NY Resolutions

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So, I mentioned to my co-workers that we should have made a list of New Year’s Resolutions, but some frowned upon the idea. I know, I know, the fear of making resolutions that you can’t keep. Well, I’m going to make some and I’m going to try my best to keep them. Matter of fact, I’m picking a day just to revisit this post to see how I’m doing.

I choose April 13th because its the easiest day to remember (its my birthday).

Here are my resolutions:

•Lose 30lbs- my goal was 80 and I lost 50 in 2011.
•Go to church every Sunday- I need the Word to stay prevalent in my life
•Move into a new apt- I can’t do this until August because of my lease, but it made the list.
•Finish and have published, The Ace of Diamonds, the third book in the Diamond Collection series. I’m ready and I know my readers are ready to learn what happens next to their favorite characters in Brookstone.
•Write a new collection of songs- I did this so much in college that I slacked off when I graduated. Time to pour out those feelings again!

Ok, so far that its! Check back in on April 13th to see what I’ve done! Also, feel free to comment with your New Year’s Resolutions.

~|~ RIP Slim Dunkin

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This is straight from rollingstone.com:

The rapper Slim Dunkin was fatally shot at an Atlanta recording studio on Friday evening.

According to Atlanta police, Slim Dunkin was shot once in the chest with a handgun last night around 5:30 p.m. The rapper, whose real name is Mario Hamilton, was preparing to record a video in the studio when an argument broke out.

“Before the video shoot took place, it appears the victim and suspect got involved in a verbal altercation,” Atlanta Police Maj. Keith Meadows told the Associated Press. “We don’t know what that altercation was about.”

The police have not yet identified the shooter or recovered the handgun. They say that between 13 and 20 people were in the studio at the time.

“Right now we’re just trying to . . . identify who may have seen what, really just trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together,” Meadows told the AP. “It seems everybody witnessed something very different. We’re just trying to go back and make sense of everything.”

The rapper was taken to Memorial Grady Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Slim Dunkin was considered to be a rising star in Waka Flocka Flame’s Brick Squad Monopoly. He was featured on several tracks by Waka Flocka Flame, including “Fuck the Club Up” and had recently released a 20-song mixtape featuring Gucci Mane, Roscoe Dash, and Pastor Troy. Atlanta police say that Slim Dunkin was in his early twenties.

Muchas Gracias

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Yesterday at work, I tried to get my co-workers in the Thanksgiving spirit by suggesting that we all go around the room and say what we’re thankful for. Not saying that they aren’t in the “Thanksgiving spirit,” but they found the idea to be rather- corny, lol. Well, here’s a few of the things that I’m thankful for and feel free to comment with some of your own.

  • God- knowing that someone loves me unconditionally despite my mistakes
  • Health- It’s a blessing that everyday I can wake up, put one foot in front of the other, go to work, and pay my bills
  • Family
  • Friends

Wanted This, Ate That!

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Pasta e Fagioli

Every time I visit Yahoo! it seems that there is an always an article from Eat This! Not That! Some of the food items that are posted are ridiculous! You’d be surprised to find out how many dishes at your fave restaurants have as much as calories as your recommended daily intake!

I decided to do this blog post after visiting Olive Garden’s website. I went with a friend to the restaurant on Sunday but decided to check out the nutrition facts before I settled on a dish. I decided to show the difference in cals if I had of ordered exactly what I wanted and what I actually ended up eating:

What I Wanted:

2 breadsticks- 3oo cals

Chicken and Gnocchi soup-250cals

Braised beef and tortelloni (lunch portion) 740 cals

Total cals: 1290 cals- OUCH!

Seafood Brodetto

What I ate:

2 breadsticks- 300 cals

Pasta e Fagioli soup- 130 cals

Seafood Brodetto-480 cals- this is actually one of the Garden Fare options.

Total cals: 910 cals

*By the way, although I don’t recommend it, because of the amount of cals I ate for lunch, I didn’t eat dinner. My total daily intake for the day was 1555 cals which includes breakfast, snacks, and my daily vitamin. I probably could’ve ate only 1 breadstick which would’ve brought the amount of cals to 760, but I’m still fighting through my weakness with bread!

