Strange But Good~May 31

By now, you all know that I love participating in Strange But Good…the wonderful Friday link-up created by Laura at Sprint 2 The Table.  I’ve always gotten side long glances from people regarding what I eat.  The family is used to me but others…I get the funny looks.

But due to various current issues (fridge/freezer issues are on going…plus life in general) I haven’t been doing much in the way of cooking.  So please don’t listen too closely or you may hear me scraping the bottom of the barrel.  😉

However…it will not STOP me!!

I love coffee…I LOVE COFFEE!  So I’ve confessed.  The funny thing about me though as a coffee drinker is, I rarely drink it after my morning coffee.  I’ll have the occasional Dunkin’ Donuts meet up or once in a while a Starbucks when I’m at Barnes and Noble (Love the new blonde roast!) but generally, it’s me and my morning coffee.

There’s a dumb thing that you’d think I would have been doing all along, but in the last month or so, I’ve started setting my coffee up at night.  I can’t tell you how great it is to come into the kitchen and just Push The Button! No messing with water or filters…just Push The Button.  The coffee starts, I open up the computer and then the coffee is ready. It’s a wonderful thing.

So how does any of this fit into Strange But Good.

 

My favorite coffee in my current favorite mug (69 cents at Goodwill-can’t resist telling you that!) (still annoyed that there is no longer a “cents” symbol on keyboards…) What’s so special about this coffee?  Well, I suppose there’s nothing especially special or strange about this coffee but when I tell people about it, I sometimes get that tilted dog head look from them.

This is known in our family as “beach coffee.”  The reason for that is a long story that I don’t feel like telling right now.  Hmmm…seems I say that a lot…oh, well.  Someday I can write a post called “All of those stories I didn’t feel like telling before.” Maybe it should be a series!

This coffee is simple but it does need to come with some instructions.  Prepare to make your coffee with however much water and however much coffee you want.  Before you turn on the machine, sprinkle cinnamon into the coffee grounds.  You can use as little or as much as you like.  I never measure it, I just shake it in and I add quite a bit because I like it that way.  The caution about it is this…be Sure to mix the cinnamon into the coffee grounds before you turn on the machine.   For some reason, the cinnamon forms a barrier to the water.  I have several times had the coffee overflow because the water can’t penetrate the cinnamon.  Not sure why that is, but it does.

Simple, right?  Yes it is which is what makes it so good.  It doesn’t take much effort on my part to make something unique and tasty. Besides, the cinnamon is good for me and the combination of the smell of coffee and cinnamon is a wonderful thing to wake up to!

Be sure to stop by Sprint 2 The Table to see the fun things that people are actually cooking to qualify for Strange But Good…oh, Yes, leave some comments, too!

Happy Friday!!

WIAW~Memorial Day~2013

From the title, this should be a very exciting What I Ate Wednesday.  You know about WIAW~the food fandango created by Jenn at Peas & Crayons. Be sure to visit P & C when you’re finished here and leave some comments.

As I started to say it should be Very Exciting…but it was really low-key, but that’s good sometimes too!

What would WIAW be for me without a trip to the local pizzeria for my favorite…the mixed cheese salad?!

 

You’ve all seen this before and it doesn’t change…which I’m pretty excited about because it’s always Delicious!

 

Saturday after Weight Watchers (where I found out that this weight loss has stuck-in fact I lost another quarter of a pound!) the Three Amigos (Gail, Alice and Me!) headed to the diner for breakfast. Because of the Holiday weekend, we actually had to wait a bit, but I tried to be good with my scrambled eggs and sliced tomatoes (in place of potatoes) Haven’t had this for a while and it was tasty.

Ralph and I actually ended up there again for lunch/dinner.  I started with a side salad.

 

It was tasty. However when it came time for my veggie cheese steak that I had ordered, I got a veggie gyro instead.  I was so annoyed that I forgot the photo! Now, the veggie gyro is good, but not what I wanted just then.  I should have sent it back, but I hate to do that, so I ate it.

Sunday of the weekend found us at Ele’s house for a get together with Brian and Heather and Princess Colette!

 

She turned One in January and she is so adorable.  Love her little sprout pony tail on top!!

I, of course brought the Big Salad. I made the most of it!

