WNY Local Restaurant Week, March 9-15, 2015

WNY Local Restaurant Week!

It's that time of year again...Local Restaurant Week! Twice a year Local Restuarant Week (LRW) showcases independently owned restaurants in Western New York. This highly anticipated foodie event encourages patrons to dine out at any of the 200 participating restaurants during the week of March 9th - 15th. LRW celebrates our areas expansive culinary talent and diversity. There are a mecca of top notch chefs in WNY and this is the perfect opportunity to taste test their culinary efforts. Participating restaurants create a special menu for the event and feature dishes that start at just $20.15! And that price typically includes a first course, main entree and dessert, and some even offer a glass of wine. Talk about cheap eats!

LRW is one of my favorite food events in Western New York. I try to dine out as much as I can that week to take advantage of sampling great food at great prices. I already have reservations booked at a few restaurants, with the first one being Ristorante Lombardo. I can't wait to "feed my curiosity" and share my food impressions.

"Think social and eat local" by dining out at one of the participating restaurants during the week of March 9-15th, 2015. 

For a complete listing of LRW restaurants and their menus click here.

Tomato Basil "Cauliflower Crust" Pizza (17 Day Friendly)

Tomato Basil Cauliflower Crust Pizza

I always wondered what cauliflower pizza tasted like. And I don't mean the kind that's a traditional dough crust with cauliflower as a topping. I mean the kind where the crust is made with cauliflower! Sounds crazy right? Well call me crazy because I made it for dinner tonight! My Italian Grandmother who made incredible homemade pizza is probably turning over in her grave right now because I made cauliflower pizza crust. Sorry Grandma. Maybe she'll forgive me since I'm still on the 17 Day Diet and can't have breads. I was craving pizza and the only way I was going to be able to eat pizza is if I tried making pizza with cauliflower crust. So I made Tomato Basil Cauliflower Crust Pizza. Well I'd like to share with you my impressions of this recipe….pretty darn good! Who in the world ever came up with this crafty little recipe? I'd like to thank this person! It's delicious and it satisfied my craving for pizza without the extra carbs and calories, and for anyone who eats a gluten free diet this is a perfect solution. Now don't get me wrong, it doesn't taste like you're biting into thick slice of sicilian pizza. But it does taste like you are biting into some type of pizza. Dave thought it was really good, but thought it was a stretch to call it pizza. Zachary and Tyler had a couple of pieces and liked it but they prefer real pizza, who doesn't though, right?

Surprisingly, making this crust was pretty easy. You rice the cauliflower with a blender, mix it with an egg and mozzarella cheese, then spread it on a round pizza tin and bake for 15 minutes. That's it! I wanted to keep my recipe simple so I just added cherry tomatoes, fat free shredded mozzarella cheese and fresh basil. I will make this again and experiment with different toppings. You could really add any topping that you would put on top of your traditional pizza, so be creative. The one thing I would change next time is the amount of cheese I added to the top. Since the crust has one cup of cheese mixed into it, adding another cup or two on top makes for a heavy cheese flavor. Plus, I used fat free cheese so that helped as far as reducing the amount of calories. So if you're not using fat free cheese you will add on extra fat which in my opinion defeats the purpose of a cauliflower crust to begin with. I've also read reviews where people said if you don't strain the excess water after the cauliflower is microwaved, it will result in a mushy watery crust. So make sure to do that step for a crispy crust.

Since I am still on Cycle 1, Day 10 of the 17 Day Diet, I have to significantly reduce my carb intake so making a pizza like this curbed those cravings. It's amazing to think a little head cauliflower can be so many things….mashed cauliflower and rice cauliflower (Click for recipes) are two that I've made so far and I'm glad to add cauliflower crust to the list! Next I want to try couscous cauliflower so stay tuned for that one.

Salute to Tomato Bail Cauliflower Crust Pizza and amazing alternative to traditional carbilicious pizza!

