Weekend Weigh In

Since I anticipate being busy on the weekends (in this magical fantasy life I lead that as of yet does not exist) I figured the weekends would be a good time to recap where I am in my efforts.


LIVE AN ACTIVE LIFE
I must say I didn't spend as much time in the gym this week as I normally do. Instead I started doing nightly walks with our dog. I am going to consider this a win because normally we go to the dog park every now and then and Juju enjoys naps the rest of the day. She has inherited her mother's gene when it comes to not wanting to exercise! I did meet the weekly weight loss goal I set for myself but overall I wish I had been more active. I could have done more.

EAT DELICIOUSLY
I feel like this was a hit and miss this week. We did have the delicious Low Cal Bacon, Egg & Cheese Ring for breakfast this week but the Frozen Banana Failure is still lingering in my mind. We did eat one of our favorite dishes last night- the easiest tilapia recipe in the world. I'll be sharing that next week because it is so low on the calories I was able to enjoy some wine after dinner. That my friends is a dream come true!

READ FOOD LABELS
I feel like I do this pretty often since I am a faithful MyFitnessPal user, but this week I really tried to pay attention to the amount of sodium. To be honest, I know a lot of it is bad and I don't know why. Blame it on my upbringing but salt is like air in most of the dishes I enjoy, I don't necessarily have to acknowledge its presence but I can feel the effects. So I think in the upcoming week I will be learning about why everyone here hates salt so much.

NOT BLOW OUR RENT AT THE GROCERY STORE
I made my first trip to Walmart in two months. Despite it being my least favorite of my least favorite stores you can get some really sweet deals. (How does rotel get cheaper than ROTEL? It does at the W.) Because I saved so much at the W by sticking to my list and not turning my nose up to Great Value I went a head and splurged JUST a little and bought some tasty things at a fancier grocery store. So win-win.


Week 1 of Cajun in California...I declare you a success!

Channeling my internal George Michael Bluth - Frozen Banana Ice Cream

Two weeks ago I made a speedy trip to Louisiana and upon my return I realized the 3 lbs of bananas purchased before I left were almost completely gone. Only about four were left and within a day or two just two little nanas were left. Then they started to look reaaaallly sketch, like they might go bad in a few days.

There's always money in the banana stand!

Like a true healthy visionary I thought, "I will totally freeze these and make something amazing later!"


I really wanted to have a George Michael Bluth moment. Please tell me you've watched Arrested Development. The show single handedly saved the frozen banana industry! (That's not true, but I'm inventing my own facts today because it's Friday Y'all!)


Without much thought, I peeled them first which turned out to be the only smart thing I did. After our wedding a year ago we got a "yonana machine" which turns bananas into yogurt. Very effective but very loud. The first step is to freeze the banana which is exactly what I did...peel and all. What. An. Idiot. If you've ever tried to peel a frozen banana you know how stupid and painful it can be. If I get a tingling sensation in my fingers I always assume it's side effects of frozen banana induced frost bite.


The one mistake I made was that I did not cut the bananas into little pieces first or shove a stick in them. Apparently if you want to do something cute or fun with a banana you have to think about it ahead of time. Booo....


Since not everyone has a yonana, a food processor or the foresight to cut the dang banana first. I'm going to do something most people should be able to do...

A blender. 2 nanas. Semi sweet chocolate chips. Maximum easy.

I'm going to put them in the blender and eat whatever comes out. 


 I have a lot of baking stuff just hanging around so I threw a tablespoon of semisweet chocolate into the blender as well.

It was so loud I actually unplugged the blender, went into the guest room and shut the door. I didn't want to wake up Husband who has been working 12 hour shifts and explain that on a whim I wanted to play with frozen bananas.


I wouldn't even call this a recipe. It's literally bananas and a piece of chocolate.


The verdict? Meh.

The final product. Impressed? Meh...

It tasted like a cold, mushed banana and chocolate. Nothing to write home about or write a blog about even (so why are we here?). I've actually put the exact same things in a yonana and that stuff tasted like chocolate ice cream. What is in that yonana?!?!

