Salad Spinner Winner!

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55
Timestamp: 2009-11-06 17:27:18 UTC

And the winner is.....

Danielle from Full Bellies/Hungry Minds!

Danielle's favorite salad has mesclun mix, thinly sliced cucumber, wasabi peas, ginger soy vinaigrette, red pepper, and red onions. Sounds good!

Congrats Danielle! Please e-mail me your address and I will get your prize out to you!

Have a great weekend everyone!

"The Body" Class and F-Factor Diet Lecture!

Hello! Thanks for all of your advice about my situation! I have one million things going through my head right now. I will let you know what I decide to do but I don't think I am going to go back and change anything. I know you guys appreciate my honesty and I would not want to be fake on here. The only thing I may have to edit is comments about my work in case anyone from here reads the magazine! Still deciding how to handle things with the boy and the parents so we'll see.

Back to food so I can stop stressing for a while!

I started off with a bowl of oats.

McCann's Irish oats with granola, banana, and FitNutz peanut butter.

Sorry for the horrible picture. I took it inside my desk so no one would see! I really enjoyed this peanut butter mix. I guess it is similar to PB2 which I've never tried before! The only issue I had with it was that the powder spilled all over my black pants! Yucky! I was a little more careful today lol.

Lunch was another peanut butter and jelly with Kay's Naturals Lemon Herb Protein Chips.

I had more snacks in the afternoon. I was in slight binge mode with everything going on! I had a Z-Bar, banana, and ate a lot of granola out of the tub. Blah.

The Body

Yesterday I mentioned that I was going to a fun exercise class after work. About a week ago, I received an e-mail from The Body about their one year anniversary celebration. They offered guests a free class and a lecture from Tanya Zuckerbrot, nutritionist and creator of the F-Factor Diet. I tried a class at The Body once before and loved it! It is a Lotte Berk Method style class very similar to Core Fusion and Physique 57. Of course I took advantage of the free class last night!

I walked in and they had wine! I considered having some and going to class drunk but I decided that it was probably a bad idea since a lot of balance is involved during class.

They also had fruits and veggies.

I helped myself to a little of both.

Tanya Zuckerbrot gave a wonderful lecture about her F-Factor Diet book and nutrition tips in general.

About the F-Factor Diet (from her website):

Unlike most diets that tell you to cut out certain food groups like carbohydrates or fats, The F-Factor Diet™ has you focus on what foods to add into your diet in order to lose weight. It is this essential difference that makes The F-Factor Diet™ unlike any other program you have ever tried. From Day 1, you’ll be eating protein, fats and carbohydrates. For the first time, you will lose weight effortlessly, without the typical feelings of deprivation and denial associated with dieting.

The F-Factor Diet™ is more than just a weight loss program. Yes, you will lose weight, but you will also feel better than ever before. You will see improvements in your skin and hair, your energy levels, your cholesterol, while reducing your risk factors for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, colon cancer and breast cancer.

The diet basically focuses on increasing fiber intake. She also talked about the food groups, portion control, and holiday tips to prevent weight gain. She was a great speaker and gave a great little nutrition lesson in about 45 minutes.

The class around started around 7:45 after her lecture. It was exactly like Core Fusion. It was a great class and my legs were aching when I left! I had such issues walking up and down the subway stairs. Good pain though!

I got home around 9:30 starving for dinner! I made a big salad with cucumbers, avocado, hummus, and Pepper Dog salsa.

I also had some Hummus Maximus Dr. Krackers on the side.

Loved these crackers! I will do a full review once I try all of the flavors!

I had apples with chocolate chips, whipped cream, and pumpkin butter for dessert!!

Yum!

It is lunch time so I am off! Hungry hungry!

SingleEdition.com Question of the Day! (3 days left of the contest!)

How to Let a Date Down Easy

Being in my Early 40's, successful, not sure Im going to have kids and single, I'm finding the qualities in a man have shifted from those in my 20's and 30's. I'm meeting some great guys, mostly online. They have their stuff together, successful, maybe have kids and possess a ton of the qualities I look for in a partner (fantastic on paper)...but...there's no chemistry, no romantic connection, no physical interest. As much as I try to be open, I know a second date wont stir that spark. If he asks me out again after that first date....what do I say, how do I be honest without hurting his feelings?

Thanks for your input!! Have a good one!


Gina is giving away Barney Butter! Check it out!

Help!

