HH vs HH: Salad Night!

It was the first day of school today (I'm a teacher), so I needed a quick and easy dinner that did not require
slaving
cooking over a hot stove or oven! In fact, Hubby and I have salads quite often for dinner. They just differ quite a bit in regards to their toppings.

Both salads started with a base of leafy romaine + organic baby spinach. And that's when the similarities end... :)

Healthy Honey's Salad

• The greens
• Chopped roma tomato
• Red onion
• Red kidney beans
• Corn
• Diced avocado
• Dressed with apple cidar vinegar+red wine vinegar and drizzles of dijon mustard +honey

Hungry Hubby's Salad

• The greens
• Reduced fat Mexican-blend shredded cheese
• Shredded chicken (from a grocery store rotisserie)
• Bacon bits
• Sunflower kernels
• Dressed with salsa and light ranch

And because it was the first day of school, I washed it down with a glass of Oak Leaf Pinot Grigio. (Yes, that is the Walmart brand. No I am not ashamed to buy Walmart wine. It is seriously good for $2.47 a bottle. Same taste as my old/usual $10 bottles.) Hungry Hubby had a Heineken.

What do you like on your salads? Will your husbands eat them if they are hearty enough? (I call it the man salad.)

Frugal Friday!

This is my last day of summer! (I am a teacher.) SO sad about this. Most years, I am bored by August and ready to get back to the action, but I worked pretty much this whole summer, so I do not feel like I had much of a break. Yes, I did have two fabulous vacays in July, but I didn't have any lay-around-do-nothing-on-a-weekday-teacher-summer-time. [Yes, I know you 9-to-fivers are NOT sympathetic and are probably ready to barf right now.]

Back to the point.... I am going to hit the pool today! My apartment complex has an amazing pool on the roof, and I will be up there in t-minus about 40 minutes. Ahhh, sun and water, two of my faves.

But first, Frugal Friday! Since I'm trying really hard to live within a budget, yet I am unable to stop shopping completely, I am getting creative at finding things on the cheap. Today's post... is all about eBay!

Every since I was 16 and convinced my mom to help buy my boyfriend an autographed hockey puck via eBay, I have been in love. I always find great deals.

Take my most recent purchase made a week or so ago... I have been in love with Jessica Simpson's Jeko gold flat sandals since I first saw them in Macy's. They retail for $68.95 on Zappos, and were similarly priced at both Macy's and Dillard's. They eventually went on sale at the mall, but were still around 50 bones. And then eBay to the rescue! I found the sandals - authentic and brand new- from seller street-moda. I scored them for 24.99 plus 9.99 shipping. They came in 3 days, and were packaged in the original box, they are clearly the real deal and never been worn. I love them!

I always love when I find a seller I can trust and who carries a wide variety of great merch. Here are some of my fave sellers that I share with my fellow eBayers:

• *v*boots2shoes*v* - Great, cheap boots. When you want to try a trendy boot that you don't need to last for many years, try this seller's store. Cute stuff!
• ozpower310 - Becca, Vix, Shoshanna, etc. swimwear and cover-ups
• mmu - TONS of Victoria's Secret swimwear plus some other designers
• jtandcompany - BCBG!
• bikini_superstore - no explanation needed :)
• dave.zoe - lots of fun jewelry
• greenmayfly - J.Crew goodies

Do you shop on eBay? Do you have any favorite sellers?

HH vs HH: Weekday Lunch

I have read the statistics, I know the grim truth: most married women weigh more than single women their same age. YOWZERS! Another grim truth: most women gain weight when they move-in with a man. Since gaining weight is not something that I wanted to happen to me once I became a Mrs., I created a gameplan with Hungry Hubby prior to the wedding.

He will eat large, delicious, not-necessarily-nutritious, meat-heavy lunches everyday at work. That way, dinner can be lighter and healthier, and he isn't completely miserable with that.

Hungry Hubby's Lunch Today...

Jealous doesn't even begin to describe it, people. Chuy's is the.best.mexican.restaurant.ever. Period. End.of.story. If I had to pick a last meal, it would be Chuy's chips with jalapeno ranch dip. I think I could literally drink that stuff. Not sure what Hubby ate, but I def know he started with that ah-mazing dip. He probably ate fajitas or a big jumbo burrito. [Have I mentioned that he is in incredible shape!? Life is so not fair!]