The concoction ended up being 220 calories. What. A. Waste.


I guess if you're craving something sweet this is a good alternative but I have to say that 220 calories in a serving of faux ice cream does not please me. Especially when I can get a smaller fix of real ice cream. If you're a more the merrier person this is a good idea for you. You definitely get more in a serving than you would if you had 220 calories of ice cream.

To be honest, I didn't even finish it. It was that...unsatisfying.

I guess Maeby we aren't all meant to be George Michael Bluth. (See what I did there?)


XO, Andrea

Work It! - Review of Daily Workouts FREE

Thursday nights are always an interesting night for me. I know that I'm going to be weighing in Friday morning and for this reason I'm always looking for a little bit extra of a workout on Thursday nights.

You can never have too many fitness apps!

I live about 100 yards from my gym (one of the few beauties of apartment living) but sometimes those 100 yards can seem like 100 miles. Thinking about being a human mouse on the treadmill doesn't always appeal to me and I certainly don't want to do it next to a woman in matching workout top and pants wearing more makeup than I wear in a week. Seriously, how does she not have skin problems? 

This is why I'm always looking for something I can do by myself in my apartment. Workout videos can be great but I have workout A.D.D. and if I've done it several times I already know the little quips the leader says to the followers in the background. 

Tonight I'm going to review an iPhone app. Boom!

The name of the app is Daily Workouts FREE. There are a lot of workouts that you can find for free in the app store. Actually, the developer of this workout even has apps for specific parts of the body. I downloaded their Yoga Free app prior to this and quickly realized I have no patience for finding my inner peace. Their apps are all free and for a small fee you can upgrade for more features. The one I'm reviewing has all the things you need without the upgrades. Also, I'm the kind of person who doesn't pay for 99 cent apps so let's talk about the FREE because I am still in Los Angeles and I still believe it is Spanish for "expensive." 

Once in the app you can select what kind of workout from abs, arm, butt, cardio, leg and full body. I always do the full body. Once you select an area you get to select time. This is the whole reason I'm reviewing this app. You can pick 10, 15, 20, 25, or 30 minute long workouts. Who doesn't have 10 minutes? And the workout you get may repeat moves you've seen before, but it's not the same order and usually you get a new move every now and then. 

Screen shot the app

You get a little countdown and a video of a woman showing you how to do the pose. Not a stick figure or drawing...A REAL PERSON. Moving. So helpful. The workouts move quickly like circuit training so it keeps you on your toes and keeps you moving. I have never done this and NOT finished with sweat even when just doing 10 minutes. 

My complaints: The circuit time can feel like an eternity when doing some of the workouts that are less than pleasant. Who wants to plank? Not this girl. Who wants to do a froggy glute lift? I can't even do it. But this one complaint isn't enough to take away the freedom that comes with this free app. 

Additionally you really need a mat or a carpet in order to do this workout comfortably. It also helps to have hand weights since occasionally you get a move that requires weights. If you don't have any you can improvise.

Overall I'd say the Daily Workouts FREE app is worth the time it takes to download. You can't beat free!

XO, Andrea

One Ring to Rule Them All - Low Cal Bacon, Egg & Cheese Ring

Breakfast isn't really a big deal in our house. We almost always eat the same things for breakfast over and over again and inevitably I say to myself, "Self, can't we have something better?"

If you too have come to realize the facts of life (not the Miss Garrett & Tootie variety) you know that breakfast foods are usually heavy on the delicious and even heavier on the calories. Thankfully, many a health nut has tried to remedy this with swaps and solutions. I'm about to combine a few of those to create today's recipe...

