All Bets Are Off

Neil Patrick Harris! This first week back at work was long!

I got through it with several trips to In & Out. Yes, I ordered protein style, but my no carb diet kinda derailed. Ask me what I had for dinner two nights in a row...

Tops Fried Zucchini with their homemade ranch. YUM!

Yes, it's fried but it's, what?, like 95% vegetable, right?Just a small amount of carbs. Plus, I didn't eat anything else so at least the calorie count is somewhat decent.

Yeah, I know. I didn't plan out my meals ahead of time and that's why I failed. I guess I haven't learned that I will always take a tumble off the wagon when the meals aren't planned ahead. I'm just betting against myself when there's no plan.

Hey, speaking of betting, it's time to play with some poker buddies. Let's see if I can earn some extra food money for Vegas!

Trader Joe's Treasures

Zucchini is one of my favorite veggies and Trader Joe's sells a two pound pack for $2.79. A pretty good deal compared to other grocery stores. I've been grilling them this summer but they keep falling through the grate, even when I use my expandable grill basket. I feel a great sense of loss whenever a nice chunck of zucchini falls down to the flame. So now I just soften them in the pan with some olive oil and it's just as good, and I don't have to worry about losing any of my zucchini.

The store bought ranch dressings aren't very satisfying with my zucchini so I decided to make my own. I came across a ranch dressing recipe on Food Network's site & tweaked it a bit. It was a hit. Here's my tweaked recipe, if you care to make some:

1 clove garlic
1 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup buttermilk

2 tablespoons minced dill

1 shallot, trimmed and finely chopped

1 teaspoon white wine vinegar

Mash the garlic to a paste with the side of a chef's knife. In a medium bowl, whisk together the garlic, mayonnaise, buttermilk, dill, shallot and vinegar. If the sauce is very thick, thin the dressing with a couple tablespoons more of the buttermilk. Use immediately or store covered, in the refrigerator, for up to 3 days.

Not only does Trader Joe's have great food deals, it also has great beauty deals. If you like sugar scrubs, Trader Joe's has a great Tangerine Sugar Scrub that beats all those expensive brand names out there. You get a nice 18 oz tub for just $5.99!