Happy hump day! I made it back from The Sunshine State on Tuesday afternoon, on time, alone and in one piece! I guess in a way my vacation starts now, since the 10 year old is still in Florida attending Camp Grandma!!!
I sent out last week’s issuance on Thursday while I was out on vacation. I had a nice dinner with my friend Debbie on Friday night, and my brother and his girlfriend came in on Saturday and I cooked dinner. Sunday night they took me back out to St. Pete so that I could see where they are living now. Kevin moved out to St. Petersburg in 2005 when he started Law School at Stetson. He and Kim are in an adorable cottage right in the middle of an older neighborhood. Very cute place. We had some amazing sushi that night, and I did my first Sake Bomb. We had a really good time.
Monday Kevin showed me around St. Pete and I took him out to lunch at one of the local delis in town. I really stuck to my tracking during the whole vacation, and allotted myself some bonus POINTS® here and there as I needed them (like for the Sake Bomb!!!). I had half a turkey sandwich on wheat, no condiments other than mustard, and a little lettuce and tomato. I also enjoyed a nice cup of matzo ball soup. A wonderful ending to my visit with my little brother!!!
Below are a few pics of the trip. It just occurred to me that there are none of me and my Grad School buddies…but that may be directly in relation to the fact that we were so busy eating and catching up that no one took out a camera!!! We all really had a great time. Poor Morgan though…I think she may have been a bit bored during our girls luncheon!!!
Steve picked me up from the airport and whisked me off for a nice lunch at Le Peep back by the house. He had taken the day off to keep me company. How nice of him. You know, as much as vacations are wonderful, it’s just as wonderful to come back home. I missed my boys, my pets AND my bed!!!
First: girls at The Barn during a night of line dancing
Second: Deb and Elissa at the Outback. Morgan was my photographer for the evening, and she did a great job!!!
Third: more girls at lunch at Casey’s Grill
Fourth: another shot of us at lunch. Morgan looked about ready for a nap!!!
I was doing so well, getting up early, getting out of the house and getting to the office at a great time. I got out of the car, was in the process of getting my stuff out of the trunk…workout bag…lunch bag…tote bag…purse…computer….COMPUTER??
I came back from Florida 3 pounds lighter than when I left, and I did pack my plan!!! I haven’t attended the meeting for this week yet, as I will be going on Friday. The meeting I attended in Florida was the same topic as the last newsletter issuance. Weight Watchers starts their weeks on Sunday, so I am playing catch up this week.
A nice closing thought (thank you Maryanne!!):
“Watch your thoughts, for they become words.
Watch your words, for they become actions.
Watch your actions, for they become habits.
Watch your habits, for they become character.
Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.”
- Frank Outlaw
RECIPES
Two-Mustard Chicken
This recipe was another one of the healthy Wednesday lunch options from http://www.eatbetteramerica.
POINTS® Value: 4 per serving
Servings: 4
Preparation Time: 5 min
Cooking Time: 35 min
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients:
¼ cup Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons coarse-grained mustard
2 tablespoons honey
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 ½ lbs)
Instructions:
Heat oven to 375° F. Spray 13 x 9-inch pan with nonstick cooking spray.
In a small bowl, mix mustards and honey; spread on both sides of chicken. Place in pan.
Bake 25 – 35 minutes or until juice of chicken is clear when center of thickest part is cut (170° F).
Nutrition Information:
1 Serving: Calories 220 (Calories from Fat 50); Total Fat 6g (Saturated Fat 1 1/2g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 85mg; Sodium 540mg; Total Carbohydrate 10g (Dietary Fiber 0g, Sugars 9g); Protein 32g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 4%; Vitamin C 0%; Calcium 4%; Iron 8% Exchanges: 1/2 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Vegetable; 4 1/2 Very Lean Meat; 1/2 Fat Carbohydrate Choices: 1/2
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Notes:
Chicken is a super source of lean protein that contains vitamin B3, niacin. Niacin helps our bodies release energy from foods we eat.
Lime Chicken
This is the second of the two Wellness Wednesday entrees. Offered in our café here at work. Get the fresh taste of summer seasonings with minimal prep time required. This recipe originally appeared in Prevention Healthy Cooking.
POINTS® Value: 3 per serving
Servings: 4
Preparation Time: 20 min
Marinating/Cooking Time: 2 hours
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients:
1/2 cup lime juice
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 12 oz)
1 teaspoon olive oil
Instructions:
1. In resealable food-storage plastic bag, mix lime juice, cilantro, salt and black pepper. Rub chicken with oil; place in same bag, turning to coat chicken in lime mixture. Refrigerate 2 hours.
2. Heat coals or gas grill for direct heat. Cover and grill chicken 4 to 6 inches from medium-high heat about 10 minutes per side or until a meat thermometer inserted in thickest portion reads 170°F and juices run clear.
Nutritional Information:
1 Serving: Calories 120 (Calories from Fat 35); Total Fat 4g (Saturated Fat 1g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 50mg; Sodium 125mg; Total Carbohydrate 2g (Dietary Fiber 0g, Sugars 0g); Protein 18g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 0%; Vitamin C 6%; Calcium 0%; Iron 4% Exchanges: 0 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Vegetable; 2 1/2 Very Lean Meat; 1/2 Fat Carbohydrate Choices: 0
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Notes:
Super Chicken
Chicken contains vitamin B6, also called pyridoxine. Vitamin B6 is important for digesting proteins, plus it helps keep hair and nerves healthy.
Source: Prevention’s Diabetes Breakthroughs 2007 (2007) p. 324
