Svelte Quest 2012

It's that time.  Time to drop the fork filled with pasta and become a lean, mean, exercise machine.  I dreaded this about two weeks ago when I attempted to put on my "skinny jeans" and realized...hmmm...it's actually time to do some work!  They didn't button quite as easy as they did before the wedding.  Not gonna lie though, it's been fun eating decadent, hearty, winter meals and cuddling by the fire!  Now, we'll just have to find a way to make healthy foods just as enjoyable.  If there is a will, there is a way, and I'm willing and up for the challenge! Hubby's on board too which is HUGE!  It always helps when you have a diet and exercise partner. Someone to hold you accountable when you are salivating over the snickers bar. Not that he needs to lose weight AT ALL...just wants to tone up and be healthy.

The cold weather is still lingering a bit, so I allowed myself to have two chocolate chip cookies last night as a way of saying fairwell to the fat.  Gotta go out in style, right?  So thank you chocolate chip cookies for your company but now you're no longer invited to the party.

To jump start my "Svelte Quest 2012," I'm catching a ride on the fad diet bandwagon.  Now, I know this isn't the best way to do it but I do believe in detox style diets so long as you don't eat like a piggie after you're done and gain all the weight back.  That's not healthy.  So this little Chemical Breakdown Diet {also known as the Three Day Diet} has worked for me in the past and it's been quite a while since I've done it.  Why not give it a shot! I usually lose 5-7 pounds on it. 

I was inches away from going full speed ahead with Gwynie's {Gwyneth Paltrow's} detox diet {see her detox here} but seven days of it would be very difficult and too extreme for me at this juncture.  Plus, I've never tried coconut water, believe it or not, and the thought of it makes me a bit queezy.

Later, I will try out some of the items on her detox, just not in the seven day span.  Her Beet, Carrot, Apple and Ginger juice smoothie looks good to me {below}.  I also plan to try the Teriyaki Chicken {also shown below}.  

Picture via Goop

Picture via Goop

So tomorrow is day 1 of the Chemical Breakdown Diet for me so I'll be pretty ill for the first day of it.  I've already warned hubby!  : )  After the first day and the first night of sleep, your body feels better and better.  By the third day, you feel so much lighter and fresh!  It's amazing what removing the  junk from your diet can do for brain function, stimulating your digestive system, and improving your overall health.  Disclaimer: DRINK TONS OF WATER!!!  You're body needs lots of water when you aren't on any type of diet so when you are, especially a detox type, you need to replentish and rejuvenate your body and water is necessary to accomplish this.

Whenever you diet/detox, always consult your doctor and make sure you are taking care of yourself during the process.  Plenty of sleep as well.  I, personally, cannot participate in heavy exercise on this particular diet.  Your doctor and your body will tell you if you can on whatever diet/detox you might choose. 

After the three days, I will be focusing on healthy menu's for Dylan and I.  By healthy, I mean 4-6 ounces of chicken, fish, other lean meat and veggies.  Hubs needs more carbs than I do so when I prepare, say, steamed brocolli or asparagus for me, I can make boiled red potatoes with fat free gravy or brown rice for him.  He can get away with a sub sandwich with a few veggies thrown in for his lunch, while I need more salads, protein, fruits, almonds, granola, etc. I love all those during warm weather so it shouldn't be too hard. 

Another key is portion control and moderation.  If we want a steak and baked potato in two weeks, we'll have it.  The next day, however, will be much lighter fare.  I'll always be somewhat of a "foodie" at heart and don't intend to give up on flavor, just to make some of the favorites lighter and adapt new recipes as well.  Our outdoor garden is another huge motivator in this quest for eating healthy.  All those veggies, herbs, and even rasberries and strawberries will come in handy when preparing healthy spring and summer meals. 

We'll up our exercise intake after my three day diet is over which always works wonders for your body and for your energy level.  My treadmill and yoga days are coming back into my life! We'll be pepping up our step on Abbey's walks as well as continuing to work in the yard and garden. GREAT exercise!  Tennis and hiking, here we come too!

I'll leave you with some of my "Svelte Quest 2012" motivation and resource sites...just in case you need a little nudge inspiration too. : )

Shape

Eating Well

Self

Super Simple Supper for Two

If you have busy weekdays like hubby and I, then sometimes supper needs to be fast but still healthy.  Processed food really tends to gross me out as of late and I want Dylan and I to be getting fresh, nutritious foods without spending a fortune and without it being too time consuming.

Enter: A quick little idea for you and yours if anyone in your household finds themselves in a "short on time" predicament. Since we are transitioning into Spring {slowly but surely!} I kept one slightly heavier side dish but the majority of this particular dinner is fairly light.  Remember portion control!  Dylan and I split this meal in its entirety and it worked out quite lovely and we even had leftovers.

