This morning I woke up thinking about MMMMMM, Muffins!  LOL ~ funny name.  Really, since it has been cooler here in the mornings, I really wanted to try out my new Better Oats Oatmeal.

I LOVE reading all the fun things they say on the box, especially when it’s made of 100% recycled material and says fun things like this.

3 points per serving.

Have you all ever seen this before?  I thought it was the COOLEST thing that they have you use your oatmeal packet to measure your water.  It totally works too.  It doesn’t get soggy at all.

One reason I don’t like instant oats is because they are mushy and don’t have alot of texture.  I LOVED seeing the whole oats when I poured out the packet.

But, you all know I couldn’t just leave it that way.  I added 3/4 cup Fresh Blueberries and a sprinkle of POM seeds

The VERDICT ~ eh, it’s ok.  It does sorta taste like a blueberry muffin in that fake blueberry way.  They do have a better texture, but, need some more chewing power for my liking.

I still prefer making my own to these but, it’s a good option to have on hand in your next when you need something fast.

2 hours later I was starving and busted out these! ~ Weight Watchers Ranch MultiGrain Crisps!!!

2 points a bag!

I have been wanting these ever since they gave us a sample, but, they have been sold out.  I may or may not have bought a few boxes last night

Cheese & Crackers! (3 pts)

I “almost” had the lunch I have been bringing all week, but, my friend mentioned Round Table Pizza!

I can EASILY be talked into going out to lunch when I can BUILD A SALAD!!!

Mixed Greens

Carrots

Cucumbers

Tomatoes

Mushrooms

Pepperocini

Sunflower seeds & raisins

A sprinkle of cheese for no reason because it’s not like you can taste it!

Garbanzo & Kidney Beans

3 bean salad

1/2 an egg

Dressing on the side dipping my fork in it with each bite.

4 points Points

But, really, I wanted to get that RT Pizza Sandwich like I had before.  I like it better when they serve it open faced…it makes for better pictures

I picked MUSHROOMS, Peppers & Onions for my toppings.

Basically they take a Ciabatta roll and make a pziza on it ~ YUM!!! The entire sandwich is 9 points and seriously worth EVERY BITE.  I actually had half and saved the other half for dinner so I had room for…..

THIS!!!!  <3 <3 <3 Over The Top!!! Its the same Froyo Mix I had the other day (5 points!)

The Husband told me tonight that he was putting on a Chef School dinner for us with a fancy salad (4 pts)

Plus the other half of my sandwich ~ He’s such a chef, huh?!  I’ll take it though, I LOVE it when he wants to give me a break

TOO HOT TO GO SHOPPING IN JULY?!!

I am so excited to share my latest Danica’s Daily Shop Promotion and I have a feeling you all are going to love it.  If there is something you have been waiting for, but, didn’t want to pay the shipping or wanted it to be cheaper, NOW IS YOUR CHANCE TO GET IT!!!

From now through the July 31, 2010, get FREE SHIPPING when you use coupon "JulyFreeShip" for ALL items in my Danica’s Daily Shop.

- OR –

On BIGGER items use coupon code "July20pct" for 20% off ALL PURCHASES.

Here is a SNEAK PEAK of some of my FAVORITE things in my shop, but, you will have to GO TO MY SHOP to check out all the other things

NUT BARN….Need I say more?!

The Nut Barn – Danica’s Daily Nutty Favorites ~ Butter Toffee Almonds, Roasted/Salted Cashews, Hickory Smoked Almonds, Raw Almonds + Crunchy Almond Butter

The Nut Barn – For a Nutty Sweet Tooth ~ Honey Roasted Cashews, Cinnamon Honey Almonds, Mocha Almonds, Orange Honey Almonds+Creamy Almond Butter

The Nut Barn – For the Nutty Adventurer ~ Roasted/Salted Pistachios, Roasted Salted Cashews, Roasted/Salted Almonds, Butter Toffee Almonds+Crunchy Almond Butter

The Nut Barn – The Nutty Sampler ~ Tamari Almonds, Wasabi Almonds, Tequilla Lime Almonds, Onion Garlic Almonds+Creamy Almond Butter

Coupons cannot be combined so try them both out to see which gives you the best deal.

HAPPY SHOPPING!!!!

Happy Hump Day all!! I am SO EXCITED that I managed to get one of my FAVORITE FARMER’S MARKET Vendor’s products in My Danica’s Daily Shop!  You always hear me rave about The Nut Barn Crunchy Almond Butter and I honestly believe it IS the BEST almond butter on the market! 

I have partnered with The Nut Barn and Open Sky to have four fun bundles added to my shop!  Each bundle includes a jar of their delicious Crunchy Almond Butter and FOUR packages of specialty nuts. 

This is something I buy at every Farmer’s Market I go to (even when we are in Tahoe!) and I can tell you that everything is amazing…….

BUNDLES!!!!! The pictures/words over at Open Sky are being worked on, but, here is what each bundle includes…if you have any questions at all, just let me know.

The Nut Barn – Danica’s Daily Nutty Favorites ~ Butter Toffee Almonds, Roasted/Salted Cashews, Hickory Smoked Almonds, Raw Almonds + Crunchy Almond Butter

The Nut Barn – For a Nutty Sweet Tooth ~ Honey Roasted Cashews, Cinnamon Honey Almonds, Mocha Almonds, Orange Honey Almonds+Creamy Almond Butter

The Nut Barn – For the Nutty Adventurer ~ Roasted/Salted Pistachios, Roasted Salted Cashews, Roasted/Salted Almonds, Butter Toffee Almonds+Crunchy Almond Butter

The Nut Barn – The Nutty Sampler ~ Tamari Almonds, Wasabi Almonds, Tequilla Lime Almonds, Onion Garlic Almonds+Creamy Almond Butter

I LOVE it when everything comes together and I can share something with you all that I am so passionate about.   I celebrated this morning by having 2 slices of TJ’s FF Multi-Grain Bread with toasty, crunchy Nut Barn Almond Butter and Pomegranate Blueberry Jam (4.5 pts).