Hello! I feel the need to post right now because I am stressed out about something and need your advice! As you all know, I am going to be in the January issue of Shape. I had no idea if they were going to mention my blog or not. Obviously, I want them to because it will be amazing exposure. I would love more readers! My only issue is that my parents and sister still have no clue about the blog! Today I found out that the blog will be mentioned. I am super excited on one hand but am extremely stressed too! You probably think I am crazy but keep reading...

The main reason they do not know about the blog is because of the boy. My parents absolutely hate him. My sister has no clue I am still with him! I can't imagine her reading all of this and thinking I kept this from her the whole time. The 2nd reason is I feel like I would not be as honest as I am if I knew they were reading this. I am close with them but do not talk to them about half of the things I mention on here (binging, food issues, etc). I just can't imagine them reading some of my posts.

I'm not as worried about the 2nd issue as I am about the whole boyfriend thing. I think I can deal with my parents reading that I ate too much at night and lost control. I don't think I can handle them knowing how much time the boy and I have spent together in the last year. I can't express how psycho they get when they bring him up. It is constant screaming back and forth, me hysterically crying till I can't breathe, hanging up on each other, and just very hurtful comments back and forth.

My parents are the type that would find out about the blog and read EVERY post and criticize me about everything. Don't get me wrong; they would be really proud of me if they read some of the posts. My mom bugs me all of the time because she thinks I have no hobby. I just don't want to deal with them reading about the boy! They haven't brought him up in a while and I like it better that way. They know we still talk. They get my phone bill. I think they just gave up for a while.

What do I do???

1) I could go back through all 400 of my posts and take his name out of there. It is hard because so many posts revolve around what we did together!

2) I could change "the boy" to some one's name. Then they would think I did all of this stuff with a friend.

3) I could just delete the entire posts he is in but I would rather not do that since a lot of them involve product and restaurant reviews.

4) I could stop mentioning him from now on but leave previous posts about him. This is very risky and stresses me out.

I am leaning towards the 2nd option. This might take forever but I can't stomach them knowing he stays here. I also can't imagine my aunts and cousins reading about him. Family dinners will be hell! I will get the 3rd degree!

This whole situation stresses me out pretty much every day. I hate hiding my life from my family. It makes me want to end it with him sometimes since they would disown me if we ever got married but it is hard since we obviously get along great and always have fun together. They don't know half the stuff he does for me. So for now we will be together and I need to figure out how to deal with this. What to do about the blog!?

Help please!

Live the Life You Love Event 3!

Hello from work finally! They gave me a new computer yesterday. They also gave me a nice big project so I will have to make this a quick one!

Yesterday I overslept so no morning juice. Instead I got a giant coffee when I got to work. I also made a bowl of oats with goji granola, banana, Artisana raw nut butter, and skim milk.

Lunch was peanut butter and jelly on an Arnold's sandwich thin. Nice and simple..oh and cheap because I need to save money.

I also had popchips on the side but can't show you because it was a new flavor I was testing. I will just say it was very spicy! I coughed up a storm after trying them!

After work I went to the 3rd and final Live the Life You Love event hosted by SingleEdition.com. In case you missed it, you can read reviews of the 1st and 2nd events here and here!

The topic of last night's event was Cooking, Career, Love, and Entertaining. There was a career coach that gave tips about what to do in an office romance situation. There was a business start-up advisor that spoke about becoming an entrepreneur and how important it is to have a support group. There was a food expert that talked about the importance of cooking for yourself when alone. She was very against frozen dinners and talked all about staples to keep in the home such as extra-virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, spices, etc. Finally, there was a love and relationship expert that gave tips on how to meet guys! His lecture was pretty funny. He suggested online dating sites, watching games in bars instead of at home, talking to guys at the gym instead of wearing headphones, and more.

We were served complimentary cocktails, fruit, cheese and crackers. I also got some nice goodies to take home!

Very nice event once again. Thanks Sherri!

The boy happened to be arriving in the city at the same time I was leaving the event so we decided to go out for a drink and dinner. I shared what I learned at the lecture about meeting boys. He just thinks it's funny.

We went to the Tap House in Forest Hills. I got 2 Bud Light Limes and a grilled chicken sandwich with avocado, goat cheese, lettuce, tomato, honey mustard, and a salad on the side.

I gave the boy my bread because I wanted his fries!

Today after work I am going to a special gym for a fun exercise class. I will talk more about it tomorrow! I should get back to work now!

