Happy Tuesday all! I LOVE the days that I wake up before my alarm.  I honestly think what gets me going is hearing the sound of the Keurig Coffee Maker kick on….I may or may not have a “slight” addiction to making single cups of coffee for anyone who will let me just so I can use it

I usually sip one cup while I am making both of our lunches then I make an iced coffee for the train ride.  No pre-workout snack this morning (no bananas!)….

My goal this week for workouts is to fit in 4 runs. Today was day 1 and another awesome C25K (Couch to 5K) run/walk.

Breakfast this week is going to be all about “The Muffin” ~ Bay’s English Muffins that is.

The folks over at Bay’s were nice enough to send me a couple of packs of English Muffins to try.

I am pretty sure they knew they knew I fell IN LOVE with their muffins at BlogHERFood11 when they were serving them up with that amazing feta/jam/nut spread. 

Doughy, crunchy bread, creamy cheese, sweet apricots, nuts, butter….need I say more?!

I may need to re-create that spread….I DREAM about it!

The original is 4 points+ each.

I LOVE how crispy they get in the toaster and how they have tons of little pockets to hold your toppings.

Topped with 1 Tbsp of Natural Honey Roasted Peanut Butter (7 points+).

Plus the last of my watermelon…..I am so sad, but, I can wait two days LOL!

I actually made up lunches for the week yesterday as part of my MISSION TO CLEAR THE FREEZER.

This is one of my favorite FAST and EASY recipes that I tried during my Vegan Adventures. 

It is from Vegetarian Times Mag and it only takes like 10-15 minutes from start to finish.

VEGETABLE GYOZA WITH EDAMAME SOYCATASH for 7 points+ a serving! 

I also brought back my favorite easy to go “salad” ~ Spicy Asian Peanut Slaw (2 points+)!

Yup, I ALWAYS have this on hand too ~ no trips to the store (day 2 lol)!

* 1 cup organic broccoli slaw

* 1/2 cup organic carrots

* 2 Tbsp Trader Joe’s Spicy Peanut Dressing

* Sprinkle of crushed red pepper flakes

I was satisfied after lunch but my mouth wanted something sweet.  When rummaging for a mint, I saw that I still had a Jo’s Dark Chocolate Sea Salted Caramel! (2 points+)

Ummmm, the chocolate totally won.

Have you all heard about The Great Fundraising Act? 

It is where the BLOGGING WORLD is coming together for one day to help raise funds for Susan of The Great Balancing Act. (one of my great friends, Foodbuzz Roomie and our Personal Trainer over at Friends for Weight Loss) ~ she is on the right in the green jacket.

On JULY 25th, you all will be able to help raise money for Susan (so she can fight cancer!) by bidding on over 100 company sponsored baskets, blogger goodies and baked treats.

I will be making up a Custom Made Baked Goodies pack that is Weight Watcher Friendly and I guarantee will be completely delicious (you might have to outbid The Husband he said LOL).

I also brought Annie’s on board and we made up the coolest Annie’s Loot Bag to donate to the auction today complete with a Bunny Tail Bandana/Placemat

Here is your sneak peak…….

Want to win it??? Go check out all the details over at The Great Fundraising Act Here and be ready to bid away on July 25th!

The Husband and I LOVE Susan and know she is going to beat the cancer she has been diagnosed with!

By the time I walked in the door, I was starving! 

We totally snacked on some Blue Corn Chips with Chipotle Guacamole and Pico De Gallo we had in the fridge from yesterday while dinner cooked. (6 points+)

Yup, I totally ate off the counter, but, I did balance it out with a Mini Babybel for, you know protein!

I had been planning out dinner all day long in my head so I am sure that had something to do with my hunger levels.

It involved “sticky” BBQ Chicken ~ 3 points+!

These Garlic Fries I bought way back when at Trader Joe’s that I “found” in the freezer.

5 points+ a serving.

NOTE ~ if you make these, you HAVE to make the entire bag…even the directions say so lol,

I cooked them for 25-30 minutes to make them extra crispy since I didn’t want the garlic sauce to make them soggy.

WOW!!! I think these taste BETTER than the fried Gordon Biersch Garlic Fries you get at Ball Games.

They are super crispy, slightly salty and loaded with garlic. 

3 oz measured out = a whole lotta garlic goodness

I ate my grilled asparagus like “fries” too. (1 points+)

LOVE!

NEW AT FRIENDS FOR WEIGHT LOSS

* Labor Day Challenge ~ Week 1 Challenge ~ Name Two things!

* Shannon is back with one of her goto No Cook 3 Points+ Summer Appetizers ~ YUM!

