Day of Shopping

I had the day off today so I decided to go shopping. I spent the morning in the yard working on our flower beds with Greg until he left for work, then I spent the morning on Facebook and catching up on my tivo'd episodes of Chelsea Lately. Around 12:00 I left the house and didn't get back until almost 5:00. I don't go shopping very often and when I do, it's usually a quick trip to Target, so it was nice to have an afternoon of shopping.
I started a Kirklands where I got a beautiful fall wreath for 50% off, a black and white jewelry holder that you hang in your closet, and a pretty plate with the letter "W" on it for the kitchen. The purpose of going shopping today was to get a few things for the house and get some ideas of what I want for my birthday/Christmas. I wanted to stick to house things, like frames, pictures, candle holders, etc.
But, I had a coupon for New York & Company, so I stopped by there and managed to spend most of my afternoon in there trying on clothes. I found so many things. I'm so excited. Between their great sales and my 30% off coupon, I bought over $340.00 worth of stuff for only $170.00. Here's some of the things I got. The pictures on their website are not the best. I think the clothes look much cuter on the mannequins in the store all dressed up and with accessories.

I hate these shoes! I think the jeans look much better without those shoes in the picture.

After spending so much at New York & Company, I didn't think it'd be a good idea to go into all the stores I had planned on going in to. So, I went to Bath & Body works and used a coupon for a free product, then did a little bit of Christmas shopping for some gifts. It doesn't count as spending money if you spend it on somebody else. ;)

After this hard day of shopping, I'm going to relax with a cranberry vodka and diet sprite, read my Us Weekly, and watch some Thursday night tv--Survivor, The Community, and The Office.

Weekend

This post is a little late, but we had a great weekend. Friday night we rented "Land of the Lost" with Will Ferrell. It was better than I thought it'd be, but it was still pretty cheesy. I love Will Ferrell though, so he made it worth it. Saturday we went to a pumpkin carving/fall party.

It was raining all day but cleared up as soon as everybody got to the party so we were able to go out in the yard and enjoy a campfire. Greg even went out on a canoe in the lake. It was a lot of fun.
This isn't a great picture, but I wanted to post something from the party.


Sunday we got up early and worked out in the yard. I bought some bulbs to plant. I've never, ever planted flowers before, so it was all very new to me. I planted bulbs while Greg made me a flower bed around our mailbox and extended the flower bed in front of the house. We weren't able to get it completey finished and it's been raining every day since. It's supposed to be sunny tomorrow, so hopefully I can get that finished. I can't wait for spring to see how my flowers look.

Before:
Before:

After:

After:



After we worked out in the yard we met my friend and her son to see "Paranormal Activity". I loved it! Greg thought it was kinda boring and stupid, but I really enjoyed it because it'd seemed very realistic and super creepy.

This weekend is Halloween and I can't wait to hand out candy and see all the cute little kids in their costumes. On Sunday we're going to a town about an hour away to do some shopping. I'm hoping to get some fall decorations on sale and get some Christmas shopping done.

Mexican Bean Dip

This is a healthy, weight watcher version of 7 layer dip and only has 1 point per serving. I didn't think I would like this because I didn't think it would compare to regular, fattening 7-layer dip. But, I was pleasantly surprised, it was really good. Of course it's not as good as 7-layer dip, but it's pretty good and much better for you.

Mexican Bean Dip
Points: 1
Servings: 17

* 1 can fat-free refried beans
* 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
* 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
* 1/2 cup light sour cream
* 3/4 cup reduced fat mexican blend cheese
* 1 cup of refrigerated fresh salsa
* 1 can sliced ripe olives (I omitted these because I hate olives)
* 2 tablespoons chopped green onions
* 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro



1. Combine refried beans, garlic powder, and chili powder in a small bowl, stirring until blended. Spread mixture into bottom of a 9-inch pie plate.
2. Combine sour cream and 1/4 cup cheese, spread sour cream mixture over bean mixture.
3. Combine salsa, olives, green onions, and cilantro; spread salsa mixture over sour cream mixture. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese.
**I read the directions wrong and added all the cheese to the sour cream layer, so my dip will look different**

