Femme Fatales!

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Rice Cakes - Weight Watchers

Italian Rice Cakes
3 points/serving

 (Pic Heavy)

These rice cakes make a great side dish if you're itching to try something different and the best part is that they're low in points if you follow the weight watchers system.
I doubled the recipe so the pictures reflect this, but I will use the original recipe throughout this post.


Cook 1/2 cup of instant brown rice according to package directions omitting the butter



Mash 1/2 cup white kidney beans (rinsed and drained) in a medium bowl



Stir in 1/4 cup fat free marinara sauce



Add 1/4 cup of shredded part skim mozzarella cheese



 2tbsp of  Parmesan cheese


1 scallion finely chopped (I used an onion)



Stir cooked rice into bean mixture and season with pepper and very little salt



Combine 2tbsp of plain bread crumbs


and remaining 2tbsp of Parmesan cheese


Heat oil in large skillet


Mold rice and bean mixture into patties and roll into bread crumb and cheese mixture


Cooked until browned and heated through



Serve with your choice of meat and veggies

Enjoy!



XoXo,
Zxen

Saturday, January 22, 2011

365 Days - Photography


New Home = Happiness

I know I said in my last post (seems like I start all my posts like this lately) before weight watchers week 4 that I would at least update a picture everyday to practice my photography, and I haven't been around for a week which in reality feels like months, but rest assured I have been keeping up with my photography.  So the question still remains, where have I been?  Not that some of you may care but we finally moved into the house we bought.  Yay!
Who knew moving could be such a time demanding task?  When I was a child and we moved with my parents everything was done by the time I'd get home from school, but now I'm the parent and it's so much fun to pick out furniture and pick where everything should go.

I spent some time exploring my new neighborhood and taking the girls out for a hike.  Because our backyard backs onto a protected green belt there was much to see and do, granted it was a swampy rainy mess  :)

 I'm psyched and ready to go though already soaked to the bone.
 A little blurry but I like the effect and all the dark brown, reminds me of chocolate lol
 God I love mother nature, so pure!
 Random signs make me laugh
 Here's my Cookie and she wouldn't be her if she didn't have a stick in her mouth
 I bought these sexy leopard water proof boots specifically for hiking and so it's easier to spot me should anything happen, just look for the boots
 Here's Oreo, I can't trust her off the leash as much as Cookie, though she'll never run away she dive bombs right for the water and I didn't feel like bathing her after, but I had to anyway from our walk
 Oooh!  We're going under!
 The graffiti underbelly
 Whoop!  We made it to the other side!

 My squishy footprint

Peace!


Where have you explored lately?



XoXo,
Zxen

Weight Watchers - Week 4

Olay chica's!  This Friday past was week 4 for my weight watchers weigh in.
I have to admit that after my gain last week I was only mildly worried what the scale would show.  We all know scales don't lie and if you're anything like me you dread what the number could be.
I lost three pounds which brings my total weight loss since I started December 24th to 6.2lbs.  I feel fantastic and I know that's a small number compared to the big picture but it's just the beginning.

What worked this week?  Never giving up even when I thought it was hopeless.  Go to that meeting even if you don't want to.  You'll feel better, I sure did.


Health and Happiness,
XoXo,
Zxen

Friday, January 14, 2011

Weight Watchers - Week 3

Well it was week 3 of the weight watchers meeting for me today and I went in there not knowing what to expect, ok that's a lie, I had an idea.  Up plus 1?  Gaaaaaaah!  Are you kidding me?!
A lot of us don't realize that life happening all around us can take a toll on our bodies.  My weight at home is completely different than my weight in the car.  Taking in a breath of oxygen will bump it up a notch, so it comes as no surprise that this week was a frustrating week.  To be honest I shouldn't even call it frustrating because I knew what was going on and I did not wander off the beaten path when it came to my points.  I may have dipped into my weekly extras but that's what they're there for and I didn't go to the gym as often as I would have liked.  Am I disappointed, a little.  Did I want to throw in the towel and quite, heck yeah! It would be so easy to just walk away and say I gave it a go.  But then I remembered what my coach said...Even when you're ready to give in, just go to that meeting, and she was right, I'm re-motivated again, perhaps even more so.  To say my week was a stressful one is an understatement so I'm going to read you a little note I wrote to myself this morning.


I woke up today with the realization that no matter what the scale says today I won't let that stop me!  It's so easy to give up and pack it in when we don't see the changes we want on the scale but weight loss isn't sipossed to be just a change on the outside, it's supossed to be internal too.  It's a lifetime change that takes a lifetime commitment.
It took me all my life, so far, to pack on these unwanted pounds so shame on me for thinking I could lose them all in just three weeks.  What was I thinking?
All that said, what have I learned this week?  Slow and steady wins the race.  I don't want to lose the weight only to have it all come back plus some.  I want to change from the inside out and be a losing success permanently!


Week 4 look out cause I'm bringing it back!



Stay Happy and Motivated Darlings!

XoXo,
Zxen

Thursday, January 13, 2011

365 Days - Submerge

I took this photo today of my son during his swim lesson at the local pool just around our house.  Of course he wouldn't be my son if he didn't throw in a goofy grin for good measure.  What a ham!


























XoXo,
Zxen

Ban Chok Dee Thai Cuisine

Recently my husband and I discovered a wonderful new Thai restaurant that opened right around the corner from our new house.  We love to explore and try new foods.  If I ever die, scratch that, when I die at least it will be with the knowledge that I've tried everything :) but I'm young and look forward to trying so much more!

Ban Chock Dee serves everything from Spring Rolls, Tord Mun Pla, Pad Kra Pao,Wonton Soup,Red/Yellow/Green Curry to Pad Si-ieu and many more dishes.  I couldn't off hand remember what specifically is in each dish but their menu includes a small description that really gets your taste buds flowing.

Ban Chok Dee really is a marvel.  Out of all the dishes I've tried I don't yet have a favorite because they're all very good and each dish has it's own unique flavor.  To top it all off you get to choose the spiciness of your dish or you can leave it as is.  No two dishes have the same flavor, I guarantee it!



Ban Chok Dee Thai Cuisine
Suite 102, 5499 - 203 Street
Langley, BC.
V3A 1W1
778-278-3088


They even do take out and you save 10% on your final bill!






 The appetizer spring rolls were some of the best I've ever had and the dipping sauce was even better.  Sweet and sour sauce mixed to perfection!




 I wish I could remember the name of this soup, it was pleasantly spicy but very delicious!  The only thing I don't like is big hunks of tomato in my soup, heartburn central but otherwise I recommend this soup.


 Their green tea is very good.  It tastes fresh without the chemical shit and it's so clear you can see your own reflection, you won't find tea granules in this cup!


 This meal is the Chicken pad thai.  I remember this one because even though that doesn't look like a lot of food, I had to get a doggy bag.  I think I surprised the waitress too with that doggy bag lol. Delicious!



 These chips were to die for!  The peanut sauce was the best!  I'm sure just one lick of this sauce would go against all my weight watchers points for the day but you haven't lived until you've tried this sauce!  I don't know how they do it but they mixed it with another sauce to add equal sweetness and tartness in your mouth at the same time...yummy!  My mouth had an orgasm!



*Pictures were taken with my camera phone, sorry for the blurryiness*


These were random meals we've ordered since we started going to this restaurant, I know, that's a heck of a lot of food to eat in one sitting  ^.^

If you're around the Langley BC area, stop by and give this place a try.



XoXo,
Zxen