and our mom with those alien pods. As it is the little container is no bigger than the soup bowls you get, so I jazzed mine up with some tortilla chips (good use of today's snack pack), salsa (gotta love the free items) and a little fat free sour cream (a limited item). The trouble is I can still taste those beans.

When I am able to create my own meals, I want to make my own chili. And it's not going to be that burn your mouth going and your keister coming out kind either. I want to use a mix of ground beef and turkey to create a leaner, lower fat version. There will be no beans at all in mine. I will be looking for ways to pump up the fiber though. So, for all of my cooking friends, start going over your recipes. I'm looking for any and all suggestions for my chili.

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Free Food

Two of my favorite words in the English language. Well, Let's Dish (DC, MD, VA) is giving away a block of their Signature Scones to anyone who donates their Facebook status, Twitters or blogs about the free scones. Hey, it's worth a shot. I hope it is still good when I take this posting into my neighborhood Let's Dish. If not, then I'll pick up a brunch item for Mother's Day and get my freebies that way. If you're in the DMV, check it out.

Monday, May 4, 2009

I'm back

After an unplanned hiatus, some personal issues, and a weight gain, I'm back. For you regulars, I apologize for just dropping out on you like that. For any newcomers, well, I have a tendency to disappear every now and then. I'm going to work on that so that it doesn't interfere with what I do here.

I'm still on Jenny Craig. It's kinda of hard some days. I know in my head what a portion should be, but sometimes what I want to eat just tastes so good that I want a little more. And you know what happens then, a little more becomes a lot more. I'm trying to focus on the things that I like that I know are good for me. I'm not a huge fan of strawberries, but I'm beginning to like them a little better. MJ and I will share a few. I'm helping him get his fruit in and that makes me feel good.

I have never believed that any food should be avoided. However, if you have issues with control, maybe stepping away from the trigger foods isn't such a bad thing. Or is there an alternative to having the trigger food? I know that a turkey burger isn't the same as a sirloin burger, but what's better in the long run?