* Meet Juliette ~ Our latest contributor has lost 40 LBS and counting!

Q’s

What are your favorite type of fries?

I absolutely LOVE sweet potato fries, but, if I must go with a potato ~ it’s all about curly or criss cut fries.  I am pretty sure I’ve NEVER met a “fry” I didn’t like.

Night all!

One of The Husband’s FAVORITE things in this world is the REAL DEAL Rocky Road Squares.  What’s not to LOVE about marshmallows, chocolate and roasted walnuts?!  I have to say the “key” to making this recipe EXCEPTIONAL is DRY ROASTING your walnuts before you chop them.

TO DRY ROAST WALNUTS: Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.  Spread walnuts on a cookies sheet and bake for 5-7 minutes, until fragrant and slightly browned.  Allow to cool and roughly chop. 

I will often “dry roast” walnuts in large batches because they are a delicious snack and a great addition to recipes like this, salads, oatmeal and more. 

ROCKY ROAD SQUARES

INGREDIENTS

• 4 ounces dark chocolate, good quality – any type you would eat
• 4 ounces milk chocolate, good quality – any type you would eat
• 2 tsp regular butter
• 3 cup Mini Marshmallows
• 1/3 cup Dry Roasted and Roughly Chopped Walnuts
• 2 Tbsp. Dry Roasted and Roughly Chopped Walnuts

INSTRUCTIONS

1.  Line a 9- X 9-inch pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil.

2.  In a double boiler, melt chocolate and butter over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until thoroughly combined; remove from heat and stir in marshmallows and all but 1/2 cup chopped walnuts.

3.  Scrape chocolate mixture into prepared pan using a silicon spatula; smooth into a somewhat even layer. Top with remaining 2 Tbsps of walnuts.  Refrigerate until chocolate sets, at least 1 hour; keep refrigerated until ready to eat. Cut into 16 pieces and serve.

Makes 16 servings, 3 points+ each

Nutritional Information Per Serving

STEP-BY-STEP

Melt your chocolates and butter in a double broiler over medium low heat.

Remove from heat and add in marshmallows and 1/3 cup walnuts.

Smooth mixture into a 9×9 pan covered in foil.

Sprinkle with remaining 2 Tbsp chopped walnuts.

Refrigerate for 1 hour and slice into 16 squares.  Store in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer.

Phew!!! I think that catches me up on all the Bake-A-Thon Recipes I owed you all.  In case you missed any, here they are:

* Mock Thin Mints

* Mock Tagalongs

* Mock Moon Pies

* Low-Fat Banana Bread Cookies

* Brown Sugar Banana Nut Muffins

* Dark Chocolate Almond Butter Cups

See you all later with my weigh in, weekly menu and some daily eats!

I will be the first to admit that I’ve never actually had a “real” Moon Pie, but, I sort of wish I had…I LOVE the name and I think it would be fun to say I am going to have  Moon Pie or maybe a Moon Pie Cookie. 

When I originally developed my Mock Girl Scout Tagalongs, some of my taste testers (super cute kids of course!) said that they would be PERFECT cookies if they included marshmallows too.

It didn’t take me long to realize that crispy+peanut butter+marshmallow+chocolate would be amazing…..the only thing I needed was a name.  Enter……

MOCK MOON PIE COOKIES RECIPE

INGREDIENTS

• 25 Reduced Fat Ritz Crackers
• 25 tsps. Honey Roasted Creamy Peanut Butter
• 25 tsps. Marshmallow Crème
• 4 oz Milk or Dark Chocolate (Good Quality ~ any type you would enjoy eating)

INSTRUCTIONS

1.  Line 2 cookies sheets with parchment paper.  Place 25 crackers on the cookie sheet then top with the 25 teaspoons of peanut butter and marshmallow creme.  Refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

2.  Melt chocolate in a double broiler over medium low heat..  Once melted, turn heat to low to keep chocolate warm.

2.  Using two teaspoons, drop one peanut butter marshmallow covered cracker in the chocolate using the spoons to coat it with chocolate.  Lift the cracker out of the chocolate shaking off excess chocolate.  Place on the parchment paper and repeat with remaining crackers.

3.  Refrigerate until cooled and the chocolate is hard, about 20 minutes.  Store in the fridge or freezer in an air tight container.

Makes 25 Cookies, 2 points+ each

Nutritional information per cookie

STEP-BY-STEP

Here is everything you need to make your “Mock” Moon Pies.

Top each cracker with 1 teaspoon of peanut butter and 1 teaspoon of Marshmallow cream.  Refrigerate 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Melt chocolate over medium low heat in a double broiler.  Place peanut butter crackers in the chocolate and use two teaspoons to coat and shake off excess chocolate.

