Happy Friday Eve all!  The Husband made sure he got up at 5 something for me yesterday just so I could have something to open as soon as I woke up on my Birthday!  He was  SO EXCITED to give me his card that he said he almost woke me up at midnight just to give it to me. He usually pulls out all the stops for specials days, but, little did I know that his card this time was going to say this…..

He has always been my BIGGEST Cheer Leader in healthy eating and never complains no matter how many “science projects” I make him try.  I never in a million years expected him to say he would join me at my Weight Watcher’s Meetings just to show he supports US leading a healthier lifestyle. 

I think it’s because he saw Charles Barkley, but, I didn’t tell him that   I know he doesn’t have anything to lose, but, it’s nice knowing he wants to go along for the ride!

He then made us “breakfast” by heating up the Slow Cooker Egg, Sausage and Potato Casserole LOL….(5 points+)

While I scratched the lottery tickets he gave me in my card.  I won $15!  He also played lotto numbers with our birthdays….told ya, he is cheesy and I LOVE it!

When I got to work, I was given a fun card from my co-worker telling me that calories do NOT count on my birthday…how cute is this card?!

The rest of my day was pretty work oriented with my phone going off with all types of birthday wishes…..Thanks again everyone ~ I am still smiling as I type!

The Husband actually packed my lunch too and each dish had a sweet post-it note on it.

Lunch started with veggies & ranch (2 points+)

and finished with a HUGE Piece of Baked, BACON, Butternut & Polenta Casserole (9 points+)

The Husband asked me to call him 20 minutes before I left the office because he had to “prepare” for my birthday.  I was pretty sure he was “making and/or doing something” like his human card.

Little did I know, he would tell me to pull off the freeway in Davis, just so he could meet me for sushi at my favorite place ~ Mikuni’s!

Miso Soup (2 points+)

Then, we shared their “small” Organic Green Salad ~ I took off most of the crunchies (4 points+)

Did I mention I LOVE this roll?! It was INCREDIBLE!! That would be an entire line of Sriracha on the right that I rolled each piece in. (10 points+ estimate)

After dinner we made a quick PIT STOP at home so I could open up my gift.

He bought this fish I was eyeing at Home Goods to add to our Caribbean art collection!

Then, drum roll, please…….a RADAR DETECTOR!  The story that goes with this is even funnier!  He did all types of research on what the best radar detector was to buy based on reviews, but, wait….it gets better.

He asked his friend who is a police officer as well as my Dad a retired police officer ~ Funny guy!

He said that Scooter tends to race all around town and I might need a little help in knowing when to slow him down ~ haha!

In keeping with the “Birthday” Theme (remember, he already built the track!), we headed over to Driven Raceway to Race Go Karts!

You start out by creating a profile…..I was Danica P of course!!!

He named his car Scooter II because……….

All these cars are Scooters Friends!!!

We pretty much had the track to ourselves…….They put you in the “pit” to describe the rules and flags before you start…..

Then, you spend about 10 minutes racing in circles!  The go karts go SO FAST at 45 mph…..so fun!

As much as I tried though, my car just couldn’t beat Scooter II!

When we arrived back home, The Husband’s mom and gran left me another fun birthday gift ~ Heart Shaped Pasta and a big flower! They all know me so well lol…..

Even though I DID pass up the cake yesterday, I totally made up for it today with a small Pizookie at BJ’s Brewery during our work lunch….Now, I could justify a warm freshly baked cookie with homemade vanilla bean any day…..and since it was for my birthday ~ it doesn’t count

I am meeting my Mom and Sis on Saturday to continue my birthday week fun ~ I cannot wait!

Oh, and, as if my Birthday Week couldn’t get any better………

Fitness Magazine Featured Me today as a Fit Blogger They LOVE ~ SO FUN!!!

Check it out here if you want to learn some fun new facts about me!

Night all!!

You all absolutely blow me away ~ seriously! Thank you all for making me feel so special on my Birthday with all the Tweets, Facebook Messages, Emails, Cards, gifts and especially the serenades!  I am pretty sure I have not stopped grinning all day….Thank you all for being such great friends ~ I honestly look forward to every single message.

I cannot wait to share all the details of my birthday today, but, I am taking the night off to celebrate!

The Husband ALWAYS has something up his sleeve each year and he never fails at making my birthday FUN…..Here is a sneak peak at one of his surprises!

Look out Danica Patrick ~ There is a NEW Danica P on the Race Track!!!

CHEESE!!!

On that note, I will catch up with you all tomorrow with all the details!

P.S. I even turned down the cake since I didn’t really want it ~ WIN!!!

