Day 33 - August 3, 2023

 Breakfast:  This breakfast is not getting old. I enjoy it every single day.  (Except the days where I get a little lazy)  In case it's your first time reading, it's 2 scrambled eggs, 3 pieces of Banquet Turkey Sausage and half a potato turned into home made fries using olive oil, salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika and cayenne pepper. 

                                                

Snack:  Couldn't help myself but grab a couple little spoonfuls of low carb Breyers Chocolate Ice Cream.  I did well with this because I didn't end up eating half the container like I often do in these situations.  I truly just had a couple quick spoonfuls and moved on. 

Lunch:  For lunch, I had leftovers from the night before.  Kristyn made this Chimichurri Beef with Jasmine Rice while I was at marching band. I think the beef came from Costco.  It was really good!  If I had to do it again, I'd make it with broccoli.  And I would have eaten maybe 2/3 of what's here.  I heated it up before I put it on the plate, so I didn't realize how much was gonna be there.  But by then, I thought it would be bad to reheat it a 3rd time tomorrow, so it was my household duty to not waste food, so I ate the whole thing.  :-)

Fun with Joey: Today, we went to the tennis courts for the first time.  He did great!  I had my old ball hopper from middle school when I used to take tennis lessons at Saw Creek, with the tennis pro, "H."  And it's filled with the tennis balls I used to play home run derby in my backyard on Ploch Rd in middle school with Jay Brock and some other characters here and there.  So that makes these tennis balls about 30 years old, and they bounce like it!  They are pretty rough, but they got the job done for the day.  

                                                              

We hit 2 hoppers full of balls (about 40 balls per hopper) up against the fence to get the hang of it.  He was really proud that he got one stuck in the fence.  

   

Then we moved on to the court and he did 7 more rounds of balls!  All in all, he hit probably around 360 balls today!  He did so great for the first day.  And he really loved it.  We had a good system of picking up the balls and he just kept saying "One more round!"  So that was a ton of fun. 

OK - Back to the food now!

Snack:  Just a handful of peanut butter Ritz Bitz sandwich minis.  They are about 10 calories per and I had about 15 of them.  Just a little something to pick on.  I worked up an appetite with the tennis.  Got an extra 3,500 steps in just hitting joey the balls and going to pick them up!

Dinner:  This was an interesting dinner.  I had some chicken that needed to be cooked and wanted to try something new, BUT I wanted to make sure that if it came out bad, we'd still have something to eat.  So part 1:  Marinated some chicken in a bag for about 4 hours with Guy Fieri's Sriracha BBQ sauce and pan cooked them on the stove.  That's in the plastic container.   Part 2:  Sweet Potato Fries.  These didn't come out as great as the regular potato fries.  I think I need to peel the skin off because the skin was kinda tough.  The potato part was good, but the skin didn't go well in the air fryer.   Part 3 - the real winner.  Air Fryer chicken with the seasoning I usually use on the morning potatoes.  First I coated the chicken with olive oil.  Then a little corn starch and then the combination from the potatoes.  This is the plate on the top of the picture below.  This was AWESOME!  A little crispy on the outside, but not breaded.  And it was JUICY on the inside and really flavorful.  This worked out better than I expected it to.  REALLY liked it and will definitely make chicken this way again.  

And that's it for the night. I sort of overdid it on the dinner by eating a ton of chicken.  I mean, it was not necessarily unhealthy but I ate a TON of it, and too much of almost anything can be problematic.  

WEIGHT LOSS UPDATE: Now, I just looked back at my phone to see what I documented as my weight for the morning of 8/4/23.  Looks like I was up 0.9 from the day before.  It makes me thing that it is very possible that this was the night that I overdid the snacks at night.  I don't remember what I did, but there was def a night that I ended up having 2-3 snacks and was not shy about them.  This must have been it.   Soooo, up 0.9 for the day but still down 11.3 in total.  

Day 32 - 8/2/23 - Another Marching Band Night

 Breakfast: The usual for breakfast.   3 turkey sausage, 2 scrambled eggs, and a half of a potato turned to fries!  Now, if you didn't already, sing that with the melody for the 12 Days of Christmas and chuckle a little to yourself.  