Plus more banana-berry goodness (1.5pts).

Pre-Spin Class I snacked on a Lemon Poppy Seed Lighter Living Bar.

Less calories than the apricot, but, still just 2 points!

I think I was expecting to see a yellow bar with poppy seeds LOL.  This flavor is just like a yogurt covered lemon lara bar ~ it’s tasty, but, apricot coconut still has my heart.

As I was working along, I had a fun package delivered on my desk!

Annie’s Naturals has come out with PASTA SALAD KITS!!!

They take the delicious Annie’s Organic Pasta and the FRESH Annie’s Naturals Salad dressings (not dried packets) to create these super fun kits.

The best part is that they are pretty cheap!  You can get a 6-pack at Costco for only $6.99 and Target will be selling single boxes. Fun!

After all that excitement I was off to Spin Class ~ it kicked my bootie, but, felt great.  I dreamt up lunch as I was pedaling away.

It started off with my favorite farmer’s market chile lime tortilla topped with Spicy Chipotle Black Bean Harissa Hummus.

Then, I added a BBQ Turkey Burger with some Low-Fat Sharp Cheddar Cheese.  (6 pts).

Side Salad with Now Spicy Cajun Sticks & TJ’s LF Spicy Peanut Vinaigrette ~ I am IN LOVE with these HOT sticks! (2 pts)

Along with the pasta salad kit I got this morning, we had an invitation to come to the Annie’s Natural’s Pasta Salad Tasting

I sampled all 3 flavors plus garlic bread!  Surprisingly I really liked them all and I am not a mayo salad type of person.  I really think you need the fresh produce in the kits to make them this delicious

I counted this as my one FREE meal for the week.  It was worth it!

After work I headed off to my Weight Watcher Meeting then did a ton of shopping/errands, including a stop at Costco. 

Have I ever mentioned that our adopted kitty has a box fetish???  Oh, but, only when The Husband puts it down for her.  She just looks at me if I do

While dinner cooked, we harvested the garden.  We split the goods evenly

Sometimes you have to go with simple and you have to eat what you crave!  I picked up some Ling Ling Chicken & Vegetable Potstickers at Costco.

1 point each!

REAL ingredients and nothing funky ~ this is why I LOVE this brand!  Oh and they taste awesome for frozen too!

I <3 Potstickers!!!  Can you believe I forgot to have Sriracha with these?!

Organic Raspberries!!!!

A simple side salad a la The Husband.  Dinner clocked in at 7 pts.

Did I mention that she is STILL in this box like 3 hours later?! Maybe she is hoping the Chicken Wings will magically appear! LOL…

My Wordless Wednesday Picture was the view from the room we got ready for our wedding in on the Caribbean Island of Anguilla at Shoal Bay.  Isn’t it beautiful ~ I have to say that is my all time favorite beach ever!!!

It’s been a LONG day and tomorrow is going to be even longer!  2 days left and counting.

Night all!

I woke up to some awesome news this morning ~ Can I just say I LOVE the people at Canon?!  First off, they give you the option of trading in your old camera for a new one at 40-50% off.  But, more important ~ my camera is under warranty which means $0 to fix it!!!  I should have it back within 7 business days too.  I have to admit I was looking forward to a new camera, but, I LOVED my old one so much, I will be happy to get it back and have it like new.

I LOVE this time of year because of all the fresh fruit that is in season at the farmer’s market.  I started off my day with a big bowl of berries & a banana (2.5 pts)

I am also completed addicted lately to this combination ~ TJ’s Whole Wheat Sour Dough topped with Laughing Cow and Pomegranate Blueberry Jelly (that I got at the Farmer’s Market too!) (2.5 pts)

I pondered skipping my mid morning snack but knew I’d need something to power through the new class I was taking called MUSCLE BURN!

Lighter Living recently sent me a sample of their bars to try.  I have to admit, I am pretty impressed with their flavor selection:

* Apricot Coconut

* Lemon Poppy Seed

* Chocolate!!!

It was seriously hard to decide which flavor to try first, but, I picked…..Apricot Coconut!!!

Fantastic ingredient list…..

But, honestly what sold me was……ready for this 2 points a bar!!!!

I personally LOVE yogurt frosting on my bars, even though I know SHE would disagree with me

I actually thought I’d eat only half, but, it was SO GOOD that I ate the entire thing.  This bar really reminded me of a cashew cookie lara bar with but better because it’s only 2 points versus 5 and has a really nice dried apricot flavor.  The nuts add a great crunch too and I can’t say I really noticed the coconut.

Totally decadent, totally dessert like, but, good for you and good for your tummy too(I so feel like Winnie the Pooh saying that LOL)

I LOVED these bars so much, I decided to add them to My Shop!  They are definitely worth the price based on this bar alone.  I can’t wait to try the other flavors.

The class I took today at lunch was called MUSCLE BURN!, you probably want to avoid it! Kidding, it was awesome….45 minutes using resistance bands and working 2 or more muscles groups at a time.

