Last night was relaxing 
After work yesterday Ben and I took a long walk (my only cardio of the day) and then came home to a super easy dinner.
I am in love with green bean fries. Now before you roll your eyes, let me be clear – I’m NOT the girl who says some bullshit yogurt parfait is “just like Yogurtland!”, or that cookies baked with apple sauce “taste just like the real thing”. No and no.
I understand english muffin pizzas are good, but they’re not “Exactly like real pizza!”. I’m not completely delusional.
But, I do think green bean fries are as good as real fries – especially when dipped in ketchup (and sometimes Ranch!).
The secret is to stir-fry them up in a hot pan with olive oil and 21 seasoning salute. Don’t overcook ‘em – they need a little crunch.
Since we’re on the topic, Artic Zero is not a real substitute for ice cream. But, it is a good place holder if you are a habitual night time snacker that just needs some hand to mouth action to relax on the couch.
Yes, the “ice cream”, if you would call it that, is a bit gray.
And yes, I added a warm Almond Butter cookie to it. Fantastic. 
This morning I busted out an easy 4 miler. I’m planning on doing a long run tomorrow and maybe actually training for that marathon I said I was going to do in August. Why did I sign up for that again?
Then I took a quick poll on twitter to determine breakfast. Yes, I consult strangers as to what I should eat. I’m going to start doing this with every meal. My fate is in your hands!
The consensus was French Toast. Full disclosure: I didn’t realize but I don’t have any flour so it had to be FT anyways 
I used 2 sandwich thin pairs for a total of 4 glorious pieces of French Toast. I used to just use 1 sandwich thin, but I would end up hungry an hour later. 
I topped it with one of the agave packets I got from my Blogher Food swag bag. That wasn’t enough and I grabbed some maple syrup too.
Last night Ben made me an adult beverage, but he’s no bartender so it was just vodka and tea. He said it was, “just like a long island iced tea”. Um, no just because you add alcohol to tea doesn’t make it a Long Island.
If only I had a gold medal I would have people bringing me real drinks. I mean, Mountain Dew…
Question: Do you have a healthy food that really could replace an unhealthy one? Share!
i prefer frozen banana smoothies (with all sorts of mix ins) over a real milkshake!
I replace pasta with spaghetti squash or zucchini. I also add shredded cabbage or brussels sprouts to my eggs for volume.
YUM! I adore french toast, especially when topped with peanut butter, honey and banana! So good. Nothing like hitting up twitter to solve all our decision-making-blues 🙂
I am a new reader and enjoy reading your blog. I made these peanut butter chocolate chip cookie dough bites a few nights ago and was amazed–they are made with chickpeas!
http://www.texanerin.com/2012/04/grain-free-peanut-butter-chocolate-chip.html
Hi Michelle, Welcome to RER 🙂
Hi Michelle 🙂
Arctic Zero is meh. I know the whole pint is only like 150 calories, but to me it’s not worth it. Doesn’t satisfy me at all. Some substitutions are okay though. I made banana nut muffins this morning subbing out an egg with more banana and they were probably the best banana nut muffins I’ve ever had. It just depends.
I am very intrigued by green bean fries! This sounds like something I should try!
As someone who just got her bartending license, I’m hoping somebody let’s Shaun White know that he’s missing 5 more types of liquor in that Long Island Iced Tea recipe, haha.
Oh wait. Just realized you wrote it was Ben who said that. My bad. Ben, add more liquor! 🙂
if you melt arctic zero in the microwave for about 15-20 seconds (depending on the voltage) IT TASTES SOOO CREAMY AND GOOD! It gets like a froyo consistency and tastes AMAZING
This reminds me of the time in college, when I was just starting to eat healthy and I “gave up” soda, chips and ice cream for an entire summer. I used to tell my cousin I would eat yogurt and pretend it was ice cream and she called me a nut job. I’m really glad I grew out of that phase because nothing so far that I have found can replace the goodness that is a good pint of Ben&Jerry’s.