Cycle 1, Day 10 of the 17 Day Diet Menu and Impressions

Morning Beverage: 2 cups hot water with lemon

Breakfast: Greek yogurt with blueberries and a cup of green tea

Lunch: 2 pieces of egg casserole

Dinner: Tomato Basil Cauliflower Crusted Pizza and a mesclun salad with olive oil and fresh lemon. A cup of green tea

Exercise: 17 minutes of leg squats

Impressions: I tried on my red shorts again this morning because  was so happy about how they fit 24 hors prior. I was hoping they would be even looser today…no such luck…but the same as yesterday so that's good. I wore a black skirt to work today and it seemed to fit better than it had in the past so that was also a good sign. Dave gave me his hug/squeeze tests this morning and he said yep, you are getting slimmer by the day. Food for breakfast and lunch were the same as yesterday because I didn't prep/plan ahead of time. Planning meals ahead of time is crucial to help with your satisfaction of each meal. Luckily I was really busy at work today so eating blah wasn't that big of a deal. I didn't crave any snacks today. In fact I really haven't been hungry on this diet…it's not that I'm eating any less than I was before the diet…it's that what I'm consistently eating is different. The past three days I haven't had much going on so that helps being able to stick to the diet. I have a ton of social events coming up this weekend and all throughout next week. One being Local Restaurant Week!!! Our dear friends Tom and Christa spearhead the event here in Western New York and we always dine out 2-3 times during the event. My motto next week will be "I think I can, I think I can!

A cauliflower crust! Unbelievably good!

17 Day Diet Friendly, low carb, low calorie and gluten free

It all starts with a head of cauliflower 

Rice the cauliflower in a blender or grater

It will look like this when it's riced

Mix the cauliflower, fat free mozzarella and egg

Shape into a flat round crust and bake

Just out of the oven, now to add toppings

How delicious does this look?

Cauliflower Crust Pizza

Tomato Basil Cauliflower Crust Pizza

Tomato Basil Cauliflower Crust Pizza: (Click to print recipe)

Adapted from Paula Dean

Preparation and cook time: 45 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cauliflower, grated (about 1/2 a large head)
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 2 cups fat free mozzarella, shredded and divided
• 1 cup grape tomatoes, sliced in half
• 1/4 cup basil leaves, for garnish

Heat oven to 425°. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

Grate the cauliflower using a blander or box grater until you have 2 cups of cauliflower crumbles. Place in a large bowl and microwave for 5 minutes, or until soften. Remove and let cool and * important step - strain as much liquid as you can from the cauliflower. Mix in the egg, 1 cup mozzarella, Parmesan cheese, and salt and pepper. Once combined, pat into a 10-inch round on the prepared pizza pan. Spray lightly with non-stick spray and bake for 15 minutes, or until golden.

Top the pizza with remaining mozzarella and cherry tomatoes. Bake in the oven until melted and bubbly, another 10 minutes. Top with basil before serving.

Turkey Meatball Parmesan over Portobello Mushrooms (17 DayDiet Friendly)

Turkey Meatballs Parmesan over Portobello Mushrooms

Whether you are on a diet or not, you will love, love , love this recipe! I made Turkey Meatball Parmesan over Portobello Mushrooms! Dave and the boys ate every last bite and kept saying oh my gosh this is soooo good! I really wanted to make turkey meatballs over zoodles (zucchini noodles) but zucchini isn't on the approved food list for Cycle 1 of the 17 Day Diet. So I'll just have to wait til Cycle 2 for my zoodles. So I kept thinking what would go good with turkey meatballs? Then it came to me…they would go amazing over big, beefy, juicy portobello mushrooms caps. Then I thought turkey meatballs on top of portobello mushroom caps wouldn't be enough…it needed more. So I then I thought to add tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese over the top.  Then I'd bake it so the cheese would melt and make it all ooey-gooey. Genius idea, right? And way better than Turkey meatballs over Zoodles! I'm getting hungry just writing about this killer good dish.

This recipe is very easy to make but it involves quite a few steps. So the preparation and cook time is about an hour. Trust me, the results of this dish were well worth the effort it takes. I made this as a weeknight meal so it can be done if you are not in a rush. We all ate the mushrooms except Tyler, he despises any type of mushrooms. I give him credit because every time I make mushrooms he will give them a try but can't muster up a liking of them. I think it's a texture thing for him. When I was baking the portobello mushroom caps he looked at them with his eyes wide opened and said "Are you trying to make me have nightmares tonight?" So instead of mushrooms for Tyler, I put the meatballs and cheese over a top of crusty italian bread. He loved it. So if you have a mushroom hater too, simply use bread in place of it.

