For two weekends in a row, we have been pigging out with Seafood. 1st was DH's cousin's 7th birthday party with theme "Asian Fusion" and this weekend, it was hubby's turn to treat the family to a Seafood buffet lunch. I love seafood! And seafood here can be very expensive. So when we get the chance to eat all we can, I make sure I eat all I CAN. I swear I ate more than my tummy could take hee hee. I badly need to hit the nordictrack incline trainer in the evening to burn off the calories. Even though, I skipped on the bread and the rice, I lost count on the number of plates I ate. Here's some of the photos I managed to take in the first few rounds.

...and what did the birthday boy have? Only plates and plates of Oysters. Poor him, he's seafood-allergic except for Oysters. tsk tsk. Happy birthday babe! We love you!

Both DH and I vowed that this year, we would lead healthier lifestyles. Being single is different and can mean being carefree but when you are both parents, you start thinking about responsibilities not only financially but being able to live a longer life so you can guide your children throughout the course of their lives. We do not want to do some funeral planning just yet (knock on wood) as we want to celebrate our golden wedding anniversary and beyond that.

Along this course, I discovered that I could eat boiled broccoli, as in nothing on it, I am open to all types of veggie dishes. After not eating so much meat for the past 2 weeks (not to mention my no rice diet), I feel much lighter and my mood swings are less frequent than before. I have been missing Terriyaki Boy's bacon with Asparagus and though that is an easy whip, I am avoiding the fats in bacon. I hope this recipe from my mom's magic cookbook would suffice my craving for bacon asparagus. Enjoy the recipe! Yes, very timely for our meat-less Fridays this Lent.

ASPARAGUS MUSHROOM IN GINGER SAUCE

Photo credit: Google Image

Ingredients:

* 200 grams asparagus
* 1 stick lemon grass
* 2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger
* 1 small red chili, chopped
* 1 cup coconut milk
* 200 grams mushroom
* salt to taste
* 11/2 teaspoons sugar
* few drops calamansi
* oil to cook

GARNISHING

* bean sprout
* green chili
* red chili
* basil leaves
* lime/lemon
* lettuce
* leeks

Procedure: In a pan put oil, garlic, chili, ginger, lemon grass, lime juice, sugar and coconut milk. Put the mush room and asparagus.

When it comes to food preparation and plating, dear hubby can be so good that I am embarassed with what I know. I think this was the fruit of his constant living in hotels and many meetings/conferences over fine dining whips in his previous job assignments.

He has been very supportive with my Vegan quest (in time for the Lent) that sometimes, he would go out of his way to bring in my favorite chocolates (not really supportive, eh?!) or exert extra effort and prepare me veggie dishes with fine dining preparation just so to add some excitement in my Greeny meals. For this Kangkong dish, he blanched kangkong leaves and top it with oyster sauce, garlic, and dried chilies with salsa and bagoong as sidedish. He was supposed to cook a different dish out of this which recipe could be found HERE, but I was so hungry at that time that he went with the easier and faster whip. Turned out yummier, though :). What did you sacrifice this lent?

Happy weekend everyone! off to check Branson vacation packages.

This list is unbelievable! For people who are counting calories, me included should read this. SIX of my favorite restos are included in this list, AppleBee's, Quiznos, Red Robbins, Subway, Panera and Cheesecake Factory are included tsk tsk. But, after reading this, you feel like you need to take some weight loss supplements after a sandwich bite! Moral of the story, make your own sandwiches, AT HOME!

More on this HERE.

#10: Cosi Steak TBM (Tomatoes, Basil, Mozzarella)

829 calories
55 g fat (19 g saturated)
453 mg sodium

Eat This Instead!
Cosi Club
497 calories
10 g fat (4 g saturated)
827 mg sodium

#9: Arby's Ultimate BLT Market Fresh Sandwich

880 calories

46 g fat (10 g saturated)

1,740 mg sodium

Eat This Instead!

Super Roast Beef

430 calories

18 g fat (6 g saturated)

1,070 mg sodium

#8: Jimmy John's Italian Night Club

951 calories

51 g fat (12 g saturated)

2,165 mg sodium

Eat This Instead!

Customized Slim 5 with Genoa Salami, Capicola and Avocado Spread on 7-Grain Bread

514 calories

17.5 g fat (4 g saturated)

1,239 mg sodium

#7: Panera Full Chipotle Chicken on Artisan French Bread

990 calories

56 g fat (15 g saturated, 1 g trans)

2,370 mg sodium

Eat This Instead!