Don't actually slap ya mama...please

The Low Cal Bacon, Egg & Cheese Ring

Serves: 8 (or 4...be honest with yourself. You're going to eat at least two)
Time: Approx. 30 minutes
Per Serving Stats: (For 8)
   Calories - 142
   Carbs- 11g
   Fat- 9g
  

WHAT YOU NEED
1 Can of crescent rolls
Shredded Cheese (.5 cup)
Turkey Bacon (3 slices)
Egg Whites (4 eggs)
Seasoning for your tastes

Notes: 
I used Slap Ya Mama seasoning. It's from Ville Platte, Louisiana and I love it. It's probably not easy to find outside of Louisiana but you can also use other Cajun seasonings you can find. It's high in sodium so I just sprinkled it over the egg whites. A little goes a long way, but for this girl's southern palate I need a little more than salt and pepper. If you're watching your sodium intake may I suggest Mrs. Dash seasonings. No salt, but still really good.  

Turkey bacon is the only kind of bacon we buy. Somewhere along the line Husband informed me that turkey is a superior meat and that's how we we've been operating since. 



WHAT YOU DO

1) Preheat the oven based on the crescent roll can directions. 

2) Start scrambling and seasoning the egg whites.

Steps 3-7. 

     I did not have the little milk carton egg whites. I had 4 eggs that were days away from going bad. I cracked them and fished out the yolks. It's a little lame but it works. 

     I'm not going to go into detail about how I scrambled my egg whites. I was taught to scramble eggs by my father who grew up on a farm in Iowa. You would think that he would be a master egg scrambler. Negative. He cracked his eggs, put them in a bowl, stirred them briskly with a fork and then nuked them in the microwave. DO. NOT. DO. THIS. That man is crazy and very busy. So I guess if you're in a rush it is effective.

3) While the eggs scramble- Prep the ring!
     Lay out the crescent rolls on a sprayed or non-stick baking pan. Make sure to overlap them. This will help keep all the ingredients inside. 

4) Chop the bacon and place it on the ring.
     You don't have to chop the bacon, but if you've ever eaten turkey bacon you know that it's a little chewy. If you chop it ahead of time it'll be easier to eat. Just a little F.Y.I.


5)When the eggs are done add them evenly around the ring

6) Top with .5 a cup of shredded cheese. 
     Many schools of thought are "more cheese = better" and I tend to agree. This was enough cheese for us. I actually used the extra cheese as a topper on the completed ring but in hindsight I prefer the melted cheese inside better. To each his own.

7) Pull the points in to create the ring.

8) Bake according to directions (10-12 minutes)


WHAT ELSE CAN I DO WITH THESE INGREDIENTS?

One ring to rule them all! Shout out to the dorks...

Most of these ingredients are pretty simple but for the turkey bacon if you have to buy it in bulk you can use them not just for breakfast but also for sandwiches. You can also cook and chop them to create a topper for baked potatoes or whatever you want. I mean, it's bacon.

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW

This is delicious. I only had two pieces but Husband ate THE REST OF THE RING. In one sitting. It's that good. He did add Sriracha because he adds that to anything he eats containing meat. If you're going to be serving to a bigger group you can easily double this although keep in mind that the bulk of the calories are coming from those oh-so tasty crescent rolls. So enjoy this delicious, better breakfast.

XO,

Andrea

Breakfast Gymspiration

Working on a little treat for y'all today.


I'll give you a hint this picture taken from my gym was my inspiration....

What kind of a MONSTER selects modern art pieces that resemble BACON to be displayed facing into a gym?


I can't get over the bacon art. Or that they decided to buy FOUR of them. I know it's wood but all this chub cub sees is bacon staring at me every day. Sigh...


Needless to say sweating and dreaming of bacon has lead to some interesting results. Which you can expect from this blog later on today!

Lazy Cheaper Skinny Bang Bang Shrimp

I can't believe I'm about to write my first recipe that includes a positive note about mayonnaise, but that's what's about to happen.

I am a long time mayo hater. To the core. Back when the internet was invented (did it exist before you found it?) I even found a website called nomayo.com. The site no longer exists but the underground world of mayo haters is alive and kicking.

Even this precious bear has strong feelings about mayo!

