Finally....Book Club

Ever since my friend Anna brought me with her to her book club I've always wanted to join one. I had so much fun with her when I went, I can remember the book, The Time Traveler's Wife, and we went out to this great Mexican restaurant, it was so much fun, but it was just too far away for me to go with her on a regular basis coming from Jersey after we moved. With grad school, the wedding and Rocky, I never had time to even look for a local book club to join, and unfortunately with working from home and not knowing many people in the area it was going to be almost impossible to stumble across one locally from the few people I do know.

So I did the next best thing, I looked online at places like meetup.com which do have a ton of book clubs to join, but most were in the city which just isn't convenient. I finally found one I was thinking about joining, it was a good 40 minutes away from the house but a small price to pay. Ironically I even knew one of the members in the group, someone that used to work with us. The first book club event I was going to go to also turned out to be the night that Gabriella was born, so that never worked out and I never made it to one of their next events with the Holidays and all.

Which lead me to my next plan, starting my own book club. If I couldn't find a book club to join, I was determined to start my own group, of course I'd have to find people to join me, or else I was destined to be a book club of one. When I was getting married I had sometimes posted on one of The Knots local community boards for Northern NJ to ask a couple questions about vendors and other local things that I had no idea about, or anyone else to ask. I decided to go back there and ask if anyone else would be interested in joining a local book club, I figured other young engaged, newlywed women would be the perfect place to start, at least we'd have something in common. Turns out there was a lot of other women that were interested in joining a local book club. I wound up getting 10 women that expressed an interest.

And with that I had other people to meet up with me, so I planned our first book club event to meet up after the Holidays were over. I had no idea what book to pick, I eventually settled on a Jodi Picoult book, Sing You Home, since I knew there were at least discussion questions at the back of the book, and also it was likely most people had not read it since it wasn't as popular as a book like The Help. Unfortunately within 24 hours of our scheduled meet up, several people had to cancel last minute, I almost thought I was destined to be a book club of one. But two other girls came through and we had a book club of 3.

I had a great time meeting with the other girls, we stayed on topic and discussed the book for the majority of our dinner conversation. It was such an easy book to talk about. I also loved that they said they were glad I had picked the book, they had both never read any Jodi Picoult books, and said they never would have read this otherwise and they both ended up loving the book, I did too.

We already have our next two months of book club get togethers planned. Next month we're reading "When We Were Strangers," a book I had never heard of either. And the following month I suggested we read "The Hunger Games", even though I've already read it, I'd love to read it again because that month we'll do dinner and a movie and go see the new film that will be coming out, which I cannot wait for, because of course Mike would never go see that. So at least for now I have two more months of book club to look forward to and hopefully we can keep it going from there.

Dinner Diva's

It's funny where life takes you, when you first meet someone you may never expect where life will take that relationship in years to come, and how people and come and go from your life. That is how it is with my now friend Michele. I first met Michele when I was about 13 and we went away for my 'cousin' Jennifer's sweet 16 on a big extended family cruise and Jennifer had brought Michele along with her. At the time I was the younger cousin that looked up to the girls and tagged along with them. Years passed and I never saw Michele again until at Jennifer's wedding, 3 1/2 years ago when we were sitting at the same time. When we reconnected we realized we were now living just 20 minutes apart from one another and we exchanged information to try and get together sometime. I actually owe discovering what a blog was to Michele, who introduced my to hers, and I started this blog as a direct result of our conversation at the wedding.

The timing just never seemed to work out with getting together, mostly on my end I must admit, with graduate school, the wedding, and the puppy, there never seemed to be a good time, until recently, when things have certainly calmed down. Michele invited me to join her monthly dinner group. They call the group, "Dinner Diva's." Every month the girls get together and rotate houses, the host is the one responsible for the main portion of the meal, and the other girls rotate bringing the appetizer, dessert, and the wine. And there is a monthly theme, usually a cuisine, country or region, last month was "California Fresh" and before that was "Southern Cooking."

