A Sensible Dinner - Pearlieq's Journal

[Lesli54]

Good morning, Pearlieq!

Good job on getting out of the house and visiting with a friend. Sure, things weren't so great in the sweets department, but you definitely did much better than the other times when your hubby was away. Kudos to you for staying involved with life. It sure does make the time go faster until he is home.

I hope that you enjoy all your pampering today and have a good time with your mom. The Vegas trip sounds like fun.

Have a wonderful magical day!

 

[pearlieq]

9/21/05 - Happy Birthday to Me!!!

8:40am

--1 whole wheat bagel
--1/2 t margarine
--2 t nsa jam

I am in love with the bagels! They're the Brownberry kind (ironically, their bread is not vegan but the bagels are...) and they're soooo good!

I'm about to get upstairs to get showered and dressed to head off on my adventures today. DH is getting home about the same time as me today and I'm really looking forward to seeing him!!!

11:45pm

--1 1/2 large pieces naan (yummy!!!)
--chickpeas in tomato sauce
--mashed eggplant and lentils
--taste of palak paneer
--2 veggie samosas
--3 pieces fried cauliflower
--1/2 cup of various rices
--2 T ratia
--1 t. tamarind chutney
--1/2 cup mango ice cream

My mom took me to an Indian restautant for lunch--it was amazing food! Some Indian food I've had has been very strongly flavored, but this was mellow and well balanced. The samosas had quick a kick, which I why I got into the ratia. The eggplant dish was amazing! It was slighly sweet and very comfort-food esque. I could have eaten that with naan afternoon. As it was I had to cut myself off with the naan after 6 1/4 piece trianges. It's just so good! All in all it was a wonderful lunch. My mom and I stayed and talked so I missed my nail appointment, but I think I'm going to try to go back out now and get them done.

7:30pm

--many, many potato chips

I was starving and the food hadn't come yet and I got into the potato chips. They were tasty, but I had way too many!

8:00pm

--1/2 small cheese pizza
--most of a large piece of garlic bread

8:45pm

--1/6 of my 1/8 sheet birthday cake

9:45pm

--one more piece of my 1/8 sheet birthday cake

I just realized I'm going to have a cake problem. I still have 2/3 of my cake from tonight, and I know Mom's getting me a separate cake on Saturday. DH can't help me eat it, so I have lots and lots of cake. For tonight's cake, I think I'm going to cut off the frosting on the side and edges, leaving only the frosting on top. That will save tons of calories there. As for the rest, my goal is no cake for breakfast! I guess I can live with two small pieces a day, preferrably as dessert or a snack. But none of this cake at 8:30am thing I've done in the past!!! For Saturday's cake I'm hoping to talk Mom into keeping a lot of it for her and her roommate, but if not, I'll just have to pace myself and begin coming to terms with the idea that I'm going to have to throw some of it out.

 

[Lesli54]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!

Here is your

(fat free of course)

 

[Strings]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY PEARLIE!!

Have a wonderful day, and remember bday cake has no calories.

Enjoy the time with your honey,
Beth

 

[keenercam]

Happy Birthday, Pearlie!
Glad to see you have a fun-filled day planned so that the time will fly until you see your honey! Have a great day!

 

[Lesli54]

Good morning Pearlieq!

I am so glad you had a good birthday and your hubby is back. As for the cake, take it down to your DH's work. They will surely finish it off. Much better than the temptation of a whole cake with only one person to eat it.

Hope today is a good day for you.

 

[pearlieq]

9/22/05

9:00am

--4 cheese ravioli

Some leftovers from last night. I didn't really feel like a full meal, but these were good. I'll have to remember them for next time!

11:30am

--1 piece birthday cake

Well, I made it past breakfast at least! I'm not so worried about this cake, especially with the frosting I took off, but if I can't get my mom to take most of the next one, I will send some to work with DH. Good idea, Lesli!

2:00pm

--1 piece birthday cake

I should actually go get some lunch to go with this, but I got caught up in a work thing. I've got both of my projects now, so it's nice to have actual work to do!

I just found out 2 of my favorite friends from Bunco aren't going to be there. In that case, I think I'll skip too. There weren't supposed to be enough people to play before my buddies cancelled, and I just don't feel like sitting around and making small talk while trying not to eat all of the yummy things in front of me. Better to enjoy a night with DH!

3:00pm

--2 chick'n sandwiches
--1 graham cracker

I should throw a fruit or vegetable in here soon!

I just got the news that our Vegas trip is on! Yay!!! I'm very excited--we'll be there for 5 days and we're staying at the Luxor which I've always enjoyed visiting. The hotel is offering us a few little perks (mostly dining credits and 2 for 1s) that will be fun to try. The best part is I don't have to wait for months like WDW trips or our cruise. It's just a month away!

