Hi all ~ it’s me again, just in case you were wondering   I was up this morning at 4:17 am, not really by my bodies choice, but, my brain decided to be WIDE awake.  What’s up with that?!  I took FULL advantage of it though and hopped out of bed for a 3.5 mile run/walk using 5:1 ratios (5 minute jogging, 1 minute walking).  I honestly wasn’t feeling the run this morning, but, I have to say having those 1 minute walking breaks every 5 minutes actually made it turn into a GREAT run with a faster time

I probably waited way too many years before breakfast, since I didn’t have it until I got to work.  I was STARVING, but, my SMOOTHIE Rocked!

It started out with TWO new products! 

Trader Joe’s NOW makes a HUGE 1 lb container of 0% VANILLA Greek Yogurt (My favorite vanilla loving friend ~ I am so going to have to smuggle this one to ya!)

The stats might seem a little scary, but, if you calc it like the usual 6 oz containers (vs 8 oz in 1 cup) they are approximately the same.

Super THICK!

Product #2 ~ Sobe YumBerry (anyone know what that is?) Pomegranate Life Water.  I only used a splash as the liquid to thin out my smoothie.

YUM BERRY SMOOTHIE!!!

1 c frozen blueberries & strawberries (the ones I froze during the summer!)

1/2 c TJ’s 0% Vanilla Greek Yogurt

1 small banana

1 Tbsp ground flaxseed

a few splashes of YUM BERRY Sobe Life Water

Whipped up into a frothy thickness using my Magic Bullet.  My smoothie was so thick I had to spoon it and super tasty for only 4 pts!

The only problem I have with smoothies for breakfast when I am STARVING is that I feel like I haven’t “eaten” anything.  I am sure I am just a mental case, but, I had the REST of the TJ’s Pita Puffs (x’s 2) for 2 pts.

I stayed full for my usual 2-3 hours, then, broke out the Kashi Chewy Trailmix bar I received in the mail.

You know what, it totally looks like the picture! 

This bar was only 2 pts (score!) but I thought it was only OK.  I felt like it needed some saltiness with the WHOLE almonds, bigger pieces of fruit and maybe some dark chocolate chips.  Um, maybe, I just need a different bar

I braved the rain at lunch to go to WalGreen’s and pick up the ice pack they talked about on Biggest Loser. Yes, I am a total sucker for the advertisement, but, since I use a towel and ace bandage to ice after every run, I thought an upgrade was needed

When I came back, it was time for another 7 point SAVORY WAFFLEWICH a la Melissa.

2 Kashi Strawberry Flax Waffles (s/b honey flax), toasted

1 Laughing Cow Lite Wedge

1 Morning Star Chick Patty, toasted in the toaster!

Handful of TJ’s Organic Herbed Mixed Greens

Cucumber Slices

Half #1  I LOVED the dill & cilantro in the mixed greens.

Half #2 ~ Spicy Buffalo Crispy Chick Patty!

Plus Triple Crunch on the side ~ Cucumbers, Carrots and…..

BBQ PopChips for 2 pts!

Lunch was SO, SO, SO good and worth every point!  I can definitely see making this combination again and getting creative with the toppings.  Different veggies, sauces, AVOCADO, etc.  Thanks, Melissa ~ you are seriously a genius!

I wasn’t really hungry this afternoon, but, I wanted something sweet.  I have been eyeing the Lacey DARK CHOCOLATE ALMOND TOFFEE Cookies ever since my co-worker brought them in AGAIN. 

I LOVE that they are only 3 points for that ENTIRE cookie.  120% worth it all the way!

I figured I have been lacking in the recipe development department lately, so tonight’s dinner is all new for you all

We started off with a quick salad……

* 1/2 red & 1/2 green bell peppers, chopped

* 1 cucumber, halved and sliced

* Handful Cherry Tomatoes, halved

* Dashes of Garlic salt & freshly ground pepper

* Drizzles of Extra Virgin Olive Oil & White Balsamic Vinegar (about 1-2 tsp each)

Simple, delish and 0 points!

The main course was AWESOME!!!!  It’s an old favorite that I renovated to be healthy ~ BUBBLE UP PIZZA CASSEROLE!!!

Total HEALTHY comfort food and one of the BEST spins ever on Pizza for 9 pts a svg!  Should I keep you all guessing or post the recipe ASAP? Hmmmm…..I’ll post it for you all soon

I think we are watching a NETFLIX Movie tonight and they are both chic flicks – lucky Husband   He will probably find something else on I am sure

So glad tomorrow is FRIDAY….now, if only the sun would come out it would be perfect!

Nite all!

Woohoo ~ I am posting twice in one day.  Ok, well, that’s not really what the woohoo is for….THE BIGGEST LOSER is on ~ Woohooo!  Yeah for not having to wait until spring for the next season.  Ok, so this is going to be snappy because I want to sit down with my NEW BOOK (more on that in a sec) and indulge in the show

FIRST TIHNGS FIRST

Yesterday I signed up to run my SECOND ever HALF MARATHON! ~ The Shamrock Half Marathon on March 14, 2010!! I was first encourage by one of my AMAZIMG ex bosses who is for the first time ever running a half and now my AWESOME sister has decided to join in too!  It is her first race and I am so pumped to do this together with them both….yeah!  I am a bit nervous because I ran my first half marathon (Napa to Sonoma!) 3 years ago and did a Tri-Athlon (Tri-Girl-Tri) last year.  But, THIS YEAR, I’ve done nothing, in fact, I took December off from exercising ~ oops!   Anyway, I am PUMPED and ready to do it! 

