winner winner chili dinner

My dinner tonight was awesome! I used my iPhone app "allrecipes.com dinner spinner" to come up with a soup/chili idea for tonight.  If you don't have this app, you need it!  It's cool, fo sho.  Anyway, I plugged in my criteria to the spinner, "soup", "grains", and "any" (for amount of time to prepare meal) and it gave me a list of options.  I was stuck on the quinoa and black bean chili.  Here ya go...
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/quinoa-and-black-bean-chili/detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Title&e11=quinoa%20and%20black%20bean%20chili&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Home%20Page
I made the chili as directed, except for a few things.  One, I didn't have any quinoa in the house, so I used taboule instead.  Still good.  I also added a can of dark red kidney beans...I needed the meati-ness of the extra beans.

So then I wanted some cornbread to go with it.  Could I a vegan version?  I once again used my handy dandy phone and googled.  Here is the link to the recipe I used:
http://www.theppk.com/2007/10/vegan-cornbread/
I made it according to specs, except for soymilk.  I used almond instead.  The cornbread turned out decent, but a little on the bland side.  Next time I will probably add some green chiles and maybe some corn...I dunno.

And then I found myself wanting a beer.  I looked in the fridge, nothing but Ray's snobby beer (I'm a cheapo when it comes to brew).  I needed a trip to the Spinx around the corner from my house.  After hooking myself up with a 40 (no lie), I was ready to go.

That was a damn good dinner!! 

So after dinner the kids started asking for ice cream, or "ass cream", as Andrew calls it.  HAHA!  

 (he's still working out the kinks in pronunciation-land) 

 Anyhoo...here's what I ate.  It was good mixed with some fresh fruit.   :)

No, I didn't eat the whole carton.  Just a heaping scoopful.  :)

All of this was the highlight of my evening spent in the living room with my family.  We watched "The Chipmunks" movie...the kids loved it.  

Hope to inspire some of you to make this for dinner, the chili really was great!  Happy Sunday!


(My title was a play on a line that Guy Fieri uses on Food Network's "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives")

steak anyone?

Hi again!  So I was at a wedding last night, had a blast! My friend Jason got married and we are all very happy for him.  Everything, especially the bride, was beautiful!  The food was pretty, the cake was gorgeous, etc.

The food...that one I knew would be a little tricky.  I mailed back our response for the plated dinner before I decided to embark on this experiment.  I picked the filet mignon, mashed potatoes and haricot verts.  As I began this experiment, I started to wonder what I was going to do once it became wedding time.  I thought briefly about talking to the groom's parents to see if I could alter my choice, but quickly dismissed that.  They had more than enough to worry about without me causing drama, right!  I could have sent it back at the table and asked for something different...more drama...no.  So thankfully they served a salad beforehand without dressing!  (Those of you who know me understand the depth of my hatred for each and every type of salad dressing.  The creamy dressings gooing and sogging up the salad, and the vinegar....shudder.....no bueno).  So thankfully I was able to eat some salad, and it was good salad!

So the main course arrives, and it is really pretty.  The filet was perfectly cooked...medium rare and a little bloody.  Just the way I USED to LOVE my red meat.  Ironically, cutting into the meat and seeing all of these once appetizing attributes instantly turned me off.  I am 100% finished with red meat, most likely for the rest of my life.  That had nothing to do with last night's steak, this is something I had decided last week....but last night just helped me realize I don't need the red meat in my life to be happy.  Liberating.  So I ate some delicious mashed 'taters (which probably had tons of butter...but hey...), and the green beans were very good!  In fact, my green bean hating hubby gladly shoved his stash on to my plate, and in exchange he got the slab o' beef.  I also stole pieces of fruit from my kids fruit plates too...

I also had a piece of cake.  Yes I cheated and you know what?  I don't give a shit!  It was a small piece and it was really good cake.  I also had numerous alcoholic beverages..........   :)  

So I'm back on track today and realizing something else that is very important.  I had a piece of cake in the midst of making good choices, which should be something that I do regardless of any experiment I might be doing at the time.  I am typically never like this, which is why I have always struggled with my weight.  I have always been a "eat it now...regret it later" type of gal.  Unfortunately my metabolism doesn't allow me to hide that lifestyle very well.  Hmmm...........maybe I am learning a new way of life?  God I hope so.

Anyway, have a great weekend!  I doubt I will make a post tomorrow, but will hopefully resume Monday or Tuesday.