I was STARVING by the time I got back to the office so I pretty much have just one picture

1 BBQ Turkey Burger (4 pts)

Salad topped with TJ’s LF Spicy Peanut Dressing (1 pt)

Melons (1 pt)

Mid afternoon my co-worker and I had another Healthy Ice Cream Social!

In the mix:

* Fresh Blueberries (should’ve froze them)

* Strawberries

* Frozen Banana

* 1 TJ’s lf organic banana Yogurt

* Sprinkles!

Then, we thought, you know, we could totally add a fruity sauce to our berry froyo!

MMMM! 

I think I had too much fiber today because I was completely feeling it by dinner time.  I decided to avoid the salad I had planned and stuck with leftover BBQ chicken (3 pts)

Plus some delicious CARBS! (2 pts)

Dessert!

I have been wanting to try Organic Green & Black’s Chocolate for awhile.  It’s probably because I heard Diet Girl talking about it so much in her book   I picked some up when I was at Target tonight.

Because sometimes you just need MILK not DARK chocolate with toffee

I had 2 squares…something that pretty much doesn’t happen with me and Milk Chocolate…usually, it’s 2 more and 2 more LOL….it’s ok, but, honestly I just LOVE CHOCOLOVE so much more.

I will catch up with all your emails, etc tomorrow.  For now, I am off to enjoy a movie with The Husband.

It’s so cool that the week is half over tomorrow   Night all!

This morning I officially declared that Spicy Chipotle Black Bean Hummus with HARISSA plus eggs = the BEST combination!!!

1 Whole Wheat Bagel Thin

2 Tbsp Spicy Chipotle Black Bean Hummus with Harissa

1/2 cup Egg Beaters with Sea Salt & Black Pepper

3 points of DELICIOUSNESS!

I had a side of organic berries (1/2 point for 1 cup)

This combination kept me full ALL morning and it let me check off my Whole Grain, plus 2 Fruits, 1 dairy (homemade iced misto – 2pts!) and 1 lean protein box towards my healthy guidelines ~ AWESOME!.

There may or may not have been a couple random Light Lemon Cookies that I brought in to share   I calculated the stats on them today and they are 60 calories each, 1 point!

Today I took my friend out officially for her Birthday on Friday I LOVE her taste in food ~ she picked Thai Kitchen

Spicy Won Ton like Soup (1 pt)

I was craving spicy so I added the spicy chili sauce to EVERYTHING.  1 cup of perfectly cooked broccoli chicken with tons of crispy broccoli (2 pts)

I LOVE Brown Rice Mountains because as the mountain crumbles it soaks up all the spicy sauce (4 pts)

YUM ~ I want to know how to make this as fast as they do   Anyone know how???

Dinner tonight was leftover Lazy Chicken Enchiladas with RED Sauce. 

For those wondering, I call them Lazy because I kept breaking the tortillas when I first made them.  In a fit of being “mad” at the tortillas, I tore them into pieces and made it into a casserole ~ Tadddahhh….Lazy Chicken Enchiladas that taste BETTER than the wrapped up version

I whipped up more GUACAMOLE!  I think I could sit down with a BIG bowl of homemade guacamole and be happy eating it all,.

I was too lazy to whip up more Salsa Mexicana so I busted out one of my FAVORITE 30 Second Salsa’s from H&H!  Have any of you ever tried this?

It’s pretty amazing ~ I picked it up awhile back at the Home and Garden Show.

All it really is, is a collection of spices you add to diced tomatoes, chill and serve.  I should totally experiment to see if I can re-create it

It’s really THAT simple…it is crazy how much it tastes like fresh salsa.  I like using Diced Tomatoes with Green Chiles or Muir Glen Diced Tomatoes with ROASTED GARLIC for another layer of flavor.

I am sure you can order it online off their website, but, if you ever go to a Home & Garden show in your area – check it out

I had a few FoodShouldTasteGood Tortilla Chips on the side for some crunch.

Plus leftover salad with Newman’s Own Light Lime Vinaigrette.

My 2 minute dinner! Meals in Minutes

I think tonight’s movie is going to be Beyond a Reasonable Doubt.  Couples Retreat was pretty cute ~ I think Vince Vaughn is so funny!

DANICA’S DAILY SHOPPING SPECIAL ALERT!!!!

The people over at GOLDEN MOON TEA have a fresh batch of tea that they are ready to give to you all.

Beginning today, through next Monday, get 25% off your entire order when you buy two or more Golden Moon Teas 2.5 oz tins from now until next Monday, May 17, 2010.

They have FIVE flavors to choose from with my FAVORITE being the Sugar Caramel Ooolong followed up with the Coconut Pouchong!  I plan on trying the Vanilla Mint tomorrow so I will be sure to let you all know what I think

Golden Moon Tea – Organic Green Tin – 2.5 oz.

Golden Moon Tea – Sugar Carmel Oolong Tin – 2.5 oz.

Golden Moon Tea – Coconut Pouchong Tin – 2.5 oz.

Golden Moon Tea – Vanilla Mint Tin – 2.5 oz.

Golden Moon Tea – White Persian Melon Tin – 2.5 oz

Just enter the coupon code “GOLDTEA” when you check out to get the discount. 

HAPPY SHOPPING!

Sunday was another FUNday!  I have been looking forward to meeting up with two new to me bloggers and finally putting a face with the names of the people at Open Sky who have been helping me put my shop in place.

Before heading out the door, I whipped up an Egg Sandwich with 1 “fried” egg, Sriracha! and two slices of TJ’s FF Multi-Grain Bread (4 pts).

