Acorn Squash-Two Ways

Today I want to introduce a new food I discovered. The Acorn Squash. Now if that name does not scream Fall, then I don't know what does.

I have seen Acorn squash in the grocery stores but I have never tried them. They just always looked like an ornamental gourd to me and I had no desire to eat one. I want to add new foods to my diet so I thought I'd give this baby a try.

As I looked around online for directions on how to cook them, I also seen several recipes. It started getting interesting. I never knew these things had such a good reputation.

I experimented with recipes and created this delicious way to enjoy an Acorn squash.

Cutting it in half was the hardest part. Seriously.

Stuffed Acorn Squash

Preheat oven to 475.

Cut the acorn squash in half and scooped out the seeds. 

(I put the seeds aside for roasting).

Coat the inside and outside of the squash with melted coconut oil 

Place on a cookie sheet or shallow baking dish.

Add a layer of cinnamon to the inside.

Bake 45-55 minutes or until soft when pierced with a fork.

Remove from oven and.........

STOP RIGHT THERE: 

The squash is good just like it is at this point. It has the same flavor as a sweet potato but sweeter! This will make a great side to any dish. 

But lets make it better.....

Trust me on this one.

Add vanilla Greek yogurt to the center. 

Mix a little so the flavors of the cinnamon combine in with the yogurt. 

Drizzle with Honey and top with walnuts.

OH MAN this was soo good. I do not like yogurt, much less vanilla yogurt but something about this mixture was so sweet and delicious, my tongue almost slapped my forehead.

I would consider this either a breakfast or a dessert.
YES! Squash for breakfast. Bring it on.

Since discovering that these acorn squash taste like sweet potato, I did something different with the other half. I added some melted butter and marshmallows. I placed it back in the oven to brown the marshmallows. It tasted like a little personal sweet potato casserole.

I got a thumbs up on both from Nick. It was a toss up between which one tasted better. Both were as good as the other but I think I liked the yogurt way best as it was more healthy in my opinion.

Oh about the seeds.

I salted and roasted them in the oven for about 15 minutes.They made a great snack to nibble on while dinner was being prepared.

Veggie Soup

We are now starting to feel the cool season of Fall here in North Carolina. The temperatures have dropped down to the 40's in the mornings and after sundown. It has put me in the mood for soup.

I have been wanting to make some vegetable soup. We have made all sorts of soups in the past but I have never made a real "old fashioned vegetable soup". I headed to my social media friends for some help and ideas on how to get this soup started. I was in a limbo weather to make it with a broth base or more of a tomato base. 

Most of my friends suggested V-8 Juice as a starter. Some suggested beef or chicken broth. 

Needless to say, I was still somewhat undecided on what would taste best. That's when I decided to reach out to my friend Anne. I know she does a lot of cooking, and, well, I just trust her taste. 

Her base starter? Water.

OK, that sounded easy enough. The veggies add the broth and make a delicious soup as it slowly cooks in a pot for a few hours. So that's how I started. Before I knew it, I was adding this, that and whatever. I started with adding some cubed potatoes and diced onions and let those cook a little first then I started adding in the veggies. I ended up adding a can of beef broth for flavor and consistency. 

Just look at that mess!

Then I made a pan of cornbread. I mean, what good is veggie soup if you don't have cornbread right? 

No jiffy mix here. This is the real stuff made in a cast iron pan just like mom! (recipe is on the bag of cornmeal).

My soup turned out delicious and we had enough for the next day. [Did I mention soup is better the second time around?] 

Below is basically what was in my soup:

2 baking potatoes

1 onion

2- 14.5 oz. cans of petite diced tomatoes

1- bag of frozen mixed vegetables

1- bag of frozen okra

1/2 head of chopped cabbage

1- can of beef broth

1- can of water

Salt/ Pepper

pinch of garlic salt

dash of Italian Seasoning

dash of parsley 

I started the potatoes and onions first in a little water in a stock pot until they started to soften, then I added all the other ingredients and cooked in a crock-pot on low 4-5 hours.