DH is on his way home and neither of us feel like cooking so we're going out for Italian. I just called my goddaughter, whose birthday is today. She's 10 years younger than me and there was a time when we were very close. We've grown apart of late, but she's still a lovely young lady. I talked to her little brother today too. Cripes! I just remembered I forgot his birthday! He's 8 now, and it's funny because he doesn't sound like a kid anymore. It was just yesterday when he stopped the random, disjointed toddler ramblings and actually started making sense. Now he sounds like a mini adult! I had just started college when he was born, now he's in the 2nd grade. Wow!

7:00pm

--1 6" round Italian bread w/butter
--1 green salad w/1 or 2T ranch
--6 large cheese ravioli w/marinara sauce

What a yummy dinner! DH and I had lots of fun talking over options for Vegas. My one goal before this trip to walk like a madwoman--there's so much walking in Vegas I want to be ready! This trip should be interesting from a framing perspective--I started this right when I came back from Vegas last time. It will be interesting to compare experiences.

8:45

--the last of the birthday cake

It was fun while it lasted!

9:30pm

--1 carton Phish Food

The less said about this the better! Suffice it to say I'm glad it's gone!

 

[Lesli54]

Good morning, Pearlieq!

Good thing the cake is gone. It sounds like you are having fun planning the Vegas trip. I have never been, but maybe one day.

Keep up the great work and have a wonderful day!

 

[pearlieq]

9/23/05

10:00am

--3 low carb tortillas
--2/3 cup shredded chicken breast
--2 small tomatoes

Work's going to be a bear today--unfortunatley the project I'm working on seems to have hastily and badly designed specifications. Between that and the fact that the system seems to have slowed down means I'm in for a treat today!

I'm not sure what we're doing for dinner today, but I know we'll be eating in. I need to go and pick something from my list and get ready for it. I think I might try to get a little done around the house tonight. Our new IKEA opens tomorrow and I'm really jonesing to go but I've got to figure out what I need.

1:00pm

--1 whole wheat bagel w/margarine

2:30pm

--handful grapes

--4:45pm

--1 Boca burger, no cheese
--1 oz baked tortilla chips
--handful grapes

6:00pm

--sm handful grapes

I had a couple of pounds of grapes in the fridge so today I washed them all, removed the stems, and put them in a bowl in the fridge. It's been nice to grab a handful here and there throughout the day. I really wish DH would get home!!! I want dinner!

I had a bit of a lucky break today. I had already booked our WDW flights for December on Southwest at a really great rate but I happened to notice a DING fare for even lower today! It only saves us about $50, but that's enough to cover a yummy meal!!!

8:00pm

--1/2 turkey sausage
--1/3 cup barbecue glaze
--3/4 small potato, roasted
--2 handfuls grapes
--2/3 cup broccoli
--1/2 whole wheat bagel

My last turkey sausage with barbecue sauce... I think next time I'll try it with veggie meatballs. It was such a tasty meal--I had to split a bagel with DH to get the last bit of barbecue glaze.

The grapes are now gone. I had about 2 or 3 pounds this morning, but once I got them washed and removed from the stems I kept eating a handful here and there and then DH went to town on them before, during, and after dinner. They filled up about 2/3 of my small mixing bowl, so we probably had 2-3 cups each. They were tasty, but I can't believe we ate all that!

 

[eeyore25]

Hi!!!!

You are going to have so much fun in Vegas! We have never stayed at the Luxor, but it looks like a great hotel! And you are so right, there is a ton of walking!!!!!! I really hope you enjoy yourself. Not sure if you are into Mexican food, we found a really great Mexican restuarant. Of course not every one is going to like it, but my DH hates mexican food and he loved it! It is a little bit of a walk from the Luxor, but it is at the Frontier. The place is called Margaritia's. YUM!!!!! Everything there is homemade.....at least it was the last time we were there. That was 2 years ago. I love that place!

Hope you have a great day!

Keep up the good work!

 

[keenercam]

Hi, Pearlie! Just wanted to stop in and wish you a fabulous weekend (once we all suffer through another day of work, of course! ). IKEA!!!! I LOVE IKEA! Big weakness. Must avoid it! If you go, have a great time!

 

[Mykelogan]

Happy Belated Birthday!!!


How on earth did I miss your birthday??? I am sooooooo sorry!!! Guess I got too wrapped up in messing with the Blue Team!!!!!! I hope it was a good one and that you are having a happy & healthy day today! If you want to you can buy me something at IKEA! hehehehehe!!!
Your breakfast sounds yummy too!

