Sweet November...
or is it? Didn't I just blog about it turning October? Now it's already the 4th? Aye, yay, yay... I am kind of glad Halloween is out of the way, I have to admit. There's always so much stress put into then it's over in one night and you barely remember what happened. Or maybe that's just me.
But the good news is that instead of carving pumpkins, now we get to eat them, in pie form of course. My new favorite side dish is a yam. Very delish and healthy. My mom's makes them the best for Thanksgiving, with extra marshmallows. Delish but not healthy.
Hopefully November will be sweet to all of us this year.
But the good news is that instead of carving pumpkins, now we get to eat them, in pie form of course. My new favorite side dish is a yam. Very delish and healthy. My mom's makes them the best for Thanksgiving, with extra marshmallows. Delish but not healthy.
Hopefully November will be sweet to all of us this year.
Labels:
Misc.
Halloween
So how did we do? Did we pull off Kat Von D and Jesse James good? You can't see my entire outfit, but I had on a pair of snake skin pants and some studded heels. Surprisingly, my stars didn't smear all over either. It was a fun night.
Labels:
Holiday
20 Years of Fear
We went to Halloween Horror Nights on Saturday at Universal Studios in Orlando. It was pretty good this year but not as scary as I had hoped. It was their 20th "year of fear", but I have to admit, there wasn't much to fear. I won a big stuffed animal gorilla which made me proud and was probably the highlight of the night. Walking through one of the houses, a masked character grabbed the arm of the gorilla while I was holding it and just stood there. That was the scariest part. I couldn't see his eyes, just the mask. He stood there holding onto the arm staring at me. I'm not gonna lie, I was spooked at that point.
I hope everyone has their pumpkins carved and outfits planned. Halloween is right around the corner.
I hope everyone has their pumpkins carved and outfits planned. Halloween is right around the corner.
Labels:
Events
Kings of Leon
My favorite band, Kings of Leon, just released their new album yesterday, Come Around Sundown. If you're a KOL fan, you gotta get this CD to add to your collection. Or get it if you're looking for something new. This album has more of a beachy, chill vibe to it.
Their sound of southern rock with a twist of gospel sets them apart from the rest. The lead singer, Caleb Followill, has a raw seductive voice and is pretty easy on the eyes too.
Labels:
Music
That's the way the cookie crumbles
I made some delicious cookies this weekend that I highly recommend: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies.
I added a little extra cinnamon and spices to mine like nutmeg. However, I do not recommend trying to make them healthier like I did my substituting white flour for whole wheat. For the best flavor, stick with white flour as the recipe calls for. They will be cakey from the pumpkin so keeping them in the fridge helps. Enjoy!
I added a little extra cinnamon and spices to mine like nutmeg. However, I do not recommend trying to make them healthier like I did my substituting white flour for whole wheat. For the best flavor, stick with white flour as the recipe calls for. They will be cakey from the pumpkin so keeping them in the fridge helps. Enjoy!
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Original Recipe Yield 2 dozen
Ingredients
- 1 cup canned pumpkin
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 egg
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon milk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
Directions
1. Combine pumpkin, sugar, vegetable oil, and egg. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, and salt. Dissolve the baking soda with the milk and stir in. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture and mix well.
2. Add vanilla, chocolate chips and nuts.
3. Drop by spoonful on greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for approximately 10 minutes or until lightly brown and firm.
Labels:
Food
Dear Workout Barbie...
While the rest of us are spending hours sweating our asses off on the Elliptical machine, you so lackadaisically lift your weights and dab the droplet of sweat off. Don't worry your layers of mascara and eyeliner hasn't smeared.
Although, I do fell that you're confused on the current year. It looks like you just did a jumping jack out of an 80's workout video with your Aqua-Net sprayed hair, pink lipstick and overload of make-up along with your scrunched socks to complete your head-to-toe Ever Last outfit. And to top it off, you coincidently arrive to the gym in your white convertible Corvette at the same time I do almost every night.
I guess I should find you more of a motivation than a threat, or maybe I'm just jealous. Regardless, walking back and forth from the bathroom to fix your make up and retie your shirt really isn't necessary every 20 minutes.
I understand you were blessed with close to perfect genes. But maybe take it down a notch, leave something to the imagination. I can only imagine you at the beach in your neon green bikini that sits high above the hips.
Labels:
Dear...
Feeling Insprired, by Valentina
I just found this amazing artist. She lives here in the sunshine state in Miami. Her artwork and attention to detail is amazing!
