Chick Flick Movie Night

 This morning I had another blueberry banana smoothie for breakfast. I have new straws also, colorful ones. They were all out of the plain boring straws. I used a blue one. It seemed the most fitting choice for a blueberry smoothie. I still haven't managed to use up all the vanilla instant pudding mix, so I threw a tsp. into my smoothie. A small package of instant pudding mix goes a long way for making smoothies.

For lunch I had a tofurky sandwich with Herr's Hot Sauce (Texas Pete) potato chips. I used four peppered tofurky deli slices, spinach, a slice of pepper jack cheese, mushrooms and some of the Heluva Good Fiesta Dip on lightly toasted white bread.

The sandwich, chips, and dip combines had just the right amount of heat. The dip makes a great condiment for my sandwiches. It's thick, flavorful, and not nearly as messy as salad dressing, of course, messy can be good sometimes.

I did some reading today in my book, "Two For The Dough" by Janet Evanovich. I love how quickly this one is going. I haven't been great about finishing up the blog at night in time to read before bed, so I'm trying to do a little reading during the day so that I may accomplish my goal of 20 books for the year. I set a fairly low goal, but still tried to keep it challenging. Goodreads sort of helps me stay accountable. 

Before dinner I made myself a cup of green tea, half decaf/half regular. I used 1 bag of the lemon ginseng and 1 bag of blackberry pomegranate. I've had a nagging headache on and off for 2 days. It decided to aggravate me right before dinner, so I decided to have a cup of tea to see if it would help. I thought the heat from the tea might be good if it were a sinus headache. I've been trying to avoid taking so many pain relievers. It's so easy just to grab the bottle of Motrin or Tylenol. I've found that if I take the time to do deep breathing exercises first, that most of the time I don't need to take anything. My back is still bothering me off and on as well. The breathing exercises have been a big help for relieving my back pain. 

For dinner I had Michelina's Sesame Lo Mein and an egg rolls. I'd forgotten that I'd had this once before. I can't believe I haven't gotten it again in such a long time. It is one of the few things that I've given 5 stars. I will definitely have to try and remember it. I don't find a lot of good frozen Asian style dinners. I mostly rely on the vegetable eggrolls for an Asian type meal, although the ones I really like don't have that authentic Asian feel, but they are good.

The lo mein however does seem a lot like what's you get at a restaurant.

It was girls night in at my house tonight. The guy were off at a shooting match, so I had the television all to myself. This meant I could watch anything I wanted. I took advantage of this by watching something they would never watch with me, that of course would be a "Chick Flick". I chose "Love And Other Disasters", mainly for the comedy. I like to watch something funny occasionally and most of the time it's in the form of a "Chick Flick". The movie has Brittany Murphy in it, who I think looks a bit sickly, because of the dark circles under her eyes. I did think she looked better in this movie, which may have been because she had dark hair rather than her usual blonde. This movie is not really your usual romantic comedy, but it wasn't bad. It's also not exactly what I prefer either. It was rated R and I usually prefer PG. I did give it 3 stars though.

Now this girl is going to bed. Have a great night/day!!!

Michelina's Lean Gourmet Southwestern Fresca Review

This morning I didn't keep the girls. I'm still having back trouble. I slept in. When I got up I made myself a fruit & yogurt cereal bowl.

I used Life cereal, Cheerios and Bran Flakes, part Dannon and part Chobani vanilla yogurt, chopped walnuts, pink lady apple, and dried blueberries.

For lunch I tried Michelina's Lean Gourmet Southwestern Fresca dinner. It's whole wheat penne pasta with corn, red & black beans, broccoli florets, bell peppers, carrots, red onions, and jalapenos in a creamy Southwestern style sauce.