Night all!

This morning while I was in the shower, The Husband decided to get a little “creative” and put together a “MINI” Club for Scooter.  I heard him laughing out loud to himself in the kitchen so I had to go check out what he was up to……

He explained to me that he was signing us up for a “MINI” Club and he even moved the cars around showing how they could ZIP around the parking lot and park…..

He is SUCH a clown, but, wait, it gets better……

He actually bought me a bunch of MINI Hot Wheels at Christmas that were able to “join” his club…..

And, he made one of them into SCOOTER!!!

Complete with VROOM, VROOM sounds……

He couldn’t find the 4 door model after searching like 5 stores, so he decided to paint the “white” one to make it match Scooter.

I was totally cracking up when he told me how he even used blue tape so he could paint the hood and protect the wheels LOLOLOL……

OH, and he let other cars into the parking lot too even though they are not part of the club to make it seem more “real”….SOOOO FUNNY!

I LOVE the in/out arrows probably as much as listening to him drive each car around “racing”  

He was pretty hungry after all that zooming around, so I whipped us up Sausage Egg McMuffins.

Top with Sriracha and enjoy! 7 points+ versus a regular Sausage Egg McMuffin at 12 points+.

• Orowheat Double Fiber English Muffin (3 points+)
• “Fried” egg (2 points+)
• Morning Star Veggie Sausage (2 points+)

After breakfast we stopped by Starbuck’s before running a few errands.

Grande “Dirty” Latte ~ FF, Decaf Latte with 1 Pump Mocha (4 points+) ~ fun to order and you get all that chocolately flavor without the added pumps/points+. (Simply Filling plus 1 points+ for the mocha).

We ended up having a late lunch/dinner since we were having lunch with some friends at The Joy of Eating.

I totally wanted soup, but, they were out so I subbed my fries for this salad topped with red wine vinegar to make it a Simply Filling Salad! (0 points+)

BACON ~ LETTUCE ~ TOMATO ~ AVOCADO ~ on Homemade Sweet Bread (12 points+)

Delicious ~ I think the secret to their AMAZING sandwiches is their homemade sweet bread.

Speaking of MINI….I took my Coconut Pound Cake Cupcakes and made them into 2 points+ MINI Muffins to bring to my Weight Watchers Meeting tomorrow.

I had 2 to “test” them out ~ they passed the test (4 points+)

I am really big on listening to my body and my hunger levels.  I try to not eat just because it’s meal time and/or because the food is there.  I am STILL not even hungry so I do not see dinner happening.  If I get hungry, I might snack on some cheese/crackers and/or fruit.

Keeping up with our 100% Tracking Challenge ~ here is my day 6 tracker!

• B ~ Sausage Egg McMuffin (7)
• S ~ Grande Dirty Latte (4)
• L ~ 2 cups salad with Red Wine Vinegar (0), BLTA (12)
• S ~ 2 MINI Coconut Pound Cake Muffins (4)
• D ~ TBD, probably nothing
• DS ~ None
• Total ~ 27 Daily Points+

One more day in our 100% Tracking Challenge ~ How are you all doing with your tracking? What’s on your tracker for Day 6?

Night all!

Happy 2012 everyone!  We had a great time celebrating our Nothingness New Year.  I was in bed by 10 (after celebrating on Eastern time) but we totally woke up with all the fire works going off over the bay LOL.  I will say it was totally hard to stay in because I wanted to drive our new car like anywhere and ummm everywhere LOL.

2012 started off on a FANTASTIC note for me ~ I LOST 2.4 LBS!!! I honestly feel like I am “In The Zone” now that the holidays are over….I am ready to move onto my next MINI goal.

Valentine’s Day!!! Our leader asked us today to think about ONE thing we would like to accomplish between NOW and Valentine’s day.  TWO thoughts came to mind.

1. ~ Instead of my Monthly Resolutions this year, I am focusing on having a “THEME FOR THE YEAR”. 

My Theme this is consistency!  I want to consistently track my food, workout, get in my healthy guidelines, focus on more simply filling meals and finding balance in my life.  I can list so many areas in my life I want and need to work on consistently.  I plan on being CONSISTENT all year long ~ you can expect to see me shout out the ways I am doing that too!

CONSISTENCY is truly what is going to make my LIFESTYLE stick!

2.  My MINI goal from now until Valentine’s day ~ Lose 7 LBS!  I can exceed it, but, I want to set an attainable goal I can achieve.

As usual, my leader hooked us up with one delicious breakfast that was only 3 points+!