I plan to make some more of this kind of soup again soon. It's low calorie and Lord knows I need the veggies. 

We call this an Italian spoon rest.

“Soups On!”

Beach Birthday and LuLu's

We finally got in our last beach trip for the year. We fought two hurricanes to get there. One knocked us out completely in September and then this last one (Michael), held us back a day. I hate winterizing the camper. It means no more trips til Spring. Nick says we can still go if we want too. We would just have to winterize it again in case of a cold snap, but we never do. We will probably not take another trip down until March.

First something funny/cute I saw:.
I kid you not. As we were walking down the beach we approached an oxygen bag sitting on the sand, there was a very long oxygen tube that was running down to the surf to a lady with her feet in the water. I thought "now that's some beach loving dedication". I wish I'd had my camera at the time.

While we were there we celebrated Nicks birthday. He turned 59! Isn't that wonderful? Our plan was to grow old together and here we are living the dream. haha.

For his birthday dinner we visited a new place at Barefoot Landing called Lulu's. This place is owned by Lucy Buffett. Jimmy Buffett's Sister (I heard).
This was a neat place that included a gift store, indoor and outdoor eating, a sand playground outback for kids, a live band and a bar.

We requested seating on the patio. We loved the atmosphere of sitting out by the water way. The sun setting in the back ground made it a beautiful night to dine.

Nick ordered the blackened fish tacos and I order crab toast. It was a mixture of melted cheese and crab meat baked open face on a french bread with a side of fries.

I also ordered a mudslide drink to try. We laughed because of the cost, we figured it would come in a fancy glass topped with whip cream dripping down the sides. But no. It was more like a frosty in a LuLu Cup. It was good though.

My review of this place? Well, I thought it was rather pricey to be served on plastic and paper plates, with plastic cups. They had a roll of paper towels on the tables and tub of silverware you help yourself. The food was just OK. Nothing special. The over all dining experience was nice. We enjoyed watching the boats and listening to the live band. We liked it enough to try again but it will not be one of our first choices.

Pumpkin Spice French Toast

It’s that time of year again. You see everything pumpkin spice in the grocery store except peanut butter and I would not be surprised if they have that too.

I am not a fan of Pumpkin spice but I try. I will try the flavor every season. Maybe one day I’ll acquire a taste for it. This time, the pumpkin spice swirl bread caught my eye. I love this bread in strawberry but I thought I’d give this Fall flavor a try. It was actually good. It was sweet and didn’t have too much spice.

Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. Waffles are my favorite breakfast food, but French toast comes in a close second. I glanced over at the new bread and knew I had some egg beaters in the fridge. Pumpkin Spice French toast sounded like a great idea.

I pulled the pan from the cabinet and sprayed it with spray butter.
I added a couple tablespoons of liquid egg to a plate. Just enough to coat my bread on each side.

I remember mom used to make french toast and it would have a ruffle of egg on the edges. I would normally use real egg but these egg beaters fit better in my diet.

I fried the toast on each side until lightly golden then topped with a few walnuts and sugar free syrup.

It was delicious and easy.

What is your favorite Pumpkin spice treat? 

Cherry Cups

I'm fixing to share with you a sweet and simple recipe you can whip up in a jiffy.

I had a package of tortillas in the breadbox that seemed to be ignored. I did not want them to go stale so I decided to make some sweet crispy cinnamon cups. Oh this so easy, your kids could do it. 

Here is what did.

I sprayed a muffin pan with cooking spray then placed a flour tortilla in each muffin cup. 

Then I used some spray butter and coated the tortillas. Then sprinkled with a mixture of cinnamon and sugar. You can do both of these steps before you add them to the cups if you wish.  

Bake 350 for about 15-20 minutes or until brown and crispy. 

That's it! Now go find some ice cream, baked apples, or......

Cherries! 

Cherry is my favorite flavor of anything from candy to doughnuts. When I saw a can of cherry pie filling in the pantry I knew cherry cups would be born.