Update on The Diamond Collection

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It has been almost a year since my last book release and I have gotten numerous messages regarding the third book. The Ace of Diamonds is complete and has been submitted to my publisher. I am waiting to see if it has been accepted or not. So, let’s keep our fingers cross! In terms of Black Diamonds, which is Book Four, I am halfway finished with the re-write. A big thank you to everyone who has supported me! *Razzle~Dazzle*

Food Whore Alert: Chicken-Taco Cornbread Pie

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This recipe is straight from kraftrecipes.com. The picture is of the pie that I made :-0)
 
Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. oil
1-1/2 lb.  boneless skinless chicken breasts, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 pkg.  (1-1/4 oz.) TACO BELL® HOME ORIGINALS® Taco Seasoning Mix
3/4 cup water
1 cup  KRAFT Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1 pkg. (8-1/2 oz.) corn muffin mix

Steps:

HEAT oven to 400°F.

HEAT oil in large skillet on medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook and stir 5 min. or until done. Stir in peppers, seasoning mix and water. Bring to boil; simmer on medium-low heat 10 min., stirring occasionally.

SPOON into 9-inch pie plate; sprinkle with cheese. Prepare muffin mix as directed on package; spoon over cheese, completely covering cheese layer.

Bake for 20mins or until it is golden brown. Let it stand for at least 5mins.

Book Review: Secrets on Lake Drive by Tina Martin

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I was supposed to write a review of this book last year, but I am still catching up on my blog. Since my recent change in careers, I hardly have the time that I used to for posts. Still, I wanted to take some time out today to actually talk about this book. For one, because the book was exceptionally good and two, it was hard for me to put it down. When I read books such as this, I want to share it with the rest of the world. (I just have to find the time to, SALTS)

Secrets on Lake Drive by Tina Martin tells the story of Monica Smith, a school teacher, who is still feeling the effects of heartbreak from her first love, Cornelius. It is because of this relationship that she hasn’t fully allowed herself to love again. In her class, there is a boy named Roman who Monica has developed a special relationship with. His father is Sean Beauvais, a wealthy and handsome man (with memorable green eyes) who Monica meets for the first time at a parent-teacher conference. Instead of them having a “love at first sight” moment, Monica and Sean are involved in a slightly heated argument regarding Sean’s parenting skills with Roman.

After several run-ins with each other, Sean offers Monica a summer babysitting job. The gig comes with a nice paycheck and gives Monica the chance to spend quality time with her favorite student. Throughout the summer, Sean and Monica’s attraction for each other grows. There are several suspenseful incidents in the book, in which you will expect the unleashing of some very powerful secrets, which will leave you on the edge of your seat. Believe me; Monica and Sean both have a countless number of secrets that they’re hiding from each other.

Aside from the suspense, what I loved most about the book is that the writer gives you an in-depth look into Monica’s thoughts and emotions. Also, the book did not focus majorly on sex, but more on Monica and Sean’s transition from frienemies to soulmates. It was the perfect combination of romance and comedy. I highly recommend this book for anyone who is looking for a great read.

Rating: ***** Literary Classic

Food Whore Alert: Shrimp Alfredo Pasta

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Since I live by myself, I don’t feel the need to cook every night. I like to cook things that spread that I can take for lunch at work for more than 1 day and still possibly eat for dinner. Let’s be real, you waste money not eating leftovers. So since I’m trying to branch out and try different things, I’ve been trying new recipes. I recently found a recipe for Chicken Alfredo Pasta. It would be very costly if I cooked the pasta according to the recipe, so I created a quick and easy way to go about it. I also decided to use shrimp instead of chicken. Here’s what you’ll need:

1 box of pasta- you can use pretty much any kind of pasta noodles that you like. I’d prefer to use Garden Rotini, but elbow macaroni or even spaghetti noodles can work

1 jar of Alfredo sauce

1 bag of frozen mixed vegetables

1 bag of cooked/peeled shrimp

First, cook your pasta according to the directions on the box. You can cook your mixed vegetables at this time as well. Once the pasta is cooked, drain off the excess water. Return the pasta to the pot that you cooked it in, add the mixed vegetables, shrimp and finally the alfredo sauce. Stir and season with pepper.

Food Whore Alert: Toad in the Hole Bake recipe

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So, I’m always looking for a hot breakfast idea (and I really mean hot). I don’t really dig cold breakfasts unless I’m on a budget and have no choice, but to eat a cup of yogurt, a banana and a protein bar. My fave breakfast is grits and scrambled salmon (I lie, its actually a stack of hot pancakes from IHOP, LOL). Well, I’ve gotten into trying new things and found this recipe on kraftrecipes.com. Check it out. FYI: I altered it a little bit to fit 1 serving size. Also, remember your egg will be “sunny side up.”

