Review: Garlic Gold Oil

I have to let you know that this review is going to cost me money- I like the product so much that I am going to be ordering more!

I received a bottle of garlic infused olive oil from Garlic Gold, as well as 4 different types of Garlic Gold seasoning nuggets.

As soon as I opened the bottle of oil, I was excited- it smelled delicious. All you have to do is heat a bit of this oil in a pan and your kitchen smells like you are making a wonderful meal. And not only does it smell great, it has a great taste, too. The garlic infusion gives it some extra flavour without overwhelming the taste of what you are cooking.

We've used this oil several times already- I cooked salmon with it, it's great on my Cajun Fries, and my husband even fried his hamburger patties with it; he liked the garlicky flavour. But this has to be my favourite recipe using Garlic Gold so far:


Grilled Vegetable Panini with Mozzerella:



1 whole wheat panini bun (80-120 calories)
1/4 orange bell pepper
3 thin slices of zucchini, cut lengthwise
1 oz low fat mozzerella cheese
1 tsp Garlic Gold oil
black pepper, basil to taste

In a Tupperware container, add the bell pepper, zucchini, Garlic Gold oil, and spices. Put the lid on tightly and shake until the oil covers the vegetables. Grill vegetables for 3-4 minutes per side. Cut panini open but leave a hinge on the bread. Place the grilled veggies inside the panini and top with cheese. Grill on a panini press (or regular grill or frying pan, flipping partway through) until cheese is melted. Slice in half and enjoy with a salad.

Not only is this lunch delicious and tastes like you ordered it at a fancy cafe, but it's Nutrisystem friendly as well! Count this as 1 Powerfuel + 1 SmartCarb, plus an extra for the oil and one serving of veggies.


I also love the Garlic Gold nuggets. They are a great way to add flavour to your food without adding lots of calories and sodium. In fact, there is no sodium at all in Garlic Gold nuggets, except of course in the Sea Salt flavour. I put the Parmesan nuggets on top of my spaghetti dinner and they tasted so good. My husband liked the Sea Salt nuggets on his French fries, and the Italian nuggets were delicious on my Portobella Pizza Mushrooms. I haven't yet tried the Garlic nuggets yet but I am looking forward to it. I definitely need to order some more of the nuggets I've tried because I really enjoy the flavour they add to my recipes.

If you like garlic, I definitely recommend you visit Garlic Gold's website. Until May 8, Stomach Rumblings readers can receive a 20% discount on your order of $20 or more by using the coupon code Tomoson20.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com created by WebBizIdeas a Minneapolis SEO and Web Design firm. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. Tomoson Product review & giveaway Disclosure.

Still Missing Those Frozen Entrees!

The weather has been pretty warm here lately so I've definitely been missing the Nutrisystem frozen entrees! I am kind of hoping to go back to the US again sometime soon so that I can order them again. I hear there are some new frozen entrees coming out but unfortunately I won't be able to try them myself.

Here are some more reviews of the items I tried when I was in Kentucky.


Chicken Fajita Melt (Frozen Lunch):



I loved the filling on this lunch- it was perfect with a little plain Greek yogurt or some fat free sour cream. It was zesty, cheesy, and delicious. I admit that I wasn't wild about the bread-y wrapper though. I always think of tortillas when I picture chicken fajitas, so the texture of this seemed a little off to me. However, it was entirely my expectations- the entree was still delicious.


Glazed Chicken Tenders (Frozen Dinner):



The name on this one bugged me a little. To me, chicken tenders are breaded and you dip them in a sauce. This was more like chicken in a gravy-like glaze- the sauce wasn't even sweet like I expected it to be. The meal was tasty but I was hoping for it to be a little different. It wasn't bad, just okay.


Turkey Pepperoni Pizza (Frozen Dinner):



This entree is the reason why I say always try something for yourself- we all have different opinions and taste buds so just because everyone likes or hates something, doesn't mean you will!

On the Nutrisystem boards, this entree gets rave reviews. I was excited to try it. As with the other frozen pizzas, the crust is amazing. I just wish there was a way to get that texture in a shelf stable crust. I really wasn't a fan of this entree other than the crust. The pepperonis come in very small pieces so I found I didn't really get that yummy meat taste. I always add turkey pepperoni slices to my Italian Herb Flatbread pizza and it has more taste to it in my opinion. Also, it's tough to add veggies to the frozen pizzas and still have everything cook properly. I like loading up the shelf stable pizza crusts with my favourite toppings. They just seem more flexible. So I thought this pizza was just OK- I liked the toppings on the Margherita and Roasted Veggie pizzas much better.