I don't know why but the thought of mayonnaise has always just made my skin crawl and I assume it's because of some childhood trauma. Maybe it's because supermarket sandwich trays always assume that you want each little triangle covered in mayo. Nay, I say. Some of us consider ourselves to be mustard loyalists.


As I've gotten older I don't mind mayo as much anymore. By "mind" I mean if it's an ingredient and isn't overwhelmingly in my nostrils or taste buds I can handle it for the most part but I'm not about to douse a slice of innocent bread in it.

A few months before we moved from Louisiana, Husband and I started spending our Friday evenings at Bonefish Grill. The pearl of the Bonefish oyster is none other than their Bang Bang Shrimp. The sauce is amazing and if you've ever had it you understand why we would go back week after week and order the same thing. Bangin' indeed.


Due to the beauty of Pinterest I discovered some sweet angel made a copy cat recipe called Skinny Bang Bang Shrimp. Her recipe is indeed skinny. It's also fancy. Fancy here is defined as "jumbo shrimp on skewers." I guess I do have the time to cook shrimp on sticks, but I'm not going to. Thus a new recipe was born out of sheer laziness...


Lazy Cheaper Skinny Bang Bang Shrimp. Ya welcome!

Serves: 2
Time: Barely 30 minutes
Per Serving Stats:
   Calories - 301
   Carbs- 12g
   Fat- 7g
 

WHAT YOU NEED
Light Mayo (2.5 tbsp)
Scallions -also called green onions by less fancy people (2 tbsp)
Sweet Chili Sauce (1.5 tbsp)
Sriracha (.5 tbsp)
Frozen Tiny Shrimp (16 oz. or about two cups)
Romaine lettuce


Why am I not using her suggested 40 large shrimp? While that is perfect for skewers, this version is more of a salad. Also the little nugget shrimp are cheaper. You get more for your money and if you're making this for more than two people then you will appreciate that you can get a big bag and just double the sauce.


WHAT YOU DO

-First cook those nuggety little shrimps in a skillet with light oil. They'll turn a pink color.

-Mix the scallions, mayo, chili sauce, and sriracha in a bowl. I did not measure the scallions cause who has time for that? I just cut enough to satisfy me. They are low cal so probably won't break anyone's calorie counters.

-When the shrimp are finished, drain them and then dump them in the mixture bowl. Stir until they are covered.

-Serve over lettuce.


WHAT ELSE CAN I DO WITH THESE INGREDIENTS?

My biggest gripe with most recipes is that you sometimes have to buy big bottles or packages of something for such a little amount. I never know what to do with the extras. Here's what you can do with the rest of some of the less common ingredients.

Scallions-  Put them on anything. I think they work best in Asian-style soups/dishes.

Sweet Chili Sauce-  I will literally eat this over rice. By itself. It's heaven.

Sriracha- For you brave souls like Husband you can put it on anything. He mixes it with his mayo and eats it on sandwiches. Whatever floats your boat!

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW

This will not replace the amazingness of Bang Bang Shrimp, believe me. At first this was a disappointing realization but considering how low calorie this substitute is, I think it's worthy of remembering and saving. That being said, the sauce is a lot thinner than you would expect to find in a restaurant. Overall I'd give this a thumbs up and think it would make a really easy make-ahead, sandwich replacing lunch. 

XO,

Andrea

About Cajun in California

Once upon a time, long ago a city emerged from the hills of California and was filled with beautiful, starving people. That city was called Los Angeles which is Spanish for "expensive."

My name is Andrea and I live here in this magical place with my husband, Andrew, and our dog, Julia Sugarbaker. When we arrived we were filled with hope that we too would become fabulously fit people and easily shed the years of gluttonous eating habits we learned growing up in south Louisiana.

That hasn't happened.


What has happened is an effort to live active lives, eat deliciously, read food labels, and not blow our rent at the grocery store.

This blog is about all that...and maybe some other stupid stuff.

Welcome Y'all!

Andrea

I'm not a doctor, nutritionist, trainer, chef or anything else that would make me an authority on anything health related. I am however an expert in tasting frozen yogurt flavors.