Here is my schedule EASING into things.  I combined Hal Hidgon’s training plan with Jeff Galloway’s run-walk-run philosophy.  I have a short time frame to work with so I modified it a bit I may throw in some speed work and/or hills, but, my main goal is really just to finish and maybe beat my prior year time  

Feel free to share any thoughts, advice or what not.  I’d LOVE to hear what you all have to say   I NEED all the help I can get for sure. Ohhhh and if you are training for any event now, I am open to helping to motivate each other.  Comment away, email, twitter, facebook, g-chat ~ all of the above anytime

NOW SPEED POST!!!

Ok, I guess I am not doing so good on the FAST POST part…so here it goes….onto my eats and workouts for the past few days

EATS:

Warm Oat-y-ness!

1/2 c old fashioned oats

1 c water

1 mini organic Fuji Apple

1 Tbsp ground flax seed

dashes of cinnamon and vanilla extract

TWO BEST TOPPINGS ever ~ 1 Tbsp Crunchy Almond Butter and 1 Tbsp Organic Apricot Preserves

The Husband surprised me by showing up and taking me to lunch ~ LOVE him!  We went to Mamarella’s and I ordered their FANTASTIC Beet Salad with Grilled Chicken ~ delish!

After work I came home and hopped on the treadmill ~  3 miles run/walk/run doing 5:1 intervals.  Yup, I pretty much felt like I was going to keel over….I MUST remember to not take time off like that again

Dinner was FAST and easy involving some of my FAVORITE things since I wanted to watch The Bachelor

ANNIE’S PEACE PASTA!!!

I am a sucker for FUN shaped pastas.  I LOVE this flavor as a change from the white and orange sauce, but, I still like the traditional versions best

New frozen veggie ~ This one is my FAVORITE I think it’s the roasted almond slivers:)

CLEAN INGREDIENTS!

GREAT STATS!!

I ate an entire box of green beans  

Plus a serving of Annie’s Peace Pasta

with a Trader Joe’s Chile Lime Chicken Burger toped with tomato, cucumber chips, ketchup and mustard.

Delicious, fast and EASY!

TUESDAY!!!

I woke up starving and pretty sure my stomach was going to eat itself.   I toasted up 2 Kashi Strawberry Flax Protein Waffles and topped one with Artisana Organic RAW Cashew Butter and the other with Crunchy Almond.

With some “banana chips”

I was STILL starving but held out a few hours for snack.  My mom had these Flat Bread Wheat Thins out over Christmas and I actually LOVED them.

Decent stats ~ 1 point for 2 BIG crackers.

I am super proud of Nabisco for using some REAL ingredients and getting rid of the HFCS  and using brown rice syrup instead.

Topped with 1 Laughing Cow Lite Cheese Wedge and a mini organic fuji apple.

I didn’t realize until now that I am the total product reviewer on this post   I saw these Chicken-Less Stuffed Cutlets at Trader Joe’s the other day and had to try them.  I was sold on them when I saw that they were stuffed with corn and black beans – YUM!

I have to admit they looked a little funky when they come out of the package.

But, I quickly remedied that by topping it with a slice of light provolone and my mom’s homemade chipotle salsa.  I LOVED the combination ~ smokey, BBQ, cheesy good!

And since I didn’t seem to get enough green beans last night, I had some more

I was too full for my cuties, but, they still wanted their picture taken.  I am missing the cute little stickers on this batch….don’t they know that is WHY people buy them?!

I am trying to fit in BOTH bananas and MILK since the potassium helps to get the lactic acid out of your muscles and relieve soreness.

We had a LONG afternoon meeting today so I knew that would require a Starbuck’s.  I had a tall FF Chai Tea Latte for my afternoon snack. 

TODAYS WORKOUT 2 easy miles run/walk/run with an easy 2:1 ratio since my legs are uber sore.  My run was actually awesome and I felt great after lots of stretching.

Dinner tonight was a Pizza Compromise.  The Husband wanted both Turkey Pepperoni and my FULLED LOADED VEGETABLE PIZZA.  The top layer was turkey pepperoni and the bottom layer was all veggies

I had two slices (FYI – the turkey pepperoni only adds ONE Weight Watcher Point!)

Plus a side salad with Annie’s Cowgirl Ranch….delish!

Everyday should include a little chocolate especially when it is for a good cause, right?   I received this bar as part of my Christmas present from one of my FAVORITE people ever

I had 3 squares and savored each one slowly.  I LOVE it but you don’t really taste the blueberries

NEW BOOK~ I LOVE Tosca Reno and have ALL of her books (and her cookbooks too!).  She is the person who got me started eating clean with her very first book a few years back.  She has updated her original book so I had to check it out!  I will post a review for you all when I finish….Yeah!!!

P.S. AMAZON has it on sale super cheap ~ click HERE to check it out!

SPEED POST, RIGHT? Haha ~ oh well….Off to read, relax and enjoy The SHOW!!!

See you all tomorrow for a NEW YEARS GIVEAWAY!

NITE!

Happy Monday all!  This weekend and my mini vacation flew by. The good news is we got a TON of stuff done around the house including add brick to our front and organizing/cleaning out every room, the garage and our storage!  Do you all remember when we renovated our garage with the brick?  I will have before and after pictures for you all of the front of our house too soon – it looks so good!  I am sad to see it end and of course I want another day.  Isn’t that funny ~ whenever you have time off, I always wish I had one more day   I feel really accomplished but I also think “just one more day” and I’d have it all done.  Ok, maybe not, since I didn’t spend anytime on my computer/blog….but, I think it was more important to organize my life.  I guess all good tings must come to an end…..