Have a great day & a Very Merry Un-Birthday to you! To you!
Mike

 

[pearlieq]

9/24/05

I'm going to move my weigh in to Tuesday for the duration of the Biggest Loser competition.

I'm starving and DH finally got himself awake. We're going to a local diner because I'm jonesing for grilled cheese. I can't wait! I'm not sure what else we're going to get up to today. Later this afternoon we're meeting my mom at Stir Crazy for dinner. I'm going to have a yummy veggie stir fry with peanut sauce. Then we'll go back to her place for birthday cake and games. It should be a very nice night!

11:00am

--1 grilled cheese on whole wheat bread
--1 bowl cream of potato soup
--2 hard rolls
--1 tub whipped butter
--1/2 cup mixed fresh fruit

My meal was very tasty, but the service was really bad! Plus there was a little girl across the restaurant with a very nasal (think Fran Dresher) voice who was in full whine mode during the entire meal. More than once I thought of stuffing my napkin in my ears for some relief!

2:00pm

--1/2 thin mozzarella/foccacia sandwich
--3 bites macaroni and cheese
--2 sm pieces chocolate toffee torte
--1 1/2 sm pieces chocolate toffee (came on the side with the torte)
--2 8oz glasses lingonberry soda

IKEA!!! It turns out that the IKEA isn't officially opening until Wednesday, but today was "friends and family" day. DH knows the spouse of the general manager, so we were in! We spent several pleasant hours wandering through a reasonably uncrowded, brand new store. This one seemed to focus more on sample rooms/homes than product displays, but we still found lots of nice stuff. IKEA is offering some large gift certificates for the first people in line for grand opening, so there are already folks camped out there--pop up tents and all! I suppose if I had nothing else going on I would camp outside on an IKEA for a week for $3,000!

We wound up getting a wok, an oil sprayer, a set of small bakeware that's perfect for appetizers, spatulas, and 2 quilts and quilt covers. I'm in love with my new quilt!!! DH and I learned early on that we can't share blankets, so we now both have new queen size synthetic quits. It's so soft and feels so indulgent. I love the sound it makes as it rumples!

5:00pm

--1 1/2 veggie springrolls with ginger soy dressing
--2 cups of broccoil w/carrots
--1/2 cup wheat noodles
--1/2 cup brown sauce
--oil for frying

My mom took DH and I to Stir Crazy for a late celebration of my birthday. I was shocked to discover that the only sauces on the stir fry line that are vegetarian are brown sauce, teriyaki, and Thai barbecue. The rest have meat ingredients (meat stocks or fish paste). I wasn't in the mood for teriyaki and the Thai barbecue had a heavy cilantro flavor (I can't stand cilantro) so brown sauce it was! It tasted like I had beef & broccoli without the beef. It wasn't bad, I was just really looking forward to the peanut sauce!

7:30pm

--1 medium piece of vegan chocolate mousse cake
--1/2 cup Phish Food

My mom is really adorable. No matter how old we get she still does the whole birthday thing with the party tablecloth, cups, and plates. It's really sweet and both my brother and I enjoy it. Mom was sweet enough to get me a vegan cake and Ben & Jerry's and to get DH a sugar free pie and ice cream! She really can be so thoughtful! We did presents and then got started on the games!


9:00pm

--1 cup Phish Food

As usual, mom won Scrabble--she plays online like a fiend and is really clever at making 6 words out of 2 tiles and scoring 35 points in the process! After that we played some gin, which DH won, as usual. No luck for the birthday girl tonight!

10:00pm

--1/2 bag buttered popcorn

Because I needed more snacks! Still, if you'd seen what was available, I behaved like a saint! My mom's house is treat central!!! After gin we got to playing spades, which I'm really starting to enjoy. Mom won that as well, but I wasn't far behind her. I finally figured out a way to get around my chronic problem of underbidding. I realized the penalties for overbidding are much less, so I began consciously over bidding and it really worked out for me.

Afterwards we got packed up to go home. The whole rest of the cake and pie went with us, along with my presents and the ginormous mum plant mom got me. On the way home DH and I realized the cake thing wouldn't be an issue. My mom's roommate is a smoker and as much as they try to keep it under control it still permeates the house and everything that comes out of it. Both the cake and pie were smoky, so we actually got rid of them before they even came into the house. I felt pretty bad about doing that, but even if they were edible it wouldn't have been good for us.

 

[Mykelogan]

Hey Pearlieq!

