Night Off From The Kitchen

Not only was it a wonderful to have a night off from cooking but as a bonus, I still managed to enjoy fantastic, quality food too! Our friends Holly & Dean came over for the evening and Dean, who is in Culinary school, surprised us by offering to cook dinner. Not like I was going to turn that offer down! :)

Oh, and please excuse my ugly blue corelle plates, all my pretty white ones were in the dishwasher.

On the menu ce soir: Sticky Lemon Chicken w/ Garlicy Mashed Taters.

The recipe for the chicken is from Gordon Ramsay’s book Fast Food but is available online from Rachel Ray’s site.

With a glass of White Zinfandel.

Honorary Halibloggers

As you may have noticed, I haven’t blogged in a few days. That’s because I’ve been too busy having an absolutely freaking fantastic time with the Halibloggers and our honorary members – Jen, Amy & Cat!

I just want to say how truly lucky I feel to have such a wonderful group of ladies (and their hubbies) in my life. It’s not often a big group of 17 can get along so well and are extremely fortunate that everyone seemed to click almost instantly. We have developed some life long friendships and being from all over the country makes it that more special. Love you ladies!

Since Angie had to work all week and I had the time off, I ended up staying at her place so that I could show people around and help make sure they got a true Nova Scotia experience. I don’t have as many pictures as I’d like because I spent the past few days having a good time instead of worrying about taking a bazillion pics.

The first night was, of course, a lobster boil. I don’t really have too many pics from that night at all because I was pretty busy cooking the tasty things! Both Jaime and Angie have great re-caps though.

Unfortunately, it has been raining for most of their trip here. Our plans for Thursday were initially a day trip to Mahone Bay & Lunenburg, instead Jen, Amy & I went for some tasty brunch and picked up the Thanksgiving groceries. We spent the afternoon driving around the city and were able to get an hours walk along the waterfront when the rain finally decided to let up.

That evening was our Keith’s Brewery tour. Before we left Jen straightened my hair – I’m in LOVE! My hair has never looked this good. Even in the misty air it held out.

Going With The Flow

Sometimes it just happens. You follow your plan all week and then an unavoidable, last minute invitation is extended. Last night was the perfect example.

We had to meet MIL to do a bunch of errands at Access Nova Scotia. I really did start the night off with such great intentions I tell ya! Beforehand I had picked up Subway so that we could have some supper before heading over to Nubodys for a sweat session after the paper work was complete. It’s nearing the end of my week. I had no WAP’s remaining and only 8 of my daily points left; my 6” veggie and baked lays would’ve been perfect. However, instead of that we ended up at Steak and Stein with MIL & BIL.


I was HUNGRY and tried to make the healthiest choice possible. I ordered a single Del Monico Derby-style steak with the garden salad. By it self, not that bad. But the meal was taking forever, so I had a piece of cheese garlic bread while we waited. And the small roll on my plate may have also been another innocent causality. Sorry guys, no food pics tonight.


It was a rare opportunity for us all to get together and we had a great time catching up and discussing the upcoming holidays.

But two hours later I was hungry again and the poor veggie sub didn’t stand a chance. Not just a little hungry either but real hungry.(I did check and try and listen to my body.) I need to dig out the tracker to be sure, but my best estimate is that I’m over by 10-15 points.

I know this post feels a bit negative but it’s actually not. Last night was a positive experience for me because I was able to chalk it up to life. Life happens. In this rollarcoaster ride that is weight loss there will always be situations that are out of your control. It’s what you do next that matters.

Therefore, my plan today is just to stay focused, on track, eat the best foods for my body, chug the h20 and get in some type of workout this evening.

I’m not worrying and I’m not punishing myself. I was hungry so I ate. If I have a small gain this week then so be it. Means I will work a little harder next week.

Happy Friday!