Labels:
Must Have
Happy meal not so happy...:(
To most kids a McDonald's Happy Meal is a real treat, even to some adults. A fun and delicious meal for cheap that even comes with a toy. Sounds great, right? Wrong! I have sworn out fast food, unless it's the one and only convenient stop while on a road trip or long drive and starvation starts to set in. Reading the story below only makes me prouder in that decision. This confirms that this kind of 'food' is hardly even real food. It may taste yummy but that's from all the chemicals and preservatives pumped into it. Hence, the absence of decomposition.
I know those golden arches are hard to resist, but after reading this, you might change your mind. The meal is this story has sat our for 6 months and still looks like it was just grabbed straight from the drive-thru. There's not even a speck of mold on the bun. If it's true when they say that "You are what you eat", what would this be considered?
http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_upshot/20101012/bs_yblog_upshot/mcdonalds-happy-meal-resists-decomposition-for-six-months
I know those golden arches are hard to resist, but after reading this, you might change your mind. The meal is this story has sat our for 6 months and still looks like it was just grabbed straight from the drive-thru. There's not even a speck of mold on the bun. If it's true when they say that "You are what you eat", what would this be considered?
http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_upshot/20101012/bs_yblog_upshot/mcdonalds-happy-meal-resists-decomposition-for-six-months
Labels:
Diet
Dexter Drama
Have you been watching this season of Dexter? I couldn't believe the cliffhanger from last season. Every episode now is a nail bitter. Love it! Seems like Dexter is always so close to getting caught. Makes me nervous...
And, it seems like Quin shrunk but his clothes didn't. He lost all of his sexy muscles and is lookin' a little frail now. What happened? It was only a matter of time before he and Deb Morgan hooked up. They really should become a couple. But seeing as though he's on Dexter's a** now, that might cause some conflict within their lovers corral.
Labels:
Misc.
These boots are made for walking
Finally, it's almost time for the flip flops to hibernate. These little piggies could use some warm socks and boots to stay snuggled up in for a few months. If money wasn't an issue, I would have a pair of boots in every color and every height. Actually, I think I'd rather buy those new boots then lunch. Some places are having great deals, it'd be silly not for me to buy them. Right...?
Labels:
Shopping
Lola the Lion
Apparently, Lola's chosen her own Halloween costume this year. I was going to make her be a pumpkin, but this is cute too. She's even been wearing it while practicing her 'trick-or-treat' dance. I think she's taking the lioness role a little too far though as she attacks our heels when walking by her. Grr...
Labels:
Lola
Friday Fun Day
Thanks to my gracious boss, I get tomorrow off. I can't wait to sleep in and lie in my nice warm bed with the windows open letting the cool air in. It's perfect weather to bike ride or takes the dogs to a park. That's always fun, and free.
I plan to carve pumpkins this weekend too. I found some good stencils online to print out, just make sure you have good tools. Then make some tasty pumpkin seeds. They're delicious baked with a little bit of Sea Salt and Olive Oil. Or for something sweeter, bake with a little bit of cinnamon and sugar. Yummy!
Here's a good link for some creative stencils:
http://www.bhg.com/holidays/halloween/pumpkin-carving/halloween-pumpkin-stencils/
Enjoy the outdoors this weekend!
I plan to carve pumpkins this weekend too. I found some good stencils online to print out, just make sure you have good tools. Then make some tasty pumpkin seeds. They're delicious baked with a little bit of Sea Salt and Olive Oil. Or for something sweeter, bake with a little bit of cinnamon and sugar. Yummy!
Here's a good link for some creative stencils:
http://www.bhg.com/holidays/halloween/pumpkin-carving/halloween-pumpkin-stencils/
Enjoy the outdoors this weekend!
Labels:
Halloween
Pumpkin Kick Off
To kick off my pumpkin passion this fall, so far I've gotten my fall harvest cinnamon spice potpourri (50% off sale at Michael's) and some cute pumpkin nutmeg candles. I've been trying really hard to save the pumpkin pie and treats until Thanksgiving, even though all I want to make is everything from pumpkin bread to pumpkin soup.
But last night, my ever so thoughtful boyfriend surprised me with a pint of Ben & Jerry's Pumpkin Cheesecake ice cream. I couldn't refuse and not eat it, that would just be rude. All though one half a cup of this is almost equivalent to one of America's worst drinks, it only comes around once a year. I highly recommend this delicious dessert, but to SHARE and make it last so you won't go buy more.
But last night, my ever so thoughtful boyfriend surprised me with a pint of Ben & Jerry's Pumpkin Cheesecake ice cream. I couldn't refuse and not eat it, that would just be rude. All though one half a cup of this is almost equivalent to one of America's worst drinks, it only comes around once a year. I highly recommend this delicious dessert, but to SHARE and make it last so you won't go buy more.
