Celebrate, Celebrate....

Now really, who buckles down and starts focusing on eating healthy ONE WEEK before any holiday?  What was I thinking?  Well, my hope was I'd be able to control myself and I did pretty well, if I do say so myself.  I wasn't perfect on this low carb venture, but I was excellent at planning ahead and even eating out selections (with a few minor focus glitches which you will understand in a minute).  

I tried that Cheeseburger Salad mentioned in my previous post and let me just say, YUMMO!  My husband (who doesn't need to diet and who doesn't appreciate being fed diet food even though I patiently explain lifestyle change versus diet to him) loved it!  It was filling, flavorful, and I felt a little guilty eating it because nothing that good can be low carb, right?  

We spent the weekend at our little cabin in Custer, South Dakota and we ate really well/low carb the whole time, with a few exceptions.  The first was Hill City's fault.  Have you been there?  It is such a cute little town with some really great little restaurants and shops.  We went into a wine shop there in town that has reopened.  I wish I could remember the name, but it has escaped me.  The great thing though, is that they have THE best 25 year old aged balsamic vinegar and garlic olive oil I've ever tasted.  I bought a jar each of this stuff, and then tucked it away at the cabin for next time.   

But I digress.  As we were returning to our vehicle after the purchase, I said to my husband, let's go to the Alpine Inn.  I've always heard they had good food, it is always packed, and for all of our years of wandering around there, we've never eaten at the Alpine Inn http://www.alpineinnhillcity.com/index.php.  

If you are a fan of the Black Hills, and if you  like traditional German/European food, then this is the place for you!  I highly recommend it.  Great service, great food, and great prices.  The desserts were my downfall, as we had a apple cinnamon Napoleon with ice cream.  That is not low carb folks.  The good news is my husband and I shared it, right?   I can't believe we waited all of these years, and we will definitely be back sometime very soon!!   

The other place that was my downfall was this place:  

It is a small restaurant in Custer called Bitter Esters Brewhouse.  Every time we go, I have to stop in  and order the mussels.  We did that again, and the mussels are amazing, but they are better with the crusty bread served on the side and the Magner's Pear Cider served on tap.  Again, not low carb my friends, but I did it anyway!  

Well, after my confessions about favorite places in the southern Black Hills, you might think I blew my diet altogether.  But the good news is, after a weekend of mostly being good but when I was bad, being really bad, I was actually down..drum roll please.......4.5 pounds for the week! How's that for motivation to get serious about getting healthy!

One could say I am off track, but I am home  again, focused for the week, and packing my lunches.  Breakfast was fruit, lunch was salad, and Chili Rellenos Casserole  for tonights dinner from Shae Pendleton at her blog "Hello Homebody" http://hello-homebody.com/2013/07/27/chile-rellenos-casserole/.    I'll report in on the result next time.