Homestyle Pancakes (Frozen Breakfast):



Similar to the Turkey Pepperoni Pizza, I thought these were OK but preferred the shelf stable Pancake Mix just because of flexibility. With the Pancake Mix, I can make everything from cheese & egg biscuits to pineapple upside down cake. With this entree, well, I'm just eating pancakes. They were yummy pancakes but I like being able to play around with my food a little :)

I really have my hopes up that Nutrisystem will be able to find a distributor for their frozen foods in Canada. We already have stores like M&M Meat Shops that could carry the items (although not deliver them, I guess we'd have to pick it up). I would love to be able to purchase my favourite frozen items here in Canada!

Disclosure: This post was written by me and was not edited by anyone. The opinions expressed in this post are entirely my own and have not been influenced in any way. Nutrisystem Canada is providing their food and program to me free of charge for my weekly updates. I was not compensated for writing this post.

Gone Shopping

Well, I figured out a great way to motivate myself again- I went shopping to buy some new clothes. It was so exciting to go into the dressing room with lots of clothes; and EVERYTHING looked good! That's a feeling I have never experienced in my life. I only bought a couple of summer dresses and a top because I don't want to spend too much money on transitional clothes (and a friend of mine was kind enough to give me a whole big bag full of clothes in my size!) bought I got such a self esteem boost while I was there.

This is what I want. And it will only get better from here as long as I continue to follow Nutrisystem. So why do I want to throw it all away? To go back to wearing baggy clothes so that I can hide fat rolls? To being unhealthy and shortening my life? It's just not worth it.

I'm ready to commit to getting back on track. This is my life and I only have one shot at it- I want to do it right.

More Thoughts on Exercise

Now more than ever, I am wholly convinced that exercise has to be part of a healthy lifestyle and that it is integral to maintaining a successful weight loss. I remember reading somewhere that among people who lost a significant amount of weight, the ones who were less likely to regain it were the ones who made exercise part of their lives.

I'm still struggling, and I believe that part of it is because I have been unable to exercise. When I was sick I couldn't go to the gym, and then my son got sick so I wouldn't have been allowed to take him to the daycare there anyway even if I'd been so inclined. I can't exercise while he's awake (going for walks really doesn't count- I want to get a good workout in!) and there is absolutely no way I'm getting up before him to exercise- I need my sleep! Unfortunately I have a lousy napper so there's no time during the day for me, either. I thought about it and I realized I started getting derailed when I couldn't work out. It's not even about the calories I was burning or the muscles I was toning (as great as those things are!)- it's how it makes me feel.

Exercise makes my body feel good, and emotionally I always feel more positive. It always gives me a sense of accomplishment and that good tired feeling, instead of the "bad tired" that makes us lazy and not want to do things. I really need to find a way to get back into it, because I refuse to allow myself to throw away all my progress. I will not go back to being that fat girl.

I'm thinking of buying a bicycle and a trailer so that I can go riding with my son this summer. That sounds like something that we could do together and I could at least get some cardio in, if nothing else. But I am going to find a solution to this problem! I miss that happy positive feeling I had about my life and I'm the only one who can bring it back.

So it's time to stop what I'm doing and give myself a kick in the behind to get moving again! If you're not exercising yet, there's no time like the present to get started!

More Frozen Entrees!

I heard on the Nutrisystem message boards that there are new frozen entrees coming. I'm really disappointed that I won't get a chance to try them- I really enjoy the Select frozen meals and wish they were available in Canada. Sometimes it's just nice to have a bit of a change from the shelf stable food, as much as I enjoy it.

I still have more reviews to share from when I had the frozen meals in Louisville. I definitely recommend choosing the Select frozen plan if you are able to do so- it really doesn't taste like diet food at all!


Asian Style Beef (Frozen Dinner):



I had read in another review that someone thought this entree was spicy. I thought, great- I love spicy food. I took a bite of this meal and my first thought was that it was great but not spicy at all. So I figured, well, tastes differ. Then, it hit me! It wasn't really like the meal was spicy at all- just like there was spice that had gotten into my mouth as an aftertaste, and it was really hot! I was a little uncomfortable finishing the meal because it just wasn't like the spicy that I'm used to, but I did eat it because the entree itself was tasty- I was just bothered by the aftertaste.


Golden French Toast (Frozen Breakfast):



I was a little sad when I opened this package and saw one solitary piece of French toast. Again, I think it was more psychological- how could this piece of toast keep me full? But, I decided to give it a fair try. I was pleasantly surprised by how good it tasted! It had a really nice flavour and I had to go back and read the package to try and figure out what it was. I think it is the orange zest which gives it a really lovely taste. I would definitely order this again if I was able to do so.