I spooned a glob of cherry pie filling in each cup. I would normally top with whip topping, but I was out. That was probably a good thing because I did not need the extra calories. 

Each one of these cups are approx 120 calories each.

Your turn...Go experiment. There is so many things you can make with those flour tortillas, besides tacos! 

Check out a couple other recipes I made using these little floppy pieces of Mexican dough!

HERE↓

cinnamon doodles

mini taco salads

Enjoy!

Nutrisystem- Potato Salad

Here is another easy and fun recipe for those who enjoy Nutrisystem.

Nutrisystem has over 100 different food choices but they do not have potato salad!

So I made my own and it did not add to the calories or take away any nutrition. It simply just adds another flavor to the Nutrisystem Loaded Potato found on the menu HERE. 

My mom makes the best potato salad. Hers is always glowing a bright yellow will specks of red and green. Its just a little chunky but mostly the consistency of mash potatoes and always booming with flavor. 

Though I could never beat it, I made this potato salad with my mom's in mind. 

HERE IS HOW I DID IT:

• Prepare the Nutrisystem Loaded Potato as directed.
• Add a spoon of each: Green Peppers, Onion, Celery and Pimentos. 
• Mustard to taste
• Sprinkle in some salt and pepper.
• Mix well and place in the refrigerator until cool. 

While the Nutrisystem Loaded Potato is a meal in itself, you can also add this tasty potato salad as a side next to an added protein such as chicken or fish. 

This is another way to get in your veggies.

*I lost 50 lbs on Nutrisystem and continue eating the foods while maintaining my weight loss. It worked for me. It can work for you too.

*Read my success story here

*Click here for $30.00 off your first order .

*Expect to lose 1-2 lbs. per week with Nutrisystem.

(Results may vary with different individuals).

I am not being paid or asked by Nutrisystem to write this blog post. 

Opinions, recipe and results are all my own. 

Noodles

Nick and I are always trying to decide what to eat on Sundays. It’s the day of the week that we nibble all day in the kitchen and when it comes to dinner time, we are not in the mood to fix something at home. This is also the day week that we fill the car up with push water and stop by the post office to check the business mail. While we are out, we go ahead and grab a bite of supper.

There are a couple new eating joints in our town. One is Bad Daddy’s burgers and One is Viva Chicken. These two places just opened up a couple weeks ago and are located next each other. So we headed that way. We had planned to try the one that was less crowded. Well, It just so happened that both restaurants were over packed with customers waiting outside. That ended that idea and put us back to square one. Now where are we going to eat?

Noodles & Company was near by and was another place we had never tried. It's been here for a couple years now. There was just something about the thought of a bowl of romaine noodles that was not appetizing and sounded full of calories. If we wanted that, we could just get a ten cent pack of oodles and noodles and stay home. 

Well, it was getting late and we like to eat before 7 pm,  so we figured we would just go ahead and shoot over to the Noodles & Company and give it a try. My cousin was just telling us how good it really was earlier that day. So we go in for a bowl of noodles

. 

I was actually surprised at the selection of noodle bowls they had. There were healthy options such as zucchini noodles added to the menu along with salads and soups. They even had low calorie options. The bowls come in small or large and you can add a meat to any bowl that does not already come with it. 

I picked the Thai Green Curry With Shrimp and a bowl of curry chicken soup. It was had the perfect spiciness that was not too hot for my taste. Nick ordered the zucchini noodles which is called “Zoodles”. We tried each others dish and was not disappointed. This place was really good. We were impressed and it was nothing like what we thought.  There was even out door seating which we love. 

I’m glad we tried it out. We plan to go back again soon. 

Pinky's

My daughter and her boyfriend (I'll call them A&A) invited us to the farmers market in their town of Charlotte, which is about 45 minutes from our house. Nick was not feeling well enough to get going that early in the morning so we suggest that we all could just meet for lunch.