I personally believe that Starbucks is justified for EVERY ROAD TRIP is justified.  I had my latest addiction, Venti Iced, Non-Fat, Decaf Latte with caramel drizzle (3 pts).

Our meet up was at Hotel Trition.  I have to admit this hotel totally made me smile when I walked in, it seriously embraces the San Francisco Flare from their decorations down to their “disco themed” elevator complete with red, blue and purple lights.

You can check out pics and do a virtual tour on HERE ~ it’s fun! 

We met in the “Creative Zone” !

Even their conference supplies were cool ~ I LOVED their water pitchers and thick red glasses.  It was pretty cool when Lindsay told me you can get them on Open Sky…..It’s made by Creative Danes.  My favorite Designers on Open Sky have a similar one in their shop that I think is fun too.

I totally want to buy one!  I think it would be so fun to serve up tea, lemonade or just water this summer at BBQ’s with these   Plus I LOVE anything that helps me drink MORE WATER

All of the coffees & teas they offered were 100% Organic Fair Trade ~ just another thing to LOVE about their funky hotel

Not that I needed more coffee, but, it made me want to have some when I saw that   I had 2 delicious creamy cups

We spent the morning getting to know each other, discussing social media and all the things we are passionate about. 

Time completely flew by and before we knew it, it was lunchtime!

My FAVORITE sandwich of all time is definitely the Caprese Sandwich served on AMAZING San Francisco Sour Dough bread with balsamic vinegar as the topped ~ delish! (4 pt estimate)

However, I was seriously torn when I saw they had a turkey sandwich with AVOCADO & BACON! (6 pt estimate)

So, what’s a girl to do…..um, get BOTH!!!  I ate all the Caprese and 2/3 of the turkey.

Seriously….it’s the little things that make me happy…..like the fact that they served POPCHIPS!!!  I was so surprised that most people in the meeting had not tried them so of course I shared my bag (1 pt).

Dessert ~ 1/2 an oatmeal cookie (3 pt estimate)

After all that delicious food, it was picture time.  I LOVE taking pictures of people taking pictures

Kelly was showing Mary Ann how to use her fancy Nikon Camera and I couldn’t resist

New & old friends ~ Mary Ann, Lindsay, Kelly, Genie and Pam!

It was such a great time getting to put faces with the people you always talk to on the phone and getting to learn about how other non-food bloggers blog.

Kelly writes one of the coolest Mommy Blogs I’ve ever read, KellyTirman, ~ she is so fun and has a super cute baby!  I LOVE how concerned she is about the environment and takes it to a whole new level in the products she chooses to use.

Genie is seriously AMAZING too!  Her main site is the Inadvertent Gardener. She is an AMAZING photographer over at 5×52 and 365 in 2009, plus finds time to write short stories too.

Everyone was so fun and I think it’s really cool I have two new blogging friends that live close to me

When I got home, The Husband and I tackled our vacation planning ~ that is HARD work

Did I mention that we spent ALL afternoon deciding on where to go and when?!  I am so pumped because I think we have it narrowed down to……

Our usual weekend in Lake Tahoe this month, a trip to FLORIDA with a cruise to the Bahamas and The Grand Canyon since we both have never been.

Dinner was Pizza with our The Husband’s Mom….I LOVE it when I don’t have to cook

MMMMMM……Need I say more (8 pts)

Fun times…..Now I think I can get some sleep

Night all!

Happy Hump Day all!  I am SO PUMPED to tell you all I FINALLY broke my plateau.  By, plateau, I mean, the fact that I have basically been maintaining my weight since January going back and forth with the same 3-4 lbs. 

It has been soooo frustrating, but, today, when I weighed in I LOST 1.2 LBS BUSTING out of my plateau range ~ woooo, freakin’, hoooo!  It’s onward and downward from here on out!  SUCCESS!

That being said, i am actually taking a CORE/SIMPLY FILLING food approach this week in an effort to bust my plateau.  I will STILL provide the points, but, I will be mainly eating CORE foods.

Today’s breakdown goes as this:

23.5 Points used

3 WPA used ( almond slivers & pretzels) ~ all CORE foods with my low-fat dairy exception b/c I can’t do fat-free cheese.

Tonight’s post is kinda long, but, it’s FUN so enjoy!

*************************************************************************************************

I have been wanting to try Oats with Greek Yogurt ever since I saw Janetha try it and LOVE it.  I was just waiting for a morning when it sounded good…My only problem today was I didn’t realize I wanted it until AFTER I was in the office and I had was grits.

1 packet of Quaker Instant Grits plus 1/2 cup TJ’s FF Greek yogurt.

Topped with a banana (the cinnamon was missing ) and a drizzle of TJ’s Raw Agave Nectar (5 pts).

The result was interesting ~ I liked the sweet salty combo, but, I still think I like them separate better

I was STARVING all morning and my stomach let everyone know in my meetings.

I started off with 1/2 c grapes and a LF Cabot Cheese (2 pts)

But, I was STILL hungry so I had some popcorn for 1 pt.  It totally hit the spot and made my stomach stop eating itself.

At lunch, I hit the pavement for a nice 3 mile run ~ it was so beautiful outside…warm, breezy and cool.  I totally felt like an elephant clopping my feet, but, it was good to get out and back into running.

Did anyone remember me posting that I’d make Ellie Krieger’s Curried Chicken Salad during my Fridge Makeover meal planning post? 

