So I was originally going to write a restaurant review for this week’s posting for your entertainment, but last Friday I made this amazing meal for 4 (cuatro in español), so I thought, I posted a Thanksgiving side dish, a dessert, why not a full meal – that I made all by myself!

But do not fret my pets, I assure you I will be posting restaurant reviews soon! I feel I am obligated to, as I went out and bought this…

Personal Photo, 2009

(click on picture for City Shuffle’s website). This my friends was a an impulse splurge buy I made while perusing through Union Square’s Holiday Market on my way to the 6 train. I don’t know why I stopped at the one booth but now I have 108 $10 gift certificated to various restaurant establishments around Manhattan and Brooklyn and another 52 $10 gift certificates to various bars & lounges in Manhattan– all which expires in one year!  So if anyone is interested in trading me some recipes or whatever for a $10 gift card let me know! The catch is that you have to spend at least $30 at the establishment. Check out the website for more info.

Anyway, so for those of you wanting to stay in, instead of spending… I cooked up a nice, fairly easy meal for my family on Friday night.  The recipes were a collaboration of from Allrecipes.com, my boyfriend’s memory and my Betty Crocker cookbook.  The main course was chicken, but I began with knowing that I wanted to make twice-baked potatoes and then found a fast chicken recipe, and I also made some grilled vegetables.

Here is a grocery/kitchen checklist for what you would need for my Friday Night Meal, so you can see what the basic ingredients are.

Making the Potatoes in Pictures:

I baked 6 russet potatoes in the oven in a baking dish at 450 degrees for about 1 hour. While the potatoes were baking, I quickly fried up two slices of bacon (My boyfriend taught me to cut the bacon in half and it makes it easier to manage when frying so it doesn’t shrivel up into nothing) and shredded up some cheddar cheese.

Personal Photo, Dec. 2009

The grater I have is awesome, because the top of it is a grater with a bowl attached so you don’t have to hold the grater while making sure it is getting in the bowl.

Personal Photo, Dec. 2009

Once my potatoes were baked, I let them cool for about 10 minutes, then sliced them in half, and scooped out the centers. (Have an extra bowl handy to put the centers in). Once the centers are scooped out  -  add to your bowl of mashed center, the sour cream, and softened butter, salt and pepper. I also added some shredded mozzarella cheese I had in my refrigerator.  Make sure your potatoes mixture is really mashed, with few lumps and then re fill your shells with the mixture. Top with the grated cheddar cheese and bacon. Bake in the oven for 25 min on 425.  Check out the before and after shot below.

Personal Photo, Dec. 2009

Personal Photo, Dec. 2009

For the main course I made this Tender Italian Baked Chicken recipe I found online. I was looking for something quick and easy. The recipe calls for 3/4 cup of mayonnaise, but I only used 1/2 a cup and I used low-fat mayo. Basically, you mix the mayo with the Parmesan cheese and the garlic, (I used a garlic press and pressed a clove of garlic). Then you coat the chicken with the mayo mixture and then you coat the chicken with the Italian bread crumbs. Place in a baking dish and bake for 20 minutes on 425.  I was able to bake both dishes at the same time while I made my side dish. The chicken needs to be turned however, and some times the breading gets stuck to the pan, so I would recommend using some pan or making sure you turn the chicken. I also broiled the chicken once it was cooked on Lo for 5 minutes, to get the breading crispy.

Personal Photo, Dec. 2009

Grilled Vegetables

This recipe was from my Betty Crocker cookbook in the grilling section, but since it was the middle of winter and raining,  I just sauteed up the three vegetables in olive oil over medium heat until the vegetables were tender.  The carrot took the longest and the onion took the fastest, so I recommend let the carrot cook for a little while before adding the string beans and finally the red onion. ¡BUEN PROVECHO!

Personal Photo, Dec. 2009

My favourite is number 8.

I forgot to mention that I am currently in finals for this semester. So, naturally, I created this blog now as a great way to procrastinate. Working like a charm so far. Anyhoo, I thought I’d post my christmas list, especially if any of my family members are reading this right now (hi mom) so that they can get an idea of what I need to pack/what they need to buy me to pack. Hee.