Place on your parchment paper covered cookie sheet and repeat with remaining crackers.

Refrigerate until cooled and the chocolate hardens, about 20 minutes.  Dig in and enjoy!

I honestly think these are my absolute FAVORITE Mock Cookie I made for the Bake Sale.

I have one more Bake Sale Recipe to share for the Easiest Rocky Road Squares you will ever make.  Look for that recipe on Sunday

Catch ya’all later!

Have you all ever thought of making your own “healthier” versions of Girl Scout Cookies?  I first created these “Mock” Girl Scout Tagalong Cookies when I participated in my first Blogger Bake Sale over 2 years ago. 

My favorite part about these cookies is that they do not take long to make and you can make them in dark or milk chocolate depending on what you prefer.  OH, and, then, there is tons of peanut buttery goodness in every single bite.

I have made Samoas, Thin Mint

MOCK GIRL SCOUT TAGALONGS RECIPE

INGREDIENTS

• 25 Reduced Fat Ritz Crackers
• 25 teaspoons Honey Roasted Creamy Peanut Butter
• 4 oz Milk or Dark Chocolate (Good Quality ~ any type you would enjoy eating)

INSTRUCTIONS

1.  Line 2 cookies sheets with parchment paper.  Place 25 crackers on the cookie sheet then top with the 25 teaspoons of peanut butter.  Use a knife to spread it around leaving a thin edge.  Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

2.  Melt dark chocolate in a double broiler over medium low heat..  Once melted, turn heat to low to keep chocolate warm.

2.  Using two teaspoons, drop one peanut butter covered cracker in the chocolate using the spoons to coat it with chocolate.  Lift the cracker out of the chocolate shaking off excess chocolate.  Place on the parchment paper and repeat with remaining crackers.

3.  Refrigerate until cooled and the chocolate is hard, about 20 minutes.  Store in the fridge or freezer in an air tight container.

Makes 25 cookies, 2 points+ each

Nutritional Information per cookie

STEP-BY-STEP

Here is everything you need (you only need 1 bar, but, I took my picture with 2).

Top each cracker with 1 teaspoon creamy honey roasted peanut butter. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Melt chocolate over medium low heat in a double broiler.  Place peanut butter crackers in the chocolate and use two teaspoons to coat and shake off excess chocolate.

Place on your parchment paper covered cookie sheet and repeat with remaining crackers.

Refrigerate until cooled and the chocolate hardens, about 20 minutes.  Dig in and enjoy!

If you like these Tagalongs, you might also like my Mock Thin Mints and not as healthy Samoas

See you all tomorrow for more daily fun and 2 more delicious recipes!

Happy Friday all!  Last weekend I “teased” you all with my Bake-A-Thon Recipes that including Mock Girl Scout Cookies and Moon Pies to name a few things.  Would you believe it only took me about 15 minutes to make Homemade Girl Scout Thin Mints?  They are so easy to make and I think they might be a tad bit better than the real deal because you get a slightly salty/sweet taste from the crispy, buttery Ritz Crackers.

Who says you have to wait for Girl Scout Season to have your cookies?  Whip these up anytime the craving hits, then, put them in an air tight container and store them in the freezer.

MOCK GIRL SCOUT THIN MINT COOKIES RECIPE

INGREDIENTS

• 25 Reduced Fat Ritz Crackers
• 4 oz 60% Cacao or higher dark chocolate bar (Good Chocolate, one you would eat)
• 1/4 tsp Peppermint Extract

INSTRUCTIONS

1.  Line 1-2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.  Melt dark chocolate in a double broiler.  Add mint extract and turn heat to low to keep chocolate warm.

2.  Using two teaspoons, drop one cracker in the chocolate using the spoons to coat it with chocolate.  Lift the cracker out of the chocolate shaking off excess chocolate.  Place on the parchment paper and repeat with remaining crackers.

3.  Refrigerate until cooled and the chocolate is hard, about 20 minutes.  Store in the fridge or freezer in an air tight container.

Makes 25 cookies, 1 points+ each

Nutritional information per cookie

STEP – BY – STEP

Here is everything you need to make the recipe.  You know, if Trader Joe’s made a Ritz type cracker, I’d be all over it. 

Melt chocolate over medium low heat in a double broiler.  Add mint extract.  Place crackers in the chocolate and use two teaspoons to coat and shake off excess chocolate.

Place on your parchment paper covered cookie sheet and repeat with remaining crackers.

Refrigerate until cooled and the chocolate hardens, about 20 minutes.  Dig in and enjoy!