I finally got around to doing it and whipped this up last night. This is half her recipe

I had 1 serving and placed it over Mixed Greens with cucumber, tomatoes, 1/8 an AVOCADO and a sprinkle of more toasted almonds ~ delicious!  (8 pts)

I liked how the curry contrasted with the sweet, crunchy grapes, toasted almonds and tartness of the lemon juice.  I can’t wait to have it again tomorrow

My stomach was full, but, my mouth was hungry so I decided to satisfy it with a little loose leaf tea.

I have a new supplier in my Open Sky shop that I am working with called Golden Moon.  I am a BIG FAN of tea because of it’s health benefits, but, really because it often satisfies my mouth when I “think” I am hungry but know I am not.

Golden Moon sent me some of their latest samples to try out.

Tiger Tea!

Fun flavored loose leaf teas.

I picked out the Coconut Pouchong.  It smelled AMAZING when I opened the packet ~ honestly just like a coconut macaroon.

I am not a BIG fan of green tea, but, I liked how the coconut flavor stood out over the grass flavor   This would be amazing as dessert with a little Agave Nectar.

Beautiful Green Tea leaves and I LOVE how these little pouches are perfect for 1 cup of tea.  

I like that they offer it up in TINS or in the little sampler packs like the sent me.  You can get find BOTH ITEMS in My Open Sky Shop (don’t forget your 15% Puzzle Coupon) if you want to try.

After work, I headed to my Weight Watcher Meeting where I became a LOSER again ~ so proud!

On my way to the nephew’s baseball game, I picked up a Venti Iced Decaf Latte with a caramel drizzle (3 pts).

I was STARVING yet again, so I decided it was worth 2 points to enjoy the Rosemary & Olive Oil Pretzel Thins they handed out at my meeting.

Pretty decent ingredient list other than I WISH they didn’t use Maltodextrin…Another name for MSG :/

I really liked these ~ they reminded me of Vegetable Flavored crackers ` YUM!

During the game, our 5 year old nephew kept brining me little yellow flowers – He’s so cute!

I may or may not have been guilty of drooling over the pictures in the latest Weight Watcher & Clean Eating Magazines that arrived today in the mail.  Both magazines have some AMAZING sounding/looking recipes that I have to try!!!  (The baseball game is like 3 hours)… I have to admit ~ I want to make my leftovers SEXY!!! LOL

Dinner was totally random and FAST because I was at the I need to eat now point.  I ate a whole cucumber and tomatoes (0 pts)

Corniness (1 pt)

2 oz of roasted chicken (2 pts) ~ Nothing fancy, but, it hit the spot and was healthier than getting take out.

Review Time!!!! I keep forgetting to tell you all my FAVORITE things about the April Cooking Light….I LOVE Cooking Light, but, I think you all have figured that out by now (Thanks, Time Inc for always sending me it ~ I’d be lost without a little Cooking Light in my life LOL) 

Nutrition Myths That Shouldn’t Keep You From Loving Food (p. 134) – Cooking Light reveals the truth about 10 nutrition myths so you can finally love food again.

I picked out a few that were shockers to me:

Myth:   The only heart-friendly alcohol is red wine
Truth:  Beer, wine, and liquors all confer the same health benefits

Myth:   Organic foods are more nutritious than conventional
Truth:  There are many good reasons to choose organic, but nutrition isn’t one of them

Myth:   Eating eggs raises your cholesterol
Truth:  Dietary cholesterol in eggs has little to do with the amount of cholesterol in the body

The Salad Trap (p. 114) – Think you’re making a smart choice when ordering a restaurant salad? Think again. The editors analyze nutrition information for three popular salads at well-known American chains and offer tips to make smarter salad choices. The findings will surprise you.

Feed 4 for Under $10 (p. 176) – I want to try ALL their “cheap” Recipes: Shrimp Pasta; Pork Tenderloin Salad; Mushroom-Stuffed Chicken; and Chicken with Olives.

Dinner Tonight (p. 83) – My favorite thing about Cooking Light!!! Healthy and delicious recipes to get dinner on the table in 40 minutes or less.

The cover ~ Spaghetti with Sausage and Simple Tomato Sauce ~ Member my PHO post ~ Hello ~ Vietnamese Beef-Noodle Soup with Asian Greens…I could probably go on, but, then, you all wouldn’t know what to read

You can get all their recipes online like Mango Shrimp Kabobs for FREE by clicking HERE!

I have a FUN day planned tomorrow that includes……

* VOLUNTEERING AT THE NAPA FOOD BANK ~ It’s part of my “JOB” tomorrow

* Our 6 YEAR DATING Anniversary EVE!  The Husband & I are heading out of town for SPA TREATMENTS on FRIDAY!!! 

Guess, I should get some sleep now ~ Night all!

I have been on a quest to make the PERFECT Fresh Healthy Tomato Basil Soup that is not cream based ever since we had it one Christmas in Michigan at the 42nd parallel café.  I LOVE fresh, hearty vegetable soups, but, often find most of them are cream based and high in fat.  I always am disappointed when I hear that they add CREAM to my healthy soup since I am not a big fan of cream based soups. I am sure this soup is better in the summer,but, I couldn’t wait THAT long

I really feel like adding sun dried tomatoes is the secret to this fabulous soup and a great addition to any meal to help you get in more veggies.