Saturday my eats were not too exciting ~ it was pretty much the same thing you saw on Friday.  I LOVE leftovers

Sunday started off with my FAVORITE thing….Almond butter on Cracked Wheat Sour Dough

Plus a banana and Starbuck’s Christmas coffee on the cute placemat The Husband’s mom made us. (5 points)

We didn’t stop for lunch until about 2 PM and I was STARVING.  I had picked up these Eating Right BBQ Snacks at Safeway the other day to give them a try.  I was wondering if they would be like my beloved PopChips.

I LOVE the ingredient list ~ look at all the great seeds (including Quinoa and Chia!)

SEEEDS!

Great stats.

You get a TON for a serving ~ this is 18 chips/28 grams.  I always way my dry foods because I feel like you get more when you weigh versus counting them out

The verdict ~ I LOVED them.  They do not taste like Popchips at all though. They sort of remind me of a rice cake a bit, but, they are super thin, light and airy.  I really like the sweeter BBQ flavor they have.  These were inhaled while I whipped up lunch.

I started off with a quick salad topped with Trader Joe’s LF Cranberry Gorgonzola Walnut dressing.

Then, I moved on to the MOST incredible burger ever.

TJ’s Chile Lime Chicken Burger (my favorite!)

Tomato

Cucumber slices

Annie’s Ketchup & Mustard

All on top of my new favorite bun from Earth Grains ~ Thin Buns.  Seriously – who doesn’t love that name and want Thin Buns   I actually like them better than the Orowheat/Arnold Thin versions because they taste more like whole wheat and are sweeter.  They do NOT have that light bread taste to me either.

All together, my 6 point lunch (not including my snack), hit the spot.

I am usually not a fan of all the 100 calorie snacks because they never satisfy me and always leave me wanting me.  However, while we were busy working away, these were dropped off for us to try out.  I LOVE salty/sweet things.

There are actually about 20 of these cute mini circles.  They are pretty tasty, but, you have to remember to eat them slow or they go away fast.

I paired them with a little protein/dairy ~ Sargento LF Colby Cheese.

I was completely exhausted by the time we came inside and I only had about an hour to whip up something fast before the Iron Chef Super Chef challenge began.  I cooked up another one of the frozen veggies I picked up a few weeks back.

I picked them up because the stats are great for a cheese vegetable, but, I was pretty bummed to realize I won’t be buying these anymore.  Their ingredient list includes TRANSFATS ….Anytime you see the word “hydrogenated, it means it has transfats.  I know alot of companies are replacing transfats with palm oil (which has saturated fat) so not sure really which is better *sigh*

My mom used to get me to eat veggies by putting cheese on them.  So, this definitely brought back memories   Love you Mom, yours are definitely better but these were tasty.

I served it up with Trader Joe’s 3 minute Organic Brown Rice (which I saw that Safeway is now carrying ~ FYI) and BBQ Chicken (topped with Annie’s Sweet & Spicy BBQ Sauce)

We ended the night watching the Iron Chef Super Chef Challenge and I passed out watching the Worst Cooks.  Did you all watch either show? I LOVED them both (or what I saw of the second).

Have a great day all!  I will be back later tonight with that Slow Cooker Lasagna Recipe and a New Year’s Giveaway is coming up this week!

For now….must go to work

Happy 2010 all!  You know, I honestly didn’t realize we were entering a NEW DECADE until this morning   I am not sure why, but, ya, I am not usually THAT slow haha.  It’s the time of year where I usually sit down and make out this HUGE list of resolutions plus goals for the year. Do you all make New Year’s Resolutions?

I typically do a 12 month series where I set a goal for each month.  It’s easier to tackle something for 30 days than to tackle it all year long.  It goes anywhere from something physical like 100 crunches a day to something related to eating, focusing on getting 7-9 servings fruits/veggies a day to something I shouldn’t do (like avoiding candy).  I like my resolutions and goals to cover my overall well being ~ health, relationships and living life to the fullest.  I will be working on my finalizing my list this weekend and share any updates with you all.  I am not sure if I will keep my entire 12 months or create a new goal each month so my goals can relate to where I am at in life.  For what it’s worth ~ here it goes…..

Year long resolutions:

1. Lose 10% of my body weight and get back to my happy weight
2. Get organized in all areas of my life (home, work, financially, everything I can organize). I’ve spent the entire week organizing & de-cluttering our house so it’s a good start. Keep it going
3. Reduce stress levels and create a better work/life balance for my health and happiness. This includes letting go of the small things, things I can’t control and the unknown – just live in the present and be happy.
4. Start a good book and continue reading both books/magazines for “me” time throughout the year.
5. Focus on my relationship w/The Husband – making sure I find time for him/us, including regular date nights, traveling/vacationing and just enjoying each other daily.
6. Journal every bite I eat this year – good or bad – if I bite it, I write it!  Bust out my old and NEW Eat Clean Diet books….add it to my Weight Watchers routine ~ Clean Eating with a WW lifestyle = 110% SUCCESS!
7. Complete my 12 month series of goal!

My 12 month Series:

Jan – Get back to 100+ oz water daily. Start small and GOBIG ~ Wk 1 – 64+oz, Wk 2 – 72+oz, Wk 3 – 80+oz, Wk 4 0 88+oz, Wk 5 – 96+oz.

Feb - Daily Exercise even if it is just for 10 minutes. Pick a race as added motivation (TBD).

Mar – No candy or junk – 100% healthy foods and healthy alternatives when craving sweets. I am not depriving myself, just finding a healthier more nutritious way to take care of my body.

Apr –  25 pushups per day

May - 100 crunches/day

Jun – ½ way through the year – No BLT’s – If I bite it, I write it – keep the promise to myself to count everything! Plus 5+ fruits/veggies with more veggies than fruits daily

July – Strength training 3 days each work – legs, arms and CORE – 1x/wk for each

Aug – Cardio 3 days a week for 20 minutes – min.

