Gah! So this might be a ridiculous post but at the same time I think it's pretty appropriate since it is that time of year where EVERYONE is grilling (and a lot of people are trying to maintain their bikini/bathing suit bodies!)....
So first I must give some background information... Ever since I was little I have adored ketchup! Ketchup sandwiches were ranked very high on my favorite food combination list! (Mayo sandwiches being a close second)...
But ever since I realized what high-fructose corn syrup was (which was a VERY LONG TIME AGO - thanks to my health conscious mother)... I stopped eating the stuff!
The other day I was ambling around the grocery store, sort of wasting time but also trying to keep myself busy until a check-out line wasn't about 10 people long... when I came across an interesting product in the condiment aisle...
I didn't really think anything of it until I remembered the days of when I was nine years old and younger, eating my juicy corn-fed hamburgers (yea, that's another topic to be discussed) on my very mushy white bun (how I invented the ketchup sandwich)...
Instead of continuing on to the check out line, I picked up a Heinz Reduced Sugar Ketchup bottle JUST TO SEE what filled the sugar void... and TO MY SURPRISE it was only sweetened with some Splenda (which I allow in my diet)!!!!! Not to mention, instead of the typical 15 calories per tbsp there is ONLY 5 and there is even 20 less milligrams of salt in the low sugar variety!
Ingredients as stated on the bottle:
Tomato Concentrate from Red Ripe Tomatoes, Distilled Vinegar, Salt, Natural Flavoring, Onion Powder, *Sucralose, Spice. *NOT IN REGULAR KETCHUP **Not really sure what "natural flavoring & spice" mean but at this moment in time I am too excited to care!So of course, out of impulse and because it's that time of the year where I miss having ketchup with my burgers... I bought it!
When I finally got back to my place that afternoon I dropped all of my groceries on the floor because my curiosity was brewing intensely and BOY WAS I PLEASANTLY SURPRISE! WHAT A GREAT BUY! (Typically I have no luck with trying new things... I tried a mock ketchup by Walden Farms once and it was REPULSIVE)
This ketchup tasted EXACTLY like the real stuff! It cannot be beat! It's consistency was spot on and the flavor was tangy yet sweet, just the way ketchup is suppose to be!
When I tried my new LOVE on a burger I cooked that evening... even more in love than before... oh and my love grew EVEN FONDER (if it is at all possible) when... I PUT IT ON SPAGHETTI SQUASH!!! My taste buds are officially ecstatic all thanks to a 15 ounce bottle of Heinz Reduced Sugar Ketchup!
So if any of you out there are trying to avoid high-fructose corn syrup - this product is definitely a WONDERFUL replacement (after all, I wouldn't have an ENTIRE blog post dedicated to it if I didn't think so! ha ha!) PS: Ketchup (the non/low sugar types) are extremely healthy for you because tomatoes contain lycopene, an antioxidant that is known for warding off all sorts of cancers. This antioxidant is also known to be a low dose SPF! Who would have thought that quote "food as thy medicine" could be true! More reasons to love this awesome staple!! **Might as well just swirt the bottle into your mouth, no?**
PSS: This is a Low Carb & GLUTEN-FREE food!
I am pretty sure a lot of you are scrambling (last minute) to get a gift for your fathers... for father's day which is this Sunday (for all of you who forget, your welcome!)...
I completely agree with all of you when you think to yourself, "What in the world should I get him this year!"
My father is so incredibly hard to shop for because he has very few interests (he is mostly focused solely on WORK - which is odd because he is retired?!)... and the things that he does like, well I have already given them to him (or he has gone out and gotten them for himself!)
Gah! It's so hard! A card is just not enough... A hug... no, not enough either! After all this is your father we're talking about! (I am hoping you all have great relationships with your parents, but if not, then you just don't have to stress out about gifts like the rest of us! ha ha - consider yourself lucky?)
