Falling off the Bandwagon

"I refuse to spend my life worrying about what I eat. There's no pleasure worth foregoing just for an extra three years in the geriatric ward." -John Mortimer

We all do it, let's be honest. You have a hellacious week, and what you are putting into your mouth is the last thing on your mind. Welcome to the past week for me. I don't even want to admit the things I was eating, but, for the sake of fun and entertainment...let's do it. 

I don't know if I should start at the Happy Buffet where I ate a boatload of tempura and all things fried, or the number of stops at fast food joints. Happy FRIED February. Even as I sit here I am thinking about how great a bacon, egg and cheese biscuit from McDonald's would be right now. Gross. What is wrong with me?!?!

These are the weeks when I know I have to show myself a little grace. We all go there, the blipp off the radar. We fall off the bandwagon. We get off the beaten path. Ok, I'm sorry, that was a little overboard.

I didn't even get a single daggone blog in this week, and I know how much each and every one of you was waiting with bated breath for your email box to announce it. I even made a really really good Greek Chicken and Rice Soup which was killer. I'll add it, I promise.

Can I be forgiven? Thank you so very much. This week will be better. We all are so hard on ourselves when it comes to food and what we "should be eating" and how much and etc. DON'T be so hard on yourself all the time. Eat McDonald's that one day...trust me, you'll remember afterwards why you stopped eating it in the first place. 

On the topic of food and grace, I leave you with a visual of what I saw this week as I was coming out of the buffet. Imagine large duplex. One side was a sports bar and grill, and the other was a Christian preschool whose slogan was "We are here to serve." Now there's some food for thought....

no pun intended. :)

Enjoy the day!

Lindsay

Winter Yogurt Parfaits

It is Saturday morning and I laid in bed with my dog finished LOST, the final season. AMAZING. But....another wonderful addition to Saturday morning is my winter yogurt parfait. It is vital that you use fruit that is in season, or else it will have that out of season tartness that ruins your meal. Here's the other thing that I learned from a friend in college-a mug makes for a perfect bowl! I love my cereal or granola in a mug watching TV or kicking back in bed reading.

It's quite simple: you need 3 basic ingredients:

A good and hearty granola (I prefer Nature's Path Pumpkin Seed Granola)

Fresh sliced fruit (in the winter, I use kiwi often, since it is in season)

Fat-free yogurt  (I use FAGE 0% greek yogurt, but if you prefer the vanilla creamy yogurt, go for it!)

Just put a few dollops in the bowl. Sprinkle as much granola on top (I usually use half the serving size on the box). Then add fresh fruit. Sometimes, I even add walnuts, almonds, or dried fruit as well.

You don't need sugar if the fruit is in season. Give it a try, and see what you think. Anyone can make a parfait, but not everyone can make an AMAZING parfait. So hop to it and have a great weekend!

The greatest wealth is health. -Virgil

~Lindsay

Farmer's Sausage and Veggies

IngReDients

Chicken sausage with herbs and garlic (1 per person)

1 yellow onion, loosely chopped

1/2 green bell pepper, cut in strips

1/2 red bell pepper, cut in strips

Fingerling potatoes, multi-colored (2-3 per person)

2-3 cloves of garlic

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salt 

Pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degress.

Put chopped ingredients into a bowl and toss in olive oil. 

Add salt and pepper. 

Bake for 30 minutes until potatoes and sausage is slightly browned.

Suggestions:

• Use any sausage you prefer.
• For even browning, spoon through the ingredients halfway through baking.

Enjoy!!

~Lindsay

Hilarious Food Photos

I came across a few food photos that make me laugh at their creativity. It's only Tuesday, so hopefully these will be a good pick-me-up. Enjoy!

Courtesy of The Crafty Crow

Courtesy of BlackEiffel

TV Dinner Cupcakes. That is so gross it's brilliant. 

Photo courtesy of FreeManFowards

 I can't help but chuckle at this one...

Courtesy of Comedy-Zone

Photo Courtesy of Humor Articles

Photo Courtesy of eBaum's World

I'd like to meet the person who has enough time to cut this orange peel.

Photo Courtesy of My Food Looks Funny

Photo Courtesy of Passive Aggressive Notes

I think that is a fantastic ending. Thanks for checking in!

~Lindsay

The Fairtrade Everyday Cookbook

As I was perusing the web this morning, I found a really great cookbook. But, then again,

 I am nuts about cookbooks.

  The Fairtrade Everday Cookbook has over 150 recipes from all over the world made from fairtrade foods. It looks really delicious, and who can't support fairtrade?

CLICK HERE for a sneak peek at the pages. I do not like buying cookbooks that don't have pictures, but this is a beautifully illustrated book. And, something very close to my heart, a very well organized cookbook.

Some recipes include the following:

• Lamb shanks with tomatoes, honey, cinnamon, and saffron
• Baked penne with dolcelatte cheese and radicchio
• Apricot and oat squares
• Green tea chicken with lemon rice
• Prawn and mango ceviche

I was beyond excited to come across this find. It's always wonderful to find something that combines food and compassion. Hope you enjoy!

~Lindsay