Simple Salad.

Wash romaine hearts and regular iceberg lettuce {hubs isn't too fond of the leafier types of lettuce so we went with these}.  Then, add your favorite veggies and toppings.  We did a version of a Chef Salad which is Dylan's fave.  My only epic failure was the calorie-laden Ranch dressing but, hey, you gotta live sometimes right?  Right. : )  We added diced boiled egg, slices of turkey and turkey bacon, and cucumber.  You'll notice the cheese as well.  You can't technically have chef salad without a little cheese! {wink}

Meatballs.

Before assembling the salad, I made the easiest meatballs evah!  I got frozen Italian meatballs and cooked as directed on the package, then I used my small size Dutch Oven and added the meatballs, 1 jar of grape jelly and 1 jar of chili sauce.  You can do many many versions of this.  Depends on the sweet to sour to spicy ratio you prefer.  I've added jalapeno jelly before, apple jelly instead of grape, chili powder and ketchup instead of chili sauce.  There are many different ways but this time we went with the grape jelly and chili sauce.  Simmer the meatballs in this mixture for about 15-20 mins and you're good to go!

Bread with Dipping Sauce.

While my meatballs simmered and after assembling the salad, I just diced up some pieces from a french baguette and used our favorite Herbs de Provence olive oil as a dipping sauce as well as some regular olive oil with balsamic vinegar whisked in.  Simple {and quick!} yet elegant for a week night meal.  Next, I set it all on a tray and headed into the den with my man {and an old Friends episode} for dinner!  Simple. Easy. Delish. Sorta healthy.

Still learning the camera!  This one is yellow! You get the idea though.



One salad bowl, one meatball bowl,
bread and dipping sauces, two forks!

Weekend Update

Our weekend was quite lovely.  Since I have a slight “case of the Monday’s,” even though it's Tuesday, my post will be a bit condensed. Ha!  : )  All in all, we had just the right amount of fun and just the right amount of rest over the weekend.  Well, at least, I would say so on the balance of fun and rest…hubby might have a differing opinion from slaving away  diligently working in the garden with me.  We did actually have a great time gardening together.  It’s very therapeutic getting your hands in the soil as well as great fun for your relationship!  "Building" something from {literally} the ground up with your spouse.  I adore all those little things we do together that keep us so close!  I so enjoyed the digging, tilling, raking, planting.  Such good exercise and a good start to our little outdoor grocery store!  Tomatoes and more peppers still to come.  I'm debating adding carrots.

These are the before shots.  Of course I forgot to get the after!
Will post some as our little garden grows.

Saturday evening, we got washed up from our gardening extravaganza and put on our finest attire to attend the opening of a new restaurant on Canton Street.  This was “invitation only” so you imagine how VIP we felt strutting up to the door.  Yes, I said strutting. Little Alley Steakhouse is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G.   The decor is trendy yet serene and the food is…well…the only word I can think of to describe it.  Exquisite!!!!  So refined. Our dear friend, at another restaurant on Canton Street, hooked us up with the invite so we were able to have fabulous food and drink for FREEEEEEE!!!!  Yes, I was giddy with excitement that something this good, GRAND, could be free.  When "they" say “it pays to know people,” they {whoever “they” are} mean it!  Networking, folks!  It’s so so worth it!  : )  

We had a great time Saturday night and know the restaurant is going to be a huge success.  Opening to the public last night, the buzz around town is that this restaurant is a force to be reckoned with! I'm so pleased how wonderfully it's been received.  Ahhh….and I’m so excited to go back soon whenever that may be!  Their website is not yet completed, so you have to “like” them on facebook which I HIGHLY recommend!  We sampled the Kobe meatballs, the Angus steak, the center-cut filet, and the jumbo shrimp.  All fabulous!!!

Sunday was more of our rest day, as it should be.  Church, then a teeny little bit more yard work, then a date night with Oscar and some jazzed up spaghetti.  Great end to another great weekend!

Hmmm, so is it Friday yet?  : )

Friday Favorites

Oh happy day!  Oh happy Friday!  I'm reveling in the plans for our weekend and can't wait until 6 pm this evening when the weekend actually begins. 


For this week's Friday Faves:

1. English Muffins.  Good for breakfast, lunch, dinner.  We obsess over enjoy a fried egg on just about anything.  A Saturday morning staple for us is an English muffin sandwich with a little bit of olive oil mayo and a fried egg {salt and peppered well of course}. You can use these muffins in many different ways.  For a healthier version of mini pizzas for example.   Just take one muffin and spread marinara sauce over and sprinkle a little cheese and oregano and a turkey pepperoni or two and pop in the oven.  Super simple and if you are into portion control {which lawd knows we all should be} then this is a good option for lunch or for dinner along with a small green salad.

