Usually I can be pretty upbeat. Maybe it's that winter is creeping into our lives, but I am having a hard time right now staying positive. It doesn't help that there are little things that bug me. It's usually a little thing that is the straw that breaks the proverbial camel's back.
Today I am going to mention a few things that really irritate me.
I've already mentioned the plugs on electric items---- one fat prong and one normal one, and they never fit into the plug the first time. That sort of explains the kinds of things that I am talking about here.
Have you noticed that restaurants no longer put spoons on the table?? Okay, I am sure I've seen one or two, but for the most part, you have to ask for a spoon, these days. I've learned to carry a spoon along to one Mexican restaurant, so I can eat the salsa without the chips. Pay attention to this, because if they can leave the spoon off the table, maybe they will soon leave the knife and fork off, too! What if you want that last little blob of gravy, and a spoon is the only tool that can scoop it up? There we sit, spoonless! (And if you HADN'T noticed this, now that you are aware of it, you will!)
Libraries, my favorite places, put the bar codes and other stickers over the titles and name of the author! I had to virtually remove one of those plastic jackets, which involved turning it inside out and bending my hand at an odd angle, to take a sticker off to find out who wrote the book I was reading! Okay, I hear you telling me that her name would be on the title page.........but if I had written that book, I would want my name shining on the front cover, wouldn't you?
It's the same thing with picture frames. The stores put the price tag on the glass! Who wants to bring home a brand new frame and not just wash the glass, but have to scrub the glass before putting Aunt Nellie's picture out before her visit?
NetFlix ads keep flying into my face whenever I visit certain web sites. Don't they "get it" that the first time I x-ed out their ad, maybe I didn't WANT to sign up for NetFlix? But even after HUNDREDS of times, the little red ad continues to pop up. I wonder if I did sign up, if that would stop it?
Polska Kielbasa, one of God's gifts to humans, comes so tightly sealed in plastic that I have to surgically remove it. (You think I am being really picky, now, don't you.........)
Giada De Laurentiis, the Food Network star? Does this woman EAT??? How many meals have I watched her prepare, my mouth drooling, and occasionally she might stick her finger into something and put a tad onto her tongue and tell me how good it is, but we don't see her EAT. Even when she has a party at the end of a show, everyone else eats and drinks while she just stands there weighing maybe 85 pounds, smiling happily. I want to SEE her EAT. If I take a taste of what I'm cooking, I gain two pounds.
Macy's Department Store. I am too lazy to cut out a coupon, so I never have one. If I were to go into Macy's, I couldn't get the "deal," because I do not have that little piece of paper, so I have made the conscious decision to never go into Macy's again, so I won't be disappointed. (I hope their marketing strategist reads this.) I wonder how many other women, primed to spend money, avoid Macy's for that same reason!!!!
L'Oreal, the company that I'm worth it to use their hair coloring, has changed all the models on the boxes of hair dye.(No, that blond hair you see is not natural.......had you fooled, though, didn't I?) Just as I got familiar with the lovely young woman on that box front, named her Blondie, and knew who I was looking for in the hair dye aisle, they pulled a switcheroo and put some unrecognizable lady in her place! I had to go home, look up the NUMBER for the color, and then go back and introduce myself to the new girl. I feel as if I've lost a friend.
Shampoo and conditioner bottles can be mixed-up in the shower, unless I choose to wear my glasses to wash my hair, which would not only LOOK odd, but get my glasses wet. I am going to label the bottles with giant S and C letters, using permanent marker. (Imagine the visual of my discovery of this issue.) Why didn't THEY think of this?
I bet you can hardly wait until the dead of winter, when I start to really find fault with stuff, huh?
Copyright: KP Gillenwater
Monday, October 17, 2011
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Weight Watchers Points Plus and Eggs Benedict,.............or..... "I'm A Believer"
I've lost a considerable amount of weight in the last two months. I haven't mentioned that until now, because I thought I might wake up and find out it was a dream. It's not.
I dug out the last booklet that I brought home from a Weight Watchers meeting a year ago. I stopped attending meetings, as I had lost my motivation, and couldn't seem to shed the last five pounds. The booklet told how the new "Points Plus" system works. I hadn't been on that program when I stopped attending the meetings, and I'd tossed the new information into a drawer. Good thing I knew where I hid it!
I actually got out of bed at 1 AM one night to search it out, and spent the next few hours online to find details. I also called a friend who had begun the program, (not in the middle of the night), and her excited comments about her results made me decide to try this Points Plus system.
The NEW Points Plus System is so easy to follow that you would not even know I had been watching what I ate and counting points unless you lived with me. It allows more points, and more "extra" weekly points. The way to calculate the points changed, also. One major change is that FRUITS AND VEGETABLES ARE "FREE." Before, I had to count an apple as one point, a banana as two, and so forth, so it was less desirable to eat fruits and vegetables when I only had 18 points a day to use. Now, with 29 points, and not having to count fruits and vegetables, there's more food on the table and I am eating fruit and vegetables every day! (I see them as "Get Out of Jail Free" cards!)