Fresh Tomato Basil Soup Recipe

INGREDIENTS:

1 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 large red onion, diced

½ c chopped celery

½ c chopped carrot

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon brown sugar

4 cups whole roma tomatoes, diced

1/2 jar sun dried tomatoes, drained and rinsed

4 cups low sodium, fat free chicken broth (you could use vegetable)

1 c picked basil leaves

Sea Salt & Freshly Ground Black Pepper to taste

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes plus more for topping

1 Tbsp shaved parmesan plus additional sprinkles for topping, optional

INSTRUCTIONS:

1.  In a large saucepan and a little olive oil, caramelize the onions, celery, carrots, garlic, and brown sugar.

2.  Add the tomatoes, sun dried tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Season with salt & pepper.

3.  Add the stock, simmer on low heat until very soft, at least 20 minutes. Add the basil and puree.

4.  Add crushed red pepper flakes and parmesan cheese.  Check for seasoning and enjoy!

Makes 6 1 1/2 cup servings

Nutritional information per serving:

STEP-BY-STEPS:

1.  Caramelize your onions through brown sugar.

You know they are slightly caramelized when you see them brown slightly.

2.  While your vegetables are caramelizing, chop your tomatoes.

3.  Add your tomatoes plus a little salt, pepper and crushed red pepper flakes and bring to a simmer.

Stir in your broth and allow to simmer for at least 20 minutes until the tomatoes are soft.

4.  Stir in your basil.

5.  Use your Cuisinart Smart Stick Hand Blender to puree your soup.

I LOVE THIS Hand Blender because it’s easy to use, powerful to puree, yet, not splash all over the place (like the cheaper versions) and you don’t need to pour your hot soup in a blender (spilling it along the way).  It’s my FAVORITE go to gadget any time I am trying to make a creamy, rich pureed soup.  You can find the one I use in My Open Sky Shop. (HINT ~ solve the Jigsaw puzzle on My Open Sky Tab and get 15% off your order)

30 seconds later ~ tadah!!! Creamy, rich, CREAMLESS Fresh Tomato Basil Soup.

Add a little fresh parmesan and crushed red pepper flakes for good measure.

This soup definitely gets better the longer it sits and it freezes well too.

Add this recipe to your recipe collection by clicking the Spring It Button ~ !

Enjoy!

Happy Biggest Loser Day ALL!  I am so PUMPED for tonight’s so ~ really for no reason other than it’s my favorite show of all time!!!  I have to move FAST tonight so I can totally indulge in some AWESOME TV

It’s pretty much official despite my best efforts (Vitamin C x1000 mg, Airborne, etc)…..I am SICK   Boooo hissss!  But, it’s all good because i realized that it TOTALLY justified a Jamba Juice Cold Buster!!!!  Yes, I traded in a FREE Starbuck’s pastry for 4 points of smoothie goodness ~ 5 a day in a togo cup Totally addictive!

Mid morning, I broke out a REAL breakfast ~ Crockpot Steel Cut Oats with Peaches & Blueberries topped with whipped butter, caramel brown sugar and unsweetened organic coconut. (6 points)

This combo kept me full for hours ~ I didn’t break for lunch until almost 2 pm.  To help ward off my “cooties”, I had some Progresso Light Chicken Vegetable Rotini.

1 pt per serving or 2.5 pts for the entire can.

I LOVED the vegetables (including CORN) and it honestly didn’t taste canned.  I topped mine with freshly ground black pepper and big squirts of Srriracha. I have such a HOT sauce addiction.

Cup~O~Soup (member that?) plus a little Harvest Grain Salad for 2 pts ~ I am SO addicted to this too!

I wanted something sweet for dessert and I actually dared to bring my jar of Nutella into work.  I thought it would be great with my banana, but, I wasn’t hungry enough for a banana.

So, I figured I’d dip 2 ChocoLOVE Dark Chocolate with Almonds and Sea Salt in my Nutella.  OMG!!! Words really cannot describe the combo ~ FREAKIN’ AMAZING or as my co-worker put it ~ “orgasmically good” ~ I’ll take that too (3 pts) This could become my NEW addiction!

Dinner tonight was Buffalo Chicken Salad w/Homemade Ranch.   I broke out my Old School Black & Decker Mincer/Chopper.

I don’t know about you all, but, alot of times I pick a different recipe if it means breaking out and cleaning my FOOD PROCESSOR.  I LOVE my processor, but, I HATE putting it together and cleaning it.  I LOVE this mini chopper because it works just the same and it’s super easy to clean (everything goes in the dishwasher, but, the blade!)  Plus, it’s perfect when you only have small batches to process ~ why make a BIG mess ~ be LAZY like me and use this!

Since I didn’t have any Sun Chips on hand I rummaged The Husband’s Chip drawer ( I have to keep chips out of site or I’ll pick them any day over my carrots)

I coarsely ground the chips for about 30 seconds because I LIKE crunchy chip pieces.

Then, I finely ground my fiber twigs.  To finely ground them you just keep shaking and processing for a little like (about 1 minute).

Two different textures, one button to push, not much to pick up/put away and super easy clean up ~ what more can you ask for?!  This chopper is CHEAPER than a Food Processor too and can be found in My Open Sky Shop.

I added my spices, dunked the chicken strips (instead of bites) and baked them for 10 minutes on each side at 375.

Spicy, crispy, crunch, salty ~ 4 oz of Buffalo BBQ Chicken Strips!

Drizzled with HOMEMADE LOW FAT RANCH! 

I didn’t have Buttermilk so I used 1/2 c low-fat milk with 1/2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar.  You couldn’t even tell the difference!  I LOVE that I don’t have a HUGE buttermilk container to figure out what to do with too.  P.S. You could use low fat mayo or low fat greek yogurt in this recipe when making the dressing.

Today’s salad mix included:

4 oz Buffalo Chicken Strips

Organic Romaine

Organic TJ’s herbed salad mix

celery

carrots

tomato

A sprinkle of Sweet Potato Croutons which are awesome when covered with ranch!

