Foodies, rejoice! In honor of my abiding love of chicken wings, I am starting a new series here at The No Seatbelt Blog that will present some of my favorite places in New Jersey to eat a plateful of saucy, crispy morsels of joy. Get your wet wipes ready because it’s time to get messy. Continue reading
Food
The 21-Day Fix: Final Update and Takeaways
As of this past Sunday night, Jenn and I made it to the end of our time on the 21-Day Fix and this will be the final update on our journey. We’ve experienced a great amount of success over a relatively short period of time. We’ve had some truly great meals that we will continue to make in the future, and I quickly became much less of a picky eater. I generally only like onions if they’re battered and deep-fried, and I’ve always harbored an unreasonably disdain for red and green peppers. That all changed with the 21-Day Fix, as both of those vegetables were incorporated into a significant number of the meals that we ate, and I, at best enjoyed them, and at worst simply didn’t mind them. This diet helped me become more open to trying new things, helped me deal with temptation and my usual lack of will power when it comes to food. Continue reading
The 21-Day Fix: Week 2 Update
The second week of The 21-Day Fix has come and gone, and the success continues. I lost another 4.8 pounds, and Jenn lost another 3, bringing our totals to 11 and 9, respectively. This week, I did get in some exercise by taking Stella the dog for some walks around the neighborhood, and with a good three or four hours of yardwork on Saturday. Even with that, I didn’t know what to expect when I stepped back on the scale. You always hear those stories about any given diet, where the person in question loses a good amount of weight the first week, and even when that person continues to do everything “right”, the weight loss drops precipitously or comes to a screeching halt altogether. Continue reading
The 21-Day Fix: Week 1 Update
The first week of the 21-Day Fix has been interesting, to say the least. There are aspects of the diet plan that are not as bad as I thought they were going to be, but in other ways, it’s a trial of willpower that I’m not quite used to. I won’t be providing a daily journal here, as that would be tedious for me and likely boring for you, but I’ll give you an overall view of what I’ve gone through so far. There were some struggles (all of which were mental), some success, and some surprisingly good meals (some of which I’ll describe and provide pictures for). Perhaps the hardest part for me so far has been satisfying my raging sweet tooth, which I’ve had to do with fruit alone thus far. One of my favorite things in the world is gummies of all sorts, and up to this point, a bag of them came to work with me several times a week to get me through the day. Continue reading
Recipe: “Skinny” Taco Dip
Hey, faithful readers! I would like to share a quick and easy recipe with you that has become one of my favorites. My fiancé Jenn and I have been making this healthier version of a cold taco dip for years, and it’s a sure-fire hit every time we bring it to a party, barbecue, or other bring-your-own appetizer gathering that we attend. You can find many different versions of this dip out there on the Web, but here, I’ll give you the basics and you can tweak it to your liking. What you’ll need is… Continue reading
5 on Top: Wingmasters
One of my favorite foods in the world is the mighty buffalo wing, and I am always on the lookout for great wings wherever I go to eat. The best wing is meaty, grilled or fried to a crispy perfection, and loaded with a spicy sauce of your choice. The main problem with many joints that simply serve wings as appetizers and don’t specialize in them is that they typically bring out tiny, skimpy wings that are cooked for a few minutes and have already gotten soggy by the time they reach your table. I have had many disappointing wings in my time, but I have learned where to go for a sure-fire hit every time. Here, I will share my five favorite places to go for wings, with those proud chicken-slingers being judged on the size and texture of their wings, as well as taste and choice of sauces. Of the five eateries, three are local places at the Jersey shore, and the other two are chain restaurants. Without further ado, I give you my Top 5 wing havens! Continue reading