I have never liked asparagus.
And when I say never, I mean it!
I’ve tried to eat it a variety of ways and just couldn’t manage to choke it down.
Then the magic happened.
I finally found a way to cook it that makes it melt in your mouth good!
Low Cal Honey Roasted Asparagus
Ingredients:
-1 pound trimmed asparagus
-1 tablespoon canola oil
-1 tablespoon honey
-1 tablespoon apple juice
-1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
-1/4 teaspoon salt
Directions:
1: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2: Whisk the canola oil, honey, apple juice, garlic powder and salt together in a bowl.
3: Lay the asparagus in a shallow baking dish coated in cooking spray.
4. Pour mixture over asparagus and toss asparagus around lightly with a fork.
5: Bake for 10-12 minutes until the asparagus is fork tender.
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:
This recipe makes 5 servings.
-58 calories per serving
-8 grams of carbs
-3 grams of fat
-2 grams of protein
-2 grams of fiber
This post brought to you by PBM Products. All opinions are 100% mine.
Now if you know me, you know I am all about saving money and I love to share deals with others.
I also know that after having my first two children and having to purchase formula, things got quite expensive. Not only did it get expensive, but running to the store when the supply was getting low was a pain in the butt!
These days getting formula is even easier and better yet, you can get it at a lower price!
Enter Bright Beginnings Infant Formula.
Bright Beginnings Infant Formula is more affordable than the other brand names and better yet, you can buy on diapers.com and have it delivered to your house!
Not only can you have it delivered, but if you spend over $49 you can have it delivered for FREE!!!
Now my youngest child was completely breastfed so I did not require formula at that time however I wish a service like this would have been available to me when they were on formula because it would have been a lot more convenient and made my life a little easier!
In my post on Monday, I briefly mentioned that my New Year didn’t exactly start off as I had planned and there are a variety of reasons for that.
You see, I rang in the New Year heavily medicated thanks to my good friends Percocet and Tylenol Extra Strength Rapid Release.
Did I mention that I was very, very, heavily medicated due to the fact that I was in excruciating pain?
Because I totally was.
We spent New Year’s Eve with the kids, my good friend and 2 of her children and enjoyed some deep fried foods for the last time.
That night went great and honestly, so was New Year’s Day (with the exception of the Wisconsin Badger’s losing the Rose Bowl—that was depressing. –Did I mention it was even more depressing because my cousin Mike is the Badgers starting linebacker?—Yeah, completely depressing!)
Moving on….the following day, Sunday, was even good because well…the Green Bay Packer’s kicked some Chicago Bear butt!
On Monday, Zack and Libby returned to school and I went to see the ENT for the 3rd time….you know after having already been in the ER three times between Christmas Eve and the day after Christmas in addition to that trip to my family doctor.
After my visit with the ENT, things began to look up.
That was Monday.
Tuesday came and went and everything went great.
And then…..then Wednesday arrived.
Wednesday evening, I found myself back in the ER.
This time, the Alex was the patient.
What happened you ask?
Well…..he managed to slice the tip of his right ring finger off while chopping apples for that night’s dinner. The Alex before the Physician's Assistant (that we LOVE from a past experience) came in to check things out. The Alex all bandaged up with a finger filled with Lidocaine to numb it and a prescription for some Vicodin!
Needless to say that night we found ourselves dining at the local IHOP with the kids since we didn’t get out of the ER until after 7PM and hadn’t fed the kids beforehand since you know, he was making dinner when the tragedy happened.
So, here I was, finally feeling better and now I had to take care of the Alex.
What I’m really saying is that I drugged him HEAVILY and sent his happy ass to bed!
I even let him sleep in the following morning until he was ready to get up.
I know……I’m such a nice wife!
This brings us to Thursday.
On Thursday, I had a great day.
I had a chance to hang out with both Alexander and the Alex which is a rarity since he works 3rd shift.
I picked my pseudo niece and nephew up from school after scooping the Libby from the bus stop and came home to get some work done, help prepare dinner and then head back to the school to pickup Zack from wrestling practice at 5:30.
At 5:13 PM, as I was getting ready to head to the school, I got a phone call from Zack’s wrestling coach.
The boy was hurt.
Something went awry during practice and he had been basically crushed between a kid 25lbs heavier than him and the mat…on his side.
Soooo…I went and got him, brought him home and saw the amount of pain he was in as the tears streamed down his face.
I packed the diaper bag, called my dad, loaded the family in the van, dropped Alexander and the Libby off by my dad and Zack, Alex and I headed to the ER…..again.
Yes….
For the 5th time within a 2 week time frame.
The 2nd time in less than 24 hours. Headed down to x-ray to make sure nothing is broken Thankfully the x-ray is clear! No breaks!!!!