We were all stuffed when we finished this meal....stuffed like we had just eaten a giant bowl of spaghetti and meatballs or a feast on Thanksgiving. I made pretty sizeable meatballs so that's where the heartiness factor kicked in. Don't make puny little meatballs, make them giant like I did. And the best part of this hearty meal is that it's 17 Day Diet friendly! I'm telling you, after you make and eat it you'd never in a million years think it was low-carb and low-calorie. With some of the meals I've been making on this diet I've said they are guilt free foods so serve yourself 2 or 3 helpings. Well not with this meal, I mean you could, but you wouldn't want to because his dish is that filling. A diet recipe that fills you up?! You don't see that too often.

Turkey Meatball Parmesan over Portobello Mushrooms the perfect 17 Day Diet meal! Salute to a delicious satisfying low carb, low calorie meal where you won't need a second helping!

Cycle 1, Day 8 of the 17 Day Diet: Menu and Impressions

Morning Beverage: Hot water with fresh lemon. 

Breakfast: Non fat Greek yogurt with fresh blueberries and a cup of green tea.

Lunch: 2 pieces of Turkey, Spinach, Cheddar Egg Casserole (super delicious) and a cup of green tea.

Snack: I cup of strawberries, before 2:00 pm of course.

Dinner: Turkey Meatballs Parmesan over Portobello Mushrooms, a cup of green tea.

Exercise: Unfortunately none, no excuse, I was simply too lazy.

Impressions: So last Saturday was my toughest day but today was my best day so far!  I am happy to report that those little red Old Navy shorts are getting loser on me!  Yippie!!! I can't tell you how happy I am that these shorts finally fit me better. Trust me, they aren't falling off or anything but there is more give on the sides. For those of you who have been following me know that I am not weighing myself on the scale…I am using these shorts as my scale. Dave's squeeze of my body is another weight scale of mine! So within one week, I've already lost weight and I feel great. I wish I could tell you how much I lost…maybe after the 17 days I'll weigh myself. I am still really enjoying the hot water first thing in the morning. Dave loves it too…it's so nice when a loved one joins in on your healthy habits! He's also loving my recipes. Knowing him, he'll loose more weight than me and he's not even tying! Ugh! As far as exercise, I haven't been so good. I blame it on this lousy weather. My dear friends Christa, who I'm going to Florida with, made my Hearty Cabbage Soup recipe (click for recipe). She sent me a text picture of the soup she made and said "Andrea, you are killing me with the 17 Day Diet. I figure I am going to the beach with you so I better eat some of the things you are making!"Nothing is better motivation than to have support from your friends. 

Turkey Meatball Parmesan over Portobello Mushrooms

You'd never guess it was 17 Day Diet Friendly!

Bake 12 Extra Large Turkey Meatballs

Bake 6 Extra Large Portobello Mushroom Caps with Olive Oil for 10 minutes or so.

Add Baked Meatballs to Tomato Sauce, sugar free of course!

Assemble and Bake for 10 minutes until cheese melts, fat free cheese of course!

Just out of the oven! Delicious, hearty and healthy!

You won't need seconds, this dish is so filling!

Turkey Meatball Parmesan over Portobello Mushrooms: (Click to print recipe)

Preparation and cook time: 1 hour

Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds of lean ground turkey
• 2 eggs
• 1 t oregano
• 1 t basil
• 1 t parsley
• salt n pepper
• 6 large portobello mushrooms, cleaned
• olive oil
• 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes, no sugar added
• 1 14 oz can diced tomatoes, no sugar added
• 8 basil leaves, shredded
• 4 oz fat free mozzarella cheese, shredded

For turkey meatballs: In a bowl mix ground turkey, eggs, oregano, basil, parsley and salt n pepper together. Make 12 large meatballs and set on a cookie sheet lined with foil. Bake for 15 minutes in a 375 degree oven. When meatballs done in oven place them in saucepan with the sauce to simmer for 10 minutes or so.

For portobello mushrooms: Drizzle olive oil and salt n pepper over mushrooms and set on a cookie sheet lined with foil. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes in a 375 degree oven. Set aside when done.

For sauce: In a large saute pan add crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, shredded basil and salt n pepper, stir and let heat on medium to low heat.

For assembly: Add 2 meatballs to portobello mushroom caps, add a heaping spoonful of tomato sauce over the top and then add shredded mozzarella to the top. Bake in oven for 5-10 minutes until cheese melts. Eat and enjoy!

Breakfast: Greek yogurt mixed with fresh blueberries

Lunch: Turkey Sausage, spinach and fat free cheddar cheese egg casserole.  