This month it was my turn to host the event and even a snow storm couldn't stop us (although it almost did). Since the girls have been doing this for quite some time they were running out of new themes to try, having exhausted all the typical ones, so I decided to make my theme "Celebrity Chefs," specifically Giada De Laurentis, who I love, and also have a cookbook of hers that I had yet to use. Although later I figured out that all of my recipes in my cookbook were also online, so much for that one. My menu for the evening was as follows:

• Pomegranate & Cranberry Bellini's
• Mixed Salad (Insalata Mista)
• Tuscan White Bean & Garlic Soup
• Roasted Pork Loin with Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette
• Broiled zucchini and potatoes with parmesan crust

Janet also brought along Giada's, Apple and Onion Confit Crostini as the appetizer (which were delicious). I think the biggest hit of the evening had to be the Tuscan White Bean & Garlic Soup, which was delicious. I don't make a lot of soups so this one was a nice treat and was perfect for the snowy day we were having. I was pleasantly surprised at how easy this soup was to make, and also how fantastic it smelled in the kitchen. I used light cream for mine, since that is what I could find in the small size in the supermarket and to save some calories. When I put the recipe into the Weight Watchers recipe calculator (using the light cream) it came out to be 7 points for a bowl (at 5 servings total), which was worth it to me for this delicious, creamy soup. 

Tuscan White Bean & Garlic Soup
Source: Food Network Giada De Laurentis

2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 shallots, chopped
1 sage leaf
2 (15-ounce) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
4 cloves garlic, cut in 1/2
1/2 cup cream* (I used light)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Place a medium, heavy soup pot over medium heat. Add the butter, olive oil, and shallot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallots are softened, about 5 minutes. Add the sage and beans and stir to combine. Add the stock and bring the mixture to a simmer. Add the garlic and simmer until the garlic is softened, about 10 minutes. Pour the soup into a large bowl. Carefully ladle 1/3 to 1/2 of the soup into a blender and puree until smooth. Be careful to hold the top of the blender tightly, as hot liquids expand when they are blended. Pour the blended soup back into the soup pan. Puree the remaining soup. Once all the soup is blended and back in the soup pan, add the cream and the pepper Keep warm, covered, over very low heat.

I'm so happy that Michele invited me to participate in their dinner group and that the girls welcomed me with big arms right away. I really look forward to our monthly dinner group, it's been so much fun to get together with them and I love trying out making new recipes and also seeing what delicious things the other girls whip up as well.

Cooking has certainly been a learning experience for me. This time for example, I forgot to season the pork with salt and pepper before I roasted it. I also got another little surprise when I was checking on the roast, I literally left a knife in the roasting pan with the pork, when I went to check on it I saw the melted handle and knife blade in the pan, that was quite a surprise, at least I didn't set anything on fire though.

I'm also really bad at figuring out what cuts of meat I need to buy. Like when I made my pot roast last month I bought the wrong cut, this time I also bought a pork tenderloin instead of a loin, who knew there was a difference. Maybe one day I'll figure out my meat cuts, in the meantime the girls didn't seem to mind my lack of salt and pepper, or the melted knife, or the wrong loin, but that's what friends do, Mike on the other hand is another story..... Can't wait for next months already, we're doing Swedish at Janet's house and I'm bringing the appetizer, Swedish Meatballs sound good to me!

Low-fat and Tasty Muffins

After the whole carb free, 17 day diet thing didn't work out and I couldn't even make it 3 days without carbs I decided it was time to try a different approach - and go back to Weight Watchers. I had tried following the weight watchers plan on my own a couple months back but got frustrated after I didn't see any results on my scale. I guess I had also been putting off going back to Weight Watchers for the obvious cost associated with it, but it is a small price to pay to help get my eating habits back to a healthy place again. 

