Randomness

Ok, so it's not Tuesday, but I haven't done Random Thoughts in awhile, so here ya go.

Sunday and Monday were hotter than heck. No A/C at our house. Central Air got zapped back during the tornado of '07. Didn't get any window units installed until Monday evening. Kids were staking out their sleeping spots in the living room right after it got installed. Lol!

Monday I spent the day in the car...running. First, I'm in the shower getting ready for my 2 doctor appointments of the day and my phone rings. It's my son. He missed the bus. (This happens quite often when he has delayed starts at school.) So I had to rush to get dressed and pick him up at the bus stop, run back home for forms I forgot, then run to the first doctor. (Who of course was running late.) Then run to the gyne's office, which I had trouble finding. Found it, got violated 9 ways to Sunday (don't you hate the gyne office? And to top it off, it was a doctor new to me...who was a male. Arghh!) I got real comfortable going to my previous gyne, since I was having "female trouble" and was there 2-3 times a month for what seemed like forever. This was different. And it was funny because since the tech hit the "Do you have any children" question before they hit the "orientation" question, they automatically assume hetero. Then as I'm discussing an issue, I dropped a pronoun and suddenly the tech is scrolling back to change the "orientation" question. Yes, I noticed. Anyway, since I was 15 minutes away from my girlfriend's house, I stopped by for a short visit. Then it was off to shopping to get something to nuke for dinner.

So my first doctor's appointment was practically triumphant! I got to find out exactly how much weight I've lost since February (since the break-up). I knew I lost weight because I've been having to buy new clothes, but I didn't know exactly how much. Wanna know? I know you wanna know! I lost 45 pounds since February! Woo hoo! Lin...you're not even going to recognize me when we meet up next month!

Lindsay Lohan...seriously...does anyone really believe your passport was stolen? Does anyone believe the white powder in the photos taken while you were abroad 'promoting a film' was not cocaine? Seriously? How are you going to manage with the alcohol monitor the judge mandated? Do you seriously think you can fool that thing?

The final episode of "Lost"...I never watched a single episode and I'm doing a happy dance that I didn't waste hours of my life watching them. I caught the last 1/2 hour and can I say how robbed I felt just watching that?

The final episode of "The Apprentice". How cool that both Holly and Brett got the full prize money for winning? And how cool that Brett won? I had been rooting for Sharon Osbourne until she left, then I switched to Brett's camp. Awesome!

So, what did you think of "Lost" and "The Apprentice" final episodes?

Lola's Diner©2008-2010

Cookbook Review - Substitute Yourself Skinny By Chef Susan Irby

I recently received a copy of Substitute Yourself Skinny by Chef Susan Irby, the Bikini Chef.
This is truly a collection of great recipes for anyone looking to either lose weight or maintain their weight by eating better with substituting lower fat or lower calorie ingredients. "Cut the calories, keep the flavor."



The book includes 175 Super Slimming Recipes. Some of the recipes you'll find in the book are Biscuits and Gravy, Chinese Chicken Salad, Blooming Onion with Bacon, Spinach Artichoke Dip, Queso Dip, BBQ Sliders, Chicken Satay, Molten Chocolate Cake, Tiramisu, I could go on and on. Lots of great recipes, along with lots of photos. And bonus! Each recipe includes a Nutritional Breakdown and compares a regular full fat/calorie versions calories to the Substitute Yourself Skinny Recipe calories.

Kung-pow Pork
Ingredients:
1 TBS Canola Oil
3/4 lb Pork Loin, trimmed of fat and cut into 1" cubes
1 Clove Garlic, minced
Fine zest of 1 Orange
1 1/2 TBS Sherry Wine
4 dried Chili Peppers, minced
1/2 Red Bell Pepper, chopped
1/2 Yellow Bell Pepper, chopped
1 Cup Snow Peas, left whole
4 Green Onions, green and white parts, minced
2 TBS low-sodium Soy Sauce
1/2 TBS fresh Gingerroot, minced
1 TBS Honey
1 TBS roasted peanuts, chopped

1. In a large saucepan, heat the oil on medium and add the Pork. Cook until just cooked through, about 3 minutes. Add the Garlic and Orange zest. Cook for about 1 minute. Add the Sherry, Chili Peppers, Bell Peppers, Snow Peas, Onions, Soy Sauce, Gingerroot, and Honey. Saute for about 3-4 minutes.
2. When the vegetables are just tender, add the peanuts. Serve on plates in 1 Cup portions.
Original Recipe 500 Calories
Substitute Yourself Skinny Recipe 275 Calories.

Recipe from Substitute Yourself Skinny by Chef Susan Irby, the Bikini Chef.

Wouldn't this be great served in lettuce wraps?

About the Author:

"Chef Susan Irby has worked with multiple Master Chefs including George McNeil, Todd English, and Ming Tsai. Known as the Bikini Chef, specializing in figure "figure-flattering flavors", Chef Susan is host of The Bikini Lifestyle with Susan Irby The Bikini Chef on KFWB News talk 980 in Los Angeles and author of The $7 A Meal Quick And Easy Cookbook, The $7 A Meal Healthy Cookbook and Cooking With Susan. She has cooked for several celebrities including Patrick Swayze, David Spade, Kate Sagal and Bill Handel, and appeared on the Patti Gribow Show and KLAC Los Angeles and numerous other media outlets. She lives in Orange County, CA. Visit Susan Irby.com."

Substitute Yourself Skinny by Chef Susan Irby, the Bikini Chef is currently available online at Amazon.com, Borders.com, Barnes And Noble.com, and at your local bookstore.

Lola's Diner Disclaimer: I was given this cookbook to review. This review is 100% my opinion and has not been edited or reviewed by anyone. I was not compensated in any other way for this product review.

Lola's Diner©2008-2010