Last night was the very first night that my nearly 18 month old daughter spent the night away from home. She and my son, Evan, went to sleep at Nana’s house (my mother-in-law). I was having major separation anxiety for two days thinking about Gabby being away. I’m used to Evan, who is ten years old, spending the night elsewhere. Heck, my sister/co-author of this site has kept him overnight more times than I can even begin to count. I was not looking forward to going home after work to a house with no kids (strange to say that, but true).

When I got home, my husband was just about done making a wonderful dinner for me. Candles were burning throughout the house setting a fabulous mood. After a delicious dinner, we watched Burn Notice that we recorded on our DVR this Thursday night and then decided to watch a movie.

We rented One Missed Call from OnDemand. Why do we choose to watch scary movies before bed? I don’t know. It was pretty darn good for a modern day horror flick though. It made us both jump several times. I even had a few drinks - even though I knew I had to be up at 6am today for work. It was a very nice, relaxing evening.

I’m getting very tired of yogurt. After 8 or 9 weeks of eating yogurt for breakfast or snack, I’m sick of it. I’ve cheated quite a bit on Weight Watchers lately. Heck, I’ve barely been counting points the last week. I need to pull my head out of my rear and jump back on the healthy eating wagon!

I did make an awesome lunch and dinner yesterday though. I have no idea how many points I ate, but it was good.

Lunch:

Greek Chicken Pitas

2 chicken breasts, cooked and chopped
1 medium green pepper, chopped
1 medium red pepper, chopped
1/2 cup chopped seeded cucumber
4 oz crumbled feta chese
1 can (2-1/4 oz.) sliced pitted ripe olives, drained
1/2 cup KRAFT Greek Vinaigrette Dressing
6 pita breads, cut in half

Toss all ingredients except pita breads in large bowl.
Fill each pita half with about 1/2 cup of the chicken mixture.

Dinner:

Basil Pan-seared Scallops Over Pasta

1 (16 ounce) package farfalle (bow tie) pasta
24 scallops, rinsed and drained
3/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons dried minced garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons dried basil
9 tablespoons whipped butter

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook pasta in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente. Drain, rinse, and transfer to a large serving bowl.

Meanwhile, place scallops in a large bowl. In a small bowl, mix together 1/4 cup olive oil, lemon juice, 1 teaspoon garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and the black pepper. Pour mixture over scallops. Arrange scallops in a single layer in a large baking dish or plate. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon dried basil over scallops so that only one side is sparsely coated with basil.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high, and melt one tablespoon of butter in the pan. Place 12 scallops basil-side down, and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes until dark golden brown. Turn scallops, and cook the other side. Cook the remaining 12 scallops the same way.

In a small saucepan, melt remaining butter with 1/2 cup olive oil, 1 tablespoon basil, 1/2 teaspoon garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Toss pasta with butter and olive oil mixture. Divide pasta onto plates, and top with scallops.

Have you ever feared that if your car broke down on the side of the road that you’d be stuck there for a long time? I know I have. I think it’s important to have some type of emergency roadside service to give you peace of mind. I have my roadside service card in my wallet at all times. I would hate to not have someone to rush to my side and help me out. A lot of people say they have family or friends that could help them so they don’t spend the money on something like that, but what happens if your family or friends are not available at that time? I’d rather spend the little bit of money and know that I’m covered at all times.

Paragon Motor Club is the way to go for your roadside assistance. They also provide other services such as extended warranties on your vehicle and road hazard protection which covers your tires and rims against damage like potholes and other hazards on the road. No other club offers that service!

Save the date! May 30th Sex & The City: The Movie comes to the Big screen!

I can NOT wait!

Go here for more Wordless Wednesday.

Need a good reason to watch Law & Order: SVU tonight. Robin Williams is guest staring !

In the NBC crime drama, airing tonight, Williams, 56, will play an engineer whose life has gone terribly wrong and who faces serious repercussions.

“We are thrilled that one of the most talented and versatile actors around will be starring in this powerful and complex special episode,” executive producer Neal Baer said. “We can’t imagine anyone else doing this role.”

Mr. Williams hasn’t done a TV series since a 1997 guest shot on “Friends,” so this is very exciting. Also, this is “SVU’s” 200th episode — surely you want to say you tuned in for the big anniversary.

My husband and I decided to switch our cable service from Limited Digital (what we signed up for with the whole package; including internet and phone) to Digital Basic Cable. We got rid of HBO because it was a waste of money. There was never anything good on so why pay for it? With the Digital Basic package that we now have, we get Versus (so my husband can watch all the sporting events that aren’t always on the regular channels), Starz, Encore, Sprout, Noggin, Nick 2, The Oxygen Channel and many, many more! It’s a little bit more expensive because we didn’t want to down grade our internet and the package deal would have done that so we actually upgraded that since we’re online a lot and my husband does a lot of online gaming. Gabby is already enjoying Noggin and Sprout! It’s a great change for the whole family!

3 Chicken breast Cooked and Cubed (I broil with Chipotle seasoning)
1 Can Black beans; drained
2 Cups Light sour cream
2 Cups Reduced fat Monterey Jack cheese
4 oz Green Chilies
2 tsp ground Cumin
1/2 tsp. pepper
5 Large tortillas cut into strips
1/2 Cup Salsa

* Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray pan with Pam. Mix chicken, beans, sour cream, 1 cup of shredded cheese, chilies, cumin, salsa, and pepper. Mix well and arrange half of the tortillas overlapping in pan. Top with chicken mixture, then tortillas, then chicken again. Sprinkle with 1 Cup of cheese.

Bake for 30 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.

6 points per serving

I am in love with my Weight Watchers diet. I’m eating so much healthier and even the pre-made Smart Ones meals are yummy. I am in love with the newest meal I just had for lunch. It’s the Dragon Shrimp Lo Mein meal - only 5 points. It doesn’t taste like a microwave meal. It’s better than eating at a chinese restaurant! I think I could eat that for lunch every day.

My daughter Allison is spending two weeks visiting some friends in Europe with my mom and step dad. So far I have only received photos from their day in Oxford but I have heard they are taking a lot of every place the visit.

Allison walking the halls of Oxford University

Hanging out side of a pub with her new little friend.

More Wordless Wednesday here.