Nutrition Facts
Michelina's Lean Gourmet All Natural - Southwestern Fresca Steamer Bowl
Servings: 1 Package

Calories     290     Sodium     690 mg
Total Fat     9 g     Potassium     0 mg
Saturated     4 g     Total Carbs     48 g
Polyunsaturated     0 g     Dietary Fiber     10 g
Monounsaturated     0 g     Sugars     6 g
Trans     0 g     Protein     10 g
Cholesterol     20 mg          
Vitamin A     50%     Calcium     8%
Vitamin C     50%     Iron     15%

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

That was the description, now for the low down. I was pretty sure I would like this since I like all the veggies in this one, but the deal breaker was the sauce, which was not at all like a sauce to me. It reminded me of a slightly spicy thousand island dressing, not at all what I was expecting. I've never tasted a southwestern style dish quite like it. It was edible, but not very enjoyable. I think if they had used a sour cream instead of what tasted like mayo and vinegar, it might have been better, as is, this dinner only gets 2 stars from me. Maybe I can make this myself using the same veggies and pasta, but with a different sauce, hopefully better.

I had another pina colada jello after lunch. I divided it up in the little cups I'd saved from individual applesauce, the perfect size for a serving of jello, also great for pudding. I can cover them with foil or plastic wrap or just place them inside a plastic container. Very convenient.

 

We went to the grocery store this evening and picked up lots of goodies. Dinner was just a frozen pizza. Dinner was already running late and I'd done all the standing my back could take. I had two slices of cheese pizza. It was really good with lots of sauce. 

Now, it's late and I'm tire, so I'm off to bed. Have a great night/day!!!

Michelina's Sesame Lo Mein Review

Where do I begin?...with breakfast, I suppose. I used to drink coffee first thing in the morning, nearly a whole pot and the first thing I ate was usually lunch, not breakfast. Now that I don't drink as much coffee, I need breakfast almost as soon as my eyes open, which is why I like quick breakfasts. 

Yesterday's breakfast was easy enough. I had half a cranberry bagel from the freezer, toasted with a little peanut butter, raisins, and white chocolate chips.

I guess my sweet cravings were strong yesterday. I had my piece of leftover pumpkin cheesecake between breakfast and lunch.

I emptied the last of a couple of bags of frozen veggies to go with lunch. It was mostly corn with a few peas and carrots.

I'd decided on the leftover Veggie Patch Meatballs with tomato sauce and mashed potatoes. It looked so good.

We went to Mom's to check out the roof leak, before the rain comes. I had a Russell Stover chocolate truffle while I was there along with a cup of decaf coffee. The Russell Stover truffles are pretty good. The chocolate seems a bit darker or less sweet. I am mostly a fan of dark chocolate, but when it comes to truffles, I like it all. I do believe my favorite chocolate truffles are those made by Dove. I'm not sure you can get them right now though. They are usually only available around Easter and maybe Valentine's Day. I remember when the kids where small, I would buy them each a pack every Easter for their baskets and one pack for myself. There were 3 to a pack and they were shaped like a whole egg, not the half egg you get now.

After Mom's we made a trip to Walmart and then home to watch Two Broke Girls, the highlight of our Monday night tv watching.

For dinner I had Michelina's Lean Gourmet Sesame Lo Mein.

Nutrition Facts

Michelina's Lean Gourmet - Sesame Lo Mein

Servings: 1

Calories	320	Sodium	690 mg
Total Fat	9 g	Potassium	0 mg
Saturated	2 g	Total Carbs	57 g
Polyunsaturated	0 g	Dietary Fiber	8 g
Monounsaturated	0 g	Sugars	18 g
Trans	0 g	Protein	8 g
Cholesterol	0 mg
Vitamin A	80%	Calcium	6%
Vitamin C	100%	Iron	15%

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

I was really surprised at how good it was. Usually frozen Asian dishes aren't all that great. The first thing I noticed about it was the smell. It was the yummy smell of sesame oil. I really love the smell of sesame oil. I was expecting a more savory dish, judging by the smell, but there is pineapple in the bowl. This reminds me of my Sweet & Sour Veggies. It tastes very similar.

