In the Big City: Go Pretzel

A few weekends ago, Hubby and I spent a lovely Saturday afternoon in Pittsburgh.  We had several stops planned along Liberty Avenue, so we took the opportunity to stop at a place I has heard about a few weeks ago:  Go Pretzel.

Now, this gal loves some salty doughy soft pretzels.  Many a night the Hubby has made a late night Sheetz run to fulfill my soft pretzel craving, so the idea of a new shop opening in Pittsburgh made me super happy!

When we got there, I was kind of surprised how small the place was.  This is really just a counter, there is no seating.  When the weather is nice, that is no problem, but it was a chilly November afternoon, so I was sad that we could not sit inside and enjoy our delicious pretzel treats.  It would simply have to wait until we walked to the car.

The next thing I noticed was how yummy all the different pretzels looked.  We had a hard time choosing!!  I went with toasted almond pretzel with dutch cocoa dip.  I actually liked the pretzel better without the dip, so I must remember that in the future.  Hubby got the jalapeno, of course.  I tried it, and it was ok, but the peppers were too pickled for my liking.  Hubby really wanted to try the pretzel dog, but decided it would wait until our next trip.

All in all, the place is a winner.  While the storefront and the website are the epitome of minimalism, I hope to see this grow into a franchise, much like some other beloved downtown snack providers have over the past few years.  If you have not tried Go Pretzel, I really encourage you to do so.  I know we will certainly be back, more than once.

So, my final ruling?  Go Pretzel, or Go home.

Let me tell you who We Are...

I told myself and told myself I was not going to write about Penn State, but I just can't hold it in anymore.

I see so many PSU alumni and fans who claim no one knows what they are going through.  That only those who chant WE ARE can understand the complexity of this situation.  And perhaps they are right.  They are fans, they are hardworking, they are proud of their alma mater, and they are heartbroken for many many reasons.  But let me tell you who WE are...

WE ARE parents of small children who cannot stand living in a world where these things can happen to them.

WE ARE adult survivors of sexual abuse whose hearts break for those boys.

WE ARE the mothers of those who were molested.

WE ARE social workers and advocates who try to speak for victims who are not allowed a voice.

WE ARE the Pennsylvania taxpayers whose money went to support such a corrupt cover up.

WE ARE college graduates from other schools who would be horrified had it happened where we were.

WE ARE everyday people whose faith in goodness and rightness has been shaken to its core.

WE ARE unable to understand why child rape was being enabled for the sake of people's jobs and football games.

WE ARE disappointed in the way this situation was handled.

WE ARE human enough to know what happened was wrong, regardless of what school issued our degree.

WE ARE as entitled to our opinions as anyone else, regardless of our alma mater.

WE ARE angry.

WE ARE justified.

Tiffany Trivia: When I Grow Up

As you may have figured out, I was not your typical child.  My mom could tell so many stories that confirm that statement.  I was always very vocal about my plans and goals for my life, what I wanted and did not want, but there was one thing I kept to myself -what I wanted to be when I grew up.

You see, while other kids were dreaming of being marine biologists (a popular career among my female classmates when we were 7), teachers, doctors, or stay at home mommies to kids with names like Laken and Trent, I had my eyes set on the Great White Way.

Yes, indeed.  I wanted to be a singer and dancer on Broadway.  At the age of 7, I could sing every word on the cast recording of Les Miz.  By 9, Phantom was added to that list.  By high school, also Miss Saigon, West Side Story, The King and I, Grease, Oklahoma, Guys and Dolls, and Jesus Christ Superstar.  

Cabaret.  Wicked.  Mary Poppins. Rent. Chicago. Sweeney Todd.  Jekyll and Hyde.  The Lion King.  They are more than shows to me, they are old and trusted friends.  I know them and love them all.

Unfortunately, I suffer from terrible, horrible stage fright.  Paralyzing.  I did sing a bit in high school, and college.  Several times I took private lessons.  And you know what became of it?  I sing show tunes, halfway decently, in the bathtub.  But only if I am home alone.  After 5 years, I rarely even sing in front of my husband, the fear is so great.

So, I have never been in a musical.  Never even auditioned.  It is my one great regret in life, that I never tried a little harder.  Sure, I would never have made it to Broadway, but maybe something much smaller scale could have happened for me.  Now, I am relegated to a life in the audience.  But that is ok, the view is still pretty amazing, even from the cheap seats.

Chicken Pot Pie Cups

One of the hardest things about trying to eat a healthy, low fat diet, after years of, well, not, is that I find myself craving comfort foods.  Particularly in the fall.  So when I found myself craving chicken pot pie, I knew I was in trouble.  Every healthy modified version I found was either still to fat laden for my liking, or just sounded disgusting.  So, I came up with these....

I started off with won ton wrappers.  Using olive oil cooking spray, I lightly sprayed a muffin tin (I found metal works better than silicone in this instance), then I put two won ton wrappers in the bottom of each muffin cup, so that they overlapped and filled the cup.

Next, I created a mixture of the following: 8 ounces of boiled chicken breast tenders which I had shredded, 3/4 cup frozen peas and carrots, 3/4 cup fat free cheddar cheese, and one can 98% fat free cream of chicken soup. I mixed this, along with parsley and poultry seasoning, until blended.  Then, I spooned the filling into each wonton lined cup in the muffin tin.  I popped them into a 350 degree oven until the won tons were crispy and slightly brown.

After removing from the oven, I carefully removed the cups and placed on wax paper to cool, while I repeated the process.  The first dozen was for freezing, the second was for dinner.