 

There is a spicy black bean burger under there, some extra black beans and an egg, all topped with balsamic vinegar.  There was a second dish that looked just like this! Really good if I do say so myself!

 

Dessert was fresh fruit and Ele’s famous brownies! I must confess that this brownie was followed by a twin a few minutes later.  A little Holiday splurge, but it was worth it!

 

Monday morning I was working hard to get back on track.  A 2 Point yogurt accompanied by an eighth of a cup of Meghan’s wonderful granola (for another 2 Points.)  Gave me a 4 Point breakfast that way and it was really filling.  I’m starting to get into this granola thing.  It keeps me satisfied.

So that’s What I Ate Wednesday for me for this week.  Be sure to visit Peas & Crayons to see what everyone else has cooked up this week.  That’s where I’m headed now.  Leave some comments!

Happy What I Ate Wednesday!!

Week In Review~May 27

I’ve learned my lesson.  I know that I have a good memory…in general.  However, I was very embarrassed at my lack of remembering when trying to do my Week In Review post.  I was there…I should remember what I did.  But considering that it was the kind of week that it was…I suppose I’m lucky that I remembered to complete the post and then link it up.  Almost forgot that tiny step.  But who could forget Meghan at Clean Eats, Fast Feets?!  Trust me, this girl knows how to grab your attention!

Having only moments ago linked to the May 20 edition of Week In Review, I am beginning the May 27 edition.  Fool me once, shame on me…Fool me twice, I’m a nerd.  So here goes!

MONDAY~

–Another morning where I slept in.  I think I’ve finally caught up on my sleep-thank goodness!  This is another dreary day.  I’m pretty tired of it, but I’m not going to let that get me down, I have lots of other things to do that.  Ok, I promised myself I was going to be cheery this week and I MEAN it!!

–There will be Birthday celebrations for my sister Ele later today.  I’m very excited…Happy Birthday, Ele!!  In fact I have to stop typing here in order to call her to wish her Happy Birthday.  I have a special way of doing it.  It’s a special version of the Happy Birthday song that I’ve developed over the years…it’s become known as the Lounge Lizard.  Wish I had a way to record it and share it.  You’ll all just have to give me your birthdays and phone numbers so I can sing it for you!!  UPDATE:  Just called Ele and sang to her.  She laughed through the whole thing…as usual!

–We had a really nice dinner…Chinese Food and Ice Cream…what more could a girl ask for on her birthday?!  We had a lot of fun!

TUESDAY~

–It would be so good if I followed my own advice.  I started out great and then forgot to keep up, so here I am trying to remember the days.  This week has been a bit of a blur in various ways. Sound familiar…from last week?  It’s beginning to seem like my weeks are not very productive.  If I can’t remember them,  They probably weren’t.  To be honest, I spent most of his week recovering from The Relay For Life last Friday night. It always takes a bit of recovery and that’s pretty much what this week has been about.

WEDNESDAY~

–Getting some sorting done today. Still working toward the community yard sale at the end of June.  I’m going to have a Lot to sell! Hoping to get some more work accomplished over the Holiday weekend.

–The weather was starting to get hotter and more importantly, really humid. We decided it was time to turn on the air conditioner.  Good idea, only when we turned it on…it wasn’t cool.   😦    When we finally decided that it wasn’t working and we needed to call PSE&G, it was late evening so decided on a Thursday morning call instead.

THURSDAY~

–Called PSE&G early and got a 4 pm to 8 pm time frame.  Interesting…after the machine told me my time frame, it also cautioned me that the technicians do not work “after dusk.”  Ok, so isn’t “after dusk” part of our time frame? Hrumph.

–The technician got here a little after 4 pm with a considerably unpleasant attitude.  After giving us a bit of a hard time about out service warranty…First…”Your service contract has run out”…”No, I made the payment”… He goes to the truck to check with his supervisor…”You realize you’re only covered until August!”  Well, SIR…I only need to be covered NOW isn’t that right.  This last part I didn’t actually Say to him, but boy did I want to!!

–Turns out the fan is bad (no wonder the filter wasn’t dirty after a month!) and he’d need to get the part. He said he’d be back on Friday. (Hopefully with a better attitude!)