I really do believe in the Weight Watchers program, I think it teaches you not just how to diet and lose weight but how to live a healthy life and not for the time that you are trying to lose weight. Of course the hard part about it is always keeping up with it and following through with it, and with that tracking is a big part of the program. I am happy to say that I rejoined earlier this month on January 7th and as of  today (1/28) I'm already down 4 pounds t so its clear it is working already. I like that this time around with their new points plus program all fruits and vegetables are zero points which encourage you to go for one of those when you are hungry. 

One of the new recipes that I've tried since going back to the program were these Glazed Pear Muffins. They came up on my log in screen as the recipe of the day and at that point I knew I had to make them. One of the advantages of working from home, especially when it is slow, is I was able to whip up a quick batch of these delicious muffins, since I had all the ingredients on hand already. The muffins were really quick and easy to make and turned out delicious, the glaze on top really completed them. I absolutely plan to make these muffins again, and I'm sure sooner rather than later, but next time I will try them with apples instead which I think would be great also! 

Glazed Pear Muffins

Source: Weight Watchers Recipe

2 spray(s) cooking spray   

2 large pear(s), ripe, Bosc, with skin   

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon   

1/3 cup(s) sugar, granulated   

1 tsp fresh lemon juice   

1/2 cup(s) sour cream   

1 large egg(s), beaten   

1 1/4 tsp vanilla extract, divided   

1/3 cup(s) fat-free skim milk   

2 cup(s) all-purpose flour, unbleached   

1 tsp baking powder   

1/2 tsp baking soda   

1/2 tsp table salt   

1/2 cup(s) powdered sugar   

1/4 tsp ground ginger   

1 Tbsp water, warm, or more if necessary   

Preheat oven to 375ºF and coat a 12-hole muffin tin with cooking spray (or muffin liners). Core and chop pears into tiny cubes; place in a large bowl. Add cinnamon, granulated sugar and lemon juice to pears; gently stir and set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together sour cream, egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla and milk; set aside. In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Make a well with a spoon in center of flour mixture and pour in sour cream mixture and fruit mixture, alternating in small batches; mix until barely blended. Do not over beat. (NOTE: Batter will be very thick.) 

Drop batter into prepared muffin holes until about 2/3 to 3/4 full; bake until tops are golden, about 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes in muffin pan; remove from pan to a wire rack to cool completely. (Or leave slightly warm to dip into glaze for easier preparation.) While muffins are cooling, make glaze: Mix together powdered sugar, ginger, remaining 1/4 teaspoon vanilla and warm water in a small bowl (add another teaspoon of water if glaze is too thick). Spread a thin layer of glaze over each muffin.  (Note: You can swap apples for the pears if desired.)

Gabriella's Christening

My sweet little Gabriella Ann was Christened last weekend. It was a beautiful ceremony, it was wonderful that Bridget & Johnny were able to have a private mass for her, since she has quite a big fan club of so many people that love her so much. She had her own paparazzi there, myself included, to take tons of pictures of this little cutie pie on her Christening day.

Here's a couple of them!

Rocky's Recovery

It's now been over 2 weeks since Rocky had his surgery. The recovery period has not been easy for him or us. The first week was the worst, he literally slept for 24 hours a day and did not move at all from his bed, not that I blame him, he had major surgery and was clearly in pain and completely drugged up. We were giving him a quarter tablet of doggy "codine" 3 times a day which was knocking him out. He would just lay there like a lump the poor guy. We had to carry him up and down the stairs and he would only go out briefly. He saw his friend CJ on the second day out, and it's amazing, dog's are so smart, she knew right away that something was wrong with him, and was so calm around him, when usually they horse around and play like crazy.

The doctor did call and check on him to see how he was doing, we let him know that he was not walking at all on that leg and mostly just sleeping, he said as we got close to the week mark to wean him off the codine that he should not need it as much. Once he was off the codine, which was a full week after we brought him home, we did start to see signs of life in him a bit more. My mom had seen him the first Saturday after the surgery, she came to visit him, and then the following Saturday and the difference was remarkable. He was a lot more alert and excited the second week since he was off the drugs but still not moving the greatest and overall very calm, especially around my parents two dogs.