Sept – Fun step challenge ~ shoot for 10,000 steps per day or boost it to challenge myself if I am already at 10,000 steps.

Oct – Vitamins daily, including iron. Eliminate negative thoughts – work on positive thoughts. Have 1 month of optimism – find the positive in everything no matter what life dishes up

Nov – Get in my daily oil at least 5 days a week – focus on 9 HG’s daily – 100%

Dec – 5+ fruits/veggies with more veggies than fruits daily – this will help ward off the holiday temptations. For any party I am attending – wait 30 minutes before I eat anything and eat nothing not on a plate – I must pick up 1 small plate and fill it with no foods touching one time – only pick what I truly want, count it, enjoy and have no guilt. Get into the holiday spirit by exercising daily, counting everything, no BLT’s – plan and be successful this holiday season!

Ok….so, I think I am going to be busy this year   I am excited for the challenge though.  This morning I started off with a NEW Nature’s Path Cereal that they sent to me awhile back Crunchy Vanilla Sunrise.

I LOVE that it’s Gluten FREE…

And that it has great stats for being Gluten Free ~ Only 2 Weight Watcher Points a serving,

I topped 1 cup with a banana plus 1/2 c ff milk and some Christmas Coffee.  I like that the cereal stays crunchy the entire time you are eating it.  It was lightly sweet with hints of vanilla ~ delish.

For lunch I was planning on using a Chick-Patty but then decided to steal a few of The Husband’s Baked Tyson Boneless Buffalo Chicken Bites.  They are 1 point each – woohoo! 

I made up a mock Buffalo Chicken Salad which was perfect since I was too lazy to make up the real deal

Trader Joe’s Organic Herbed Mixed Greens

Celery

Carrots

Cherry tomatoes

Mushrooms

A sprinkle of low-fat mozzarella

Plus…one of the few bottled ranch dressings I like ~ Annie’s Cowgirl Ranch.

MMMM ~ So good and not bad for an 8 point salad, huh?!  Seeing it makes me want it all over again.

I had a little chocolate for dessert.  I broke out one of the bars that the super sweet Dot sent me in our exchange… Chocolate xoxox 33% Milk Chocolate.

Super creamy just like Dove chocolate.

This is one of The Husband’s FAVORITE days because he can watch Football all day long.  So, while we were lounging, I read, played with my DROID and decided to do a little not so necessary snacking The AWESOME people at Pop-Chips sent us a box of Healthy Holiday Snacks for the holidays.  Ummm….Popchips don’t last long around here….good thing the entire bag is only 2 points.  I wish they sold these little bags at like Costco!

Tonight I tried out a new recipe that cooked all day long in the Slow Cooker. I LOVE my slow cooker because it can whip up SLOW COOKER FULLY LOADED LASAGNA in no time at all!!  I put this together in about 30 minutes this morning then let it cook all day long.  I’ll post the recipe soon ~ it’s so easy and super tasty. (8 points a serving if you can eat an entire serving)

During the last 10 minutes, I threw together a big salad that we shared.

00

Italian food totally requires GARLIC BREAD (1.5 pts a slice ~ Alexia Garlic Bread) ~ I had one slice and The Husband had the loaf

Whew ~ I guess I missed chatting with you all! I would LOVE to know what kinds of resolutions and goals you all are setting this year….maybe I can borrow some of your ideas

I am off to get back to doing nothing   Ahhhhh…..It’s rare that I relax and do nothing, but, I can’t complain.

Nite all!

I have such a FUN post for you all today that includes FANTASTIC kickstart eats and some fun organizers that I am super excited to share.

My 3 Weight Watcher Point Kickstart breakfast today was Apple Cinnamon Oats in my super cool new Annie’s cup.

1/2 c Quaker Old Fashioned Oats

1 tbsp ground flaxseed

1 c water

All cooked in the microwave for 2 minutes.

Stir in 1/2 c natural applesauce and cinnamon.  Sprinkled with more cinnamon and a packet of Raw Sugar ~ YUM!

I had a cup of Celestial True BLUEBERRY Tea on the side that I received in my Blogger goodie swap.  I LOVE that it was actually blue ~ it was tasty and would be totally like dessert with some agave nectar added.

I pondered more shopping at lunch, but, was pretty much sold when my co-workers mentioned Mamarella’s!  I LOVE this place, but, realized this was the first time I’ve ever eaten inside.  We sat next to this HUGE wreath that smelled amazing ~ now I totally WANT to put something pine like on me at all times:D 

Fun decor inside ~ LOVE the artwork.

Fizzy water!

I started off with a cup of Tuscany White Bean Soup.  I LOVED how broth like it was and the addition of fresh spinach on top was AWESOME!

Did you all guess it?!  I “know” I NEED to branch out to try something else, but, when, you find something that is THAT good, why not get it again. 

Grilled Beet Salad with grilled chicken added.

I actually think I ate an entire TWO roasted beets.  The cheese is ricotta salata sorta like the parmesan version of ricotta.  It added a great saltiness to the sweet beets and oranges.

I stole one of my co-workers chips when she said that they were homemade ~ I’ve never met a chip I didn’t like.

Since there were THREE of us, we could totally justify a GIA!  One day, I will order this as a MEAL itself.  Ready to hear what it’s made of???

Pizza dough stuffed with BANANA and NUTELLA and sprinkle with powdered sugar and cocoa = LOVE!!!!

I picked up a 2 WWP Decaf Fat Free Latte and drizzled the foam with honey for my afternoon snack.

Plus 2 points of cashew nuttiness.

I know you all have been wondering when I was going to get back to cooking and providing recipes, right?!  Tonight, I finally whipped up a delicious NEW recipe ~ Spicy Potato and Corn Chowder ~ 6 Points a Serving!  I don’t think The Husband could handle the heat, but, I LOVED it!  The perfect soup to warm you up on a cold winter night and it takes minutes to cook.  No worries ~ the recipe is coming soon.

