It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas!

We spent yesterday afternoon decorating our Ormond Beach house...



We picked up a huge set of this china for $10 at a local thrift store!



Our little "Charlie Brown" tree..



Beren thinks Snowballs & beer are the perfect winter dessert!



After dinner we lit the fire pit..



Basking in the glow...



What I woke up to find this morning..



Hmm...isn't that my seat?



Happy Holidays!

An Autumn Afternoon

The Way to a Man's Heart...

I haven't been spending as much time in the kitchen since calling Jenny, and I miss it! Cooking is not just a necessary means to an end (getting food into the body), it's therapy for me. I love donning an apron and tuning out the rest of the world while I slice, dice, bake & simmer! Under the right conditions, it becomes a downright magical experience!

So, today I decided to make something special for Beren, figure he might like a change from the frozen pizza and fried shrimp he's been feeding himself lately. ..rolling eyes... I pulled out this fantastic thrift store find, a Betty Crocker recipe box, circa 1971! I remember my mom having the exact same one so this brought back fond childhood memories for me. (Can't you just see this in Samantha Steven's avocado kitchen??)





Now, I've often written about my man's less-than-healthy food choices at times and you've seen the potato chips he loves so much, so when I found this recipe I knew I had to make it for him:



Yes, those are potato chips topping that meaty, cheesy mess! Welcome to the early 1970's, folks! I console myself with the fact that at least we rode our bikes to the grocery store to purchase the ingredients(about 4 miles).





Now, I admit that I made Beren the original version of the casserole because he wouldn't have it any other way, but I also cleaned it up a bit for those of you who would like a hearty retro-style meal but without the possible heart attack! I couldn't think of a tasty alternative to the potato chips so I lightened them up, but if you have another suggestion I'd love to hear it.






Zippy Beef Casserole

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1 pound ground beef
4 ounces elbow macaroni -- uncooked
10 1/2 ounces cream of mushroom soup
3/4 cup milk
2/3 cup catsup
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup chopped green onion
1 tablespoon minced onion
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup crushed potato chips

Heat oven to 350. Cook and stir meat until brown. Drain off fat. Cook macaroni as directed on package; drain. In ungreased 2-quart casserole, mix all ingredients except potato chips.

Cover; bake 40 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with potato chips and bake 5 minutes longer.

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Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 484 Calories; 31g Fat (57.3% calories from fat); 20g Protein; 32g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 79mg Cholesterol; 1083mg Sodium.






Zippy Beef Casserole Redux

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1 serving Boca Ground Crumbles
4 ounces whole wheat pasta -- elbow shaped, uncooked
10 1/2 ounces Healthy Request® Cream of Mushroom Soup
3/4 cup skim milk
2/3 cup catsup
1/2 cup reduced fat cheddar cheese -- shredded
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
1 tablespoon minced onion
1 cup light potato chips

Heat oven to 350. Cook and stir Boca crumbles until thawed. Cook macaroni as directed on package; drain. In ungreased 2-quart casserole, mix all ingredients except potato chips.

Cover; bake 40 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with potato chips and bake 5 minutes longer.

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Serves 4 - 6, Per (6)Serving (excluding unknown items): 255 Calories; 11g Fat (37.4% calories from fat); 6g Protein; 35g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 3mg Cholesterol; 560mg Sodium.

Ok, I have never seen Beren enjoy a meal quite as much as he did this one! He scarfed down two huge servings and had to refrain from grabbing a third, praising me all the while. *grin* I guess those retro housewives knew how to please their men, huh? *wink*

Happy Fall-Back Sunday!

Sorry I haven't posted much lately, I have been really focused on my weight-loss efforts over at my other blog. I'm also working on a large project here at the Castle which I'll be revealing soon..smile...

Even though I am dieting and eating food-of-my-own, I still cook for the family a few nights a week. It's difficult rustling everyone up at the same time for dinner, everyone's schedules are totally different, so I try to find recipes that I can keep warm in the slow-cooker or that are easy to heat up later.

Kali and her New Man (more about that later) are here helping with fore-mentioned household project and doing their laundry..grin...so I'm hoping they'll enjoy tonight's dinner.

Using this recipe as inspiration, this is what I have bubbling on my hearth right now:




Baked Seashell Pasta

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8 ounces whole wheat sea shell pasta -- cooked
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese -- divided
24 ounces ricotta cheese
1 pound vegetarian "beef" crumbles
1 jar pasta sauce -- (25.75 ounce)
8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese

Combine hot cooked spaghetti with olive oil, stir until pasta is coated. Add 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese; stir to coat. Arrange pasta in an even layer in baking dish. Spread ricotta cheese over pastai. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Add veggie crumbles to pasta sauce and heat until bubbly. Spoon over cheeses. Top with mozzarella cheese and remaining Parmesan cheese.

Cover with non-stick foil. Bake 30 minutes. Remove foil cover and continue baking 15 minutes or until cheese is lightly browned. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Serves 6

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Samhain Blessings

My altar is prepared, table is set..off to have a glass of wine under the moonlight..sending Samhain blessings to all who honor this sacred eve.

Weekend in NYC: Day Four

Monday morning we slept in a bit, got up and decided to explore my brother's Long Island neighborhood. Being the skinny, never having to diet guy that he is, he suggested a walk to the local Italian bakery.
Seriously? As if last night's cannoli wasn't enough temptation? Not wanting to be a party pooper, I donned my sneakers and off we went.



While Beren and my bro scanned the rows of pastries, cookies, cakes, etc, I had my eye on the bread. Swooon...my weakness. I was salivating thinking about a hunk of that doughy goodness topped with a dollop of butter or a swish of good olive oil..droool...





