I have always enjoyed spicy foods - the hotter the better. I love that sweat you get when you eat really spicy Mexican or Chinese food.
One of my favorite spicy food stories is when I was eating at a hole-in-the-wall Mexican restaurant in Texas about five miles from the Mexican border. The waiter put down complimentary chips and three salsas - medium (no mild salsa of course), hot and really, really hot. The waiter warned us that most people couldn't handle the really hot stuff. I, of course, immediately dug into the really, really hot stuff. I made my way through one bowl and asked for seconds. The waiter looked a little stunned, but didn't say anything and brought me a second bowl. After awhile my dinner companions and I noticed that there seemed to be a parade of staff (including kitchen staff) trooping past our table. Our waiter delivered our entrees and asked (with a smirk) if we had noticed all the staff trooping past. We commented that it was hard to miss and he told us that everyone who worked there wanted to see the little white girl who could handle eating all that hot salsa! I think I was as red as the salsa for the rest of the night.
I bring this up because I have been relying on hot sauce (lots of it) to make a lot of the food on this diet more palatable, from the egg whites in the morning to many of the provided entrees. Tabasco is of course a standby, and I have also been using Scotch Bonnet Caribbean Pepper Sauce by Tropical Pepper Co and Dave's Gourmet Ultimate Insanity Hot Sauce. The Scotch Bonnet is very flavorful and adds a nice degree of heat. The Ultimate Insanity Hot Sauce lives up to its name - lots and lots of heat, though not a ton of flavor.
So, my question - do you have a favorite hot sauce and if so what is it and where can you get it?
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Recipe: Back to Loving Cucumbers
I know I just wrote how I would be happy to never see a cucumber again, but then the boy reminded me of my spicy cucumbers - my absolute favorite cucumber recipe. So, I whipped up a batch and now can't stop eating them. Here is the incredibly easy recipe:
3-4 medium sized cucumbers
2-3 hot peppers diced (I usually use jalapenos)
1/3 cup shallots diced
1/3 cup green onions thinly sliced
1/4 cilantro chopped
1/2 rice wine vinegar
2 tbs sugar
1/2 tsp salt
Mix the cucumbers, hot peppers, shallots, green onions and cilantro together. Then, mix the rice wine vinegar, sugar and salt and pour over the cucumbers.
It could not be easier and they are absolutely delicious (and, by the way, a perfect side salad for BBQ chicken)
3-4 medium sized cucumbers
2-3 hot peppers diced (I usually use jalapenos)
1/3 cup shallots diced
1/3 cup green onions thinly sliced
1/4 cilantro chopped
1/2 rice wine vinegar
2 tbs sugar
1/2 tsp salt
Mix the cucumbers, hot peppers, shallots, green onions and cilantro together. Then, mix the rice wine vinegar, sugar and salt and pour over the cucumbers.
It could not be easier and they are absolutely delicious (and, by the way, a perfect side salad for BBQ chicken)
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Sorry For The Lack of Posting
My apologies dear readers for my lack of posting this past week or so. It was due to a combination of lots of work (which involves writing), the end of winter blahs and hitting a bit of a wall with this diet.
The wall that I have hit is namely salad. I am sick to death of salad, especially what, on this diet, is considered salad. Anything really interesting that you might put into a salad (peppers, broccoli, asparagus, even tomatoes) is considered a vegetable serving, and you are limited to two one cup vegetable servings at dinner only. The unlimited salad vegetables are essentially lettuce (including spinach and cabbage), cucumbers, parsley (which I don't even consider a vegetable so they are cheating there), celery, radishes, sprouts, mushrooms and zucchini. After a month and a half on this program I would be happy to never see a cucumber again, and I have decided that I really don't like radishes. I have tried to change things up with the dressing, but even that has gotten old - there only so many good low fat or no fat dressings out there.
So, I found myself less than inspired to write. Hopefully though I will be a little less depressed in the weeks ahead as the days get longer and the air warmer and the thought of baring skin in summer clothing will get me inspired again and make cucumber seem not so bad.
