Chef BoyarMEE

Sticking with this new theme of healthy living and weight loss, I have decided to fall in love with cooking thanks to David, Joe, and Jen. Who you ask? David, as in David Tutera party planner/wedding planner galore; Joe, as in Trader Joe's (YUM); Jen, as in Jennifer Hudson, the newest spokesman for Weight Watchers.

Now for those of you who don't know me, I am not a cook. That doesn't mean I'm a bad cook though, because I'm not, it's just that I enjoy eating out and having sushi or lobster or upscale Italian meals. Let me just say that it's a good thing I am having my wake-up call now.

I'M IN COLLEGE. I SHOULDN'T WANT TO EAT OUT. I WILL HAVE NO FRIENDS. NO ONE CAN AFFORD IT. IT'S A BIT RIDICULOUS--TO SAY THE LEAST.

Well now that we have that out of the way, I can continue. Since starting Weight Watchers, I have been into shopping at Trader Joe's and even began using the new Weight Watchers Point Plus Cookbook. The cookbook comes with recipes that are broken down into breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks and offers a range of difficulty levels for each dish.

With the addition of watching my guilty pleasure, My Fair Wedding with David Tutera, I get to see some of the amazing catering services he hires for the weddings.

My newest and most favorite meal is now listed below for all of you to enjoy. For those of you who are into WW (Weight Watchers for short), this meal is a whopping 5 POINTS!

Ingredients:
1. Trader Joe's frozen Grilled Vegetables
2. Trader Joe's Low-Fat Ricotta Cheese
3. Tofu (Marinated or not and optional)
4. Watermelon
5. Tomato
6. Balsamic Vinaigrette

The Salad:
Thinly slice the watermelon and tomato and layer on top of one another. Drizzle some balsamic vinaigrette on the salad and, walah! you have a 0 POINT starter course.

Main Dish:
For one person, use 1/4 of the grilled vegetables and put straight onto the frying pan-NO OIL. Once the vegetables start to sizzle and heat up, add (if you want) the tofu. When the vegetables and tofu seem to be almost ready, add one scoop of the ricotta cheese. Once the cheese has melted, your dinner is done!

There you have it folks. Seeing David Tutera's caterer make the watermelon and tomato salad and with the help of the cost efficient and tasty Trader Joe's market, dinner is satisfying, healthy and yummy!

Don't hesitate to add some of your favorite dishes! I'd love to learn...

Eat, Play, Love

Before you begin to think this post is going to be sentimental, I should warn you that this is normal for me.
I moved out of my parents house just over a year ago. We only live 20 miles away, but in Los Angeles traffic that means 45 minutes. It's perfect. I'm far enough way to live my life and be independent, yet close enough to home to have a weekly dinner. Plus, you can't get better parents than mine.

I have grown up in a family where I was given an abundant amount of love and unconditional support. Whether it was my changing of schools, coming out and dating a girl or my half a dozen major switches my family didn't hesitate to lend a shoulder or an ear.

Getting back on track, my parents called me a week ago. This was the conversations:

Dad: "Hey sweetie, what are you doing next week?"
Me: "I don't know. Work? Friends? Why?"
Dad: "Your mother and I want to take you out, just the three of us."
Me: "Am I in trouble?"

Yes it was funny, but the real reason for the call was to invite me out to lunch so they could acknowledge all my hard work. Yes, this is a normal conversation between my parents and me.

Today is that day. They took me out to this beautiful restaurant, Saddle Peak Lodge, where we sat for over an hour and shared. I'll spare you the details. I'll tell you more if you request it in your comments or an email to me.

Now my mom is making a home cooked meal: grilled white fish, roasted artichokes and a fresh salad with figs. Meanwhile, I am sitting in the living room watching Eat, Pray, Love with my grandma and dad. My brothers are in their rooms playing video games and watching SNL episodes.



I always love visiting home. Dinner is about ready so it's time to go. But later, it will be time for Taboo and Pictionary! Wish me luck!

------> Check them out! Totally worth it!