Just a sweet tip...

This is going to be real short and sweet.

Real sweet.

If you ever get a chance to hop into a Pinkberry this fall I think it's important for you to know that their flavor Chocolate Hazelnut tastes just like a fancy grown up, Wendy's frosty.

His & Hers Pinkberry

And if you order the mini it's only 144 calories.

Just thinking about it makes my mouth water. So maybe another day is a better time to discuss being a sugar addict. 

You're welcome!

HAPPY FALL Y'ALL!!!

Shamelessly Jacked Kids Menu - Grilled Cheese

When I decided to start this blog I wanted it to be about how we are fitting in here in Cali but also how I cheat the system into eating what I want by making the things I love with better ingredients.

I hate to say this is a "recipe" because it's not. What it is really is a combination of low calorie ingredients that you can use for an easy lunch or dinner. Plus, I write about things that taste good and this certainly qualifies AND it's a dinner for two so win-win. 

Last time I was in San Diego I was there for work and flew in early. I was at a swanky hotel and starving so I made my way down to the hotel's restaurant to eat alone. Because I either have no fear or my shame button was turned off, I ordered the most bizarre lunch: a glass of wine and a grilled cheese sandwich.

Now before you judge me: it was grilled cheese month AND that's a real holiday I did not make up AND if you're eating alone you better do it like a boss and have a glass of wine. I don't care if you've just ordered off the kids menu.

The PTA meeting at the table next to me was in full judge mode and I can tell you I did not care one bit. That grilled cheese was DELICIOUS.

It was so good I went home and started ordering grilled cheese everywhere. I can tell you that in Baton Rouge one of my favorite grilled cheese sammys is from The Bread Box on Essen. It's called the "Grown Up Grilled Cheese" and it's like a heavenly cheese explosion. 


So a week or two ago I started to crave it again and just knew that I'd be tossing it a lot of calories between the cheese, butter, and bread. Add to this I also wanted tomato basil soup. I'm greedy like that!

If you want a low cal Grilled Cheese & Tomato Soup option pick up these ingredients:

4 slices Sara Lee 45 calorie bread
1 tablespoon of unsalted butter (or less)
2 slices low calorie Pepper Jack
Campbell's Harvest Tomato with Basil 

(DO NOT get their tomato soup...you want this one! Trust me. It's delicious and I could have pretended it was homemade and Husband would have never known the difference!)

This will not, I repeat will not, taste as good as the grown up grilled cheese at The Breadbox. Lower those expectations...

Basically you make the grilled cheese sandwich the same way since the dawn of grilled cheese time and you heat the soup on the stove.

This makes two sandwiches and the soup has two servings (real servings, not pretend ones that food companies put on packaging that do not reflect what a normal person would eat. I'm talking to YOU Girl Scouts of America!)

With these options your grilled cheese AND soup will come out to be around 350 calories. That's absurdly low. And it's pretty filling. I mean I could eat another sandwich cause it is delicious, but I never have. 

I made it this week because I was sick and I couldn't bare the thought of cooking or eating chicken noodle soup. I have to say it was a winner!


If you have any other cheats to a lighter, delicious, easy meal - let me know!

XO,
Andrea

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