2.  Smitten Kitchen website. http://smittenkitchen.com/  Hmmmm…have I mentioned this site before?  Maybe here or here  ; ) Third time’s a charm, right?  I’m tellin ya, check it out. 'Nuff said.

3. Basil.  I love basil in just about every dish.  So fresh, fragrant, clean tasting.  I decided to get a teeny little basil plant to keep in the kitchen until I’m able to plant it in the herb garden.  I hope this is no sign of what’s to come.  My thumb best be green with all the gardners in the family.  It’s got to be genetic, right?!?  Let’s hope so!  Until then, I’m initiating “Operation Save the Basil.”  This is purely shameful but here’s a current pic of the poor ole thing. Horrific I know.  I believe I have now read every online article there is on indoor and outdoor plants and gardening in preparation of what’s to come in our backyard.  I CANNOT let this happen to another plant!  Unacceptable.

4. Five pound dumbbells.  With Spring fast approaching, now is the time to think about getting back in shape.  Enter my trusty ole dumbbells I've had for years.  These are light enough to not bulk you up like The Hulk but heavy enough to give some tone and definition.  Great to use while watching tv.  Mix that with some crunches during commercial breaks and your exercising without even thinking about it!  For habitual DVR users {myself included}, purposely let the commercials actually play out.  No fast forwarding if you're going to use this time for some light exercise.

   

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Someone else likes them too!

5.    Spicy Bloody Mary Crostini.  These are out of this world, super yum!  I can't get enough of them.  They are spicy and cheesy and light and airy all at one time.  One guess where this snack comes from.  Wait for it...Roswell Provisions of course!  Every now and again if we've been super frugal, I'll treat myself to some.  These come in handy if you need an afternoon snack or some nibbly things prior to a dinner party.  Love em!  Keep the good stuff coming RP!

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Note that this is what the basil {in background} originally looked like. 
So depressing but "Operation Save the Basil" should work...hopefully!

Hope you've enjoyed my Friday Faves and I hope you enjoy your weekend!

Southwestern Pulled Brisket

As promised, here is the recipe for Southwestern Pulled Brisket courtesy of Smitten Kitchen.  Let me just say that this site rocks.  I love the pictures {the camera used is clearly quite pricey}.  The recipes are delectable, some being easy to prepare and others that take a bit of time and effort.  Deb, the writer, always keeps me entertained and connected.  She's honest. She's funny. Yet informative.  This site will be a Friday Favorite for sure! : ) Check it out at http://smittenkitchen.com/ if you haven't come across it already.

Let's begin...

First, you know me, always the stickler to have everything out on the counter ready for prep work.  This is an absolute must for me as I never know what critter pup or kitten I might step on {who are both constantly underneath me while I'm in the kitchen} so moving around needs to be kept to a minimum.  Sneaky little beggars just waiting for me to drop a morsel of food for them to devour.  I totally get it though.  I'd be doing the same thing if I were them, especially in the harsh reality that they do not get people food!  At least not yet, I'm sure we'll cave eventually.

As I mentioned yesterday, the molasses is the star of this show to me.  The chipotle peppers have become a fave of mine also and I like to dice them and put in chicken and veggie fajitas.  Husband and I LOVE the spice!  Nearly every ingredient here can be used in many other dishes. 

Look at our little salt and pepper shakers!  I've had these for a long time but
they still make me giggle.  Esp Mr. Salt cause he's all chubby.



Next, salt and pepper your brisket.  I washed it and patted it to dry it as much as possible.  I'm weird I suppose, but those yucky juices that come running out of the brisket packaging gross me out.
Up to you to wash or not to wash.

 
Into skillet and brown on both sides. Then, transfer into your slow cooker.

Slice up onion and chop garlic.  Saute in the same skillet that the brisket was in and add the coriander, cumin, and chili powder. Stir to scrape up those yummy bits in the bottom of the pan from the brisket.

Add vinegar and stir then let bubble away.  Then, add the water.  This part smells kinda stank to me {as I imagine it will to you unless you just adore the smell of vinegar}.  After it bubbles down, your kitchen smells good again.  Just give it a minute.  I promise.



Pour this entire mixture over the brisket in your slow cooker

Next up, add the tomatoes and chipotles as well as the bay leaves and molasses.

Yummy, Ewwwy-gewwy molasses!