3 Cinna-MINI Muffins (2 points+)

A slice of an Asparagus Tortilla (1 points+) ~ this is a Simply Filling Food and I am totally making it this week!

All balanced out with another Simply Filling Power food ~ Apple!

Doesn’t she rocked?! It’s awesome that she hooks us up with food, but, in all honesty ~ she is the reason for my success…..she motivates me all week long to work for the results at the scale!

After my meeting, I zoomed home and grabbed The Husband and his Mom.  We stopped at Starbuck’s on our way out for a MINI Road Trip.

Venti Iced Nonfat Decaf Latte with Caramel Drizzle (3 points+) and it fits into Simply Filling.

We spent four hours (being tortured) walking around the Alameda Antique Fair.  If you are someone who loves that like The Husband and his mom, then, you need to check it out ~ there are over 1,000 vendors.

My FAVORITE part of the fair are the rows and rows of Food Trucks   The Husband and I grabbed these BBQ Pork Skewers are we walked around.   Not totally a simply filling food because of the BBQ sauce, but, a good choice nonetheless.  (4 points+)

On our way back into town, we stopped at Boudin for Soup Bowls and Salads!

1/2 a Spring Salad ~ “mixed greens, spiced walnuts, dried cranberries, granny smith apples,
feta cheese, tossed with our balsamic vinaigrette dressing” (7 points+)

Tomato Basil Soup with GIGANTIC Homemade Croutons in a Bread Bowl. 

If you eat the soup and crouton’s with the ENTIRE bread bowl it is 16 points+.  I ate all the soup and croutons with my bread bowl top only for 8 points+.

It’s a good thing Boudin isn’t closer or I’d go there all the time for meals like this!

I am still full so we have skipped out plans to grill tonight.  If I get “snacky” later, I plan on having a big Asian Pear and a cheese stick.

My MINI Motivator!!!  Yesterday we bought a brand new 2012 Mini Cooper S Countryman.

I told The Husband since we have a “Fit” MINI, I want to get MINI to fit in it LOL….plus, the more I lose, the more bags we can carry

I was SO SAD to let go of my Toyota 4Runner because it gave us 9 good years……But, the time has come to let go and move on to something that is GREENER & more fuel efficient.

Not to mention totally FUN to drive! I could go on for days about all the things I LOVE about our new car….but, instead, I’ll just sum it up with ~ IT’S SO FREAKIN’ COOL!

The Husband said our new car is a BOY car because it’s a countryman ~ I say it’s a boy car because it has black socks with black shoes (totally intentional because they won’t show the dirt like silver rims).

We are currently debating what to “NAME OUR MINI”  He totally think it NEEDS to have a name.

Q’s ~ Sooooo, I have to ask:

1. Do you name your car? If so, I want to know ~ what is the name?

2.  What name would you all call our new car?

See you all tomorrow night with my weekly menu which will include a few Simply Filling Ideas.

Night all!

HI everyone!  I just wanted to pop in really quickly and wish you all a Happy New Year!  Thanks to all of my friends out there for reading and sharing your daily adventures with me ~ I look forward to hearing from you all every day.  We finished 2011 with something absolutely, freakin’ cool!!!

Any guesses???

Here is a hint…….

Source

Details and more pictures coming up tomorrow!  For now, I am off to do well…Nothing to Celebrate our Nothingness New Year!

Catch up with you all in 2012!!!

Happy Monday all!  Thank you all so much for your get well wishes ~ you really made me sappy with each message you sent.  It really helped knowing I have so many caring friends out there.  I am doing a “little” better now but cannot wait to have an action plan to make my shoulder normal and pain free again.  I see the Orthopedic Surgeon on Thursday for another evaluation so my fingers are crossed I can get it “fixed” before our vacation.

Every year I ALWAYS have to buy a box of one of my FAVORITE pancake mixes out there….

Trader Joe’s Pancake & Waffle Mix ~ for the record, I’d totally make them as waffles if I had a waffle maker ~ kinda crazy that is one kitchen appliance I do not have

Yes, you could make these tasty pancakes from scratch, but, why mess with a good thing?!

The mix alone is 4 points+ per serving.  I mix 1 cup of the pancake mix with 3/4 cup FF milk and an egg (I omit the butter because you don’t need it).  It adds a little protein boost and brings the total to 5 points+ for 3 pancakes (each 1 cup batch makes 9 pancakes).

Topped with 1 tsp whipped butter, 1 Tbsp PURE Maple Syrup, 1 tsp unsweetened coconut flakes and 1/2 a banana (7 points+).