Don't forget to enter my Salad Mixer Giveaway!

Also check out ProducePrincess' Giving Back Giveaway!

Salad Mixer Giveaway!

Happy Tuesday a.k.a Giveaway Day! This is a good one people!

I present you with the........

Polder 3190-75 Salad Spinner!!!


This fabulous giveaway is being hosted by CSN Stores.com and Cookware.com.

Salad Spinner Details!

What? Salad Spinner with Silicon Base in Stainless Steel!

Features:

•Salad spinner
•Stainless steel finish
•Silicone base
•Spin dry salad greens and vegetables after washing
•Stainless steel bowl can be used for serving and storage
•Removable colander and storage lid
•Rubber base keeps bowl in place during use

Specifications:

•Material: 18 / 10 Stainless steel
•Dishwasher safe
•Overall dimensions: 9.5" H x 9.5" W x 9.5" D

I've never owned a salad mixer before but I know I would love something like this! I'm sure all of you salad lovers would too! One lucky winner will receive their very own Polder 3190-75 Salad Spinner!

How To Enter:

1) Leave me a comment telling me your favorite salad combination!

2) Link back to this giveaway on your blog and write the following:
“MissyMaintains is hosting a great giveaway! Check out Cookware.com for your favorite brands like Hamilton Beach, Emile Henry, Rachel Ray Cookware and more! Giveaway ends 11/6!”

3) Tweet this giveaway: "RT @missymaintains is giving away a salad mixer! Check it out here: http://bit.ly/1d59uu"

4) Follow me or add me to the blogroll and let me know below.

I will choose the winner this Friday, November 6th! Good Luck!!

Fun Cookies

Hello! 6 days later and my computer is still broken at work. Today it got to the point where my boss had to call the computer department herself. Finally one of the guys came down and told me I would need a new computer and that it might take a little while. The only problem with my computer is a little bug which they could probably just fix with a virus scan! I never saw the computer guy again for the rest of the day. Looks like I will be staring at a wall all week during work. Fun stuff.

Okay...enough complaining! I am watching the Phillies and we are winning 6 to 1! Wahoo! I also just got back from Kickboxing and my teacher that I am in love with asked me where I've been the past few weeks! Oh yeah. He noticed :) Anyway, I will do a little recap of yesterday and today plus a review of a new product I love!

On Sunday, I had a bowl of cereal around 4:00 in the afternoon! I slept very late after being out till 6:00 in the morning the night before. I had Kashi Go Lean Crunch with bananas and raisins (also my dinner tonight because I was too lazy to make anything!)

I pretty much did nothing all day since I was so sleepy from Halloween! I got some Subway for dinner to eat while watching the game.

Turkey, ham, cheese, lettuce, pickles, tomatoes, sweet peppers, mustard, and popchips on the side!

Watching the game with Daisy May!

Nice lazy Sunday for everyone!

This morning I woke up and made a yummy juice.

I was a little nervous to try carrots because I know a lot of people that hate carrots in their juice. I followed a recipe from the juicer instruction manual and was pleasantly surprised.

I think the key was using 2 big apples so that I could not taste the celery and carrots too much. I will definitely be making that one again. I must say people really like to stare on the subway when drinking an orange or green drink. Guess there is nothing better to look at.

I got to work and made the usual oats.

I took a walk to Hale and Hearty Soups for lunch to get my favorite salad ever.

Mixed greens with edamame, carrots, cues, broccoli, avocado, and carrot-ginger dressing. I really think I need to try carrot-ginger juice since I like the dressing so much. Slightly nervous though. Maybe tomorrow I will be a brave one.

I was not satisfied after the salad and really wanted some chocolate. I took a walk around the Chelsea Market and spotted gelato! I had every intention of just asking for a sample and leaving but the lady was super nice. I felt terrible just walking away so I ended up with a small cup. I forget the flavor name but it was vanilla with hard chocolate pieces. YUM!

Right before I left work, the munchies hit again. I was probably just bored since I had no Internet but I still felt the need to have a snack. I pulled out this baby.

About a week or two ago, I received 2 cookies from the folks at Nutridel.

There were 2 flavors, Flaxseed and Pecan.

About Nutridel (from the Nutridel Website)

NUTRIDEL is an artisan, gourmet cookie, made by hand in small batches with all-natural, earth-loving high quality ingredients. Our cookies contain no animal or dairy products. They are baked to perfection, and the result is a crispy, crunchy snack you can enjoy any time with guilt-free pleasure!