Baby boy count down
Labels:
Sisters
Steer clear from these diet death traps.
So, I received the following list below from a co-worker. To think that someone would actually want to consume 24 fl oz of Cold Stone's PB&C frozen drink is bad enough. But just the fact that companies actually make and sell these products is a little ridiculous. They might taste delicious but they are not worth it. Seriously, the best, and I use that word lightly, is a 150 calorie water with 33 grams of sugar? Big no-no. I like to refer to these as "Liquid Obesity". It's like, "Here you go, have a sip of fat. For just $1 more you can super size to a heart attack. Enjoy!"
20 Worst Drinks in America 2010
Snapple Agave Melon Antioxidant Water (1 bottle, 20 fl oz)
150 calories
0 g fat
33 g sugars
Sugar Equivalent: 2 Good Humor Chocolate Éclair Bars
While “Worst Water” may sound like an oxymoron, the devious
minds in the bottled beverage industry have even found a way to
besmirch the sterling reputation of the world’s most essential
compound. Sure, you may get a few extra vitamins, but ultimately,
you’re paying a premium price for gussied-up sugar water. Next
time you buy a bottle of water, check the recipe: You want two parts
hydrogen, one part oxygen, and very little else.
19. Worst Bottled Tea
240 calories
0 g fat
61 g sugars
Sugar Equivalent: 4 slices Sara Lee Cherry Pie
Leave it to SoBe to take an otherwise healthy bottle of tea and
inject it with enough sugar to turn it into dessert. The Pepsi owned
company’s flagship line, composed of 11 flavors with
names like “Nirvana” and “Cranberry Grapefruit Elixir,” is
marketed to give consumers the impression that it can cleanse
the body, mind, and spirit. Don’t be fooled. Just like this bottle of
green tea, all of these beverages are made with two primary
ingredients: water and sugar.
18. Worst Energy Drink
Rockstar Energy Drink (1 can, 16 fl oz)
0 g fat
62 g sugars
Sugar Equivalent: 6 Krispy Kreme Original Glazed Doughnuts
None of the energy provided by these full-sugar drinks could ever
justify the caloric load, but Rockstar’s take is especially frightening.
One can provides nearly as much sugar as half a box of Nilla
Wafers. In fact, it has 60 more calories than the same amount of
Red Bull and 80 more than a can of Monster. If you’re going to
guzzle, better choose one of the low-cal options. We like Monster;
it offers all the caffeine and B vitamins with just enough sugar to
cut through the funky extracts.
17. Worst Bottled Coffee
290 calories
4.5 g fat (2.5 g saturated)
45 g sugars
Sugar Equivalent: 32 Nilla Wafers
With an unreasonable number of calorie landmines
peppered across Starbucks’ in-store menu, you’d think the
company would want to use its grocery line to restore faith in
its ability to provide caffeine without testing the limits of your
belt buckle. Guess not. This drink has been on our radar for
years, and we still haven’t managed to find a bottled coffee
with more sugar. Consider this—along with Starbucks’
miniature Espresso and Cream Double shot—your worst
option for a morning pickup.
16. Worst Soda
320 calories
0 g fat
84 g sugars
Sugar Equivalent: 6 Breyer’s Oreo Ice Cream Sandwiches
Wait . . . but aren’t all sodas equally terrible? It’s true they all
earn 100 percent of their calories from sugar, but that doesn’t
mean there aren’t still varying levels of atrocity. Despite the
perception of healthfulness, fruity sodas tend to carry more sugar
than their cola counterparts, and none make that more apparent
than the tooth-achingly sweet Sunkist. But what seals the orange
soda’s fate on our list of worst’s is its reliance on the artificial
colors yellow 6 and red 40—two chemicals that may be linked to
behavioral and concentration problems in children.
15. Worst Beer
0 g fat
32.1 g carbohydrates
9.6% alcohol
Carbohydrate Equivalent: 12-pack of Michelob Ultra
Most beers carry fewer than 175 calories, but even your average
extra-heady brew rarely eclipses 250. That makes Sierra’s Bigfoot
the undisputed beast of the beer jungle. Granted, the alcohol itself
provides most of the calories, but it’s the extra heft of carbohydrates
that helps stuff nearly 2,000 calories into each six-pack. For
comparison, Budweiser has 10.6 grams of carbs, Blue Moon has 13,
and Guinness Draught has 10. Let’s hope the appearance of this gut inducing
guzzler in your fridge is as rare as encounters with the
fabled beast himself.