The number of points a person is allowed each day is based on current weight, height, age, and activity level.
In simple terms, THIS IS THE BEST METHOD OF WEIGHT LOSS I HAVE EVER USED. I've eaten three meals a day, a few snacks, good meals, counted my points, and the weight I wanted to lose has literally melted off.
In June, I laid a pair of skinny jeans on the floor of my "dressing room," and made myself walk over and around them for most of the summer. They were right there, reminding me that I couldn't fit into them. (They coughed and hissed at me each day, and I swore at them and kicked them a lot.)
I wore them to work for dress-down day Friday. (Now, we're friends.)
No, I am not being paid by Weight Watchers to tell you this. I use a website www.calculator.com to figure out the Points Plus for things I eat. I've cooked some of the easy recipes in that booklet. I buy WW cookbooks, subscribe to the magazine, and am a Facebook friend. I've played in my kitchen, following the guidelines, and I've created the best diet meal in the entire universe..............which we are eating once a week..............and lost weight. Of course I am going to share this recipe!
Weight Watchers Eggs Benedict
Yes, I know this is generally a breakfast thing............I've gotten over that....now it's called "Dinner!
Serves two.
Ingredients:
4 eggs 2 English Muffins Canadian Bacon "Hollandaise Sauce"
I've used Oscar Meyer Canadian Bacon. It has 2 packages of 4.4 oz.....so I can get two meals out of a box. I've also used Canadian Bacon from Aldi's when I can find it. Both work fine. About 2-3 slices per person is enough.
First, make the Hollandaise Sauce, using a blender.
Ingredients: 1 egg yolk, 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard, 1 T water, 1-2 tsp lemon juice, 1.5 T melted butter, salt, pepper
In the blender, mix together the yolk, mustard, lemon juice, water, and salt and pepper.
Then, slowly pour in the melted butter (through the top hole in the blender lid) with the blender on "blend." Pour this sauce into a small bowl, and set it aside. (Resist the temptation to drink this......)
Spray a frying pan with no-stick stuff, and cook the Canadian Bacon in the pan. I like to get it a little brown. (Notice that there is virtually NO FAT oozing out of this bacon......hence no fat on your thighs, either...) Keep it warm.
Split the muffins and toast them. You might want to be sure the first one is lightly browned before starting the eggs.
In another sprayed frying pan, fry the 4 eggs, gently turning each one over once. You want them to be "runny" in the middle. Randy says this is called "Over Easy." (Yes, I know that REAL Eggs Benedict call for poached eggs, but they taste the same to me, and this is easier.)
Lay the muffin halves on 2 plates. Put the Canadian Bacon on top of the muffins. Gently lay a fried egg on top of each baconed muffin. Spoon the Hollandaise Sauce over these, and sprinkle with some parsley flakes. (Presentation is everything.)
Points count: muffin-4, each egg-2, Canadian bacon-2-3, H-Sauce-2
The whole plate per person is 11-13 Points Plus.
(and worth every point.....)
Enjoy!
It will take a sharp knife and a fork to eat this, but it will take awhile, and fill you up. You will need to chew. Every time I've made this, I feel as if I am cheating on my eating plan. I've also lost weight.
I've made Eggs Benedict for years, and served it only on Christmas Morning. I always used a packaged Hollandaise Sauce mix to make life easier. I will probably use this new recipe from now on. (Philip named it "Holiday Sauce," so that's what we call it.)
If you remember, I was using a website to count my caloric intake earlier this year. Not a bad thing, but this new Points Plus thing is, in my opinion, wonderful. I hope the ad they run under this blog is for Weight Watchers. There is no arguing with years of success, and the fact that WW stopped, took a look at scientific weight-loss research, and then recharged their program last year with this NEW system, is pretty awesome.
I religiously attended WW meetings for five years. I made friends, most of whom I only know by their first names. I trusted my WW Leader, and I learned a lot about eating right. I also learned how my emotions could cause me to binge. Right now, I am doing this at home, and not attending meetings, but if I had not been to all those meetings, I would be there. I just cannot argue with SUCCESS.
copyright: KP Gillenwater
I dug out the last booklet that I brought home from a Weight Watchers meeting a year ago. I stopped attending meetings, as I had lost my motivation, and couldn't seem to shed the last five pounds. The booklet told how the new "Points Plus" system works. I hadn't been on that program when I stopped attending the meetings, and I'd tossed the new information into a drawer. Good thing I knew where I hid it!