The brand is a concoction of the words “NUTRItious” and “DELicious”, exactly what our cookies represent. Our products are 100% natural, contain no additives, preservatives, artificial colorings, flavorings or sweeteners of any kind. They are loaded with seeds, grains, nuts, fiber and sweetened with a touch of molasses.

I tried the Pecan as soon as I received the package. You know I can't resist cookies in my desk! Check out the awesome nutrition facts:

59 calories for one cookie? Yes! I can't eat just one but knowing that 2 cookies was still close to 100 calories made me happy. The short ingredient list was nice to see too: whole wheat flour, wheat bran, amaranth, pecans, molasses, sunflower oil, and natural pecan essence. A+!

The Flaxseed cookie had very similar nutrition facts to the Pecan.

I loved the thin, crunchy texture of the cookies. They were also pretty big in size for only 57 calories. I guess I would compare them to crackers but with a delicious taste. The Pecan and Flaxseed tasted pretty similar to me but I really enjoyed both. Perfect snack for my mid-day munchies! I would definitely purchase these cookies again! They also come in Almond and Oatmeal so I am very curious to try both in the future!

Well I am off to go finish watching the game! Stay tuned for a giveaway tomorrow! For now I will leave you with some other bloggy giveaways!

Andherlittledogtoo's Yoplait Light Giveaway

Danica's Nature's Path Giveaway!

Halloween!

Hello! Hope everyone had a nice Halloween! I ended up having a really fun night! It all started at Applebee's...

After the vet (everyone was in love with Daisy's costume), the boy and I decided to go have some lunch and then do some Halloween costume shopping. I know, so last minute. We decided on Applebee's for a nice salad and drink. By the time we got there, it was 5:30 so it was lunch/dinner.

I started off with a Pomegranate Martini: Full of anti-oxidants, this citrus blast includes ABSOLUT CITRON, POM Wonderful Pomegranate Juice, orange liqueur, sweet and sour, and lemon-lime soda.

I think I had 2 of them by the time lunch was over. They were nice and strong! I got a house salad as well.

For my main course, I got the Italian Chicken & Portobello Sandwich : Grilled, marinated chicken breast topped with sliced portobello mushrooms, a slice of tomato and chunky marinara sauce. Served on a wheat bun along with fresh fruit.

Love this sandwich. It is off of the Weight Watchers menu so it is the perfect size. We walked around the mall a little bit after lunch. We never knew that kids in New York trick-or-treat in malls and stores! So cool! I grew up in the suburbs so kids just went from house to house.

We stopped at 2 Halloween stores and walked around for at least an hour or two trying to figure out what to get. We did not want to spent the typical $40 or $50 for a Halloween costume. Finally we found a few little pieces and made nice inexpensive costumes. I will show you in a minute. First I have to show you Daisy one more time because I am slightly obsessed.

Before.......

After...

Haha love it. Now me!

I basically got a cool mask and a cape and called it a costume! Not bad for last minute.

The boy....

Lol...people were very scared of him walking around New York. The cab driver was freaked out when we got in the cab!

Before we went out, we watched the Phillies game and had a few beers. Finally around midnight or 1 am (time change?) we headed out to the city.


We wanted to go to Pacha to see Danny Tenaglia. We got there and they told us it would be $60 a person to get in! I was on a guest list so I thought it was going to be $30. We were not paying $120 just to get in somewhere so we left. We then went to a bar across the street to keep our buzz going. We had a beer and this guy bought us a Whiskey shot. EWWWW!

We then walked around but we couldn't really find any bars still open. It was 3 or 4 in the morning. We heard Greenhouse was an after hours bar so we decided to go check that out. We stayed there till 5 or 6 in the morning and then went home since I was about to pass out! It was a lot of fun!
I slept till 3 today so I am off to go have some breakfast/lunch!

Single Edition Question of the Day!

How to Deal with my Dad Dating (not actually me..someone else!)

"My Mom passed away a little over two years ago and my father recently started dating. Though I am happy for him and want him to find companionship(he is in his late 60's) I worry that some of the women he is dating are taking advantage of my Dad. How can I express my concerns without my Father thinking I am being resentful or too protective. Any other advice to help me deal with my Dad's dating life would be greatly appreciated."

Thanks everyone! Have a good rest of the weekend!