It was delicious. I could have eaten two bowls (and been miserably full). It was just so good, I wanted to keep eating it, so you know it's getting 5 stars, right?

I think I over did it on the sweets yesterday though, bagel, cheesecake, lunch, truffle, & noodles. A handful of Emerald dark chocolate peanut butter mixed nuts after dinner wasn't so bad. The hint of sweetness solved the craving without adding a lot of carbs. I'll try and do better today and let you know how that goes. Wish me luck. 

After dinner and Two Broke Girls, I did some reading. I still haven't finished The Girl Who Played with Fire yet, but I'm getting close. Happy Tuesday!!

Michelina's Stuffed Cheese Rigatoni Review

I can't believe the sun is out this morning. I heard rain before getting up and the forecast is calling for rain all day. I always sleep better when it rains, not sure why. It's also cool in the house this morning or it fills that way.

I love my smoothies, but I'm not sure I will be craving them once the weather gets cooler. I'm sort of cold natured, sitting with a throw on the couch and/or a thin jacket. Which reminds me, I haven't worn pants all summer. I hope I'll be able to get back in them once things cool off. Well anyway, for now, I'm still sucking down cool sweet smoothies and I have to worry about the pants later. Yesterday's smoothie was a banana pudding smoothie with peanut butter and cinnamon. It's really just a banana smoothie. I'm out of vanilla wafers right now and I usually leave them out when I add peanut butter.

 

 

On to lunch. Lunch was light and yummy. I had the last of my roasted vegetable grain salad with some added spinach again. It was just so good that way, I decided to repeat it.

Dessert was a slice of leftover birthday cake. Cake and fruit are the best, especially strawberries and whippy icing.

 

For dinner I had stuffed cheese rigatoni (Michelina's) with leftover green beans. I've tried several of their meals, usually not too bad. The rigatoni tasted pretty good. The pasta was a little under done for my taste, sort of chewy. It also could have used more cheese, but that's also a personal preference. The sauce was a little peppery, not that I mind, but some might and it's a good thing to know, especially if you're making this for kids or you detest spicy food of any kind. I like these because they are pretty cheap at just 99cent each and for the most part, they are not too bad. I think with the rigatoni, that cooking just a little longer than the recommended time will solve the problem. I've included the nutritional facts below.

  

I love the one serving per package. Just fix your sides and your ready to go.

 

I will buy this one more time to see if cooking solves the problem.

After dinner the evening was rather boring. Nothing on tv, the rain or something was screwing up my internet, slowing it to a crawl, and so I was able to get to bed early with a little reading before hand. I'm working on a mystery, love those. The current being "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo" by Stieg Larsson. I also have the movie in my Netflix instant watch queue, that I'm thinking of watching after I read the book. Have you seen the movie and/or read the book? Any good mysteries to recommend? Happy Tuesday! Oh yeah, today is my Zumba day! Can't wait.

Hey Mambo

Another sunny morning. All I've done is sneeze since I opened my eyes. I'm not sure what that's about, but something is definitely in the air. I've been checking out the weather this morning to see if it will be good for a walk and so far it's looking good.

Usually I have breakfast, blog, and then walk on the days we walk. Yesterday's breakfast was another Banana Pudding Smoothie. It was super thick because of the ice and frozen banana. I love when I can use frozen banana. We didn't walk yesterday because our Zumba schedule was changed and we were having Zumba yesterday instead of Thurs. Hopefully we can squeeze a walk in this morning. Mornings are best for walking because summer evenings in the south are too unpredictable, with pop up showers and thunderstorms.

 

Smoothies would be perfect after a walk, if only I could get up walk first, have breakfast and then blog. I suppose I could but that would put my post out even later. It already feels weird writing about the day before. It's sort of like telling old news.

 

For lunch I had Michelina's Fettuccine Alfredo.

I added some broccoli to the noodles and sprinkled it with Parmesan cheese. It also needed a pinch of salt. I suppose because I had added the broccoli. Normally frozen dinners are plenty salty enough.