Healthy Honey's Lunch Today...

Spinach salad with chopped roma tomato and red onion, organic garbanzo beans (aka chickpeas), fat-free crumbled feta cheese, and my Semi-Homemade dressing from yesterday's post. As delicious as Chuy's!? Hell no. But delicious none-the-less? YES!

What do you love for a healthy lunch?

XOXO, H.H.

HH vs HH, A Battle of the Salad Dressings

In this corner... a Healthy Honey wanting a delicious salad dressing without completely ruining the low-cal appeal of the salad itself. In this corner... a Hungry Hubby who will only agree to eat a salad for dinner with a delicious, creamy dressing smothered on it.

Not only do I want a healthy but tasty dressing to protect my own waistline, I can't bear the thought of serving my husband something totally devoid of any nutrition.

Healthy Honey's Homemade Dressing of Choice:

(Made in my Chef'N Emulsifier, such as this one here.)

• Lots of Apple Cider Vinegar
• Lots of Red Wine Vinegar
• A squeeze of Regular Mustard
• A squeeze of Dijon Mustard
• A squeeze of Hot & Sweet Mustard (Krogar brand)
• A squeeze of Honey :)

[Disclaimer: I
never
rarely measure anything in the kitchen, so excuse my unique measurement terms.]

Healthy Honey's Semi-Homemade Dressing of Choice:

(Also made in my Emulsifier)

• Fill half of the Emulsifier with Newman Own's Light Italian Dressing (60 cals per 2 tbsp.)
• Fill the other half with Red Wine Vinegar (0 cals)

By mixing Newman's dressing with the vinegar, I can drench my salad without feeling too guilty. I need my salad to be thoroughly wet!

Hungry Hubby's Semi-Homemade Dressing of Choice

• 1 part Pace Picante Sauce/Salsa (Medium)
• 1 part Kraft Light Three Cheese Ranch

Hungry Hubby loves things SPICY, so mixing the light ranch with the healthy and veggie-rich salsa allows me to keep his dressing delish and creamy but also sneak in some nutrition. :)

What is your favorite salad dressing? How do you keep it low-cal? Any homemade recipes for me to try?

The Holy Grail of Real Housewives Awesomeness

I love a lot of reality TV shows... Keeping Up with the Kardashians, The Hills (R.I.P.), the Bachelor/Bachelorette (P.S. I CANNOT WAIT for the new Bachelor Pad that airs Monday), Flipping Out, Project Runway, Holly's World, the Kendra Show, Real World (when there's NOTHING else on), Kourtney and Khloe Take Miami, Jersey Shore, etc., and most importantly, the Real Housewives of [insert city here].

My gorgeous and wonderful best friend Katelyn came over after yoga tonight to watch the Series Premiere of the Real Housewives of DC. I may be going out on a limb here, since Kelly and Danielle (from NYC and New Jersey, respectively) produce a crazyton of delicious drama goodness, but I think this new group of Housewives is going to be the BEST YET.

Despite the good action on the NJ show, I previously deemed NYC as my fave. I just think the Kelly vs. Bethenny action is too good for words... Kelly is seriously IN-SANE! But, I think DC has the potential to take the lead.

I think I'm really going to love Mary.

She seems rather down-to-earth and just, fun. Katelyn and I were DYING laughing when she got "tipsy" at her birthday party and started suggesting the "integration of salons."

The first episode was good, but the "Coming up on this season of the Real Housewives of DC" teaser looked awesome. I can't wait for my Thursday night DC dates with Kate! :)

Do you watch the Real Housewives shows? Which is your favorite? Will you be watching the DC season?

Work-it-Out Wednesday

I am NOT one of those girls who can take my dog for a stroll or power-walk through the mall to stay svelte. I have to work out! Like hard, and often. While I can't deny that I am seriously jealous of women who were born with a slim figure and super-charged metabolism, there is an upside to my "condition." Working out makes me feel good - not just physically, but emotionally and mentally. When I'm happy, working out makes me happier. When I'm sad, working out lifts my mood. And when I'm mad, working out lets me channel that energy in a better way than say, b*tching someone out or treating them to a backhanded slap.