Sounds like you have a fun day ahead!!
I have also moved my weigh in to Tuesdays, but I checked today as I can't help but weigh on the weekends! LOL

Hope that your day is a happy & healthy one!!
Go red team!!!
Mike

 

[Lesli54]

Good afternoon, Pearlieq!

I think you had a really great day yesterday! Eating all those grapes is much better than eating alot of junk that isn't very nutritious.

Have a good evening at your moms.

 

[Lesli54]

Good morning, Pearlieq!

Well, that is one way to get rid of the taboo foods from coming in the house. Whatever it takes to stay focused, I guess. But, really, I do understand. Our house is smoke free and having my mom or sister spend any amount of time here does leave that smoke smell, which can only be smelled by the non-smokers of course.

Lingonberry soda? Are ye Swedish? I like lingonberry foods, but have never had the soda. But then I am Swedish, was raised that way. Guess I better go check and see if I can get some of that soda.

I am so glad that you enjoyed your time at your mom's house and that you had a really good day. Hopefully today will be a good one for you as well.

 

[pearlieq]

9/25/05

11:15am

--1 cheese quesadilla
--1 7-layer burrito, no guac
--1/2 sm tostada
--1 order roasted potatoes

I think this is shaping up to be kind of a lazy Sunday. DH is in full football mode--kickoff for the Bears/Bengals game isn't until noon so he's playing his John Madden football game and fretting over his fantasy lineup until game time. Ah, football season I missed ye...

Lesli--I've never seen the lingonberry soda anywhere but at IKEA, but I can never resist it when I'm there! It's such a unique flavor--I used to love the ligonberry sauce they served with the meatballs as well.

The cats are having their 11:00am runaround. I've got their schedule down pretty well. They do whatever they do overnight, then they're up and alert from about 6:30am on. Once they chase us out of bed they play and yowl at us until breakfast at 9:00am. After breakfast they wind down for their morning nap. That lasts until about 11:00am, when they wake up with full energy. They run around the house at full speed and chase/spar with each other for about an hour. By noon they wind down a little bit, and play quietly and maybe have a little snack. By 1:30 or so they settle down for hardcore sleepy time. They sleep like the dead until about 4:30 or 5:00. They get up and play quietly, pausing long enough to greet DH when he comes home, and to have a snack while we eat dinner. By 7 or so we all retire to the living room. They catch a quick nap until about 8:30 or so. Once they wake up from their evening nap, moth hunting begins. They assume their stations by the doors and window and jump up and chase at the moths outside. I've seen 6 and 7 foot standing jumps. I can only imagine what the neighbors think! After moth hunting time comes the 11:00pm runaround. After that they follow up upstairs to bed where they troll for belly rubs before we all settle down to sleep. Not a bad life, I think!!!

5:00pm

-1 whole wheat bagel w/margarine

6:30pm

--1/2 cheese pizza
--1/2 order crazy bread

9:30pm

--1 big Snickers
--3oz Pringles

Well, today was the day that food kept coming at me. I ate a heavy brunch, so I was able to distract myself until dinner time, but DH kept making noises about making a pizza run and then getting distracted by the game, so I ate the bagel because I was starving. Then when he did go get the pizza he brought home crazy bread, chips, candy for me, and another pint of Ben & Jerry's! Ugh! I did get into the chips and candy, but at least I did stop with the Pringles before I finished the whole can. And, I'm happy to say the Ben and Jerry's is buried in the back of my freezer. I really need a break from it!

 

[Mykelogan]

Hi pearlieq,

Sounds like you did indeed have a great saturday after all! I know I would camp out for a week to get $3000 to spend at IKEA! hehe! Sorry that the birthday girl was not the lucky one at all the games you played. How cool of your mom to get the vegan and SF cakes too!
Love the story about the kitties' routine, reminds me of my own furbaby and his own quirks! hehe

Hope that your lazy sunday turns out well!!
Mike

 

[Lesli54]

Good morning, Pearlieq!

I hope you had a good day yesterday. As for the lingonberry soda, there is a Swedish historical town nearby (where I grew up) that has a lot of different food items and I just might be able to find it there. If not, I will wait until I find an IKEA store. Never been.

Have a great day!

 

[rcyannacci]

Hi Pearlieq! Sorry I missed your birthday last week, so happy belated birthday! Sounds like you had fun. Cake is my all time weakness! Especially b-day cake!

I did Vegas for the first time last Nov. and it was a trip! There are some great stage shows there now...pretty pricey, but....it's Vegas. I think they just recently moved Ave. Q there from Broadway. Plus all the Cirque shows...anyway, you should have plenty to chose from.

Congrats on the cheap tickets through Southwest! I love it when I find a good deal on flights

Anyway, hope you have a good week