I am sure I am not alone in having to detour office treats. Over the holidays I think there was something new every day – chocolate covered pretzel baskets, candy, and caramel popcorn. For the record, I’ve already deemed all those things insulin worthy, but I didn’t eat a single thing. Yesterday’s temptation? Dunkin Donuts!
I put that photo on Instagram and said “I am imagining all these donuts covered in hair!” I loved the responses:
- Lara said “There will always be a donut to eat! That’s what I tell myself. They’re not going extinct.”
- Melody said “You have such amazing willpower!”
- Heather said “They don’t even seem worth it!”
- and my favorite from my daughter Hannah: “It’s times like these that I wonder if we’re really related Mom.”
I skipped the donuts thank you very much. I had a delicious breakfast waiting for me anyway – more breakfast tacos! This time it was egg whites and shredded zucchini and cheddar cheese. I ended up pan frying them in a teaspoon of coconut oil, then just popped them under the broiler at work to crisp them back up. I had a cup of grapes on the side.
So crispy and delicious! (um, I may make the same thing for breakfast this morning!). As per usual, I took half the amount of insulin at breakfast to give me enough to work out at lunch. So imagine my surprise when I took my blood sugar when it was about time to work out and I was at a perfect 118. I was talking to Tony at the time, and I told him I would just eat some fruit and then I should be good to go. I ate a cup of honeydew melon and a small apple. 20 minutes later – my blood sugar dropped to 111! I wasn’t going to keep eating in order to work out, so I didn’t work out at all yesterday.
Plan B? Goodwill! I got a great deal on Riedel stemware – I got 3 pinot noir glasses for $9.99! The normally sell for $10 each!
Last week at the store I found new to me Flatout bread – thin crust flatbread! Each one is only 140 calories!
I ended up making a sausage and veggie pizza. 2 ounces of cooked Italian sausage, baby spinach, red pepper, and some of my roasted vegetable marinara sauce. I preheated our toaster oven to 350 for 5 minutes, baked it for 8 minutes, then finished it up under the broiler. Our toaster oven at work has a timer so I can hear it from my desk.
Yep, this was a winner – and the whole pizza comes in at 367 calories! It was crispy, tasty and filling. Winning!
I had meatloaf on the menu last night – I always forget how long it takes to cook, but it was worth the wait. Luckily Tony had a late lunch! I don’t really have a recipe for meatloaf. Here’s what I did. I took 10 Ritz crackers and mixed that with 1/4 cup of fat free heavy cream, then smushed the crackers together to make a paste. I added 1/2 pound of ground pork, 1/2 pound ground sirloin, 1 beaten egg, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, and generous amounts of salt and pepper.
I bake it on a rack above a cookie sheet. I spoon 2 tablespoons of ketchup over the top and bake it at 350 for 40 minutes. I then added 1 cup of prepared mashed potatoes over the top, added some cheddar cheese and put it under the broiler until bubbly.
I may have had a glass of wine while I was cooking! You know, to test out the new glassware.
This was delicious – I served it with green beans on the side – to kind of off set the cheese! Actually, the stats aren’t too bad – 1/4 of the meatloaf, or two slices comes in at 389 calories, 18 fat, 28 carbs, 0 fiber and 26 protein.
I have to give a shout out to Shelley for the hat she made me!! Not only is it soft, but it fits well and I have a place for my ponytail!
And it looks like I’ll be getting a lot of use of it this winter still. Yesterday it was 4 degrees when I left the house – this morning? -4! We aren’t going to have temps above freezing until February. Have I told you how sick I am of this winter yet? Tony is too – he wrote a guest post . . .
I am a lucky man. I live with a woman who loves me. For us the best thing is us being together.
Every year about this time I start to think about retirement. I really have grown to hate Chicago. Not the people, not even the traffic, but the weather. I cannot stand the dreary cold and windy days of winter. Then summer hits and we get to 90 degrees, and 90% humidity. How is this fair? No place should have a 120 degree change in temperature.
