Creative Substitutions

Here are some creative and not so creative food substitutions that I have found and really like - and incorporate into my routine pretty often! 
Coke -- Coke Zero -- Berry LaCroix Sparkling Water

2 cups of coffee -- 1 cup of coffee and 2 cups of Japanese green tea

Cracker Barrel cheddar cheese planks -- Reduced Fat Sargento cheddar cheese sticks

Betty Crocker brownies from a box -- Peanut Butter and Fudge Vita Tops

Coffee Mate French Vanilla liquid -- Light Vanilla Silk Soymilk

Ranch Dressing Veggie Dip -- Sabra Hummus 2oz cups

Microwave bacon -- Microwave TURKEY bacon

BBQ Kettle style Chips -- BBQ PopChips

Regular sliced bread -- Sara Lee Delightful Wheat Bread

I hope you consider one of these next time you're at the grocery store!!!

This Week's Meal List

Plan, Plan, Plan.  It's just about the only way to REMAIN successful at this healthier-eating thing.

I have been making (mostly) hot breakfasts and fresh sack lunches in the morning for Jeff and me, but the dinners present a challenge.  I usually get home between 6 and 6:30PM and am STARVING and TIRED and think it's much EASIER to go out for dinner.

But, it's not as easy on my points, or on the wallet, to eat out that much.  So this week my goal is to cook at home all of our dinners.

Here's what's on my meal list this week, and I am preparing to go to the store to pick up ingredients for:

- Pulled Pork Sandwiches in the Crock Pot, with Tator Tots and Green Beans

- Beef Tacos with Fajita Fixin's & Rice

- Curried Chicken, Peas, and Potatoes (made with Greek yogurt...so yummy and easy)

- Baked Mahi Mahi with Mangos (for me) & Rice (for both)

- Moussaka in Minutes (NEW RECIPE!!!)

- Turkey Pepperoni Calzones

Pretty much everything on this list is between 7 and 12 Points Plus for one serving.  Hopefully I can get them all cranked out this week and meet my goal this week of COOKING DINNER AT HOME!!!

Crock Pot Jerk Chicken Soup

Can't wait to share this SPICY and HOT Jerk Chicken Soup recipe!  It was originally a Weight Watchers recipe - but you know me, I always have to modify recipes to make them both easier and faster.

The original had a lot more combos of spices and was made with turkey...but mine still turned out yummy.  I will make a few modifications - so I'm sharing the modified-but-not-yet-tried version as I'm sure it will be better than my modified-first-try.

Crock Pot Jerk Chicken Soup
Serves 4: 5 PPV per serving

3 tsp McCormick Jerk Seasoning
1/2 tsp black pepper, divided
1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts (I buy the large ones and it's about 2 pieces)

1 clove fresh garlic, minced
1 medium uncooked onion
1 medium uncooked red bell pepper
1 medium uncooked green bell pepper
1 regular can of diced tomatoes (undrained) (fire-roasted with chilies if you like the heat)
1 regular can of lower sodium black beans (rinsed and drained)
2 cups lower sodium chicken broth

1 cup water (if want more soupy / less hot)
2 tbsp fresh cilantro from my deck herb garden :)

Coat the 2 whole chicken breasts with 1 tsp Jerk Seasoning (more if you like heat).  Let sit for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, chop up the 1 onion, 2 peppers, and garlic clove.

Spray or use 1 tsp Olive Oil in the bottom of the crock pot.  Place coated chicken breasts on the bottom, layer in the onion, then peppers, then garlic.  Dump in the black beans, then tomatoes, then chicken broth, then the remaining 1 tsp of Jerk Seasoning and pepper.

Cook on low 5-7 hours.  Shred the chicken before eating and let it sit for 5-10 minutes to soak up the brothy flavors. 

Garnish your bowl with fresh cilantro and enjoy!!!

If you want, you can add 1/2 cup rice 30 minutes before eating, but be sure to add the extra cup of water if you do that.  This will then be 7 PPV for the recipe.

Turn a Watermelon into a Keg

I love this whole article on Lifehacker.  So much, that I am posting it here in its entirety.

The perfect drink dispenser for your summer cocktail parties may actually be a watermelon. Serve punch, juice, or a real fruit cocktail in that giant melon.

For your watermelon-to-keg transformation, simply cut a lid at the top and scoop out the watermelon, then attach a spigot (available at beer making supply companies) via a hole you either drill into the melon or make with an apple corer.
KegWorks offers a watermelon sour recipe along with the keg-making instructions from The Food Network, while the National Watermelon Promotion Board has somewhat more detailed instructions.

Cheers!

#1 Tip for Feeling Rested

I came across an article recently that had some great tips for feeling rested.  They were all great ideas...like grab a coffee, take a walk, distract yourself with chit chat for 5 minutes...

But none compares to my recent experience.

My #1 Tip?  Take a nap.

Happy Memorial Day

We had such a great time this weekend - started camping on Thursday at Vogel State Park and didn't come home till Monday.