Lunch: For lunch, it was very quick and simple.  I made a spicy chicken breast patty in the air fryer  Delightful $1 lunch!  Can't beat that, huh?  Kristyn was taking the kids to the pool with some friends, so I had some time to get work done. Didn't want to waste time making or eating food, so I just did a real quick one.  That being said, it's a REALLY good piece of processed chicken, so I never regret eating it.

After getting some work done, I taught a trombone lesson.  It feels good to get back into teaching private trombone lessons.  I had taken a break from it while I lived in Nutley because it was just too hard to schedule with the limited time I was home, and I wanted to see the kids.  But now that I 'm in Norwood, the commute is great and I don't ever really need to go a day without seeing the family, I'd like to get back into more lessons.  So I have this one student for the summer heading into college and I'm having a blast teaching him.  

After that, it was off to Cresskill for Marching Band section leader meeting and rehearsal.  I got there and they had cleaned the floors, which means:  They moved everything out of the room and then put everything back in the room.  Just in the room.  It was sort of all over the place.  I don't blame them for this and I don't think  or expect anything else should happen.  BUT it's always just a shock to my system when it happens.  So we put the room back together when the section leaders showed up.  

Dinner: Good thing I packed an easy dinner tonight! Just a little peanut butter sandwich.  I was able to take bites in between the work I was doing.  I only go to work once a week in the summer, so I'm totally ok with it being like this.  I don't want to waste any time while I'm there. 

Dinner #2: After marching band, that peanut butter sandwich at 5pm was not cutting it.  I went to Ray's in Closter to get a slice.  I guess you can say that I'm on "Joe's Diet of Pizza" this week.  It's all good, I'm losing weight!  :-)  They have one of my favorite slices - Meatballs and Ricotta.  And they are not shy about the meatballs OR the ricotta.  It's such an amazing slice.  But they had a plain slice pie - completely fresh - sitting on the counter, so I had to get both.  Sat and ate it in the car, as they were closing up for the night.  I am so happy I got this pizza.  It was SOOOOOOOO good!  :-)

Weight Loss Update: As of 9am on 8/3/23, I am down 0.6 from yesterday and 12.4 pounds since July 2.  Moving in the right direction!    The pizza diet continues!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Day 31 - August 1, 2023 - My Homemade Pizza Recipe is provided in here. . . . .

Breakfast: Today, I had to take Conor to the doctor and Kristyn took the kids to work with her.  I slept in and was a little lazier today since I didn't have to deal with all 3 of the little crazies.  So when it came time to leave, I just needed to throw something together real quick.  What did I go for?  A simple peanut butter sandwich.  This is the meal that never gets old, unless of course, the bread is moldy, in which case I do not make this meal. 

Lunch:  After the doctor visit was over, it was too late to bring the kids to swimming lessons, so we decided we would skip the pool altogether today. In my mind I was getting out of making lunches to bring with me and then I was getting out of paying for lunch and we'd just come home.   Here's the thing:  I had promised the kids that we would get some pizza in between swimming lessons and going back to the pool, and they held me to it.  So we went to Mario's, which is Joey's favorite place to get pizza. We got this pizza shown below (Photographed AFTER I served Joey & G their first slices.  I had 3 slices.  Then we went next door to Donut King and while I tried to stall by sending them ahead of me and staying back to pay the bill at Marios, it didn't work.  I got there and they had not paid yet, so I got an oreo donut.

   

Dinner: Since I was in Philly during Conor's 4 month birthday, we never did his 4 month photos. So inspite of already having eaten pizza for lunch, we had to make a pizza for dinner.  Can you tell how sad I was about this?  

That being said, this was a business transaction. I just wanted to make a really quick and cheap pie and throw it in the oven.  So I grabbed a dough from Mario's, used 8oz of pre-shredded mozzarella and grabbed a jar of "pizza sauce" from Shoprite.  It was the cheapest and laziest pizza I could make.  Cost me $8.  I could do it cheaper by the pie if I make a couple of pies, but usually, when I make my own sauce and use better cheese, I end up getting enough to make 4 pies, I make 2 and then have half the sauce and cheese leftover, which I never use.  In the end, it ends up costing me $17 to make 2 pies.  If I bought the 2 extra doughts, it would be $23, which is $5.75/pie, but I don't need 4 pies!  So I end up spending $17, throwing away extra supplies because I have the intention of using it, and then not using it.  AND of the 2 pies I did make, we only eat maybe 1 3/8 of it, and the leftovers also go to waste.   So 1 pie, $8 = victory.  Here' the uncooked pie.

