Happy Hump Day all!  Today’s post is going to be a little different ~ no boring daily eats pictures and ramblings, just yet.  Well, maybe the ramblings….

I am pondering the concept of Daily Highlights ~ picking one thing I LOVED about my day (most likely a recipe or a meal or maybe somewhere fun we went) and sharing just that.  I think I have slowly come to the realization that I am a pretty busy person with not as much time to blog as I want. 

WHAT DO YOU ALL THINK???

I’d LOVE to hear you honest feedback on what you’d like to see on Danica’s Daily.  Do you want to continue seeing my daily eats? Recipes? Something New?

I have some great recipes and tips ready to share with you all, but, today is all about the cool people and the FUN MAIL we had when we got home!

Sami, my favorite Freckled Foodie!  sent some of her favorites after I sent her the consolation Ronald McDonald House prize   Thanks girlie ~ we already went through 1 bag of coffee

Bernie the Rabbit visited too while we were gone ~ too bad we missed him!

But, how AWESOME is this lunch bag  

P.S. You can get your FREE lunch bag too ~ Click HERE to find out how!

I <3 Annie’s!

He made sure to leave us snacks ~ a big bag of Bunny Shaped Pretzels – Fun!

The last fun mail we had waiting when we got back was another delivery from the Schwan’s Live Smart Peeps.  You all might remember that delicious tortellini they sent us before?  They gave us another chance to have fun with their live smart products.

I picked everything for the “complete” meal!

Individually frozen CHICKEN!  Each chicken breast is individually frozen so you can grab 1 or 2 or however many you want.  Oh and it feeds 20 LOL.

Grilled up and topped with some POM Chipotle BBQ Sauce that I had in the freezer!

Mini Bow Tie Pasta ~ I admit it, it was the mini that sold me on it

I LOVE that you can cook it quickly on the stove or microwave.

5 minutes later..

I turned our mini bow ties into quick, cold veggie pasta salad, however, I bet it would be awesome with some Low Fat Alfredo Sauce.

THE EASIEST VEGGIE PASTA SALAD YOU WILL EVER MAKE

INGREDIENTS:

2 Cups Mini Bow Tie & Veggie Pasta, cooked**

1 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar

1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive OIl

1/2 Tbsp Agave Nectar

1/2 Tbsp Lemon Juice

Sprinkle of Dried Italian Seasoning (no more than 1/8 tsp)

Sea Salt & Pepper To taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

Combine the Balsamic through salt & pepper.  Pour over pasta, chill and enjoy!

** You could easily make up your own pasta (1 cup) and add 1/2 a bag of steamed frozen veggies.

For not “really” cooking, I have to admit, this was pretty delicious and made The Husband pretty darn happy.  30 Minute Meals with REAL ingredients ~ AWESOME

I couldn’t resist the ice cream this time…I think it’s pretty cool that ice cream is part of their Live Smart collection  

I LOVE Sherbert ~ 2 points of deliciousness!

Two more days until the weekend If only EVERY week went this fast, working might not be so bad.  I kid

Some day I’ll catch up on email….some day soon Don’t you all just wish they had a mark all as read feature for email and it would all go away like it does in Google Reader 

Night all!

Happy Tuesday all!  I missed The Bachelor Pad last night because we were celebrating The Husband and I cannot wait to catch up on it….I am so addicted LOL.

Make that TWO days now that The Husband had requested oatmeal for breakfast!  This is a BIG step for him since he is usually a no breakfast or donuts for breakfast kinda person.

I didn’t quite have enough Old Fashioned Quaker Oats left to make it for both of us, so I decided to whip out The Silver Palate Thick & Rough Oatmeal that was sent to me from one of my really good friends.

I am sort of an oatmeal snob ~ the less processed, the better!  I LOVE Steel Cut & Old Fashioned Rolled oats because they have such great chew texture and really keep me full for hours.

You can tell they are the WHOLE GRAINS, not processed like they are with instant.  The BEST part about these oats is that you can cook them on the stove or in the microwave.

I cooked up a batch on the stove and added them on top of a white nectarine with a little salty whipped butter, coconut and sweet brown sugar. I LOVE the way the brown sugar & buttah mix to make it taste like caramel.

