When Life Gives You Lemons!

Hello dear followers. I can't believe that we are in the last weeks of August and Labor Day is just two weeks away. This summer has surely flown by for me. How about you?

Last weekend my husband, dogs, and I were at the shore. It was blissfully quiet as we had no family down, and I had the windows open, with some cool breezes blowing all weekend. That doesn't usually happen here in August but we have had a cool period lately. Believe it or not we had night time temps in the high fifties last week and beautiful fall like seventies during the day.

 I love nothing more than to throw open the windows and let the breezes blow in. In my opinion, sleeping with the windows open and hearing the crickets chip at night is the best way to fall asleep. It's not lasting though, heat and humidity coming back in tomorrow!

I have been addicted lately to a simple quick version of lemonade. I just felt like something tart and a little sweet. I didn't feel like squeezing a lemon so I used this lemon  juice that I bought at a local grocery. It  comes from Italy. I squeezed a bit into the bottom of a glass, added water, lots of ice, a few drops of liquid stevia ( I like the NuNatural brand a lot!) and topped with some fresh mint.

 I love it. I've now forsaken my beloved ice tea for this concoction and I can't get enough of it.

My DIL Meghan also loved it, and it was our beach drink of choice a few weekends ago. We also made it with lime juice, but it just didn't have the pucker up tartness that the lemon did.

Let me know if you try it and if you like it. Sending love and hugs and lemon kisses from me to you!!

Thought for the day: When life gives you lemons.....make sugar free lemonade!!!

Conversation with a Corn Muffin!

Corn muffin:  I am hot and delicious and right out of the oven. Wouldn't I taste so good with some cold butter melting into my sweet, crumbly deliciousness?

Me:  Yes you would. Let me get out that butter. One little corn muffin won't matter. How much sugar can be in one little corn muffin?

Very little voice inside my head:  Don't do it. You abstain from sugar, and one of those muffins will set you off and you will want more. It's a slippery slope.

Me: Maybe, but it's only one muffin, I can handle this.

Corn muffin: C'mon, I'm still warm. The butter will melt nicely. Don't you remember how good I tasted when you made these last week? You said you made them for your son, but be honest....you made them so you could have one. And you did. Have another. They won't last long once the boys and your guests get here.

Me: Yes, I know I had one last week, and it did set me off. I had a terrible week after that and ate all the white stuff I gave up before. Maybe you were the reason why.

Corn muffin:   Hey, don't blame me. Everything in moderation. It's okay if you just have one.

A little louder voice inside my head:  Yes, that very well could have been the reason you slipped up. You can' t handle moderation of some foods and you know it. There will always be corn muffins. Just because you don't have one today doesn't mean the rest of your life that you will never have an opportunity to have one. YOU are in control. YOU decide if it's the right choice. There will always be corn muffins.

Me:  You are right. I choose not to have one. I'll have a nice glass of ice tea instead. I can't always have what I want when I want it.

Corn muffin:  LOSER!!

Me: I most certainly hope so this week!!

Loud voice inside my head:  You did the right thing.  You won't regret it.

Thought for the day:  Willpower is a muscle. The more you exercise it, the stronger it gets!

Chillin' At The Beach!

Hello Everyone!

Long time no blog! I have been at the shore for the past week or so. It’s very peaceful and nice down here. Easy to ride your bike, or take a walk, and love the lazy days of reading on the beach. My house here is smaller and it’s easy to keep things neat and tidy, and mostly my plants are in pots, so not too much gardening to do. Always dog poop to pick up though!  Thank you princess TMI!!!

I find when I’m down here alone, I eat much more simply. Now I know you can’t blame others for overeating, or eating things you shouldn't,  but it sure is easy when you don’t have the temptations around everywhere, and you only have to cook for one.

Yesterday was rainy and I went out to do some errands. I was hungry and didn't want fast food, so I stopped into a Red Robin restaurant. We don’t have any near our house in PA, so this was new to me. The server explained they were mainly a burger place, although their salad menu looked great too.

So I ordered a fabulous burger named from something to do with the movie Wolverine. Not being a movie buff, I have no idea what it means, but here is how it’s described:

The Berserker Burger^™ – Inspired by everyone’s favorite anti-hero, this burger packs an explosive punch of flavor!  The Berserker Burger features a fire-grilled burger topped with zesty aioli, spicy pickles, Sriracha onion straws and Cheddar cheese on a brioche bun.  This bold burger has Wolverine claw marks in the bun and is served with Bottomless Steak Fries^®. 

Now you can order this on any sort of bun you want, or wrapped in lettuce! I know you Cali girls get your burgers like this all the time, but I have never seen it offered before like this with lettuce as a bun option. I was able to substitute the bottomless fries (tempting but I passed!) for a side salad.

The best part is the burger came wrapped in foil which made it easy to eat. I HONESTLY didn’t feel deprived of the bun at all, and the photo with the bun sure made it look tempting. I could have ordered it that way and had half the bun, but portion control has never been my forte!! There were no claw marks on my lettuce, but I tried not to let that ruin my lunch!!

Couldn't quite get the shot angle right, but you get the idea. The salad was great too. I forgot to tell them to hold the croutons, but I didn't eat them!

Hope all is well with everyone.  Sending love and hugs from me to you!! XO

PS Cant figure out why the font changes during this post. Another mystery of the blog template!

Thought for the day: Each day we are born again. What we do today is what matters most. - Buddha