FRIDAY~

—The weather is now Frost Bite weather and we have someone coming to fix the air conditioner! Isn’t that always the way.  He finally came back with the fan assembly but he still needs another part.  I wouldn’t talk to him, but Ralph said he couldn’t have been nicer. However, he still needed another part and thought he might be back on Saturday.  That’s ok, because we certainly didn’t need the air conditioner with 50 degree weather!  Only problem was, no fan meant no heat either.  We snuggled under lots of blankets for the evening so we were ok.

SATURDAY~

—I thought I would freeze as I headed to my Weight Watchers meeting.  Good thing my gloves were still in the car because I needed them.  I continue to be amazed when I weigh in at WW.  I had such a disjointed week, I thought for sure I had gained.  In fact, I lost another quarter pound.  Staying aware of what you’re eating certainly can make a difference.  Gail and Alice each lost 3 pounds so our overall success continues!

—Breakfast out after WW is always a treat.  The diner was swamped, I guess because everyone felt like going out to breakfast for the holiday.  Don’t they know we’re there Every week and need to get our food quickly because of no food before WW?!  😉  We had a nice breakfast in spite of the crowd.

—Gail has been telling me for quite a while that Ralph and I would like the show “Longmire” that’s on A&E.  We started catching up on the show On Demand.  Ralph was sucked in immediately. Me, too.  Not that many good shows on anymore, so I was glad to find this.  Something we both like.

SUNDAY~

—There’s sun and a beautiful blue sky so far for today.  We’ll be going to my sister Ele’s house for a get together today.  Our friend, Jim is here from Washington and 2 sets of nephews and nieces with be present along with Princess Colette who is 1 and 1/2 and just adorable!  Looking forward to all of that.  I made a HUGE salad for the occasion.  I’ll be taking some veggie burgers to top it off.  One of my favorite meals!

—It’s still chilly in here, but I can deal with it.  I’m about to get on my exercise bike which should warm me up a bit.  Since we never heard from the PSE&G man on Saturday (even though I gave my phone number) I guess we’re without heat or air conditioning until Tuesday.   I don’t mind.  If it get’s really cold, I have an electric heater we can use.

—I’m off to try to make some sense of the day.

I’m looking forward to seeing all of the Week In Review posts from some people who have a clue what they’re doing.

Happy Monday!!

Snapshot Saturday~May 25

Snapshot Saturday carries on except for the fact that Alyce at At Home With Books will be taking a hiatus. During that time, Melinda at West Metro Mommy has kindly stepped in to be our fearless leader.  Thanks so much to Melinda for doing this.  I’d be lost without Snapshot Saturday!!

As I mentioned last Saturday, I’m not much of a gardener, but I have inherited some beautiful flowers that just do their own thing.  I’ve shared my crocuses, my lilacs and last week my irises.  Thanks to everyone who left such kind comments about them.

This week I’m sharing a flower, some say weed, that made a guest appearance in last week’s iris photos.  The bluebell.  I know there is a technical name for it, but Gram always called them bluebells and half the time she like them, half the time she was waging a battle against them.  They would never grow where she wanted them to grow! As a result, they’re pretty much all over the place.

They’re usually that pretty deep purple-y blue which everyone recognizes.  As I walked out of my back door earlier this week I noticed a phenomenon.  A whitish blue version of the sometimes beloved, sometimes dreaded bluebell.

 

 

I’ve never seen one like this before and I was stunned.  So glad I had my camera with me at the time so that I could catch it.  This would have been worth going back in the house for my camera if I hadn’t had it.  I love it!

Don’t forget to stop over at West Metro Mommy to check out the other great photos that everyone will be sharing for Snapshot Saturday.

Have a great day!!

(Not So) Strange, But (Really) Good~May 24

I’ve said before how much I love participating in Strange But Good, hosted by Laura at Sprint 2 The Table.  I’m not sure that this really qualifies, but I hate to Not be part of the Party! So here goes.

Last week, I got an e-mail from Meghan at Clean Eats, Fast Feets telling me that I was the lucky winner of her Blueberry Almond Granola giveaway!! I was very excited.  I waited patiently for it to arrive.  The funniest thing was Ralph’s reaction when he brought in the package.  I was out at the time, when I arrived home he said, “Someone sent you a package of gravel!”  Well, in the big envelope, it was kind of gravel-y and sort of sounded that way.  Actually, I found this inside…

Oh, my Goodness!! I was so excited and was excited to try it for breakfast the next morning.  Just as I was getting ready to eat, I thought it might be a good idea to check what it might count for on Weight Watchers.  I checked in my trusty food companion and UGH!!!  Homemade granola is listed as 8 Points for a HALF cup!!!  Ok…I decided I could work with this.

