Day #26 - Craziest Friday Night Party Ever

Tonight is one of the nights I look forward to all week.

On Monday I realize I have no plans for Friday. Instead of frantically trying to find the hippest party in town, I start to think of my favorite way of spending the night at home: eating and drinking.

On Tuesday I think of food. Cook or take-out? Definitely take out. My kitchen needs a night of rest. Or I do...whichever.

By Wednesday I decide what kind of drink I am going to make. Dirty martini, sweet tea vodka on the rocks, or red wine. Dirty Martini it is. My favorite standby. My favorite salty friend.

Thursday I make a list of cuisines I haven't been able to eat at for a while. Sushi, Armenian, or Indian. Armenian, obviously. Loads of fluffy pita bread, creamy hummus, and pounds of juicy meat.Really can't go wrong there.

Finally Friday rolls around and I spend all day thinking about the night. How early I think I can get home from work. The quickest way to get my take-out, avoid traffic, let the dogs out, make a drink, feed the dogs, change into pajamas, choose something on the DVR. Rough night ahead!


Claim Jumper: Garlic Cheese Bread
(adapted from "Top Secret Restaurant Recipes 2")

Ingredients:
1 french bread loaf, cut into 12 slices
3 tbsp Can't Believe It's Not Butter - Light
1/2 cup fat free shredded cheddar cheese
2 tbsp light parmesan cheese, shredded
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dried chives
1/2 tsp worchestershire sauce
dash pepper

Directions:
1. Combine all ingredients for spread in small bowl. Spread into 1 side of each slice of bread.
2. In 400 degrees oven, bake toast on baking sheet for 10 minutes or until cheese melts.

Servings: 12
Nutritional Info: 112 cals, 3g fat, 17g carbs, 5g protein
Claim Jumper Nutritional Info (per slice): 160 cals


Claim Jumper: Fire-Roasted Artichoke
(adapted from "Top Secret Restaurant Recipes 2")

Ingredients:
1 large artichoke
8 cups water
3 tbsp salt
juice of 1 lemon

Roasted Garlic Mayo -
3 tbsp fat free mayo
juice of half lemon
2 garlic cloves
pinch of salt

Tomato Relish-
1 medium tomato, diced
1 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp white onion, minced
1/2 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar
pinch of salt and pepper

Directions:
1. In a large pot, boil water and salt. While it starts to boil, use scissors to cut the thorny tips off of each leaf.
Once done, place in boiling water. Put lid on and boil for 50 - 60 minutes. When done, take out and let cool.
2. While artichoke cooks, combine all ingredients for tomato relish in small bowl. Cover and chill.
3. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cut bottom and top off of 2 garlic cloves and take off pappery skin. Place on cookie sheet and roast in oven for 15 minutes or until it begins to brown. Let cool.
4. Once garlic cools, squeeze out roasted garlic into small bowl. Then add all other ingredients for mayo dip. Cover and chill.
5. Once artichoke is cooled, cut in half. With spoon, take out the fuzzy choke inside the heart.


6. Then roast each half of artichoke on grill or gas stove top for 3-4 minutes. Serve with both sauces on the side.


Servings: 1
Nutritional Info: 199 cals, 7g fat, 35g carbs, 7g protein
Claim Jumper: 777 cals

Day #25 - Ticketmaster Is A Scam

I bought concert tickets today for the first time in well over a year. The tickets were originally only $23.

Then then they added a $2.00 Facility Charge.

A $8.50 Convenience Charge.

A $2.70 Order Processing Fee.

And a $2.50 TicketPrinting Fee.

My ticket is now $37.50. Seriously Ticketmaster? You are assholes.

I'd rant more about the monopoly of Ticketmaster, but it's Thursday night and I busy watching The Real Housewives Reunion Part #1. Um hello, can we talk about the fabulousness of this please?

Claim Jumper: Meatloaf
(adapted from "Top Secret Restaurant Recipes 2")

Ingredients:
2 tbsp green bell peppers, diced
1 green onion, diced
2 tbsp carrot, diced
2 garlic cloves, diced
1/3 cup egg substitute
1/3 cup nonfat milk
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
20oz lean ground turkey meat
8oz ground pork meat
1/2 cup low sugar ketchup
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder

Directions:
1. In small skillet, sautee onions, peppers, garlic and carrots with pam (or olive oil).
2. In large bowl, mix all ingredients (except for 1.4 cup of ketchup) with hands. Have fun.
3. Press mixture in meat loaf pan (or if your ghetto like me, a cake pan). Top with remaining 1/4 cup of ketchup. Cook in 425 degrees for 45 minutes.

Servings: 6
Nutritional Info: 301 cals, 15g fat, 10g carbs, 32g protein
Claim Jumper Nutritional Info: 1281 cals

Claim Jumper: Cheese Potatocakes

(adapted from "Top Secret Restaurant Recipes 2")

Ingredients:
3 medium red potatoes
1/3 cup fat free mexican cheese blend
1 tbsp parmesan cheese, shredded
1 green onion, diced
1 tsp cilantro, diced
pinch of salt, pepper, garlic powder

Breading-
2 tbsp egg subsitute
2 tbsp nonfat milk
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1 tsp olive oil

Garnish:
1/4 cup fat free sour cream
1/4 cup pico de gallo

Directions:
1. Boil potatoes for 25 minutes. Once done, let cook for a few minutes.
2. Drain and mash potatoes with skin still on them. Make sure to not mash them too much and still leave them a bit chunky.
3. Add cheeses, onion, cilantro and spices to potatoes. Make 6 cakes out of the mixture.
4. In one bowl, mix egg and milk. In separate bowl mix flour and breadcrumbs.
5. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and grease baking sheet with olive oil.
6. Dip potatocakes into milk mixture, then in flour mixture. Then place onto baking sheet. Cook for 15 minutes, while flipping half way through.
7. While cakes cook, mix sour cream and salsa and chill.
8. When ready to serve, place 1 tbsp of sour mixture onto each cake.

Servings: 6
Nutritional Info (per cake): 155 cals, 3g fat, 26g carbs, 6g protein
Claim Jumper Nutritional Info: 299 cals