1/8 AVOCADO

Plus another 2 pt mini side of Harvest Grain Salad

I could totally eat this all over again ~ it’s two of my FAVORITE salads!

SHOW TIME!  Have a great night all!

Happy Friday Eve all!  Before I jump into today’s delectable eats, I have to tell you about the AWESOME Healthy Banana Sundae I made last night.  I first learned about making Banana Soft Serve ice cream from Gena last year in her, This Post Will Change Your Life.  She is completely right ~ it’s so easy to make and honestly tastes just like ice cream ~ super creamy, super rich and fluffy like whipped cream.  It melts in your mouth.

It only takes 3 simple steps to make a Healthy Banana Sundae.

1.  SLICE and FREEZE your super right bananas.  It’s really important to slice your bananas BEFORE you freeze them or you can burn out the motor in your blender, chopper, food processor, etc.  I didn’t feel like busting out my Food Processor, so I pulled out the next best thing ~ My Black & Decker Mini Chopper.

2.  Add a splash of vanilla extract and 1 Tbsp of Fat Free Milk, ,Almond Milk or Chocolate Almond milk and blend away until smooth and creamy.  You may have to add 1 additional Tbsp of milk if it’s too thick.  Looks just like ice cream, huh?

3.  Heat 1 Tbsp of your favorite caramel sauce (it spreads further if it’s hot) and drizzle with a little whipped cream. A 1/2 cup serving is only TWO POINTS (1/2 c banana = 1 pt, caramel = 1 pt, whipped cream = 0 pts)

I “almost” thought of starting my day off today with some more BANANA ICE CREAM, but, I refrained.  Instead I broke out my Trader Joe’s FF Organic Cottage Cheese.

1/2 c FF Organic Cottage Cheese over 1 cup Strawberries with the best side ever ~ GRITS! (4 pts)

I honestly didn’t “need” a mid morning snack, but, I wanted another one of those 1 point WW Chocolate Peanut Butter Caramel bars. I am totally convinced these are just candy bars in disguise just sayin’….they are THAT good!

Can I just say our weather here is HOT?  We have been in the 80’s this past week and I LOVE it.  It was just too nice to stay inside so my co-worker and I headed out to TR2 to dine al fresco!  I LOVE their patio…..

I gobbled down and savored 12 chips with gobs of salsa (3 pts).

Then, dug into TWO Chicken Tacos Mexican Style.  I honestly think every place should offer up Mexican Style ~ cilantro, onions, cabbage, HOT SAUCE, guacamole and cojito cheese.

I ate both tacos (8 pts) and had a couple of bites of rice plus that chip in my beans.

Lunch did a fantastic job at holding me over all afternoon.  I knew I wanted to save up the rest of my points for the dinner I picked out tonight.  I was originally planning something else, but, when my Dinner Tonight Email arrived from Cookinglight.com, I quickly changed my mind.  I LOVE these emails ~ I always get such great ideas and it gives me a reason to go to Trader Joe’s to pick up what I need to make them !

Since I can pretty much NEVER stick to a recipe, I am posting the recipe as I modified it below.  However, here is the original recipe online for Pasta with Asparagus, Pancetta, and Pine Nuts or in the March Issue of the Cooking Light Magazine too.

SUN DRIED TOMATO PASTA WITH BACON, ASPARAGUS AND WALNUTS

INGREDIENTS:

8 ounces uncooked vegetable ratatouille pasta
1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut diagonally into 1 1/2-inch pieces
8 oz sliced mushrooms
1 garlic clove, minced
3 tablespoons toasted chopped walnuts
2 ounces cooked and crumbled center cut bacon
1 lemon, juiced
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup drained, rinsed and chopped sun dried tomatoes
1/4 cup freshly chopped basil, optional
1/4 cup (1 ounce) crumbled Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 400°.

2. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; add asparagus to pan during last 3 minutes of cooking. Drain. Sprinkle pasta mixture with garlic; return to pan, and toss well.

3.  Add mushrooms to a pan sprayed with nonstick spray and sauté until lightly browned, about 5 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper if desired.  Add mushrooms to pasta mixture.  Stir in sun dried tomatoes.

4.  Arrange walnuts in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Bake at 400° for 3 minutes or until golden and fragrant, stirring occasionally. Place in a small bowl.

5. Combine lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle over pasta mixture; toss well to coat. Stir in basil, bacon and sprinkle with walnuts and cheese.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: about 2 cups)

This recipe fit right in with my goal to find ways to use these delicious Meyer Lemons my Grandma gave us.

I used my Eat Right Precision Pro Scale to measure out 8 oz of TJ’s Organic Veggie Pasta.

While the pasta cooked, I prepped all the remaining ingredients.

Basically, just dump everything in big bowl, drizzle your lemon sauce and toss!

Topped with a little shaved parmesan.  TWO CUPS = 11 POINTS+!

I saw a NEW Trader Joe’s Product when I was there ~ GARLIC BREAD!

Eh, I can resist eating 1/4 of a loaf of Garlic Bread.

It smelled AMAZING cooking ~ cheesy, garlicky, buttery….wow, my mouth is watering just looking at it again.  I cut out loaf into 8 pieces and had 1 slice for 3 pts.

I STILL haven’t met a garlic bread I don’t like!  This bread is pretty greasy, but, it’s crunchy and the parmesan/asiago give it an AWESOME flavor with the roasted garlic.