The two agreed. So after several minutes of trying to decide where to eat, A&A mentioned a little place in Charlotte called Pinky's Westside Grill. I remember Pinky's from when I was a little kid. It used to be an automotive garage. I distinctly remember this place because it always had a Volkswagon bug on the roof. We would pass this place when the family would go eat at the Gondola Italian Restaurant. It was always a big deal to us. When we would see the car on the roof, we knew we were almost at the restaurant.

Well now that garage has been transformed into a grill with a wonderful selection of just about any kind of grill foods you would want. I really wanted the fried pickles but I opted for the "Pinky Dog".

The pinky dog was a Nathan's hot dog on a french bun loaded with chili and Pinky's famous spicy pimento cheese.

Nick had the Bologna and I cant remember what A&A had but both looked delicious and I saw cream cheese on that dog! oh my! 

Incase your wondering, Yes, it still has the Volkswagon on the top of the building. It even has the original sign at the road but due to traffic, I was not able to get a shot of it.

This would be a place we would go back to. It was an easy drive there and had fast friendly service. There was a covered seating area outside that we enjoyed too. We love to go any place with outdoor dining.

I give Pinky's WestSide Grill an A plus.

Ezekiel Bread

Have you ever heard of Ezekiel bread? I haven’t ever heard of it until my daughter came in this past weekend carrying in a loaf for us to try. She found it at Trader Joes ( I think or some kind of health food store). It suppose to be low carb (no flour) and full of health benefits.

Its called “Ezekiel” bread because the recipe can actually be found in the Bible. 

 “Take thou also unto thee wheat, and barley, and beans, and lentiles, and millet, and fitches, and put them in one vessel, and make thee bread.

Ezekiel 4:9

We have already finished the whole loaf off by making several sandwiches for our lunches and I used it one morning for toast. The texture felt dry and stale to the touch but it tasted absolutely delicious. It was great knowing I was eating bread without carbs. 

I am not a health food geek or organic food eater but if I can find food that was made like back in the Bible day, it’s got to be healthy. Wouldn’t you think? 

I kept calling it “Jesus” bread all weekend while my daughter kept correcting me.  

For those that know me, you know that I'm thinking now about making some of my own. 

Has anyone else ever heard of this bread?

Sticky Bananas

I made this delicious goodness that can be included in my choices of “healthy snacks”. I call them Sticky Bananas. Well, because they are sticky.

Some people may want to categorize these sweet caramelized bites as some sort of banana foster. I have never made banana foster, but looking at the recipes, this comes close but without the Rum. 

Sticky bananas are easy and quick when you have a sweet tooth. There is no added sugar other than the natural sugars of honey and the bananas themselves. These are low in calories and high in potassium. I ended up adding a little calories by topping them with whip cream. 

Here is how to make them.....

~2 bananas. You want them still firm but ripe. Not green but also no black spots.

Remove the peel and slice them about 1/2 inch thick and set aside.

In a skillet add:

~1 tablespoon- oil or butter (I used coconut oil).

~2 tablespoons- honey 

~1/2 teaspoon- ground cinnamon

~Pinch of salt.

Mix and heat over medium heat.

Add banana slices in a single layer and cook 2-3 minutes on each side. 

Remove from pan and let cool a few minutes before serving.

These are ready eat as is but if your not weigh conscious, these caramelized bananas are delicious topped with ice cream or whip topping. They can be used as a topping to pancakes or french toast. They can also be added to oatmeal or smoothies. 

Enjoy. 

Original recipe video can be found here.


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National Doughnut Day!

It’s National Doughnut Day. Today is one of my favorite “made up days”. National Bacon Day (12/30) come to a close second. Doughnut shops all over the states are giving away free doughnuts today. Krispy Kreme, Duck Doughnuts, and Dunkin Doughnut just to name a few. 

Speaking of Krispy Kreme. I must say, “I have NOT had a Krispy Kreme Doughnut since 2015”. That was 50 lbs ago! They are my most favorite doughnuts of all and therefore I have to stay away from them. Me going into a doughnut shop is like an alcoholic going into a liquor store. It doesn’t end pretty. 