Looks like a nice filling bowl, right.  Well actually…

That was actually a quarter cup serving with a quarter cup of soy milk.  Cost me 5 Points, but Wow.  I ate this at about 7 am and when it was time for lunch at Noon, I almost didn’t want to eat…It was That filling.

I decided though that I needed to try to pump it up a bit.  I had just bought an overwhelming amount of apples at Aldi because they’re on sale.

I chopped up a Rome apple, added one packet of Splenda and liberally sprinkled it with cinnamon (of Course!)  I microwaved this for 1 minute which softened and warmed it perfectly.

I then added that same quarter cup of granola and quarter cup of soy milk.  This was incredible!  You can really see in this photo just how wonderful this granola is.  I am so happy that I have a lot of the granola and a lot of apples.  This is going to be my breakfast for the foreseeable future! It is so good.  The best part is that Meghan included the recipe in the package.  I have to say that I’m going to try to tweak it to make it a bit more WW friendly, but I will definitely make it.  Thanks so much, Meghan for your generosity!  You’ll keep my belly full for many days to come.

Be sure to check out the other Strange and wonderful posts from other Strangers linking up to Strange But Good at Sprint 2 The Table. (That’s a lot of Strangeness!)

Happy Friday!!

WIAW~May 22~The Food Made Up For It

Good Morning and welcome to the May 22 edition of What I Ate Wednesday! Ok, so I’m being excessively cheery.  I’m trying to make up for my less than cheery Week In Review on Monday.  I’m happy to say that the food will sound better than the week did.  Isn’t it all about the food anyway?!   😉  Well it is on Wednesdays!!

Be sure to visit Peas & Crayons when you’re finished here.  Thanks to the lovely and exuberant Jenn for starting all of this craziness.  Don’t forget to leave some comments while you nose around in all of the wonderful food posted there!

We were happy to spend last Wednesday afternoon with our monthly group of Ralph’s family, sisters, cousins, nieces…and of course there was food!

 

This was a wonderful layered Caprese salad.  So good!  There was a drizzled balsamic reduction on it that was just enough, I didn’t need to use the dressing they gave me on the side.  Yum.

 

Ok…so there was birthday cake.  This was really delicious, very chocolate-y.  Glad I got a “smaller” piece.

 

A mixed cheese salad with balsamic vinegar.  Really tasty and very filling.  One of my favorite choices which is why I have it so often!  🙂

 

I actually fed myself once…an apple with cinnamon…breakfast, lunch…I don’t remember, but I love it this way.  It lasts longer which makes it very filling.

 

Saturday (after recovering from the Relay) Ralph and I headed to the diner.  I got my fave…egg white omelette with mushrooms and spinach.  I was feeling the need for some extra protein, so I added a side of cottage cheese.  Great combo!

 

Ok, so we also felt the need for ice cream. This was key lime pie…so yummy.  I’m allowing myself one visit on the weekend.  It’s so good, I’d be in trouble if I didn’t restrict myself!

 

Sunday night, Ralph and I were in need of some comfort food.  This is an example of “If you ask for what you want at a restaurant, you just might get it.” I remembered that one time, Ralph had one time gotten an entrée at this pizzeria that had mixed sautéed vegetables for his side.  I asked it they could just mix those veggies with pasta.  The answer was yes! The veggies were cooked in garlic olive oil and this was just yummy! Filling too, I had to save half and bring it home.  I was very happy with this!

 

Monday was my sister Ele’s birthday (Happy Birthday, Ele!!) and we took her to the local Chinese restaurant.  This was called Family Style Bean Curd.  Sounds appetizing, right?!  Of course, it was tofu with veggies.  I asked for brown rice on the size.  This was very good and I did NOT take any of it home.  I purposely didn’t get any soup,  just wanted my entrée.