14. Worst Kids' Drink
Tropicana Tropical Fruit Fury Twister (1 bottle, 20 fl oz)
0 g fat
60 g sugars
Sugar Equivalent: Two 7-ounce canisters Reddi-wip
Don’t let Tropicana’s reputation for unadulterated OJ lead you to
believe that the company is capable of doing no wrong. As a
Pepsi subsidiary, it’s inevitable that they’ll occasionally delve
into soda-like territory. The Twister line is just that: a drink with
10 percent juice and 90 percent sugar laced with a glut of
artificial flavors and coloring. You could actually save 200
calories by choosing a can of Pepsi instead.
345 calories
0 g fat
83 g sugars
Sugar Equivalent: 6 Cinnamon Roll Pop-Tarts
Obviously Arizona
out looking like something you’d find in a pharmacy. But if your
pharmacist ever tries to sell you this much sugar, he should have
his license revoked. And if its energy you’re after, this isn’t your
best vehicle. Caffeine is the only compound in the bottle that’s
been proven to provide energy, and the amount found within is
about what you'd get from a weak cup of coffee.
12. Worst Juice Impostor
345 calories
0 g fat
81 g sugars
Sugar Equivalent: 7 bowls of Fruit Loops
The twisted minds at the Arizona
this nefarious concoction, a can the size of a bazooka loaded
with enough of the sweet stuff to blast your belly with 42 sugar
cubes. The most disturbing part isn’t that it masks itself as some
sort of healthy juice product (after all, hundreds of products are
guilty of the same crime), but that this behemoth serving size
costs just $.99, making its contents some of the cheapest calories we’ve ever stumbled across.
11. Worst Espresso Drink
Starbucks Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha with Whipped Cream (venti, 20 fl oz)
660 calories
22 g fat (15 g saturated)
95 g sugars
and Creamy Coffee Ice Cream
Hopefully this will dispel any lingering fragments of the
“health halo” that still exists in coffee shops—that misguided
belief that espresso-based beverages can’t do much
damage. In this 20-ounce cup, Starbucks manages to pack
in more calories and saturated fat than two slices of deep dish
sausage and pepperoni pizza from Domino’s. That
makes it the equivalent of dinner and dessert disguised as a
cup of coffee. If you want a treat, look to Starbucks’ supply
of sugar-free syrups; if you want a caffeine buzz, stick to the
regular joe, an Americano, or a cappuccino.
10. Worst Lemonade
470 calories
0 g fat
110 g sugars
Sugar Equivalent: 11 bowls of Cookie Crisp cereal
There is no such thing as healthy lemonade, but Auntie’s line of
Lemonade Mixers takes the concept of hyper-sweetened juice and
stretches it to dangerous new levels. See, sugar digests faster
than good-for-you nutrients like protein and fiber, which means it’s
in your blood almost immediately after you swallow it. Drinking the
3 or 4 days’ worth of added sugar found here jacks your blood
sugar and results in strain to your kidneys, the creation of new fat
molecules, and the desire to eat more. Ouch.
9. Worst Hot Chocolate
(venti, 20 fl oz)
520 calories
16 g fat (11 g saturated)
75 g sugars
Sugar Equivalent: 9 Strawberry Rice Krispie Treats
See that stack of Rice Krispie Treats? It’s just three treats shy of
two full boxes. Unless you were a contestant on Fear Factor—
and there was a sizable monetary prize on the line—you’d
never even consider noshing down that much sugar at once. But
here’s what’s interesting: While that stack is the sugar
counterpart to this atrocity from Starbucks, it still has 40 percent
less saturated fat. Makes us wonder what’s going on in the hot
chocolate. Stick to beverages with single-flavor profiles instead of
pile-on recipes like this and you’ll fare better every time.
8. Worst Frozen Coffee Drink
870 calories
24 g fat (19 g saturated, 1 g trans)
112 g sugars
Sugar Equivalent: 12 Dunkin’ Donuts Bavarian Kreme Doughnuts
Coffee-dessert hybrids are among the worst breed of beverages.
This one delivers 1 gram of fat and 4.6 grams of sugar in every
ounce, making even Starbucks’ over-the-top line of Frappuccinos
look like decent options. Maybe that’s why DQ decided to give it a
name that alludes to the animal it promises to turn you into. If you
can bring yourself to skip DQ and head to a coffee shop instead,
order a large iced latte with a couple shots of flavored syrup and
save some 600 calories. But if you’re stuck where you are, you’re
better off pairing a small treat with a regular cup of joe.