I served with oven roasted red potatoes with herbs and reduced fat Parmesan cheese, and more peas and carrots.

Nutrition information (just for the pot pie cups)
Serving size: 2 cups
Calories: 184
Carbs: 25 g
Fat: 2 g
Protein: 15 g
Fiber: 1g
WW Points Plus: 5

Giggle fest

Have you ever had something that, never fail, makes you giggle each time you think of it?  The moment it pops into your mind, giggles escape your lips?  Well, Hubby does.

One night, Hubby discovered a clip of a the mascot from the Toronto Raptors tripping and falling on the court.  It does not sound terribly funny, and then you watch it.



It is especially hilarious in gif form.

For me, this is a "ha ha that is funny, let's move on" thing.  For Hubby, any time he thinks of it, instant giggles.

Last night we went to bed.  Lights were out, pets were asleep, and I was trying to make myself relax when I heard giggles coming from Hubby's side of the bed.

I knew the answer before I even asked the question "Are you thinking about the Raptor".

*giggle giggle*

"yep".

Best part is, this is not the first time this has happened.  And I know it will not be the last.

Thankful for.... a messy kitchen

Photo Source

These days, it seems my kitchen is always a mess.  Dirty dishes piled up in the sink, trash that needs to be taken out, groceries to be put away.  And truth be told, it makes me incredibly happy.

Do not get me wrong, I hate the mess, and I hate extra clean up.  I am blessed the Hubby is always willing to help clean up in the kitchen.  It is the reason behind the mess for which I am so thankful.

I have always loved to cook.  I grew up in a family where both parents cooked and we went or ordered out to eat.  Going out to eat was a special occasion thing, but there was nothing as comforting and bonding as the family sitting down at our own table for a home cooked meal.  I started cooking when I was in high school.  Just easy things at first, following simple recipes.  As I got older, I began being more adventurous with cooking, plus I paid more attention to how my parents cooked.  So, by the time I moved out on my own, I was well equipped to cook up a storm.

The only thing lacking.... someone to eat it.  I quickly realized I hated cooking for just one person, and began a lot of poor eating habits that plague me to this day.  Every once in a while, I would plan an elaborate dinner party for friends, but for the most part, my life was a table for one.

Then, I met Hubby.  And he was pretty excited that he had a girl who could cook.  When we were dating, he would come to see me, and I would cook up full meals, including dessert.  I was thrilled to be able to cook for him, and he was thrilled to have home cooked meals.  When we were engaged and house hunting, it was the kitchen that sold me on our home.  It was short on storage space, but had wonderful appliances with which I could create culinary masterpieces.

Lately, I have been extra motivated to cook.  It helps keep my diet healthy, and saves us money in the long run.  I am sure you can tell I am in cooking mode, given the number of recipes I have posted lately.  You can imagine the mess all this cooking has done.  Actually, if you look closely in some of the pictures, you can probably see it ;)

I love my messy kitchen (though I also love it clean) because to me, it signifies that I am happy, motivated, and providing healthy meals full of love for my family.

Chocolate Banana Oatmeal Pancakes

(I swear to you, I do actually do things besides cook.  It is just, lately, I have been in a cooking mood, so I go with it.  And when things turn out delicious, I want to share them with all of you!).

This morning, I woke up craving pancakes.  I had a few options.  I could order take out from a place in town that has awesome pancakes, then lament the calorie and fat content later in the day.  I could get pancake stuff from the store, and make a huge mess in our kitchen.  Or, I could try the easy, healthy alternative recipe I saw on this blog.  I went with option 3.

So, I assembled the ingredients and embarked on yet another cooking adventure.

First, I mashed a banana in a medium sized mixing bowl.

Once the banana was all mashed, I added 2 packs of instant oatmeal.  Any kind will do, but I went with Lavish Dark Chocolate Oatmeal.  It was already smelling great.

Next I added 3 tbsp of egg white, the equivalent to one large egg.

Finally, 1 tsp each of baking powder and vanilla extract.

I mixed everything up to a nice, well blended chocolaty concoction.

I used olive oil cooking spray in a skillet over medium heat. Once this was nice and hot, I used the 1 tbsp measuring spoon to drop spoonfuls into the skillet. These were going to be small but hearty pancakes, each about the size of a large no bake cookie. It was a little tricky knowing when to flip them, since they did not bubble like traditional pancakes, but with a little testing of the edges you are able to tell when the underside is done, and flip accordingly.

The batch made 2 servings of 4 small pancakes, which was perfect. As I said, they were small, but really hearty. I added 2 tbsp low calorie syrup to mine, and they were sheer perfection.

This one was a little tricky to calculate nutrition and WW points. I am going based on the nutrition information on the label for each individual item, plus the generic info for the banana, and plugging that into a WW Points Plus calculator.  The nutrition breakdown, with syrup us:

Calories: 279
Carbs: 61g
Fat: 3g
Protein: 7g
Fiber: 9g

Now if you plug all that into a WW Points Plus calculator, the result you get is 7. Yet the only individual ingredient that has any points is the Oatmeal, with is 4.5 points per packet. So, I guess go with 7 point to err on the side of caution.

Without syrup, it is:

Calories: 229
Carbs: 48g
Fat: 3g
Protein: 7g
Fiber: 9g

Again, plug that into a calculator and you get 6 WW Points Plus.  Yet if you only ate the oatmeal, it would be 4.5, and then if you later ate a banana, it would be 0.  Again, I guess go with 6 to err on the side of caution.

The possibilities are endless with this really easy recipe.  I am thinking, next time, strawberry banana oatmeal pancakes!