After sitting in the ER for almost 2 hours, the boy was diagnosed with a muscle spasm in his trapezius muscle with orders to follow up with our family doctor on Monday.
From Thursday night until Monday morning, Zack was heavily medicated to help with the pain and inflammation.
I took him to see our family doctor for a recheck on everything.
New x-rays came back clear.
New diagnosis…..muscle spasm of the trapezius muscle, shoulder strain and chest wall contusion.
So, after 5 trips to the ER, 2 visits with our family doctor and 3 visits with the ENT Specialist, I think we should get some kind of group discount or at least given the option to enroll in a frequent visitor program with rewards!
I am a HUGE fan of egg salad.
Always have been.
Honestly, I love anything that combines eggs and mayo! LOL!
Since the Alex and I have vowed to make this year the year we get healthy I have recipes that need to be tweaked in order to be healthy and low in calories.
I present to you my new favorite egg salad recipe!
Low Cal Egg SaladFreshly made Low Cal Egg Salad (My apologies for the bad picture, I took it with my cell phone).
Ingredients:
-8 hard boiled eggs- discard 6 yolks and keep 2
-1/2 cup chopped celery
-1/3 cup chopped green onions
-1/3 cup chopped red bell pepper
-2 tablespoons light mayo
-2 tablespoons non-fat sour cream
-1 teaspoon Dijon style mustard
-Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Chop all 8 eggs and the 2 remaining yolks and throw everything together in a bowl, mix well with a fork and add salt and pepper to suit your tastes! I like to eat this egg salad on Arnold’s Sandwich Thins and find that it makes for a very filling meal!
Not only is this egg salad incredibly easy to make, but it tastes delicious and is bright and colorful!
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:
This recipe makes 6 servings.
-64 calories per serving
– 2 grams of carbs
– 3 grams of fat
– 7 grams of protein
– 0 grams of fiber
Christmas 2010 was another hectic one for The Megalomaniac Family and we are happy that we survived!
This year I felt like we were on the go nonstop and it didn’t help that during all of it I was really sick with duel outer ear infections.
Our Christmas started on the morning of Christmas Eve with a gift opening at my in-laws house.
Since I was in a drugged haze for most of the holiday, I’m thankful that I managed to snap a few pics here and there. Zack and Libby on Christmas Eve---Being nice to one another! A VERY rare moment! Alexander (with his Bumpa) opening his first present.....Toy Story 3 Color Wonder markers & coloring pad. Zack with his new Hot Wheels MiniBike thingamajig he got from Grandma & Bumpa (This toy has now been taken over by Alexander.) Libby and her new ornament from Grandma & Bumpa. Each of the kids received one with their name on it. The Alexander snuggling with his Auntie A. He sure missed her while she was away at school!
After we were done opening gifts at the in-laws, we made our way north to the Alex’s grandma’s house for lunch.
Going to Grandma’s is one of our favorite parts about Christmas because it is the one time of the year she makes her amazing meat pie!
Unfortunately I do not have any pictures from our time at Grandma’s because, well to be honest, I ate lunch and then fell asleep since I wasn’t feeling well.
Once we were done at Grandma’s we made the 30 minute drive back home and then discovered that I had left my camera up north and the hubby had left his cell phone behind.
Needless to say the next hour of my life was spent in the van making the drive back up to Grandma’s and then back home.
Then I drugged myself and went to sleep.
After my little nap, we loaded back into the van and headed back to the in-laws house for Christmas Eve with my mother-in-laws side of the family.
I was in pain throughout most of the night.
I took a few pictures.
Enjoy! Libby opening her Paper Jamz ensemble. (My house will never be quiet again!) Zack showing off the awesome new Greg Jennings jersey he received. GO PACK GO! Alexander and his awesome little farm set he got as a gift. (I keep stepping on the darn pieces!)
The Alex and I opened gifts to, but it is really just a blur to me.
A few hours later he dropped me off at the ER to have my ears checked out but I already wrote all about that in another post.
After the ER, I went to bed, slept, woke up and the kids opened their gifts from Santa.
I somehow managed to capture a few pics in my drugged haze. Libby showing off her new movie, Shrek Forever After that Santa brought her. Alexander and his new computer from Santa. He was just a little excited! Zack and Libby and their mystery gifts from Santa.
Now, the mystery gifts Zack and Libby received from Santa were their BIG gifts. Each year they receive something that they have been asking for over and over and over and over but this year, this year Santa really threw them for a loop with a HUGE surprise!
Thankfully the Alex captured it on video because their reaction was priceless!
I’m glad they were really excited about their big gifts because after that I went back to bed and slept through most of the day.