Every day does continue to be an improvement it seems, although it was quite slow and small in the beginning and he still not there yet. The saddest part of this whole experience is how his personality has changed, what we can only hope is temporarily. There was one day I came home and he was sitting in his bed in the hallway, and I walked right past him, I had no idea he was there and he didn't get up. I miss him running upstairs from the basement when I come home to come and greet me. Its been a struggle for him.


He's finally getting back to going up and down the stairs, although up seems to be more difficult for him than down. Sometimes he will go up a couple and then get "stuck" and turn around and go down and try again with more momentum, he also goes up partly sideways. He's also finally able to get up on the couch, although he cries a bit staring at the couch like barking at it, he obviously wants to get up but is reluctant, but eventually does it.

Only in the past couple days has he started playing with his toys a bit more again, for at least the first two weeks he wanted nothing to do with his toys at all. Something he absolutely loved, he got so many new toys for Christmas and he hasn't played with them at all.

I took him to the surgeon on Thursday to get his staples removed, which amazingly did not hurt him at all getting them out, he barely even noticed. Overall the doctor said that he is still within the normal recovery window of healing and he is not concerned that he is not walking on the leg just yet. Although the leg seems to get closer to the ground and he's not carrying it as high as he was at first it still has yet to make touch down. The doctor told us to keep taking him for walks, the intent with that is that as he is out walking, hopefully he will get distracted and forget about his leg and to continue doing the leg exercises with him since his leg is very stiff. He wants to see him back in a month from now and I'm hoping that he is walking on the leg by then.

Skinny Brunch

I don't think I ever mentioned how much I absolutely love the website Skinny Taste. This website is amazing, every recipe I've tried on there has turned out absolutely delicious and beyond my expectations. They've all been incredibly easy to make, but the best part is that the recipes are all healthy and Weight Watchers friendly (with the points included and all). My old roommate Carmen used to, I don't want to say make fun of me, because that's not what it was, he'd comment that of course  when I used all my fat free ingredients things would be low fat, but this website is not about using all fat free and artificial ingredients, it's just about using healthy ingredients and not everything has to be fat free, it's all about moderation which I love, because I wouldn't consider most of her recipes to be "diet" anything - just healthy and delicious!

I tried to go back and see all of the great recipes I've made from this website but I guess I never added them on here, which is surprising because everything I've made on there has turned out fantastic and I absolutely plan to make again in the future. I know some of the recipes I've tried already included:

Spicy Shrimp Fried Rice (although mine was a little too spicy) 

Sesame Encrusted Chicken Tenders and Brown Fried Rice - Delicious!

My masterpiece Chicken Cobb Salad that took an hour to make but was so worth it!

Lemon Pepper Shrimp Scampi 

Lemon Feta Chicken served with Orzo with Broccoli

Crock Pot Minestrone Soup - My first time making minestrone

Even 3 Bean Turkey Chili, although it wasn't as good as my mom's, still delicious

This one was REALLY good, Mike LOVED it - Chicken Rollatini with Spinach alla Parmagina

Mike even made Tuscan White Beans with Spinach, Shrimp & Feta  served over Orso for us

Even Light Macaroni & Cheese was good, the spinach was the perfect addition

I also just made her Lighter Eggplant Parmesan and it was incredible, I meant to blog about it but we ate it all before I could even take a picture, it was really good!

I really need to start keeping better track of all the Skinny Taste recipes I make because as I said they're all so good and I absolutely want to make all of them again in the future. I'm sure I've made others as well but I can't keep track of them all. That website is always my first place that I look for planning out my menu for the week and it's better than any cookbook I have.