Things I Need/Christmas Presents:

Digital Camera

Light, preferably linen pants

Flowy skirts and dresses

Cotton t-shirts

Good sunglasses

Good sneakers

Hiking boots

Bathing suits

Backpack (Le Sport Sac)

1. Rogan, Warner Hat, $72

2. Barneys New York, Solid Cashmere Scarf, $525

3. Alexander Wang, Mixed Materials Shopper, $780

4. Muji, Vinyl Chloride Cover R-paper Monthly Weekly Note, $17.75

5. Incase, Accessory Pouch, $80

6. Alexander Wang, Cotton Terry Sweatshirt, $375

7. Stella McCartney, Amber Chatting Triangle Bra, $150

8. Stella McCartney, Amber Chatting Shorts, $95

9. Maison Martin Margiela Line 22, Striated Ankle Boot, $905.99

10. Alexander Wang, Zip-front stretch leggings, $365

11. Super, Super Classics Grey Transluscent Sunglasses, $132

1. Rogan, Warner Hat, $72

2. Super, Leather Wrapped

3. Alessandro Esteri, One Year of White Pages, $35

4. Boy, Slash, $595

5. Comme des Garcons, Reptile Embossed Black Partial Zip Wallet, $142

6. Eskuche, Black Headphones, $66

7. Stella McCartney, Lola Spinning Bodysuit, $185

8. Helmut Lang, Lace Knit Top, $290

9. Zero + Maria Cornejo, Hi Elzastic Bootie, $495

10. Sass & Bide, Chain detail skinny jeans, $310

11. TIMEX80, Digital Metal Watch, $60

Before its recent facelift, Mandarin Gallery at Meritus Mandarin Hotel, in the heart of Orchard, was one of my favourite places for retail therapy in Singapore. Never mind my puny salary then (actually, not much has changed in this aspect), and never mind the fairly hefty price tags that the wares it housed boasted; the clothes, bags and shoes were lovely beyond words. Not so much of-the-moment fashionable and trendy, which I can never keep up with anyway, but beautiful, well-made and, best of all, exclusively available at Mandarin Gallery. I enjoy shopping at the likes of Zara and Charles & Keith well enough, but finding and buying something one-of-a-kind and unique is an unbeatable feeling.

I remember the likes of multi-label boutiques Ad:Lib and Retail Therapy, which brought in foreign brands like girlishly feminine Australian label Alannah Hill before departmental stores like Tangs did. The little shop spaces were done up exquisitely, with cosy and warm lighting and vintage touches before vintage invaded the mainstream fashion consciousness. Then there was Quintessential for bag porn; quirky designs were in abundance at this very hip shop manned usually by one of its three (or is it four? or five?) stylish and vivacious owners. It was here that I once and for all shed all notions of ever chaining myself to the ubiquitous rectangular black PU leather tote bag that must be the hands-down favourite of most female Singaporean office drones.

Yesterday, we walked past Mandarin Gallery on one of our infrequent jaunts to Orchard. It was abuzz with activity. Some shops were open, some had not yet opened their doors but looked soon to do so with the scores of retail assistants within busy folding clothes and ticking off price lists. Yet others were still boarded up, under renovations still. The number of shops had expanded dramatically but I was really happy to note that the shops were still relatively unique.

I’m really excited about Y-3 (the adidas collaboration with Yohji Yamamoto), a.i. by Ashley Isham (local boy made more-than-good overseas), Retail Therapy, and atomi, a Japanese lifestyle and design haven. Local label Trioon has a little store in Mandarin too; I walked in and walked out lusting after a black cocktail number with a lace back and a whitish gold cropped motorcycle-inspired jacket. All-day breakfast joint Wild Honey looks perfect for a chill-out cuppa, while Huit seems a good candidate for some nice, ahem, honeymoon pieces.

Bottomline being? I really can’t wait for Mandarin Gallery to be fully up and running!