My daughter got me a doughnut pan for Christmas. It was something I had been wanting. I have not made any “real” doughnuts yet but I have made some using muffin mix, cornbread mix and.....[Drum Roll 🥁🥁🥁].... Pancake mix! Yes! 

Just whip up a batch of your favorite pancake mix and pour into a doughnut pan. Then bake at 325 degrees for 15minutes. 

Wahhhlaaaah. Simple right??? 

Perfect for a light breakfast or snack as they are baked instead of fried.

I had fun mixing up the toppings. I did a couple with chocolate frosting, sprinkles, powder sugar and cinnamon. For breakfast, I’m going to have one of these sweet bites with a side of a scrabbled eggs and a cup of coffee.

I remember momma used to make mini doughnuts and we would eat them before they could hit the plate. They were so good. I may have to borrow her doughnut recipe soon. I just need to take it easy or I will ruin my diet. 

Do you know where National Doughnut Day comes from? Well here are a few interesting facts about this special day.

• The Salvation Army established National Doughnut Day in 1938
• to raise money for people in need during the Depression.
• It always falls on the first Friday in June.
• The first National Donut Day was in Chicago in 1938.
• Doughnut Day was also to honor the women who served donuts to soldiers during World War I.
• These women were called "donut lassies"
• American soldiers returned home with the nickname "dough boys"
• Journalist are guided to spell it "Doughnuts" not "Donuts"
• The original doughnut did not have a hole in the middle. They just used a nut shape of dough
• that's where the word "nut" comes from. The dough resembled a walnut.
• Doughnut holes are actually a reverse back to what a doughnut started out as.
• They started putting a hole in doughnuts because the middles stayed soggy.

🍩HAPPY NATIONAL DOUGHNUT DAY!🍩

Up Town Brunch

My daughter invited us to come have brunch with her in her living town. I told her we would. After all, I have never had “brunch”.

Well, neither has Mr.D. 

Let me start by saying my husband is a creature of habit so taking him away from his 8:00 bowl of oatmeal in the mornings can ruin his whole morning. 

“Brunch?” He says with a gruntle look on his face. “What the heck is brunch? You have breakfast then you have lunch.” Why can’t we meet her for lunch instead?, grrr those city folks!”

I explained to him that brunch is the “thing” around town and she wants us to do one with her so I said we would. “I told her we would be there at 10:30am and by the time we walk to a place and order, it will be around 11:30 and then you can just call it what you want”. 

It takes us about 30 minutes to get there (and somebody was not in a hurry). We got there around 10:45. We walked about two blocks to a little place called Leroy Fox . It had outdoor seating and the weather was perfect for sitting outside. We found a place and took a seat. The waitress brought out regular lunch menus and brunch menus. 

We started off with some fried zucchini spears which was their specialty.  

My daughter and I ordered from the brunch menu. She got a pimiento cheese egg and chicken biscuit smothered in gravy and I got the Bacon and Egg Sammie loaded with cheese and Avocado with sweet potato tots on the side.

Then there was Mr. D. He ordered from the lunch menu and ordered the black bean burger wrap with a side of fried Brussel sprouts. (I think this was my payback for making him eat brunch). 

Everything was so delicious. 

After we ate we took a longer walk through town to walk the food off. There were festivals going on, and lots of people out walking their dogs and riding bikes. It was just a beautiful day. On the way back to her place, she suggested we all try a “Acia bowl”. So we went into this place called Clean Juice and got a smoothie in a bowl. We ordered the “beach bowl” made with lots of healthy stuff and topped with fruit, granola and coconut. 

We left in time for her to meet up with her friends and headed home. Our eating schedule was a little off the rest of the day but it was worth it. 

I love time I get to spend with my daughter. I still have issues with her being away from home on her own but It gets easier every day. She’s lived on her own since she graduated college which has been about 4 years now and I still miss her in the house. But she has a great job in uptown and loves the city life. 

She works in the tall building on the right. What a life!

Dandelion Tea

Yes. “Dandelion Tea.

I will no longer call these little bright yellow yard flowers “weeds”.

