Take Out Inside and Cozy-like (cause it's frosty out)

This month's Cooking Light (Jan/Feb 2009) has a section on "Weeknight Meal Makeovers"- making nutritious versions of take-out and fast food dinners. I tried a couple this weekend. Last night's dinner was Smothered Steak Burgers and Shoestring Fries with Garlicky Dijon Mayo. It was really good and popular with the family, too- though they all had their burgers non-smothered and had their fries mainly with ketchup. :)

I really liked the french fries and found them pretty easy to make. You soak the cut potatoes in hot water for ten minutes before they go in the oven, making them crispier without lots of extra oil. A few of them were a little crunchy crisp- but that was my fault in not getting them out of the oven right away (due to co-ordination of cooking times- or somethin' like that.) The garlicky mayo dip was super good, of course and I tried to stick to a fourth of a serving by putting everyone's serving on their plates at least...and tried not to dip into someone else's plate. :P

The burger was good, too and big though my kaiser here makes it look small due to its own bun-enormity. It was one of the smaller bakery kaisers at the grocery store. I cut a bit off the edges while eating.

The whole meal isn't low in points, (9 points for the smothered burger, 4 for the fries with dip) but it was worth it. Sometimes you just need a burger and fries in your life- without the Big Mac guilt. kwim? Anyway, this CL article "speaks to me." A weekend treat doesn't mean you have to go off plan. yahooo!

I also worked out this weekend- well today anyway. I tried one of the exercise videos that I got from the library way back when and then got out again this week (after not doing it last time even after talking about it). :P Anywhooo...that Cathe chick really kicked my butt on the step/ power drill routines. Fitness Fig has gone up even further in my esteem and I already admired her workout schedules greatly. :D