After dinner, I opened up the box that had been staring me down all night.  I was SO EXCITED when I saw it was the Plan-A-Meal Bundle from the AWESOME Peeps at Knock Knock.

Have you all ever heard of Knock Knock?  They are this really fun company that creates interesting and creative stationary products for just about anything you can think of.  I think that they have some great organizational products, like the Plan-A-Meal Bundle and HILARIOUS products like the Total Crap Folder, 2010 365 Days to Procrastinate Calendar, and the “While You Were Nifty Notes” .  The Husband totally thinks I need The DECISION KIT because he would totally make me wear the PIN when I make a decision ~ whatev!

I seriously could spend hours looking at their site and cracking up ~ I LOVE that they bring humor into the organization process.

The Plan-A-Meal Bundle rocks!  You get 3 things to help you DO LESS and EAT MORE ~ um, total selling point for me right there

The ALL OUT OF PAD includes little boxes that you can check off of things you run out of as you eat.  It has a magnet right on it so you put in on the fridge so YOUR HUSBAND, you can mark them off as you use them up. LOVE it!

The next note pad in the kit is the WHAT TO EAT PAD.  I plan out all my meals on the back of my shopping list so this will definitely help to keep me from throwing out the list of what to make.  Each note pad includes 60 pages.

Even the descriptions on the back are fun and the magnet is HUGE so it won’t slide off your door!

The TAKEOUT MENU ORGANIZER takes dining out to a whole new level.  I have only thought to collect menus, but, this allows you to organize them.

It comes with a set of dividers and sticking labels that are broken down by cuisine.

I LOVE the menu order forms and tip calculate on the side.  I can totally see asking The Husband to “place his order” with these.

A pen attached so you NEVER need to find one.  They seriously have thought of EVERYTHING you need.

The first divider has a place to put all the numbers of the places you frequently call so you don’t have to dig through menus to find the number.

Each cuisine divider has a pocket to put the menu or receipts or orders in along with a different fun quote on the bottom.  This one from Yogi Berra is MY FAVORITE “You better cut the pizza in four pieces because I’m not hungry enough to eat six!”

Finally, to make you a pro at ordering out, an entire page dedicated to the process of ordering TAKE OUT ~ seriously, who knew there was such a thing?!

A BIG THANKS to the people at Knock-Knock, I am super impressed and The Husband is already trying to figure out what to order next. 

I am definitely thinking that some of their things would make FUN STOCKING stuffers and gifts for my co-workers! 

OHHHHH and it gets BETTER ~ I will be hosting a KNOCK KNOCK GIVEAWAY for you all beginning TOMORROW NIGHT!

I am off to type up my Spicy Potato and Corn Chowder recipe for you all then zonk out.

See you all tomorrow for some GIVEAWAY FUN!

Today felt like the LONGEST day ever because I think I officially have a case of vacationitis!  I am totally ready to be on a warm beach, soaking in some Vitamin D……Ahhh, 3 days togo and of course a ton to do!  The Husband has been rockin’ his todo list around the house.  I had to share with you all the update on our garage ~ he finished ALOT of it this weekend.

Our Garage A.K.A The Husband’s Workshop ~ BEFORE:

And AFTER!!! He has it almost finished, just a few more trims and touch up on the top.  He worked his bootie off to have this done before we go ~ doesn’t he do awesome work???

He had me snap those in our freezing 38 degree temps this morning to share.  I wanted something warm for breakfast when we came inside so I finally decided to open my box of Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Pancake mix I’ve had forever.  Normally I’d make my own, but, somehow ended up with an extra box after I hosted The Great Pumpkin Giveaway ~ oops!

Stats!

E-Z Prep!  I used FF milk, 3 egg whites and 1 Tbsp butter to lighten it up a bit.

Topped with a little whipped butter, PURE maple syrup, banana and unsweetened organic coconut snowballs (it was so cold, the coconut froze too )

The batter is pretty runny but they totally fluff up when you cook them.  These pancakes are super delish – like a moist pumpkin muffin.   Next time I’d add some ground flax seed, walnuts and possibly coconut extract too.

This little pumpkin wanted in on the action since today was the last day for their appearance   I am so sad we had to compost The Pumpkin family since we can’t leave them while we cruise the Caribbean.

Mid morning I had the last of my TJ’s Spicy Hummus with a lite (ONE POINT!) TJ’s String cheese and Kashi Original 7-grain crackers.  This is still by far my FAVORITE snack at the moment of course!

Lunch was a NEW recipe I whipped up yesterday that I will be sharing this week as well.

Butter Bean Sausage & Kale Soup

I used Jennie-O’s Spicy Lean Hot Italian Sausage and it really made the flavor of this soup ~ it’s AWESOME and just 4 Weight Watcher Points per 1 1/2 cups – yahoo!

When I got home I was surprise to see a package waiting for me on the door step from the folks at Healthy Choice.  They sent me a little Thank You package for taking time to talk to them at BlogHERFood09.  Thanks HC ~ it was great talking to you all and I am glad to see you all are creating a line of Natural Products with ingredients I can recognize.  Fun!

FUN MAIL #2 I was completely PUMPED about ~ The Latest Edition of Cooking Light Magazine (Thanks, Time, Inc!)!  This is by far one of my FAVORITE mags because they have such AMAZING pictures that make me drool and well, I LOVE all of their recipes and make them often

Check out some of the cool features in the November issue ~ you all seriously will want to pick this up if you plan on cooking for Turkey day.  So many great things….where to start.