I HEART BIG BOWLS of pasta with bread.  I really LOVED all the different flavors in this pasta dish.  It was super rich from the toasted walnuts and bacon with sweet hints from the sun dried tomatoes and salty parmesan.  I highly recommend it ~ you will LOVE It!

Since I didn’t do enough cooking this week, I thought I’d whip up a batch of BanaBerry Muffins to have for breakfast tomorrow.  I will post the recipe for them when I review them to see if it is worth typing up

Have a great Friday all ~ I cannot wait for the weekend to begin!  I have a feeling tomorrow will fly by because we are having Whole Foods Friday where our lunch is catered by Whole Foods…..Ummmm, Yeah, I can’t wait for that either!!!

Night all!

Happy Clover Day all!!!  I have to say I officially redeemed myself with tonight’s dinner of Corned Beef and Cabbage, but, I can’t take all the credit.  Trader Joe’s saved me with their Spiced Up Pre-Marinated Corned Beef Brisket.

All I had to do this morning was take it out of the package, cover with beef broth and cook on low in the crockpot all day long.  EASY!

I have to admit I was a little leary after my experience last night, but, tonight did NOT disappoint on that all.  I guess I should tell you all how my day went down first before I get to the IRISH stuff

I think I LOVE St. Patty’s day because it’s the one time of year I get to wear this cool “Go Green” shirt

It’s the little things….On my way into work, I brought The Husband Starbuck’s again so I could have one   Grande FF Latte with caramel drizzle on top (2.5 pts).

Plus a Double Chocolate VitaTop with Kettle Cashew Butter Frosting (3 pts).  I can’t describe to you how good this was ~ you just HAVE to try it

I am on a mission to get 110% back on track with my eats beginning today.  My co-worker offered up a FANTASTIC TJ’s Blueberry scone to me, but, I refrained from downing it since it was 8 points,.  I took a bite and saved the rest for The Husband.  Along with it I had some “banana chips” (1 pt) and a Cabot LF Cheese (these are 1 pt too!)

Lunch today was at one of my favorite places in downtown Napa, Gillwood’s Cafe.  I LOVE their menu because you can pretty much get everything there from breakfast to fancy dishes and everything I’ve tried is tasty. 

I had an awesome Grilled Chicken Salad with Apples, Walnuts and Fat Free Raspberry Vinaigrette on the side (7 pt estimate) ~ it was so fresh tasting! (not bad for a cell phone pic, huh?)

Tonight was my WI and I gained .6 lbs ~ I honestly think it was probably earned with my antics yesterday and I am ok with it.  I pretty much just broke even with the loss I had last week LOL.  Our meeting was all about portion control and I actually learned a few new uses for my SCALE.  Did you all know you can “TARE” after each food item you put on your plate. You know like measure your chicken, then, TARE, then measure your potatoes?  All this time I used different plates each time   Oops.  I also learned that you can measure your salad dressing as your pour it on versus using a Tablespoon ~ I NEED to try this.

We all received samples of their new 1 point bars ~ Chocolate CARAMEL Pretzel Blast.

Usually I avoid the Weight Watcher Bars in all honestly because of the ingredient list first (lots of things I can’t pronounce or recognize), but, also because I am left still hungry after eating them.

Now THIS BAR is worth every bad ingredient in it!  OMG – it’s like a candy bar ~ chocolate peanut butter, peanuts, caramel, pretzels…..AMAZING!  Weight Watchers definitely got the flavors right here, now if they could just work on that ingredient list it would be perfect!

I was pretty excited to get home and work on our Irish Celebration.  Because I am a dork and because I am NOT Irish at all that I know of (am I mom? LOL), I wanted to have a little shindig (is there an Irish Term for party?). 

I took the Corned Beef out of the crockpot, shredded it and put it in the oven to keep warm.

I drained the broth through a strainer, then, returned the broth to the crock pot and added the chopped cabbage to let it steam for about 20 minutes.

I whipped out my MANDOLIN SLICER to slice up some potatoes with peppers and onion to cook as a side.

I LOVE this MANDOLIN SLICER because it slices everything evenly and super thin.  You simply hook it onto your bowl and go to town.  You can use or skip the safety glide too.

Perfect potatoes.

Plus “onion rings”” and bell peppers

You can easily slice everything up in a few minutes! This entire dish took maybe 5 minutes to thinly slice 5 potatoes, 1/2 an onion and 2 bell pepper halves.  I know that the SwissMar Borner V-Slicer might be pricey for some, but, I honestly feel it’s worth every penny.    I have also included a less expensive Quick Slice Mandolin that works great too.  I don’t own this particular quick slice, but, I highly recommend a Mandolin Slicer.  I use it all the time for vegetables in salad, cucumber salads and Healthy Au Gratin Potatoes.

I added 1 1/2 Tbsp of Olive Oil to my nonstick pan and “fried” them up with a little garlic salt and pepper.  1/4 of the pan is 4 points.

Can you believe I actually LOVED the Corned Beef and Cabbage?  It tastes just like Pastrami and the broth gives the cabbage such great flavor ~ who knew that I’d LOVE being Irish today.  The Husband said I redeemed myself and now he doesn’t have to go to McDonald’s for dinner – ha!  I went back for another serving of cabbage while The Husband ate like 1 lb of Corned Beef LOL.

All together with The Husband’s decorating touches ~ “Lucky Charms”!

I think dessert might be a HEALTHY BANANA SUNDAE while The Husband has his late night “Irish Snack” (LOVE his shirt – he’s funny!)

I am off to spend a little quality time with my March REAL SIMPLE Magazine! I’ll be sure to post a review of what I like for you all.

Night all!