Margherita Pizza (Frozen Lunch):



I really love whatever Nutrisystem has done to make the pizza crusts so awesome. They have that thick crispiness like a Pizza Hut crust but without the grease- they really are amazing. I loved the toppings on this pizza and thought it tasted just right and made a great lunch.


Roast Turkey Medallions (Frozen Dinner):



This meal was delicious but it left me hanging. Where are my carbs??? I know there are a few in the gravy and in the vegetables, but as tasty as the entree was, I really wanted something more. A small side of mashed or roasted potatoes would have been absolutely perfect and really hit the spot. The turkey was very nicely seasoned and the veggies were crisp and flavourful- I did enjoy this but would have liked something to ease the carb craving.

Disclosure: This post was written by me and was not edited by anyone. The opinions expressed in this post are entirely my own and have not been influenced in any way. Nutrisystem Canada is providing their food and program to me free of charge for my weekly updates. I was not compensated for writing this post.

Thank You

Thank you all for the kind comments and emails- they really helped. I'm still struggling but I've been doing much better than I was before. I need to get that motivation back!

I have been trying to make some new things in the hopes that the variety will inspire me. So far, breakfast has been pretty awesome! Here's a new recipe that I created and it was so good that I had it for breakfast 2 days in a row!

Pancake Mix (Breakfast):



Strawberry Ricotta Layer Cake:

1 pkg Nutrisystem Pancake Mix
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup LF ricotta cheese
1 1/2 cups strawberries, sliced
2 tbsp Splenda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a bowl, mix together the Pancake Mix, milk, vanilla, and 1 tbsp of the Splenda. Spray a casserole dish with Pam Butter spray and put the strawberries in the bowl. Mix the ricotta cheese with the remaining Splenda and spoon it on top of the strawberries. Pour the pancake batter on top. Top with one hulled strawberry and bake for ~25 minutes or until cake is brown on top.

I liked mine hot out of the oven since I like my strawberries hot and syrupy, but I bet this would be good cool as well. In fact, I liked it so much that I decided to try it with Chocolate Chip Pancake Mix, too!



The chocolate was SO good with the ricotta and strawberries- I'd make it again tomorrow but I am out of ricotta cheese! If you don't have any of the Chocolate Chip Pancake Mix (it's discontinued), simply add 20 calories' worth of mini chocolate chips and count it as a free food. Count this as a complete breakfast; just make sure that the stats on your ricotta cheese fit as a dairy/protein serving of 100 calories or less, 3g fat or less, and 7g protein or more. I've seen a lot of variation in different brands of ricotta and some fit while others don't.

Disclosure: This post was written by me and was not edited by anyone. The opinions expressed in this post are entirely my own and have not been influenced in any way. Nutrisystem Canada is providing their food and program to me free of charge for my weekly updates. I was not compensated for writing this post.

Choices

Another hard post to write. I've had a lot of stuff going on lately and it feels like everything has just piled up on me. Pretty much since I've been sick, I've gone way, way off track, almost to the point where I think I didn't want myself to succeed anymore.

I don't like making excuses. I don't believe in them since I'm the only one stopping me from reaching my goals. So instead, I'll just say that I've really been letting myself down. I've really lost my fire and determination to keep going because I just feel so down lately.

I know I've regained some of my weight since my last weigh in but I'm giving it until Sunday before I get back on the scale. I really don't want to know, honestly; I'm eating worse than I ever did at my highest weight. And my body hates it! I feel so much better when I'm eating healthy food then when I eat this crap.

I'm not really feeling motivated to continue right now, but I know that I have a choice. I can find a way to get through this and keep going, or I can keep doing what I'm doing and flush all my hard work down the toilet. That doesn't sound very appealing, either. I am proud to say that I've been back on plan now for two full days and right now, I'm just trying to take things one day at a time.

It really didn't help that the other day, I got an email with so much negativity from someone who I thought was a friend. She told me that she doesn't think that even if I get to a healthy body weight that I'll ever be able to maintain it and she doesn't want to sit by and watch me gain a hundred pounds. That really hurt. And it doesn't make sense since I should be more determined as a result, but instead it made it even harder for me to focus on losing again.

So right about now, I could really use some positive thoughts. They say that everyone who is losing weight needs support at some point, and I certainly could. So if you've stuck with me this far, I'd really like to hear from you.

And in the meantime, I'll keep trying to take things one day at a time. I've come too far to let it all go now, no matter how lousy I feel.