My yard is full of them. The neighbors yards are not. They keep weed killer on their lawns but little do they know, they are killing something that is beneficial to your health. 

Did you know you can eat every part of a Dandelion? I always heard about the green leafy part being edible but I always thought the yellow flower was poison. As a kid, I can remember other weeds we put in our mouth. Most were by dare, but we did it and we lived. 

We sucked the juice from Honeysuckle, chewed on sour grass, ate wild blackberries and attempted to smoke rabbit tobacco. 

But Dandelions? Umm never. 

After seeing several recipes online using dandelions, I did a little investigating (aka Googling). I found out that these little sunshine flowers were good for you and have lots of health benefits.

• Detoxifies the body
• Has fat metabolizing enzymes and natural diuretic to eliminate water weight- both aid in weight loss.
• Rich in Fiber and antioxidants.
• High in vitamin K, A, calcium, zinc, iron and magnesium.
• Cleanses the Liver
• Minimizes stress
• Boost immune system
• Balances blood sugars
• Reduces inflammation....

And the list goes on. I will have some links at the end of my page where you can read a little about them. It will surprise you. 

I am from the South and we like our tea sweet and cold but I just had to try some Dandelion Tea. 

So, out to the yard I went carrying a little bowl, hoping my neighbors were not watching, and began picking dandelions. I felt like I was six again. There were no threat of pesticides or weed killers ‘obvliously”. Ha.

The bees would beat me to a few so I made sure to leave them plenty to work with. 

There are many recipes for Dandelion flowers, and I plan to make Dandelion bread soon, but for now here is how I made Dandelion tea. 

Dandelion Tea:

(1 cup Dandelion petals for every 2 cups water.)

1. Wash and pat dry. 

2. Pinch off the yellow petals removing the green best you can as the green can be bitter. (A little green wont hurt)

3. Place the petals in a pot of water and bring to a starting boil.

4. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. It will begin to have a yellow tint.

5. Using cheese cloth, drain the petals from the tea. 

6. Pour into your favorite mug , add a teaspoon of honey or other flavor of your choice and Enjoy.

The tea alone was rich in flavor. It had sort of a honey taste even before adding the extra honey. It was actually good. I would make this tea again before going out and buying some overpriced weak tea from the store.
"Well, it was all good until the next morning when I saw some cats messing around in the yard". 

Warning: Dandelions are closely related to other plants such as Daisies, Marigolds, Sunflowers, etc which some people are allergic to. If you have allergies to such flowers, do not attempt to eat Dandelion without consulting a doctor first. 

Sources:

https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/herbs-and-spices/health-benefits-of-dandelion.html

https://draxe.com/dandelion-tea/

https://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-706-dandelion.aspx?activeingredientid=706&activeingredientname=dandelion

Recipes:

Dandelion Bread

Dandelion Jelly

Dandelion Honey Butter

Dandelion Wine

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Nutrisystem-Maintaining

If you know me or have been following my blog, then you know my how excited I am about loosing 50 lbs. on Nutrisystem. I used to talk about it all the time. You can even find my whole journey HERE.  I still share some of my tips on social media and my success story can be found on the Nutrisystem page. You may have even seen my picture flash up on the TV behind Marie as she speaks. If you blinked, you missed it. I love sharing my weight loss success story with everyone. It’s been a fun journey and a life changing experience.

It’s been a little over three years and people keep asking me if I still eat Nutrisystem. The answer is “YES” I still eat Nutrisystem food. I love it that much! Its so convenient and takes the guess work out of eating right. It’s like having my own little chef. 

So, here is where I stand on my weight loss journey 3 years later.

For the past year or so, I have been on the Nutrisystem Maintenance Plan. With this plan, I eat most foods on my own using the nutritional information I learned from being on this diet. “I always felt weird calling it a “diet” since it was so easy and delicious!”. 

I pay a low annual price for this plan. This keeps me a member of Nutrisystem and allows me access to counselors and special savings. I order foods from the A la Carte menu as I need them with a percentage off and free shipping. I will order an average of two or three weeks worth of foods and make it last a month while I eat most of my own foods. 