These might just be my favorite new oats ~ they are definitely Thick and Hearty!

Total dessert in a bowl with a Grande Decaf FF Latte with Caramel Drizzle a la The Husband.

My breakfast kept me full for 6 hours ~ crazy, but, cool too since I am working on eating intuitively, when I am hungry versus when I “think” I should eat.

Lunch was some more leftover Carne Asada Goodness and…..

A little Cheesy Quesadilla!  I took two Green Chile Corn tortillas and added a little Shredded Pepper Jack.  I had 2 squares and The Husband ate the rest.

I seriously think the BEST time to go to the movies is on a Tuesday night ~ We saw Dinner with The Scmucks and there were only 4 other people in the theatre.  I “almost” thought we had the whole place to ourselves until 2 couples sneaked in right before it started.

It’s super funny, but, in a really silly/”unrealistic” way!

Since we have pretty much nothing left in our house and I didn’t want to cook, we had Egg Sandwiches for dinner.

Plus 1/2 a personal watermelon that we shared – so fun!  If you all ever buy one these, totally eat it like this versus cutting it up

The Husband is watching some show with Shaq and Rachael Ray having a “cook off” ~ funny!

I will catch up with your comments, emails, etc tomorrow.

1 1/2 days……Ahhhh, now, I just need to maybe think about packing and what books I am going to read while soaking up the SUN!

Night all!

Happy Tuesday all!  I woke up early to hop on the treadmill, then, hopped back in bed because it was dark outside :/  It’s summer, it’s supposed to be bright and sunny and warm….No worries, I made up for it when I got home!

I wasn’t really super hungry for breakfast so I went for simple ~ Trader Joe’s FF Multi-Grain Bread topped with super crunchy Nut Barn Almond Butter with some watermelon.  It definitely hit the spot (5 pts).

We had Farmer’s Market Friday on Tuesday today…I LOVE it when we have it on Tuesday because it mean’s Alexis Baking Company Cinnamon Swirl Bread!!!  (2 pts)

Plus a little of this and a little of that : for (3 pts)

* Nectarine, blueberries, sweet grapes

* Homemade Lemon Herb Pita Chips

* 1 small slice of a pesto bread stick

Continuing on my freezer vacation cleanout, I pulled out Amy’s Tortilla Casserole and Black Bean Meal.

Amy’s meals are the one exception where I think they are worth the higher points (9 pts). 

Mainly because she uses real ingredients you can recognize including REAL cheese that strings when you eat it.  This bowl was tasty, but, I wish it had more crunch and sauce to it.

I added a super simple salad topped with one of Annie’s new dressings.

Fat Free Mango!

The BIGGEST attraction for me is the fact that it’s 0 points for 1 Tbsp! I like this dressing because it’s tart with a subtle mango flavor.  I bet it would be awesome on a salad topped with good cheese, fruit and nuts!

We are currently a slumber party with our God Daughter.  We gave her to choice to eat anything she wanted…we could make it or buy it.

Pizza won! LOL….but, not the kind you make She’s 10 ~ you win some, you lose some…(8 pts)

I did manage to sneak in some watermelon though for dessert! (1 pt)

I just realized I had a really “fruity” day….there are worse things to be addicted to I suppose

Coming up next that COOL Giveaway I was telling you all about ~ Be back in a few

While I was at Target the other day, I happened to see that Starbuck’s had a new line of coffees out ~ Vanilla, Caramel and Cinnamon.

I LOVE cinnamon in my coffee and often sprinkle it on top.

I LOVE Starbuck’s coffee so I couldn’t resist picking up a bag.

The VERDICT ~ You CAN’T taste the cinnamon at all   In fact, I normally enjoy my coffee black but it needed a little bit of The Husband’s FF Vanilla 1/2 & 1/2 to make it taste ok Bummer….I had such high hopes……

Breakfast started off with a little Crunchy Nut Barn Almond goodness on top of a Double Fiber Orowheat English Muffin (4 pts).

Plus some of our 22 lb watermelon (1 1/3 c = 1 pt)

Since we only have a little over a week before we head out on vacation, I am trying to use what we have on hand.  This is my all time FAVORITE WW meal.