10 Tips for Your Easiest Thanksgiving Dinner Ever (p. 66) – The perfect holiday meal takes a lot of preparation and hard work. Cooking Light offers tips to make the day easier and the food delicious. Tips include:
*  Make sides on the stovetop to save time and oven space.
*  Cook the stuffing separate from the turkey. Baking it inside often causes the turkey to overcook.
*  If you can, splurge on a fresh turkey instead of frozen. They are juicer and have better texture.

New Uses For Thanksgiving Leftovers (p. 74) – If you find yourself with too many Thanksgiving leftovers, try these fun and unique uses for traditional ingredients: Cranberry Sauce and Jalapeno Corn Muffins, Potato Pancakes with Green Onion and Swiss, and Turkey Wontons.

The Holiday Cookbook (p. 119) – Cooking Light offers recipes for every type of holiday gathering: Starters, drinks, main courses, sides, extras and desserts.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner in Los Angeles (p. 48) – Recreate some LA-inspired meals with fresh ingredients and international flavors. Recipes include: Banana-Agave Smoothie, Carne Asada Taco with Avocado Pico de Gallo, and Spaghetti with Caramelized Onion and Radicchio.  I am all over that smoothie and those tacos!!!

The Best Thanksgiving Wines (p.54) – Confused over which wines you should serve with your Thanksgiving feast? Cooking Light offers four great options: Beaujolais, Riesling, Chianti and Shiraz.

Ok, I’ll stop and get onto dinner.  It’s an AWESOME issue ~ perusing it B4 dinner may not have been a good idea   Continuing with my veggie cravings, I whipped up a quick Veggie/Sausage Pasta Toss.

* Whole Wheat Farfalle ~ Butterfly Pasta!!!, prepared and stirred in at the end.

* Trader Joe’s Apple Chicken Sausage (made with PURE Maple Syrup!), sliced, cooked, set aside then added at the end.

All sautéed together:

* 3 garlic cloves, minced

* 1 red onion, chopped

* Red, orange and yellow bell peppers, chopped

* Asparagus

* Mrs. Dash Sun Dried Tomato Basil Seasoning

* Pink Sea Salt & Freshly Ground Black Pepper

* A few pinches of crushed red pepper flakes

Really simple, easy and delish!

That’s all I have for tonight ~ see, how can you pick a title for all of that?!

I promise the two soup recipes will appear soon ~ one tomorrow (while we are getting our massages!!!) and one on Wednesday, while I am getting my hair done.    Yeah – 3 days and counting!

Must…..go……. pack!

Nite all!

I totally slept in this morning and it was AWESOME!  It’s pretty rare that my body let’s me sleep past 6 am (yes, I am like an old person LOL), but, today I slept til 8:09 am ~ yeah!!!  I am so glad I didn’t have funky dreams after watching The Premonition last night.  The Husband and I both agreed we didn’t like it that much because it was kinda freaky and I didn’t like the ending.  I was starving when I got up so I whipped up a fast and simple breakfast.

I started off by splitting an orange with The Husband.

I used my One Egg Wonder to “fry” up an egg in nonstick spray with sea salt & pepper.

I chopped up my egg and used a slice on Nature’s Pride 100% Whole Wheat with Organic Artisan butter for dipping. 

I spent my entire morning shopping to pick up a few veggies and get things for our CRUISE!!! I was all excited to show The Husband my new finds.  Of course the first bag he wanted to see was Victoria’s Secret.  I bought some comfortable panties since they had their 5 for $25 sale. Ummm, somehow I missed the “granny” part on the label when I bought them.  The Husband was like, wow, those are some really big underwear ~ oops….Must remember the other “B” ~ Bikini, Not Brief LOL.

I was totally craving Brussels Sprouts (go ahead and be shocked mom!).   I think it all started back at The Foodbuzz Festival when they served the AMAZING sprouts at dinner.  I decided to mimic the flavor sans bacon. I would’ve added walnuts if I had them

Honey Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts!!!  SO AMAZING!!!! I will post the recipe next.

Part 2 of our lunch was exactly what The Husband requested…..BLTA’s!

I made up a batch of Orange Soda for The Husband and joined him in having some.  I am not a big soda person, but, I have to admit this was completely refreshing and not bad for only 35 calories.

Insert more shopping, including a new 8 GB SD card for my camera and 6 loads of shopping.  I had a sweet craving at snack time so I got a FF decaf latte and had a TJ’s Almond Windmill cookie.  I don’t think I ever get tired of these cookies.

I made up TWO soup recipes today.  One for lunches and one for dinner.  I will be posting the recipes for you all this week.  One tomorrow and one of Tuesday.

Homemade Minestrone with Tortellini Soup

This soup was AWESOME!  I love hearty soups that packed with veggies and flavor.  The Husband and I totally were guilty of picking out the little pesto tortellini pocket treats LOL.  

Dinner also included one of these Cranberry Rolls that I found at Trader Joe’s today.

I was sorta bummed that they were just plain white rolls with dried cranberries in them.  I had envisioned a sweet Hawaiian type roll *sigh*.  They are still tasty but adding a little organic butter improved them A LOT.

I can’t believe we leave in 4 days ~ ahhhhh – so EXCITED, but, I have so much to do.  I had good intentions of packing today but, ummmm, that hasn’t happened yet.  I did pull out our suit cases though so that has to count for something.  Here is how our week is going down in addition to working…….

Monday ~ Pack, only free night

Tuesday ~ Couples Massages

Wednesday ~ Hair Appointment

Thursday ~ Spray Tans and Fly to Florida

Friday ~ Sail away to the Caribbean for 9 AWESOME days!!!

I have an exciting line up for you all with some INCREDIBLE guest posters lined up plus a GIVEAWAY! 

On that note, I am posting my Brussel Sprout recipe next, then, off to read and catch some zzzzzzz’s!  Nite all!

