Happy Birthday Bob!

Today is Bob's birthday, so we're going to be making the trek into the Fraser Valley for a birthday dinner. Mister Man purchased the PERFECT bday gift (which I'm not at liberty to mention yet, as who knows what eyeballs may be moving over this text before the big event??) And I've baked a little something for Bob which I'll share with you later (not LITERALLY share with you - unless of course you're part of the running posse who are heading to the Sunshine Coast for the weekend. Because I DID scoop a dozen for their enjoyment!)

Today, I thought I'd share something a little different with you. I know, I'm usually all about the baking - which I love. The act of measuring and stirring and beating and sifting and grating and whipping fills me with joy.

But last night, Grayce and I started Dub Dub together (AKA W.W.) (AKA Weight Watchers). Don't worry, I won't be blogging about every morsel of food I pop into my mouth and how delicious it was - unh ... wait a minute... [clears throat and blushes]. Seriously though, there are so many amazing weight loss blogs out there, that my voice doesn't need to be added to the chorus. I may mention it from time to time, but that's about it.

What's at stake here are the number of photographs that will be taken when Mister Man and I tie the knot next year. (though seeing as how I'm usually the photographer, this could prove a bit tricky). In any event, I just want to feel a little better in my dress, in my jeans, in my ginch, in my sweat pants. I'm not shooting for "thin" or anything crazy like that! I won't be turning up on the cover of People Magazine under the headline "THEY LOST HALF THEIR BODY WEIGHT!!". Nope. I'll still be me. But there'll be just a little less of me. Grayce has agreed to go with me to Dub Dub, and for that I'm grateful. And I will still enjoy indulgences (isn't that the joy of Weight Watchers?). So I'm not putting my Kitchen Aid into a cupboard or anything.... I might just not bake as much (though I have banked some REALLY GREAT RECIPES!!!)

To kick things off, I decided I'd post a recipe for a savory dip (which is most certainly not from the Weight Watcher's cookbook, so why I would start with such a dish is beyond me!!!). Merilee made it the last time we were out in the valley. And, well, it was delicious. Here's what it looked like BEFORE we decimated the bowl:


And here's the recipe:

Shrimp Pecan Dip a la Merilee

1/2 cup pecans, toasted
8 oz. package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup finely chopped celery
1/4 cup beer
4 tsp grated or finely chopped onion
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 1/4 tsp dry mustard
1 1/2 cups chopped cooked fresh shrimp

Toast yer pecans first (Bake at 350 for 5-7 minutes, set aside, cool and chop.

In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, celery, beer, onion, Worcestershire and mustard. Blend well. Stir in shrimp and pecans. Pack the mixture into a serving container. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour. Serve with crackers. Look how delicious this is....

Oh. And a small warning: Do not serve this too close to meal time as everyone will gobble it up and then be too full to enjoy the dinner you spent hours sweating over….

I will be posting some more savory dishes in the fall. I have a knack with texturized soy protein and nutritional yeast (and before you go shrieking into the distance, I can assure you that you'll be pleasantly surprised). Until then, I think I'll have another carrot.