I don’t eat too many of the WW frozen meals but there is something about spicy peanut sauce with rice noodles and chicken that I just CRAVE ( 5 pts)

Big Salad with Newman’s Light Lime (2 pts).

Dessert ~ 3 pieces of the BEST ChocoLOVE Around ~ I LOVE that they use WHOLE almonds and you can taste everything in layers as you eat it ~ the creamy dark chocolate, the crunchy roasted almonds with hints of sea salt.

I snacked on some3 point Bunnies….these little packets are the only way I don’t eat the entire box in one sitting

When I got home The Husband was in the process of whipping up his “secret sauce”.  I LOVE when he wants to help me make dinner – it’s so funny, he puts on a “Iron Chef” hat and get down to business.

I asked him to get out some BBQ sauce for the ribs we were making and he used “dashes and splashes” of all of these

I have to admit, he does a pretty darn good job….then, again, it always tastes better when someone else is cooking for you (2 pts)

Sweet Tater Home Fries

We have tons of corn on the cob from my sister’s garden ~ I NEED to grow some in my garden box because WOW – it’s so much better fresh like that (1 pt)

The only thing I had to cook was the “fries” and The Husband did the rest   He said I could whip up dinners like this anytime…..I wonder how I can convince him to “cook” like this more

Rushing out the door again!  I need to get back to my nighttime posting!

Get ready for a pretty cool Giveaway coming up later today!

Happy Tuesday all!

Have you ever just had a day where everything just seems to line up just right and make it into one FANTASTIC day?!

Like:

~ spending 30 minutes on the treadmill to start your day off right & get it over with

~ wearing a new shirt that you got for $9 at Old Navy that makes you feel good!

~ Lunch with friends that is basically FREE

~ Getting flowers when you walk in the door complete with their “homemade” vase

~ Walking to the Farmer’s Market with The Husband and his mom ~ carrying back all the loot including a 22 lb watermelon

~ Fun shopping with The Husband who embraces my LOVE for rainbows

~ waking up, watering the garden and realizing that ~ MR. STRIPEY finally has a couple of tomatoes?!

I can’t wait to see how HUGE these 18 oz STRIPED tomatoes get!

Our peppers are multiplying & getting HUGE too!

But, really, it was seeing my “baby” jalapeno that brought tears to my eyes LOL….it’s the little green thing in the middle.

We officially have 4 big cucumbers like this on our plant!  I think I want to “try” to make pickles with them.

I LOVE having a mini farmer’s market in our back yard!

I left for work feeling SO PROUD…like maybe we can actually call ourselves GARDENER’s now

It really makes me want to bust out my latest cookbook I got at an Antique Store for only $12 ! Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone!  I LOVE that Deborah Madison gives you a ton of tips on how to actually cook, but, that she has cooked/eats the recipes in her book!

Breakfast was an “egg mcmuffin” with just egg on an Oro Wheat Double Fiber English Muffin (4 pts).

The sweetest watermelon & pineapple of the season from the farmer’s market! (1 pt)

PUMPKIN BOLANI BREAD from the Farmer’s Market!  You get 1/4 of a package for only 1 point.  I added a TJ’s Lite String Cheese for a little protein (1 pt)

Lunchtime with friends at Mammarella’s!

The BEST tomato basil soup with crushed red pepper flakes & parmesan – not cream based – LOVE that! (1 pt)

I can be bribed to go here anytime for a FREE CITRUS BEET SALAD!  I actually LOVE this salad so much, I tried to recreate it in this post

Everything in this dish just works – the salty, nutty pistachios, the ensalada ricotta, sweet beets, cool citrus, grilled chicken….(6 pts)

I have been flavoring my water lately with Crystal Light Pure Fitness ~ it is sweetened naturally and it’s delicious when you want something other than water.

The hand picked flowers I came home to in The Husband’s homemade vase ~ LOVE

Dinner was super fast and simple ~ TWO things that I require in My Taco Salads ~ GUACAMOLE & CRUNCHY CHIPS!

10 points of taco salad deliciousness!

I really tried to convince him he “needed” to have these shorts for our trip…..

I even offered to buy the matching shirt, but, he just wasn’t having it LOL

And the BEST part about today ~ tomorrow is FRIDAY!!!!