Our Favorite Banana Bread Recipe

Our favorite Banana Bread Recipe

I know this past week has been all about my 17 Day Diet and all of these low-carb, low-fat recipes. Don't worry this post has nothing to do with my diet! In case you've wondered, I'm not just making all healthy diet-y types of food on this 17 Day Challenge. I'm still making things like Rice Krispy Treats, Artisan Bread and the recipe I have for you today, Our Favorite Banana Bread; Sadly I just can't eat them! Just because I'm on this diet doesn't mean Dave and the boys have to be on it too. Don't get me wrong, they actually love the recipes I've been making and have even taken on some healthy habits from it, but they can still eat carbalicious foods that I can't. So the foodie mom and wife that I am, I've continued to make desserts, rice and pasta for them. Trust me, it hasn't been easy cooking foods that I can't eat and it's been even harder watching them indulge in the foods I can't eat. Heck, blogging about it isn't an easier either! So onto making Our Favorite Banana Bread Recipe….which I can't eat!

Bananas are one of the boys' favorite fruits so when I buy them I always make sure to buy extra. And I always save some on the side to make banana bread. This is a recipe posting to my blog because I've been making this recipe for the past 20 years. I actually have it memorized. The boys think it's the best banana bread ever, so I want to document it for them so the'll always have it. There are so many different banana bread recipes out there... The one I use is from the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook. I doubt I'll ever veer from this one because it's that good. It's incredibly moist, flavorful, and just has this good old fashioned taste. When I know I'm going to make banana bread I always allow the bananas to sit on the counter to over ripen. In our household we call over ripened bananas "rotten." The boys know if they see rotten bananas in the fruit basket, mom's make'n banana bread! In fact, I only make banana bread if my bananas are overly ripe because the riper they are the sweeter they are. And the sweeter they are the more flavorful the banana bread is. 

What I like most about this recipe is its simplistic ingredients.  You will most likely have every ingredient you see below on hand already. So as long as you have bananas you can make this amazing homemade banana bread. And because it has simple ingredients, adding other fun ingredients like chocolate chips won't alter the overall recipe, like some would. I like adding chocolate chips, nuts, raisins or even M n M's. The boys love it when I add the extras, but I like it best plain. It's a great morning treat with coffee or tea and it's also just as good as a snack or an after dinner dessert. 

So if you are looking for a good old fashioned banana bread recipe look no further. You and your family will love this recipe. I'm sure you'll find yourself turning to this recipe often. I bet it will even make its way to being your favorite banana bread recipe like it is ours. 

Salute to Our Favorite Banana Bread Recipe from Better Homes and Gardens!

Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips

Moist and delicious

Eat it for breakfast, as a snack or for dessert

So easy to make

Here is the BH & G recipe

Nate's food hack: wrap banana stems in saran wrap so they keep longer

Tyler and Zachary are so excited I made banana bread!

Banana Bread: (click to print recipe)

Taken from Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook

Preparation and cook time: 1 hour and 5 minutes

Makes 1 loaf

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 t baking powder
• 1/4 t baking soda
• 1/4 t cinnamon
• 1 egg
• 3 mashed bananas
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 t shredded lemon peel (optional, I don't use)
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts, chocolate chips, or raisons (optional)

Grease the bottom and 1/2 inch up the sides of an 8x4x2 inch loaf pan; set aside. In a medium mixing bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Make a well in the center of the dry mixture and set aside. In another bowl combine egg, bananas, sugar, oil and lemon peel if desired. Add egg mixture all at once to dry mixture. Stir until moistened, batter should be lumpy. Fold in nuts if desired. Spoon batter into the prepared pan. Bake in a 350 degree oven 50-55 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove loaf from pan and cool on rack.

Lemon Kale Chips (17 Day Diet Friendly)

Lemon Kale Chips

Okay Talia, I have a recipe for you (and your mom) and you are going to love it just as much as you love my Salt-n- Vinegar Spinach Chips! (Click to print recipe) They are Lemon Kale Chips. I've been making these chips for years and that's where I got the idea to make spinach chips. I know how much you love veggies, so this healthy snack will be right up your food alley. Kale is known as being a "superfood" which basically means it's packed with nutrients and it's really really good for you. Nate laughs when he hears me say kale is a superfood. He says "I like kale and all, but sometimes it's just way overrated." I agree with him when it comes to the store bought ones. That's all you hear about is kale, kale, kale and how good it is for you…some may think if you eat enough of it you will like turn into Superman. Not all kale chips are created equal, in other words some kale chips are really truly good for you and some are not. Let me explain….You may go into the grocery store and see bagged kale chips right along side of your favorite Cheese Puffs….be warned though, these are not the kind of kale chips that will turn you into Superman. Some of these kale chips are processed and contain loads of salt, artificial flavoring and other ingredients that you probably can't even pronounce. Kale is only a superfood when it's eaten fresh. Food manufacturers turn fresh kale into dehydrated chips which sit on the shelves for weeks or even months! I don't know about you, but that doesn't sound like a superfood to me, it sounds more like nasty-old-food. So don't be fooled into thinking those types of kale chips are good for you, trust me I know…I saw it on The Doctor Show!

