Coffee Revamp

I finally figured out how to help myself out with my coffee situation.  For many years now I have been addicted to hazelnut flavored Coffee Mate.  It is just so delicious.  I know it's not good for me, especially in the quantities I have been enjoying it.  Well, I'm changing my ways.

Here's my new coffee off choice:

6 oz hazelnut flavored coffee made in my mini french press
1/4 cup 1% organic milk
1 tsp agave nectar

It's only 56 calories in an entire mug, as opposed to an 8-oz short lowfat latte with no syrup from Starbucks, which is 110 calories (still not bad) and there's nothing on the label you can't pronounce.  I really enjoyed it this morning and I think I'm on to something.

Checking In Before the Weekend

Every winter Andrew and I schedule the Broncos v. Zags games as date nights, drumming up our Alma Mater rivalry for some good old-fashioned competitive fun.  We'll go out to a sports bar, order beers and nachos, and trash talk throughout the game.  This year, we've started doing it a little differently: sofa seats.  We've decided to forgo the bar and recreate it in our "home theater."  Andrew streams the game on our luxurious 24-inch television, and I handle dinner.  We decided to go with sports bar type food in the spirit of the event (burgers and beer), but I'm working really hard to stay on track and Andrew's being supportive, so we changed it up a bit.

Dinner was black bean turkey burgers on whole wheat bageleans with pepper jack cheese, avocado, lettuce, and tomato.  I also picked up honey mustard pretzel bites (one of my favorite snacks) and some bud light.  The burger ended up being giant, and in its entirety was only 490 calories.  I had some pretzels and a single beer, which brought my daily total above what my recommended net intake is (if you're trying to lose 2 lbs a week), so after the game, I powered out a Jillian Michaels six-pack workout.  It's hard after a beer, man!  But I did it, and I didn't puke.  Go me.

I am pleased to say, last night my Broncos kicked Andrew's Zags' asses 85 to 71.  This is a huge upset, because it's always been the other way around since we started dating almost five years ago.  I'll admit:  I gloated.  A lot.

Keeping It Delicious

source

I like to eat egg whites for breakfast because it has a ton of protein, very few calories, and zero fat or cholesterol.  The problem is they are bland.  For months I've been sprinkling them with Montreal steak seasoning, but I've grown tired of this staple and have taken on a new egg white companion - the best one yet. 

Marinara sauce in an egg white omelet is absolutely wonderful, and also very low in calories.  Two egg whites plus two tablespoons of marinara  comes to roughly 50 calories and packs 8 grams of protein, 3 grams of carbs, and only 1 gram of fat.  1/8 cup shredded mozz is only 40 calories and gives it more of a pizza taste.  The whole glorious shebang is about 90 calories, and is packed with protein to help last you through the morning.  Can you beat that??  No, no you can't.  The trick is to be very diligent about how much cheese you are actually using - that can get out of hand (at least for me) really easily.
Here's the official breakdown:

snacked.

 

image source

So I come back from lunch today, and someone is walking toward the front desk with a giant basket full of little chip bags.  I'm like, "no thanks, I just ate."  Wait, no; I didn't say that.  What I really said was, "Snacks!  AWESOME!"  Then I visualized the bikini bod.  Then I grabbed a bag and read the nutritional info: 100 calories per bag?? Well done, team!  Now I am all for finding a healthier, lower-cal alternative, like an apple for 50 calories, but sometimes nothing will do but salty, crunchy chips covered in a delicious powder, in which case this is the healthier alternative.  A typical (smaller) bag of Tim's Cascade tater chips will get you at about 140 calories and has a lot more fat.  I was intrigued, so I did some field research right then and there.

Anyone ever had popchips? They're new to me!  I was a little wary when I read the package: "never fried, never baked."  Then what the hell are they??  More of an explanation on the back reveals they are hit with heat and pressure (I'm imagining the espresso process, minus water) and "pop!"  Whatever the case, these little suckers are delicious.  I am currently enjoying the salt and pepper flavor.  Secretly stashed in my desk drawer are cheddar and bbq flavors. Ok, sea salt and vinegar too.

So I'm munchin' away, and my FedEx Ground guy comes in to make a delivery and gets all excited about popchips. "they're THE best chips EVER!" he says to me.  Too true.  I want to eat another flavor, but  I am visualizing the bikini bod and have decided I can wait until tomorrow.

(almost) guilt free salad

Guys, I LOVE salad. I do. And I've never really been one for those awful fatty ranch type creamy dressings. I think ranch is abhorrent, personally. I'm perfectly happy with a vinaigrette but the ones you buy have all sorts of weird coagulants and preservatives, and I'm not really into that. Recently I've been hooked on this glorious dressing. It's fresh and bright and relies on flavor rather than fat. My current favorite canvas for this is butter lettuce, toasted hazelnuts, and parmesan. And yes, I TOTALLY stole that idea from Le Pichet.

Zest from 1/2 lemon

Juice of 1 lemon

1/4c white wine or champagne vinegar (I ran out of this last time and used red wine vinegar and no harm was done)

2T prepared dijon mustard

2T olive oil

cracked black pepper & salt to taste

Put all of that good stuff in a covered jar, shiggidy shake it up, and toss a couple of tablespoons on your next bowl of fresh veggies. It'd also be killer as a marinade for chicken. Just sayin'.