So it was no surprise that when my Mom told me that her and my "Aunt" were coming over for brunch to see how Rocky was doing I looked to my favorite website for inspiration on what to make. I settled on Broccoli and Cheese Mini Egg Omelets and a Zucchini Casserole. These two recipes could not have been any easier to make. The prep work was so easy and the outcome was magnificent. I absolutely loved the serving portion of the egg omelets, this was the best brunch idea. Plus I wound up eating the leftovers for breakfast in the morning the following week, it was so easy to pop them in the microwave and heat them up quick. The Zucchini Casserole was also a huge hit my aunt even asked me for some to bring home with her she loved it so much. I think next time I would even try cooking it in a bunt pan for a different presentation and to make it easier to cut. But with the prep work with these being so easy, it was low in weight watchers points and huge on taste, I would make these both for myself to have in the house anytime!

Broccoli and Cheese Mini Egg Omelets (2 p+) 
Source: Skinny Taste

4 cups broccoli florets
4 whole eggs
1 cup egg whites
1/4 cup reduced fat cheddar
1/4 cup good grated cheese like pecorino romano
1 tbs olive oil
salt and fresh pepper
cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350°. Steam broccoli with a little water for about 6-7 minutes.
When broccoli is cooked, mash into smaller pieces and add olive oil, salt and pepper. Mix well. Spray cupcake tin with cooking spray and spoon broccoli mixture evenly into 9 tins. In a medium bowl, beat egg whites, eggs, grated cheese, salt and pepper. Pour into the greased tins over broccoli until a little more than 3/4 full. Top with grated cheddar and bake in the oven until cooked, about 20 minutes. Serve immediately. Wrap any leftovers in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator to enjoy during the week.

Zucchini Casserole (3 p+)
Source: Skinny Taste

4 cups grated zucchini
1 cup bisquick (using heart smart)
1 small onion, grated
3 egg whites, 1 whole egg
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 tsp salt
1 tsp parsley

Preheat oven to 350°. Mix everything together in a bowl. Spray a pie dish or a casserole with Pam and pour mixture. Bake approximately 45 minutes, until golden brown. Put a toothpick in the center to test if it is done. If it comes out clean, it is ready. Divide into 12 equal parts.

Rocky's Surgery

Rocky had his surgery last Wednesday. We got up bright and early Wednesday morning to bring him over to the hospital which is about 25 minutes away from our house, he had to be there for drop off between 8 and 9. We got there and signed all our consent paperwork and waited for him to be taken back. When it was his turn I gave him a big kiss and told him I loved him, I couldn't help getting a little teary eyed about it. But low and behold Rocky went right with the technician taking him back. When we got to the door to see him off, he was rounding the corner with her and all we saw was his little butt turning the corner merrily walking with her tail wagging. Couldn't help but feel guilty on that one seeing he went off so willingly and we trekked back home to wait for news.

They couldn't tell us what time his surgery was scheduled for because if they got any emergencies in he would be bumped, but I was hoping for 10:00. By the time 12:00 rolled around we were getting anxious for any type of update so finally at 12:15, Mike made the call to see if there was any updates. They told us at that time that the surgery was completed and Rocky was in post op getting x-rays done and the doctor would call us after that was complete. We were relieved to hear the worst part was over. The doctor gave us a call around 1:00, I had Mike talk to him in case I got upset. The doctor told Mike that the surgery was a huge success and went according to plan. He said when he got in there that the cartilage just peeled away since it was not getting any blood supply so we obviously made the right call getting him the surgery now. We got a report that Rocky was doing ok, awake from the surgery but still very groggy.

We were so happy to hear that the little guy was doing ok and that the surgery went well. We got another call from the doctor that evening to let us know that Rocky was doing well and a bit more awake than earlier but he was still very quiet and resting as he prepared to spend the evening overnight in the hospital. One thing for sure was that the care he was given at the hospital from the surgeon to the staff and facility could not have been any better, of course this came at a huge premium and we paid a fortune for it, but it was worth it to know he was in the best hands and being monitored all night by a physician and staff. We were relieved in the morning when we got our next status update call that we could come pick him up after 11.