Lid on and cook for 8-10 hours on low.  The brisket will be super tender and easy to "pull."  Simply take two forks and pull apart the brisket and by the time you're done, it's all shredded and deee-lish! 

And voila!  Dinner is served.  This brisket is also good tucked in between sandwich buns and next time, I'll be taking a stab at the Green Onion Slaw and Pickled Red Onions to accompany the brisket in sandwich form.  I'll report back on those.

Full Recipe from Smitten Kitchen found here: Brisket Recipe

I'm Back!

Please excuse my brief blog hiatus!  We've been busy little Bowden bees.  Let's see, where do I begin?  I won't be able to shrink the last week or so into one blog so I'll let the photos do most of the talking.  I will say, my husband is soooo sweet!  Valentine's day, as promised, was quite a treat and we had the best weekend a girl could ask for.  Then, as if that's not enough loveliness {gag, I know!}, I had President's day off and am proud to say have checked many o things off my to do list.  If only every week was a four day work week.  Sigh. 
Over the course of the last eight days, we've tried some new recipes, worked on the house {in the cheapest ways possible of course...it truly is amazing what a can of paint can do!}, organized and finalized our merging of assets finances and how we'll handle them as a new married couple, and many other things!

I was invited to go with one of my besties to tour her wedding venue over the weekend.  The locale is top secret till those invites go out but I will hint towards the super cute and fabulous.  Can't wait to see her marry the love of her life come summer.  Then, I top it all off with a emergency much needed hair appointment last night after work.  They sure do pamper ya at Soda Salon which is so nice and relaxing and fun all at the same time.  My girl, Courtney doesn't disappoint nor does the glass of Pinot Noir they serve you after a long, tiresome work day.  Husband has enjoyed some time with his buddies which he needs just like I need time with the girls every now and again.  And hello!  So looking forward to continuing our inaugural ladies' Supper Club!!  Next one is in March!
 
In the midst of all our to do's and newlywed nesting, we still have yet to get to the garden.  It's been revolving on my list for a week and a half and this weekend I'm determined {weather permitting} to at least get the ground ready.  Stay tuned!  Recap of last week/end in photos below.

~Valentine's Day Goodies~

~Southwestern Pulled Brisket~  Full Recipe coming soon...courtesy of Smitten Kitchen

Serve alongside french bread or garlic bread.

~Chalkboard Paint~

This paint is brilliant!  Sold at Joann Fabric.  Turned my old pink rose picture into a chalkboard for our dining room!  Total project cost...$6.99. 

~Jalapeno Popper Dip~

Serve with chips or smear on french baguette

~Grocery Store Spending...ideas continued...~

This adorable bag was a wedding shower gift from my dear friend, Sue Ellen.  Who, by the way, just had her beautiful baby boy!!!  Congrats again!!!  As discussed in another post on Grocery Store Spending and how to cut costs, another idea popped into my head.  I decided to use this bag for groceries{along with one other small Publix tote}and whatever groceries are on my list for the week must fit into these bags only {save for the dog food and kitten chow which we buy in bulk and those barely fit in my SUV let alone this bag!}.  Of course, paper towels, t.p, cleaning supplies and the like are also bought on occasion and in bulk so they don't apply here. This is meant for food purchases for the week.  Basically, if something doesn't fit, I can't get it or I have to decide on something to put back.  Last week was my first run at it and it worked perfectly!  I'm determined to continue.

I'll leave ya with some more pics of our cute little munchkins!  Sheesh, I really can't wait eight days again to blog!  Too much to recount!

Please get off of me already!  ~Sushi

Okay, fine then, I'll bite you and walk away!  ~Sushi

Dad consoling Abbey after Sushi abandoned fled from her.  Poor Abbey.

My Funny Valentine

Happy Valentine's Day to all!!!  And to one person in particular...my sweet, loving, funny valentine, Dylan.  You make me so happy and I love you more and more every day! 

Speaking of, I can't wait to see what ole hubs has in store for me this evening.  Per Dylan, I am not to make anything for dinner.  He's handling it all!  I am very impatient with surprises so I have a sneaking suspicion that this day is gonna drag a bit.  Countdown to 5:30 pm!!!

Whether you are single, dating, engaged, married, don't let this day make you gag.  Yes, it's a bit cliche, overrated I suppose.  Have fun with it anyway.  If single, this day doesn't have to be about not having a "honey," it can be about you!  Love yourself, love your friends.  If you are, in fact, attached...love your spouse and celebrate that love!  Either way, enjoy it.  Everybody likes chocolate, right?  Well, today's a great excuse to indulge! : ) 

Here's a funny pic to brighten up and lighten up today!