Night all!

Today started out before the sun even rose….EARLY!  What do you do when your morning task is to pick up bagels from Panera and Starbuck’s for a big meeting at work??

Ummmm, make sure you get some for you too!!!

Tall FF decaf latte with caramel drizzle on top (2 pts)

Plus quite possibly the BEST BAGEL I’ve ever had in my entire life from Panera Bread ~ Cinnamon Crunch!

Cinnamon and vanilla chips flavor the dough, topped with a sweet, crunchy shell of cinnamon & sugar.

It’s doughy, yet, crispy and that caramel like buttery cinnamon crisp topping is beyond words.

This bagel didn’t need anything, but, I couldn’t resist a little reduced fat Honey Walnut Spread……LOVE (9 points and worth every food gasmic bite )

The only problem with this morning was the fact that I left my lunch sitting in the fridge at HOME *sigh*  That’s ok though, my co-worker quickly convinced me it was much better to go to Thai Kitchen then to go home to get my lucnh.

I started off with SOUP!

I ordered Spicy Broccoli Chicken because I know it’s 2 points a cup….check out the Jalapeño slices!

Brown Rice Mountains!

Since I have been CRAVING spicy, I couldn’t resist the HOT chili sauce.  I LOVE how their broccoli is crunchy….I ate all my veggies and half the rice so I could save room for….

Froyo!!!  I know….I have it bad lately, but, there is just something about Froyo with GOOD CARAMEL that sends me Over the Top!  Chocolate+vanilla+caramel+sprinkles &+yogurt chips (5 pts).

When I got home I had more FUN MAIL from one of my FAVORITE FRIENDS EVER!!!!  Cryssy, you seriously amaze me and totally know how to make a girls day.  Check out the super cute package I got…..

Dream Bracelet that I am totally wearing all the time to remind me of my goals.

Stickers because yes, I never grow out of loving them…

  Hilarious…this totally made me think of Janetha as she calls Sriracha Cock Sauce because of the rooster on the bottle

HAPI PEAS ~ SPICY SRIRACHA PEAS!  Have you all ever heard of these?!

She totally knows I think Wasabi Peas as nasty….

2 points a serving (120 cal, 3 g fat, 1 g fiber)

You actually get a lot for a serving……I only had a few then put them back in the container.  I LOVE these peas…they are not super spicy (mild actually), but, spicy, garlicky and slightly sweet.

She also sent a recipe she is making this week along with the Spicy Sauce so we could “cook” together.  16 Minute Beef & Bean Burritos from Pioneer Woman….YUM!

Thanks, Cryssy ~ You are such a great friend – LOVE you!

I totally ran up to Trader Joe’s to buy what I didn’t have to make these beauties.

There was only one condition ~ I couldn’t “Danica-ize” them….as in add a bunch of extra ingredients….who does that?! I mean follow the recipe exactly It was torture, but, I survived and the results were pretty amazing…..

I LOVE how simple and easy this recipes was.  You could totally sub your favorite ingredients to mix it up ~ roasted potatoes/vegan cheese to veganize, ground turkey, shredded chicken…..It’s delicious!

I would definitely add guacamole and homemade salsa next time   Click HERE for the recipe and steps!

Dessert!

20% off or FREE SHIPPING on anything purchased!

Win a Shopping Spree of something for FREE!

My bed is so calling my name…..

Night all!

Happy Bachelorette day all! I can admit it, I LOVE cheesy Reality TV….it entertains me   I look forward to Monday nights just to get my “drama” fix  

A BIG, GIGANTIC THANK YOU to all of our friends/family that showed up to help us out this weekend~ we are seriously LOVED and LUCKY to have such cool people like you in our lives

I have to admit I missed you all this weekend, but, I am super excited to say we got SO MUCH done and I am pretty sure I burned off all the veggie pizza I ate at like every meal.

We sort of made the mistake of mis-reading the coupon ~ I saw BUY 1 GET 1 FREE!!! And thought, perfect – we can get two types of pizza…..I just missed the fine print that said EXTRA LARGE.

Is this not the HUGEST pizza you’ve ever seen?

