Fried Ice Cream

With a strawberry on top! Desert eaten at the Oceana restaurant, in Puerto Vallerta, Mexico during our honeymoon stay.

We Got Married!

Jimmy and I were wed this past August, on Sunday the 31st. The morning started with excitement and a fun day of hair and make-up with the girls, while Jimmy relaxed with his dad and watched the ball game.-Though not before going on a grocery spree for me! Jimmy's dad delivered to me and the 'maids many of my favorite foods: cheese-n-crackers, Cheez-its, sushi and bottled water.
Later that night, we shared an amazing meal, our first as a married couple. The Lafayette House in Lafayette, NJ did an amazing job of feeding everyone! So many of our guests complimented the food, as well as the fine service, which always makes for a better dining experience. Well done, Jill and Chris. Thank you. Jimmy and I missed several of the courses-the pasta, the hors d'oeuvres...even the wedding cake (which on taking the first bite I actually choked on...thanks for the huge bite, jimmy ; ) I'm sure even that was delicious. We picked chocolate cake with chocolate fudge filling. I don't eat too much cake, and I wasn't sure what to pick. Carot or chocolate? mmm, Lemon cake. mmm, Chocolate-Chocolate-Fudge.

Phase who?

:Well, well, well, where were we? I think on Phase 2 when we last met. Jim and I jumped right into the new Phase making strong health conscious decisions that blew us both away. We impressed each other, and more importantly, we impressed ourselves. We also lost some pounds, which made the pain worth it in the end.
:We went to the gym-- often! The book actually says to stay away from weight lifting for the first few stages. Stage by stage, your cardio is to increase by 1/2 hour. Jimmy and I didn't quite follow these guidelines. To begin with, we hardly went to the gym during the first phase. We didn't have the energy to! At least it didn't feel like we did. With Phase 2 our gym attendance improved. Jimmy would do weights, and at times so would I. Slowly our cardio increased, but not exactly by 1/2 hour. Wimpy, wimpy. Lazy, laaazy.
:One of the best parts about going to the gym is the vegetable market right next store. Since we consumed at least five fruits and three vegetables a day, frequent trips to replenish stock was necessary. I've really enjoyed cooking and having better lunches to eat. I love toubouli salad, and find the Minute rice one-minute lunch cups to be a godsend. They come in brown rice! The uses for these rice cups are endless, and to me, they mean having a fresh, easy to assemble lunch for the next day without having to devote 20 minutes to the stove half pat ten p.m. Making lunch was always a drag, but at least now Jimmy helps me. He takes part in making a healthy meal for himself each day, and I admire that. Don't you? ; )
http://www.minuterice.com/en-US/products/categories/29/MINUTEReadytoServeRice.aspx

Stuffed on Peppers

:I'm not quite certain this stuffed pepper properly qualifies as a Phase 2 meal, but it is how Jim and I rang our next stage in. I'm posting this recipe post-scouring the internet for the stuffed pepper recipe I remember eating as a kid-simple, with beef and tomatoes. The internet, with its dozens of food and recipe sites, couldn't bring it, so I am.
Make this one for yourself! We both loved it.

:Stuffed Peppers:
Ingredients:
2 cans (14 1/2 oz.) seasoned diced tomatoes
3/4 to 1 lb of lean ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 tbsp. olive oil
3 1/2 cups (cooked) brown rice
4 to 6 peppers (green or red)
3 tbsp. ketchup

Directions:
1. Cook rice as directed.
2. Saute onion in oil until soft. Add ground beef and cook until meat is brown and juices run clear. Drain.
3. Meanwhile, boil water. Cut tops off of peppers, discard seeds inside. Add to boiling water and cook for 5 minutes. Remove peppers carefully and place in glass tray.
4. Mix together tomatoes, beef, onion, rice and ketchup.
5. Fill peppers to top with mixture. Place any extra mixture around peppers.
6. Sprinkle top with parmesan cheese.
7. Heat 20 minutes in 400 degree oven. Serve.