So anyways... Here are some thoughts on what we should all give our dads this Sunday... I will try really hard to make sure they are not CHEESY! 
* If your father likes baseball or other sports(A LOT): An electronic baseball score cast (these also come in football, basketball, hockey, etc - so if your father likes any or all of those sports, go for it), Jerseys, Baseball hats (one even comes with a can opener on it - hmmm...) or Season Tickets* If your father loves wine: A wine of the month membership (just make sure you know what brand of wine your father loves most & you can also do a Beer of the month club too)* If your father is a businessman: Cuff links, a Tie (yea, that's cheesy but I had to put it in there) or a money clip
* If your father is obsessed with food &/or cooking: Spatulas, Food of the month club (there are many types such as meat, fish, salsa, hot sauce, etc), Oven Mitts, Grill Covers, Beer or Wine Cozies, Cocktail Glasses or Shakers, Cocktail Mixes, Unique Wine Stoppers (corks), Pizza Making Kit, Meat Thermometer or Kitchen Utensil Holister (your dad will feel like a cowboy - but it's really useful!)* If your father loves all things technology: Video Camera, USB-drive, New Computer Software, Digital Camera, iPhone (since they are OH SO CHEAP NOW!!), Digital Picture Frame, anything Apple, or an App for his iPhone (if he already has one)* If your father travels a lot: Laptop Case, Toilletries bag, Swiss Army Knife (hm, maybe not on the plane), GPS system (for all those times he THINKS he knows where he's going), a suitcase or briefcase or the Kindle
* If your father loves the great outdoors: Binoculars, Camelback waterbottle/backpack, Hiking Boots, Tennis Shoes, Jacket, Fleece, Sleeping bag, Portable Grill, Fishing Poles or Flies, Tent, Tennis Racket, Football, Baseball GloveWell honestly, that took me about an hour to conjure up! I really do hope it helps you find the right path to a perfect gift for your father...
But if all else fails... you can ALWAYS create COUPONS for you to help him out for free in anything that he loves! AH HA HA! I definitely did that once and my dad definitely whipped out one of my coupons at Christmas time so I HAD TO HELP!! So if you do decide to do this... don't forget you did!!
(And for any of you who are FRIENDS - the TV show - watchers... you may be thinking about the "Joey Love" coupon... and that just makes me laugh!)
(This will make them go away!!)You're probably curious about the heading on this blog post. Well if you haven't figured it out already (which I am pretty sure you haven't...) it's a splice between Speidi (Heidi & Spencer Pratt) and the Plague...
It seems as if everyone hates this couple so much that they are trying to avoid them as they would the plague.
Now I'm not saying I like these two but do you think that all the "bashing" from multiple media outlets is really necessary?
I just logged on to E! Online and one of their stories is "Should E! Be a Speidi-Free Zone?"... And this isn't the first time I have come across such headlines.
The other day on the Today Show, Heidi and Spencer dropped by for a quick chat about their "escapades" on "I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here"... and well let's just say, Heidi and Spencer weren't the least bit pleased when they left the show.
(Please don't tell me you're thinking about GOING UP another size Heidi!)
(What ON EARTH is going on in this photo!! They both look like they're dropping a load... ha ha ha!)
(Haven't we seen ENOUGH of those girls?)
That's right, if you haven't heard it already Heidi will be showing off her fake assets in I think it's the September Issue of Playboy Magazine! I wonder if it says anywhere in the Bible that in order to become a prophet, you have to pose nude... Maybe in her version... (I bet Spencer reprinted her version to make it say something like that because he seems to manipulate her ways 100%)...
What do you all think of the Pratts?
Ever heard the saying: "The other white meat"? When you do hear that, it typically refers to PORK... as apposed to white meats such as Chicken and Turkey.... Well what if I wanted to talk about the other red meat... what do you think I would be talking about?
....
Alright, give up? I'm talking about OSTRICH! That's right, this bird is full of delicious and nutritious red meat!
