I was on the Oprah Show.

I stayed up too late last night watching the season premiere of Oprah’s last season.  I have a love/hate thing with her – while I think she does some beneficial things for the community, not only in Chicago but around the world, her ego is about the size of North America.

Every time I see her magazine with her picture on the cover, I kind of cringe just a little bit and want to say “its not all about you!”

That being said, I was on the Oprah show.  It was 1991.  Our best friends Aunt scored tickets because they were doing a show about twins.  We had no idea what the subject matter was, only that when we got there, all the sets of twins got the middle section of her studio.

It was October and I was pregnant with Hannah, although at the time I think only my sister knew it.   My sister bought us matching outfits.  I’ll never forget the shirts we wore – they are long, I think they almost came to just above our knees – it was bright purple and black, we were wearing black leggings with them and I am pretty sure we thought we were hot!

So as we are waiting for the show to tape, a produce comes around, asks us some questions.  We mention that we are best friends and couldn’t imagine not having each other.

So during the course of the show, we realize the show is about “good twin, bad twin.”  In one set of twins, one sister kicked her sister in the nose and broke it!  They hated each other.  Then all of a sudden Oprah is standing in front of us and is like “what do you twins think?”

We stand up, say that we are best friends and its too bad these twins can’t get along, and at the same time say “and we call each other like 20 times a day.”  Everyone laughed at that!  I have the show on VHS, and if I can figure it out I’ll post it soon because its hilarious to watch.  Hard to believe that was 19 years ago already!

Oprah fan or Oprah hater?

Breakfast yesterday is what I am calling an egg beaters fajita.  I bought these red peppers thinking they were hot, but they are sweet.  Two corn tortillas, 1/4 cup refried beans, 1 ounce cheese, 1/2 cup egg beaters, red and green peppers, Taco bell sauce and Tabasco – a spicy way to start the day!

While it was gorgeous outside, I still decided to go to the gym.  OMG, Rachael Ray was making something she called “Sloppy Johns.”  Her husband either saw it in a magazine or on a restaurant menu.  She took flat iron steaks, grilled them with fresh herbs, made a sloppy joe’s sauce with ketchup, vinegar, brown sugar, garlic and some other stuff, then made a Dijon mustard cole slaw.

She sliced the steak thin, but it on a garlic ciabatta bread, poured some of the sloppy joe sauce overtop then topped it with the coleslaw.  My mouth is actually watering just thinking about it!  Here is the recipe if you want to check it out.  I did work out too!  45 minutes, level 10 on the elliptical. 😀

Here is a shitty picture of my lunch – can you tell there was absolutely no natural light where I ate my lunch!  But it was delicious – I dipped 1 oz. of tortilla chips sprinkled with Tabasco on the side.

So my menu this week was based simply off of our sale paper.  Whenever I see cut up whole chicken for .89 cents a pound, I can’t help myself, and while I am sure there are healthier alternatives to make with said chicken, I think of only one thing:  buttermilk fried chicken!

I tried a different batter though.  First yesterday morning I put the chicken in a bowl with a lid, pour buttermilk all over the chicken, then sprinkle with paprika, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper – I just eye ball it Rachael Ray style.  😀

The coating I used was supposed to be a copy cat Extra Crispy Fried Chicken, and while good, I still think there is room for improvement.

• 1 cup milk mixed with 1 egg in one bowl
• 2 cups flour, 1/2 teaspoon paprika, 1/2 teasoon baking pwoder, 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder, 2 1/2 teaspoons salt (I skimped on this, so use all 2 1/2 teaspoons) and 3/4 teaspoons pepper

While the deep fryer was getting to temperature, I battered all the chicken – this time it said to dip in milk mixture, dip in flour, then repeat – two dips!  Another secret is to after you batter the chicken, refrigerate for one hour – it will guarantee that the batter will stay on the chicken.  I didn’t have that kind of time  though, but mine still turned out good.

And I may have doused the chicken with Frank’s hot sauce before I dug in!

Stats for Monday:

• 1536 calories, 150 carbs, 104 protein, 59 fat, 21 fiber
• 34% of calories from fat
• 45 minutes level 10 elliptical
• 5 minute cool down
• 15 minute walk with my dog after dinner

I am off to make my first bowl of savory oats for the season!  Have a great day!