3 Tacos? Count me in!

3 Tacos? Count me in!!

I don't need to lose weight. I'm not saying that to rub it in to anyone, or to make people hate me, I am simply stating a fact to introduce today's post. For whatever reason I have a wicked fast metabolism and I can't gain a pound to save my life. I know, skinny girl problems, right? I tell you all of this so you don't think I am one of those girls who starves herself and survives on water and lettuce. (If you haven't read this post, I invite you to check it out...I promise it will make you hungry....) I eat. I eat a lot, and I eat often. I try to eat a bagel with butter every morning for breakfast, then I either bring something from home for lunch or I end up ordering a medium pepperoni pizza and eating half most of it by myself. By 3:00 I am starving again, which is usually when I head upstairs and unload my change purse into the vending machine, buying 3 bags of salty goodness to hold me off until dinner. It's a vicious cycle that is only satisfied when I am actually shoving the food in my mouth.

Anyway, back to today's post. Every time we go grocery shopping, I try to pick up a few boxed meals to bring for lunch. One of my favorites is Stouffer's Fettuccine Alfredo, but to be honest, I normally just grab a few of whatever brand is on sale. This week it was Lean Cuisine. I grabbed a few different kinds--Ravioli, some chicken dish, Alfredo--and figured they would be just as good as Stouffer's. Umm, seriously? Couldn't have been more wrong. Let me be clear. The raviolis were really good. Like, surprisingly good considering they came from a box. They had a tone of flavor and the sauce wasn't half bad. Unfortunately, I barely got to experience the flavor due to the fact that the box came with 6 ravioli. You read that right, S-I-X.  I thought maybe there was some mistake--surely 6 ravioli could not be considered a meal? I sat down and started to research, and it turns out, there was no mistake. The serving size is 6 ravioli. Ok, I get it, Lean Cuisine is normally eaten by someone who is on a diet (as evident by the "Weight Watchers" point values on the back), but come on now. 6 ravioli wasn't even enough to take the edge off, let along fill me up!! I'm not saying that there should be a pound of ravioli in the box, but at least give me 10. Ten is a nice round number, and honestly, how many extra calories would 4 little raviolis add? (153, apparently...)

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Just for fun, I am going to compare the nutritional information in 1 box of Lean Cuisine Ravioli with some well known food items, just to see the difference in portion sizes:

Here are the items:

Taco Bell Crunchy Taco

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Lean Cuisine Cheese Ravioli

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Domino's Medium Thin Crust Pepperoni

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Wendy's Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger

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Calories:
Lean Cuisine Ravioli- 230 calories
Wendy's Jr Bacon Cheeseburger- 330 calories
Taco Bell Crunchy Taco- 150 calories
Domino's Medium Pepperoni Pizza- 170 calories per slice

Fat:
Lean Cuisine Ravioli- 5 grams fat
Wendy's Jr Bacon Cheeseburger- 22 grams fat
Taco Bell Crunchy Taco- 10 grams fat
Domino's Medium Pepperoni Pizza- 9.5 grams fat per slice

Sodium:
Lean Cuisine Ravioli- 640mg
Wendy's Jr Bacon Cheeseburger- 870mg
Taco Bell Crunchy Taco- 310mg
Domino's Medium Pepperoni Pizza- 380mg per slice


I don't know about you, but if I had the choice between 6 itty-bitty little raviolis or 3 crunchy tacos, I'll take the extra 200 calories, 290 mg sodium and 25g of fat! It might be in my best interest to skip the medium pizza for a little while though...(1360 calories, 76 grams of fat and 3000 mg of sodium in one pizza!?!)

I hope everyone had a fabulous week!!

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Sometimes it's the little things

Sometimes it's the little things

Sometimes the little things are all I need to get through the day. There are days when I feel like the world is against me, and no matter how hard I try, nothing seems to go right. Then I stop to think about all of the little things that make me happy--those teeny tiny blips on life's road map--and I realize that I am one lucky chick.

 *That first sip of Red Bull each morning

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 *Climbing into bed after putting on clean sheets

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*Hearing the Backstreet Boys on the radio

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*Getting lost in an amazing daydream

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*The smell of Hyacinth

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*Getting my hair brushed

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*Watching low flying airplanes

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*Taking off my bra at the end of the day

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*Random "just because" surprises from my hubby

 

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 *Soft Lips Chapstick

I know, staring up at a low flying airplane while listening to The Backstreet Boys and drinking Red Bull is not going to solve the world's problems, but its a damn good place to start!

Update on my momma-in-law: She is finally out of the ICU!! She is making amazing progress every day and she is getting closer and closer to coming home!!!! If that doesn't brighten up your Wednesday I don't know what will!!!


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Being a homeowner sucks

Being a homeowner sucks

This is my "being a homeowner sucks" face...

This is also my "I am a spitting image of my mother" face

And since I wrote this post 2 weeks ago and I am just posting it now, I figured I could use an old picture too...sounds good to me

Owning a home comes with tons of perks. You can paint the walls whatever color you want. If you feel like knocking down a wall or ripping a door off of the hinges, more power to you. And the best part? When you decide to move out, you get to sell it and keep the profit. Win win, right?

How about when the air conditioner stops working in June---in Florida? How about when your house is 87 degrees at 7:00 at night, and there isn't a damn thing you can do about it. Let's say we were renting our house. We walk in after a long day of work, realize that our house is an oven, and don't think twice before calling the landlord. Since no A/C in Florida is considered cruel, either the landlord or the HVAC company would be over that evening or the next morning, no charge, and everything would be back to peachy-keen in no time. Let's compare this to the realities of owning our house...That same relaxing evening of waiting on the landlord turns into 45 minutes of pouring burning hot water onto a frozen-over A/C unit. Following this excitement would involve replacing the filter (again), wiping down the vents (again), and spending the remainder of the night sweating and cursing at the fact that neither your warranty company or HVAC company are open at 9:30 pm. When you finally get a call back the next morning, you learn that it will be an $87 service charge to come fix it. The best part? You already paid the same company $87 last summer for the same repair, which was "Sure to fix the problem."