Fresh Fruits & Vegetables
2 ea grapefruits
2 ea lemons
4 ea apples, granny smith
2 ea avocado
1 bunch celery
2 bunches curly leaf kale
7 lbs fresh green beans
3 ea onions
7 1/2 lbs potatoes
8 ea medium sweet potatoes
20 ea fresh sage leaves
16 cloves garlic

Grocery
2 bags 16-oz vegetarian stuffing mix
2 ea 15-oz can peaches in juice
2 cans 16 oz canned pumpkin
2 cans Cranberry sauce, jellied
4 tsp lemon juice
1/2 c cashews
1 c pecans
2 c pepitas
1/2 c slivered almonds
1 Tbsp Kitchen Boquet gravy browner
1/2 tsp liquid smoke
1/2 c olive oil
1/4 c sesame oil
1 1/4 c soy sauce
1 1/2 c white cooking wine

Baking
1 pkg 4.6 oz Jell-O cook & serve vanilla pudding mix
7 1/2 c all-purpose flour
3 Tbsp baking powder
3 1/2 c brown sugar
1/2 tsp rum extract
2 Tbsp vanilla extract
1 c vegetable shortening

Spices
3 Tbsp Adobo
2 1/2 tsp cinnamon, ground
4 tsp fresh cracked pepper
2 Tbsp ground poultry seasoning
7 tsp kosher salt
2 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice
1 Tbsp rosemary
1 Tbsp sage, dried, ground
3 Tbsp salt

Refrigerated/”Dairy”
2 ea 12 oz. blocks of tofu
3 c margarine
1/2 c orange juice
2 pkgs Pillsbury crescent rolls
20 c soymilk, regular
1 quart soymilk, unsweetened

Frozen
3 containers 8 oz – Rich Whip
2 ea pre-made vegetarian pie crusts

Specialty
1/2 c chickpea flour
1 tsp ground flax seed
3 1/2 c nutritional yeast
6 1/2 c vital wheat gluten

It’s amazing how the human mind works! Today, as I was sitting in the clinic, idle, my mind started playing some nasty tricks on me. Images of assorted types of food started popping up. After all, eating was a sight better than staring at the medical journals or the newspaper. Aptly named Comfort Eating, I must say! The task of eating actually gives us something to do besides the mundane tasks at hand. Perhaps, we might be feeling down and that takes our mind off the issue troubling us.

Many people turn to emotional eating or comfort eating when stressed, depressed, bored or just plain lonely. Some love to munch in front of the television, and before they realize, the whole bag of chips is gone. The problem is that we tend to snack on unhealthy food laden with salt and saturated fat or sugar. It does not augur well with our weight loss efforts.

In the clinic today, I sat back and gave myself a few minutes. After that, I picked up my bag to go out for half an hour and by the time I came back, I felt much better. The cravings had passed. This set me thinking. I realize that a lot of people who want to lose weight have issues with cravings. Here are some tips to reduce emotional eating.

1. Plan Your Meals in Advance - “Failing to plan is planning to fail” as the saying goes. Planning our meals 1 week in advance, especially on a Sunday goes a long way toward reducing unhealthy food in our diets. Most people tend to stick to meal plans if they have written them down. Initially, keeping a food log may help. This tells us our trends and even reveals snacks which we have forgotten we ate. Gradually, our food log will be the same as our meal plans at the beginning of the week.

2. Make a List For Grocery Shopping - The next step is to make a list for grocery shopping according to your weekly meal plans. Go groceries shopping once a week and stick to the list at hand. Buy only healthy food. Chances are that if you do not have these unhealthy snacks at home, you will not eat them. Do not go out to buy food when hungry.

These tips of planning your meal and then going grocery shopping may initially take some time but once you get used to it, you can actually recycle a lot of the lists.

3. Keep To A Balanced Diet - Eating a balanced diet with healthy snacks in between can go a long way to reducing cravings. If the calories consumed per day are a lot less than the requirements, we tend to be hungry. Hunger usually leads to cravings of our favorite food. Eating 3 main well balanced meals with 2 snacks in between keep you satisfied the whole day.

You also need to learn to recognize true hunger. If you have just had a meal, it is likely that this is not true hunger.