I pretty much sustained on Starbuck’s and pizza this weekend while we painted and clean ~ it was rough !

The Husband also started our painting project off with this!

Yup, I pretty much didn’t want to paint over it, but, we had to! *sigh* ~ I LOVE him – he always knows how to make me smile <3!

We also attended my nephew’s 3rd Birthday Party.  Check out the Cake my sister made…she had drew this on wax paper, used frosting to color it and froze it before putting it on top.

Oh and she made it RAINBOW inside too

It’s time to get back to business…..This morning I woke up CRAVING my favorite Nut Barn Almond Butter!

ONE simple ingredient ~ Dry Roasted Almonds…creamy and LOADED WITH NUTTINESS!

1 Tbsp topped on Two pieces of TJ’s Fat Free Multi-Grain Bread (4 points).

Plus a little Dickison’s Red Raspberry Jam (1 pt) and 2 1/3 cups of watermelon (2 pts)

I “had” to go to Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods for lunch to pick up some things for dinner.  There is just something about seeing this little box that makes me CRAVE SALAD!

Then again, it could’ve been a lack of salad all weekend that justified making this HUGE Whole Foods Build A Salad

I absolutely LOVE Cioppino Onions ~ They are sweet onions roasted in balsamic vinegar, honey, sea salt and black pepper. AMAZING and they give your entire salad major flava!

Ohhh, I got a little adventurous today ~ see that little thing on top of my homemade croutons??  It’s called FAKIN’ BACON!  I’ve always wanted to try it but, been wayyyyy too scared. 

The VERDICT ~ I LIKE it! It tastes just like smoky beef jerky with a sorta soft crumbly texture.

LOVE!!!!!

I pretty much whipped up the same salad as last week, but, added a little GRILLED TERIYAKI CHICKEN! I seriously want to know how they do it ~ this chicken breast was so soft it crumbled, yet, sweet, spicy and smoky.  I want the recipe!!! (10 pt estimate)

Dessert was Popzel’s x’s 2…I LOVE these too! (3 pts for TEN!!!)

When I got home, I had the COOLEST PACKAGE waiting for me from Liz of The Not So Skinny Kitchen. (Yup, The Husband was SO jealous of my rainbow package )

I LOVE that she included fun stickers

Liz offered to send me some Buffalo Wild Wings Sauce after mine got confiscated in Las Vegas.  We swapped Annie’s loot for BWW’s sauces……<3 her!

My two FAVORITE sauces are the Zesty Asian and Medium Buffalo….I haven’t tried the Parmesan Garlic, but, can’t wait – YUM!

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Thanks, Liz!!! You are AWESOME ~ we both LOVE the package even if I have to hide my stickers from The Husband !

Dinner tonight was all about GRILLING IT!  The fantastic folks at I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter gave us a $25 Grocery Store Gift card to try grilling with their products as part of the #ICBINotButterBBQ Twitter Party..  I am always up for GRILLING in new ways

I picked up some “lean” ground beef at Whole Foods.  Did you all know that the “leanest” ground beef WF has is 91% lean??  I was surprised and only bought theirs because Trader Joe’s was out of my usual 96% Lean Ground Beef.

I did LOVE that they wrapped it all up in little patties when I asked

I grilled up some corn with our Double Cheese BBQ Burgers!

ICBINB Light with Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper.

Plus, Trader Joe’s Veggie Kabobs

Topped with ICBINB Spray, Garlic Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper.

I LOVE Almost Fast Food Burgers when I am craving a REAL burger, but, tonight, I decided to venture out and make a DOUBLE CHEESE BBQ BURGER.

THE BEST SWISS cheese you will ever eat!

1 point a slice and I can totally eat this by the slice!

Cheese #2 ~ my new Laughing Cow Flavor ~ Queso Fresco & Chipotle.

Delicious creamy, but, totally not even spicy at all and only a small smoky taste.  It was tasty, but, I had envisioned spicy like pepperjack and smoky like chipotle cheese

Layered up ~ Whole wheat buns, spinach, Laughing Cow, Burgers topped with Chipotle BBQ sauce, red onion, tomatoes…..