Simple Gestures

Sometimes all it takes is a cute surprise in the mail to turn a good day into a great one! :)


Thank you Amy, for making my day a little brighter! xoxo

Sushi & The Symphony

Evenin’ everyone, I’m blogging a bit later than usual today because I just got in from a fun evening out with Angie & Jaime. A few days ago I mentioned that Jaime and I won tickets from Symphony Nova Scotia, well tonight was the show.

In true Haliblogger fashion we made it a night out and met up for dinner beforehand. After hearing Jaime’s review of Doraku, I knew where I wanted to go…
But the inside was just lovely. The first place we hit was the bathroom. There were candles and all kinds of yummy smells throughout the building. :) After powdering our noses our waitress took us to our seats - we actually had to take our shoes off and walk up the table. It was so neat!


While we waited for Jaime to arrive we browsed the menu and decided on a bunch of rolls to split.


I like to have green tea when I’m having sushi, ours came in a beautiful teapot.

We decided to start of with a cup of miso soup and a few bowls of edamame for the table. The miso soup really hit the spot on this cold, damp day.



And of course, the best part, the rolls. We ordered a few different ones to share including - Sweet Potato Tempura , Philadelphia Roll, Spicy Tuna and a Spicy Scallop. It was the best sushi I’ve had in the city. I’m definitely not an expert but better than the other 2 places I’ve been. :) (Excuse my poor quality pictures.)




After dinner, we made a dash for the Cohn and arrived just in time to get a few ticket issues sorted out (the staff were great and very accommodating!) and got to meet two other Halifax Twitters - @TammiHayne and @AliceinParis. So cool to meet other local twitters! I may have snuck a few pics once we got inside…




We enjoyed the sounds of “Brushstrokes and Bows.” Over all I liked it. I just wish I hadn’t have been up since 5am because I was pretty tired. It was my first time going to a Symphony though and it was pretty amazing! Thanks again to Symphony Nova Scotia for the tickets! I can’t wait to go back in December to see the Nutcracker!

Dinner and a Movie

Anyways, regardless of my silly throat, Mom and I had a great time on our date last night. I met her after work and we headed over to the Ramada for dinner at the Peppermill. The lighting in the restaurant was horrible and my pictures reflect that.

We got there before they officially started serving dinner so we had to sit in the bar. No prob, I did find it chilly though. Turns out they were having issues with their water systems and didn’t have any coffee. Won’t lie, I was disappointed, had been looking forward to an afternoon pick-me up.

We ended up splitting a glass of wine, a local white - Grand Pre L’Acadie Blanc. Although I wasted it by only having a sip or two.



They brought us over a small loaf of seedy bread and garlic butter to munch on while we browsed the menu. I had 2.5 little slices with a bit of the fantastic garlicky butter. Counted as 3 Points.


I stuck to my original plan and ordered the entrée-sized Spinach Salad w/ a Grilled Chicken Breast.


In true WW-style I immediately got rid of one of the cups of dressing. The menu indicated that there was supposed to be apple and almonds in the dish but I didn’t see/taste any. The Jarlsburg cheese did give it a nice flavour though.



I counted this salad as 10 Points - spinach, tomato & mushrooms 0, egg 2, cheese 3, dressing 2 and chicken breast 3. Over all it was good, give it a 6/7 out of 10. Honestly though, nothing spectacular. I think I could’ve found a better way to spend 13 points (half of my daily points) at home. I am proud of my healthy choices though, lots of veggies, protein and dairy! That is how you stay OP at a restaurant. Really simple if you’re focused.

Going to point out the obvious here too, and admit that I’ve become quite the food snob, especially when dining out. If I’m going to pay a decent amount of money for something then I expect it to taste exceptional. :)

My body was craving caffeine so we made a quick detour to the Starbucks drive-thru. My Mom nearly died from laughter when she heard me order a “tall, non-fat pumpkin spice latte, no whip.” Yup, turns outs I’m finally down with some of the ‘bucks lingo that all the cool kids use. ;) Totally hit the spot AND it’s my first red cup of the season!