Once you make these Lemon Kale Chips at home you won't ever want store bought ones anyways. Making them is a cinch too. I would even venture to say that kale chips are easier to make than my spinach chips. Why you ask? Because baby spinach is more delicate than kale. Kale is more durable and can be all tossed and thrown together on a baking pan in minutes. So easy Stella could make it!

Let's talk about taste. Oh, they are so scrump-dilly-icious! Lemon goes so well with kale so those flavors sing in harmony together. And the sprinkle of sea salt adds the flavor that keeps you coming back for more. They are addicting and you won't stop at one. But what you'll love most…is when you toss a kale chip in your mouth and take a bite. The crunch is amazing. It isn't a crunch you get when you eat a potato chip…it's a more delicate crunch. The boys describe it as a crinkly crunch. You just have to make them and see what I mean.

When the boys came home from skiing with you today, they had these lemon kale chips for snack. They devoured them like little vultures. It's a good thing I ate some when they came out of the oven. Yes, they are superb right out of the oven too. The other thing that's superb about these lemon kale chips is that they are 17 Day Diet friendly. So your mom will be all over these chips since she is on the diet with me. So tell your mom when she goes grocery shopping to buy kale…I already know she has loads of lemon at home for her morning hot water with lemon. I can't wait to hear your food impressions on my Lemon Kale Chips!

Salute to completing day 7 of the 17 Day Diet and to Talia enjoying my Lemon Kale Chips just as much as my Salt-n-Vinegar Spinach Chips!

Cycle 1, Day 7 of the 17 Day Diet Menu and Impressions

Morning Beverage: Hot water with fresh lemon

Breakfast: Greek yogurt with fresh blueberries and a cup a free tea

Lunch: Lemon Kale Chips and a cup of green tea (I had a later breakfast so I skipped a protein)

Dinner: Baked Cod Marinara with Artichokes and Feta, an arugula salad with red onion and red pepper. This recipe was amazing... I will post recipe soon. (See picture below)

Exercise: 17 minutes of leg squats and arm weights

Diet Impressions: Today, was a good day. For whatever reason I wasn't too hungry today and didn't crave anything like bread or sweets. Not sure if my body is adjusting to the diet better or what. I also still not missing coffee. I've been still pee'ing all day and luckily only once at night. Dave gave me the body squeeze and he said he feels less in my waist and buttocks. I'll try on the red shorts tomorrow morning…that's my true test.

Lemony, Crispy, Delicious and 17 Day Diet Friendly

Start with Tuscan kale, washed and cut

Then toss with olive oil and sea salt

Make sure all of the leaves are coated well

Place on baking sheet, you may need two sheets

Squeeze fresh lemon over top and bake for 15 minutes

Just out of the oven, all crispy good
It shrinks as you can see!

You will not stop at one bite, very addicting

Your family will devour every last chip

Zachary did...

As well as Tyler!

And here is Talia! She made the Lemon Kale Chips
and loved them!
Brussels Sprouts Chips are the next to try Talia!

Lemon Kale Chips: (Click to print recipe)

Preparation and cook time: 20 minutes

Serves: 4 snack sized portions

Ingredients:

• 4 cups tuscan kale leaves, washed and cut. (tuscan are the curly kale)
• 2 tb olive oil
• sea salt
• fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. If you are not using packaged kale that is already washed and cut, make sure to completely dry your leaves before adding olive oil and baking. In a large bowl add kale and olive oil and mix until every leaf has been coated. You can do this with a pair of tongs or with your hands. Add 2 or 3 sprinkles of sea salt, or to your liking. Mix once again. Now add kale to a baking sheet, depending on size you may need two baking sheets. Now squeeze lemon juice over kale greens. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes. They will be crispy to the touch. Eat warm or room temperature.

