Stressed spelled backwards

I want to have a good body, but not as much as I want dessert.

~Jason Love

I love dessert, especially when there's chocolate involved. Figuring out how to squeeze dessert into my weight watchers plan, however, was proving to be a challenge. I am trying to stay focused this week, as I lost another 5 pounds when I weighed in Saturday. Unfortunately I have a track record of losing, then gaining, then losing...I am determined to lose again this week, even if it just a little.

This is where having five kids all over the globe comes in handy. I get the scoop on all kinds of products. Chris recently wrote on his blog about a fat-free brownie mix called No Pudge. Since Chris lives in New York City I was skeptical that I'd be able to find the mix locally, but I forgot, I live close to Jungle Jim's! (By the way, I think I'm becoming addicted to the Jungle) Was I ever in luck. No Pudge Fudge Brownies come in an original mix, along with 3 flavors- mint, raspberry and cappuccino. I chose cappuccino. The only thing you add to the mix in a 6oz container of non-fat vanilla yogurt. When I fixed these I warmed the brownie for a few seconds in the microwave, added one small scoop of fat free frozen vanilla yogurt and drizzled it all with chocolate syrup. Entirely fat free and only 160 calories, or 3 WW points. Absolutely lick the plate delicious!



No Pudge Fudge Brownies have a website. You can find recipes and a listing of where you can find the mix. Like I said, I found it at Jungle Jim's for $2.69. Enjoy, and be forewarned, they are addicting!

Not by the hair on my chinny, chin, chin...

What a beard hast thou got! thou hast got more hair on thy chin than Dobbin my fill-horse has on his tail.

Merchant of Venice. Act II. Sc. 2. L. 99.



So we went to a neighborhood party last night to play horse racing games and of course, eat. I live in a wonderful neighborhood, the people are fun, they care about each other and yes, they like to party. As we were finishing round one of appetizers and drinks my neighbor Daphne announces "I have a new favorite toy". Since Daphne hosted a Pure Romance party last year I was bracing myself for what she was about to pull out of her purse, only to be perplexed by the object she was holding in her hand that appeared to be a thin flexible coil with soft tips on each end. Having obtained all of our undivided attention, Daphne went on to explain that it was a facial hair threader.

Now, I don't know about you, but I seem to sprout unwanted stray hairs on my face overnight. Is it age, is it hormones, or is it just God's practical joke that we grow this crazy hair at the time in our life when we can barely see it, until it too has gotten to the point that it can be either braided or styled? I'm not sure, but I was intrigued by this miracle tool. Daphne was happy to de-hair us all,(that's her husband Mark in the other picture)and while I can't say that it was painful, you definitely can feel the hairs being pulled out by the roots. I am forced to admit that even though I professed to have no hair on my upper lip, I had tears come to my eyes and asked "Am I bleeding?" when she attacked my nonexistent moustache. However, I am a convert. All the fine hair, peach fuzz stuff disappeared, I was on a mission to have one of these miracle workers. So, in the interest of keeping our neighborhood free of unwanted hair, Daphne shared her secret, and I will share it with you. Here is the link, in case you want to order your own Bellabee Facial Hair Remover.

Code word

Close friends contribute to our personal growth. They also contribute to our personal pleasure, making the music sound sweeter, the wine taste richer, the laughter ring louder because they are there.

~ Judith Viorst

You may have noticed I haven't been here for a couple days, and just so you know, it wasn't because of writer's block. I had book club at my house last night and it was late when everyone left. I sat down to add an entry, but the sedating effects of limoncello, pinot grigio and lots of laughter left me exhausted and the bed won over the laptop. For those of you who have never tried limoncello, you must do so at least once. Limoncello is a lemon flavored liqueur, usually imported from Italy. Because we had read "Eat, Pray, Love" this month, I chose to serve Italian themed refreshments. Limoncello can be mixed with other things, but we chose to have it straight from the freezer (yes, it needs to chilled in the freezer) in beautiful antique cordial glasses rimmed with sugar. Mmm, mmm...



Which leads us to the strawberry tiramisu tarts. These delicious bite sized piece of heaven are the easiest things to make, and I've added the recipe from Paula Deen below. But you are probably wondering what all this has to do with book club. Our book club has just been reinvigorated, and after last night, I can't for the life of me remember why we let such great times fall by the wayside. Contrary to popular belief we do actually read one book a month (not too much to ask) and we do discuss it. I find it fascinating to hear the multitude of interpretations our group can come up with, sometimes I wonder if we all really read the same book. The one thing we do have in common is the laughter. Lots of it. I have been blessed with exceptional friends. They have been with me through the good times and the bad, births, deaths, weddings, divorces, you name it. I don't ever want to lose my connection to them. So once a month we have book club. Book club, as my wise husband has pointed out, is a code word for we eat, we drink, we laugh, and most of all we remember how lucky we are to know each other.

Strawberry Tiramisu Tarts
1/2 cup strawberry preserves, at room temperature
1 1/2 (6.3-ounce) packages miniature bite-size sweet tart shells or phyllo shells
1 (8-ounce) package mascarpone cheese, softened
1/4 cup Limoncello or lemonade
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon lemon extract
2 quarts fresh strawberries, halved
Directions
Place about 1/2-teaspoon strawberry preserves in bottom of each tart shell; set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine mascarpone cheese, Limoncello or lemonade and lemon juice. Beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy.

In a medium bowl combine cream, sugar and lemon extract. Beat at medium-high speed with an electric mixer until medium peaks form. Fold into mascarpone mixture, stirring until combined.

Spoon about 1 tablespoon mascarpone mixture into each tart shell. Top each with a strawberry half.

I love garlic!

Without garlic I simply would not care to live.

