Lazy Sundays

David and I have had some great weekends recently and last weekend was no different, especially our Sunday. After our indulgence at Fatburger, we got some coffee and then went for a stroll along the boardwalk and out on the pier in PB. It was an overcast day, not warm like last weekend, but there were surfers around the pier to watch. Growing up in SD, David used to be a surfer boy :) Maybe I can bribe him into taking me out and giving me free surfing lessons this summer and teach me how to play beach volleyball finally :) Anyway, we ended up at Belmont Park in Mission Beach and decided to ride The Big Dipper, the roller coaster at the boardwalk!! So much fun, even though it was a quick ride. Definitely put me in the mood for a trip to Disneyland for some bigger roller coaster rides! The other big highlight of the day was buying a new swimsuit to have for the cruise we're going on in April... it's the Roxy Soul Daisy bikini, CUTE! and David picked it out himself, my man has good taste =) I love weekends!! and I can't believe it's already Wednesday, wheeeee!!

Fatburger

OK, so I don't eat healthy at every meal 100% of the time. I'm usually very focused on my diet and what I eat, but sometimes a girl just needs some grease :) So what's a vegetarian to do when you're in the mood for a burger and fries?? Fortunately for me, I guess, there's a place called Fatburger and they actually have a Boca Veggie Burger!! and their skinny fries are sooooo good. Well, so bad for you, but full of greasy flavor. David and I were just in the mood for fries on Sunday for lunch and you guessed it, we found our way to Pacific Beach and the local Fatburger... I ate the whole thing and enjoyed every bite :) However, that was the day I decided I would increase my fruits and veggie intake on a daily basis. I'm planning to get 10 - 12 servings each day. This includes 1 cup servings of most fruits & veggies, or 3 cups of salad greens, or 1/2 cup of beans/legumes (including tofu). So maybe Fatburger won't be a regular occurence, but my servings of yummy fruits & veggies will be!

Volumetrics

A great article in Newsweek, Filling up with Less, on Volumetrics, which is an eating plan where the goal is the eat high volume foods for fewer calories to manage your weight.

Word of the Day

gnarly
Pronunciation:
\när-lē\
Function: adjective
Inflected Form(s): gnarl·i·er; gnarl·i·est
Date: 1773

1) gnarled 2) slang a: difficult, hairy (skidded around gnarly hairpin turns — Austin Murphy) b: bad, nasty (has some pretty gnarly karma coming — Drew Barrymore) c: cool, good

As in "My nails are so gnarly I need a mani/pedi ASAP!" as quoted by Lola Granola :)

Taken from Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary

I'm a Hungry Girl

Thanks to a couple of friends for pointing me in the direction of Hungry Girl. This site has lots of information on low fat substitutions for high fat indulgences, especially related to products and recipes. Not very much information on fruits and vegetables and adding them into your diet, but a helpful site nevertheless.

Check out the next recipe I'm going to try, HG's 8-layer dip. It incorporates veggies, meatless "ground beef" and beans for a low fat treat to increase your veggies. Try it with La Tortilla low-carb/low-fat large size tortillas, only 80 calories per tortilla.

Don't Hate Me...

because I live in paradise... :) You don't want to know that it's 65 degrees and not a cloud in the sky today? It's supposed to warm up to 70's this weekend.... wheeeee!! And I am loving the time change, spring has sprung.... big smiles!!

Glamorous - Fergie Feat. Ludacris

Why does Fergie feel like she has to spell everything for us? G-L-A-M-O-R-O-U-S....

I'm grateful for...

Great weekends. It was such a great weekend here... the weather has been gorgeous!! I hope it's looking like spring for everyone. Went to see a movie on Friday night, had class all day on Saturday then David and I went out for sushi Saturday night. The picture is at Ebisu, a sushi bar in Hillcrest. Although I've been a dedicated vegetarian for about 9 years, I can't quite seem to give up occasional sushi, I love the rolls and the sashimi and the standard veggie fare too, like miso soup and edamame. But Saturday night it was all about the rolls, yummy!! We called it a night early, but ended up down by the beach on Sunday morning having breakfast and mimosas, then spent the entire day hanging out in Pacific Beach alternating between deep philosophical conversations and laughing until I snorted. Yes, I snort when I laugh really hard. So much fun. Hope it was a relaxing and fun weekend for everyone :)

Shrimp Stir-Fry

Contessa Shrimp Stir-Fry is a great low calorie way to increase your vegetables and add some protein as well. The package includes the shrimp and the sauce and is only 360 calories for the entire bag! Add even more veggies or shrimp and still enjoy a low calorie meal. You should be able to find this item in the frozen section of your local grocery store, but check out their web site for other locations, such as Smart & Final and Sam's Club.