Our favorite campsite is at a secluded area of the park, at the end of a 4-campsite cul-de-sac with Direct Trail Access.

After grocery shopping and packing the car on Thursday morning, we finally got started on the 2.5 hour drive to the North Georgia Mountains.  After arrival, we had our pick of campsites - people didn't really start pouring in until Friday so it was a blessedly quiet Thursday afternoon and evening.

On Thursday night, we did have a bit of a mis-hap.  I had to pee in the middle of the night (of course).  One of the reasons I like our secluded spot is it allows for NOT walking down the hill to the bathrooms (ie, peeing outside).  However, I did not remember there was such a STEEP DROP OFF behind the tent...I put my leg down to step and all I got was air. 

By that time I was already off-balance and tumbled down the hill (NO, we do NOT have a picture of that)...but not before twisting my ankle, bruising my leg, and landing on my knee (it swelled up big time). 

But - I was not SO injured as we couldn't do our planned actvities on Friday.  Which included hiking the Bear Hair Trail. 

Let me explain to you the premise behind Bear Hair: it goes up, then it comes down.  Two and a half miles up, two and a half miles down.  Simple, right?

Except I had BAD BAD BAD memories of it from last year. 

This was the first trail I ever hiked.  Now, being a kid from the farmland prairie, I thought hiking was akin to walking down a gravel road.  Flat-ish, straight, not too hard.  So last year my prairie naivete strapped on my Asics and said, "Yeah, let's try it!"

In short, I was ill-prepared.  I had to take like a thousand breaks and my freaking feet hurt so bad because tennies are not made for hiking on rocks and oh my god I hated it and it sucked so bad and it was hot and I got bit by a million mosquitos and I was not having any fun at ALL.

But after many hiking miles behind me, months of training, and 50 lbs lighter on my feet...look how much fun I'm having!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I KICKED IT'S BUTT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  (Actually, after later reflection - and time for my muscles to stiffen up - I would call it a draw.)
In any case, we still had energy to go swimming in the lake on Friday afternoon, and had a huge fire on Friday night. 

We did have the worst camping neighbors next door though.  A huge group with 15+ kids came in and were noisy until after midnight and began clanging pots at 6am.  I was SO NOT IMPRESSED.  It's the first and only time we have ever complained to a campground host about reinforcing the quiet hours. 

And then my air mattress got a hole in it.  I woke up on the ground.  We did not have a repair kit.  Nor an extra.  Jeff fixed it with duct tape and it kind of worked till around 5AM. 

Since Friday night's sleep was not super long or restful we nixed our hike for Saturday morning...and went to Wal-Mart instead for a new air mattress.  On the way there was a really cute arts & crafts fair (Mom, they had those bears you've been eyeballing) that we just had to swing by.

Our busy morning was followed by an afternoon of swimming!!!  The lake was super busy but it was fun...except Jeff and I BOTH got nipped by a FISH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sunday we had more hiking - did almost 3 miles into the Coosa Backcountry Trail and came across this PRIMO photo spot. 

 

Jeff rigged up a set of hiking poles to serve as a camera tripod so we actually got a photo together!!!!!!  Then we had to hike almost 3 miles back out.  (Our "after" shot was not so cute.)

Happy Memorial Day weekend!

Faux Healthy

This product is on my SHIT LIST.

Mostly because they (the company) have TRICKED me into thinking they are HEALTHY when they are NOT.

I like to call this the beginning of my FAUX-HEALTHY list of f*ckers.

Odwalla Chewy Nut Bar White Chocolate Macadamia

Packaging says "crunchy nuts & hearty oats" and "Good Source of Five Essential Vitamins & Minerals including Antioxidant Vitamins A, C, & E.

Guess what folks.  TWO HUNDRED AND TEN CALORIES.  That sucks

Guess what else.  TEN GRAMS OF FAT.  That sucks even more.

And - only 3 grams of Protein and 2 grams of Fiber. 

Here is what I should have had instead: Little Debbie Oatmeal Cream Pie.

Why?  Because it's delicious.  And incredibly indulgent.  And I am making a CHOICE to be unhealty (not a sneak attack of unhealthy)...and even still, it's 170 calories and 7 grams of fat...BOTH LESS than the Odwalla bar.

Consider me smarter than yesterday.

We Played Too Hard.

This weekend's report:
Friday night - worked late, then Domino's, then John Carter of Mars
-- We stayed up way past our bedtime.  Not a great way to start a busy weekend, being tired, but awesome to relax for a night!

Saturday morning - not an early morning as planned (got up at 8:30), then left for the Delta Block Party
-- The Block Party is really like Delta's "Company Picnic"...if you were to have a picnic for 10,000 people.  It's really more like a fair - bands playing on the center stage, Chick-Fil-A / BBQ / Hot Dogs / Ice Cream / Mini-Donuts / Veggie Trays / Apple and Pineapple on a Stick...and on and on.