Today’s post is going to be short and sweet.  We were up early and worked our booties off today helping our friends get one of their rooms remodeled so that it will be ready for their Thanksgiving visitors.  I was soooo looking forward to a lazy Saturday, but, I couldn’t say no since they always help us out around our house too. 

This morning I was too sleepy to think of what sounded good for breakfast so I made up a quick banana almond butter sandwich togo.

The Husband offered up a FREE Starbuck’s for helping him out today.  Ummm…..not being one to turn down a Starbuck’s EVER I got The Real DEAL ~ A GOOOOOD Non-Fat Chai Tea Latte (unlike Peet’s!).  I was sad that they were out of the holiday cups At least I got a little cheer with my coffee sleeve.

I was rewarded AGAIN at lunch with Chicken tacos from my FAVORITE Mexican place in town ~ Vasquez Deli.  I LOVE their crunchy homemade tortillas and hot salsa chicken.  I seriously NEED to learn how to make chicken all tender, spicy and salsa like THIS. I had TWO tacos and may have stole a triangle of The Husband’s cheesy quesadilla.  Tacos just might be the BEST invention EVER – I cannot ever get enough.

We worked and worked and worked.  On the way home we decided it was cereal or take out.  I was totally craving vegetables so we agreed on The Husband’s FAVORITE Steak Sandwich Place MS Tasty Burger.  I told them to cooked up any veggies they had in the back ~ AMAZING!!!!! Cabbage, bell pepper, carrots, mushrooms, garlic, pepper, soy sauce = LOVE!

Plus grilled teriyaki chicken bites (The Husband stole 1/2 of these!)

All together with white rice (they told me I was funny when I asked for brown rice)   Dinner totally hit the spot.  I think I could eat this every day but I am sure it tasted so good because somebody else cooked it for me lol….

Dessert!  For those curious, you can buy these at Target or Walmart super cheap.  It’s like $2-$2.50 for a BIG bag of like 30-40 mints

A super productive day, but, nothing too exciting.  I think that’s a good thing giving last weekend was all about excitement and fun.  Off to curl up with blankets, hot tea and watch The Premonition with Sandra Bullock.

Nite all!

Happy Friday all!  I am not sure I’ve ever been so glad it’s Friday ~ this week was SOOO long recovering from the Foodbuzz Festival and busy super busy at work.  This morning I decided to celebrate it was Friday by stopping at Peet’s.

I ordered a reduced fat Berry Peach Scone ~ MMMMM – soooo good, but, I am not sure it’s worth 330 cal, 7 g fat, 2 g fiber (7 pts) good.  I tried eating 1/2 but seriously, who eats just 1/2 a scone….. 

I paired it with a small (not tall!) Fat Free Chai Tea Latte that honestly sucked.  Starbuck’s chai’s are SOOOO MUCH better.  This was like watered down tea with milk added   I still drank it though……

I had to have lunch early because I had training all afternoon.  I whipped up my latest FAVORITE sandwich that I cannot get enough of. 

Two slices of Mulit-Grain Bread ~ 1 topped with Trader Joe’s Spicy Hummus and the other topped with Trader Joe’s Cranberry Orange Relish.

Add 99% FF Maple Turkey & LF Jarlsburg Swiss Cheese….

Slice in half and dig into that creamy, sweet, spicy amazingness!

I made up a side organic broccoli slaw salad with spicy peanuts and TJ’s Low-Fat Spicy Peanut Dressing.

Plus crunch ~ Stacey’s Parmesan Garlic Pita Chips – I LOVE these!!!!

The training I went to was for Microsoft Office 2007 and I have to say it was AWESOME.  I LOVED learning about all the super cool new things and that they actually have an online interactive guide that you can use to look up how thing appeared in the old version and how they appear in the new version.  The highlight of the training was my computer’s name Daisy Duck (donald’s girlfriend) and I got to be called Daisy all day

I was STARVING on the way home so I whipped out the rest of my pita chips with a cheesestick.  See why I can’t be around these things….I think I’d eat them at every meal (ooohhh and add spicy hummus) and I may never eat anything else.

Dinner was super easy tonight ~ Leftover Chilaquiles Casserole.  I LOVE this casserole.  I was actually sad that there isn’t any left.  I NEED to make this again!

Plus 1/2 an orange.

All together with homemade FIZZY WATER!!!

After dinner we opened the FUN MAIL we got from my Momma!  She sent us the CUTEST anniversary card……

That blows a ships horn and birds chirp when you open it….So funny!  I can’t believe we leave in 6 days – WOOOOHOOOO!!!

My Mom is super crafty and her latest creation is a Pocket Scarf!  She makes them and sells them ~ so fun!!! Have you all ever seen or heard of these? I never have but I LOVE the idea. 

It’s a scarf with pockets!  The pockets are big enough to fit your pumpkins in

The Husband had me model it.  So, I didn’t expect him to actually take pictures of me clowning around, but, ummm….ya, he did!!

She makes them in all colors, themes and sizes from little kiddos to tall adults.  If anyone wants one, feel free to email me and I’d be glad to have her make you one

After my brief debute as a model, I grabbed some dessert.  These Christmas Taffies are my absolute FAVORITE candies ever.  I wait all year for them to come out and then buy them until I can’t anymore.

One last fun thing for Friday in case you all didn’t catch my tweet earlier……Here is a link to a coupon for Buy 1 get 1 free Peet’s Coffee Beverages.  The coupon is good through 11/22/09 – so feel free to print share, make copies and get your coffee fix on as much as you can.

I am off to take my corny self to the couch and possibly watch a movie with The Husband….Yeah for the weekend!!

Catch you all tomorrow ~ Nite!