The wall that I have hit is namely salad. I am sick to death of salad, especially what, on this diet, is considered salad. Anything really interesting that you might put into a salad (peppers, broccoli, asparagus, even tomatoes) is considered a vegetable serving, and you are limited to two one cup vegetable servings at dinner only. The unlimited salad vegetables are essentially lettuce (including spinach and cabbage), cucumbers, parsley (which I don't even consider a vegetable so they are cheating there), celery, radishes, sprouts, mushrooms and zucchini. After a month and a half on this program I would be happy to never see a cucumber again, and I have decided that I really don't like radishes. I have tried to change things up with the dressing, but even that has gotten old - there only so many good low fat or no fat dressings out there.
So, I found myself less than inspired to write. Hopefully though I will be a little less depressed in the weeks ahead as the days get longer and the air warmer and the thought of baring skin in summer clothing will get me inspired again and make cucumber seem not so bad.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
How Strict Is Too Strict
Right now dieting is a mother-daughter endeavor. My mother is trying to lose some weight so that she can have knee surgery. She is, at least for now, doing it through a doctor's program. I have taken to calling him the Diet Nazi because he is so extreme in his "rules." According to him, my mother should NEVER EVER have any sort of red meat, any fat of any kind (including olive oil), and absolutely no carbs of any kind...EVER. I can't stress the ever factor more.
I feel he takes it too far. To say never, ever is setting up anyone who remotely loves food for failure. Plus, I don't understand why never is necessary. As I said in one of my first posts, the program I am on lets you eat most foods, including red meat, carbs and dessert (hell, I had chocolate chip pudding last night), just in extreme moderation. Plus, the program even advertises that "you can take the weekends off" (now everyone who watches TV should know what program I am on). As far as I understand it, Weight Watchers works on the premise that you can also eat almost whatever you want, including eating out, so long as you keep within your points. So why this mandate of never?
Maybe this never philosophy works for some patients, but my mother, like me, is a real foodie. Telling her never on almost everything but fish, chicken and steamed or raw vegetables is dooming her to be miserable and either giving up, or at some point binging and doing more damage than if she was allowed once a week to have a very small piece of lean beef.
I also know that for some people completely cutting out carbs (or white foods) can make a real difference, but that is usually when there actually is something wrong with ones endocrine system or digestive system and they can't metabolize or digest certain foods. According to this doctor though, my mother does not have that problem. This guy just seems to have one set of rules which he lays down with an iron fist.
So, what do you all think - should diet rules be extreme and iron clad law, or does moderation with room for cheating now and then work better?
I feel he takes it too far. To say never, ever is setting up anyone who remotely loves food for failure. Plus, I don't understand why never is necessary. As I said in one of my first posts, the program I am on lets you eat most foods, including red meat, carbs and dessert (hell, I had chocolate chip pudding last night), just in extreme moderation. Plus, the program even advertises that "you can take the weekends off" (now everyone who watches TV should know what program I am on). As far as I understand it, Weight Watchers works on the premise that you can also eat almost whatever you want, including eating out, so long as you keep within your points. So why this mandate of never?
Maybe this never philosophy works for some patients, but my mother, like me, is a real foodie. Telling her never on almost everything but fish, chicken and steamed or raw vegetables is dooming her to be miserable and either giving up, or at some point binging and doing more damage than if she was allowed once a week to have a very small piece of lean beef.
I also know that for some people completely cutting out carbs (or white foods) can make a real difference, but that is usually when there actually is something wrong with ones endocrine system or digestive system and they can't metabolize or digest certain foods. According to this doctor though, my mother does not have that problem. This guy just seems to have one set of rules which he lays down with an iron fist.
So, what do you all think - should diet rules be extreme and iron clad law, or does moderation with room for cheating now and then work better?
Monday, March 9, 2009
Some Restaurant News
For those of you in the New Jersey area, the following are some restaurant updates.
Restaurant David Drake in Rahway, NJ is now offering a $29.00 3-course menu, Monday through Thursday all night, as well as Fridays from 5:30 - 6:30. This is a great opportunity to enjoy some of the best food in the area at an extremely reasonable price.
Daryl Wine Bar in New Brunswick, NJ has changed its menu to all tapas (before it was half tapas, half large plates). Another opportunity to sample David Drake's amazing food without breaking the bank.
Soho on George in New Brunswick, NJ has significantly cut prices. The majority of entrees are now under $20.00. In my view, Soho is an average restaurant and was not worth the prices they were charging before, but at these new prices it is definitely back on the places to dine list.