I have found that I have put on a few pounds but am keeping it in control. I like the size I am now. I’m still in a size 4 or small, continue to have energy and my health is overall great! Nutrisystem always has my back. I love knowing how to control my weight and I know what foods and snacks work for me and which ones work against me. 

One of my favorite flex breakfasts is Avocado toast and a side of fruit. 

Here are a few tips I would like to share for those that are at the point to maintaining the weight you lost with Nutrisystem. I am not going to tell you what to eat, you already know that. I want to give you some advice on some issues that I have fought against and where you need to be careful.

FLEX MEALS- Meals on your own can easily be turned into “cheat meals”. You may say to yourself “Ill eat anything I want and eat Nutrisystem food all day tomorrow”. 

THINK- This can easily become a habit and you will gradually gain without realizing it. You need to be in control of your eating. So, watch what you put on your plate. 

SOLUTION: Eat a small healthy serving. Eat slow and take small bites. Try taking laying your silverware down between bites. 

Make sure you eat 4 servings of vegetables, drink lots of water and get enough calories with the help of healthy power fuels and smart carbs between meals. 

Do not eat in front of the TV. It can lead to binge eating. 

PORTION CONTROL- Do not come home from work in the afternoons and open your refrigerator or pantry up and decide at that moment to eat your own meal. 

THINK- You will start grabbing everything you see. You will nibble while preparing your dinner because lets face it, you are hungry.

SOLUTION- Plan your meals. Make them ahead of time and use portion control containers.

EATING OUT- Eating out can be wonderful yet intimidating to a dieter. Over eating comes easy, because lets face it, eating out tastes so good! 

THINK- A regular plate at a restaurant averages two meals. Even a salad can put you over your limit. 

SOLUTION- Limit eating out to no more than twice a week. Avoid drive thrus where you are forced to eat in the car. 

Order a meal off the “A La Carte” or “Lite” menu. 

If you get a full dinner plate, ask the waiter to bring you a box at the beginning of your meal and put half away to take home. Use it to spice up a Nutrisystem meal later. 

ALCOHOL DRINKING- We all know that drinking alcohol is not a healthy choice but if your out with friends and want to enjoy a drink, avoid starchy beers and high calorie drink mixes. 

THINK- Drinking can also cause you to munch on the wrong foods. 

SOLUTION- Settle for one 4oz glass of wine. Some wines are as low as 75 calories per glass. 

SNACKS- Oh here is my weakness! I love sweets! Fortunately, while being on Nutrisystem, I do not have the cravings like I used too and its easier to say no to cakes.......Never mind, it’s not! I love cake. Put a piece in front of me and I’ll eat it! This is were I have failed while on the Maintenance plan. 

THINK- A piece of cake can have the same calories as full meal!

SOLUTION- Eat the cake. JUST EAT THE CAKE!!!!!!!

Or be strong and take a sliver. Maybe scrape off the frosting first. You can always keep a Nutrisystem snack close by and eat that instead. They have wonderful brownies, woopie pies and chocolate cake that will satisfy you just as well!

I blog for fun and all opinions and ideas are my own. Everyone is different and what may work for some may not work for others. If you have questions about Nutrisystem or your food intake, Nutrisystem counselors are always there for help 1-800-5585-5483 

People Are Rude!

Sometimes I wonder if people are more rude than ever or if I'm just turning into an old fogey.

We went to a restaurant this past weekend because I really wanted some crab legs from Duffy's Seafood Shack. Don’t let the word "shack" confuse you. This place looks like a shack but the food is delicious and the prices are high. It’s more expensive than I usually will spend on a meal but since we were on a little short vacation, we thought we’d splurge a little. 

The restaurant was not quiet as crowded as it usually is and we were seated fairly quick. We placed our order and nibbled on some peanuts while we waited for our food to come out. As soon as our food arrived, so did a group of ladies. Twelve of them to be exact. They looked high class as they were all dressed in designer clothes and fancy pocketbooks. 