Chicken Bacon Dijon on French Bread

650 calories

24 g fat (11 g saturated)

1,140 mg sodium

#6. Red Robin Whiskey River BBQ Chicken Sandwich

1,112 calories
62 g fat
2,531 mg sodium

Eat This Instead!
Whiskey River BBQ Chicken Sandwich, without Spinach Tortilla and Ranch Dressing
522 calories
25 g fat
1,336 mg sodium

#5. Subway Meatball Marinara Footlong

1,160 calories

46 g fat (18 g saturated, 2 g trans)

3,060 mg sodium

Eat This Instead!

Roast Beef 6-inch
310 calories
4.5 g fat (1.5 g saturated, 0 g trans)
840 mg sodium

#4. Blimpie Special Vegetarian 12"

1,186 calories

60 g fat (19 saturated fat)

2,198 mg sodium

Eat This Instead!

VegiMax on Wheat 6"

499 calories

21 g fat (6 g saturated)

909 mg sodium

#3. Applebee's Grilled Cheese BLT

1,310 calories

(no other nutritional information available)

Eat This Instead!

Grilled Sirloin Sandwich

680 calories

(no other nutritional information available)

#2. Quizno's Large Tuna Melt

1,760 calories

25 g saturated fat

2,120 mg sodium

Eat This Instead!

Bistro Steak Melt Sammie

390 calories

11.5 g saturated fat

1,050 mg sodium

#1: The Worst Sandwich in America

Cheesecake Factory Grilled Shrimp & Bacon Club

1930 calories

24 g saturated fat

2,965 mg sodium

For the past 2.5 years that I live here, my tastebuds have grown a love on Coffee and Green salad. I was never a fan of the combination before. I guess age and health awareness made me love this combo. Thank God that my DS' favorite hang out place serves the best Chicken salad for 5 bucks! Really, not bad. I have been hanging out at Barnes&Noble and Mc Donald's with him for the past few days because I am swamped with work (like researching on jenny craig reviews and stuff) and he has playmates there.

Hi all!
One question again this week.

1. Name two items on your kitchen counter. A Coffemaker and some table cloth.
2. What’s in your sink now? unwashed dishes.
3. What’s on your stove now? nothing, I cleaned them up before sleeping last night/
4. What’s in your oven now? nothing too. We stopped baking pork and chicken for a while because DH and I have been gaining weight, we might end up taking some diet pills after all I read this information on fat burner reviews.

Sometimes we tend to focus on our physical looks that we tend to abuse our body just so to get the weight we want to achieve. Others would even go the extra mile and take diet supplements, starve themselves and workout to death. More than anything else, we should keep ourselves healthy rather than have the notion of LOSE WEIGHT. By this way, we are able to prevent illnesses. Here's sharing top food that are known to prevent us from having cancer. Check them out HERE.

I am the typical cook (read:designated cook at home :P) who cooks with many ingredients, spices and condiments. I tend to overact in terms of my condiments and ingredients. In fact, I have to always make sure that my pantry is filled with different spices because I dislike it when I am in the middle of my cooking that some ingredients are missing. Ever since I started managing the household expenses, I tend to cut down on spices and other not needed condiments. I realize that sometimes in cooking, the more additives you put, the more you lose the original taste of the main ingredient. I guess I have to avoid experimenting and just stick to the recipe. hee.hee.

So much on my random rambling, I am off to check out communion invitations for a niece. Be back with more recipes in a little while.

We always wonder:

How'd they do that?
Did they undergo the secret knife?
Did they take some diet pills or quick weight loss drinks?
Or did they starve themselves?

Here are what some of the celebrity moms did to lose those pregnancy flabs in 3 months or less. We can still catch up (on some of the natural ways), it's not too late hee. Never say never!(source: MSN health)

>>>BRITNEY SPEARS: Had tummy tuck performed on her 2nd pregnancy but look what happened, she rebounded because she wasn't (still) living a healthy life. So no no no!

>>>ELLE MACPHERSON, GWYNETH PALTROW & KATE MOSS: All wore super-girdles 24 hours a day to help flatten their post-baby tummies. I was stubborn on this part because it was dreadfully hot in the Philippines, hence my tummy flabs are still with me. This is also a traditional Indian practice to get back on shape.