My fortune cookie from the Chinese restaurant.  I liked my fortune…very true…

I have to admit, there was also ice cream after this, but no pictures, please…I was trying to fool myself, but I need to do true confessions here.  Caramel Apple…they had to scrape the bottom of the tub to get my serving out.  Is that sort of like Broken Cookies and therefore doesn’t count?!?!  I think that should be the rule!  😉

So that’s What I Ate Wednesday for this week.  Let’s hope that next week is better in general and that the food continues to be so good.  Well, I do need to cook more, but that’s an ongoing give and take!  Be sure to visit Peas & Crayons to check out some other blogs and leave some comments!

Happy What I Ate Wednesday!!

Week In Review~May 20

I do believe that I’m finally getting the hang of this Week In Review thingy and I like It!!  Of course, WIR was thought up by that crazy pixie Meghan over at Clean Eats, Fast Feets and I’m so happy to be joining in.  I’m just going to have to keep with my program of writing it as the week progresses.  ONLY way I’ll keep up.  I’m starting this on Wednesday and I’m already sure I’m going to miss something.  Ok…Here Goes!

MONDAY~

–Ok…how can it only be Wednesday and I can’t remember what I did on Monday?!  I must have done something…well I do remember going out to lunch with Gail and Alice.  Of course we went to Taco Bell which is our favorite and SO cheap.  Then we made a few stops at the post office, a lawyer’s office, Aldi…we try to get Everything done in one trip.

–Maybe by the end of the week I’ll remember something else from Monday. I’m feeling pretty dumb about now…maybe I’ll improve as the days go on!

TUESDAY~

–Tuesday is So much easier.  Started the day with a fun and informative coffee meeting at Barnes & Noble with my new friend, Martie.  She’s behind the Be Still and See photography group.  We had the opportunity to talk, get to know each other and toss around some ideas for the group.  I love photography and I want to do more.  Also had the chance to try the Starbuck’s blonde roast coffee.  I like it, a lot! So much better than their regular roast!

–Afternoon found Ralph and Me handling some family issues.

WEDNESDAY~

–This week is not seeming to be as productive as last week.  However… Our main focus for the day was lunch out with Ralph’s sister and brother-in-law, cousins and niece.  We always have a good time when we get together.  This time it seemed especially enjoyable.  Yummy salad for me…then birthday cake…Woops!!

THURSDAY~

–See, I’ve got to get this WIR under control.  Due to various issues (boy do we have issues) I haven’t been keeping up and here I am on Sunday playing catch-up again.  Well…let’s say I did Something on Thursday.  Well…Ralph and I watched the season Finale of The Big Bang Theory…does that count as something?!  I think it does.  Sorry the season’s over…can’t wait for fall now!

FRIDAY~

–Friday I was working on getting my act together to head to the Relay For Life on Friday night.  It tends to get cold overnight so we try to pack warm things and blankets to help keep us warm overnight.

–Ralph and I spent Friday morning dealing with some more issues from earlier in the week.  Worked out? Not sure but I guess time will tell.

–Late Friday afternoon my sister Ele and nephew Michael headed to Chestnut Ridge Park for our annual Relay For Life.  We have a great team headed by our niece, Carrie.  We were also joined by Diann and Terri, lovingly referred to as The Moms.  Our team was smaller than usual, but we still had Big Spirit!

–Sun shining-we’re all dressed in our Relay tee shirts and carrying our team banner, which of course, Carrie made.  It was a beautiful day/night for a Relay.  The weather was good.  The park is located in a dip in the land so at night it can get cold.  This year it was chilly but not nearly as cold as other years.  Truth is though, when you’re tired-after walking throughout the night-it feels pretty cold no matter what.

SATURDAY~

–We survived the night.  I walked six miles.  That’s chump change compared to what some people walked.  I decided that I would do my best to match what I walked last year and then I would rest.  I could have done more, but I was pretty worn out from all of the “issues” of the week.

–Just before dawn, our whole team, tired but happy.  We are wearing our team hoodies that Carrie made for each of us.  Carrie is showing the logo on the back with our team name.  The front says Relay for live and our names.  Funny thing is that Diann and Terri didn’t realize their names were on the sweatshirts and wore each other’s sweatshirts all night.  The Really funny thing is that none of the rest of us noticed!!  Turns out from what Carrie tells me that we ended up on the local news Saturday morning.  She sent me a clip.  If I knew how to add video to the blog, I’d share it with you.  It’s pretty funny because Hand Jive from Grease is playing and Carrie was doing the Hand Jive!  I was skulking in the background.