4. Use a Buddy System – Keeping to a weight loss regime with a friend is a very effective method of weight loss. Numerous studies have shown that people tend to keep to a prescribed diet and exercise when they have a buddy. When faced with cravings, you can call your buddy to distract yourself or motivate yourself to stick to the planned meals. It gives you some time to sit back and think of the consequence of  your actions. Sometimes, that is all we need.

5. Keep Busy - Go shopping for clothes or go for a movie with friends when idle or feeling down. Shopping for clothes generally gives me motivation to lose more weight so I can fit into a smaller size. Keep yourself busy. This gives us less time to dwell on food.

6. Exercise regularly - Regular exercise not only helps with weight loss but also releases endorphins or the “happy hormone”. This elevation of mood helps to reduce cravings. Moreover, people who exercise tend to be more conscious of what they eat, preferring to choose healthy food.

7. Associate with Health Conscious People - Associate with people who are conscious about their health, exercise regularly and are mindful of what they eat. It makes it easier if the people around us have the same goals and ideas like us. Joining a group or association with the same objectives also helps.

There may be times when despite all these measures above, you still give in to the cravings. We should not beat ourselves up over this. Get right back on track. After all, tomorrow is another day. Remember “Do your best today and tomorrow you will do better”.

All pictures courtesy of Suat Eman / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Tags: emotional eating, weight loss, weight gain, meal planning, shopping list, buddy system, exercise, endorphins

Due to lack of time there will be no real post today.  Instead I present my shopping list:

• 4 potatoes of 300g each
• 4 entrecôte steaks
• black pepper corns
• shallots
• beef stock
• double cream
• butter
• cognac
• watercress

See, there is a difference between just making a list or a brief statement and Mr Pound’s poetry.

Anyone care to speculate on what I’m making for dinner?

Call me old-fashioned, but I like keeping a diary! It’s been 2 years now that I kept this one unique diary style from Letts, one page per day, and since I was in school / more indoors / studying a lot, I had to write a lot in there. Now I’m so happy I purchased a Filofax nice leather diary, where I would hopefully write daily & hopefully this will help me be more organized… You can really create your personal universe in your diary, writing about / on:

• Post It Notes – coloured and in different shapes/sizes(rectangular, small, square, perfumed, pink / red / yellow / neon / orange / blue / green, etc) with either lists of things to do, notes from a meeting, interesting things, quotes, quick email addresses, other addresses of people, funny stuff, etc;
• flyers and pictures, add to the diary stuff that u pick up / find / receive during that day, and just put it there… with or without a note;
• the main events of the day – writing down what you consider to be more important for you, either
  - in advance – to remind you about events, calls, birthdays, etc;
  - in retrospective – notes about certain meetings, events, interesting things, important data;
• Thoughts / enjoyment / interesting things – there are so many interesting things that can happen, unpredicted, gestures, some feelings, some thoughts, some nice persons you met, etc – that’s what a diary is about;
• financial stuff – if you feel like these things can be “read” by others, I would recommend that one keeps a record of at least the major things he purchases, like: electronics, major grocery shoppings, books, big/large items, important items/gifts/cards, etc – list them there, either when you buy them(in that particular day), or on a specific list of in/out spending/receiving $$$;
• calls – we make lots of calls every day, and sometimes/many times they are just gossip/chats – but some calls are “milestones”, or more topic-related, overseas calls, or even keeping in touch with old friends, finding news about them… – I sometimes write down the name, duration of call, and the main thing we talked about;
• To Do & Projects – both on a daily basis, working on more important things, or weekly/monthly targets, projects you’re working on with deadlines and milestones, companies that help you/you need to call, etc. Also, what I do sometimes is that I write either electronically or on a post-it note – the things I need to do when I get to a certain place & I am in a certain environment(at home in front of my personal PC; at work when I meet so-and-so, shopping lists, things to do online, things to talk about to someone, etc);
• address book – addresses of the new people you met, either on the daily page u keep, or on the designated addresses list; as you meet people, get their number/email address/mail address, or… the facebook name

and so many other things, from the stickers u get when u go to a certain event(either with your name on it or with some cool design/logo), to pictures, scraps of things, badges from conferences, email addresses from people as you meet them, signatures from people, tell others to write u a note, plane tickets or the sticky band they give u as u check-in, etc – things u pick up as u live your daily life wherever u are. Things to remind u about that day. To make u happy when u look back…. – or sad. Broken relationships, not-so-happy thoughts, etc. You decide what u write/add to your personal diary

Think about it for a minute…

When you shop at your grocery store, where do you spend the majority of your time?
Is it in the aisles searching for what you need?
Do you find yourself buying more than you anticipated as you are walking out the door?
Are the items you purchased healthy and living or processed and boxed?