>>>KATIE HOLMES: She practices her KH diet (soup for breakfast and raw broccoli for lunch and dinner). Oh I can't live on these meals. =( Sad to say.

>>>VICTORIA BECKHAM: Only fresh prawns and peas in balsamic vinegar for three months. Lalo naman ito!

>>>LIZ HURLEY: She do not eat more than a couple of bowls of watercress soup. oh no! all in the name of beauty.

>>>model JORDAN: She eats biscuits only with a mixture of avocado, pineapple, spinach and celery juice.

>>>MEL C: GYM 3 hours a day 7 days a week. Whoa!

and my favorite celebrity mom...

>>>Heidi Klum: Hired a personal trainer 24 hours a day who also provided her with her with high protein, low carb meals and work out with her whenever possible. (If I can afford to hire one, I would) I guess this is the healthiest way of all mentioned above.

But, we ain't celebrities, no need to rush. Still, the secret to losing weight is living a healthy life and eating the right meals (with relatively minimal proportions) and with the right workout for your body structure.

Hello everyone, sorry for the irregular updates :). I always start my entries with apologies and I am starting to become predictable hee hee. Anyways, before I check on this best wrinkle cream and before I forget posting another recipe again, here's an easy to whip soup perfect for Lenten Season when most of us sacrifice eating of Meat.

(image credits: google search)

CLAM CHOWDER SOUP
-----------------
Diced bacon (1/3 slab bacon)
1 onion, sauteed in bacon fat (not too much)
3 potatoes, diced

Cover potatoes with boiling water and simmer until potatoes
are tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 1 equal
of whole milk or more 1 can minced clams

Continuously stir.
Bacon, optional.

Dear hubby took the day off today so we could start celebrating our long weekend. Too bad as he has to do some reports at home and so we could not afford to take out of town trips. I guess what is important is that he could spend some time with me and DS. Today, we went around the city to run errands, drop DS to his weekly gym class and went to the mall. I was happy with an hour alone time with him, even though he was very busy checking out Billing Books while we were killing time at this coffee shop.

For the longest time, he has been assisting his Aunt on their family business. They are currently looking for a reliable online invoicing that could also be installed in their system through the use of an invoicing software. This billing software would help his Aunt tremendously since she is the only available person to supervise all of their branches as the other members of the family are too busy with their daily grind and full-time work. I guess he found his luck today when he chanced upon Billing Books. The site offers affordable online billing solutions as well as invoice software for both small-medium enterpises.

So far, I have been consistent with my "living a healthier life" New Year's resolution. This is also the first time I have counted my calorie intake everyday. My goal is to reach my pre-marriage weight (crossing fingers!) by losing 2 lbs a week. Approximately, in 3 months time (just in time for a Spring vacation as DH has been busy checking on vacation homes), I'd be able to lose the extra weight I have without being unhealthy or crashing on diet. Armed with these 2 plus my self-control and determination, I hope to reach my desired weight goal in no time.

The first time I heard of 30-day shred was when I was watching a Health TV show, then I began to research and so no negative feedback. Ordered one in ebay and tried it for 10 days. All it takes for you is to engage in a hard core sort of combined circuit training for only 20 minutes a day. It's hard work but you are done in 20 minutes. There are 3 levels, so no plateauing will happen. Highly recommended. Reality Check: I am still in Level 1 hahahaha! But I tell you Level 2 is much much harder, it is death by circuit training. LOL! I'm back to level 1 hahah!

LOSE IT App in iPhone is so cool. They will make the computation for you. All you need to do is input your desired weight goal, how many lbs you intend to lose each week and voila! Your allowed calorie intake in a day is there to guide you. Best of all, It's free!
3

Yesterday, we had an impromptu Dinner out with some friends, mostly DH's friends. While I was busy checking tiles, DH, DS and friends went ahead to choose a place and ordered. They chose Moe's, it was a first time for me at this Mexican resto. DH knowing that I still have a baby-like tummy because of the 7-day fasting&prayer I did a couple of weeks ago, ordered me this Light Wednesday Taco Salad with lots lots of Tofu. Nom nom.

Unmixed.

Now with the vinaigrette dressing.

Will definitely come back at Moe's. For $5.55, this was super SULIT! I didn't even get to finish it. Nom nom.