I actually got out of bed at 1 AM one night to search it out, and spent the next few hours online to find details. I also called a friend who had begun the program, (not in the middle of the night), and her excited comments about her results made me decide to try this Points Plus system.
The NEW Points Plus System is so easy to follow that you would not even know I had been watching what I ate and counting points unless you lived with me. It allows more points, and more "extra" weekly points. The way to calculate the points changed, also. One major change is that FRUITS AND VEGETABLES ARE "FREE." Before, I had to count an apple as one point, a banana as two, and so forth, so it was less desirable to eat fruits and vegetables when I only had 18 points a day to use. Now, with 29 points, and not having to count fruits and vegetables, there's more food on the table and I am eating fruit and vegetables every day! (I see them as "Get Out of Jail Free" cards!)
The number of points a person is allowed each day is based on current weight, height, age, and activity level.
In simple terms, THIS IS THE BEST METHOD OF WEIGHT LOSS I HAVE EVER USED. I've eaten three meals a day, a few snacks, good meals, counted my points, and the weight I wanted to lose has literally melted off.
In June, I laid a pair of skinny jeans on the floor of my "dressing room," and made myself walk over and around them for most of the summer. They were right there, reminding me that I couldn't fit into them. (They coughed and hissed at me each day, and I swore at them and kicked them a lot.)
I wore them to work for dress-down day Friday. (Now, we're friends.)
No, I am not being paid by Weight Watchers to tell you this. I use a website www.calculator.com to figure out the Points Plus for things I eat. I've cooked some of the easy recipes in that booklet. I buy WW cookbooks, subscribe to the magazine, and am a Facebook friend. I've played in my kitchen, following the guidelines, and I've created the best diet meal in the entire universe..............which we are eating once a week..............and lost weight. Of course I am going to share this recipe!
Weight Watchers Eggs Benedict
Yes, I know this is generally a breakfast thing............I've gotten over that....now it's called "Dinner!
Serves two.
Ingredients:
4 eggs 2 English Muffins Canadian Bacon "Hollandaise Sauce"
I've used Oscar Meyer Canadian Bacon. It has 2 packages of 4.4 oz.....so I can get two meals out of a box. I've also used Canadian Bacon from Aldi's when I can find it. Both work fine. About 2-3 slices per person is enough.
First, make the Hollandaise Sauce, using a blender.
Ingredients: 1 egg yolk, 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard, 1 T water, 1-2 tsp lemon juice, 1.5 T melted butter, salt, pepper
In the blender, mix together the yolk, mustard, lemon juice, water, and salt and pepper.
Then, slowly pour in the melted butter (through the top hole in the blender lid) with the blender on "blend." Pour this sauce into a small bowl, and set it aside. (Resist the temptation to drink this......)
Spray a frying pan with no-stick stuff, and cook the Canadian Bacon in the pan. I like to get it a little brown. (Notice that there is virtually NO FAT oozing out of this bacon......hence no fat on your thighs, either...) Keep it warm.
Split the muffins and toast them. You might want to be sure the first one is lightly browned before starting the eggs.
In another sprayed frying pan, fry the 4 eggs, gently turning each one over once. You want them to be "runny" in the middle. Randy says this is called "Over Easy." (Yes, I know that REAL Eggs Benedict call for poached eggs, but they taste the same to me, and this is easier.)
Lay the muffin halves on 2 plates. Put the Canadian Bacon on top of the muffins. Gently lay a fried egg on top of each baconed muffin. Spoon the Hollandaise Sauce over these, and sprinkle with some parsley flakes. (Presentation is everything.)
Points count: muffin-4, each egg-2, Canadian bacon-2-3, H-Sauce-2
The whole plate per person is 11-13 Points Plus.
(and worth every point.....)
Enjoy!
It will take a sharp knife and a fork to eat this, but it will take awhile, and fill you up. You will need to chew. Every time I've made this, I feel as if I am cheating on my eating plan. I've also lost weight.
I've made Eggs Benedict for years, and served it only on Christmas Morning. I always used a packaged Hollandaise Sauce mix to make life easier. I will probably use this new recipe from now on. (Philip named it "Holiday Sauce," so that's what we call it.)
If you remember, I was using a website to count my caloric intake earlier this year. Not a bad thing, but this new Points Plus thing is, in my opinion, wonderful. I hope the ad they run under this blog is for Weight Watchers. There is no arguing with years of success, and the fact that WW stopped, took a look at scientific weight-loss research, and then recharged their program last year with this NEW system, is pretty awesome.
I religiously attended WW meetings for five years. I made friends, most of whom I only know by their first names. I trusted my WW Leader, and I learned a lot about eating right. I also learned how my emotions could cause me to binge. Right now, I am doing this at home, and not attending meetings, but if I had not been to all those meetings, I would be there. I just cannot argue with SUCCESS.
copyright: KP Gillenwater
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