Today's homework is two different assignments that you will choose from depending on your situation. One is easy-peasy and one (a branch-off from yesterday's homework) is more of a challenge (but won't apply to everyone).

Homework #1 (challenging): If going out alone (to eat, to the movies, whatever) is a bit (or a lot) intimidating to you, your homework is to go out and do something alone (that you wouldn't usually do alone) between now and Sunday night. Please remember to come back and tell us about it. What did you do/where did you go? Was it terrible for you? Was it just a little uncomfortable but then you got used to it? Would you do it again?

Tip: If you go out to eat alone, take the latest Shape, or other favorite magazine you haven't had time to read lately, and read it while you eat. It's a lot better than sitting and staring at the air!

If assignment #1 doesn't apply to you (because going out alone doesn't intimidate you) or going out alone is just not possible to fit it into your schedule between now and Sunday, you can do assignment #2.

Homework #2 (easy-peasy): Tell us about a fat free, low fat or otherwise healthy product that you've tried for the first time in the past few weeks. Did you like it? Would you recommend it?

A third possibility is to do Assignment #1 even if going out alone is NOT intimidating to you and then tell us how and why you enjoyed it!

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Originally posted by cobismom:
So I will report on this homework on Saturday or when I get home Tomorrow.

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Yeehaw! Someone chose #1! hehe I can't wait to hear about your movie.

I was reading the feature article on "The Village" in Entertainment Weekly last night. It sounds creepy. M. Night (the director) is such a mysterious guy and he has everyone on strict orders to keep lips zipped until this movie premieres tomorrow, so I can't WAIT to hear what "the twist" is and whether the movie is really scary or simply strange.

I can't do horror movies but I do like suspense.

My goal of trying one new veg and one new fruit each week is turning out to be rather exciting....I just wish our grocer had more variety. So that's not a deal.

As we read yesterday, I don't like being totally alone for LONG periods of time. BUT, there is something that I want to conquer and have wanted to do ever since the invention of the VCR. I want to be able to go to a movie alone. Since the VCR came into my home, my hubbie won't go to movies in the theatre. We used to go all the time....but thus not anymore.
There have been shows that have come and gone and I've wanted to see them, but, not had the courage to go it alone. So, ironically, I said today, if everyone works tomorrow, Friday, I am going to the movies. Most of what we have here this week is awful, but I do want to see Notebook and maybe Village...scarey???? or soppy??? Can't decide. So I will report on this homework on Saturday or when I get home Tomorrow.

GREAT homework assignments!!!!

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Originally posted by GoingSkiing:
Peg, Re: mango - did the salad person have any cutting tips.

I usually peel it with a veg peeler and then hold it with a towel and cut it. They are very slippery after they've been peeled.

If there is a better way to do it... I'd love to hear it.

Thanks!

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I'll try to explain it the way she advised to do it. She recommended cutting two slabs off of each side of the core. Then she held each half in one hand while she scored the flesh into cubes or slices. Then she turned it inside out...this is the part I don't know how to explain. She basically pushed the skin in so that the squares are sticking up in the air and then trimmed them off of the peel. She said as far as the core goes, she just munches around the core with her mouth. I found this worked really well except I had trouble finding the edge of the core. I think that is just a practice thing. I probably threw away more than I had to. Hope that helps...

Peg

Peg, Re: mango - did the salad person have any cutting tips.

I usually peel it with a veg peeler and then hold it with a towel and cut it. They are very slippery after they've been peeled.

If there is a better way to do it... I'd love to hear it.

Thanks!

I generally have no problem dining alone -- under certain circumstances. Lunch is OK, dinner at certain places is OK. I use the time to catch up on some reading or planning. Movies are OK, as long as they are matinees.

I love talking about food discoveries! I went to Trader Joe's during 4th of July weekend, and came back with all kinds of goodies.

My favorite so far is the package of salmon patties - 5 to a pack, and only about $3. So far, I've grilled them on the George Foreman, put them into wraps, and topped salad with them.

Last night I tried TJ's Morroccan tagine simmering sauce. Chucked some meat and hunks of veggies into a crockpot, poured the sauce over it, and simmered away. It was delicious! Sweet and spicey at the same time.