We made it to the movie with plenty of time to settle in. Does anyone else find all the advertising annoying? I know it’s the same thing as commercials on TV, but I really disagree since you’re paying money to see the film. Ok, well tonight I wasn’t paying, I scored some tickets to see Coco Avant Chanel from the wonderful folks at The Coast but still. Thanks again by the way!

Here’s a summary of the film from IMDB:
Several years after leaving the orphanage to which her father never returned for her, Gabrielle Chanel finds herself working in a provincial bar both. She's both a seamstress for the performers and a singer, earning the nickname Coco from the song she sings nightly with her sister. A liaison with Baron Balsan gives her an entree into French society and a chance to develop her gift for designing increasingly popular hats. When she falls in love with English businessman Arthur Capel further opportunities open up, though life becomes ever more complicated.

I really enjoyed the movie. It was my first time experiencing a film with sub-titles. So neat, I do a have a bit of a background in the French language so it was quite interesting to see what I could understand. The sub-titles were great too, by the end of the movie you didn’t even realize that you were reading them and watching at the same time. What a life Coco had before becoming a famous designer! I knew she was the genius behind the LBD and woman’s suits but I had no idea that she originally started out making hats. Did you guys?

Yup, was a great Mother/Daughter night for sure!

So plans for my day off include trying out my new French press compliments of Things To Do For Two, with a full review to come. Getting in 2 cardio sessions, checking out my newly dug-up yard (septic issues) and cooking.

I kind of thought I might head up to the cenotaph too, I always went to Remembrance Day services when I was younger, it was a nice tradition and a great way to remember all those who fought for our country/freedom. This will depend on how I feel though.

Alright, off to check up on all my lovely bloggies now!

Local Love

Good Evening Bloggies, long time no chat! What a busy week for this household. Thankfully, it’s wrapping up quite nicely and I’m looking forward to the weekend.

I’ve got some exciting news – Life, Health & Fitness is now being streamed in the “Life” section of Haligonia.ca.

It was a big decision to make because being published on a local site kind of takes always from my anonymity. However, the whole point of my blog is to share my experiences with others, so why not locals as well? Thanks again to the Haligonia.ca, I really appreciate this opportunity!
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This evening the Halibloggers were supposed to go for our first group run. You know in preparation of the Santa Shuffle 5K that is a mere 2 weeks away. Yup, sometimes the schedules just don’t work out the away we want them to.

In anticipation of the run, I had a bite before I left work. For some reason I’ve been craving egg salad lately, so……


Bodywise WW Bagel with organic baby spinach, spread with the egg mixture – 1 egg, 1 tbsp of the best light mayo ever, diced chives and various seasonings. YUM and the perfect amount of carbs and protein to fuel my workout.


We agreed to met up at Starbucks beforehand and as usual I was a tad early. Not to worry, I managed to snag a comfy chair and had the crackberry and a short dark roast to pass the time. :)


In the end it was just me, Jaime and Tash who hit the pavement. Ang had planned to go but got held up at work. Lex and Farm Girl had previous commitments. We started off with a brisk walk down Spring Garden, then ran intervals for the next 45 mins or so, throughout the South End. It was a beautiful crisp evening, hard to believe it’s almost December. I haven’t done a lot of group running and have to say that I really enjoyed it. It’s nice to be out working up a decent sweat while spending time with good friends. Thanks for tonight girlies :)

On the WW’s front I’m doing okay, this week as been really busy which has resulted in a lack of “me” time. Read: lack of work out time. I’ve stayed within my points, used all of my WAP and most of my APs so we’ll see what the scale says on Saturday. I have a feeling that I won’t have much of a loss but I’m okay with that because the last 2 weeks I’ve had great results. I am finally back to where I want to be in terms of focus/motivation AND I’m back to running on a regular basis. Really don’t have much to complain about.

I will be checking in with everyone shortly, sorry for the lack of comments this week.