You know what makes the situation even better?? To avoid a heat stroke, we spent a few hours outside, enjoying the cool summer air. The cool summer air that was filled with approximately 400 mosquitoes, only about half of which landed on me for a feast. You know the second best thing aside from sleeping in the heat and sweating your ass off all night? Being covered in mosquito bites from head to toe. Awesome.

So what have we learned? Owning a house sucks. Let's compare, shall we?

Price to fix a broken air conditioner
Renting: $0
Owning a home: $87 (per year, apparently!)

Level of frustration at the ice chunks that are sure to form again just as soon as you melt them off
Renting: 0
Owning: Are you kidding me?!

What you can do when your A/C breaks
Renting: Freak out on the landlord and demand that he fix it immediately
Owning: Abso-freakin-lutely nothing
 

Family Ties

Family Ties

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If you have noticed the lack of posting recently, I promise that there is a reason. Last Thursday morning my mother-in-law was rushed to the hospital. Without delving too much into the personal details, it was one of the scariest experiences of my life. The past 12 days have been filled with fear, hope and most of all extraordinary love. With every passing day she has grown stronger, and I know that this will continue until she can finally come home. We have witnessed a quicker and more amazing recovery than we could have ever imagined, and I have watched in awe as she has overcome hurdle after hurdle. My mother-in-law is a fighter, and she has proven her strength to us time and time again in the last week. She is fighting for my father-in-law, her 6 amazing children and her 5 grand babies, all of whom she would do anything for.

The road to recovery will be long, and it will be far from easy. One thing I know for certain--she will keep on fighting. As for me? I'll be standing on the sidelines, with the rest of the family, cheering her on the whole time.

A message to the nurses and doctors: 
Although you will not read this post, and your lives will continue on as they were before, there is something that I would like to say to you. Because of your dedication, my husband was laughing with his momma yesterday. Because of your persistence, my father-in-law was holding the hand of his high school sweetheart this morning. And because of your selfless compassion, you brought hope to a family when we needed it most. For that, I am forever grateful. 

Turning in my Yankee card

Turning in my Yankee card

So, this happened this morning...

As I snapped this picture I realized that he was parked perfectly in between the two lines. Ummm, hello, someone drove their tractor to the gas station and my first thought was how straight he was parked? Seriously? So that got me thinking, and I realized that I am officially fully southernized. Being born and raised in Philly, it was a HUGE adjustment moving down to Florida--It took a few years before I really felt at home. Although I have now crossed over and become a full-blown Floridian, there are still things, every now and then, that cause me to stop and think "Did that really just happen?" For today's post I decided to share with you all some of the things that come with living in the south. You know, aside from all the "bless your heart's" and "fixin's."


For example:

It's not everyday you have to stop your car for one of these...

Is that a drive-thru? At a liquor store?

 

There are no sidewalks...anywhere. 

And how often does your sky look like this?

And heaven forbid you need directions! "Yea, just down the road you'll see a dirt path, up yonder a little ways.."

There is no such thing as soil...if you want to plant flowers or dig a hole, you better get ready for a long day and a helluva lot of sand and red clay.

In the mood for fast food? No such thing down here. It usually takes between 7 and 10 minutes to get your food from a drive-thru, however I once waited for 15 minutes...and there were only 2 cars in line

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 Ever hear of a hurricane party? Me either, until moving down here. What's that you ask? Pretty much exactly what it sounds like..Hey, there's a huge hurricane out in the Gulf, want to grill up everything we have in the freezer , buy tons of liquor and ride out the storm?! Sure, sounds like a plan!

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 Some of this may sound strange and crazy to you. And believe me, it is. BUT---small town living has some huge perks...

 Everyone, young or old, is referred to as sir or ma'am. It was a refreshing change from the "hey you's" and "yo's" I was accustomed to in Philly.

I have been here 5 years, and I have been in ONE traffic jam that lasted longer then 10 minutes. ONE! And not to rub it in, but the speed limit down here is 70

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If you get a flat tire, run out of gas or the couch that you are carrying in your truck falls off, have no fear. 14 cars will stop to help you in 30 seconds flat.

 

When I was in a car wreck a few years ago, the woman who hit me took off without stopping (whaddabiotch, right?). A random person saw what happened, FOLLOWED the hit-&-runner 2 miles down the road and pulled into a parking lot behind her. She got out and said "I have your license plate number, if you don't go back I'm calling the police!" Then she followed her all the way back to the accident!! Love me some Southern hospitality!

Everyone talks to everyone. No exceptions.
Walking down the street? Stop and chat with a passer-by for a few minutes.
Driving past a random stranger on a street you've never been down? Might as well wave.
Standing in line for 30 minutes at the grocery store? Don't worry about it, just turn around and strike up a conversation with the person behind you.

 

Every have one of those days where you don't feel like getting out of your pj's and slippers, but you are completely out of tampons and red bull? (no, just me?) Have no fear, the dress code at most places doesn't require a shirt, let alone proper shoes. A pair of paint-covered-hole-filled sweatpants with a too-big tshirt? Pretty much an everyday wardrobe staple down here.

If this post hasn't convinced you to turn in your Yankee card and head for the beaches, I guess I haven't done a good enough job. And while you enjoy the polluted, bumper-to-bumper ride home today, I'll be smooth sailing...right over this...

 

Y'all enjoy!! :)

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