Mock Tagalongs, Moon Pies and Super Easy Rocky Road Recipes will all be posted this weekend.

Stay tuned for more baking fun!

Happy Sunday all!  Today has been such a busy, but, productive Sunday.  I started out my day with my Weight Watcher meeting before coming home, making up our weekly menu in like 10 minutes before we had to leave to meet friends.

I managed to grab a quick Thomas English Muffin with 1 Tbsp Whipped Butter as we headed out the door (5 points+)

The Husband wanted to go to Sam’s Club and do the grocery shopping with me today.  I think the REAL reason was he wanted a Sam’s Club Hot Dog.

The Husband is just so weird!, but, it’s one reason I LOVE him! Have I ever told you all he has an unreal fascination with hot dogs and hot links.  As in EVERY TIME we got to Costco, Sam’s Club or Home Depot or any hot dog place for that matter, he HAS to get one!

Today was no exception and I actually found something “decent” to have for lunch.

It’s a really basic salad and I didn’t use the dressing but only because it was really bad flavorwise LOL.

I ate about 2/3 of my salad which I estimated as follows:

* Tons of IceBerg Lettuce, 0 PP

* About 4 ounces Chicken, 4 PP

* 1/4 shredded cheese, 3 PP

* 1 packet tortilla strips, 3 PP

It definitely did the job at taking the edge off being hungry so I could resist the samples and not buy a bunch of stuff we didn’t need.

When I got home, my “Bake-a-Thon” started.  Awhile back I donated my baked goodies to Operations Layla and today I worked on putting everything together.

I know I only had to make 2 things for my lucky bidder, but, I was all too excited to show her all the COOL treats you can have on Weight Watcher’s when she said she was working the program.  I will be making up recipe pages for the recipes below later this week.

I actually made a few things I haven’t made in TWO years ~ Mock Girl Scout Cookies.

MOCK GIRL SCOUT TAG-ALONGS

MOON PIES!!! Peanut Butter, Marshmallow…..

All covered in Chocolate!

MOCK THIN MINTS

DARK CHOCOLATE ALMOND BUTTER CUPS ~ Click HERE for the Recipe!

ROCKY ROAD

2 POINTS+ BANANA BREAD COOKIES ~ Click HERE for the recipe.

I actually let The Husband be the taste tester for me all afternoon. He said it was all really awful and I shouldn’t send her any LOL……He wants it all

Dinner was super fast ~ Simple salad!

* Mixed Greens

* Carrots

* Cherry Tomatoes

* 1 TJ’s Lite String Cheese, 1 PP

* 1 Tbsp TJ’s Balsamic Vinaigrette, 1 PP

The Husband grilled up some Bacon Filet Mignon Bites ~ YUM!!!! Bacon makes everything better, seriously (2 points+)

7 Tiny Turkey Tacos ~ I LOVE these and actually think they taste better today.  I “fried” them in a large nonstick skillet in a little oil to “brown them”, then, steamed them with a 1/4 cup of water cooking until it evaporated and the tacos crisped up again.

Pineapple!

Simple, delicious and easy ~ dinner took about 15 minutes start to finish!

Oh, I also baked my BROWN SUGAR BANANA NUT BREAD into Muffins!!! I am LOVING the muffins better than the bread (5 points+)

HERE IS WHAT IS ON THE MENU THIS WEEK

Continuing with the protein theme ~ I will post the recipes below as I make them.

* TJ’s Turkey Tostadas

* Chicken Rollatini over Egg Noodles

* Apple Maple Turkey Burgers, Sweet Potato Fries, Salad

* Ribs, Butternut Squash Fries, Salad

* Slow Cooker Southwestern Steak Tacos

* TREATS ~ WW Creamy Lemon Pie

* BREAKFASTS ~ Clean Eating’s Homemade Ginger, Pear Turkey Sausage!

NEW AT FRIENDS FOR WEIGHT LOSS

* New Tip of the Week & 3 Points+ Chicken Posole Guest Recipe ~ check them out at the bottom of the page!

* This week’s Challenge ~ What is your anchor???

GIVEAWAY ALERT!!!

* Shannon is hosting her FIRST GIVEAWAY ~ Win a Whole Case of Chobani!!!

* CHECK BACK TOMORROW FOR ONE OF MY COOLEST COOKBOOK GIVEAWAYS YET!

Q’S

What is on your menu this week?  Are you trying any new recipes, foods or treats?

Night all!

It’s officially Bake Sale Time!!!  Bobbi is having her first ever blogger bake sale today to raise funds for St.Jude Hero’s! Head over to NHerShoes, today to bid on some delicious treats!!!

You can BID on and WIN some delicious CUSTOMIZABLE treats made by ME!

