What size did I buy?

This is REALLY what size I purchased...I mean, that IS what the man said!

Angela must have gotten it WRONG in the dressing room!

I TOLD you.... I'm a size 6!!!

This healthy lifestyle is working for sure!!! I love it!!

Dressing Room Drama...I better have a salad!

This is what I have to go through when I shop with Angela!

Ok, so maybe I AM a large in shirts...but not for long! I'm having a delicious spinach salad with sauteed ground turkey for lunch! That ought to do it, right? Take a look below for a laugh and then make the salad for lunch! I WILL be that size 6 in NO TIME!

"Taco" Spinach Salad


There really isn't even a "recipe" for this. A couple handfuls of washed spinach, some sauteed, ground turkey seasoned with taco seasoning and a drizzle of balsamic glaze infused with raspberries. That's it. Add some beans or shredded cheese, olives, red peppers if you wish but I'm trying to keep it simple. Oh, and make sure to saute an extra pound of turkey meat. It's great during the week when you're in a jam for dinner. NOW go measure your waist! OH YAA!

Eggplant for a size 6?

Baked Eggplant... but still OMGosh delicious? So I love Eggplant Parmigiana but I would like to live past the age of 60.I guess that means that I need to change up my cooking habits. So here it is! AND it turned out DELICIOUS! Try it… and then you should still go for walk!

3 eggplant sliced

salt & pepper

1 cup grated Romano Cheese

drizzle of extra virgin olive oil

2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley (preferably Italian)

Lay the eggplant slices on 2 cookie sheets sprayed with Pam. Spray more Pam on eggplant slices. Salt and pepper both sides of eggplant. Place in a 400 degree oven and bake until they are lightly tan. You don’t have to brown on both sides. Let them cool a couple of minutes and then place one layer in your serving dish. Drizzle some REALLY good olive oil on them and then sprinkle with some Romano cheese. Keep layering, drizzling and sprinkling. If you really want to splurge, (here I go again, trying to add more calories!) add a little Marsala wine on top and then put it back in the oven at 300 degrees for about 5 minutes. Good luck at not eating the whole dish!! Oh, and don’t forget some good wine!

Shall I wear my horns or my halo this morning? French Toast or Oatmeal?

You think I'm having this for breakfast? I don't think soooooo!! I'm saving this for a special Sunday morning! The recipe for the Grand Marnier French Toast with Mascarpone Cheese is way down on the bottom below the picture of the... delicious?... can of oatmeal. Which, by the way, is what I'M having this morning!!!

Ok, so maybe this is a no-brainer breakfast but supposedly it is the one that really fills you up! That's what I need for sure! Steel cut oatmeal has a little crunch to it compared to the Quaker Oats brand that I grew up eating! I made some up in my rice cooker (three scoops) and now I have 1/2 cup portions for the rest of the week. Add some delicous raspberries and bananas with a little "Splenda"brown sugar and maybe a tablespoon of your favorite chopped nuts. Not bad at all! I'm trying... I'm trying so hard to be good!

Grand Marnier French Toast with Mascarpone Cheese

Ok,get ready to feast on this indulgent breakfast! OMGosh! Out of the ballpark amazing. I would pair it with some Italian champagne and pear necter to really put it over the top. This is one way to start your Sunday morning off with a bang!

6 extra large eggs

1 ½ cups half and half (or milk will do in a pinch)

Grated zest of 1 orange

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon Grand Marnier

½ teaspoon salt (I use Kosher)

1 large loaf challah or brioche bread

8 ounces Mascarpone cheese

Vegetable oil for sautéing

Unsalted butter for sautéing

Have some pure maple syrup and fresh fruit to garnish the plate. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees to keep slices warm. Whisk together the eggs, half and half, orange zest, vanilla, honey, Grand Marnier and salt. Slice the bread into 1 inch thick slices and cut a small pocket in the middle of the slice. Stuff about a tablespoon and a half of the cheese into the pocket. Soak the bread slices in the egg mixture for at least 5 minutes. Heat 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of oil in a very large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the soaked bread and cook for a couple of minutes until nice and brown. Place cooked French toast on a cookie sheet and put in oven to keep warm. You might want to start sipping your champagne about now. Keep frying the bread, adding the oil and butter as need be. Plate up and enjoy!!!

