Baking my way through the trials and triumphs of life!

I love parties but after the holidays when I step on the scale and see once again I had way too much fun I think to myself, “that’s it – no more parties until I can fit into my clothes.”  But I love to party so  I called several friends to come to my Golden Globes/Biggest Loser Party. 

On the evening of the Golden Globe Awards when my guests arrived they were given The Biggest Loser’s Diet Martini and ushered to the laundry room where they brought one witness of their choosing to verify their weight.  They found the following instructions and form to fill out. 

Biggest Loser Instructions

Remember,  this is on the honor system.  Any cheating will bring on the wrath of the weight gods and you will be punished with a weight gain that is double the amount you claim to lose.

1.  Take off your shoes.

2.  Empty your pockets.

3.  Remove any jewelry weighing over five pounds.

4.  Get on the scale.

5.  Fill out the form

6.  Put it in the envelope.

7.  Write your name on the envelope.

8.  Seal the envelope.

9.  Place in basket.

Biggest Loser Weight Form

NAME: ____________________

START WEIGHT: _______________

END WEIGHT:    _______________

POUNDS LOST:         _______________

Divide number of pounds lost by start weight. This gives you your percentage of weight lost.(Example, start weight was 189, you lost 14 pounds, divide 14 by 189, you get .074 which equals a 7.4 % weight loss.)

TEAR  HERE AND RETURN BOTTOM PORTION TO HOST OR HOSTESS

——————————————————————————–NAME: ____________________              % WEIGHT LOSS: ____________

Of course there were people who tried to cheat, like Peggy and Steve.  Peggy jumped on the scale and weighed in at 128.  It looked pretty good to me until she confessed to wearing padding that amounted to more than 20 pounds.    What was I thinking – no one that skinny should have been invited!  Steve also padded his stomach area and the way it was done was very deceiving.  A pang of conscience made him confess.  Bob also cheated by putting four pound weights in each pocket.  What were they thinking?

I took everyone’s “before” picture with the warning if they won the biggest loser, they better look like they’ve lost weight.

After the weigh-in, they checked off their picks for the winners of the Golden Globes.  At the end of the evening a Dancing with the Stars Video Workout CD was awarded to the winner, Glo, who picked the most winners.  Jim received the Biggest Loser Video Workout for picking the least amount of correct answers. 

We ate dinner and salad on small plates.  Everything was small–the potatoes, the pieces of chicken and fish and even the soup was served in small ramekins with a demitasse spoon.  Peggy brought fruit for dessert with a delicious topping.  I’ll post the additional recipes as soon as they send it to me.

The napkins holders were tape measurers for the men and pedometers for the women.  Brian checked our stride and calibrated the pedometers and we all promised to walk 10,000 steps every day.

During the evening we discovered that when we meet again in 6 weeks for the Academy Awards on February 22, Linda and Mack will be celebrating their anniversary.  So now the party will be the Biggest Loser – Academy Awards – Renewal of Vows Wedding ceremony.  I hope by then we’ll be able to fit into our wedding gowns.

Biggest Loser Menu
Costco Shrimp served with cocktail sauce
Salmon Bites
Vegetables with Dip
Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing
Tiny Baked Potatoes
Chicken
Mahi Mahi

Salmon Bites

1 cup maple syrup

1/3 cup soy sauce

2 pounds Salmon fillet

1/4 cup freshly ground black pepper

vegetable oil

1.Cut salmon into bite-size cubes.  Combine maple syrup and soy sauce.

 Place in Ziploc and add salmon.  Cover and refrigerate 24 hours.

 2. Grease sheet of aluminum foil with vegetable oil.  Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Put pepper in small bow and dip top of salmon into pepper.  Place peppered piece on foil and cook for four minutes.

Chicken

1 1/2 cups soy sauce

5 tablespoons butter, melted

2 1/2 tablespoons curry powder

2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger

2 1/2 cloves garlic, minced

5 dashes Tabasco sauce

10 whole chicken breasts, skinned, boned and halved

1 teaspoon sesame seeds

1.Mix the first 6 ingredients in a bowl and spread over chicken. 

Chill for several hours. Remove chicken.  Discard marinade.

 2. Preheat oven to 325. Place chicken in 2 9X13 pans. Sprinkle sesame seeds over chicken and bake for 45 minutes.

Mahi Mahi

20 3 ounce mahi mahi or halibut fillets, 1″ thick

2 cups lime or lemon juice

3 cups panko

1 1/2 cups macadamia nut, chopped

3 tablespoons cilantro, chopped

salt and pepper, to taste

1.Place fish in a ziplock bag and add lime or lemon juice.  Marinate fish for 30 minutes.

2.Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

3.Combine panko, chopped nuts, cilantro and salt and pepper in bowl.

4.Take fish from ziploc and dip in  panko mixture, pressing the mixture gently into the fish.

5. Spray shallow baking dish with PAM, place fish in pan and bake about 20 minutes.

FRUIT SALAD WITH CANNOLI CREAM

1/3 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese

2 tablespoons plus 1/3 cup whipping cream

3 tablespoons powdered sugar

Pinch of ground cinnamon

12 ounces fresh strawberries, hulled and quartered (2 1/2 cups)

1/2 pint fresh raspberries (1 1/2 cups)

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 kiwis, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

3 tablespoons sliced almonds, toasted

In a medium bowl blend the ricotta and 2 tablespoons of cream.

Beat 1/3 cup cream with powdered sugar and cinnamon until semi-firm peaks form.

Fold ricotta into whipped cream (can be prepared up to 4 hours ahead).  Cover and refrigerate.

Toss berries, sugar, and lemon juice.  Let stand 20 minutes. 

Add kiwis and toss gently.

Spoon fruit mixture into 4 dessert bowls.  Dollop with ricotta cream and sprinkle with almonds.