Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Overeating is for suckers, suckers and girls...

What person doesn't overeat at some point? Whether you do it to relieve stress, make you happy, or because you are plain old bored, we all do it! Sometimes it comes to a point where it is completely unhealthy and is related to binge eating and bulmia.

I'm not talking about that (though it is a very important topic). I'm discussing "normal" overeating. You walk into the kitchen, grab a bag of chips, sit down with it in front of America's Next Top Model, and an hour later... oops! All gone! Where'd it go? Did I just eat an entire bag of chips? No... the boyfriend had a few... but the grease and salt on my hands is a sure sign that I had well over my fair share. This happens to me very often, which takes a toll, not only on my poor tummy (where all the fat congregates) but on my grocery bill. It almost seems like someone hypnotized me so I forget what I'm doing every time I eat a snack...

I came across this article on the Weight Watchers website which reminded me- there is something I can do about my little (multi-chip) problem. This resulted in more searching the internet for other ways to beat the chip bag. I like the ideas from WebMd- no distractions, smaller portions and knowing when you're full. I also found another article about different reasons people overeat and how to beat it. It suggests solutions for everything from boredom to feeling overwhelmed to daily habits.

Feel free to comment about your own overeating- or about how you looked at the questions that help determine if you are an overeater on Overeaters Anonymous and you qualify for therapy... (join the club!)

These are some of those foods that disappear really fast in my house...

Saturday, September 22, 2007

Rosemary and Lemon Chicken Dinner


DELICIOUS! We've made this twice and it has been our favorite meal to make and eat! The chicken has turned out very tasty and tender and especially good because we went out of our way to buy fresh rosemary for this meal (from the Farmer's Market), and it was worth it!

Recipe for Lemon-Rosemary Chicken:

Yield: 4 servings

  • 2 medium-size lemons
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary or 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 4 small skinless, boneless chicken-breast halves (1 pound) *(we used breast tenders- they were frozen from costco, we pulled them out the day before to defrost)

1. From 1 lemon, grate enough peel to equal 2 teaspoons. Thinly slice half of second lemon; reserve slices for garnish. Squeeze juice from remaining 3 lemon halves into small bowl. Stir in lemon peel, rosemary, olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic.

2. Spray heavy skillet-grill or 12-inch skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Heat skillet over medium-high heat until very hot.

3. Meanwhile, toss chicken-breast halves with lemon-juice mixture.

4. Place chicken-breast halves in hot skillet; cook 5 minutes, brushing with remaining lemon-juice mixture in bowl. Turn chicken over and cook 5 minutes longer until juices run clear when thickest part of chicken breast is pierced with a knife. Garnish with lemon slices.


This meal is pretty quick (as long as you put the baked potatoes in the oven well in advance). I rubbed the potato with olive oil and sea salt before putting it in the oven at 350/375 for an hour. Meanwhile, I made the peas and chicken and a butter for the inside of the potato. I melted Smart Balance butter (gotta save my cholesterol!) and threw some rosemary in!

I really recommend this so let me know if you make it and how it turns out for you!