Just Say No

Dinner last night was pretty wonderful: great company, much laughter, and wonderful food. We had some homemade guacamole and chips to start, along with - of course - cocktails. I was all prepared to have a glass of wine, but we didn't open either of the bottles we brought so I had to be content (!) with a vodka tonic. I really needed the guac in my tummy, because that vodka was going right to my head.

We had steaks, steamed asparagus, sauteed mushrooms and onions, and salad. And dessert was a cherry pie from Wheatfields. If you're from here, you know that Wheatfields is known for its baked goods. I realized that I do not know how to say no to food when I am a guest. I have no trouble (well, hardly any. when I feel like it) saying no to the booze, but I don't want to be rude and turn down food. I need to figure that part out. The entire meal was pretty healthy until dessert - no starches, and I ate reasonable serving sizes of everything, and even though I asked for a small slice of pie, I really didn't need it. (But it was DELICIOUS!) I need to learn to Just Say No.

I made a new Abs Diet smoothie for breakfast, the Banana Split Smoothie, and we both loved it. (One banana, 1/2 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt, 1/8 cup frozen OJ concentrate, 1/2 cup milk - I always use skim, but the recipe calls for 1%, 2 tsp whey powder, and 6 ice cubes.)

and what DOESN'T taste better in Waterford?

I know you're getting tired of these salads for lunch, but I really do change up the ingredients. Kinda. Today's was blackened shrimp, craisins, and 1/4 avocado - all with Em's balsamic vinegar. I must be craving the nutrients in the spring greens, because I haven't gotten tired of them yet.

Just a note on the shrimp: Super Target is the only place I have found no-tail, peeled and deveined RAW shrimp. I like to cook them myself, but I don't like to peel them or even shell them. I know, weird.

To "blacken", all I do is sprinkle them liberally with any kind of Cajun seasoning. I like salt-free best, but any kind will do.

Then I just sauté them in a little bit of olive oil. Keep an eye on them - they do not take long to cook at all; maybe five minutes. (Notice the yellow spatula - it is one of my favorite tools. It has a silicone edge so it won't ruin the non-stick coating, and the edge is really thin so it is easy to get under fragile food. I know it's a fish spatula, but I like to think outside the box.)

And speaking of favorites:

I learned about this little treasure at knitting the other week. You know how great jeans with spandex are? And you also know how the waist seems to fall down after about five minutes? Or maybe that's just me.... But anyway, this belt is great. Since I never tuck anything in anymore (who does?), no one needs to SEE my belt. The best part is that it's really thin, and the buckle LIES FLAT. You can get a narrower (clear) version for dress pants, but I wanted the wider, industrial strength one for jeans. (I got mine at a little shop in town, but they're available on Amazon. I'm sure you can find them in other stores too. They should be available wherever spandex jeans are sold.)

No cardio today, but I did the next Fab Ab Feb: 35 sit-ups, 9 push-ups, and a 30-second plank. It is getting more difficult.

TTFN