It’s like having a pumpkin spice muffin that is accented by hints of salty whipped butter, sweet maple syrup and creamy banana.

Another FUN FALL FAV ~ Cuties!!! Paired with a Chobani Peach Yogurt (3 points+)

Tracey of TJ’s Test Kitchen actually turned me onto this Asian Salad Mix you can pick up (or make at home) from Costco.

100% REAL ingredients that you can pronounce and recognize.

I LOVE that they break down all the components in the mix so you can calculate the stats.  For the record….

Salad Mix ~ 0 points+

1 1/2 Tbsp Crunchy Noodles & Almonds ~ 1 points+

1 1/2 Tbsp Ginger Sesame Dressing ~ 1 points+

YUP ~ you totally read that right ~ ONLY 2 points+ per serving and a little goes a LONG way!

I took 1 1/2 cups of the mix and added 1/2 cup shredded carrots with 1/2 a pear for crunch and sweetness.

Rounded out with 3 oz. of Rotisserie Chicken Breast (3 points+), green onions and 2 types of sesame seeds.

One HUGE salad that only took minutes to make! Sometimes I really NEED to remember that meals can really be THIS easy. 

I always buy the big bag of these mini peppers when I go to Costco too because they are great snacks and work for decorating salads and/or as peppers in any dish. They are sweet & crunchy (not spicy at all).

I measured the crunchies to make sure I kept myself in check.

Then, I measured out 1 1/2 Tbsp of dressing with 1/2 Tbsp of Rice Vinegar because I LOVE the kick it adds and it “stretches” your dressing further.

Commute snacks ~ Sargento Lite String Cheese & another cutie (1 points+)

When I drove up to our house I saw The Husband’s Mom waiting “in line”and The Husband was hard at work at the “Farmer’s Market”.

He is SUCH a clown!!! He knew I was bumming out a bit because I missed the last two days of our local Farmer’s Markets and have to wait until next year.

So, instead, he brought the Farmer’s Market to me

Can you believe he didn’t buy anything? Yup, this is only like 1/2 of what is in our fridge….what can I say ~ at least it’s “The Good Stuff”

He also said we should go to Chipotle for dinner so I could rest my arm…..um OK!

I decided to go with the 3 Crunchy Chicken Tacos because they fill them so much that you end up with a salad after you eat them.  I LOVE that! (15 points+ or 5 points+/taco)

* 3 crunchy corn taco shells with chicken, pico de gallo, corn salsa, cheese & lettuce

I will be working on catching up on all your emails and comments this week.  Thanks again for being patient since my arm has sort of made me slow down a bit. I also have some SUPER FUN giveaways coming up too!

Q’s

What is your FAVORITE thing to get at The Farmer’s Market or store?

I definitely change favorites each year, but, this year, I cannot get enough watermelon.

Night all!

Happy Friday Eve all!  I LOVED reading all of your FAVORITE FALL things on yesterday’s post.  I found myself nodding going ohhhh ya, I LOVE that and that and that.  I have to agree it is really one of the BEST times of year because the weather is not too hot or too cold (yup, it’s just right lol) and the color changes in the trees are absolutely beautiful.

The other thing I LOVE…..is how you can visit a TON of stores, like we did today and see all the festive decorations that make you think of Halloween, pumpkins & ghosts, Thanksgiving, FALL and apple season!

I was totally focused on checking off my to-do list this morning so I could spend the afternoon having fun.  I honestly didn’t want to stop to make breakfast so I cooked up 2 slices of Trader Joe’s Turkey Bacon for protein and had a banana for staying power (2 points+).

Tracey & and I decided to get together today for some sushi & shopping fun since it is one of our last chances to get together before my new job starts.

We went to Hisui’s Japanese Steakhouse in Vacaville and I had to say, today the food and service was phenomenal!

We started off by sharing Edamame ~ 1/2 cup for 1 points+

Miso soup is STILL amazing even when it’s over 100 degrees outside (2 points+)

Crispy green side salad with that dressing that makes you want to lick the bowl (3 points+)

Joe’s Roll ~ Shrimp, Spicy Tuna & Crab, AVOCADO, Seared Tuna & Albacore, Tobiko

LOVE!!! Would you all believe that I use my ENTIRE ball of wasabi in my soy sauce & sometimes get sriracha on the side?! NEVER spicy enough (13 points+)

We definitely earned some activity points today from walking. We shopped from about 1030 am til 400 PM.  Once we arrived home, we re-hydrated with fruit bowls, Iced Coconut Coffee from Starbucks (2 points+) and…….

Ghirardelli Intense Dark Sea Salt Soiree!