–We got home at about 5:45am and I was pretty beat.  I tried to sleep but only got about 3 hours.  Then Ralph and I went out to breakfast-which should have been lunch by the time we got to it.  Then we headed into another issue filled day.  Don’t you love it when I’m cryptic?  Such fun.  There was some ice cream involved…is that less cryptic?

SUNDAY~

–I slept in this morning and feel somewhat caught up on my sleep.  The majority of my body parts still hurt.  It’s not really the walking that makes me feel bad after the Relay, I really think it’s the lack of sleep and the fact that when we’re not walking we’re sitting in beach type chairs that just aren’t very comfortable.  I think that next year I need to make sure I get out and walk a month or so beforehand to get myself used to it.  Maybe I should try staying up all night, too.  Just in preparation… 😉

–Not sure what the rest of Sunday holds.  I should be heading to a fun event, but that may have to go by the wayside.  We’ll just see.

–I think that the best thing I can say about this Week In Review is that I can’t wait for the new week to start.  It will Have to be better than this one!!

Don’t forget to visit Clean Eats, Fast Feets to join in WIR.  I hear Meghan is on the road, so that should be Really interesting!

Happy Monday!  Happy Birthday, Ele!

Snapshot Saturday~May 18

I hate to miss a chance to participate in Snapshot Saturday sponsored by Alyce at At Home With Books.  I’m writing and scheduling this on Friday.  Not sure what time on Saturday I will actually be able to link it up.  The reason for that is  I will be participating in the American Cancer Society Relay For Life at Chestnut Ridge Park in Mantua, NJ.  This will be our fourth year walking in the Relay…we walk all night…we even did it in the rain one year. Hopefully, the weather will cooperate this year.

If anyone is interested in donating to support our team, please go to my fundraising page.  It’s simple and easy.  Your support is greatly appreciated.

On to the photography!

I’ve talked before about living in an old house that had belonged to my Grandparents.  One of the things left over from them living here besides the creaky floors and damp basement are some flowers.  Iris are my favorite flowers and Gram left some of them.  I’m sharing two photos today.

 

With the blue bells…at least that’s what we always called them…I’m not sure of their official name.  The green surrounding the flowers are day lily plants that haven’t bloomed yet.  I like the depth that the green adds to the photos.

 

Taking center stage!!

I wasn’t sure if I thought these photos were very good when I first took them.  But the more I look at them, the better I like them!

Be sure to stop by at At Home With Books to see the work of some terrific photographers.  Leave some comments, too, because we all love comments!

Happy Snapshot Saturday!

Strange But Good~May 17~Taco Soup

I love Strange But Good, the creation of Laura at Sprint 2 The Table.  It’s great fun and lets me get some of my stranger foods out of my system.  This one might not sound so strange, but for some people it might.  All I can tell you is that it is Delicious!

You may remember me talking about the fact that while in Florida we were attending a wonderful Weight Watchers meeting.  That leader has a Facebook page.  Someone from Florida posted this recipe and I found it and shared it with my friends Gail and Alice.

Well, before I had the chance to get the ingredients, they had both made the soup and told me how great it was!  Only problem with the recipe was that it was listed as counting for 2 Points on WW for a cup of the soup.  Alice recalculated it because none of us thought this was right.  It wasn’t and the recalculated count showed that it was 4 Points per cup.  Regardless, it’s delicious and packed with protein.

I had just made a crock pot full of black beans so I was set for them and didn’t have to use canned.

All of the other necessary ingredients lined up and ready to go.

Pot o’ Soup…cooking away. This is so quick and easy.  Almost the most time-consuming thing is opening the cans!

The finished product! This is so delicious and truly filling.  This was a 2 cup serving and in truth, I couldn’t finish it.  This on a night when I sat down to eat being Very hungry.  This is just a great, tasty and Cheap recipe.