Picking him up was probably the hardest part. Rocky slowly stumbled into the room where we were waiting with the surgeon, who was going over the surgery results with us. I was surprised to see how much of his leg hair they had shaved off. He was clearly in pain as well which was heartbreaking, he was crying which was so sad to hear him and he'd already had his pain medication. The doctor said it was nothing to worry about and that the medication would help ease his pain. We carefully got him into the car, I sat in the back with him on the way home to make sure he was ok, and he just laid on my lap. At least the worst part was over....

Random Thoughts of the Day

This is just a completely random sprinkling of thoughts in my head today

1. Breaking up with carbs is hard to do. I didn't even make it 3 full days before calling it quits on the 17 Day Diet. I was dying for some wonton soup last night and I caved. I'm not going to lie I don't know how much longer I could have made it anyway. I went to bed starving on Monday and Tuesday night. I also felt really restricted, as many recipes as I found, it was tough coming up with things to eat, and I also felt like there weren't any snacks you could have. I have no doubt that the diet really works, my Mother-in-Law looks fantastic so that's proof right there, I give her a lot of credit for going through with the diet it couldn't have been easy. Instead I made a promise to myself to go back to Weight Watchers instead and actually go to the meetings since having that obligation (and payment) really worked for me. I'm hoping I'll have more success if I actually go than trying to just count it on my own. Of course it takes longer than the 17 day diet to see results but in the long run I'm sure it'll be worth it, I do really believe in the Weight Watchers program that it teaches you to eat for a lifetime, and not for a diet.

2. Should you ever find yourself in a position of paying more for an item at Macy's that is cheaper elsewhere don't be afraid to ask for a price adjustment. For example, if Santa was good to you at Christmas and bought you a beautiful 4.5 quart Kitchen Aid Mixer (thank you Santa I'm glad you got my subtle notes), but you wanted the 5 quart mixer and you go to Macy's and exchange it for the one you want but then while you are walking around the mall you realize that Bed, Bath & Beyond sells it for the same price less their 20% off coupon don't be afraid to go back to Macy's and tell the woman that you want to return the mixer you just bought 20 minutes ago. She may think you're crazy but it can work out to your favor that she will give you a price adjustment and you don't have to return the mixer again and re-buy it again somewhere else.

3. Since we're on the topic of shopping and getting a good deal and coupons, similarly if you ever find yourself shopping at Kohls and you forget to bring one of the million coupons they send you every day, you can tell them you forgot your coupons and they'll usually give you a coupon code to use anyway (never pay full price for anything at Kohls). My mom taught me that one, she's never without a coupon!

4. This is turning into random shopping thoughts but while we're on the subject again, should you find yourself in the position that your husband breaks your matching Mikasa salt shaker (the pepper was fine) (which can only be purchased online) and you go to replace it at Bed, Bath & Beyond you may be pleasantly surprised to learn that even though your husband was responsibly for breaking the shaker (innocently) and that even though you're not in position of the shaker that is now cracked into a million pieces, if I bring them the in-tact pepper shaker, they'll replace the set for me, free of charge! Who would have thought? The cashier told me that Mikasa is good about taking that back, and complete customer satisfaction, boy was I satisfied. And since I didn't have the pepper shaker with me that day, so had I had to pay for the new set, he said to just bring it back the next time I come and he'd give me a store credit in that amount. Pretty cool huh?

5. I love Frozen Yogurt. This is really just a random comment, I love frozen yogurt so much, it makes me so happy, even in January in freezing cold weather, I will go out of my way to get some of this tasty treat. If one were even closer to my house, I'd be in trouble and be there every day, thankfully it takes at least 10-15 minutes to get to the closest Red Mango or the new yogurt store at the mall or else I'd be there a lot more often. I love topping it with strawberries, yogurt chips, and coconut! It makes me happy.