OMG...WHAT AM I DOING NOW?

Well, I think I have totally lost it but I am on a new reality show and will be eating really healthy and exercising like a madwoman! All in hopes of having a healthy lifestyle for the rest of my life! I plan to journal this crazy time in my life.... so..... get ready to laugh and learn some new recipes while I figure it all out. This is probably what I'll look like in a couple of weeks, ya think?

No Time To Cook? Try This!!!

Ok, it's "Girls Night Out" and I still have to cook dinner for my family. That's when I call in my 3 best friends...crockpot, rice cooker and bread maker! If you don't have those three items....call for a pizza or take some Xanax! First, run to Costco! Yes, Costco! Get one of the roasted chickens and bring it home and cut it up. If you don't know how, google it and there are plenty of videos that will show you how to do it. It is ridiculously easy. Just use a good knife.

Put the chicken pieces in a crockpot and add your favorite herbs. Mine are sage and thyme...delish!!! Pour a little Marsala wine on top and turn your crockpot on low. It will keep for hours without drying out and you don't have to watch it.

Add some brown rice to your rice cooker and follow directions. That will stay on warm for awhile after it has cooked.

Now, if you really want to wow them, use your breadmaker to make some dough (recipe should be included) and bake some fresh rolls. Put an egg wash on them and sprinkle some salt on top.

Now go put your pretty on and have some fun!!! You deserve it! Got to go...the timer just went off for my rolls!!! Whew!

Salmon Benedict with Chipotle Sauce

What a way to start the day!!

Enjoyed a fabulous birthday brunch for my daughter, Angela at the "Amaya" restaurant located in the "Grand Del Mar" hotel recently. Yes, the private room with the roaring fireplace and spectacular view was amazing but I had a Crab Benedict with Chipotle Hollandaise that was superlative! I put my own twist on it by replacing the crab with a salmon burger and that put it over the top to say the least. You can also replace the English muffin with an artichoke bottom if you are watching the carbs but gee whiz, if you're going to this much trouble...enjoy yourself for one day and eat the whole darn thing!!!

Start by sautéing a salmon burger. I use the ones from Costco and they are straight from Alaska. They are the best! (Did I mention that my husband is a commercial fisherman in Alaska? ) Keep them warm in a 200 degree oven while you prepare the eggs and sauce.

Next, toast up some great bread. Either an English muffin or some sliced Challah will do the trick. Pop that in the oven as well to stay warm. I like to warm my plates as well. It keeps the meal warm for a little longer.

Prepare the Chipotle Sauce and poach the eggs. I put a little white vinegar in my water before I drop the eggs in to cook. It seems to keep them together. Plate this up and dive in. I serve it with some seasonal berries and as usual, some Prosecco and juice. Now... how's THAT for starting your Sunday morning off with a bang?

Chipotle Sauce

3 egg yolks
1 tablespoon cold water
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 sticks unsalted butter
1 tablespoon pureed chipotle peppers in Adobo sauce
salt and pepper to taste

In the top of a double boiler or a heat-proof bowl whisk the egg yolks until they become thick and sticky. Whisk in the water and lemon juice. Place the pan or bowl over a saucepan of simmering, not boiling, water. Whisk until mixture is warm, about 2 minutes. (If mixture looks a little lumpy, dip the pan immediately in a bowl of ice water to cool, whisk until smooth and then continue recipe.) The yolk mixture has thickened enough when you can see the bottom of the pan between strokes and the mixture forms a light cream on the wires of the whisk. While whisking the yolk mixture add the pieces of butter, a tablespoon or so at a time, whisking thoroughly to incorporate before adding more butter. As the mixture begins to thicken and become creamy, the butter can be added more rapidly. Mix in the pureed chipotle sauce.
Add the salt and pepper to taste.

Now plate your dish. Place your toasted bread down first followed by the salmon burger. Put your eggs on top and then drizzle the sauce all over. Be careful not to drown out the dish. The chipotle sauce has a bite so a little goes a long way!

Hmmm...Now what's for dinner?