So with the holiday weekend coming up Shiela over at GAG challanged us to come up with a plan for getting through any holiday parties that we may have this weekend. Well I am happy to say that so far we don’t have any parties to derail the diet this weekend. That is not to say we won’t have one to go to by the end of the weekend. My mom is famous for inviting us over at the last minute. I also figured it wouldn’t be so bad to have a game plan in place anyway since we are coming into a busy time of the year for us with a lot of social gatherings.

Step One: Be sure to eat in the morning and during the course of the day, rather than starve myself so that I can eat without feeling guilty at the party. In the past I have not eaten lunch if we had a evening party so that I could eat what I wanted. Well it always backfired. I was so hungry by the time I got to the party that I just ate and ate, way more than I would have if I hadn’t been hungry. So if I am not starving then I am less likely to overeat at the party.

Step Two: Avoid the appetizers. I am horrible about the mindless eating. Especially at parties. I always end up standing next to the chip bowl talking to somebody and end up eating a ton of chips and then I don’t even realize how much I ate so I still eat a full plate of food. I am going to work on staying away from the appetizers.

Step Three: NO SODA. I can’t stand diet soda so I drink regular which is filled with calories, and I never seem to stop at just one, so I am going to avoid it altogether.

Step Four: Use a small plate instead of a large one, that way my plate looks full and I am eating less, and I feel satisfied.

The second part of this challange is to give a recipe for something healthy that we would bring as an alternative. This is my husbands usual request. Roasted Potato Salad. It doesn’t have any mayo so it is better than traditional potato salad. This is my modified version for my kids allergies. The original recipe called for ranch dressing, which I substituted Italian Dressing. I use regular Italian, but I am thinking about trying lo cal dressing the next time I make it. It also calls for bacon, I am looking for an alternative for that as well. I put it in when I make it for my husband and kids and when I eat it I just pick out the bacon.

Roasted Potato Salad

2 Tbsp. olive oil

2 lbs. small red potatoes, diced

½ onion chopped

2 cloves garlic minced

1 tsp. kosher salt

Dash fresh ground pepper

8 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled

½ bunch green onions, chopped

Italian Salad Dressing

Oil a pan with olive oil. Toss together the potatoes, onion, garlic and salt, and spread on the pan. Bake at 425 for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. In a serving bowl combine the cooked bacon, green onions, and salad dressing. Stir in cooked potato mixture and serve.

Serves 6-8

Have a great weekend.

Heather