Shopping Tip

I found that going food shopping right after the gym made me think about the healthier foods. Wasn't really in the mood for junk, I was in the healthier mindset and I think the cart shows it. Of course our shopping bills for the week have probably eclipsed what we used to spend in a month, but I'll figure out a way around that and save it for another post.

summervegetables.blogspot

:RECIPE for ROASTED SUMMER VEGETABLES:
-2 Jersey Fresh yellow summer squash
-1 Jersey Fresh green bell pepper, sliced
-1 Jersey Fresh red bell pepper, sliced
-2 TBS extra virgin olive oil
-2 small Jersey Fresh eggplants
-½ pound white mushrooms1 Jersey Fresh large onion, sliced
-3 TBS balsamic vinegar
-Fresh thyme salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

:Cut vegetables into chunks, about one inch in size. Place in a single layer in low-sided rectangular baking pan. Drizzle oil over the pieces and, using your hands, rub vegetables to distribute oil. Drizzle vinegar over all. Season with salt, pepper, and thyme (or any herb you might prefer). Bake, uncovered at 350 degrees for about 1 hour, stirring from time to time, until vegetables are tender. Some vegetables may become caramelized. This can be served hot, warm, or at room temperature.

Contributed by: Donna D’Amato, Maplewood, NJ
(http://www.nj.gov/jerseyfresh/recipes/njzucchiniSept.htm#zucchinibread)

'Tis the Season

:I'm so glad it is berry season! Winter doesn't give you much other than apples and bananas, and I always find myself craving a good peach or plum. According to the New Jersey Department of Agriculture, Jersey's fruit crop are most active at these times:

Strawberries: June 1 - June 10

Cherries: June 10 - June 25

Raspberries: July 5 - July 21

Blueberries: July 5 - August 10

Blackberries: July 15 - July 30

Plums: July 15 - August 15

Peaches & Nectarines: July 20 - September 1

Pears: August 10 - August 31

:To find a Farmer's Market in a New Jersey town near you, visit: www.nj.gov/jerseyfresh

Hungry - Day 6

The nice part about being a pessimist is that you are constantly being either proven right or pleasantly surprised.

- George F. Will

There isn't much to say that my lovely 1/2 cupa Soy already hasn't. Day one was tough. Not at first, but the hunger hit was a shocker. That hasn't really gone away, I think we just got used to it. We are definitely some moody muther f'ers around here. But only three more days to go with Phase 1 and we'll be set! I have a feeling it's not going to get much easier.

Last night was my first night out alone in the food free world. With my personal chef at home holding down the fort, I ventured into NYC for a night of recording. I did pretty good for myself. Eating healthy is expensive, and more so in the Empire State. $29 dollars got me, 3 tea drinks, one big bottle of water, one yogurt + fruit mixture, one fruit salad, one regular salad, and a cup of Dannon yogurt. I was starving pretty much all night.

Some notes:
The Bad
~Pretty much constantly hungry.
~Don't feel like my head is on right, got this light airy feeling up there.
~Cranky(er than usual)
~No energy. I always blamed this on the bad food and alcohol, but it's gotten worse without that stuff. I don't know if it's on the Phase 1 list, but Ryan suggested trying a protein shake.
~I'm still craving food that's bad for me. At least something that has some taste!

The Good
~I've been feeling good in the mornings and been getting great sleep. We also got new pillows, possilbe connection
~I haven't given up yet.

Oh, the Agony

: It's day Four of Phase 1 and I'm growing tired of fruit. No more apples, please.

: Our diet poses many challenges and time constraints on us, and our mood definitely reflects that. Even after we've eaten a full meal, such as dinner, I cannot say we feel 'complete.' Plus, our heads are definitely in some sort of void, and we find we cannot think clearly. Is it the lack of carbs? Boy, we sure are cranky.

: As for the time constraint, I honestly feel like I'm always prepping for this meal and the next. Friday came, and we had gotten through one week-woohoo!- but then the thought of spending Friday night preparing food for our Saturday-away-selling at a garage sale really put a damper on my night. I refused to cook! There were bills to pay and everything else that I'd let go all week. Let us eat Chinese food tomorrow-steamed tofu and brown rice it would be! Well, come Saturday we did just that, and decided that was a bad-badly tasting-idea.