-- It is usually incredibly hot.  It's held in our giant parking lot.  On asphalt.  Next to the tarmac.  And it's HOT.  This year not as much as other years but...still sunburn worthy (Jeff, not me, because I put on SPF 100). 

-- The Block Party is also known as "The Easy-Bake Oven Party" and also "The Delta Stand-In-Line Party".  Everything is free - food, swag, entertainnent, beer, whatever.  As long as you will stand in line for it.

-- It was super awesome to meet a lot of my coworkers families...and I still would never miss it!

Saturday afternoon - COOL OFF, rehydrate, recoup, nap

Saturday evening - Luke Bryan and Jason Aldean concert at Lakewood Amphitheater
-- Dude.  Two Georgia boys playing for the hometown crowd plus an outdoor venue that's a freaking free-for-all of lawn seating (ie, no chairs)?  Wow. 

-- Dude part 2.  Can we say D-R-U-N-K????  Not me of course.  I held it down to a respectable 2 cans of beer (seen below).

--  Yes, they were 24 ounces each.  No, I am not drinking Bud Heavy on purpose.  It was either lukewarm Bud Light (because they ran out!?!?) or cold Bud Heavy.

--  Also, I am wearing my new outfit for summer.  Aren't I CUTE (and 50 lbs smaller)????

Sunday morning - holy crap, exhausted and slept till 9:30, then mowing, weed-eating, fertilizing, tending vegetable garden
-- One, yard work after a late night kind of really sucks. 

-- And two, I'm glad Jeff and I were both doing it together.

Sunday afternoon - neighborly chat, Mexican fiesta lunch, and a few errands

Sunday night - pet the kitty and Game of Thrones
--  I'm spent!!!  I need a vacation from my weekend.  Bring on the work week.

Something like sickness

Bleh.  Caught a cold.  And it's moved into my chest.

I feel HORRIBLE.

2 and a half days of missed work - it's sacrilege.  And there was even an overnight work trip to Chicago I had to miss (sorry Amy).

Here's what I have learned in my delirium:

1) Life at work will go on without me (although it may be painful for those still at work, picking up my slack).

2) Slurping NyQuil and DayQuil to make symptoms go away does not actually mean you are getting better.

3) Grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup are NOT overrated, AND can be made points-friendly.

4) Tazo Green Tea is not real green tea.  Do not be tricked.  (My quest for real Japanese green tea continues.)

5) Spouses still love each other when they're sick, but much slack must be given to the non-sick one...they are, after all, trying NOT to catch whatever you have.

Points-Friendly Tomato Soup & Grilled Cheese Cold Cure
3 points - 1/2 can Progresso Vegetable Classics Hearty Tomato Soup
2 points - 2 slices Sara Light Delightful Wheat Bread
2 points - 2 slices Kraft Free American cheese (sliced)
1 point  - 1 tbsp Country Crock margarine spread

Total Lunch: 8 points...full tummy + DayQuil = NAP TIME

The Hike Inn

Did I mention hiking is our new "Thing"?  We got last-minute reservations last weekend at the Hike Inn outside Dawsonville, GA.  I have been wanting to go for over a year, but never though I was in good enough shape to do it.  After losing almost 50 lbs, we decided to try it!

After starting at the top of Amicalola Falls, we split off for a moderate 5.5-mile hike with 1000 feet of elevation change.  Our destination was the Hike Inn, a Gold LEED facility (think composting toilets, solar panels, and worms that eat kitchen scraps). 

And here is what greeted us at the end:

This wonderful little gem had hot showers and yummy meals waiting for us after a fun day outdoors...much better than sleeping in a tent in the backcountry!

The meals were AWESOME - roast beef, mashed potatoes, buns, salad, roasted veggies, cherry cobbler at dinner.  Then scrambled eggs, bacon, peach bread, grits, OJ, and coffee for breakfast.  WAY better than what we can do while camping.

Our bunkhouse room had single bunk beds, hooks, a fan, and a little stool - that's it.  Oh, and you re-use your mug and cup the entire time (see, it's labeled with your name!).

There is a Sunrise Room, a common room with games, books, guitars, cards, etc.  Jeff and I tried to play checkers.  We couldn't remember the rules though - and since it's a no cell phone facility, we had to give up (normally you would just Google the rules, right?).

 Star Base was constructed so the spring and fall equinox shine directly through that little hole into the back of the cave.  Very cool.

All the buildings - bunkhouse, bathhouse, mess hall, sunrise room, and check-in area - are all connected by covered walkways.

Which was a good thing - because although you can't see it here, we are getting ready to take off on Sunday morning for the 5.5-mile hike back.  In the absolutely POURING rain.  And 55 degrees.

Thus, this was our last photo of the trip as we didn't want to get the camera out in the rain!!!  We set a personal best time to hike 5.5 miles - 2 hours and 45 minutes...guess a little rain incentivized us.

We've already booked some rooms for the fall colors in mid-October.  Lois, and a few of her friends will be joining us...let us know if you would like to do it too and we'll add you to the block!!!