What You Will Need:

2 slices of bread
1/2 Tbsp.  margarine, softened
1/3 cup KRAFT 2% Milk Shredded Cheddar Cheese, divided
1   egg
1 slice of OSCAR MAYER Bacon, cooked, crumbled
 
*To be honest,  I omitted some of the ingredients for calorie purposes. Of course, the taste won’t be the same, but I cut out the bacon and the cheese. I used Sara Lee 100%Whole Wheat bread and a Sunny Meadow egg, which made this breakfast sandwich come to a total of 235cals and 13g of protein. It was still good minus the bacon and cheese, but one dayI will add the extra ingredients to get the full taste!

PREHEAT oven to 400°F. Cut hole in center 1 of the bread slices, using 1-1/2-inch cookie cutter or rim of drinking glass. Discard removed bread circles or reserve for another use.

SPREAD remaining bread slice with margarine. Place, margarine-sides down, in 13×9-inch baking dish; sprinkle with half of the cheese. Top with cut-out bread slices to make 1 sandwich. Break 1 egg into the hole. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and the bacon.

BAKE 15 to 20 min. or until cheese is melted and eggs are set.

Food Whore Alert: Broccoli Quiche

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Want to try something? Try this recipe I found on sparkpeople.com:

Instead of putting the mixture into a pan, I put it into 2 pie shells.

1 cup egg substitute- I used liquid egg whites
1/4 cup fat free half and half
1/4 cup skim milk
3 oz low fat swiss cheese
1 large stalk broccoli- I used a bag of Great Value frozen broccoli
1/2 cup canned mushrooms

Preheat oven to 400*F.

Mix broccoli, mushrooms, egg substitute with half and half and skim milk.

Pour into 2 pie shells and sprinkle with cheese.

Bake in 400*F oven for 40 mins.

Hot Spot: Rosetta’s Live Music and Comedy, Rock Hill, SC

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During the week, we are consumed with so much (work, errands, etc.) that by the time the weekend comes, we are looking for a way to relieve ourselves of our hectic schedules and everyday life, period. Well, the relief now comes in the form of a new local club and sports bar, Rosetta’s Live Music and Comedy. Located on 1335 Celanese Rd., Rock Hill, SC, you can visit anytime between the operating hours of 11am-2am. I had the chance to visit this new establishment on Saturday and was HIGHLY impressed.

Here’s a quick rundown of what to expect in terms of the building:

-Spacious dance floor with VIP room and bar

-Sports bar with several flat screens

-Tables for casual dining

-Excellent customer service

Food & Drinks

(Here’s a little bit of what the club has to offer, there is so much more!)

Big Daddy Burger (6 patties)- $12.50….with fries, $16.50- Take the Rosetta’s Challenge and try to down this bad boy in 2o mins! Chicken sandwich, hot dogs, chicken strips, wings, chili fries, fried green tomatoes, fried okra, onion rings, fish and hush puppies, salad ($6.99), hoagies (turkey, ham, roast beef, salami, Philly cheese, Trios sandwich)- hoagies come in either 6-in or 12-in.

Beverages: Fountain drinks, iced tea, bottled water

Drink specials (this may be subject to change)- Sex on the Beach- $5, Crown and Coke- $5, Vodka and Cranberry- $3, Gin & OJ- $3, Blue Motorcycle- $5

If you live in Rock Hill, any of the surrounding cities, or are simply visiting the area, I would definitely recommend this as a place to gather with friends. Not to mention, there are a ton of menu items so feel free to stop in for a quick bite to eat! Don’t believe me, check it out for yourself! I dare you!

Food Whore Alert: Saffron Indian Cuisine Restaurant and Bar

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Well, its been awhile since I’ve blogged, but I wanted to share my cultural experience with you! On Friday, I visited Saffron Indian Cuisine and Bar, located on Ayrsley Town Blvd in Charlotte, NC (for more information, visit saffron-cuisine.com). It was my first time eating there and the experience was delightful! The waiters/waitresses were not overbearing, but they always checked up on me and asked what I thought about everything since it was my first time visiting. Great service! Here’s what I ordered and I would highly recommend it for your first visit:

Tandoori Chicken 11.95

Juicy spring chicken marinated in flavorful, mild, freshly ground spices, and roasted in the tandoori. Served with sautéed lemon and onions.

This isn’t spicy at all, the chicken has great flavor, which is even better on the sautéed onions!

Gulab Jamun 4.95

A succulent treat from North India made from a special dough, fired golden brown and served in a sugared syrup.

This dessert is so sweet, I found myself eating the syrup! Sidenote: There was much more in the bowl than what I’m showing…I took a few nibbles before taking the pic, lol!