Not so much a new discovery, but I'm finding more uses for them everyday - ww english muffins. I bought them to make breakfast sandwiches - including micro'd egg and veggie sausage patty. Sometimes I spread on a lil natural pb, and add some slices of nanner.

But I also found they are the perfect size for a normal-portion-sized burger (or salmon patty!). The ones made by Arrowheat are somewhat larger than the Thomas's variety. So when the patty is on it, it has just enough "overhang" to make it look big and juicy, but not be unmanageable. Toast it first, and it's rollin!

Plus side by side, they are better as far as nutrition and fiber go. They're denser, and lack that nook and cranny crusty texture that Thomas's have, but I've gotten over that fact.

Oh! Something new I tried just yesterday ... Dreyer's no sugar added fruit juice popsicles! I got a box of the raspberry / tangerine / strawberry variety. I had a raspberry one and mmmm it was *juicy* -- not overly sweet, contains lots of vitamin c, and only 30 cals a pop. They are kind of smallish, but it was plenty for me.

#1: I go out alone all the time and second Sheri's suggestion to take something along to read if you opt to do the restaurant thing. Otherwise I wind up people watching and I think that is a little bit rude so I try not to do that! If you choose a movie (something I rarely do alone actually), be sure not to choose a 'downer' if you already feel like this is a challenge to do alone. I went and saw Castaway a few years ago alone and something about watching that movie about him being completely alone and me being alone watching was a bad combo.

#2: I bought mango. I love mango but have never bought a whole one because I'd heard they were hard to deal with. When I went to my salad class a couple of weeks ago, she demonstrated cutting it up and I thought "I can do that!". Of course, I need to practice cuz it's not as easy as it looks but I'll get the hang of it. They are super cheap right now and my plan is to get some and freeze some for winter smoothies.

Peg

I tried a new eggplant recipe. I liked it so much, I had an eggplant sandwich 3 days in a row.

Hey, CajetaGuy - eggplant is really high in fiber.

#1: I do things by myself all the time, from going out to eat to going to amusement parks and movies. I've discovered it's actually fun...and I've gotten to know me better, as well as lots of other people.

#2: I tried swiss chard last weekend. I had dinner at my aunt & uncle's house. It was really good. I'm going to start buying it from time to time when I want greens. I also tried eating more veggies than starches at the meal we had there. Who'd have believed that I could actually enjoy the extra veggies and not really miss the extra starches.

Laura

My Homework:

Going out alone is not at all intimidating to me (except maybe to a really nice restaurant for dinner, because I had a bad experience doing that while travelling a few years ago).

The newest product I tried is Jolly Time 94% fat free Kettle Corn. This is the popcorn that is both sweet and salty. I didn't realize it came in 94% ff until I was at the store last weekend, so I decided to try it the other night.

My first bite was "Hmm...kinda tasty." but, by the time, I got several bitefuls into the bowl, the built-up impact of the oversweetness of the Splenda started to really gross me out. It could be that I am just not a person who enjoys the mixture of sweet and salty (I get snack cravings for one or the other depending on the situation, but rarely both).

I ate about 1/4 of the bag (I'd usually eat from half to a whole bag of regular 94% ff popcorn) and put the rest in a baggie and brought it to work to give away. I will be giving away the rest of the box, too.

As we leave for Spain tomorrow, I know I won't have the opportunity for any alone time.

So, part 2:
I finally bought the O balsamic vinegar that KD talks about it and it is fantastic. I got it Marshall's for $5.99 and it has been wonderful. Even my dh is so in love with it that he stopped putting olive oil on his salads.

I also tried Orville Rendenbacher's smart pop mini bag popcorn. It's 110 calories for a bag and 2 g of fat. I like that it's portion controlled but it does have partially hydrogenated oil in it which I don't like.

The only alone time I will get this weekend might be 20 minutes here and there.

I have recently changed from degerminated corn meal to whole grain corn meal. My dh and dd love corn bread. I use ww flour and cut out all oil, but until recently the corn meal was stripped of all the "good stuff." I was thrilled to find this brand!