Time of my Life!

Well the G2G is just about over. I am tired, a bit hung over and sick as a dog but am still smiling because this whole week has been just amazing! I never thought a group of 16-18 people could get along as well as we all did, but apparently it can happen. FYI: I’m trying to put only flattering pics of everyone in this post but it might be a little tricky because we were all having quite a “good” time. :)

Our Thanksgiving dinner was yummy, we had a huge 21lb free range, organic turkey complete with all the trimmings – Cat & Jen made the yummy garlic mashed taters, Amy made her famous sweet potatos, Lesley and I both made different stuffing, there was sweet potato casserole and corn, Jaime made awesome roasted brussel spouts, plus mashed carrots & turnip, and Tash brought over yummy pumpkin & apple pies from Pete’s. It was a huge feast! I only have one pic from the actual meal and it’s of the bird. :)


To be honest I can barely remember the rest of the evening. I’m not a big drinker by any means but this was certainly a night of indulgence. hehe. I know I started off with wine but then Jen brought out her the jello shooters and it all kinda went fuzzy from there! Of course you end up with lots of cameras when bloggers unite.





Meanwhile, the men were getting to know each other the usual way – with beer, video games & sports, hehe!


Oh and Lex’s b/f Dave is a rubix cube genius and he spent part of the evening sharing his tricks of the trade!

Saturday we had a yummy brunch – bacon, scrambled eggs, hash & toast then J & I snuck out to attend a memorial service. J was really hurting so I took him home after the service and then headed back into the city to meet up with everyone at the Halifax Feast Dinner Theatre for a hilarious evening of entertainment. We saw High School Reunion - The Musical. I had a blast and can’t wait to go back for another show! After that we wandered up to Maxwell’s for a few drinks (and so the guys could watch the hockey game.) Ang & I got this crazy idea that we needed something to commemorate the G2G. We snuck out and after a bit of running around (there’s not that much open at 1145pm on Saturday night) we got a group shot printed and had everyone write on each other's.

It was another late night with some yummy butterscotch shots and a game of “What.” I think I finally hit the sack around 4am. Eck.

Yesterday we packed up and Jen & hubby were off to the airport, they got their flight info wrong so they made it just in time. It was a short but sad good bye. Miss you already chickie. I headed home sick and in desperate need of sleep.

One finally gathering this morning at Cora’s for brunch where I said my goodbye’s to Amy & Cat. Really can’t believe it’s over already. Can’t wait to see what we come up with next though.


I’m not even sure how I managed to drive there to be honest. My body is simply going through the motions and I plan to spend the rest of the day on the couch getting some much needed rest.

Once again ladies, this was truly one of those experiences that I will never ever forget. I’m just in awe of it all. I love you all from the bottom of my heart, thanks for some wonderful memories! xoxo

PS. DETOX STARTS TOMORROW!

The Perfect Saturday

Morning Bloggies! Yesterday was GREAT! The perfect Saturday. It was a gorgeous day out, I got in a great work out with some awesome friends, there were good eats, Starbucks and a loss at my WI. Honestly, what more could a girl ask for? :)

First and foremost, I want to say how proud I am of my friend Holly, who came and joined WW Meetings with Ang and I. It’s going to be great to have yet another person there for support. Holly has a blog, “One Day At A Time,” so if you have a moment you should stop by and check her out!

If you follow me on Twitter you already know that I weighed in at 196.0, which is a loss of 3.8 lbs! I’m so addicted to my crackberry and of course, had to tweet my results right away. Tons of wonderful people sent me some love after posting my results. Thanks so much everyone! I’m pretty pleased with the results, not too shabby for my first week at all! As I mentioned yesterday, my goals for this week are to stay focused on the plan, earn at least 20 APs and make sure to get my oils & dairy.


Snagged a 3 Month Planner.


Our meeting was packed! I don’t think there was another seat available. This' week’s discussion was all about sustaining motivation and how to stay on track.