Southwestern Corn Salad

I tried this salad because it looked so fresh and delicious in the picture. It's good, but it had a strong lime flavor. I think the dressing needed something else, but I'm not sure what. I also think it could use some chopped onion and some tomato.
***AFTER I ORIGINALLY POSTED THIS, I HAD SOME OF THIS SALAD LEFTOVER AND IT WAS DELICIOUS, THE STRONG LIME FLAVOR WAS TONED DOWN A LITTLE AND IT TASTED FRESH. I WOULD SUGGEST REFRIGERATING THIS DISH FOR A COUPLE OF HOURS BEFORE EATING IT***

Southwestern Corn Salad
Points: 2
Servings: 8

* 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
* 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
* 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
* 1/2 teaspoon salt'
* 1/4 teaspoon pepper
* 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
* 1 can white corn
* 1 1/4 cup of chopped green pepper, red pepper and yellow pepper
* 1/3 cup sliced green onion
* 1 diced peeled avocado
* 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and mince


1. Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add black beans and remaining ingredients; toss gently to combine. Serve immediately.

Szechuan Chicken

I thought this chicken was good, I would recommend adding more crushed red pepper if you like things spicy. I served it with Pioneer Woman's Simply Sesame Noodles, which were also delicious, but I didn't get a picture of them.

Szechuan Chicken
Points: 4
Servings: 4

* 1/4 cup chopped green onions
* 1 1/2 tablespoons less-sodium soy sauce
* 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
* 2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce
* 2 teaspoons brown sugar
* 1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
* 1 teaspoon grated, peeled fresh ginger
* 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
* 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts



1. Combine first 8 ingredients in a large ziploc bag. Add chicken to bag; seal. Marinate in refrigerator 8 hours or overnight, turning occasionally. Remove chicken from bag. discard marinade.
2. Cook in a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes or until no longer pink.

WW Quick Posole

This is my favorite Weight Watcher recipe! There's just something about it that I cannot get enough of. I think it's the taco seasoning, I like any recipe that calls for taco seasoning. Greg thought the recipe was alright. It's not one of his favorites, which is fine, more for me! :)

Quick Posole
Points: 4
Servings: 5

* 1 pound lean ground pork
* 1 package taco seasoning
* 1 (15.5oz) can white hominy, rinsed and drained
* 1 (14.5oz) can zesty chili-style diced tomatoes
* 1 (14oz) can fat-free, less-sodium beef broth

1. Cook pork in a large saucepan over medium-high heat until browned, stirring to crumble. Drain, if necessary, and return pork to pain. Sprinkle pork with taco season, and cook, stirring constantly, over medium-high heat for 30 seconds.
2. Stir in hominy, tomatoes, and broth. Cover and bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes. Ladel into bowls.

Philly Cheesesteak Quesadillas

Inspired by our recent trip to Philly, I made some Philly Cheesesteak Quesadillas for dinner last night. Greg loves quesadillas, so I thought it would be a fun, different twist on his traditional chicken and cheese quesadillas. They turned out really good. This is not a healthy recipe by any means, but I've been trying a ton of Weight Watcher recipes lately, so it was nice to try something different.

Philly Cheesesteak Quesadillas

* 1 small box of Steak-Ums Slice Steak
* 1 onion
* 1 green pepper
* mushrooms
* mozzerella cheese
* hot sauce



Saute onions, green peppers, and mushrooms until soft. Remove from pan. Cook steak according to package directions. Remove from pan. Place tortilla in pan, add cheese, steak and onion/pepper/mushroom mixture. Cook until cheese is melted and tortilla is slightly brown. Remove from pan. Add hot sauce. A big thing in Philly is Cheez Whiz on their cheesesteaks. This quesadilla would be delicious with Cheez Whiz drizzled over top, or on the side to dip the quesadilla in.