.....That's all  :-) 

NYC Christmas Adventure

Wow I totally missed the boat on this post considering it's called NYC Christmas Adventure and it's now almost May, I just walked outside and the pool is open so not very Christmas-y. But we had so much fun on this little adventure I thought it was time to finally write this post since it's been stuck at the bottom of my draft folder for like 4 months now.

Since I think everyone was jealous of all the fabulous trips to the city that Stephanie and I have, we decided to include everyone else on one of our adventures, jk. We thought it would be fun for all 6 of us to go into the city together, I think next time we'll leave the boys behind though. It was a tab bit crowded that day and I don't think the boys had the patience for it. Starting with the NJ transit train ride to the city, I have never been crammed like such sardines on a train before in my entire life, I guess that is what we get for going to the city the week in between Christmas and New Years.

When we finally got to the city in one piece and got some breathing air again after our sardine train ride we headed up town near The Museum of Natural History, we were going to grab a quick lunch and then go check out the museum. For lunch we decided to go to Cafe Lalo. It is an adorable little cafe, unfortunately the word little in NYC also means you will likely have to wait to get a table, so we waited and waited in the tiny little space. Stephanie, Mom and I didn't mind waiting we drooled over the beautiful desserts they had on display. We also enjoyed our lunches, the boys on the other hand didn't quite seem to understand a light lunch at a little cafe, but anyway.....

 The museum was just as crowded as the NJ transit train but it was still fun to see the dinosaurs. I couldn't remember the last time I was at this museum so it was fun to check out. I learned something new about Dad, and that he loves museums. Mike, Nike and Mom did not properly warn Stephanie and I about his love of museums and how he has to check out every single display and take it in slowly. The 5 of us would be sitting on a bench somewhere just waiting for him, he also wonders off, so you have to keep your eye on him or you'll be waiting quite some time for him to return. I think I prefer a much faster approach to taking in all the sites at the museum. We were exhausted by the time we finished at the museum, it took us hours to get Dad out of there.

Finally, no trip to the city at Christmas time would be complete without a trip to see the tree. As in keeping with the theme of the rest of the day, it was crowded as well but we managed to get a couple good shots in before we left there quickly.

So there you have it, 4 months late, but better late than never. It was quite a family adventure. I think next time we'll have to pick another week to go but it was still a fun day even dragging the guys around with us.

Carb Free "Rice"

Today is my first day on the 17 day diet. I think the key to this diet for me is going to be prepared with options that I can eat for meals or snack on when I'm hungry. The first recipe I decided to make for lunch was chicken fried "rice." I was intrigued by a carb free substitue for rice, since it sounded like it would give you a substantial meal. The substitute is cauliflower, which makes sense. I've had cauliflower mashed potatoes before and they were delicious (I'm actually planning to make them using the leftover cauliflower).

While the recipe is not complicated, it did take me about a solid hour from start to finish, and made quite a bit of a mess in the kitchen. The good news is though that it does make a lot and we have plenty of leftovers. I've never actually used the food processor part of my blender before but it worked like a charm, I was surprised to see how easy it was to get the cauliflower down to the consistency of "rice." It just took a while since I had a huge head of cauliflower and my food processer is on the smaller side.

All in all this was a good substitute if you are cutting out carbs out of your diet. Was it as good as regular rice? Of course not! But you are eating a good portion of vegetables and protein. As much as I like vegetable fried rice, I would not make this one without the chicken as a side dish, I think it does need the chicken in it to give it a little more substance. The true test was that Mike even ate a bowl of the rice and didn't complain!

