52

Wow, Michele's right, I have been slacking.

So it's really only been about a week since I've been going back to the gym, playing sports and being more active, but I feel much better about things already. I've been trying to get back into the things I used to LOVE - softball and dancing. I went out and bought a ball the other day and I've been meeting up with friends to play. I also set up a big game for this weekend with a bunch of people from school. In a couple weeks I start a dance class I signed up for. I am soooooo excited to start dancing again! I've also been playing tennis, and yesterday I finally started running again. Note to self: NEVER TAKE 7 MONTHS OFF AGAIN. I am back at square one. But this time around I'm running on a slight incline so it's more akin to running outside.


Anyway, I had some free time this evening so I started reading through a book that helped me a lot last year: Cook This, Not That. It's all about stocking up on ingredients that are better for you based on fat/fiber/protein and cooking more. For instance, if you follow their recipe for a homemade caesar salad, it is about 400 calories rather than 1000 from a restaurant. I am going to follow a couple of their recipes this week, and I think this weekend I will treat myself to their version of french toast with vanilla bourbon caramelized bananas. It's obviously not as healthy as fresh fruit, like I've been eating most mornings, but it's a great way to treat myself to something delicious for 400 calories as opposed to the 1500 it would be a diner. Here is the recipe:


Heat 2 tbsp unsalted butter in nonstick pan over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of bourbon and 1/4 cup brown sugar and stir to dissolve. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes until bubbly. Add 1/4 cup of walnuts and cook for an additional 2 minutes; add the bananas and heat through. Stir in 1/4 cup of 2% milk and keep warm.


Whisk together the remaining 3/4 cup of 2% milk, 3 eggs, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tbsp vanilla extract, and 2 tablespoons of bourbon. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat. When the skillet is warm, spray with a light coating of nonstick cooking spray. Dip the bread into the bourbon egg mixture and... well, you know how to make french toast. Serve with the warm banana topping.