7. Worst Margarita
Traditional Red Lobster Lobsterita (24 fl oz)
0 g fat
183 g carbohydrates
Carbohydrate Equivalent: 7 Almond Joy candy bars
Of all the egregious beverages we’ve analyzed, the Lobsterita
surprised us the most. The nation’s biggest fish purveyor is one
of the few big players in the restaurant biz to provide its
customers with a wide selection of truly healthy food options. We
would hope they’d do the same with the beverages, but obviously
not. Drink one of these every Friday night and you’ll put on more
than a pound of flab each month. Downgrade to a regular
margarita on the rocks and pocket the remaining 640 calories.
6. Worst Float
Baskin-Robbins Ice Cream Soda (vanilla ice cream and cola)
960 calories
40 g fat (25 g saturated, 1.5 g trans)
136 g sugars
Sugar Equivalent: 9.7 Fudgsicle fudge bars
Done right, an ice cream float can be a decent route to indulgence.
Go to A&W and you’ll land a medium for fewer than 400 calories.
Order it with diet soda and you’ve dropped below 200 calories. So
why can’t Baskin-Robbins make even a small float with fewer than
470 calories? Because apparently the chain approaches the art of
beverage-crafting as a challenge to squeeze in as much fat and sugar
as possible. Whatever you order, plan on splitting it with a friend.
5. Worst Frozen Fruit Drink
980 calories
40 g fat (36 g saturated)
115 g sugars
Sugar Equivalent: 16 medium-size chocolate eclairs
Imagine taking a regular can of soda, pouring in 18 extra
teaspoons of sugar, and then swirling in half a cup of heavy
cream. Nutritionally speaking, that’s exactly what this is, which is
how it manages to marry nearly 2 days’ worth of saturated fat
with enough sugar to leave you with a serious sucrose hangover.
Do your heart a favor and avoid any of Krispy Kreme’s “Kremey”
beverages. The basic Chillers aren’t the safest of sippables
either, but they’ll save you up to 880 calories.
4. Worst Frozen Mocha
Così Double Oh! Arctic Mocha (gigante, 23 fl oz)
19 g fat (10 g saturated)
240 g sugars
Sugar Equivalent: 41 Oreo Cookies
A frozen mocha will never be a stellar option, but we’ve still never
come across anything that competes with this cookie-coffee milkshake
hybrid from Così. Essentially it’s a mocha Blizzard
made with Oreo cookies and topped with whipped cream and an
oversize Oreo. The result is a beverage with more calories than
two Big Macs and more sugar than any other drink in America
3. Worst Drive
McDonald’s Triple Thick Chocolate Shake (large, 32 fl oz)
1,160 calories
168 g sugars
Sugar Equivalent: 13 McDonald’s Baked Hot Apple Pies
There are very few milk shakes in America
hard-earned calories, but few will punish you as thoroughly as
this Mickey D’s drive-thru disaster. Not only does it have more
than half your day’s caloric and saturated fat allotment and
more sugar than you’d find in Willy Wonka’s candy lab, but
Ronald even finds a way to sneak in a full day of cholesterol spiking
trans fat. The scariest part about this drink is that it’s
most likely America
2. Worst Smoothie
1,498 calories
44 g fat (8 g saturated)
214 g sugars
Sugar Equivalent: 20 Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
If Smoothie King wants someone to blame for landing this high on our
worst beverages roundup (and truth be told, its entire menu is riddled
with contenders), the chain should point the smoothie straw at
whichever executive came up with the cup-sizing structure. Sending
someone out the door with a 40-ounce cup should be a criminal offense.
Who really needs a third of a gallon of sweetened peanut butter blended
with grape juice, milk, and bananas? Sugar-and-fat-loaded smoothies
like this should be served from 12-ounce cups, not mini kegs.
1. Worst Beverage in America
Cold Stone PB&C (Gotta Have It size, 24 fl oz)
131 g fat (68 g saturated)
153 g sugars
Sugar Equivalent: 30 Chewy Chips Ahoy Cookies
In terms of saturated fat, drinking this Cold Stone catastrophe is like
slurping up 68 strips of bacon. Health experts recommend capping
your saturated fat intake at about 20 grams per day, yet this
beverage packs more than three times that into a cup the size of a
Chipotle burrito. But here’s what’s worse: No regular shake at Cold
Stone, no matter what the size, has fewer than 1,000 calories. If
you must drink your ice cream, make it one of the creamery’s
“Sinless” options. Otherwise you’d better plan on buying some
bigger pants on the way home.
Labels:
Diet
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