The grocery store is a very interesting store – setup based upon the habits of its shoppers.  More often than not you may notice the grocery store that you frequent has video cameras that seem to watch your every move.  And it’s true!  These cameras are not typically there to catch the thief in the cookie aisle or the apple-eating grocer, instead they are monitoring the paths of shoppers - like you –  looking for how different people approach their shopping journey.  By monitoring your habits and cart-filling paths, the grocery store is setting themselves up for profit maximization!  They are placing items that you really might not need in your direct eye sight - which may cause you to buy things that are over priced and unnecessary – uh, impulse buy!  This is the main reason grocery stores change their layouts occasionally – causing you mass confusion when you are trying to get in and out!

While you are making your rounds up and down the aisles, you might pick up items that are not adding value to your budget or health.  Processed, boxed foods are often high in chemicals, sodium and fat to help keep their shelf-life, adding no nutritional value to the consumer.  These items are typically at eye level and are full of sugars and unhealthy ingredients.  Instead, start shopping on the outside edge of the store.  On the perimeter of the store, you will find most of the items you need live (or stay) healthy!  Focus on fresh, healthy, living items such as fruit and produce, meats, milks, eggs, nuts, etc. (I bet you are thinking about it and can picture your store, set up exactly with those items on the perimeter, huh?!)  Also, frozen items such as frozen fruits and veggies are often a great source of nutrition for out of season items!  Look for low-calorie, high fiber and low sodium foods to get you moving through the week.  READ LABELS! It will change your shopping and consuming experience because you will learn about what you are eating!

Finally, make a list of everything you will need before you head to the store.  Your list should focus on the next week of food consumption.  List what you will need to fuel your body plus 3-5 open items.  Your list should consist of a large amount of produce and vegetables.  Also include whole grain, low-fat foods.  This list will be your focus as you head into the store and grab the cart.  The empty spaces on the list will allow for the items you may have forgotten or want to add last-minute - but train yourself to limit what you put in the cart to healthy, nutritious items only!

Tips for your next shopping trip:

1. Make a list of the things you will need over the next week. Typically the foods you buy will last you for around a week.  Produce, fruit, meat, milk, etc.  If you are into bulk shopping, make a list for your bulk foods and then one for your regular/produce/living shopping. 
2. At the end of your list, include 3-5 empty spots.  These empty numbers are the items that you had not planned to buy, but end up getting while you are shopping.  Typically, these items  are harmful to your diet and your budget, so keep yourself open to these hitch hikers, but don’t go over that number!  Trust me – it works!
3. When at the store, shop the perimeter!  The perimeter is where you will find most of the essential items – fruits, produce, meat, milk, eggs, items that may also on sale – and on your list!  Beware of the sale items though – these could be demons, waiting to jump into your cart and ready to sabotage your goals!
4. If you have an item you know is down an aisle, leave your cart at the end of the aisle and walk down for that specific item that is on your list and then return to your cart with said item.  By parking your cart on the main aisle you are less likely to pick up unnecessary items that are not on your list – and it will keep you focused on your diet and list!  *Side note – never leave children, purses or personal items unattended in a cart! This is for your safety!!
5. Do not be tempted in the checkout lane. If you must wait in line, grab a fitness or health magazine instead of the high cost candies and snacks that are swarming you!!  Stay focused on your list and your healthy items!

Good luck on your next shopping trip – let me know how it goes. I think you will find that these small changes will help you save money and cut pounds by making healthy choices!

Here’s to being healthy. Happy shopping!

