Diet - Year 30 and Counting.....

Well today I started "The Diet".....so ominous sounding isn't it? Sighhhhh --- never-ending saga of my life. I've been on a diet for 30 years....seriously!! Anyho....I now digress. So in light of that, I decided I'd have a salad for dinner tonight. Joy. 

About a year ago, I made a fabulous discovery....how to make my own salad dressing!! Once I figured this out, I haven't bought a bottle of the other stuff since!

I've recently moved and have a much bigger patio, so I decided to grow some veggies, including some Bibb lettuce --- so tonight was the inaugural harvesting of the lettuce. Gotta say it was pretty fun. Now, normally I would use Bibb lettuce if I'm having a wrap, or a tuna or chicken salad, but tonight I just decided to rip it up and use it as my greens. (Primarily out of pure laziness)

Hummmm --- what next?....what next? Well I knew I wanted Balsamic Vinaigrette, so I got that going. Pretty easy really, chop up a little clove of garlic -- throw it in a dressing bottle add 1 part olive oil, 1 part balsamic, 1/2 tsp Dijon, 1/4 tsp soy, salt/pepper.....and then shake it like a Polaroid:)

For the extra ingredients.....I thinly sliced some red onions...put 1/2 of them on the salad raw....threw the other 1/2 in a skillet with a little olive oil and a little butter and started to brown them up. After a few minutes, I threw in some good mushrooms (tonight I used Crimini, but any will do)....let them saute a little. Then I threw caution to the wind...I thinly sliced a red pear....pulled a green onion from my patio garden (sliced in long thin strips) ...threw that in. Added a small handful of cranberries, handful of walnuts..... gave it a good few shakes in the pan -- then on a whim squeezed a little bit of orange juice/zest into the pan to give it some liquid.

Next I crumbled up some blue cheese into the greens, tossed it with the skillet mixture "du jour" and voila - Grilled Pear Bibb Salad!

Here's the goofy thing....with my skillett mixture....didn't need the balsamic. Who'da thunk it? :) It was a great salad!

I'm trying to eat my bigger meal at lunch, and saving a smaller meal for the evening so we'll see how this goes. Right now? I'm so hungry I'm pretty sure my keypad would have a lovely, dark "woodsy" taste.

Signing off.....STARVING....but signing off:)

Back in the Land of Buckeyes...

I've spent the last week in Ohio visiting family and friends and it has been such a nice week here.  Spring in Ohio is about 2 weeks behind Spring in Atlanta, so I got the wonderful pleasure of experiencing it twice:) 

Whenever I come home, (that's right I'm a Buckeye through and through) I always stay with my parents who live in Southeast Ohio.  Unlike most parts of Ohio which for the most part is flat, Southeast Ohio is full of rolling hills.  Growing up here was a true pleasure.  Void of crime and even NOISE for the most part, I always feel at peace when I'm here --- what a pleasure indeed. 

Last summer I introduced my family to a great dip, Summer Bean and Corn Dip, and they just can't get enough!  My brother especially loves this dip and after 5 days of being here, I've made three batches!  OK, it's not exactly Summer yet, but it's pretty darn good anytime. 

The great thing about this dip is it's versatility.  You can tweak it up numerous ways.  If you like a little kick, add some jalepeno's or other spicy peppers.  If not, leave 'em out.  Like more onions?  Add them.  Love cilantro? (ME!ME!ME!) --- add it in!

Another great thing about this dip is that, well -- -you don't necessarily have to use it as a dip.  I often will put it in a wrap of lettuce leaves or tortillas or even just eat it as a salad.  I promise, no matter how you choose to eat it, you'll love it! 

Extra bonus?  You can make it in about 10 minutes, so it's really easy and a crowd favorite I promise!

Procrastination vs. Jodester....and she takes home the....Spaghetti Squash???

Well, to say that I've neglected this blog is ........Oh yea...said that once before in this blog:) Blah, blah, blah. Excuses, excuses. However, I'm happy to report my procrastination project is coming along famously and I'm quite certain I've perfected it. How I can be so incredibly control-freak organized at work and not keep up with this blog? Who knows.

What then, could be the catalyst to my picking up the e-pen and jumping in ? What over-whelming force drove me to do it? My discovery for today? The thing that got me soooo excited I had to resurrect the blog??? Spaghetti Squash.

That's right kids. Spaghetti squash. Oddly enough until now, I've never attempted to eat, not alone make spaghetti squash. But in light of my recent resolution to get back on the diet plan and NOT eat pasta.... Spaghetti squash it was.

So here's the deal with spaghetti squash. Like most squash, uncooked ------ NASTY. But you roast that sucker and voila! It transforms into yummy goodness.

To roast the squash, cut it down the middle long ways. Be prepared to put some muscle into it --- it doesn't like to half easy. Sprinkle it with olive oil, salt & pepper - place the halves cut-side down on a baking sheet. Roast it on 375 for 45 min or so, pull it out....let it cool. Once it's cool, use a fork to shred the squash. Like magic, it rolls up into spaghetti looking strands --- and quite honestly -- doesn't taste to far from the original.

Here's where you can get creative. Pretty much dress it up like you would pasta. Today I made a walnut-parsley-basil-lemon zest pesto/gremolata concoction to dress it....and...... perfection. It was soooooooooooooooooo good! What made it even better? The whole 20 oz of spaghetti squash????? 153 calories....seriously people??? 153 calories! Now, that didn't include my olive oil, etc --- but I'm guessing my huge plate of yumminess didn't top out above 400 calories....and I ate it for dinner too. Here's the link to the recipe I used, but I tweeked it up a bit.

THIS blows my mind. Why? --- not quite sure, but I felt the need to spread the spaghetti squash-gospel to world! So there you have it. What will tomorrow bring?? Who knows. Ok wait I do know...I'll be going out for lunch, but certainly I'll be thinking about my next super-fab spaghetti squash masterpiece;)

Until then...