And here it is after coming out of the oven.  Looks good, huh?

Here's the thing - it was cooked very well.  BUT since I cheaped out on the sauce and cheese, it was not really all that good!  I was excited because it looked awesome, but it was bland and not nearly as good as my usual pizza.  How do I usually make my pizza, you ask?  Here's how. 

0.  Pre-heat oven to 500 with the pizza stone or pizza steel inside it.  It's important to get the stone up to temperature so the crust is not soggy.  Take the stone out, use a little olive oil on it and spread it thin and even so it has a little coating.  You could sprinkle a little semolina on it too, if you want. 

1.  Stretch the pizzeria-bought dough out to about 15-16 inches and place right onto the heated pizza stone. At this point, try to move quickly so the stone doesn't get cold.

2.  Get a 28 oz can of San Marzano tomatoes and put the in the Ninja on Puree along with 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oils, 3-4 garlic cloves cut up, 1 teaspoon of sugar, 1 teaspoon of salt, some basil, black pepper and oregano.  This is basically the Ooni Classic Sauce Recipe, with oregano added and pureed in the ninja. (Usually enough for 4 pies)  BTW - I puree it because I take after my mother and do not want ANY chunks of tomato on my pizza.  YUCK!

3.  One pound block of Galbani Low Moisture Whole Milk mozzarella gets shredded up and mixed with a 6 ounce combination of Parmesan, Asiago and Romano which is pre-shredded and available at Shop-Rite by the cheese in the refrigerator section.  The 22 ounces combined is good for about 4 pies.

4.  If kids are not eating it, sprinkle oregano on top. (My kids don't like "the green stuff."

5.  Sprinkle some grated cheese on top

6.  Cook for 9-12 minutes, depending on how you want it cooked.  If it's in the Ooni pizza oven, cook for 2 minutes, turning every 20-30 seconds as to not char the crust too much. 

**PIZZA STONE:  It's key that you get a pizza stone to cook on and get it up to temperature.  Don't get lazy or impatient with this.  Get that stone hot!

Anyway, here are the photos from Conor's 4 month birthday photo shoot.

   

 Snack:   Cheddar and Sour Cream chips and some ice cream (Low Carb).  No story here.  I think I gave you enough with the pizza recipe for this post!  :-)

WEIGHT LOSS UPDATE: As of 9am on 8/2/23, I am down 0.7 from yesterday and a total of 11.8 pounds since July 2.  

Day 30 - July 31, 2023 - Portions, Portions and More Portions

Hello everyone!  It's Monday!  Time for a new start.  I'm writing this a couple days later and I'll give you a little preview.  We have entered the time of J-DOC where it's less about what I'm eating and it's more about how much of it I'm eating.  Because the next few days are a mixture of good choices and slightly imperfect, BUT through it all, my portion control and lack of snacking are leading to moderate losses on a daily basis.  While I would be better off eating "better" choices consistently, portion control is something I generally struggle with also, so getting that under control is helpful and important too in the times where you are just in situations that are imperfect.

Breakfast: Eggs, potatoes & Sausage - home made.  I've done a really good job of eating at home for breakfast - saving money and eating healthier.  I really hope I can get up early enough to keep this up for the school year.  I miss heading to Griddle This every morning, but my credit card and belt are very happy with me.

**Side note:  I was supposed to bring Joey to Giants Training Camp today, but my butthead brain ordered the tickets thinking that we can go since camp was over.  BUT Kristyn still has to work this week, and swim lessons start today.  So I totally blew that chance by signing up for today.  UGH.  I'm annoyed because I think Joey would have really enjoyed that.  Oh well.  I guess we'll try again next year.

Lunch:  Today was the first day of swim lessons for the kids at the Cresskill pool.  They do a group thing in the morning at 11am.  Kristyn is still at work for this week, so it's all me to get them up, fed, dressed, pack the bag with changes of clothes, milk, pool stuff, lunch, snacks, etc.  Luckily, since they are not at camp this week, I don't have to get out of the house early, so the kids sleep and so do I!  And I can take my time getting everything ready to go.  (Which means I have time to watch an episode or two of "Who's the Boss!"  Because it was the first day, we didn't pack lunch, we went to the snack bar.  Not many healthy choices at a pool snack bar, so I had a burger and fries.