If you could step out of your skin for a short time…and look at the issues in your life that you wish would change or disappear…you might have better luck in coming up with a fresh resolve.  We’re all very clouded when it comes to looking at our own life issues with scrutiny because we’re so used to the autopilot our brain operates on.  To pull far enough away from yourself to have discernment may be done with two key elements…time and space.   First, you’ve got to get quiet physically…leaving no room for interruptions.  Give your thoughts enough time to settle down and not follow your regular thinking patterns.  Let all the chaos work itself out of your brain in the first moments of getting quiet…pray or whatever you do to align yourself  with God…and then you’ll be ready to deal.  Make space for your mind and your body to stretch just like in a gym class.  Loosen your physical and emotional concerns by hypothetically putting them on a table or floor next to you.  Look at them, like you were browsing through a store to find something you really want to buy.  Tell yourself what you are looking for just like you had a shopping list in your hand…to discover the source of the problem and to find the remedy.  Shoe off fear, the way you lived by default, and complacency regarding these issues.  Right away, you’ll notice two things about each issue…where the strain originates from, and where you will begin to remedy the rub.  Whatever first comes to your mind is most likely right on the money.  You will immediately feel relief and comfort that you’ve put your hand on your own pulse to bring exceeding goodness to your life.  Choose how you will arrest these issues should you start to feel overwhelmed by them in the future, because you have power over them!!

Hey all,

Well, I decided to call the Kitchen Garden club in our neighborhood myself, since I hadn’t heard anything from since September 19th. And guess what? Monday someone’s coming over with a plan from the gardens and then I’ll hear more. With a bit of luck one of the next two gardens that will come available is for me! I’m really looking forward to it!

So…. This means I’m on the hunt for supplies for my Kitchen Garden! It will be a garden of 100 Square meters, so I can plant a lot of vegetables, salads and fruit! But that’s not all I need to think about. I’ll also need to decide on a plan for my Kitchen Garden. I do have a plan, but I need to see if it will fit the garden that I’ll get. And if it’s sufficient for everything I’d like to grow in the garden. And last but not least….. I need to save up on money to be able to buy everything I need.

Hmmmm….. I think I’m going to make a wish list and a shopping list. Let’s see what I can find!

Have fun everyone! And let me know how your Kitchen Garden is doing!

I like to think that I’m what you call a “Savvy Spender.” Since my senior year in high school, I have been very careful about my purchases. For the most part, I do my shopping at H&M and Forever 21. If I’m in the mood, I’ll hit up secondhand for a random purchase. For investment pieces, I turn towards Urban Outfitters and American Apparel and Anthropologie. Every piece that comes from one of these stores has been with me since the beginning. When I was a 16, I bought a gray Anthropologie cardigan with odd buttons. Not your standard cardigan. I’ve worn it at least ten different ways and I spent a good $100 on it. I wouldn’t normally spend that much on a cardigan, but I knew this piece would last me forever and I take very good care of it.

I don’t call my purchases items. I call them pieces. For pieces that are classic or timeless…I turn to Nordstrom. Today I bought a pair of black heels (above) from there. The last pair of black heels I bought from them lasted me from 8th grade to my sophomore year in college. It was time to retire them and replace them. PS every girl needs a pair of black high heels.

Nolita, welcome to the family

I will be back in a 3 weeks. Anyone want to get any particular stuff from aussie. Drop me a mail alright? I will try to get it for you.. Cheers.

'almond biscotti'