The highest bidder will get their choice of 2 out of 4 my favorite TREATS!  Pick and choose from Light Meyer Lemon Sugar Cookies, Coconut Pound Cake, VEGAN GLUTEN FREE Dark Chocolate Clusters, Danica’s Famous Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies or any other treat/cookie you might see at Danica’s Daily that ships well!

Quantities ~ Cookies are 2 dozen, Clusters are 12 and the loaf would be one large or 4 small.

Allergens: The Clusters & Chocolate Chips cookies contain nuts.  Any of these items can be made VEGAN with the Clusters naturally being Vegan & Gluten Free.

So….what are you waiting for….head on over to NHerShoes & Bid away

There are so many fabulous treats in Meghann’s Bake Sale, but, I honestly think you need to bid on these!!!!

My Bake Sale Package will include ~ 3 things!!!!

1. 24 Samoa Bars (based on popular vote!)

2. 24 Moc Tag-A-Longs

3. BONUS: Whoever the highest bidder is will be able to select any baked good off my site that I made in the sale or not to have included in their package.

You can see all the baked sale items I made here:

http://danicasdaily.blogspot.com/search/label/Bake%20Sale

Or another option could be these:

http://danicasdaily.blogspot.com/2009/03/dark-chocolate-clusters.html

I could also do a customizable item if they had something in mind. I am also giving the winner the option of their choice of chocolate (Dark, Milk, Vegan, White) and would be glad to meet any requests they have.

These fabulous goodies can be yours just stop by the Bake Sale today to bid ~ you have until 9 PM (PST)

Today is a totally Fantastic Monday with Meghann’s Bake Sale happening AND the next Annie’s Product Giveaway.

I am all too excited to give these cool products away to you all! I guarantee you are absolutely going to LOVE either pack you win. Each package will also include details on how to enter to win an ENTIRE YEARS WORTH OF ANNIE’S for FREE!! You don’t have to win today’s contest to enter.

Annie’s is celebrating their 20 year Birthday this year and they are giving away free stuff to 20 lucky people. You can find out all the details about their 20 years together (including the Party! plus sweepstakes details where you can enter online) by going here.

Common people ~ who wouldn’t LOVE a whole YEAR of Annie’s for FREE!! (pick me, pick me!!)

Ok ~ let’s get on with today’s Annie’s Giveaway details…..

Prize Package #1:

Included:
Annie’s Cocoa & Vanilla Bunnies
one of Annie’s newest products: Annie’s Organic Bunny Classics Buttery Rich Crackers (better than Ritz! and healthier too!)
Annie’s Organic Berry Patch Fruit Snacks

Prize Package #2:

Annie’s Fruity Bunnies
Annie’s Cheddar Bunnies
Annie’s Organic Tropical Treat Fruit Snacks

Here is what you have to do to be eligible to win one of these 2 fabulous prizes:

1. Visit Meghann’s Bake Sale by clicking here. Come back here and comment on THIS post about which item you would most like to try. Feel free to place a bid on that item while you are there, but, for this contest, bidding is optional Your comment MUST be about the bake sale to qualify for the giveaway.

2. If you are a blogger, you can get TWO bonus entries by doing the following:

a. Post a link about the contest on your blog and send me an email or post here with the link for a bonus entry.

b. Add me to your blog roll for a THIRD Entry.

This contest will close at 9:00 PM (PST) and two winners will be randomly selected. The first number called wins the first prize and the second gets the other. The winners will be announced by Tuesday morning, April 7th.

So ~ “hop” on over to Meghann’s Bake Sale, bid if you like then “hop” back here and comment away ~ Have fun, but, be prepared to have a huge craving for desserts because everything looks so awesome!

Thanks everyone for partipcating in the Bake Sale Poll and for being my taste testers. It was so hard to choose what I am going to submit, but, I think last night I figured it out. Since the feedback I received was to include so many things, I decided to do a variety pack.

My Bake Sale Package will include ~ 3 things!!!!

1. 24 Samoa Bars (based on popular vote!)

2. 24 Moc Tag-A-Longs

3. BONUS: Whoever the highest bidder is will be able to select any baked good off my site that I made in the sale or not to have included in their package.

You can see all the baked sale items here:

http://danicasdaily.blogspot.com/search/label/Bake%20Sale

Or another option could be these:

http://danicasdaily.blogspot.com/2009/03/dark-chocolate-clusters.html

I could also do a customizable item if they had something in mind. I am also giving the winner the option of their choice of chocolate (Dark, Milk, Vegan, White) and would be glad to meet any requests they have.

What do you all think? Did I make up a good package for everyone to bid on?