What makes these awesome aside from the sea salt you can taste along with the chunks of almonds is that you get 1 for 2 points+ or 2 for 3 points+ ~ DEAL!

One of our stops today involved buying Sam’s Club Size spices just so we could make up HUGE quantities of the BEST homemade taco seasoning you will ever make to have on hand.

We took Veggie Terrain’s recipe and made multiplied everything to make up 10 cups of spice (5 cups each, 80 tablespoons ~ 0 points+ and 100% REAL ingredients ~ nothing artificial! 

Bulk Taco Seasoning

INGREDIENTS

• 4 1/2 cups Chili Powder
• 2 1/4 cups Cumin
• 1 1/2 cups sea salt
• 3/4 cup black pepper
• 3/4 cup paprika
• 1/3 cup dried oregano flakes
• 1/3 cup onion powder
• 1/3 cup garlic powder
• 1/3 cup crushed red pepper flakes

INSTRUCTIONS

1.  Toss to combine mashing up any clumps of seasoning. Store in an air tight container for up to 2 years.  I portioned our into big Mason Jars with 1 Tbsp scoopers.

2.  Add anywhere you would use tacos or a Mexican seasoning…tacos, soups, bean, dips or combine with ranch for a southwestern dip.

Speaking of FALL…..here are some of the super cute things I found today.

1/2 off basket at Michael’s…..

Just so I could fit these 1/2 off Cinnamon Pine Cones that make your house smell like fall.

SO FREAKIN’ CUTE!  $3 each at Target…you put in a battery and they glow!

Plus $3 mini colored lights for around the window…..

1/2 off Happy Halloween Sign at Kohl’s….I LOVE putting something in our big kitchen window…it makes for a fun background with our fence and in pictures

Now all I need are little mini pumpkins and I am all set for next month

Not really FALL. but, I LOVE this colorful bowl set I got at Sam’s Club and each bowl had an air tight lid.

Next up I ran over to the Farmer’s Market with The Husband before coming back for a super simple dinner.  More of my SALAD ADDICTION of the week this time with Black Pepper Almond Slices for the sunflower seeds (4 points+)

Plus a big bowl of Butternut Squash Soup with toasted almond slivers (5 points+)

Q’s

What is your favorite decoration for this time of year?

I LOVE our Charlie Brown Christmas Tree and my snowman best, but, I have to admit, I am kinda, sorta, really digging my fun new Halloween finds.

Night all!

Happy Almost Dad’s Day to all the Dad’s out there!  Today was filled with lots of “fun” Dad’s Day planning and then, Dad’s Day celebrating.

Before heading out the door, I whipped up egg-wiches for The Husband and I.

* 2 Slices Trader Joe’s FF Multi-Grain Bread (3 points+)

* 1 “fried” egg ~ fried in nonstick spray with sea salt & pepper

* 1 tsp Whipped Butter because honestly, I just wanted it today (1 points+)

Plus a big bowl of melon!

Before starting our errands we stopped by Starbuck’s.  I wanted to save on my points+ today so I had a Venti Iced Decaf Americano with 2 pumps coconut & a splash of real half/half (2 points+).

We ran around town getting a few things checked off our list including a bit of Dad’s Day shopping.

The Husband has a serious fascination with the super sized “things” hanging from the ceiling in Target (he ALWAYS tells me he wants the BIG CORN) LOL.

So, our shopping started with him liking the “super soaker squirt gun” and this hat…….

Then, like a little kid, he wanted this shirt too ~ but not just for him

Since we still have way too much food to eat before we leave for Vegas we stopped to have lunch at home.  I knew exactly what I wanted because some people “TEASED” by sending pictures saying they were having leftover bacon!

* Organic Mixed Greens, Carrots, Red Cabbage & Cherry Tomatoes

* 1 Tbsp Sunflower Seeds (1 points+)

* 1 Tbsp Shredded Pepperjack cheese (1 points+)

* 1 Tbsp TJ’s Berry Blend (eh, could’ve left this off)

* 2 slices TJ’s Peppered Turkey Bacon (2 points+)

* 2 Tbsp Bolthouse Ranch (2 points+)

After lunch, I told The Husband I NEEDED to go to Trader Joe’s to get these Bistro Biscuits that you all have been telling me are just like my FAVORITE Biscoff Cookies.

It’s pretty crazy how similar the ingredients and the stats are ~ here is my pics of the Biscoff packages.

If I had to guess seeing as Annie’s makes all the Trader Joe’s products that look just like the Annie’s products, ummm, these delicious 1 points+ cookies are made by Biscoff!