Welcome to the first weekend menu plan of Phase Two.  Please notice that this menu plan is labeled 2.6w  -  the w indicates a weekend plan containing two individual plans within one post.  Posting a double weekend plan enables you to see recipes and meals for both Saturday and Sunday so that you may plan your valuable time.  The weekend is also the best days to do your prep for the upcoming week.  I block out a period of time on Sundays, usually after to church, to do my shopping and then prep all of the items I know I will need at arms reach during the week.  Among my prep chores are:  chopping onions, peppers, and garlic.  Cooking chicken breasts and cubing them so that I can toss them in many recipes quickly.  Making soups, stocks and freezing what I need.  A helpful tip about stocks:  Freeze the stock in ice cube trays and then store them in large freezer bags when frozen – it makes it easy to toss them in recipes and each cube is about 3 tablespoons – it’s like homemade boullion!  I cut cubes of cheese from large blocks and store them (cheaper than buying cubed cheese) and I buy snack-sized ziploc baggies and make 100 calorie snack packs of whole wheat crackers, fatfree pretzels, roasted almonds and peanuts.  Finally, I organize my pantry, fridge and cabinets for the upcoming week.  It takes me (not including shopping) a total of two hours to prep everything.  It sounds like an undertaking but 2 hours on Sunday saves me about 30 minutes in the morning and 30 minutes at night – so 5 hours during the week total!  It’s worth it – plus I save about 30 dollars a week buying foods I have to prep myself with the added benefit of the food being at the peak of freshness.  Let’s look at the weekend menu plan:

• Meal One:                                                                                  
• 1 Egg White Crepe http://wp.me/PCdID-ch                        
• 1/2 cup fresh berries (filling for crepe)     
• 1 tablespoon low fat sour cream (sweetened with Splenda and lemon Juice) (topping for crepe)
• 6 ounce cup non fat fruit yogurt
• Hot Tea or 8 ounces ice cold water
• 6 ounces tomato or V8 juice
• Meal Two:
• Strawberry~Banana Milkshake http://wp.me/PCdID-9h
• 1/2 multi-grain english muffin
• 1 teaspoon sugar free jam or preserves
• Meal Three:
• Poached Pear and Gorganzolla Salad http://wp.me/PCdID-9C             
• Small Bed of Baby Spinach or Arugala for Salad
• 1 hard boiled egg
• 2 Pinwheels http://wp.me/PCdID-40  
• 20 ounces flavored seltzer water
• Meal Four:
• Stuffed Celery http://wp.me/PCdID-56               
• 3 whole wheat crackers or 100 calorie equivolent
• 20 ounces flavored seltzer water
• Meal Five:
• 1.5 cups Spicy Chicken and Rice w/ Sauteed Cashews http://wp.me/PCdID-3e
• 1 cup Spinach Souffle http://wp.me/PCdID-3I
• Caprese Salad http://wp.me/PCdID-3L
• 8 ounces ice cold water
• Multi-Vitamin (only with permission of your medical professional)
• Meal Six:
• 1 Almond Biscotti http://wp.me/PCdID-cR (freeze everything you aren’t eating tonight and save for future menu plans)
• Hot Tea
• Don’t Forget your Dedicate Cut-Off Time ( a time you quit eating solid foods)  Mine is 7pm

SUNDAY:

• Meal One:
• 1/2 cup Scrambled Eggs http://wp.me/PCdID-3Y1
• 1 slice turkey bacon
• 1/2 naval orange
• 12 ounces black coffee
• 4 ounces orange juice
• Meal Two
• 1/2 multi-grain english muffin
• 1 slice deli ham (top english muffin)
• 1 poached egg (top english muffin)
• 1/2 cup mushroom hashbrowns http://wp.me/PCdID-3W
• 1/2 naval orange
• 6 ounces tomato juice or V8 juice
• 8 ounces ice cold water
• Meal Three
• 10 cheese cubes
• 3 whole wheat crackers
• 1/2 cup fresh seasonal berries
• 1 tablespoon low fat yogurt (top berries)
• 20 ounces flavored selzer water
• Meal Four:
• 1 cup spicy chicken and rice w/sauteed cashews (left over from last night)
• 1/2 whole wheat pita pocket (fill with spicy chicken)
• Steamed Veggies of Your choice (at least 1 cup)
• 8 ounces ice cold water
• Meal Five:
• Apple Cinnamon Meatloaf http://wp.me/PCdID-84
• Mashed Cauliflower http://wp.me/PCdID-cc
• Frozen Steamed Veggies http://wp.me/PCdID-32
• 8 ounces ice cold water
• Mult-vitamin (only with permission of your medical professional)
• Meal Six
• Fruit and Yogurt Parfait http://wp.me/PCdID-2B
• 20 ounces flavored seltzer water
• Don’t Forget Your Dedicated Cutoff Time for each day!
• Week Ten Skinny Shopping is now available:  http://wp.me/PCdID-dC
• Exercise Suggestions:
• Saturday:
• Beginner:  3 mile 3.5 mph walk followed by 30 mintues of stretching
• Intermediate: 45 minutes lap swimming or 45 minutes moderate paced jog
• Advanced:  45 minutes advanced cardio:  i.e. Spin Class
• Sunday:  All Levels Rest Day