Dinner: Baked Cod Marinara with Artichokes and Feta

Spicy Chicken and Kale Soup (17 Day Diet Friendly)

Spicy Chicken and Kale Soup

As we were driving out to Holiday Valley Ski Resort, the cars temperature gauge registered at -18! A few days ago I posted that The Buffalo News front page headline was "February our Coldest Month Ever!" At -18 today, that record month will remain a record for a loooong time. But trust me, -18 temps don't deter the Siwiec family (excepting me) from skiing; they are hardcore skiers. Dave was like a kid out there today he was so excited to ski.  He bought a new pair of Volkl skis last week so he couldn't wait to rip tup he hills in them this weekend. He came back to the lodge and loudly cheered "Best ski day EVER!" Once he took his helmet off, a woman at the table next to us started laughing and said "Before he took his helmet off I thought it was your teenage son running in to tell you that it was his best ski day ever!" Yep, he was just like one of the boys today. I must agree about the best ski day ever comment because it truly was. As cold as it was, the sun was out, not a cloud in the sky, and there was no wind. The skiing conditions were perfect, and so was our lunch!

(Best ski day ever) + (-18 temperatures) = Spicy Chicken and Kale Soup. That's what we had for lunch and wow, did that warm us up. Dave and the boys devoured 2 bowls each. I'm so glad my boys love veggies because I'm on day 6 of the 17 Day Diet and my recipes have been loaded with veggies. Kale, carrots and tomatoes were the veggie highlights of this soup. I added orzo pasta on the side for the boys to add a little more substance. Plus they were skiing pretty hard today so the extra carbs were good for them. The italian chicken sausage and fire roasted tomatoes in this soup added a spicy kick which helped to warm us up even more. Dave and the boys love a soup that bites your mouth.

I love a soup that's bursting with palate pleasing flavors and this soup fits that bill. I also love a soup that is 17 Day Diet friendly and this soup fits that bill as well. I used a fat free chicken broth as the base, and added the veggies and italian chicken sausage. I made this in the crockpot but it could be made quickly over the stovetop too. This recipe took 10 minutes to prepare and it heated in the crockpot for 3 hours. The chicken sausage was already pre-cooked so I just sliced them and tossed them in the broth. I used kale that was already pre-washed and cut. You spend a little more money but the pre packed veggies are so worth it. Everything about this soup is good…it's healthy for you, it's tasty, and it's satisfying. What more could you ask for in a soup?  

Today was the most difficult day on the diet (read my impressions below) so I only give a semi-salute to successfully completing day 6 of the 17 Day Diet, but a full salute to a Spicy Chicken and Kale Soup that's sure to warm you up even on the coldest winter day! See recipe below.

Cycle 1, day 6 of 17 Day Diet Menu and Impressions

Morning Beverage: Hot water with fresh lemon. 

Breakfast: Greek Yogurt with fresh blueberries and a cup of green tea. 

Lunch: Spicy Chicken and Kale Soup and a cup of green tea. 

Dinner: crudités with a lemon yogurt dip and a mesclun salad with an olive oil and red wine vinaigrette and 2 cups of green tea.

Exercise: Two hours of skiing!

Impressions: The Negatives: Today was the most difficult day because we were invited to our dear friend's house tonight for dinner. The hosts, who are amazing cooks, made homemade pizza, chili, pasta fagioli, a mesclun salad and also served some killer wines. These wines were brought back from vineyards in Napa that had recently visited. How could I resist all of this amazing food and wine? Why would I want to resist all of this amazing food and wine? Trust me it took every ounce of me to resist. But tonight, resisting wasn't the most difficult part…the absolute most difficult part was declining our friends food. How incredibly rude is that? I felt awful. They put time, energy and passion into the food they made for us and I had to say "I'm sorry I can't eat any of the food you are serving because I am on Cycle 1 of the 17 Day Diet." One may say "good for you for maintaining such willpower and dedication to your diet" but I say "how selfish of myself." Our friends were absolutely gracious about me declining their over the top good food and wine and said "no worries", but that didn't matter to me. I still felt like an ill-mannered guest. As we were pulling up to their house I reminded the boys to behave, be respectful and be well mannered, and they were. But how hypocritical of me to preach those words when I broke all of those rules myself. So because I want to loose a few pounds and look good in my bathing suit, I declined an amazing meal while feeling like a total buzz kill and offending my friends. It's one thing to decline food because of an allergy or a medical reason, but to decline food because of vanity didn't sit well with me. I guess I could have declined the invite but that would have been just as selfish and rude. So my deepest apologies again to our gracious hosts. This has truly been the most difficult part of this diet so far. You may say I'm being harsh on myself but the premise and subtitle of my food blog is: The joy of making lasting impressions on my family and friends through my love of cooking." I always frowned upon people who couldn't enjoy a night out with friends because of a diet they were on. In the back of my mind I would be like seriously??? What a party pooper!!! So here I sit, that person. I couldn't enjoy a glass of wine with my husband Friday night because of the diet; I have to decline attending a super cool wine tasting event with my girlfriends this Thursday because of this diet; I can't enjoy a piece of the homemade artisan bread that my son Zachary made this weekend for a school project because of this diet; or I can't even enjoy the chocolate chip banana bread or the rice krispy treats I made for my family because of this damn diet. So these are some of my impressions so far on this diet,...I know mostly negative…but it's how I feel. So today the hardest thing for me about this diet is how it's affecting others. I'm really looking forward to Cycle 1 being over. And for all I'm giving up, which is a lot, this diet better show results on this body. 11 more days, Cycle 1!