Sorry!

I've been having some trouble with my internet lately and it's taking forever to get things sorted out. I hate it when technicians give you an 8 hour window in which they plan to arrive, so you stay home, and then they don't show up! Talk about wasted time.

So I'm posting from a friend's house but I just wanted to let you know that it might be a few days before I'm able to get online again. I do have an awesome recipe to share with you, though!


Pancake Mix (Breakfast):



Banana Bread:

1 pkg Nutrisystem Pancake Mix
2 tbsp Splenda
2 1/2 tsp milk
2 1/2 tsp sour cream
1 tsp Egg Beaters
1/2 overripe banana
1/4 oz chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a small loaf pan with PAM butter spray. Mix all the ingredients together until it is a very thick batter. I didn't think it would come together at first with that small an amount of liquid, but it did! Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

You're adding exactly 6 calories for the milk, sour cream, and egg beaters, so I don't bother counting them at all- I just include it in the entree. Feel free to count it as part of your dairy/protein if you like. If you add the walnuts, count a fat, but otherwise- this is just an entree + fruit so you can still have your dairy serving on the side. This is really yummy right out of the oven!

Disclosure: This post was written by me and was not edited by anyone. The opinions expressed in this post are entirely my own and have not been influenced in any way. Nutrisystem Canada is providing their food and program to me free of charge for my weekly updates. I was not compensated for writing this post.

Not This Way...

Thank you to whoever nominated me for the Blogger's Choice Awards! I really appreciate that. If you'd like to vote for me, you can do so by clicking here.

Well, I stepped on the scale this morning and was truly shocked. This is not a healthy way to lose weight! I haven't been able to keep much down and so I've been eating very little. As a result, I lost 5.8lbs this week- definitely not a good thing. I fully expect to gain some back next week once I start eating normally again, since I've probably messed up my metabolism.

I'm still not feeling well, but better than I was. I'm very tired and having a little one to chase around doesn't help. At least he is not sick anymore!

But I do have some things I wanted to mention- good weight loss or not. If you've been with me since the beginning, then you know that my ticker was originally set for a 98lb goal. I've not only accomplished that but I've blown right by it. That's amazing to me. I remember when I originally set that goal I hoped, but never actually believed I'd be able to achieve it. I know I set it at a higher weight than I wanted to be because I didn't think I'd even be able to get there (here!), let alone to my goal weight. And now, here I am. I did it. I did reach my first goal!

Of course, I'm glad that I did move my goal weight further out, because I'd still like to lose some more. As good as I'm feeling about myself (I am now smaller than the average Canadian woman!), I still want to get to a healthy BMI and then just plain look as good as I can. And that's going to come with more exercise and continuing to follow a healthy lifestyle plan.

I'm also finally over 100lbs lost with Nutrisystem! I can't wait to get my new Nutribear to celebrate! Now there will be quite a gap until I receive my next one, because it won't come until 125lbs which is my goal- so I will receive my goal bear at the same time.

I really like the person I've become. I remember more than a year ago, I didn't really like the person who looked back at me in the mirror. She was shy and awkward, uncomfortable with herself and yet unable to make a change. I'll never be that person again. Now I know that I'm in control of my own life, and I can make it anything I want it to be.

Still Sick

I was hoping I'd be feeling better, but I'm still pretty under the weather and spending most of my time in bed. Hopefully by next week I'll be back to normal as my husband will be out of town for most of the rest of the month.

I still don't have much of an appetite but I am sticking to blander items like some of the Nutrisystem soups, and dinners like the Chicken and Dumplings. I can't eat much but at least those type of meals taste palatable right now.

Not much cooking going on right now obviously but I have some new recipe ideas I'm hoping I'll get to next week! In the meantime, here are a few more reviews.


Meatball Parmesan Melt (Frozen Lunch):



This was really, really good! It had a zesty flavour and you could really taste the Parmesan. I thought that the bread wrapper made it taste just like a meatball sub. I'm really going to miss this entree since we can't get them in Canada! Fortunately I do have a meatball sub recipe to give me a substitute at least!


Creamy Fudge Bar (Frozen Dessert):



Another awesome dessert! It was chocolately and delicious, but still very light. It's also quite large and I found it very satisfying.


Orange Creme Bar (Frozen Dessert):



When I was a kid, I loved orange creamsicles. This really brought back the memories! It tastes just like one. I'm really going to miss this dessert. Overall, I really enjoyed the frozen desserts- they were a nice change from the shelf stable and I think that I am going to miss them much more as the weather starts getting nicer!