Dinner: Kristyn took Giuliana to gymnastics, so I was home with Joey & Conor.  The thing is that Conor has been a terror today and is basically just screaming and crying forever.  We think he is teething, giving him great discomfort.  So my last resort was to put the 2 of them in the car and drive around.  This always helped joey sleep when he was a baby.  Conor didn't fall asleep, but he definitely calmed down.  I bribed Joey with a Happy Meal.  While we were out, I grabbed 2 slices of pizza from Broadway II.  They were good.  Could have been really good with about 30 more seconds in the oven.  

Snack: One of Joey's favorite snacks these days is the King Cone.  I don't usually touch them, but he was complaining that he didn't like the flavors that were left, so I figured I would do my part and eat one of them.  :-)   A few hours later, during our nightly 90210 episode, Kristyn broke out the sour cream and Cheddar chips.  The are "Baked Ruffles" and they are amazing.  Probably my favorite chip.  I had some.  I didn't finish the bag, so that's a victory!

Weight Loss Update:  As of 9am on 8/1, I was down 0.7 from yesterday and a total of 11.1 for the 30 days.  Good good good! 

Day 29 - July 30, 2023 - A Day at the Plake & An Occasion To Sin

 Hey everyone!  It's SUNDAY FUNDAY!  Here's the story. . . . . . . 

Breakfast: I made what I think are best fries I've ever made.  The seasoning was perfect!  First, coated with olive oil and then combined Salt, pepper, onion, garlic, paprika and cayenne pepper and tossed the potatoes in this.  It was absolutely the best!  I am not sure I can ever make fries differently again!  :-)  Air fryer at 390 for 12-15 minutes from raw and you are good to go.  Give it a shot.  So good!           

Add to that 2 turkey sausage links and 2 scrambled eggs, quite a nice breakfast.  (Those pretzels are not mine.)

                   

Lunch:  Now it's time to head to the "Plake."  This is the Fair Lawn Memorial Pool which is pool with sand at the bottom, so it feels like a lake but it's a pool, but it's a lake, but it's a pool . . . . It's a Plake.  Went there with the Seiz clan and the Livera clan and the Mele clan.  Had a great time there.  Since I knew what kind of dinner we were going to have, I just packed myself a peanut butter sandwich for lunch to munch on when I got hungry and that did the trick. 

Check out this crew!

Dinner: Dinner was an occasion to sin. We went to Bruno's.  Still the best undistputed champion of the world for best pizza - the square pie at Bruno's and today was no exception.  There were 15 of us, so we ordered some pies.  I only had the square pie, BUT I had 3 slices.  I could not resist. It was SOOOO good.  The square pie has not really changed since the new partial-owners got in there, except for that I feel like there is just a little extra kick somewhere in there. Not sure what it is, but I like it.  This pie was fresh, hot and perfect!  I also had 1 birch  beer and a couple pieces of buttered bread.  This is why it was so easy to take it slow during the day - I knew what was waiting for me at night.  :-)  BTW - I didn't think to take photos until we were well into the pizza, but these are the masterpieces that came out tonight.  I didn't eat the round, but if it was anything like the square, then I have to say that you should RUN, don't walk, to Bruno's and get it!  

    

And then, just because it was weird, I took a little video of how Giuliana decided to eat her final slice of pizza of the night.  I have to be honest, I'm not quite sure I've ever seen anyone eat a pizza this way before!  Enjoy.  :-)

At night, I'm pretty sure I went after those Doritos for a little bit.  nothing crazy, just felt that I should do my civic duty of eating what was in the container.  I did it for the family.  :-)

That's all for today.  Not bad overall.  Sure, I could have cut a slice of pizza out at night and sure I could have skipped the buttered bread, but I saved all my love up for dinner, so I'm good with it!

Weight Loss Update:  I am down 0.2 from yesterday, so really nothing.  A total of 10.4 for the 29 days up to this point.  Still content. Nothing to complain about here.  Hoping for that big August push to come soon, though.  would be amazing to do another 10.4 before September 1. It's doable, if I really work at it.