The only thing I have found so far that is “just like the real thing” is plain greek yogurt i/o sour cream. Even my husband likes it, and I think that says a lot.
Sadly, I don’t like sour cream. Weird, huh.
So I can only eat greek yogurt sweet 🙂
every arctic zero I have tried has been freaking disgusting, I kept trying because I wanted to like it so badly! I have not tried the cookies and cream though. I think chocolate PB was the worst!
I lovvve homemade sweet potato fries. For me, these are definitely better than their fried cousin. Peel, cut and boil for 5 min, drain and place on a cookie sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, little salt and pepper and bake. yum!
I definitely have to try the green beans!
There’s cookies and cream Arctic Zero?!? My store carries just a few pints of the stuff, so I never know what flavor they will have. I like vanilla maple, and once ONCE they had coffee and it was the bomb. I don’t like the chocolate or the chocolate/peanut butter.
My husband calls it “frozen water” because with all the stuff it doesn’t have…what DOES it have? Ha!
I have been a LONG time reader of your blog, so it makes me really sad to see red flags regarding your eating issues.
It seems like you are struggling a lot with snacking, binging, mindless eating, etc (like MANY people) but it’s frustrating as a reader to watch you go through this. You cover everything up with sarcasm, self-deprecation, thinly veiled jokes and constant strike throughs. It feels like you are scared to be yourself or be genuine on your blog anymore. When you had a smaller readership you were much more open and straightforward, and you didn’t constantly hide behind sarcastic comments.
Almost all of your meals are ‘replicas’ of other things – green bean fries, sandwich thin french toast, etc. You also make a lot of reference to volume eating as a means to control snacking or binging, but sometimes your comments are very vague and act like this is just a non issue, yet it clearly IS an issue. You have also mentioned anxiety eating and trying to resist that.
You would have a lot of support if you just opened up a little and were more honest with your readers. Every time I’ve read a comment from someone who asks you about this stuff, you have responded saying you are in a good place. Maybe you don’t recognize some of the red flags, but it is very apparent to your readers. It seems like in your quest for ‘popularity’, you have adopted the writing style of certain other bloggers and lost your voice, which includes the ability to be honest and vulnerable on your blog.
D,
Thanks for the comment. If you look back on my blog back in the day you can probably see that it is just me complaining about not losing weight, eating a Lean Cuisine for lunch and then going home and overeating every.single.night.
I am in a much better place now, but I’m not completely free from food issues. I don’t deny that I have issues with food and my body. I’ve never denied that on RER or in the comments. I do believe though, that I am in a much better place. I eat more real food. I never feel guilty about indulging (I do still feel frustrated with my night time eating habit, but that is not a hunger or indulgence thing but more emotional eating). <- I can recognize healthy eating and emotional eating. I am working on these things. RER is supposed to be a fun,random outlet for me. I ate 4 pieces of sandwich thins which would equal 2 "real" slices of bread. I don't see a problem with that. I like being sarcastic and I love the strike throughs. I am very open (much more than most!) here on RER, but I don't want to write posts dwelling on my eating or weight so lately I have not been addressing it. I have put myself out there repeatedly, but I don't need support or cheerleaders at this time. I am just trying to live 🙂 Truth be told, I don't think I will ever fit the "popular blogger" mold, so I'm not tryin'. I'm just doing my thing. Seriously, I appreciate your comment. I know you've been a long time reader. I can take someone calling me out when it's done in a tactful way like this. I'm taking all your words into consideration. - Monica
I love that you consult Twitter for problem solving! I need to start eating more green beans. I’ve never tried em with ketchup, but I’m a ketchup addict and am already salivating!
Personally I prefer baked goods made with applesauce. I never would have known the improvement in texture if I hadn’t been trying to cut calories at the time. But that’s some tasty stuff.