Today was seriously a fantastic day.  It started out with a fun lunch plus super cool GIFTS, a FANTASTIC dinner recipe and ended with The Husband making “dessert”.  What more can a girl ask for?

Nothing sounded good to me for breakfast, so I went with something simple.

2 slices Trader Joe’s FF Multi-Grain Bread (I LOVE this bread)

1 Tbsp whipped butter

1 small banana

Light, delicious and perfect when nothing sounds good.  The only thing was I was starving about 2 hours later.  Enter my FAVORITE snack of the moment…….

Kashi 7-Grain Original Crackers

Trader Joe’s Spicy Hummus

Trader Joe’s Light String Cheese

I honestly think I could eat this EVERY day and never get tired of it.  This is the FIRST hummus that I have eaten almost the entire tub in a week.  It’s just that good. I think next time I make hummus I am going to ADD SALSA because that is exactly what it tastes like to me.

Lunch today was so FUN!  A group of us girls (plus 1 boy) headed out to Thai Kitchen.  It was SO GOOD today even though we all thought it could’ve been spicier ~ you know the kind of spice that makes your face hot and your nose run….Ok, bad visual, but, just sayin’…..

I started with SOUP ~ you could totally taste that roasted garlic and white pepper floating on top.  It was yummy.

I ventured out today from their usual Peanut Salad and ordered the cucumber salad.  I LOVED this – it was super light with a sweet rice wine vinegar and crunchy roasted peanuts on top.  I think I might have eaten an entire cucumber.

Fresh Spring Rolls!!!

I had 1/2 a roll and just thought it was ok.  I LOVED the peanut sauce but the insides were lacking in crunchy veggies – they just had tofu, noodles and mint

For my main dish I ordered Spicy Cashew Chicken that I added extra hot sauce to.

They didn’t have their brown rice cooked so went with regular and pretty much ate everything you see here (sans cilantro!)

Another co-worker ordered the Satae Chicken – doesn’t it look awesome!

And another had Pad Thai w/o egg or tofu made spicy – I so wanted to dig into that noodleliness!

When we got back, I had to check out the cake that Rachel made for another co-worker.  How freakin’ adorable is this cake?!  She has total Cake Talent!

I didn’t need an afternoon snack at all, but, I wanted something sweet.  I had a Tootsie Pop…..1,2,3….crunch!  It was good while it lasted.

Have I ever told you one of the BIG reasons I LOVE my company?  They know I have an insane recipe addiction and they give me all the extra mags after they check them out.   I LOVE Eating Well and Bon Appetit just makes me drool.  Oh and we did a product swap with Stoneyfield and I got TWO free yogurt coupons ~ woohoo!

Speaking of RECIPES….Weight Watchers currently has ALL their cookbooks at 50% off.  So, you know I HAD to pick up this cookbook last night since it was only $5.    I know I’ll be making some stuff from here soon….I think I drooled on the cover while I was at my meeting reading it  

There are very few times that I will say a recipe is PHENOMENAL but I really do have to say that about dinner tonight.  The Husband and I give it 5 stars all around (out of 5).  I made the Chilaquiles Casserole from Eating Well.  My recipe revisions and steps coming up next.

More veggies ~ sautéed zucchini on the side.

As I was cooking dinner The Husband told me we had a really BIG box delivered on the porch.  When I went outside to check, I was soooooo EXCITED to see it was MY ABSOLUTE MOST FAVORITE FIZZY WATER MACHINE IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD by Soda Stream.  The incredibly generous people at Soda Stream sent me their Genesis Model to review since I am IN LOVE with their Penguin Machine we have at work.  How cool is that?!

I LOVE that this little machine is going to help me in my quest to be greener.  Sorry Perrier, but, I found a new Lover….

The Genesis Kit comes with a 12 pack Soda Sampler Kit that had The Husband was excited about.  Maybe I can get him to swap his cans for this too!

The Soda Stream peeps seriously went over the top when they sent us NINE bottles of their different flavors.  Each bottle makes 33 cans of soda – how crazy is that?!

Fun Fizzy Water Flavor essences too – yeah!!!!

0,0,0,0…..Seriously fantastic stats for flavored fizzy water – LOVE that there is NO sodium too!

Making Fizzy water is soooo easy.  Take your fancy fizzy water machine.

Insert your CO2 Cartridge (A Christmas Present Idea – hint, hint!! )

Fill one of the water bottles they provide you up to the fill line and screw it onto the machine.  Press the button quickly until you hear 3 beeps (that sorta sound like farts – sorry, but, it does )

Add your flavor enhancers…..The Husband picked the Root Beer Sampler to try.

Shake a little to mix and serve ~ tadaaah – instant rootbeer that has 1/2 the sugar of the real deal for their regular and like 0 sugar (using Splenda) for their diet versions.

I opted for my Fizzy water straight up – nothing added.  MMMMM – heaven and I seriously think it might taste better than Perrier….well, you know, because I had to “work” for it to make it.

BUBBLES!!!!

So….that was the total highlight of my evening.  I will be giving away one of the awesome machines while we are cruising the Caribbean so be sure to check back for it!

I seriously think today was like my birthday with all the fun gifts I got.  Fun!!!

The Husband was all excited to give me the “dessert” he made us today.  He told me he put a red dessert in the fridge ~ Jello!  OMG, I haven’t had Jello in forever.  He decked it all out with whipped cream and sprinkles.  It was tasty and totally made me feel like a kid again.

Tonight is the last night you can enter to win an ENTIRE CASE with EVERY FLAVOR ~ Click HERE to enter!

SUPER COOL COUPON ALERT!!! Save 10-15% off Cost Plus World Market from 11/11-11/15 with THIS Coupon!

Coming up next ~ that phenomenal dinner recipe.