They were really having a good time and I think that's great but they were so loud! They were terrible! Seriously. They screamed at the top of their lungs back and forth at each other and laughed like hyenas. I could see other people doing eye rolls as they too had to hear the obnoxious behavior. 

We were sitting at the table beside them. I could not hear my own voice much less Nicks. I think I swallowed my food whole as I was a nervous wreck. Not only were they loud but we had to hear all about pet surgeries, PMS issues and bad pedicures! I was disgusted. If our food was not already at the table, we would have asked the waiter to move us.  

Needless to say, we did not get to enjoy our 50.00 meal. The girls got the stink eye look from me as we were leaving. Nick told me to leave it alone. It was obvious they wanted to make a scene and wanted someone to say something to them. It was not my place to say anything, or was it? I understand they were having a good time but really??? People are just rude!

What would you have done in this situation? 

New Brew In Town

There is an old Mill in town that's over 100 years old known as the Loray Mill. They have transformed the building into apartments while keeping the bottom floor open for retail and restaurant space.

They have recently opened a brewery in the basement area called Growlers. It was a neat looking place. With the the original structure and memorabilia, It has that artsy/vintage feel. They have over 100 different beers on tap. At night they have live music and entertainment. I'm sure its a fun place for the younger folks to hang out.

While we normally just make a sandwich on Saturday afternoons, we opt to go to the brewery for lunch. Me and my husband do not drink beer, but we heard they had a great lunch special so we thought we’d give it a try. Note: Lunch special does not include Saturdays

Nothing was happening and there were only a couple other people in there eating and drinking. The first thing the waitress ask is “what kind of beer are you going to have?” We both replied “just water”. Then we placed our order.  

Nick ordered a ten dollar BLT and I had the nine dollar beer brat slider appetizer as my meal. I don't know about you, but this is a little pricey. It was good but that’s just an outrageous price for a sandwich you can make at home then add some frozen tater tots.

I’ve always said “If the food is served on a square plate, its probably too expensove for me”. 

Next week, we plan to try a new Mexican restaurant opening up down town. Can’t go wrong there! 

Down Town Dinner

Today I’m gonna take you to a little place in down town Belmont. Belmont is a little town outside of Charlotte that has a southern charm.

I grew up in Belmont but rarely visited down town. If I can remember right, back in the 80’s, it was rather a ghost town. Nothing happening. The mall, skating rinks, arcades and mini golf were all in the next town over, so that's where I spent most of my time back then.

The town has since florished with restraunts, bars and shops.

Me and my husband had just left a visit to the chiropractor, which is in Belmont. It was getting past our supper time and we were thinking of a place to eat. We normally go back and forth on where to eat leaving the other to answer. Before that argument broke out, I mentioned a little place down town called Sammy’s Pub. It’s a nice little neighbor pub with a variety of foods and drinks.

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We were quickly seated and the wait staff was friendly, chirpy and welcoming. They acted as if they had known us forever. Even the people and families inside eating were all smiles. The bar off to the side was full of people having fun with friends, laughing, meeting and having a good time. You can tell they had just gotten off work and wanted to wind down.  

Nick ordered the special- Grilled Salmon BLT.

I went lite and ordered the Southwestern egg rolls.

In no time at all, our plates were in front of us. The food was delicious. We were happy customers. 

During the drive home we talked about how good Sammy’s was and agreed to go back again soon. We also talked about how nice it would be if our current home town was as nice as Belmont had become. It felt good to be able to walk down the street, to and from our car, without being approached by pan handlers and drug dealers. Yes, the town I live in now is bad for that. Our city wants to improve things but there is hardly any way for the town to thrive as long as there is a homeless shelter in the center of it. 

We plan to revisit Sammy's and take our daughter next time. We also seen other eating places to try. Belmont is a great place to be with an inviting atmosphere whether its taking the kids to the park, a stroll down the street or going for a jog with friends. 

Now I want to live there again.