Over this past weekend, I stepped outside of my food comfort zone and tried… shrimp. And it was actually pretty decent. I am one picky eater, and have never been a fan of any sort of seafood, but I thought I’d give this just one try. The texture threw me off slightly, but overall I enjoyed it. I think to begin with I’d have to eat shrimp with something (my dish for example had rice in with the shrimp) and Fitnessmag.com have posted a yummy Shrimp Cesar Salad. I enjoy Cesar salad’s and by throwing some shrimp along with it, gives the salad an extra boost- and a healthy boost at that. Read below for the ingredients and directions: Ingredients Nonstick cooking spray 4 slices whole-grain bread 1 tablespoon canola oil 1 pound raw shrimp, shelled and cleaned, tails removed 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 2 tablespoons lemon juice 4 tablespoons light mayonnaise 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 4 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder 8 cups torn romaine lettuce 1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion 4 tablespoons shaved Parmesan Directions 1. Preheat the broiler. Mist a shallow baking sheet with cooking spray. Brush the bread lightly on both sides with the canola oil; cut into 3/4-inch cubes. Place in a single layer on the sheet and broil until lightly browned, about 1 minute per side. Transfer croutons to a plate and let cool. 2. Toss the shrimp with salt and black pepper and place in a single layer on the same baking sheet. Broil 2 minutes per side or until just cooked through. 3. In a bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, mayonnaise, Worcestershire, grated Parmesan, garlic powder, and 2 tablespoons water. 4. Toss the lettuce, onion, and croutons in a bowl; drizzle dressing over the top and toss to combine. Spoon shrimp on top; garnish with shaved Parmesan. Makes: 4 servings Prep time: 7 minutes Cook time: 6 minutes Nutrition facts per serving: 327 calories, 32g protein, 26g carbohydrate, 12g fat (2.4g saturated), 5g fiber Source: Marge Perry/Fitness Magazine
In My Mailbox: Week of June 13, 2010 Title: Crossed Wires Author: Rosy Thornton Received: From Rosy Thornton Synopsis: This is the story of Mina, a girl at a Sheffield call centre, whose next customer in the queue is Peter, and Cambridge geography don, who has crashed his car into a tree stump. Despite their differences, they’ve got a lot in common-both single, both parents, both looking for love. Could it be that they’ve just found it? This is a story about the small joys and tribulations of parenthood, about one-ness and two-ness, about symmetry and coincidence, about the things that separate us and the things that bring us together. Title: Diary of a Beverly Hills Matchmaker Author: Marla Martenson Received: From Marla Martenson Synopsis: In Diary of a Beverly Hills Matchmaker, Marla takes her readers for a hilarious romp through her days as an L.A. matchmaker and her daily struggles to keep her self-esteem from imploding in a town where looks are everything and money talks. From juggling the demands her out-of-touch clients to trying her best to meet the capricious demands of an insensitive boss to the ups and downs of her own marriage to a Latin husband who doesnt think that she is domestic enough, Marla writes with charm and self-effacement about the universal struggles that all women face in their lives. Readers will laugh, cringe, and cry as they journey with her through outrageous stories about the indignities of dating in Los Angeles, dealing with overblown egos, vicariously hobnobbing with celebrities, and navigating the wannabe-land of Beverly Hills. In a city where perfection is almost a prerequisite, even Marla cant help but run for the Botox every once in a while.
Veronica Czaplicki is miserable after her husband leaves her for their older relator. She thought men only strayed to younger and tighter and pastures, but not in her case. Now she is living in Orange County as a single mother to Ben, playing second fiddle to his father and the mega-rich relator he has moved on to. This substitute teacher has a twist of fate interfere one night when she is mistaken as Haley Rush- a young superstar trying to rise to Hollywood fame. When Haley’s manager gets word of Veronica’s uncanny resemblance to his client, he convinces her to stand in for Haley at press events and photo ops, citing Haley is exhausted from her acting and singing demands. At first Veronica is thrilled- she gets to bank $100/hour just to get dressed up and meet other celebrities- including the hunky Brady Ellis. But Veronica soon learns the downfall of being a celebrity- the nasty comments on the internet about her appearance and being duped by another rising celebrity. Add to the situation that Haley Rush isn’t exhausted she’s just plain crazy, makes Veronica think that her normal life isn’t so bad. Just Like Me, Only Better by Carol Snow is a fun read for those who enjoy hearing about celebrity shenanigans. What made this book one of my favorites is that is breaks away from the usual patterns. Instead of leaving her for a young cat, Veronica’s husband leaves her for an older woman. And when you think you know exactly what will be the next step or move a character will make, you’re blindsided by something completely different- and usually hilarious. I really enjoyed seeing how the heroine balanced her celebrity life and life as a single, struggling mom. The multiple romances that play out throughout the book are comically funny as well. Highly recommended!
I’ve discussed earlier about how I usually watch TV while working out, but how I was going to try to quit that. So far, I’ve been doing a pretty good job, and I feel like my workouts are benefiting from my concentration being solely on my moves. I enjoyed all the feedback from that blog post, so now I am asking another question: who listens to music while they work out? I generally don’t, but I do have an Ipod and was thinking of downloading some fun tunes that I can enjoy while on the treadmill or elliptical. Fitness Magazine posted their picks for a 2010 Summer Playlist, and here is what they suggested: “Break Your Heart” Taio Cruz ft. Ludacris “Carry Out” Timbaland ft. Justin Timberlake “California Girls” Katy Perry ft. Snoop Dogg “Better Than Her” Matisse “Rude Boy” Rihanna “Nothing on You” B.o.B ft. Bruno Mars “Summerboy” Lady Gaga “Rockin’ That Thang” The Dream “Imma Bee” Black Eyed Peas “Need You Now” Lady Antebellum What are your thoughts on this playlist? Do you think listening to music helps pump you up and keep you going? I’m curious to know!
Shape.com posted a super informative article on the best and worst drinks for your health. I commend myself on drinking plenty of water throughout the day while at work, but when I go home I sip on kool-aide and soda. I did make the switch from kool-aide to lemonade, but then learned that lemonade was just as bad for you! So what’s the best and what’s the worst? Shape is clearing up any confusion on this matter… THE WORST Lemonade! Store bought lemonade can contain 100 calories per cup, and the equivalent of 6 teaspoons of sugar and zero nutrients. THE BEST Infused water. Good ole’ H20 is going to be the best choice, but there are ways to fancy up your plain water to make it more desirable. There are plenty of flavor-enhanced versions of water (Fuze, SmartWater, VitaminWater, etc.) but make sure you are reaching for ones that do not contain artificial sweeteners. THE WORST COCKTAIL Do you enjoy pina coladas? You might want to rethink those tasty treats. A 16-ounce pina colada contains 880 calories! THE BEST BEER Light beer will be the drink of choice. A 12 ounce bottle of light beer will only up you 100 calories and studies have shown the natural ingredients in light beer help deposit calcium and other minerals into bone. The alcohol in beer also provides protection against heart disease and stroke. To read more about the best and worst drinks for your health from Shape, click here! Source: Shape.com/Cynthia Sass
I have seen a beauty trend popping up in all the magazines for this month: turquoise is in. This is great for me, because I love blues, especially turquoise and aquamarine, which is my birthstone. Cosmopolitan magazine had some beauty tips for wearing this Caribbean hue, such as painting your toenails or just the tips of your fingernails. Also try out some liquid eye shadow or enhance your eyes even further with CoverGirl’s Eye Enhancers with the shade Turquoise Tempest, only $3.47.