And yet, when it came down to it, I walked home with a box of cookies to bring back to my kids and while my menfolk had this for breakfast..



I ate this..



along with a Jenny Craig breakfast bar. Can I have a HUGE round of applause for willpower, please?

Once their sugar coma wore off, we jumped in the car and headed to Fire Island. Ooh, spending some time in the "country" was just what I needed after several jam-packed city days!





We then visited this charming little town, Cold Spring Harbor..





where I had the best chicken curry salad (1/2 a sandwich, saved the other for dinner on the plane) at the Gourmet Whaler and did a bit of window shopping. Such cute things, if I didn't have to pay to check more luggage I'd be maxing out my credit card on these goodies!





We got back to the house and enjoyed a glass of wine on the front porch, soaking up the beautiful sunshine before heading for the airport. Arrived back home around 9 pm where I opened up that box of cookies for my (skinny) children, watched them ooh and ahh in pure pleasure. Sigh...

Total steps logged: 13,137 which is about 6.2 miles.

Now, what I know you're all waiting for...after all of those yummy (yet moderate) meals, all of the wine & beer, combined with miles & miles of walking..how was my weigh-in on Wednesday?

Well, I stayed the same. No gain, no loss, which is exactly what I expected. My Jenny Craig consultant wasn't surprised, either, and we both agreed that while I could have done better(less wine, more salad), I was comfortable with my choices and enjoyed my vacation to the fullest! No deprivation, no over-indulgences, no gain. No worries! Also, even though the scale doesn't show it, my clothes do feel looser and my legs look tighter so perhaps I lost some inches as well.

I'm back on track and can already see a tiny loss on my bathroom scale, am looking forward to a good weigh-in next week! But first, it's Biketoberfest in Daytona and guess where we are?

Stand by for more tales of our adventures! *wink*

Have a Beauty-Full Day,

Weekend in NYC: Day Three

I'm so glad you're all enjoying my little NYC recap!

Sunday morning Beren and I got up early, took advantage of the free breakfast at the hotel (I had a banana and my Jenny Craig cereal bar) and took a leisurely stroll down Lexington Ave. This part of town houses an abundance of Indian restaurants and even at that time of day the air was heavy with the scent of curry. Yummy!

Since Beren loves the Hard Rock Cafe and collects glasses from each location we visit, we decided to zip on over to Times Square and get that task out of the way. Unfortunately, since we arrived before noon he was not able to enjoy a beer inside his glass before purchasing it. Damn! We forget that some cities have that silly no-booze-for-breakfast-on-Sunday rule, never thought NYC would be one of them! Oh, well, we packed up our empty glass and away we went.



By this time we were getting kinda hungry and I heard pizza calling my name. So, off to Little Italy we went! There was a 30 minute wait for Lombardi's so we explored the area a bit until our name was called. Oh. My. God. The pizza was just as good as I remembered from our last visit!



My brother arrived just in time to help finish off the pie, perfect timing and no leftovers to carry around the city! Two slices of this deliciousness, worth every bit of walking needed to work it off!

Since it was now after noon and Beren was hankering for a beer, we took a nice long walk to McSorley's, a pub he'd read about. Apparently we hit the after-church crowd because this place was packed already! We each had two small pints and off we went.



We arrived back in Long Island with just enough time to change clothes and freshen up before the highlight of the day - dinner with the infamous Allan of Almost Gastric Bypass! We met Allan and his lovely wife Sue at his favorite Italian restaurant, Mio Posto. Joining us was another lovely blogger friend, Jacquie from Can't Wait to Lose It with the Band and her husband Steve. Allan had promised us a "real" Italian feast and he delivered! I am amazed at the willpower I exhibited by turning down the bread basket and the pasta, and we won't even discuss the dessert! Take a peek at his blog if you want to see pics but suffice it to say it was a heavenly meal! The company was great, food to die for, an all-around perfect evening. Thanks, Allan!







One quick nightcap at the local Ale House before climbing into bed, tired and content. Steps logged: 15,033 which is equivalent to about 7.11 miles.

One more day in NYC to share! Have a Beauty-Full Day,

Weekend in NYC: Day Two

Saturday morning we slept in just a little bit, headed into the city after breakfast. The first stop was Central Park to see John Lennon's grave as it was his 70th birthday. Now, I admit that I am not a Beatles or Lennon fan per se, but my daughter Bambi is and I wanted to get pictures for her. Besides, it was an historic event and shouldn't be missed. Well, unfortunately the crowd was so deep that I wasn't able to get anywhere near the Imagine mosaic but was able to snap a shot of the plaque. We also walked by his home and the gate where he was shot, crowds were gathered taking pictures but that was much too morbid for me!



Beren and my brother stood in front of this statue, thought it was appropriate considering it was Columbus Day weekend.



We walked around a bit, had lunch at a little Indian restaurant and then headed toward the Pig & Whistle where we had a cocktail...



and met up with the fabulous Ms. Bitch*Cakes! I'm so glad she had time to hang with us a bit, what a pleasure it was to meet her! She is one lovely lady, and just as fabulous as I expected!





Oops, we were having so much fun that time just slipped away and we were running late, time to check into the hotel, grab a quick dinner at Heartland Brewery and head to the show at Radio City Music Hall!



As you may know, Lord of the Rings is Beren's all-time favorite series and holds special memories for us as well, remind me to tell you about it sometime. So, seeing the film with a live orchestra was amazing and very meaningful to us both.



We were both tired when we arrived back at the hotel but managed a nightcap at the wine bar next door before climbing into bed. Oops! Let me check the pedometer..clearly we took more cabs that day because we "only" walked 11,661 steps, about 5.52 miles.

Time to wake up Beren and get ready for work, please stay tuned for more of our adventure in the Big Apple!

xoxoxoxo