I have seen that Arctic Zero stuff but the ingredients read more like a protein shake…. I don’t get it. And it’s expensive! Ben & Jerry’s was like $3.50 and it was $5.50 – why?
Totally unrelated to your post, but I saw your Oxygen magazine recipe on another blog:
http://www.littlebshealthyhabits.com/2012/06/french-toast-cups-from-oxygen-magazine.html
Thanks! I have to go check it out 🙂
I had the Arctic Zero a couple weeks ago. It was OK and a great sub when I don’t want all the fat and cals of the real stuff, but man that stuff made my tummy super gassy ( I don’t work from home so it was a very unpleasant day at work…I took many bathroom breaks just so I could fart! Haha.
Thanks for sharing Becca 🙂
HAHAHA, both of these comments are hilarious. Becca, you are awesome, (and so are you Monica). Love your humor, M. 🙂 Come visit me in OZ.
i love that video of shaun white its sooo funny!! its like, my husbands favorite video haha he seems like someone id want to drink mountain dews with
I gotta say, I’m with you on most foods, but I think Arctic Zero is the lamest excuse for ice cream I’ve ever tried! I bought mint chocolate chip and it tasted like ice with mint flavoring, never again.
I didn’t call it ice cream because I def don’t think it’s ice cream either 🙂 I tastes like a frozen protein shake made with water (without added fruit or anything). But it’s nice little snack at night.
Oh, and I can’t buy the mint kind because that’s my favorite ice cream flavor and they’re way too different!
Oh, and on top of it all, in my nutrition action magazine, it states that they underestimated the calories by a lot! they tested it and said that it actually came to 220 calories a pint… i’m afraid if i post the link, it will spam, so here’s the paragraph: “The facts: When we sent samples of Arctic Zero to a lab, the analysis showed 220 calories per pint. That’s still a calorie bargain (though if further testing confirmed 220 calories per pint, claiming 150 would violate labeling regulations).”
Wow! Thanks for the heads up!
Gah! Why am I not surprised?
I saw Arctic Zero at Public recently and wondered if it was any good.
Err..Publix
Good? Eh. But something to keep your mouth busy if you’re a habitual eater 🙂
I had Cookies N’ Cream Arctic Zero last night too! I’d just baked smores bars so I put one on top and it got all melty…soooooo good, and satisfied a pregnancy craving bigtime!
Ok, so here’s my crazy idea that you inspired me to come up with: find a willing person (it would definitely be a boy, only they would do something like this) to basically surrender ALL of their decisions to twitter. So, every morning, he would have two-ish options for breakfast, and his twitter followers would get to decide which. And it would be like that for every decision he makes. It’d be like one of those books from when we were kids where you had a choice to go to page 12 or page 73 and they were different stories. Or something. I never actually read one.
But seriously, this could be big. He could probably be sponsored in everything he does. Maybe I should make a business out of this idea. It could be a tv show.
I’m going to do this!
Maybe.
Actually, there’s a new reality show where the public votes on everything the people do/wear/eat!!! I think it’s called Glass House?
Oh no! I thought it was such a brilliant idea for a tv show. I’ll have to watch, though!
Hmmm, all I can think of off the top of my head is making parsnip fries for regular french fries. Have a wonderful Friday love!
Um, these green bean fries are being added to my weekly veggie side dishes right this moment!
Um, no just because you add alcohol to tea doesn’t make it a Long Island.
hahahahaha that was great. happy friday! i did 4 miles as well this morning 🙂
Homemade smoothie popsicles are healthier than most of the ones from the store!
I am so with you on the green bean love. Normally my food choices tend more toward fat-fat-fatty than soon-to-be-dietitian but baked green beans taste better than fried potatoes, hands down!
When I was growing up, I got SO EXCITED when it was muffin pizza night. I still do, actually, and my husband didn’t quite join me in the excitement when I announced it was muffin pizza night recently, complete with hand claps and a little bit of Squeeing.
I make almond flour bread rather than eat real bread!