I Am Just the Worst

Remember that last post?  About how I'm going to weigh in weekly regardless of the outcome?  Guess who hasn't done that since the last post... this girl.  I am seriously just the worst. 

I'm basically only doing this post in hopes that it'll make me go this week.  Finally.  And believe me, after a beer festival, along with some other stress filled days recently, it won't be pretty.  But I don't care!  I'm doing this for ME.  And I totally love myself.  I think losing weight would be a lot easier if I didn't stress eat so easily. 

Recipe wise... I don't have much new to share.  I've been going out a lot, and not always ordering the best thing for me on the menu.

Here's to a healthier week ahead!  I'm off to drink more water!  Hydrate, people, it's hot out there!

Take It Off

This is not Lake Erie.

Well, we're really in the thick of summer now.  I have a goal for the remainder of the summer- to not skip a weigh in.  Good or bad, just GO.  This week, I didn't have time in my schedule to actually make my weekly meeting, but I took some time at lunch and weighed in.  Good news!  I lost one pound.  I'll be honest- this is not easy.  I used to think that there were just some people out there who could eat whatever they wanted and looked awesome... the older I get, the more I find that others struggle as much as I do.  I wish I could classify weight loss and maintenance as something other than a struggle... but that's what it is.  It's worth it- don't get me wrong- it's just hard, is all.

Does anyone have some extra will power they'd be willing to give me?

Week 19: -1.0 lb
Total: -13.0 lbs

Foodie Buzz!

My friend Stephanie (from my DC Bocce days) was in town recently and did a few great write-ups about the Cleveland area!  We lunched at Lucky's Cafe, I showed her around my beloved West Side Market, and we dined at the always fabulous Lolita.  We may have also imbibed a bit at Treehouse and Prosperity Social Club; but that's neither here nor there.  Let's just say I felt like I was living in DC again when I went to work the next morning.  And you wonder why I've been having trouble losing weight this summer.

See her great pictures as well as her write ups of Lucky's Gravity Defying Apple and The West Side Market!  Then cry for her, because she didn't get to eat any Pierogis while she was here.  I feel like a bad friend. 

Recipe Round Up

Raspberry and Honey

Freezer Pops!  Inspired by Endless Simmer's new feature Endless Poptails, (As well as TallBoy's mom) I went to Target and picked up some freezer pop molds.  So far I've made Greek Yogurt/Honey/Raspberry ones (1 Points+ each) and Honey/Peanut Butter/Banana/Plain Yogurt ones (3 Points+ each).  Tasty, cold and refreshing.  I haven't tried any boozy ones like over at Endless Simmer, but I can only imagine they're amazing.

Edamame Succotash- OMG YUM.  I'm not really sure what to say besides that about this recipe... it's one of the best from The Well-Fed Newlyweds, and that's really saying something.  I made a big batch on Monday, which kept me in lunches and dinners all week.  I paired it with grilled chicken and quiona, as well as a salad that had the Succotash as a topping with goat cheese, tuna and a homemade dressing that is below.  Ten thumbs up.

Pasta with Zucchini, Shrimp and Saffron- I was over at the West Side Market the other day, and stumbled upon some Saffron Pasta from Ohio City Pasta.   Unsure of what to pair it with, I did what any modern-day-gal-in-the-know would do- turned to Google.  One click later, I found this dish from the New York Times.  I omitted the saffron from the recipe since I was using Saffron Pasta to begin with.  The shrimp and zucchini paired very well with the light saffron flavor- making this an easy and light summer dish.


Buttermilk Balsalmic Salad Dressing-  a quick dressing that pairs well with most salad ingredients.  Takes about 5 minutes to throw together, and is only about 1 Points+ per serving.

Shelf Life

Leftover Cake, Anyone?

I was reading through Washington Post's 3rd Annual Spring Cleaning List- Item 7 on the list of things to toss was "Leftovers."

"Americans waste food — quite a bit of it. This includes the bites we leave on our plates at dinner, the stuff we let rot in our fridges and the crops that never even reach the grocery store."

"Most consumers could also use more education about food refrigeration and storage to better understand how long a fresh product will last and whether its life can be extended in the freezer." -source

Is that chicken still good?  How long will turkey burgers last?  Well... the WP article linked to this awesome site- StillTasty.com.  It's a goldmine with every food on it- how long it will last in the fridge/freezer, when it's the best, how to tell if it's ripe, etc.  It even has tips on how to reheat frozen food for the best taste.  A plethora of valuable information on how to NOT waste food.   There's an accompanying iPhone app too, but I haven't shelled out the $1.99 yet for it... if you have, let me know what you think.