yuM with a capital MMMMM..... :)

So here are my two new favorite recipes. Healthy, lots of protein. Try them out and tell me what you think. :) I'm thinking about putting a recipe book together of healthy food that you can make a part of your everyday life without feeling like you are eating "diet" food. If we do the book on Blurb.com people can actually make contributions to the book with their favorite recipes. How fun would that be???

*note-sorry the measurements aren't exact. These came from the food network, with a few minor tweaks. They don't always say how much of something they are doing. Next time I make them I am going to try to measure so I have an exact recipe. But every time I have made these so far they have turned out great!

Tuna Bread Salad. mmmmm......
(this is from 10 minute meals on food network)

1 shallot finely chopped
big handful of cherry tomatoes cut in half (u be the judge on how much you like)
1 can tuna-recommended that you get the higher grade can. Still less than $2
Cubed stale baguette
1 can white beans-rinsed and drained
handful of kalamata olives  (I used green too!)

Put all these ingredients into a bowl

In salad dressing shaker...

In salad dressing shaker put a couple TBSP dijon mustard, some balsamic vinegar, S &P .
Pour over salad and add more olive oil if needed.



Bistro Bacon Salad

Mixed greens
Couple pieces of cooked bacon crumbled for each person (center cut bacon only has 70 calories in 3 slices!)
1 egg per person....heat skillet on MED, crack egg into pan...mess yolk up a little. Flip when bottom side is cooked. S&P if you'd like. Add a little Parmesan or hard cheese if you'd like.
*put egg on cutting board and cut into pieces

In a salad shaker combine Dijon mustard with balsamic vinegar, S & P and pour over mixed greens, toss to coat salad and serve onto plates. Add bacon and egg to each plate.

Note: We added mushrooms to this salad and really liked the addition

30 Days Without Water

Ok so I didn't really go 30 days without water but that is basically what you're telling me when you ask me to go 30 whole days without candy! I probably used to consume more candy than water on any given day. Wow...that thought is embarrassing and I should erase that but maybe that's part of the recovery process. Admitting you have a problem. :)

Just after Christmas I got sick. Literally had sores inside my throat. Even had a sore dangling on my dangling thing. (So sayeth the ER doc) So 2 days of sickness pass and I realize that I never had candy. 2 whole days and I didn't even think of candy! It's a miracle! Then....the cravings started. I thought to myself, "You've gone 2 whole days without it....maybe now's the time to try for longer." Then I mention it to Justin who is totally on board with the idea and then I make the stupid mistake of then mentioning it to 240 "friends" on facebook.

I consider myself to be somewhat of a perfectionist. I can def. be fast and sloppy when I am trying to get things done. (take cooking for example....I ALWAYS SPILL and I don't always measure) but as far as saying I will do something or saying I am capable of something...now that has to be lived up to. So I told my facebook posse and that was that.

Later during one of my "I'm gonna die if I don't have candy" meltdowns I had to decide how long I was going to go without candy. This indefinite amount of time was all too discouraging. Justin mentions 30 days. What??!!!!! Are you crazy??!!! Is that even possible!!??? Ok 30 days. Why not. Highs and lows people.

So today is officially day 31. I'm not lying either. I didn't count weekends as double or skip ahead a few days. I didn't sneak candy into my bedroom at night or scarf it down in the car after a grocery trip. I, Rose Langham, did not have candy for 30 ENTIRE days.

I, Rose Langham, am a recovery candyaholic who is going to eat candy tonight. You heard me.

The greatest invention....

If anyone has not yet discovered the non-slip ultra skinny hanger you are missing out! I have a super small closet. In fact, all of my husband's clothes have to be hung up in another super small closet and my dresses in yet another one. One day at Marshall's while I was waiting in line I notice these hangers. But...they were a little too expensive and I passed them up. I never stopped thinking about them. I kept imagining extra space in my closet, the ability to look at a shirt on a hanger without having to use my body weight to push the other clothes away from it. Then I ran across these same hangers at Tuesday Morning. They were an even better deal than Marshalls so I couldn't pass them up. I am ashamed to say that when all was said and done I did spend a ridiculous amount on hangers but can I just say that I no longer scream at my closet. Oh the space it gave me!!! It's a miracle. They were so effective that despite the cost JUSTIN wants me to buy some for his closet. WHAT??? (*insert brake screeching noise*) Justin wants me to purchase something? To spend money on something because it is helpful and not because it is totally necessary? (although if you ask me they qualify for both.)

So if you aren't yet convinced don't forget that they are also non-slip. How many times have you pulled a shirt off a hanger in your over crowded closet and had the 2 shirts next to it come tumbling down. Stupid slippery hangers. Errrr. These hangers are non-slip, they have a dip in the sides for skinny straps but you won't even need them.

Go get them people!! Run! They are going fast! I went back for more and half of them were gone! You won't regret it. Not when you then have room to buy more clothes. :)