It is that time of year again where all the major corporations decide to shove their  commercialistic views of love and warmth down our throats, because what says “I love you” more than some very expensive gift that the person you are buying for really doesn’t get or appreciate?

Well, hopefully with this list, the gamer you are buying for will appreciate what you have to give them, and may just return the favor.

I would also like to add that it would be obvious that I am playing right into the corporate holiday game. I have a child, and admit defeat, plus who doesn’t like to get  nice shiny present? Unless of course its socks or a sweater.

Without further ado, here are some great ideas for pc gamers.

1) Cash  :

Nothing can beat the almighty dollar…except another dollar… 

Why are gift cards are not a good gift ?

-No one wants to be restricted to one store.

2) Headset :

Gamers are always in need of a spare, or extra headset…most of us go through these like candy. There are inexpensive headsets, and expensive head sets. In my experience, there are little differences between the two, as both seem to fall apart fast enough anyways.

Where to buy?

Pretty much any major retailer such as *shudders* Wal Mart should carry these at the best price. If you want to pay more for the same selection of headsets, go to Office Depot, or Best Buy.

3) Mouse :

We also go through these relatively fast as well. They can also be very expensive, and most gamers are very picky when it comes to their mice.

However, very few gamers would be upset with the Logitech G5 7 Buttons Tilt Wheel USB Wired Laser 2000 dpi Mouse….yes that is one hot mouse.

This mouse may be near impossible to find at your local retialers, and if you are able to find it ( most likely at a best buy or computer store ) odds are its been way jacked up in price!

You could buy it at Newegg.com for nearly half the price !

Logitech G5 7 Buttons Tilt Wheel USB Wired Laser 2000 dpi Mouse

4) Monitor :

If they don’t already have a fantastic monitor, this could be potentially the best gift of all!

Most gamers are also picky about their monitors, so proceed with caution on this gift…may I suggest the Hanns·G HH-181APB Black 18.5″ 5ms Widescreen LCD Monitor with Built in Speakers…it wont break your bank, and it gets the job done! It is a fantastic little monitor for the money!

Please note that no gamer would be happy with the built in speakers, but thats not what you’re buying it for, and they will understand that…unless they are super picky!….which in that case…good luck to you with buying them anything…I would in fact refer to gift suggestion number one.

Where can I buy this at a low cost? New Egg of course! Its geek heaven!

Hanns·G HH-181APB Black 18.5″ 5ms Widescreen LCD Monitor

5) A comfy Chair!

When gaming, the comfort of your rear end is of the utmost of importance. If you have enough money to shell out this year, why not opt out for a new chair!

I suggest the Executive Desk Chair types…Where to buy? Try out Office Chairs unlimited :

Really comfy looking chair

6 – 10 ) One of these really cool games :

• Fallout 3
• Resident Evil 5
• Borderlands  ( AWESOME GAME ! )
• Red Faction: Guerrilla
• Prototype

Where to buy these games ? Try your local gamestop! I find its best to just order everything online, as it will reduce time running around trying to find the game.

Shopping list on heart-shaped paper, found and photographed by the ultimate pits on flickr.

comedic books.

bat food.

not tape.

Oh, you have this shopping mission well in hand, my friend. I’m shocked someone who seems as organized as yourself lost this list!

I picture this shopping agenda’s generator walking around the Dollar Store in a panic after misplacing their clever master plan, finally being asked by a put-upon clerk, “Do you need help finding anything?”

“I don’t remember!”

“Do you need … tape?”

“Oh, god, I don’t know anymore.”

The Couponizer™ – As Seen on TV!  Save with Coupons from the Couponizer.

http://nyshopexchange.dealshop.us/