I don’t want to live here anymore. Next question, where should we live? I have always loved water, lakes, ocean, and streams. I kind of always wanted to live like Tom Hanks lived in When Harry Met Sally. Live on a boat, but I don’t think that is practical. Boats sink, and there can be nothing worse than waking up to a sinking house. My Son Joey and his lovely wife live in Austin Texas. This summer he had to contend with many days over 100 degrees. That my friends is every fat mans nightmare.
My mom and dad live in Naples Florida. I was in Naples one summer and decided to take a refreshing dip in the pool. The pool was hotter than my body temperature. Also, the threat of a hurricane is always something to consider. Hurricanes scare me, they just don’t care who they kill.
Biz has a blog “friend” (M.J. – that’s you!) who lives in the Northwest. Biz showed me a picture of the waterfront where she lives. It looks so beautiful. I spent some time years ago in that area. I met some of the friendliest people I have known there. Although they did wear shirts that said people don’t die here, they just rust.
Biz and I rented a home in the mountains around Pigeon Forge Tennessee. It was beautiful, everything except the traffic, and 4000 shirt and crap shops.
Any ideas? We need decent medical care, clean and calm waters and topless beaches (Ok that one is for me).
All I really want is a place that I can be with Biz. I reiterate, I am a lucky man!
I love you Tony!!
Stats for the Day:
- no exercise
- 1390 calories, 58 cat, 140 carbs, 79 protein and 12 fiber
- average blood sugar 91
Two more days til the weekend – we can do it! Make it a great day!
You are such a creative cook. You could be put in a kitchen anywhere and come out with something extraordinary! By the way, love the hat!
Tony is such a sweet man! I think you two would enjoy San Diego, though it can be crowded it is still affordable and warm! Also, Marin county is great for retirement. It is pricey but beautiful, just over the golden gate bridge from the city. I live in southern cali and my husband says he will never ever leave here. I agree with him. it is warm and still affordable.
My fiancee is from the San Diego/La Jolla area. Gorgeous place! Just on the expensive side.
Love what Tony wrote – so very sweet!!!
I will take the heat any day but this weather is about to do me in – this morning when I took the boys to school it was 1!
I’m going to have to check out that thin crust flatbread!!
Bobby and I visited Williamsburg, VA last year and that whole area is gorgeous. There are wineries and little beach towns and countryside… that’s where I want to move to. Maybe not Williamsburg but somewhere in VA a few hours from Williamsburg and the beach.
Ha! The movie you’re looking for was Sleepless in Seattle where Tom Hanks lived on a houseboat. Which, BTW, was priced at a reasonable $2.5M in 2008. I can only afford to drive by it every once in awhile. 🙂
We live in the Pacific NW and dream of the all year round 70 degrees of San Diego. Someday!!!
I have to have one of those hats, I couldn’t even keep reading before posting this comment. Please tell me your friends sells them too.
Thanks
Yep! You can contact Shelley here Molly!
well don’t consider CT, because it is the same crap weather story. When you find shan-gr-ila let me know. (I think the movie was Sleepless in Seattle, not When Harry met Sally) I want to try that flatout bread. Your meat loaf looks great. Awesome post. And to Biz – I have so much respect for you managing diabetes and working out….must be a tough line to walk but you do a great job. The glasses were a good find in lieu of exercise tho. LOL
That is such a sweet post by Tony!
Well, I live in Santa Barbara. We have great weather (it’s been in the 70’s and 80’s the last few weeks), decent medical care available, but I’m sorry – it’s expensive as shit here.
This is my neighborhood, which is an “affordable” neighborhood with a lot of old, small, 2 BR, 1BA houses.
http://www.zillow.com/homes/1500-w.-valerio-st,-93101_rb/
So I guess the Pacific Northwest would be better – still decent weather if you can handle the rain, and cheaper than So. Cal.