Cuties :)

I love these clementine oranges!! Found this summary on their web site and all of it is true, they make a great snack to have on hand.

Cuties® are great because they are…

• Seedless


• Easy to peel (zipper skin)


• Super Sweet


• Excellent source of Vitamin C


• Naturally fat, cholesterol, sodium and trans fat free. Check out the nutrition label.


• Snack-sized and portable

Sneaker Pimps ~ Six Underground

How old school!! Love this song.

What??

Boudreaux's Butt Paste was a sponsor of the Mardi Gras Marathon this year... wha...??! Butt paste?? hmmm, butt paste... interesting.

Melissa's Sliced Carrots

Melissa's Sliced Carrots are an easy vegetable addition to salads, entrees or as an easy side dish. I found these carrots at Trader Joe's but you'll likely be able to find them at any grocery store in the refrigerated section. They are already steamed and ready to eat out of the package. I just had them for lunch today as an addition to our Five Bean entree and they are tasty!

2007 Mardi Gras Marathon!

K, haven't quite gotten the hang of posting from YouTube :) here it is again, and thanks again to my sister-in-law for creating the video!

Go LoNeal!

Good call... Lorenzo Neal got a 3 year extension to play for the Chargers and is the highest paid fullback in the league. LoNeal and LT are studs. Go Chargers!!!! whoohoo!

TGIF!!

Really, thankful today is Friday. Still sleepy even though I have been sleeping like a brick all week, and certainly getting plenty of it. So this weekend will be dedicated to fun and recovery :)

Today, I'm also grateful for:

• My body ~ I'm amazed at how resilient it really is after running so far and traveling. Even though I'm sleepy, I'm not injured or sore and should be back to a regular exercise routine next week.
• Movies! Many of you know that I've never been a movie person, but now I look forward to the new ones coming out. This is all David's fault :)
• God ~ I remember how I lived before I knew that God loved me, before I trusted, and I'm grateful that those times have passed.
• Tofu ~ ;) c'mon, you know you want to try it!

Perfectly Steams in the Bag!

Birds Eye Steamfresh Vegetables will become a new staple in my freezer. Love them!! Especially the broccoli, carrots, sugar snap peas & water chestnuts mix. You don't even open the bag to steam, just throw them in the microwave front side down for the time given on the bag. I steamed mine for slightly less time than recommended, then stir-fryed them (with Pam, I guess technically not stir-fry) with tofu and a small amount of teriyaki sauce. Yummy!! I would avoid the seasoned varieties as they have partially hydrogenated oils listed in the ingredients and I try to avoid foods that contain those types of fat.

Running 101

I know, I know... many of you are probably like my sister-in-law, you'll never run from anything but danger :) but in the event that some of you are thinking about adding running to your exercise routine, I wanted to share an article in Runner's World, Running 101, to help you get started. The article includes tips for running as well as a 10 week training schedule to get started safely and without injury.

Sugar Snap Peas

And yet another good way to fill up on veggies! Can you tell I'm on a quest to get more veggies into my diet :) These sugar snap peas are entirely edible, pod and all, and are great for dipping instead of chips or crackers. They're only 120 calories for the 3 oz. bag, which is less than 1 oz of chips! Try them with your favorite low-fat dip, or with your favorite flavor of hummus.

Broccoli Cole Slaw

If you're tired of your typical salad or cole slaw, try this pre-cut Broccoli Cole Slaw. It's less than 10 calories per ounce so you can eat an entire 12 ounce bag for about 100 calories! Since I haven't found a good bottled low-fat cole slaw dressing, I top it with the Galeo's Miso Sesame dressing. It's a little sweet, which I like for regular cole slaw as well. I add a little salt and pepper, and chopped apples if I'm feeling funky :)

If you have any good recipes for low-fat cole slaw dressing, let me know and I'll post them here.