I usually work out 6 days a week, usually skipping Sundays. Here's my usual routine:

20-30 minutes on the Elliptical

15-25 on the Spin Bike

75 minutes of Power Yoga (Fast-paced Vinyasa Flow)

I love my workout routine but I definitely need to shake it up a bit. I want to start doing HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) on the Elliptical instead of keeping a steady pace. I keep reading article after article about the benefits of HIIT. (Read more about it here, here, and here!)

I also want to start running. I ran my first 5K in March and haven't run since! I
hate
seriously dislike running. I know it is super effective at burning cals though, so I need to do it. And if I ever get chased by a rabid dog, I'd like to be able to keep a good distance (hey, it could happen).

What workouts do you do? Do you do HIIT?

I leave you now with a jam to motivate you to work-it-out! :)

Foodie Find!

I am always looking for low-cal, healthy foods that require little or no prep/cooking to add into my life's menu. I have loved Laughing Cow Light Cheese Wedges for many years now, but one of the new flavors takes my love to a whole new level.

It is the Mozarella with Sun-Dried Tomato & Basil. DELISH! Here's the report card:

The sodium is a bit high for such a tiny piece of cheese, but it's worth it for the creamy goodness.

Try it smeared on this...

Or onto slices of this...

Or as a condiment on this....

The Laughing Cow website provides lots of recipes, and even better, check out all of Hungry-Girl's recipes using Laughing Cow here.

Hope you enjoy some laughs today! :)

XOXO, H.H.

Tuesday's Tease

Things that tease me with their fabulousness and not-so-fabulous price tag!

I spotted these Louboutins on Polyvore and fell.in.love. Although I could never justify walking around on something equivalent to the price of a vacation, it doesn't hurt to drool. ;) If you are fortunate enough to be married to a prince, or if you recently won the lottery, these can be purchased here.

Haute Hippie Slouchy Cropped Pants because who wouldn't wanna get away with wearing sweats with heels while still looking chic!? Sold on ShopBop.

Haute Hippie Embellished Halter Dress - the neckline is so gorgeous! Also on ShopBop.

Vince Camuto Miki Pump. This one is actually reasonably-priced and is sold at Dillards. Vince Camuto was actually at the mall on my birthday for an "appearance" - his shoes are beautiful! Next shoe purchase I make will probably be from his line.

Those of you that know me (or have seen my closet), know that I am addicted to jeans, and my drug of choice is 7 for all Mankind. These are the "Bootcut with Ditsy Print in Destroyed Adara Blue." They have the word ditsy in the name... I mean, come on, they were MADE for me! ;) AND there is a sweet, floral fabric that shows through the distressed 7s on the boot-ay.

And even though I would use it for my guilty pleasures only (i.e. Facebook stalking, obsessive blog-checking, shopping/surfing), I really do want an iPad. I'm a Mac girl, and how could I resist this precious, sleek internet machine!?!?

What has been teasing you lately!??

Make sure to swing by tomorrow for Work-it-out Wednesday! :)

Allow myself to introduce... myself :)

Well after a year of conceptualizing this blog and thinking of posting it, I am finally jumping in. So, hello world [i.e. 2-3 friends I convinced/begged to read this rubbish]! I originally wanted to create a recipe/cooking blog (ya know the ones with all the gorgeous step-by-step pictures and restaurant-worthy platings every night for dinner?), hence the title of this blog. But after this 1st year of marriage (and many false smoke alarms), I've had to resign myself to the idea that I am in fact no Giada De Laurentiis (I really tried, I swear!) and am instead a Sandra Lee of Semi-Homemade/Sarah Jessica Parker[shoe-obsessed]/Kim Kardashian[make-up obsessed]/plain-'ole-girl-trying-to-stay-fit-and-fashionable-and-in-the-black! This will now be a place for me to post anything and everything I want relating to anything and everything. :)

To better introduce myself...

THINGS I LOVE: