Carry Me Back To Old Virginee!

Zach: Liz and I managed to go back to Ol'Virginee this past Cheat Day (4/5)…which of course turned into a giant Cheat Weekend as we were in VA from Thursday night to Monday night. First of all…fucking WAWA subs! If you aren't from the east coast and don't know what a WaWa is well than friggin' figure it out because they are off the hook. Do you know what a Sheetz is? Well it is like that but with more quality and less nonsense, no offense Sheetz. I got a Chicken Salad sub, toasted, with bacon, extra pepperjack cheese, lettuce, pickles, jalapenos, oregano, and grated parmesan! It was a real heart stopper. Now I KNOW most of you are probably all like, "why waste your order on a Chicken Salad sandwich?!" WELL GO TO HELL! Their chicken salad is the best chicken salad EVER! I would also recommend getting the chicken tender sandwich and do it up any style you want…buffalo, parmesan,…well that's pretty much it. I later went back to a WaWa and just got a cheddar cheese stuffed pretzel, also great, but Chicago does pretzels and they do them well. Moving ON…

The next morning Liz, My Family, and I went to Taco Bell for BREAKFAST! That is right we all went to day two of Taco Bell Breakfast. We get there at like 10:45 which is NUTS I know because most fast food joints will cut breakfast off at like 10 or 10:30. Not the Bell. They keep it running all the way until 11. Not only that but between the hours of 9am and 11am you've got your pick of the menu. That's right order a fucking waffle taco and a chili cheese burrito for the same meal if that is your fancy. OR order an AM Crunchwrap (delicious by the way) and a regular Crunchwrap. Do WHATEVER YOU WANT!!!!

AM Crunchwrap with what looks like bacon (businessinsider.com)

I had a breakfast burrito, a breakfast grilled taco, and an AM Crunchwrap with bacon.  The AM Crunchwrap wins. Get it. Try the waffle taco, its fine but the AM Crunchwrap is filled with egg, choice of sausage, steak, or bacon, and a hash-brown. They also top those suckers with the sauce that until now only came on the quesadillas. You Bell fans will know how awesome that is. We also got an order of Cinnabon-bites and those were awesome as well for you dessert lovers. Honestly, Taco Bell breakfast was not bad at all. As far as fast food breakfast goes I would say it is up there in the top two, either tied or just behind Hardee's (Carl's Jr. for you Westerners).

Bonfire

Later that day my mama made me one of my favorite concoctions she'd always make back in the day which she found on the back of a box, her world famous Taco Pie. And before you ask NO we didn't eat ONLY "Mexican" food this random Cheat Weekend that we went on! Yeesh. Anyway, to make a taco pie you get a couple of burrito sized tortillas and slap your first down on a pan. You top that tortilla with refried beans, taco meat, and things like jalapenos, salsa or whatever else extra you want in there to spice it up. You repeat this step a time or two and then on the third or fourth tortilla you put that freakin' queso dip cheese sauce and shredded cheese and you pop that bad boy in the oven for like 15 minutes. Boom, heart attack number 2!

That night there were brownies and a bonfire. All my great friends and cousins came to hang with us. It was exactly what Liz and I had been looking for. We drank a shit ton of beer and got real hammered, outdoors! Liz fell out of her chair in the middle of my yard, but she did it in the midst of insulting me so everyone around the camp fire stopped, pointed, and laughed uproariously at her.

The next morning came my mom's famous breakfast casserole. This is a delectable concoction of eggs, sausage, cheese, and some kind of breading to hold this together. Take all of that, stick it in a casserole dish and pop it in the oven. It really is outstanding.

Later that day Liz, the family, and I took off for Liz's Aunt and Uncle's Farm House near Goochland, VA. It was a beautiful house modeled after an old style farmhouse. It was as though I was eating dinner at a re-enactment. There was wine and cheese and crackers and bread. For dinner we had Mr. Chidester's homemade ravioli! It was superb and the meat sauce to cover it pared perfectly.

View From Liz's Folk's Back Porch!

My folks and I stayed with the Chidester's that evening and for Breakfast Mr. Chidester made delicious thick cut maple bacon and the scrambled eggs he made were seasoned to perfection. We also had oatmeal raisin toast. That is RIGHT MoFo's, still runnin' on Cheat Day.

After some hangin'-out, some song playin', and some walkin' my parents and I left to get back to Stafford so I could spend time with my Brother and my main man Mike Dunn. We stopped at Sheetz and I did have a spicy chicken sandwich and jalapeno poppers...sweet sweet cheat day. When I got home I wasn't too hungry so I didn't really eat anything else. This diet will do that to you.

In the final morning, Monday, we went for round two of Taco Bell breakfast and it still held up. It was a gorgeous sunny day and we got to run around outside for a while and toss the frisbee around. A day like Monday really hammered home how shitty Chicago weather is. Before Liz and I went to the airport my ma ordered us a pizza and we made jalapeno poppers and fried dill pickle chips.

Then we got to the plane where we each got two Fat Tires, for $5 each! Fly Southwest Airlines, I'm telling you. You will not regret it. We started out mini-vacation with beer AND ended it with beer. SUPER CHEAT DAY WEEKEND!

Now, I have seemed to have lost focus as to why I do this blog. It very quickly became just a retelling of all the shitty food I eat. Well I eat all this shitty food for a reason, to lose weight. But, the point is I try to limit my shitty food in-take to one day a week, CHEAT DAY. So, if anyone out there still reads this they probably want to know. What is my status and why am I still Cheat Daying.

Well after the 2013 holidays, I found it very hard to diet as everyday from everybody I'd be offered something I wasn't allowing myself to eat. Eventually I cracked and started accepting offerings so I would have to stop answering the question, "why not? what's wrong with you?"

So at the start of 2014 I ended up weighing as much as 228lbs, after weighing only 210lbs. Remember my original weight was 239lbs. Well, I weighed myself last Saturday and I was back down to 219.4lbs. My goal always has been to get to 200lbs. This year has been very discouraging. I have lost my way with this diet I believe. Perhaps I cheat too hard. But to have only lost 9 or so pounds in 3 months is not great.

I have picked up an exercise regiment and I do believe that the habit that this diet has instilled in me of eating healthier and watching portions has me in a good place. Also, this diet has been particularly frustrating for Liz. Cheat Day is great. But if it isn't working for you...change your ways. Yet another beautiful way Cheat Day is a metaphor for LIFE!

I am going to Italy next week. I will tell you how awesomely cheat-tacular the food is there. After that Liz and I are going to be reevaluating our need for Cheat Day. See you cheaters later!

St. Paddy's Day 2nd Annual Costello Beer O'Lypmics Re-Cap!!!!

Zach: How's the Madness treating ya out there ya big ol' batch ah cheaters! Aaaaaah! March! It's the best time of the year is it not? Ya got the stupidest, yet most amusing holiday in St. Patrick's Day, you got the trickling out of the SHITTY weather, and you've got my personal favorite sporting event, the college hoops March Madness Basketball tournament. My Bracket is not yet completely busted! I did pick a decent upset that no one saw coming, Dayton. But there are just too many god damn upsets now!

I love March Madness because I was raised a KU Basketball fan. It's like being a Yankee fan. They are always good. I am a Jayhawks fan because my dad grew up in Lawrence, Kansas and then went to school there. I am also a VCU Rams fan, as VCU is my alma mater. VCU has been an excellent presence in the tournament since Eric Maynor hit an ice cold 3-point shot to knock out Duke a few years back while I was going through my Senior Year. I am VERY excited about the tournament this year. But enough about that…I can talk about it for weeks to come! (hopefully I will want to) Rock Chalk Cheaters!

Last Cheat Day the lovely lady Marie Weigle hosted her 2nd Annual Costello Beer O'Lympics! I missed them last year because of an audition. There is no way in HELL I was going to miss them this year. Plus, this year the Beer O'Lympics was on CHEAT DAY EM-EFFERS! And for anyone who's ever done the slow carb diet they know that BEER is one of the hardest fucking things to give up. So this event allowed me to spend Cheat Day pounding plastic cup after plastic cup of GREEN Beer. The green Keg O'Choice at the event was Budweiser. It's all good as long as it's green on St. Paddy's Day!

I hoped right onto Marie's Green Team. Our team was the fiestiest featuring Marie, Myself, Jon Wikholm, and Mike Hamilton. In fact Judge Brian Gartland gave us an honorary award as being most spirited.

We started off rusty placing last in the first event of beer ball. I cemented the loss when I went to the ground for the ball and arose rapidly, jamming my right shoulder into the underside of the table and flipping it right over. It was a clutzy, Chris Farley-esque, moment and I was devastated and embarassed. I came to win!

We CHAMPIONED the next event, Beer Pong, making all things even. Next came flip cup. I had one of those intensely awesome come from behind flip cup moments where your opponent is frantically flipping away while you chug your whole beer, set the cup, flip it once and land it like you drained that final 3-point jumper in the last second of the game! That move got us to the flip cup finals where it was the exact same situation only reversed on us and we lost it womp womp womp.

Finally was a non-drinking game to round it all out called heads-up. I think Ellen Degeneres sponsors this game which you can get on any iPad, iPhone, or Android device. The Green Team SUCKED ASS at this game as each guesser with the iPad on their head was yelled incoherent drunken clues by the entire rest of the team. In hindsight it would've been better to let just one person give clues while just one person guessed.

We we lost, the white team won…again…even without Tony Giamichael. Either way I had a blast. The Beer O'Lympics is a great event and I hope it continues for years to come!

We Came We Saw We CLLAW-nquered

https://www.facebook.com/ChicagoCLLAW, The Aluminum Monster in Back!

Zach: Good day cheaters! I am here to tell the tale of a strange STRANGE Cheat Day last Saturday. Liz signed up to compete in CLLAW XVIII, that is Chicago's League of Lady Arm Wrestling Eighteen for the lay-pers, and we had a lot to accomplish that day as far as gathering various materials for the event. Things like props, costume pieces, and friends for our entourage we needed to accrue. Liz's arm wrestling character? "The Aluminum Monster" from "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia." I went as Mac from the show who was also Liz's manager and head of security that night. We got friends Nick Bacon, Mike Fletcher, and Mike Sater to fill out the rest of the gang from the diabolically humorous show. But I digress, my point is we had a lot to do.

We were awoken that morning to blaring music and the sound of the apartment below her's being demolished at 8:30am. We were both very tired. Soon her apartment started filling with demo dust from the walls and ceiling of this 100-110 year old building and something had to be done. Liz ran downstairs to inform the men at work that there were in fact still people living in the apartment above them and that their handy work was causing it to fill with, potentially hazardous, dust. They immediately stopped and were apologetic. They were very nice and admitted that they were not even aware anyone was living there. Some fucking landlord, amirite?

Liz's landlord arrived about an hour later and immediately jumped on the defensive. "What dust?" he asked. Without getting overly angered Liz and I pointed…UH FUCKING EVERYWHERE! The landlord saw an imprint of my ass on a black leather chair where I sat moments before and was sold..FINALLY. Later he made mention that he could feel it in his mouth. Yeah, no SHIT. He said the demolition would cease until they fixed the ancient ventilation system still in operation in the building from the turn of last century. There was dust because of demolition, there was a hazardous amount of dust because the heating system connected the two apartments essentially.

Masks were purchased for us by the kind crewman

He also claimed there would be a cleaning crew arriving with "equipment" to get rid of the mess. About half an hour later just ONE of the very nice gentleman from the demolition crew came through the door with his hood up, ash on his face, and one comically oversized sponge in his hand and said with a sad apologetic inflection, "My boss told me I have to clean your apartment." Liz, Jacob, and I drew enough energy to let out a single laugh each and all of us got to work.

Liz and the crewman took to cleaning the apartment. Jacob and I took off for the hardware store to get extra cleaning supplies and prop items for CLLAW. We then stopped to get a dozen donuts at Dunkin Donuts (CHEAT DAY!). While the three of them cleaned and rearranged the apartment I went off to complete the errands for CLLAW.

I met back up with them at their apartment and the place looked great but dust continued to settle and probably will for a while to come still. Liz's roommate Justin ordered us a couple of pizzas from Chicago's on Montrose around the corner from their house. It was good. He also got us beer, STIEGL! and booze as a thank you for taking care of shit that day. (CHEAT DAY M-EFFERS).

So now the demolition has stopped in the apartment below Liz's but renovation has begun IN her apartment. Her landlord refuses to give them notice as to when men will be roaming in and out of their apartment or any sort of schedule or plan for the building whatsoever. They took off the interior door leading to the staircase which leads directly into the outdoors making the apartment intensely cold and near impossible to heat.

I know this is a blog about food and eating and then NOT eating…but this edition has turned into this rant. Does anyone know if there is anything Liz and her roommates can do to say. NO, you can't come in here without notice. Or SURE, come in and renovate while we live here but everyday you do it is a day off of rent? The building was sold in the middle of their lease and I suppose their lease is basically grandfathered into the deed of the building or something like that? Any advice would be helpful to Liz and her roommates!

So later CLLAW XVIII went off without a hitch and ended up being the most successful CLLAW they have had yet, some 700 people showed up. People got a kick out of The Aluminum Monster and the gang. We drank more beer and had a non-Cheat Day red wine…but it was in a CAN! Cheat Day forever EM-EFFERS!

GO TO CLLAW!

Oh yeah, one more thing ya lousy cheater...

Taco Bell Breakfast is happening!

nm.com

An Epic Chili-Cookoff at Oomphotography

myfrugalfitness.com

Zach: SO! This past Cheat Day was A BLAST! The lovely Liz and I spent the day in the grocery store buying chili making supplies, then Liz MADE chili while I made pretzel bun cold cut sandwiches (which were dope). THEN the chili was entered into one of the most fun events I have been to in a while, Candice Conner's (of Oomphotography) 6th Annual Chili Cookoff!

My SEXY ass: Photo by: oomphotography.com

The Lovely Liz: oomphotography.com

                      The Conners opened up their home to 11 Chili Cooks and somewhere around 50 guests! Needless to reiterate, but I am not a fast learner, it was EPIC and delicious! And I know what you're thinking…"but Zach can't you eat Chili on NON Cheat Days?" YES, most chili's. But you may be forgetting all the cheese, sour cream, corn bread, "Italys" (Whatever those are..LOGAN), sweet potato muffins! AND BEER! Yes, of course there was beer, and I drank all the beer (like Homer, "but I need IT!"). I drank so much beer that I forgot I signed up for a beer drinking competition…that will happen St. Patty's Day weekend. So look forward to that.

Liz's chili fuckin' ROCKED. She was also the one to make corn bread…fucking AWESOME corn bread. But first the chili. Liz's chili was called, and the title will say it all, Chidester's Champion Chicken and Chorizo Chili with Chive and Cheddar Cheese. WHAT?! Your a little hard aren't you? It's okay…you can admit it, we're all friends here! You ladies have a little lady chub going too don't you?..I KNOW! That chili sounds awesome and it WAS awesome and it didn't even WIN this competition, so you can imagine how good some of the other chilies had to be.

Liz's corn bread was paired with her chili perfectly. Instead of milk she used beer in the corn bread, and she chopped up bacon and jalapenos to bake into the center of the corn bread as well. She topped the whole bunt with shredded cheddar. I could have eaten the whole loaf of bread by itself as a meal!

THE VICTOR Jacquelyn Prater: oomphotography.com

I don't know the ins and outs about the other chilies so I won't be able to go into what ingredients went into each, BUT, The winner was a chili titled Savory Sioux by Jackie Prater, and I will say that it was delicious. It was also paired perfectly with a side dish: sweet potato biscuits and honey butter. It was indeed savory, and then sweet, and then zesty! It was all in all a terrific chili and was basically the buzz of the event.

2nd Place: Mike Sater: oomphotography.com

3rd Place (1): Logan Conner: oomphotography.com

Second place went to my friend Mike Sater, I forget the title but he paired his with this avocado relish thing and some sort of cheese spread and it was delicious, unique and delicious. At 3rd place there was a tie. Logan Conner, the gentleman of the house, and a lovely woman named Dom each came in at 3rd. Logan's Chili was probably my 2nd favorite, after Liz's (I have a soft spot for chorizo…and Liz). I was told several times by contestant Brad Brubaker that it, "tasted like Slim Jims…in a good way." And I LOVE Slim Jims. Twas a beefy chili, Logan's. Beefy and spicy and I loved every minute of it. I even went back for seconds, even after I was stuffed so full of beans, meat, onion, corn, bread, cheese, sour cream, and of course…beer.

3rd Place (a): Dom: oomphotography.com

It was a fabulous night all around. I was so full I thought I was gonna die! Congrats to each contestant, specifically the winner Jackie. Congrats to all 50 judges (attendees) for being smart enough to attend such an event. But, most of all, congrats to Candice Conner for organizing it. A great time was had by all. I am already looking forward to next year's cookoff. I'd be honored to be the happy helper once more. I would hate to have to use the OTHER immortal words of Homer Simpson, "We're missing the cook-off, it's going on right now and we're missing it…"

hwdyk.com

Valentine's Day Eat Fest!

simpsonitos.wordpress.com

Zach: I love you cheaters! I just have to get that out there while it's still love day. So last Cheat Day was a low key "Cheap" Day where the Lovely Liz and I just bought grocery cheat items. These days are often the best Cheat Days. You can each get whatever the fuck you want, just separate. We got cheese and chocolate and macaroni and crackers and hummus (which you CAN eat on a normal day but not a lot and lets face it why eat hummus if you can't knock out that whole fucking container?!)

chocolategourmet.co.uk

gracessweetlife.com

This Cheat Day is not going to be much different. And no, to all who are wondering we ain't switching no Cheat Day to Valentine's Day. We're getting half-price chocolate tomorrow and we'll enjoy a delicious non-cheat meal tonight with some red wine, which you can drink on not cheat day! Here's what to eat on a non-cheat Valentine's Day: Salad (no fuggin shit), Italian Sausage, Tri-colored peppers, Broccoli, and fuggin black beans, perhaps a little coffee as an after dinner beverage. "What about dessert?" HEY SHUT UP! Stop trying to keep winners from winning alright?! We'll get to dessert the next day when we wake up and pound heart shaped chocolate and donuts in bed like we have our own too fat to leave the house A&E show!


Alrighty cheaters. This is a short one. If we do anything fancy tomorrow you'll read about it next week. I love you. Happy Valentine's Day from Zach and Liz.

Ice Skating

CHILI CHEESE BURRITO IS BACK!

Zach: Good not CheatDay, Cheaters! I hope you are all getting a long just fine on this non-cheat day as I am. So, it seems as though I was lazy last week and I have two awesome Chicago CheatDays to cover. But first! IN OTHER NEWS!:

How bout that shitty Super Bowl huh? It reminded me of the Super bores from the days of yores!

Also, poor poor P.S.H. He seemed like a man who lived every day like it were CheatDay. Fantastic actor and I am certain that I will look at some movie parts, excluding the void he'll leave in that WAY too popular Hunger Games series, and think to myself, "Boy Phillip Seymour Hoffman would have KILLED that part." RIP you talented M-Fer.

Now on to the cheating! Two Saturdays ago, long before this horrible Super Bowl or the giant empty characterish slot P.S.H. left in the acting world , the lovely Liz and I went to Spacca Napoli Pizzeria for a lovely CheatDay luncheon. Spacca Napoli is a Naples, ITL style pizza joint. Now, if you didn't know (which I did NOT before last Saturday) Naples style pizza is thin crust and small, almost personal style. Ladies or small men you may want to share a single pizza unless you've got a big me sized man with you to pick up the slack.

chicago.seariouseats.com

Because it was god damned CheatDay we EACH got a pizza and we split them down the middle. We ordered the Diavola topped with Buffalo mozzarella, spicy salami, red pepper flakes, and basil. I highly recommend this Diavola if you go in. It was tangy but not too tangy and saucy and just so damned flavorful. I would use more adjectives like on the food network but just try it alright! c'mahn whaddya want from me! It was good that's all you need to know.

We also ordered the Prosciutto e Rucola. This was a decent olive oil sauced pizza that was made glorious by the thin savory, melt-in-your mouth cuts of prosciutto that is was topped with. It also had arugula on it…A LOT of arugula on it. I happen to like arugula, but if you don't, don't order this one. We each had a couple Peroni to…ya know…fit in I guess? Peroni, I think may be the only beer that tastes better to me in a bottle as opposed to on tap. (fun fact)

spaccanapolipizzeria.com

All in all Spacca Napoli was a great time. It was a bit pricey but it is perfect for a date or if you have a family it would be a bit more affordable. Just share your, perhaps a bit to big for one person, pizza with your little children and tell them to SHUT THEIR UGLY FACES while you're at it. OH, and go see Inside Llewyn Davis, great movie great soundtrack.

Three days ago the Kansas Jayhawks got dicks kicked in Austin, Texas by the Longhorns and I got Taco Bell. NEWSFLASH T-B FANS! The Chili-Cheese Burrito is back! I repeat! THE CHILI-CHEESE BURRITO IS BACK! If you are reading this, get off your ass NOW and go get one so they stick around this time…for FUCK sake. I have a long drawn out history with the chili-cheese burrito, affectionately known as the chilito to midwesterners.

The chilito was my favorite food in the world as a little fat kid. "Where do you want to go for your birthday dinner?" my mom would ask year in and year out from the age of 10 until about age 18. "Taco Bell!" fat little Zach would exclaim while he stuffed another homemade nacho into his dumb mouth. Then suddenly the chilito was gone from the local Taco Bell menu where I grew up in Stafford, VA. I was outraged! I drafted a letter demanding them to bring the chilito back to the Virginia Taco Bell. I never sent it...

Then, later that year, my friends went off to Virginia Tech. Much to my surprise, and delight, the Blacksburg, VA Taco Bell menu you featured my old friend, the CHILITO! Even though it wasn't something I could have all the time, as Blackburg, VA is approximately a 4 hour drive from ANYWHERE on the fucking PLANET, it was still a welcomed moderate dose of what is certainly Taco Bell's grade D meat about to spoil so they used for another purpose, the CHILITO!

IN ALL IT'S SIMPLE GLORY (Pintrest.com)

Finally, before my friends graduated from Virginia Tech it was stricken from that Taco Bell menu as well. I was devastated. It seemed as though I'd never get another chilito as long as I lived. But wait! Once more! On a visit to the midwest, specifically Indiana, even MORE specifically Indianapolis, my uncle Dan informed me that the "chilito" was NEVER taken off of the midwestern Taco Bell menus and that we could go and get one RIGHT NOW if we wanted too, which we did. (Side note, the fact that it was never taken from the midwestern menu is a bit telling idn't?!)

Jump ahead a couple years. I move to Chicago. I visit my Indianan relatives. I DEMAND they take me to a Taco Bell to find a Chilito…it's nowhere to be found, gone from their menus as well…once again I am of the thought that I will never see the cherished chilito again…until 2 weeks ago…when a good friend from high school and a Virginia Tech alum texted me and informed me that the Chili Cheese was back. I told him I would go in and make sure they were in the Chicago locations myself and report back to him. Sure enough…he was right!



I know they are back in New York and Chicago, now it is up to you to tell me America..and WORLD! Is the Chili-cheese burrito back in action in your home town. Go to Taco Bell, your next cheat day to find out why the Chilito was and IS my favorite food of all time. And then be sure to ask yourself…why was this ever taken off of the menu to start with?!

Declining Offerings Gracefully…the holidays are over everyone!

#3 (resto.newcity.com)

Zach: What up my CHEATERz?! Zachy F in da house!!!!!! Okay that was dumb. So last Saturday Liz and I went to DMK Burger off of the Wellington Brown line stop. It definitely lived up to the hype. I had a DOUBLE #3 Mother Effers. Now that thing is like a double burger plus a Reuben sandwich, meaning it was stuffed with pastrami and kraut, and a 1,000 island dressing substitute. YES, my heart certainly did skip a beat and YES I did mistake it for a heart attack!

'Sconsin Cheddar fries (loyolaphoenix.com)

I also ordered Wisconsin Cheddar and Scallion fries. The melty wisconsin cheddar was so soft and mild it made me want to never stop eating, but my newly puny stomach could not, would not have been able to handle it. Especially since Liz decided to order a HUGE order of Parmesan with Truffle Cream fries…which were also out of this world. I swear you just put truffle cream on anything and it makes me wanna….aaaaaauuuuuuugggggghhhhh….

Liz ordered a #9, The Patty Melt, as her burger….I got to try some…cause…ya know, I said "LIZ! Look over there!" (yoink, nom nom nom, heh heh heh) It was awesome, better than my burger. I offered a trade but no dice, she agreed that hers was better and then smacked my face for the thievery. This patty melt had burger with smoked bacon, smoked swiss, burnt onions, that 1,000 island substitute "Leroy's Remoulade," and it was all in between panini style grilled rye bread. DE-LICIOUS.

#9 (yelp.com)

Our Good Buddy Brian Gartland met us there before he had to go to work. he ordered the not so standard #1. It looked as delicious as he said it was. All in all we had a good time. The service was on point and it wasn't too bad waiting at the bar for our table to clear up…get us a little drunk. This place is busy, but give it a try…mmmmaybe during the weekday.

I am looking forward to another cheat meal this Saturday although I've got no idea where it'll be… As for the title of this post…let me just say I am VERY happy the holidays are over and I don't have to turn down as many delicious offerings from sweet old ladies, or friends, or coworkers. It was getting REALLY hard to not eat all the chocolate or brownies or cakes or philly cheesesteaks or EVERYTHING! Here's a tip for people thinking about dieting and you are finding it hard to turn down all the free treats and offering from people: talk about your diet EVERY TIME someone bugs you to eat something, TRUST ME, they will get bored and leave you alone. I do it all the time and I find it hilarious. I make sure I say the same things each time I explain it. Then tell them to look you up on Cheat Days! Happy cheating everyone!

Devastation!

identity.ku.edu

Zach: heeeey cheaters….Zach here to talk to you about what the Chiefs should have done. CHEATED! What a devastating loss! So devastating I might not even talk about it to much. Just, good bye Chiefs, HELLO JAYHAWKS, who also lost last weekend but than WON on Wednesday so go fuck yourselves!

www.thrillist.com

So Liz and I were at Toons on Saturday, for no particular reason…(not talking about it). And since we were there anyway for…no reason! we decided to cheat there too. If you are in Lakeview and need you some BBQ go on over to Toons! They do it up KC style. I had a half rack of ribs as I stood over a piece of ply wood which sat on top of a pool table…cause I'm a MAN, and I devoured that seasoned up just right half rack. Licked the bones clean I did! I also pounded back Lagunitas IPAs hard while I wolfed down the ribs, delicious french fries, and the lil'old ramekin of cole slaw. Liz got herself some delectable fried buffalo chicken fingers and fries. Honestly I don't know why chicken fingers hasn't been a regular cheat day item. It certainly should be! And it will be, starting now!

Being Fed The Last Fry by Sater (at the end of the happy half)

So... right now cheat day isn't SO exciting. We only focus on ONE cheat meal on any given cheat day and then allow ourselves beers and liquors we won't drink on any NON Cheat Day and perhaps an occasional snack if it is offered up to us…cause, ya know Cheat Day just don't care! He just don't. I do think next will be the Bad Apple in Lincoln Square to try us some of their burgers…if not you'll find out next week! Tata!









One last thing, check out the poster I manipulated and go to what it says to go to!

Holiday Season is a Cheat Season.

Zach: HEY! Cheaters! It's been a spell ya know?! The lovely Liz and I stopped having real cheat days since it is nearly impossible to eat completely healthy the rest of the week and countless people offer you free cookies, candies, chips, popcorn, cake, pie, whole MEALS for god sake. I shot right back up to 228 at my heaviest but hovered mostly around 220 lbs. The lowest I reached was 211 lbs. 

From KC Chiefs official Facebook Page

Now it is a new year and of course it is the perfect time for challenges. I strongly encourage anyone dissatisfied with their current weight to attempt the slow carb diet as your weekly holiday we know as Cheat Day will become a weekly holiday season wrapped up into one day. As they new year starts and the Football season begins to wrap up (Go Chiefs) Liz and I have decided to move Cheat Day back to Saturdays. If anyone has any suggestions for places or things to eat in particular please leave a comment or email me or hit me up on FB. 

This week we are going to start slow with only a cheat meal at the Bad Apple in Lincoln Square! I will let you know all about it next week.

The Cheat Season, aka Halloween through New Years, was epic. The week of Christmas was spent in San Diego, easily the highlight of the season, tasting the local fast food-like fare. I made a stop at Sombrero, to pay homage to Blink 182. In&Out because you like…have to..right? And then my favorite place was Lucha Libre, the gourmet taco place with a food challenge that was featured on Man Vs. Food. 

We just stumbled into it, otherwise I'd have tried to schedule an eating challenge (which requires 24 hours advanced notice). All I had was a queso taco but it was enough to make me swoon. The corn tortilla has a layer of crispy grilled cheese melted to it before the added the traditional taco fillings. Top notch I must say. I loved San Diego and I recommend anyone go there any time of year, but especially winter so you can escape the cold or a minute!

Lucha Libre Screenshot from youtube.com

All right cheaters! I hope you missed me as much as I missed you. See you next week. And Gabriella say HAPPY FUCKING NEW YEAR! fistbump!

Gabriella! Giant Fist!…which I later broke...