I totally see a side by side taste test comparison coming this week!

I did taste a bite of the Biscoff, but, I really had my heart set on one of these Petit’s Palmiers.

Only 3 points+ for the size of a cookie as big as my hand!

Plus it’s a SMILEY Cookie ~ I LOVE that! It’s buttery, flakey and melts in your mouth with hints of sugar……Maybe a new fav, but, the competition is close

On our way up to “Meet The Parents”, I decided I really needed some caffeine.  The Husband agreed to split this with me if I got the whip and toppings for him.

Quite possibly my NEW FAV at Starbuck’s

Grande Mocha Coconut Light Frappucino made with Fat Free Milk (5 points+ excluding the whip which he had the top half lol). 

It totally tastes like a Mounds Bar!

My Dad picked Olive Garden as his Dad’s Day place to have dinner.  I wasn’t actually too excited because almost EVERYTHING on the menu is over 20 points+ and I personally HATE eating half of a pasta dish.

So I checked out Weight Watchers Online and they had pointed out almost all of the menu items.  I also checked out Olive Garden’s Nutritional Info.  It made my decision easy.

I was set on the 9 points+ Apricot Chicken and I’d have a “treat” of 1 breadstick” and salad.

NOTE TO SELF: Do NOT open the menu to look at the pictures or read the descriptions BEFORE ordering….I totally wanted to change my order after seeing everything LOL.

I MADE A DEAL with myself though…if I had the Apricot Chicken, I could have the bread and salad.  If I didn’t, then, I had to have just my entrée because it’s about the same points+ just for that.

Each breadstick is 4 points+ and I could give/take them at Olive Garden.  I had one though to keep me away from devouring the appetizer platter.

Salad! 4 points+

I did totally indulge in 2 stuffed mushrooms ~ even though they have clams, you can’t taste them.  It’s like buttery, garlic bread, cheese stuffed mushrooms. (2 points+)

Apricot Chicken ~ perfectly salty, sweet, grilled!

Plus steamed veggies.

It’s actually a lot of food ~ I only finished about 2/3’s of it.

After dinner The Husband got to pull off his plan he had been scheming all day long.

BEFORE ~ can’t you just tell he is up to something

We told my Dad the one condition of his gift was that he had to go put it on.  While he was in the Bathroom The Husband put on his hat and shirt….then, waited by the door.  I am sure everyone at the restaurant thought we were crazy

Waiting……

AFTER ~ Surprise!!! My Dad had no clue he was dressing up the same.

We are actually planning a tropical vacation with my parents later this year so this was sort of the reason for the clothes……Like Dad, Like Son!

Then, they got silly like they were “Mobsters” or “Gangstas” or something…..

You know because Florida and Tropical Islands are full of the Mob….So funny!

LOVE THEM!!!!

NEW AT FRIENDS FOR WEIGHT LOSS

* Make DAD LOVE YOU MORE with these good for him 5 points+ Banana Nut Muffins

Q’S

What are you all doing for Dad’s Day?  Making anything fun or going out to eat somewhere delicious?

Night all!

Happy Earth Day and GOOD FRIDAY all!  Today was definitely ONE FOOD FRIDAY   I LOVE that you all are just as excited about the new Weight Watcher Apps as me.  For those IPHONE Users ~ there is a BAR CODE SCANNING app too.  It’s called Fooducate. Thanks to Cindy for sharing that. 

Click HERE to get the information on the App or Search “Fooducate” on your Iphone

I saw it on TJ’s Iphone today and I think I may officially have Iphone envy ~ it’s pretty COOL & FREE!

This morning started with my Weight Watcher’s Weigh In. How much did I lose?

I LOST THIS MUCH!

Thanks to Marcia for pointing out that my .2 lb loss is a Cube of Butter ~ I LOVE visuals like that.  I am actually pretty proud of the loss considering our weekend long Date-“iversary” Food Fest and not being able to exercise all week due to my back.  It’s down, in the right direction and every little bit adds up.

I resisted getting an Iced Dirty Latte and instead started my breakfast with a BIG iced coffee.

I REALLY was craving “breakfast” but knew I was meeting TJ to have Breakfast for Lunch.  I decided to try out these Veggie Sausage Patties I picked up a Trader Joes.  I actually LOVE the Morning Star sausages but they were all sold out.

I was hoping that Morning Star made these since the stats were similar ~ 2 points+ each.

Looks good, right?! Tastes AWFUL! Like really, really bad….as in, I had 2 bites and threw out the entire box bad…..I can’t even describe it ~ sorta rubber like and spongy, tofu like and just plain nasty.  I know that’s harsh, but, it’s true…..