The positives: Anything positive about the diet today you ask? Yes there are! Luckily, Stephanie, who introduced me to this diet, was there with me tonight. So I wasn't the only one not eating the scrumptious food or drinking the amazing wines. Stephanie brought the crudités platter with the greek yogurt dip which was super good…I will post the recipe once I make it this week. Stephanie showed up with a box of green tea in hand and I stashed a few tea bags in my coat pocket too! It was actually pretty hysterical. So we munched on veggies and salad all night…trust me it was very satisfying but hard to watch everyone else stuff their faces with yumminess. So it REALLY helps when you have a friend or family member doing this diet with you. If Stephanie wasn't at the party too, I may have caved, so thanks Steph! I'll admit I did have a few sips of red wine…I had to taste test, plus I couldn't be that rude. Even with the guilt I felt tonight I must admit I feel really good about how my body feels. The diet has helped my body to detox impurities and that feels really good. So far I've eliminated coffee, alcohol and significantly reduced sugar and carbs. My body is loving me for it. I added lots of water, green teas, and probiotics which are all helping me to feel this good too. Dave is now implementing the hot water and lemon in the morning. The boys have been drinking more teas and they are enjoying it. I haven't tried on my red shorts at all this weekend since they are in Buffalo but I do feel a bit lighter and feel that my boobs and arms have thinned out a bit. Unfortunately, thats not where I need to loose fat…it's in my buttocks and thighs! So Monday morning I'll try them on and see…fingers crossed. The other positive is that I'm really enjoying the recipes I've been making like the Spicy Chicken and Kale Soup! Yum. I guess you have to take the good with the bad with some things…and trust me there is the good and the bad with this diet! I keep plugging away though.

17 Day Diet Friendly

Orzo added, not 17 Day Diet Friendly

Chicken sausage, kale, fire roasted tomatoes, carrots, and chicken broth. 

Make it in the crockpot or on the stovetop

Simple, easy, delicious, spicy and healthy 

It's -18 and we're skiing anyways!

Dave and Zachary warming up with Chicken and Kale Soup

Nate and me!

My 17 minutes of exercise is completed, skiing!

Dave's new Volkl skis and his best day ever!

Spicy Chicken and Kale Soup: (Click to print recipe)

Preparation and cook time: 10 minutes prep and 2-3 hours in the crockpot. Stovetop 30 minutes.

Serves: 8-10

Ingredients:

• 10 pre-cooked italian chicken sausage, sliced
• 2 cups of sliced carrots
• 1 can fire roasted diced tomatoes
• 4 cups chopped kale
• 8 cups fat free chicken broth
• salt n pepper
• optional: pasta on the side like orzo or elbows

Add all of the ingredients in a crockpot and cook on high for 2-3 hours or until carrots are tender. Optional: add pasta to the soup. Enjoy!

Morning beverage at the lodge…hot water with lemon

Breakfast at the lodge: Greek yogurt loaded with blueberries  with a cup of green tea

Lunch at the lodge: Spicy Chicken and Kale Soup with a cup of green tea

Dinner: Crudites with lemon yogurt dip, mesclun salad with olive and red wine vinaigrette, and 2 cups of green tea. 

The boys and Gabriella enjoying all of the food at the party…I wish I could have enjoyed it too…damn diet!