I mean….have you ever seen a Parsley Plant grow this big for no apparent reason???

Or Rosemary….I think they are competing for who can grow the tallest…..

Lemon Thyme ~ Our garden this year is totally Herbs Gone Wild ~ seriously LOL….

They are bigger than the tomato plants…..

And even HIS 4 corn stalks

The only thing not so happy about all this greenness ~ the Lemon Cucumber

The cool part is this is only after 1 month ~ you can see what our garden looked like when we planted it over on this post.

I absolutely LOVE looking out our kitchen window every morning and seeing this….I really do tell The Husband to come look every day because his “corn” looks bigger…..and, the part that is even funnier…..He always says “Hi Corn!”

Yup, that’s why I think we need to get out more!

Speaking of that ~ House of Prime Rib might just be my all time FAVORITE place in the world now.  I have never ordered Prime Rib (ever ~ it’s too “beefy” to me, but, I would go back just to eat it there).  I counted every single point of my dinner from the hot sourdough bread to the garlic mashed potatoes and wine ~ all 41 points+ worth.

Then, I made sure I was up at 5 AM on and the treadmill for another Couch to 5K 30 minute run/walk this morning.

On my way in I stopped for a Venti Iced Coffee with 1 pump Mocha, 1 Pump Vanilla and a splash of 1/2 and 1/2 for 2 points+.

I wasn’t super hungry for breakfast so I “snacked” instead.  I am so bummed this reduced fat Sargento “barely” comes in at 2 points+….I thought for sure it would be 1.  It’s worth it though.

About an hour later my hunger kicked in so I snacked on some veggie tray veggies with 2 Tbsp Light Ranch (2 points+)

I am also “that” person who fires up the grill at 6 am just so I can have Trader Joe’s Grilled Chili Lime Chicken Burgers for lunch.

Topped with 1/4 cup Cojita Cheese, 1 Tbsp roasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds!)

All on top of a bed of crunchy greens and things with 2 Tbsp Newman’s Light Lime Vinaigrette.  My entire salad came in at 10 points+.

As I was pondering my afternoon snack, my co-worker stopped by and asked if I wanted to make a coffee run……um, Yes, Please!!!! As if I needed more

Small Nonfat Decaf Latte (3 points+)

We also each had a scoop of Biscoff Spread with our lattes (2 points+)

When I walked in the door The Husband had already started making dinner.  He grilled up Bonesless Pork Chops with his “secret BBQ sauce” (2 oz for 2 points+)

And grilled asparagus with Olive Oil, Sea Salt & Black Pepper (2 points+)

While I made up the fries ~ It was really hard work putting these Trader Joe’s Frozen Shoe String Fries on the tray and baking them for 14 minutes.

They turn out so crispy as if you “fried” them and you get a lot. 3 oz = 4 points+.

Simple, delicious and totally worth repeating.

I am currently trying to pretend the caramel Dove’s are not on the counter…..I need to just walk away already!

STATS (12 am – 830 pm)

• 2, 608 calories burned
• 7, 549 steps taken
• 29 daily points+

Q’s

Are you growing a garden this year?  Patio gardens and container gardening counts.  What did you plant?

Night all!

Husband!!!! How many of you all could’ve guessed that one?! For all those who emailed wondering what he would do this year……I think this year he might have topped his Human Card and My Garden Box aka The Love Garden.  This year actually all goes back to that whole Rainbow Story & the infamous Rainbow Cake!

I get up a lot earlier than him since I typically hop on the treadmill at 5 am to get my calorie burn on.  After working out and sneaking about putting up all his Valentine’s day stuff, I hopped in the shower. 

I sort of “freaked” out because as I was rinsing my hair, I heard the bathroom door open & close, but, NOBODY was there…..I opened the shower door and saw this sitting on the counter…..

I totally started laughing out loud and went to “wake” him up….He told me he was still “night night” so I went in the kitchen and next to my coffee cup was a Unicorn!

Yup, he totally bought an ENTIRE pack of Valentine’s cards, write personalized messages in each and strategically left them all over the house, in my jacket pocket, lunch bag……

As I continued getting ready for work, he told me he had some “mail” for me and brought this to me….My very own personal mail box!

Complete with Rainbows to keep up with my childhood theme!

And mail too, of course!

Yup, those are ALL little heart stickers too!

But, wait….it gets better!  He actually ran outside while I was in the shower to decorate Scooter too!  I was totally busting up when I walked up to the door and saw MORE Hearts!

And MORE Valentine’s on the steering wheel, shifter, seat!

Taken with my phone from Scooters window…I totally didn’t even realize until now that one of the hearts lined up perfectly on him.

I thought he was all done with surprises until I walked in the door tonight……and saw more hearts!

He baked cupcakes for practice he said….

Don’t they look professional?! They taste pretty amazing too & 110% worth indulging in….

Bought me Heart Plates to feed my random plate collection ~ I can’t wait to use them!!!

And, quite possibly one of my favorite things ever ~ He actually MADE this Rainbow Heart that lights up!

Seriously ~ it’s the little things!  It doesn’t have to be big or expensive or fancy…..it’s all those little things that add up to make this one of the BEST Valentine’s Days I’ve ever had! I him!!!

Happy Hearts Day all ~ Thanks for always reading, sharing your comments and Goals!, encouraging me and being a part of my daily adventures.

Ok, I promise I am all done with the mushy gushy stuff!  I will be back tomorrow with my 1 points+ Strawberry Mini Muffin & Whipped Strawberry Cream Cheese Recipes!

Night all!

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!