Steak and Loaded Broccoli

So when you head out to a steakhouse, is there anybody out there who loves the loaded baked potato more than the steak? That is me. Oooh. The sour cream, butter, maybe even cheese. And don't get me started on the bacon bits. Certainly, loaded broccoli is not the same, but it is still good. Decadent for a general super food. I have never tried it, but I hear restaurants like Applebee's will substitute broccoli for the potato upon request. We had this tonight, but speaking of dining away from home...

I have been eating out much more than normal. It was graduation week for my oldest boy. He earned two business degrees in four years. I am so very proud of him. We traveled out of state for the festivities and to help move both guys back home. Of course, there were challenges eating out. The first evening, we chose a steak house. I ordered a very nice beef tip dinner with grilled veggies. Unfortunately I also had some breaded okra. Even though I didn't eat them all--the breading did give me a weight gain. Not worth it.

I stayed away from chocolate eclairs and chocolate mousse cups at the reception. We limited ourselves to some cocktail weiners and coffee. Another meal was a chicken salad at Zaxby's. Loved that--especially the buffalo chicken, which they subbed grilled rather than fried. One meal was at the casino. We don't gamble, but don't mind only paying $6 for a full buffet. I was able to get some fajita meat and veggies with cheese, some Italian grilled peppers and sausage, and some barbeque pork ribs without the sauce. We left without dessert, but we were full enough not to care!

Mother's Day found us all back in Tulsa at my favorite Mexican Restaurant. They have a low carb menu with house rellenos which are not battered or fried. Extra yummy though, especially with guacamole and a salad with fresh pico de gallo. We had four mothers at the table for lunch. That was awesome. Here's a photo of me with my sweet mom. Hate the way I look like an Amazon woman next to her. She is an amazing woman, and I sure wish I had her body type! By the way, my boys got me my own Ninja Master Prep machine so I can give my mom's back to her! Thanks guys!



Last night I made a version of California Chicken, but I added Dreamfield's Pasta so it would feed everyone. Amazingly, I lost weight even after a full serving of the rich casserole. Salad bar for lunch, and now our guests have gone. It is sad to see such a special time come to an end, but it is good to get back to the familiarity of my kitchen. Here, I can control what goes into our mouths! I will have at least one more mouth to feed for a few months. My oldest may stay or may follow a job to who knows where. Right now, I am loving having everyone home. We are braving tornadic weather, so we just moved to the George grill inside for our steaks tonight. Looks like the worst has passed over us safely, and dishes are waiting. I will include a photo of my newest graduate. If anyone has a job, he has two degrees--one in Business Administration and one in Accounting. He is available for hire!