: And then there are the challenges. There's nothing to eat out. Jim and I went to see the Jackals opening night baseball game. With little time, I whipped together our four egg white omelet with veggies and a side of fruit salad, and we hurried off to the game with apples in my purse. About an hour later, we were reaching for the apples; an hour after that we were pretty darn hungry. We scoured the concession stand - no options. Not one, honestly. We ended up leaving the game early, hungry and with head aches. The game was still fun, but it was very hard not to notice the elephant in the stands.

: On the plus side, we have lots of time to try new foods and experiment with different recipes. Jimmy chucked his first pineapple, and drank his first cup of soy milk with actual satisfaction. Having been a bachelor on a fast food diet when we wet, I think he is doing better than great! I made pancakes made out of yogurt, granola, egg whites, and banana; we both found them to be very tasty!

: I sure hope the next few days go well...

Mushy Rice

:The first day of Phase 1 kicked off with soggy rice. We decided to start our diet the day after Memorial day which meant a ton of food prep on the last day of vacation. I thought it'd be smart to make a huge pot of rice, and save that time only making a days portion each night. I guess there's some science to making a huge pot of rice, and I got the chemistry all wrong. What a soggy mess! Anybody got any tips for me?

:Luckily I left a cups worth in the bag, and was able to throw together lunch for the two of us (as pictured).
:Day One was hard...for Jimmy. I felt terrible hearing him complain of being hungry, and I was afraid he was going to give up. This diet seriously requires a team effort, which I guess is why so many people use those diet support websites. Still, with all the food prep and meal planning that this diet needs, I'd never make it without him. Thanks for staying tough, lovie!

: Day One was hard for me too, but I don't think 9 days is so bad, and I am very excited to try out new vegetarian recipes. Last night for dinner, Day Two, we had Tofu with Broccoli and Brown Rice with a ginger sauce. I really liked it, and was so full that I skipped our late night snack (oops!). I think even not on this diet, I'd make that again.

Let Phase 1 Begin

:The Fat Smash Diet was designed by Dr. Ian K. Smith, and became popular from its exposure as the diet method used on VH1's Celebrity Fit Club. I've seen maybe one episode of the show, and think I recognized DaBrat as one of the big losers. One dude lost like twelve pounds in the first phase, but that's not what we are trying to do! Our goal is to approach a different lifestyle-one that focuses on eating healthy and improving on the amount of exercise we get.

:Phase 1 Menu:
:Fruits-unlimited
:Vegetables-unlimited (excluding white potatoes or avocado)
:Brown Rice-2 cups per day
:Low-fat Milk or Soy Milk-2 cups per day
:Oatmeal-1 cup per day
:Egg Whites-4 per day
:Low-fat Yogurt-2 servings per day
:Herbal Tea-2 cups per day
:Olive Oil & Low-fat Salad Dressing-3 tbs max.
:Water-unlimited

strawberry marshmallows

:This weekend was Pig-Out Fest. Everything I promised myself I'd eat, I ate, and more. In the past three days I roughly consumed what seems like a week's worth of food.
:Let me share: 1 lb bag of chocolate Twizzlers, 10 fig newtons, 1 banana, 1 peach, 1 chicken kabob, 3 hot dogs, 2 short ribs, 8 roasted marshmallows, a small portion of potato salad and macaroni salad, 1 cheeseburger, 1 plate of Tostitos and salsa, two coffees, dinosaur-shaped chicken nuggets, many beers, and finally one combo meal at Taco Bell.
:I am stuffed!

Please excuse me.

:Before we start fat smashing, I'm excited to take off on a long weekend of camping in the Poconos, soaking up some sun, and splurging on barbequed ribs, chocolate twizzlers, roasted marshmallows, and keep the beer coming!
:Then the splurge is over.
:Next week we dare to embark on a diet called the Fat Smash Diet. It will mean completely changing the way we eat and exercise. The nutrition plan is designed to take you back to the basics of preparing meals and living a healthy lifestyle. Phase 1 begins with a 9-day detox period aimed at cleansing our body and mind of impurities. Two phases later our goal is to be healthier and even more fabulous looking than ever! By then we should also be able to recite a long list of summer vegetables, since they'll now be our diet staple. Who says you can eat grilled veggies with a cheeseburger?
:jm