Almost Clean Eating: Lettuce Wraps!

I had a craving for some lettuce wraps...out of nowhere. I don't know where it came from, but I just googled P.F. Chang's Lettuce Wraps, and this is what I came up with...



This no-carb dinner was almost clean. There are two processed items used to make it and I paired it with some SteamFresh Asian vegetables. I couldn't wait for lunch the next day! It was quick and easy to make. Well, let me rephrase that, there was alot of chopping involved.

Click here for recipe.

Food Friday: Cookbook Review

They say that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. Umh, I'm not sure if that is true or not, but I got a book that says after making this roasted chicken, he'll put a ring on it. The book that I am talking about is 100 Recipes Every Woman Should Know. This book features lots of easy to cook recipes including Engagement Chicken and 99 other fabulous dishes to get everything that you want in life [their words not mine].

I'll admit it. I love browsing cookbooks. I guess its because I am a foodie and love trying new foods and recipes. This books is basically for the beginner cook. Sure there are a couple of recipes that are slightly difficult and require a food processor, but for the most part it all you need are some pots, pans and a knife. There were very few standout recipes that made me want to buy the book for reference, and actually cook them. This book has all of the bases covered; there isn't an event that can come up that you couldn't find a meal to go with it, which by the way the book has meal plans listed in the back for, I don't know, lets say a promotion...or engagement. The one thing that this book lacks is pictures. There are a couple in the cover of the books, but none anywhere else. So you have no idea how your Good Mood Tostadas should look once their done.

The star of this book is of course the Engagement Chicken, so much so that there is a whole chapter devoted to it speckled with success stories of Glamour magazine readers who got engaged either during or right after their mate ate this chicken. Engagement Chicken isn't a secret or anything fancy it involves a few choice ingredients: chicken, lemons (and the juice), salt, pepper, and some herbs for garnish. That's it.

Now to be fair and give an honest review, I will be making the following dinner from the book, just to see how good they recipes actually are:

• Engagement Chicken
• Gingery Green Beans
• Baked New Potatoes

(I am still trying to Eat Clean, so I was selective on what I chose to make)

Be sure to check out my next Food Friday post to see the results! Who knows maybe I'll get engaged or share my meal with a man, just in time for Valentine's Day ;)

Clean Eating Update!

As I sit here eating spaghetti and chicken breast...don't judge me...I decided to make a post about clean eating and how has it been going. In a nutshell, its a process and I do not eat completely clean all of the time. I have eating 'unclean' twice that I can think of and I felt guilty every time. The one thing that I have to do when eating clean is plan. PLAN! If you do not plan out your means, you will be tempted to just eat out. I make mine out for all seven days, and stick to it.I have made several trip to Whole Foods for random items. It seems like every weekend I am making the 20 minute ride to Whole Foods for raw honey, tea, whole grain, spouted bread, and bison burgers--two of these items I couldn't manage to shell out the money or bring myself to buy--so I just window shop. I think that in my mind everything at Whole Foods is clean, when that isn't the case. It all boils down to reading labels...which I do alot now.

 I have tried some new recipes: one good, one bad. The good...Oatmeal Bars!




These amazing oat bars which are so easy to make! They are perfect for these cold winter mornings here in Western PA. I think that it took all of 20 minutes to put together and about 25 minutes to cook. Click here for recipe.

The Bad: Clean Reuben Sandwich from eating clean magazine

No picture necessary; its just sour, nasty, tasteless rachetness on two perfect pieces of rye bread. Ewh! Fear not, there are more posts about clean eating coming soon!

Fall is Coming!

Fall is right around the corner, and for some reason I am looking forward to it! Scarves, Soups, perfect weather, and hopefully a man to share it all with. Anytime the temperature drops, my want for comfort food goes up. I was browsing pintrest and I found a recipe for Double Crunch Honey Garlic Chicken Breast, and I thought that I would give it a try since I had everything that I needed to make it. Here are the final results! Yum!



I followed the directions exactly except I added cornstarch to my flour mix, more spices, and fresh ginger. It was so good! I wish that I would have made more of the sauce. I paired it with quinoa and broccoli and cheese. Quinoa is really good. I think that I prefer it over rice, depending on the dish.

What are some of your favorite comfort foods?

Iced Green Tea Lemonade

So, the temperature has finally cooled down a couple of degrees, but I still want ice cold drinks! I am on a mission to save some money and my ususal Iced Green Tea Lemonade from Starbucks costs $4. Yeah...$4 for a Venti that I am done with before I hit the shoe department at Target.

A couple of days ago, I was at home and got a hankering for one. But, I fought the urge and made my own! I have fallen in love with the Natures Basket Lemonade, so I have been having that in stock for the past two months and I recently brought some Turkey Hill Green Tea. The craziest part is that I actually had some ice in the freezer! I never have ice in the freezer, but my mother recently brought some over for her drink. Mix them all together and what do you get...Starbucks Iced Green Tea Lemonade! The cost breaks down to be about $6 for 8 servings. Yes, you read that right, six dollars. Add your own cool cup and...there is nothing better on a hot day!