Disclosure: This post was written by me and was not edited by anyone. The opinions expressed in this post are entirely my own and have not been influenced in any way. Nutrisystem Canada is providing their food and program to me free of charge for my weekly updates. I was not compensated for writing this post.

Sick

If you're wondering why you haven't heard from me in a few days, it's because first my son was sick with stomach flu, and now that he's fully recovered, Mom's caught it. All I can say is thank goodness my husband is in town because I am in no shape to be the primary caregiver right now. I haven't been sick like this in a long time and I think I'd almost forgotten what it was like.

Well, to look at it from a positive light, I certainly expect to lose weight this week because I can't eat! It's 2pm and I haven't felt up to eating anything. Right now I am looking at a bowl of Nutrisystem's Chicken Noodle Soup. At least I have some comfort food available when I'm not feeling well, even if I prefer their other meals when I'm healthy.

I do have some more reviews to share with you, though!


Maple Flavored Breakfast Patty (Breakfast):



This is one of Nutrisystems's new shelf stable items. When I opened the package, it reminded me of a smaller version of a McDonalds sausage patty. I cooked it in a frying pan sprayed with PAM and gave it a try. The texture is very reminiscent of a McDonalds' sausage patty as well. I'm still actually not sure if I like this item or not. The spicing was very flavourful but not quite what I expected. I think I am going to have to order another one to give it a second try. The nice thing about this entree is that you add a carb selection so you can customize your breakfast any way you like. For me, sausage goes with pancakes. Dietary Services has said that we may use 1/2 pkg Pancake Mix as a carb serving, so I made myself a pancake with fresh blueberries in it. It was really good! I would definitely suggest you try this entree for yourself, perhaps more than once.


Spinach and Cheese Stuffed Shells (Frozen Dinner):



I love spinach in cheesy pasta, so I figured I'd enjoy this meal. It was very flavourful. I love how the sauce was chunky and rich and the meal was filling. Normally I'm not a fan of vegetarian meals because I like meat, but Nutrisystem has done a great job with them in the Select frozen pack!

Disclosure: This post was written by me and was not edited by anyone. The opinions expressed in this post are entirely my own and have not been influenced in any way. Nutrisystem Canada is providing their food and program to me free of charge for my weekly updates. I was not compensated for writing this post.

*sigh*

Well, I didn't succeed at my goal this week. Despite not indulging at the Maple Syrup Festival, I still managed to gain a pound. That was a disappointment but I'm OK with it. I'll just have to keep working hard and I know it will come off again.

Besides, I'm really starting to feel more positive about my appearance. I was walking through a department store to pick up something for my son and all the clothes kept catching my eye and I really wanted to go shopping for me! I know that it's not time yet and I'm not going to waste money when I have more sizes to lose, but it was an exciting feeling! It felt even better to walk past the plus size section and know that nothing in there would fit me anymore!

It's really been amazing to see my self perception change so much. I'm NOT the fat girl anymore. Actually, I am smaller than the "average" woman! I look just like a regular person when I go out. And that's awesome. I can't wait to be the skinny chick!

Maple Syrup Festival

Today was the 47th annual Maple Syrup Festival in my area and I thought my son would enjoy it so we decided to go. The weather was nice so of course the place was jam packed- I was very glad that I'd brought my baby carrier because I could never have managed navigating through all the people with a stroller!



Everywhere I looked, stalls were selling unhealthy food. And I don't just mean a little bad- I mean food with astronomical calorie counts. If it could be deep fried, it was. And of course, most things were drowned in maple syrup too. I used to love the Mennonnite apple fritters served in maple syrup... deep fried sugared and battered apple slices. Yum? I was really proud of myself that I didn't order a single thing from the festival food stalls- not even the pancakes that the event is famous for. At lunchtime, when my family ordered burgers from a stall, I went into a Subway that was near the festival area and ordered a turkey sub on whole wheat. The place was deserted, which I guess wasn't too big a surprise.

I had told myself in advance that if I wanted one treat, I could have it (as long as I had a healthy breakfast and lunch first). This festival only comes once a year. While we were there, I decided not to. I just didn't want it badly enough that it would make up for the disappointment when I weigh myself tomorrow. I'm already disappointed enough that I fell off plan on Tuesday without making things worse.

So I consider today a victory- I went out and enjoyed myself and I didn't need to eat any of that junk food. It really is possible to go out to fun events like that without going nuts, and without even really missing it. I made myself apple crisp for dessert tonight (added a little sugarfree syrup in with the apples) and I think I enjoyed it as much if not more as I would have liked those apple fritters.