Holy shit Marcia – I had no idea the real estate was that expensive!! And for an 875 square foot house to boot!
I think you and Tony are both very lucky for having found such compatible mates! Being from the state of Alabama, I would like to add a couple of things about living here. If you’re anywhere close to being liberal minded, the I definitely wouldn’t move to the south if I were you, or you’ll be a severe minority here. My husband and I are actually taking two weeks off work this summer and doing a cross-country road trip to the Western part of the country. We want to move in the next couple of years to an area that’s not so Religiously conservative–and where the state government is not run by religion. We don’t really fit in in Alabama even though we were both born and raised here. Funny how that happens. Good luck on your search….sounds like a great opportunity for a ROAD TRIP to me!!!
Good to know – one doesn’t always get a ‘feel’ for politics when they are in a vacation/tourist area. I loved the beach at Gulf Shores, but would have to think twice about relocation. 😉
I couldn’t comment yesterday, but i wanted to tell you that good kreplach is wonderful. They can be made with wonton wrappers. They are a Jewish delicacy and not many folks make them anymore. And it seems like there is something else i wanted to say, too, but I can’t remember. I want to retire also. But Manservant has just taken a new job and will be travelling again. Luckily, Colorado is a grand state weatherwise and otherwise, which is what I left Illinois for. But, no water. Oh, i remember. I loved your grocery store, kitchen store day. I love doing those things, too!
You’ve got a good man, Biz. Lucky lady!!
Virginia…we have mountains and beaches!
Morning Pam!! Love you! 😀
Aww Tony is so sweet! I love flatout bread. It’s awesome!
That meatloaf looks so awesome. I could have lunch right now if I was eating that, I tell you what …
Aww Tony! I am nowhere near retirement age, so I can’t really project where I want to be in 30+ years, but I am anxious to see what others say. 🙂
Come visit me in Portland. I have a friend who lives on a houseboat in the Columbia River and he loves it. I’m sure he’d be happy to show/tell you what it’s like. Our summers are spectacular – mild and blue and sunny and amazing. The rainy winters get to some people, but our usual temps are about 40. If it gets to 30 here, people freak. It’s worth considering. By the way, I live on the Washington state side of the river and pay no state income tax (might not matter if you’re retired). Then on the Oregon side, there’s no sales tax, so shopping over there is extra fun. I’m 15 minutes from downtown Portland. Give it some thought!
Love the hat!!! Tony: My hubs and I are in the same boat – sick of the weather and ready to bail! We’re 49 and 54 so it’s a little early – be we can dream…we love the Smoky Mtn area – not in the tourist towns – but we loved our stay in Asheville NC and it’s only a few hours to the beaches from there. We also loved our trip to Gulf Shores Alabama and are going back in April – too hot in the Summer, but we have that covered with our northern Wisco cabin. Have a great day and Stay Warm!
Great hat! I LOVE the guest post. Touching bet yet still Tony humor 🙂 I personally love the Carolinas. They do sometimes have to deal with the scary and mean hurricanes but if you don’t live to close to the coast it wouldn’t be as bad. Good deal on your new wine glasses. I’m a glassware junkie. I have all different shapes, sizes and colors. My daughter has to slap my hands and drag me away when I get to close to them.
CHARLESTON!!!! <3 <3 or you all might like Charlotte as well. I love those flat outs. Josh isn't a huge fan so I don't buy them often. So many great uses. Your pizza looks perfect. Love the pony tail hole in that hat. Too cute. Stay warm
For Tony: Charlottesville, Virginia! It’s within a few hours drive of coastal Virginia but nestled in the mountains with moderate temperatures. Oh, an it’s not too southernish!!
I’m sick of this cold weather and snow but would miss all that Chicago offers. I just need a second home to escape too a few times a year.
Best,
Bonnie
Aww, how sweet Tony!
That’s a really cute hat.