I somewhat salvaged breakfast with more of that delicious pineapple.

I met TJ of TJ’s Test Kitchen today for Breakfast for Lunch at the Joy of Eating Café.  I ALWAYS get their BLTA because it is FANTASTIC, but, today, TJ encouraged me to venture out.

I am SO GLAD she talked me into it because this was one of the BEST breakfasts I’ve ever had.

Veggie Egg White Omelet

* Egg Whites

* Caramelized Spinach, Mushrooms, Onions, Tomatoes

Plus lots of pepper and Tabasco (2 points+)

Since I saved points+ by getting egg whites, I decided to get REAL bacon.  I had 3 pieces and cannot believe I actually left one of the plate.  I am pretty sure I NEVER do that with bacon.  (6 points+ since it was thick cut)

I had a slice of their FAMOUS Homemade Hawaiian Sweet Bread dry (3 points+)

Then, I saw TJ do this with her bread….She started with strawberry jam.

Added a little bacon and made a sandwich.

I TOTALLY had to participate too.  I am pretty sure I will be eating a lot of bacon/jam sandwiches in my future….I LOVED the salty, sweet, crunchy, chewy combination.  I cut my one slice of bread into 4’s so I could have TWO sandwiches. (1 points+ for the jam).

I picked FRUIT over their amazing hashbrowns because I actually wanted it more.

Did you all do anything for Earth Day? 

All week at work, we took pledges to do at least ONE THING good for the Earth and wrote our pledges on our Bernie Bites Board.

I had  a hard time deciding on which thing to pledge to, but, in the end, I think that THIS is one thing I NEED to do more.  I am guilty of leaving the TV on for “noise” when I am home alone even though I may not necessarily be in that room.

This afternoon flew by and I got a ton of work done.  I LOVE it when you can finish out your week checking off your todo list.

At lunch TJ and I discussed “baking options” she could make for her fun festivities this weekend.  She brought Trail Mix over and I helped her bake ~ totally a fair trade to me

Easy Rocky Road Squares, 3 points+

Chief Banana-Nator!

Low-Fat Banana Bread Cookies TWO WAYS ~ One with HUGE Chocolate Chips and the other with Mixed Dried Fruit and Roasted Walnuts.

Of course we had to “sample” the cookies to make sure they were good.  We split one of each kind (3 points+)

Then, we made a batch of 1 Points+ Meyer Lemon Cookies for good measure.  We each had one of these too   I really think these might be my favorite cookies of all time.

We were both pretty hungry after baking up so we headed over to Mary’s Pizza Shack for dinner.   Can you believe we went to a pizza place to have soup and salad?

Hot, homemade, delicious ~ Chicken Vegetable Noodle (2 points+)

I was able to keep it at 1 slice of bread with 1 tsp butter (2 points+).  I told myself I could have more AFTER my salad if I was still hungry, but, I wasn’t!

One of MY FAVORITE salads in town.  I ate every single bite except the salami and used 2 Tbsp of REAL Ranch Dressing using my fork to dip with each bite. LOVE! (8 points+)

I may or may not have had another cookie for dessert when The Husband broke out his bag.  Such a FUN day!

Q’s

Do you use food or objects to measure how much you have lost and give you the physical representation?

I LOVE using objects to feel/see how much I’ve lost.  I used to have this Weight Watcher chart that showed a how many pounds you lost in milk gallons, cantaloupe, a sack of potatoes, etc.  The funnier part, I used to put it all in my cart at the grocery store to pick it up and show The Husband, I LOST THIS much!

What is everyone making up for Easter this weekend?  Are you coloring Eggs?

I am debating if I should go all out with Ham, Au Gratin Potatoes, Green Beans with Bacon and do something fancy or just sticking with the usual and making something fun.

Night all!

Happy Friday all!  I pretty much think I marked down all the places you all listed for your FAVORITE Cupcakes on my last post.  I think I should make it a goal to try the “cupcakeries’ in every city I visit…you know, just so I can report on where the BEST Cupcakes are

This morning I actually decided that Friday’s should include Dirty Lattes!

Venti Iced Nonfat Decaf Latte w/1 Pump Mocha = a Dirty Latte (4 points+) along with a nana.

My morning FLEW by as I was so busy with work since I was taking a half day for my Road Trip with TJ of TJ’s Test Kitchen.! 

I was starving as I left the house so I grabbed a Lite String Cheese (1 points+) so I wouldn’t order 1 of everything on the menu.