Chicken Fried “Rice” 
Adapted from: The Doctors Chat Board

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 head of cauliflower
 (I only used half of a one large head)
3 eggs or equivalent egg whites
 (I used one egg and two egg whites)
3 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 small bag of shredded coleslaw mix (cabbage & carrots)

1 small onion (chunky pieces)
Minced garlic
2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce

Fat free chicken broth
Scallions

Using a food processor grate the head of cauliflower down to the size of rice. Cube and stir fry chicken breast in 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Set aside. Scramble your eggs in pan spray and set aside. Stir Fry cabbage, garlic and onion in 1 tablespoon of olive oil. This takes about five minutes on medium. Add another tablespoon of oil and add the grated cauliflower. Stir fry another 5-7 minutes. add a few tablespoons of chicken broth as you go along – this helps with the steaming and you don’t need as much oil At the end, add back the chicken and egg. Add soy sauce to taste. Garnish with scallions.

The 17 Day Diet

Now that I made the decision I want to focus on healthy eating habits (again), I decided that I am going to follow the 17 day diet. I had never heard of it before, but apparently it is very popular, and has been featured on shows like "The Doctors". My Mother-in-Law was the one that introduced it to me. I was def intrigued by the diet and after seeing the results she achieved in a short period. Here is what it is, "The 17 Day Diet promotes a diet of clean eating, devoid of sugar, processed foods, fried foods, and other unhealthy foods." Sounded promising to me, eating healthy, no processed foods and a focus on protein. Here's the catch for me, no carbs! I am a carb addict, but I know that is what could be causing me not to lose weight. I joke and say my four main food groups are bread, pasta, potatoes and cheese. I would love to live on just that, hence why gnocchi is one of my favorite foods. But it's not forever. The diet is broken up into 3 cycles and then a maintenance plan. Each cycle introduces new foods, and brings back some of the carbs and starchy foods. Here's a breakdown of what the cycles are.

The 17 Day Diet: What It Is

Cycle 1, called "Accelerate," strips your diet down to the bare bones of approximately 1,200 calories per day. It promises weight loss of 10-15 pounds, most of which is water weight. “This phase cleanses, hydrates, removes unhealthy carbs, improves unhealthy eating habits, and stimulates fat metabolism," Moreno says.

Cycle 2, called "Activate," the food plan is alternated with a slightly higher-calorie activate plan. Moreno says the zig-zag between cycles keeps the metabolism guessing, helps prevent boredom, and continues to stimulate fat burning to yield about a 5-6 pound weight loss.

Cycle 3, called "Achieve," is the stabilization period that allows healthier foods with a slower rate of weight loss of about 2-3 pounds, Moreno says.

Cycle 4 -- the final phase, called "Arrive" -- is when you arrive at your goal weight. In cycle 4, follow meal plans from one of the earlier cycles during the week with controlled splurges on weekends to maintain your new weight.

The first cycle is the most restricting, and no carbs at all, which I do miss already and it hasn't even been a full day. I'm sure there are days when all I eat is carbs and have zero protein, which I suppose is good for me since this forces me to make sure I am eating enough protein. I also like that the diet forces you to eat two fruits a day and to get them in before 2pm. Since the diet also restricts the amount of sugar you have, it is important to eat your fruit early so  your body has time to break down the sugar during the day.

Cycle 1 allows an unlimited amount of nonstarchy vegetables and lean protein (including 2 eggs per day, if you have normal cholesterol level), along with limited amounts of fruits, probiotics (such as yogurt), and a little bit of "friendly" fat, such as olive oil or flaxseed oil. The fruit, vegetable, friendly fat and probiotics are similar to what you find on the weight watchers plan as well. I'll probably be eating 2 yogurts a day to get in my probiotics since I don't like what some of the other options are like cottage cheese or greek yogurt. The other drawback to cycle 1 is that pretty much your only option for breakfast every day is eggs or egg whites. Along with your required fruit and probiotics if you want to eat them for breakfast which isn't terrible.

I am excited to see if I get results from this. If nothing else will just help me to eat healthier and try to increase my vegetable intake, which according to web md the underlying principles of the diet are healthy, but obviously any weight loss is no guarantee. Here goes nothing!