This topic was really fitting for us. We’ve just made the change to meetings and have begun re-focusing on efforts, so the motivation is quite high. There was a lot of talk about how to stay focused long-term, what strategies/tools everyone used etc. Some people made it a game, others just too it one day at a time. Before the meeting started, Terry (our leader) asked both Angie and I , if we wouldn’t mind sharing a bit with the group. I was a bit nervous, you know a room full of 60+ people and all, but just reiterated how motivating it can be to see real changes to your health. I explained about my previous bad health and how I’ve managed to take complete control over the diabetes, blood pressure etc. We both took a moment and explained how we’ve managed to develop the most awesome support system ever, that being the blogs. There were some questions about that and I gave out a quite a few stickies with our blog addresses. If you’re a WW Meeting visitor, hello and thanks for stop by!!

Terry left us with very fitting quote from Deepak Chopra

”The easiest way to get what you want is to help others get what they want.”

That quote sums up exactly what we’re doing here in blogland. We’re out supporting, encouraging others to succeed in hopes of succeeding ourselves.. I don’t think we can go wrong.

After the meeting the three of us headed over to my old gym, where we met Jaime for a work out. I got in a 25 mins run on the hamster wheel (4 warm-up, 20 running, 1 cool down) and some stretching. I miss my gym, I know I’m lucky to have cardio equipment at home but there’s something so inspiring/motivating being around others working out and pushing themselves.

So…. can you take a wild guess at where Ang, Jaime and I ended up afterwards? LOL, I don’t think any G2G is complete without a trip to Starbucks for a good gab session. ;) I was still quite warm from the work out and opted for an Iced SF Vanilla Americano. (I added a splash of non-fat milk afterwards). YUM, it the spot and was 0 Points. Usually I try to stay far away from artificial sweeteners but every once in awhile I make an exception.




It was well past lunch time when we arrived back at Angie’s place, so we immediately set out in the kitchen to whip up some healthy eats. You know there was a bigass salad involved! :) Greens, red onion, pom seeds, honey crisp chunks, carrots and beets. Dressing was a blend of evoo and the BEST BALSAMIC EVER!!!! Check out Little Miss Martha here, hehe:




We also made a tasty curried tuna salad sammie. Easy combo of canned tuner (as I call it) mayo, carrot, onion, garlic powder, pepper & curry powder.


This whole meal was only 8 Points AND It was tasty, healthy & filling! The perfect way to re-fuel. YUM!



We spent the afternoon on the laptops messing around with layouts in hopes of finding the perfect re-design for angiealltheway.com. This is quite the process so there’s nothing to show yet but we’re working on it. The day quickly turned into night without me even really noticing. We did spent a great deal of time laughing. Poor Mr. Angie had to suffer through it all, luckily he’s a pretty good sport about all our crazy blog/weight watchers stuff. :)

For Supper, I was excited to try a few new things!

My first POM Spritzer – yum! This would be excellent with vodka.



The other being our main eats, which were “Calorie Smart” pizza from Pizzatown. (Calorie Smart pizzas are made on ww tortilla shells instead of regular dough.) We ordered two different ones to share:

PT Tex Mex - Salsa Sauce, Grilled Chicken Breast, Banana Peppers, Red Onions, Green Peppers, Shredded Mozzarella and Cheddar Blend.

Western Steak - Famous Pizzatown Sauce, Bull’s-Eye BBQ Sauce, Sirloin Steak, Red Onions, Green Peppers, Sliced Mushrooms, Shredded Mozzarella and Cheddar Blend.


Point-wise we figured 12 in total - 4 for the tortilla, 4 for the meat and 4 for the cheese. These were both fantastic but The Western Steak was my favourite. Yum, yum!


Yup, that wraps up my Saturday. Thanks to everyone who made it so great! :)

This morning I have a few things to take care of for a friend’s blog and then I plan to spend the afternoon in the kitchen….stay tuned!