Taco Soup – 4 pointsplus values per 1 cup serving

1 large onion, chopped

1 package of taco seasoning

2 cups whole kernel corn

1 can fat-free chicken broth (I of course, used veggie broth)

1 can black beans, undrained

1 can Great Northern Beans

1 can Fat Free Refried Beans

1 can Diced Tomatoes

1 can Spicy Seasoned Tomatoes, like

Tomatoes with Jalapenos

Saute the onion until soft in a large pot Sprayed with nonstick cooking spray

Add the other ingredients to pot and Simmer for 30 to 40 minutes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Between Gail, Alice and I we all made it just a bit differently.  Alice made it with the tomatoes with jalapenos.  Gail made it with tomatoes with green chiles.  I made it with 2 cans of diced tomatoes because the spicy tomatoes I Thought I had were used for something else.  😦   I think it would have been tastier with one of the spicier tomato varieties, but it was just delicious the way I made it.   It is absolutely something I’ll try again. The great thing is that you can have everything in your pantry and with the addition of the one fresh ingredient (the onion) you can have a hearty and tasty meal ready in no time at all.  I hope you’ll all give it a try, then let me know what you think after you’ve tried it!

Be sure to stop by at Sprint 2 The Table to check out the other strange offerings.  Don’t forget to leave some comments!  I do admit that this is not as strange as it might be, but it’s really kind of a blank canvas of a soup.  Lots of things can be added and you can make it your own!

Happy Friday!

WIAW~This Is More Like It!

I know, I know…Last week I was lamenting how few food photos I had when I posted for What I Ate Wednesday.  This week, I’m trying to decide Which photos to use…seems like I have an over abundance.  Regardless, I will NOT miss a chance to be part of the Fabulous Food party created by Jenn at Peas & Crayons.  Be sure to check it out and leave some comments.  Just be careful of drooling all over your computer!

Let the Food Fun Begin!!

 

One of my old faithfuls and one of my favorites!  Caramel corn rice cakes with a quarter cup of low-fat cottage cheese split between them and liberally topped with cinnamon.  This is a great quick lunch for me when I’m working on my many projects around the house.

 

For our short road trip on Tuesday, Ralph and I stopped at a pizza shop that we love but only get to visit once in a while.  This is a hot veggie wrap. You have your choice of wraps, I chose the tomato (because I knew the color would be pretty!) It has broccoli, mushrooms, onions pepper and provolone cheese.  It is So good.  It comes with a pickle and chips.  I got the pickle, Ralph got the chips.  Yum!

 

Made a crock pot full of black beans…well, because I Love black beans and I’ll eat them all!

 

Nothing like a salad in my Big Purple Bowl that is filled with home cooked black beans.  So good.  Keeps me full for hours!  More Black Bean fun later in the week.

Look familiar?!  Yes, it’s my fave…spinach and mushroom omelette with sliced tomatoes.  Funny thing, here.  I’ve been getting egg white omelettes lately and forgot to ask for it this time.  It tasted so different with the full eggs.  I’m thinking I like the egg whites better!

 

An unexpected visit to one of our favorite diners for one of my favorite meals…the Athenia burger.  Greek salad along side of a yummy veggie burger.  Just love it!

 

Back at our usual diner, something I’d never tried before.  My friend, Gail had suggested it.  They call it a “veggie cheese steak.” It’s grilled veggies-mushrooms, onions, tomatoes, romaine lettuce and some other things I’m sure-all cooked together on a roll.  It comes with American cheese underneath, but I asked for Provolone.  It was Delicious!!  Expect to see this, again!!

Ralph and I took Ele out to dinner for Mother’s Day.  Back at the diner again…ok…we Like the diner!!

 

Salad first, with ranch dressing eaten with the dip method…dip your fork in the dressing, then pick up the veggies.  You don’t use nearly as much dressing but you still get the flavor.  An old Weight Watchers trick.

 

And THIS is what passes as a mini-meal at this diner.  Huge! I was proud of myself that I only ate half, but I must confess I had it later.  So very good.

Now here comes the real true confession part of this post…

 

Our favorite place in the world…Ice Cream Kids…is open for the season.  Since it was Mother’s Day, we thought we’d splurge.  This is a new flavor, to me at least…not sure if they’ve had it before.  Caramel Apple…I’m drooling thinking about it.  It was just wonderful. I’m proud of myself that I asked for a small and it was just enough (although in truth if I’d been left alone with a spoon and the tub of the ice cream…it would not exist anymore!!) A great treat to end the day.

So that’s it for me for WIAW this week.  I feel so much better that I have some actual food photos to share!  It makes me really feel like I’m part of the party.  Be sure to check out the other posts at Peas & Crayons.  It’s the best deal for your food dollar!   😉

Happy WIAW!!