Our Road Tip started with TJ’s favorite sushi place ~ Yokoso Sushi.  I actually think it might be my FAVORITE place now too.

Japanese Miso Salad ~ Their dressing is SO GOOD I almost think I could lick the bowl the way I want to every time I have Trader Joe’s Spicy Peanut Vinaigrette…..it’s probably a good thing we were in public or I might have (3 points+)

Miso Soup that we both pick the seaweed out of LOL (2 points+)

I knew I wanted to order the EXACT SAME roll I had last time, but this time I asked if they could add Sriracha….Guess what?!  They DID!  A little on each piece.

I ate ALL of this roll and it was AMAZING!  I estimated this based off a Spicy Tuna Roll at 1 points+ a piece.  (9 points+) 

I bet you all would really think I am funny if I told you I could eat my body weight in RAW FISH sushi like this, but, if you cook fish, I don’t really like it…I am weird, but, I am OK with that

After our bellies were full we knew it would be safe to head over to Harvest House ~ A Bulk Health Food store.

They had rows and rows on Bulk Bins with everything you could imagine and it was all pretty reasonably priced.

I LOVE Ak Mak Crackers, but, have you all ever seen their HUGE CRACKER BREAD?!

Let me just give you an example of how big it is in comparison to the usual crackers.

ONLY 3 Points+ for ONE sheet (the same as 5 Ak Mak Crackers)

I am sorta curious if I would like it softened or if I’d just make my pizza or Laughing Cow with Apricot Jam on one HUGE Crunchy Cracker!

I actually think they are bigger than her head ~ we split the pack.

Next up ~ TJ’s FAVORITE Almond Cookies

Not really that great of a points+ bargain (10 for 3 points+)

or 3 for 1 points+….I LOVE that they are all funky shapes and sizes.  They are totally delicious and I could easily OD on them.

I think I NEED to work on creating a delicious Crunchy Almond Sugar Cookie after trying these.

Just Veggies ~ CAUTION ~ Contents may be HOT!

3 Points+ for 1/4 of the bag ~ that’s a lot of veggie goodness.

The ONLY thing we missed reading in the ingredient list ~ JALAPENOS!  Holy HOT-NESS!  I think it’s because the word “HOT” in the title blended with the theme of these cute characters

I also bought 3 types of Kavli Crackers to share because TJ had never had them.  I LOVE these crackers over Wasa Crackers because they taste like a cracker over hard cardboard.

They all have REAL ingredients too!

3 of these are 1 points+

Then, the next 2 flavors ~ 2 crackers are 1 Points+

Here is everything I bought…..I bought a Butte Creek Cinnamon Roll Mix, Sweet Corn Crunchies and had fun at the Bulk Bins too!

* Coconut Chips ~ crispy unsweetened coconut chips!

* REAL Vanilla Chips

* Raw Macadamia Nuts

* Dried Pears

* Whole Wheat Orzo

* Chipotle Powder

After all that shopping we were parched.

Grande Iced Dirty Latte (3 points+)

TJ actually got adventurous ~ I am SO PROUD of her!  She “almost” got a dirty latte, but, instead she made a DIRTY COFFEE ~ Iced Coffee with 1 Pump Mocha and a little half & half. (2 points+)

OH, and I also found something to take a picture of at her house ~ this little plant is adorable….I LOVE the holder!

When I got home The Husband and I planned out our Dating Anniversary trip and then headed out to CHIPOTLE!

13 points+ and worth every HEAPING point.  I <3 Chipotle & their Guacamole!

You can calculate the nutritional information at Chipotle Fan for any combination at Chipotle – then calc the points+ – LOVE it!

* Lettuce (0)

* Chicken (5)

* Pico de Gallo (0)

* Corn Salsa (2)

* A little cheese (less than a serving) (2)

* GUACAMOLE! (4)

NEW AT FRIENDS FOR WEIGHT LOSS

* Shannon shares the easiest Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup ~ Only 4 Points+

* Win a CUSTOM CASE of Chobani in any flavors you like ~ Click HERE!

Q’s

Do you buy anything in the bulk bins?  If so, what is your favorite thing to get?

I am famous for buying something (like Chickpea Flour) because I see a recipe for (oh, Chick Pea Fries!) that I want to make.  Then, I forget I have it   I LOVE buying anything in the bulk bins that I want to try a little of but not have the expense of buying the whole package until I like it.  Believe it or not, that is how I first tried Flax and Chia seeds, now I just buy a ton of them!

We are getting ready to watch Inception ~ The Husband told me I NEEDED to concentrate to watch it so no blogging and watching.

LET THE WEEEEEEKEND BEING!