My Growing Obsession...

Thai food! Let's just say that in the past week, I have spent $32 dollars on Thai food, alone. That is alot for me in eating out, and I have been to two different places. I'm not sure if its the spicy complex flavors that draw me to it or what, but I think that I have to do something about it quick! My wallet and stomach may not be able to last too much longer.



There are a couple of places in the Pittsburgh area that I favor: Green Mango, Papaya Asian Cuisine, Thai Suan Thip. I have tried other places and they were...they were...well, let me just get it out there. Thai food, to me, tastes nothing like Chinese food. The Americanized way of cooking it, just doesn't appeal to me. I want bold, unusual flavors, and most of the places that I have been to hit that right on the nose. But there are some exceptions-Thai Foon in Robinson. Ugh! The two times that I have been there have been less than desirable. The food lacked flavor...of any kind. I had the Basil Chicken, bland and bland. Then I had the Pad Thai, gummy and tasteless. It just wasn't a good experience.

If you have never tried Thai food, I highly recommend it. I will admit that its an acquired taste and it may take some trials and errors to find out what you really like and can tolerate. Please bear in mind that its SPICY! But every place that I have been to, with the exception of Thai Foon, you can customize your heat level. Every dish comes with your choice of protein, tofu for the vegetarians. From what I have read alot of the sauces contain fish derived products, so if you are a vegan you may want to ask for a list of ingredients.  Go ahead and get to googling! See what Thai place you can find!

My suggestion for a first timer: Basil Chicken or Pad Thai.

A Healthy Discovery!

So, I am trying to get back on track with my fitness and weight loss resolutions and I have discovered two ground breaking products that have changed my life. Well, maybe its not that dramatic, but still. For any of you that may be watching your calories or trying to lose weight, continue reading.

My personal challenge was to find a snack that can curb that sweet tooth that I have when that time of the month comes around. If you look at some of the chocolates out there, a couple of squares can be 200+ calories. While browsing Target I came across the Skinny Cow Dreamy Clusters Candy. Let me just say that these things are GOOD! Maybe the best candy that I have tasted. The one thing that got me is that they come in dark chocolate! I love dark chocolate!


This candy gives you just enough to take the edge off of your craving. I highly suggest these to anyone--watching your weight or not.   

I loves me some water, but there are those times when I get tired of lemon in my water, lime in my water, lemon and lime in my water (affectionately called a Sprite The Hard Way), nothing in my water. Dang it, just plain water. I browsed my local organic supermarket, Giant Eagle: The Market District, and found Harney and Sons Organic Peach Invigorating Black Tea. On sale and something that can break the monotony of water...sold!



At only 20 calories per serving you cannot go wrong. Oh yeah, its already slightly sweetened--not with some artificial stuff either. Just be careful one bottle is two servings...speaking of bottles how funky is that one?!?!

Got a healthy discovery? Let me know! I'm always on the look out for some good stuff

Welcome to the Good Life!

My cousin wanted to go out to the premier spot in Pittsburgh, Savoy. All of my other friends have been there before, except me. We went out for dinner and this is a review my experience.

Food: How can I put this nicely...I've had better. I got the Chicken and Waffles with corn pudding and spinach. The chicken was your typical buttermilk chicken fried to a golden brown, nothing really special. I will say that the corn pudding--although it was only a teaspoon--was great! The spinach was just that, spinach. I couldn't say that they flavors or taste of the food was something that I had never experienced before. And since I didn't even mention the waffles, that goes to show you how memorable they were. My bill was $42.90 (yikes!)

Music: There is a restaurant part (lower floor) and there is the lounge area (upstairs). I'm not really sure who the DJ was, but he was spinning the hits! I think there was different music on each floor. It was mainly hip hop and R&B being played.

Drinks: I am not big on drinking, but I did partake in a beverage. I got the Tropical martini. It was sweet, fruity, and went down smooth. And after the owner brought us a round, they tasted even better. Without the complimentary round the average drink is $12. This most definitely is a place that you either sip slow or go to Art's before or after.

Ambiance: I will admit that I thought that the place would be bigger than what I actually seen on TV. It's more of a long, narrow space, not expansive. The place is decorated very nice, its clean, and has a modern look and feel to it. But, the lounge is another story. It was very hard to get around due to the bar, couches, and VIP area. We went on a Saturday night and there was barely room to move around in the lounge area. You cannot dance; there is no designated dance floor.

Overall Experience: I had a good experience. The food is way overpriced, as well as the drinks.The service is excellent. They offer valet, so you don't have to worry about finding parking in the strip or walking a long way in your killer heels. I would return there, but maybe for appetizers.

Outfit: Dress: H&M Tights: Fishnets from Target  Makeup: Naked Palette eyeshadow, MAC NW45 concealer, Mary Kay Bronze 2 face powder, ELF cream liner, Loreal million lashes in carbon black, Miliani Luminoso Blush, and last, but not least a dupe for Up the Amp, Covergirl Divine lipstick.

*Unable to post pictures due to not having permission from various person(s)