So if you're looking for an alternative this summer to your typical beef hamburger... look no further than ostrich! It's lean and delicateness don't detract one bit from it's amazing flavor! It's so hard to describe it's flavor, you just have to see for yourself.
What isn't hard to tell though is how healthy this red meat is for us! With only 97 calories in 3 ounces... Ostrich has 2/3rds less fat than grain-fed beef or pork and 1/2 the fat of chicken! This meat also has more iron than beef, chicken, turkey or lamb and it even DOESN'T contract harmful bacteria like E-coli and salmanila because all Ostrich has very high pH levels (the body's balance between acid & basicity - having high pH means they have a bit more acid to kill off bacteria). Oh and did I mention that ostrich is extremely high in protein, very low in fat (and the fat it does have is the healthy kinds - omega 3s) and also very low in cholesterol!
Now I know you are curious and want to try it out! Well in case you were also wondering... ostrich meat comes in cuts similar to beef and lamb (with sirloins, steaks, ground meat, etc)...
Doesn't this meat sound like an extremely healthy investment?! Now the only trouble is finding where to buy it. If you have a Vitamin Cottage near by... that would be the first place to look (freezer section)... but if you don't have one close by (or they don't offer any there) I have a few on-line sources where you will be able to get your monies worth: So I do hope you all take advantage of this meat! If only fast-food joints were serving up this good stuff - maybe I would actually go to one!!
(WOW THAT IS ONE MAD OSTRICH!)
***Oh and by the way... here is a little TRIVIA for you: Ostriches (obviously) lay eggs.... and one of their eggs can feed 12 people!!
Ever made plans that just sort of fell through leaving you wondering: "Now what am I going to do with myself?"... Well most Saturdays and Sundays I am left with that question... When the weather just doesn't pan out, or a friend is all of a sudden unavailable - I'm left to figure out how to occupy myself for the rest of the day... To all of you who are on the same boat as me... I have come up with some ideas on how to keep your days filled with activities that make the time pass:1. Outdoor Sports (Soccer, Basket Ball, Frisbee, Golf, Biking, Skate Boarding, Hiking, Tennis, Swimming, Roller Blading, Kayaking, Tubing, etc)2. Sun-Tanning (now, do this safely!)3. Scrap Booking (It's time to get rid of the magazines you've had since last June!) 4. Puzzles5. Baking (and if you really want to have fun, film yourself doing it and pretend like you're on a cooking show! ha ha)6. Cleaning (because it has to get done SOME TIME!) 7. Catching Up on Odds & Ends (Grocery Shopping, Target, Dry Cleaning, Car Wash, things like that) 8. See a Movie 9. Get a Pedicure/Manicure (Yes, gentlemen you can get them too! ha ha)10. Get a Massage11. Card Games/Board Games12. Surfing, Wind Surfing, Jet Skiing, Sailing, etc (if you live near water)13. Voluenteering 14. Sleeping (ah yes, who wouldn't want to?) 15. Site-See (yes, sounds odd, especially if you've lived in your town for a while, but it's amazing what you haven't seen!)
16. Sample Food at Different Restaurants17. Go to the Museum or Art Galleries (yes, you know you want to)18. Spend the afternoon at the bookstore (definitely have done that before!)19. Have a Picnic or a Cookout (You can do this in a healthy fashion too) 20. Walk Your Dog or Borrow Your Neighbors 21. Jump on a Trampoline 22. Run Through The Sprinklers 23. Do a Crossword Puzzle (These take me a very long time! ha ha)24. Play Wii25. Just Relish in the Moment of Not Having a THING TO DO! So yea, those might be some LAME ways to fill in your afternoon but sometimes doing at least SOMETHING is better than NOTHING at all! And even if you do decide to do absolutely NOTHING - Don't feel too guilty, after all the weekend is your time off so why not really USE IT THAT WAY!