~ Louis Diat

Tonight is "Biggest Loser" night and I'm trying to watch the progress of the losers and write at the same time. By the way, I hope that Melissa on the red team gets kicked off soon, I don't care for her. I am feeling motivated again and back on track according to my scale, we will see what happens on Saturday...I don't think I've mentioned that Mark has promised me $10 for every pound I lose by the end of February. I am starting my shopping list already!

I stopped at Jungle Jim's on my home from work tonight. I was in a hurry and had only two things on my list; Limoncello and mascarpone cheese. For those of you who haven't been to Jungle Jim's International Market, you must go! There is no such thing as a quick trip and I decided tonight that I am going to plan a field trip back very soon. But that will be a blog in and of itself. Tonight we talk garlic.

I love garlic. It amazes me how something so simple can transform a dish the way it does. My oldest stepson Chris recently gave me a slow cooker recipe for 40 garlic chicken. His recipe uses a whole chicken but I had an abundance of boneless, skinless breasts so I made some modifications. My version follows, but first I want to reassure you that the 25 cloves of garlic I used are not too much. Remember, the garlic actually roasts and becomes very mild, and the smell will make your kitchen a mecca for all those vampire people that seem to be lurking everywhere nowadays.

Also, I've added a couple things to this site. I've added a search button should you want to find an old post or recipe, and I've added another blog to my list. It is called Plates and Glasses, and it's author happens to be Chris, a 30-something New York City dweller. It is his take on food in the city and at home. Check it out. (He is also an awesome mixologist- maybe we can get some tasty cocktail recipes)

Slow Cooked Garlic Chicken
4-5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
14 oz. chicken broth
Celery
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon thyme
salt and pepper to your liking
25 peeled cloves of garlic

Chop celery into 1/2" thick pieces, enough to cover the bottom of the crock pot. Add 10 cloves of the garlic and approximately half of the chicken broth. Place the chicken breasts on top of the celery. Mix together the remaining chicken broth, olive oil, thyme, salt, pepper and remaining garlic. Pour over the chicken breasts and cook 6-8 hours on low. Chicken will be fork tender and the garlic and broth will give it a wonderful flavor.

Dogs who love too much.

Dogs have given us their absolute all. We are the center of their universe. We are the focus of their love and faith and trust. They serve us in return for scraps. It is without a doubt the best deal man has ever made.

~ Roger Caras

Every night at my house is a three dog night. If you aren't familiar with the meaning of a three dog night (or think it's a rock band from the 70's), it means it is so cold that it takes sleeping with three dogs to keep you warm. I know what you're thinking, and yes, there are times when even I think I am crazy to let three dogs sleep on my bed. Most of the time two of them aren't any problem. Then there's Chance, the dog who loves too much.

Chance is the black cocker spaniel who has only one eye. Chance was a rescue who came to us from Kokomo, Indiana after being abused so severely that he lost an eye. He also suffers from seizures, and I can't help but wonder if Chance might have had a brain injury from his abuse as well. My friend Shari once told me that female dogs love you, but male dogs are in love with you. It is true. If you looked up puppy love in the dictionary, Chance's picture would be there. No matter where I go or what I'm doing Chance has to be there, and if he's able to touch me, lay on my lap or snuggle behind my legs he is all the happier. There's nothing like waking up in the morning with a little puppy face plopped on the pillow next you with that one soulful eye waiting to see his mom.

Chance has one fault. He's a poser. A poser is defined as one who habitually pretends to be something he's not. Chance does it to get attention, he fakes injuries. Whenever we have a group of friends or family over Chance will fake an injury if he feels he isn't getting enough attention. The first time he did it we all fell for it. He limped around, hobbled, and laid in one place so much we were convinced he had either broken a leg or dislocated his hip. Everyone at our house that night babied him and carried him around, making over him as if he'd been hit by a car. So the next day I took him to the vet,where he was xrayed and manipulated and proclaimed to be perfectly healthy; there wasn't a thing wrong with him. Upon hearing this Chance jumped up from his pitiful state of despair and pranced out to the car. He's done this same thing several times, always when we have company, and always when he feels like he's not getting enough attention. The most recent episode of this behavior was last Sunday night...I think it had something to do with the four little girls who were here and the fact that Chance became their patient to take care. After all, he was limping, not able to put his front paw down..."how can you be so mean, Aunt Cris, he's hurt..."

So Chance enjoyed the attention and the spoiling and laid on the couch under a snuggie looking quite pitiful until he heard the front door shut for the last time. Only then did he slowly raise his head and do a one-eyed sweep of the house to assure the coast was clear. Healed by some miracle, he jumped off the couch and raced through the house like a crazed animal. Poser.

Lazy Sunday.

A rainy day is the perfect time for a walk in the woods.

~ Rachel Carson

I have one question. What kind of drugs was Rachel Carson on?!? She obviously doesn't have three dogs or she wouldn't think walking in the woods on a rainy day is a good idea. However, Layla, the youngest of our three cocker spaniels, must think Rachel Carson is a genius. It has rained all day, and I've had to dip Layla's feet in the laundry tub more times than I care to count just to get the mud and leaves off her. We have woods behind our house and it seems to be Layla's favorite place to be whatever the weather. I am not quite sure why she is always the messiest, it just figures that she is also the heaviest (or as Mark likes to say...big-boned) of the dogs to lug around trying to get clean.

Unfortunately this has been a very low energy weekend. It seems there is some nasty virus going around and I have been doing my best to fight it off. So I have napped, watched some of the football playoffs...still a little disappointed that the Bengals aren't playing, and exerted myself once today by doing a load of laundry. Back to work tomorrow, hopefully with a little more energy and a lot less nausea. Looking at the bright side of this, maybe I'll weight less...

Take care and stay healthy!

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Thanks and have a great weekend!