 

Some garlic and oregano would have been even better, but I was hungry and lazy and just did without.

I had a crumbled piece of apple cake from the freezer. I'm finding lots of things in there lately. I can finally see the light in the back. I haven't ever gotten around to cleaning out the fridge either, something I really need to do.

 

Yesterday, I procrastinated the day away and waited until the last minute to fix dinner. I'd forgotten that the dinner I had planned to fix was more elaborate than usual and would require more time. It was also rather hot since our a/c only works when it wants to. It seems to think the house stays at 55 degrees and doesn't need to be on. 

I was limited for quick choices, so I threw together some tomato soup, using diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, basil, garlic, sugar and a little salt. It turned out well. I also had a grilled cheese sandwich to go with the soup.

 

I'd thought about adding a little milk to the soup, but wasn't sure if I'd like it that way, so I passed. Dale always puts milk in tomato soup, but we both eat different things most of the time.

I had a lovely time at Zumba yesterday. Tuesday's workout felt very short for some reason and last night seemed extremely long. I suppose because neither Lindsay or my sister in law, Angie went. My two partners in crime left me hanging. I still had fun, but it did seem longer. 

While I was at Zumba, Lucas and Dale went to Cathy and Eddie's. They brought back some pizza Cathy sent with them. I had a couple of slices of the cheese with peppers and onions. The thin crust made 2 slices just enough for an after Zumba snack. It was good, sort of like pizza on crackers.

 Now for a little fun. This is what the day brought to mind. Yes I know, my mind wanders, but it was late, I was tired and this is what came to mind. Hope you like it. Happy Thursday!!

Peanut, Peanut Butter & Honey

This morning I finally got to break out my big tub of Chobani vanilla. I've been trying to hurry and finish off the other container of vanilla yogurt I'd gotten from Walmart. I won't be buying the Walmart brand again. It was not good. The Chobani is my favorite, but if I have to get a cheaper brand, Food Lion's vanilla isn't too bad.

 

I was craving peanut butter this morning, so I decided to whip up a Peanut Butter Smoothie. It didn't make quite as much smoothie as the others I've made, which have fruit in them, but it was really yummy. I love peanut butter and I have to say, this is one of my favorite smoothies.  Although there doesn't look like much, don't let that fool you. It's still a pretty filling breakfast, just give it a few minutes. It takes a few minutes for your stomach to tell your brain that you're full and because you can drink this down pretty fast, you may still feel like you could eat more, but after a few minutes, it kicks in and it really fills you up or at least it did me.

What's in the glass

Creamy Peanut Butter

Chobani Vanilla Yogurt 0%

Milk 2%

Old Fashioned Oats

Ground Flax

Ice Cubes

We were out running most of the day, so lunch was late. I had a Michelina's Cheese Manicotta.

Boy, was I disappointed when I opened the box. I did just pay a dollar for it, so I guess I shouldn't have expected much, but I did expect a little more than this simply because of the size of the box.

I mean the box was empty nearly. Oh well, it wasn't long until dinner time anyway, so this should be enough to tide me over, right?

Not......I also had a Gala apple spread with more peanut butter and drizzled with a little.....too much honey.

I had a sandwich for dinner. I couldn't really decide what I wanted, but I settled on this as the closest thing to what I was in the mood for. I had a Morning Star Farms Chick'n Griller seasoned with taco seasoning on toast with lettuce, sliced cheese, and Chipotle Mayo. It was good, but it didn't really satisfy my hunger for whatever it was I wanted. I really hate when I want something and don't know what it is or when I know and don't have it.

 

  

This is what it took to satisfy me.....a bowl of dry roasted peanuts mixed with a few butterscotch chips.

 I think I should have just gone with the jar of peanut butter and a spoon today. I just couldn't get enough peanut taste.  Did you satisfy a craving today? What was the best thing you ate today? Oh yeah, it's not looking good for Wednesday's links or lack there of. I still didn't get to them today. Now I'm off to get ready for bed.