Restaurant David Drake in Rahway, NJ is now offering a $29.00 3-course menu, Monday through Thursday all night, as well as Fridays from 5:30 - 6:30. This is a great opportunity to enjoy some of the best food in the area at an extremely reasonable price.
Daryl Wine Bar in New Brunswick, NJ has changed its menu to all tapas (before it was half tapas, half large plates). Another opportunity to sample David Drake's amazing food without breaking the bank.
Soho on George in New Brunswick, NJ has significantly cut prices. The majority of entrees are now under $20.00. In my view, Soho is an average restaurant and was not worth the prices they were charging before, but at these new prices it is definitely back on the places to dine list.
The Dreaded Scale
So, I know I promised to weigh myself on a regular basis and update you on how many pounds I am actually losing, as opposed to more subjective findings such as how my clothes fit or I how look. I have been unable though to bring myself to step on the damn thing. It has become one of my biggest stressors. Every morning I wake up determined to weigh myself, and then conveniently forget or come up with increasingly lame excuses as to why I shouldn't that day.
Well, I finally did it this afternoon to discover that, according to the scale, in the last 2 weeks, I have lost 9 lbs!! Very exciting!!
Well, I finally did it this afternoon to discover that, according to the scale, in the last 2 weeks, I have lost 9 lbs!! Very exciting!!
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
A Word About Yogurt
As part of this diet I now eat a lot of yogurt - at least one a day and usually two. At first I was dreading this, but I have discovered that there are some amazing flavors of yogurt out there for under a 120 calories.
As annoying as their commercials are, I personally think Yoplait is the best. From their regular fruit flavors, to their more interesting flavors like White Chocolate Strawberry, their yogurts seem to be the most flavorful and have the most bits of fresh fruit.
Of course, I haven't tried all the yogurts out there, so does anyone else have a yogurt recommendation?
As annoying as their commercials are, I personally think Yoplait is the best. From their regular fruit flavors, to their more interesting flavors like White Chocolate Strawberry, their yogurts seem to be the most flavorful and have the most bits of fresh fruit.
Of course, I haven't tried all the yogurts out there, so does anyone else have a yogurt recommendation?
Monday, March 2, 2009
I Was A Bad, Bad Girl
I completely went off the diet this weekend....completely.
It started Friday when a friend that I have not seen in ages asked me to meet her out for a drink. The timing was a bit awkward on whether I would eat before I went or eat at the restaurant. When I wasn't hungry before leaving, I decided to eat there - big mistake because I met up with french fries. A big pile of salty, crispy wonderful french fries. I basically had two bites of my bunless, cheeseless burger, but somehow made my way through the whole damn pile of french fries!
Saturday I was good all day, but had plans to meet another friend out at a local Greek restaurant . The restaurant was so crazy though we ditched that idea and went out for Chinese - never a healthy choice. But the worst part was when I got home at around midnight. Between having Chinese food (which always leaves you hungry an hour or so later) and it being my usual hungry time - I was starved. The result - I ate about a 1/4 of a bag of Spicy Nacho Doritos. Definitely not my finest hour. The guilt was enormous most of Sunday, but I think I am over it now and have chalked it up to a slip (albeit a major one) and am now back on the program. We all have slips right?
It started Friday when a friend that I have not seen in ages asked me to meet her out for a drink. The timing was a bit awkward on whether I would eat before I went or eat at the restaurant. When I wasn't hungry before leaving, I decided to eat there - big mistake because I met up with french fries. A big pile of salty, crispy wonderful french fries. I basically had two bites of my bunless, cheeseless burger, but somehow made my way through the whole damn pile of french fries!
Saturday I was good all day, but had plans to meet another friend out at a local Greek restaurant . The restaurant was so crazy though we ditched that idea and went out for Chinese - never a healthy choice. But the worst part was when I got home at around midnight. Between having Chinese food (which always leaves you hungry an hour or so later) and it being my usual hungry time - I was starved. The result - I ate about a 1/4 of a bag of Spicy Nacho Doritos. Definitely not my finest hour. The guilt was enormous most of Sunday, but I think I am over it now and have chalked it up to a slip (albeit a major one) and am now back on the program. We all have slips right?
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