Then, I remembered the pickle slices AFTER I took one bite SO GOOD! (8 pts)

Grilled Veggies & Sweet/Spicy Corn (I topped my grilled corn with Sriracha based on Meghan’s recommendation.  Spicy, crunchy, sweet…..2 points.

MMMM…..I was so sad when it was all gone LOL.

I totally MISS grilling, I need to do it more!!!

20% off or FREE SHIPPING on anything purchased!

Win a Shopping Spree of something for FREE!

Off to finish watching The Bachelorette Men Tell All and the 20/20 Behind the Rose! Tell me what you all think of the shows…..I LOVE the outtakes so far of what you don’t normally see

Night all

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 glad you all liked My Wordless Wednesday pictures today.  I have to say I LOVE them too, but, I might be a bit impartial.  Do you all remember when I first got my Blackberry Storm but then traded it for my Droid?  Well, The Husband wanted a new phone too ~ sooooo, tadah ~being handy like he is, he made it! Just another reason to LOVE him.

Oh and Jane ~ he says it has 4G, not 3G!!! LMAO….funny guy!

Today I woke up dreaming that we didn’t actually run out of coffee because when I opened the cupboard a bag of Starbuck’s Christmas Blend was sitting on the shelf waiting…..Ummm, ya, totally a dream because we had NO COFFEE

Just a good reason to justify Starbucks!!!! Venti Iced Nonfat Decaf Latte with Caramel Drizzle on top (3 pts).

I actually ended up eating breakfast late so it became snack ~ Honey Bunches of Oats with Blueberries & FF Milk poured over after so it doesn’t get soggy (5 points).

I went on a mission at lunch to find the NEW LARA BARS to send to my friend (and to try too!) plus find the new Laughing Cow Flavors!!!!

I managed to score 3 out of the 4 bars (only because Jenna took all the Carrot Cake ones )

* Chocolate Chip Brownie

* Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip

* Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

* a new to me POMX Dark Chocolate BAR

Plus the TWO Laughing Cow Flavors I wanted to try….I didn’t try the Blue Cheese because well….it’s nasty stinky cheese

* Mozzarella Sun Dried Tomato & Basil

* Queso Fresco & Chipotle!

I really, really did try to resist the Whole Foods salad bar, but, seriously….how can you say no to this veggie goodness?

Let’s see if I can remember what’s in the box:

* Romaine

* Mixed Greens

* Carrots

* Red & Golden Beets

* Jicama

* Marinated Mushrooms & Ciopinno Onions

* 1 egg

* Cherry tomatoes

* TWO FRESH MOZZARELLA BALLS!

* 2 homemade croutons

* Sprinkle of Sunflower Seeds

7 Points of LOVE!

I have a new LOVE that I just couldn’t resist when I was at store #3 on my search….POPZELS!!!

YUP ~ 10 = 3 POINTS!!!

Have you all ever heard of these before?!

LOVE….salty, crunchy, chocolate and honestly 5 is totally satisfying but I wanted all 3 points so I had 10

I weighed in today and gained .2 lbs so I had to take $2 out of my account….new balance = $16.  I totally blame the 1 lb salad I ate at lunch…NOTE to SELF!

I had to wait a little for The Husband after my meeting so I found myself wandering into another Health Food Store….You know you have to buy something whenever you shop…you can’t just walk out

My AMAZING WW Friend told me to try these Better Oats.  I am not usually a fan of instant but with names like Blueberry Muffin and Cinnamon Roll, they are worth trying!

Post meeting ~ dinner at Vasquez for a Spicy Chicken Tostada! Don’t worry I dumped hot sauce all over it before downing it.  LOVE = HUGE gobs of guacamole 8 points!

Reviews, reviews and more reviews coming soon!  OH and A GIVEAWAY where you get to go shopping again to buy anything you want FUN!

Off to read, but, probably just pass out!

Night all!

Happy Tuesday all!  I have another delicious Pesto & Pesto Potato Salad Recipe for you all today courtesy of one of my favorite Craving Ellie in My Belly Chefs, Liz of the Not So Skinny Kitchen.  But, more on that in a few…It’s time for a few updates!

After one of my AWESOME readers ask how our garden grows, I realized it’s been a LONG time since I’ve given you all an update.  I definitely do not have the green thumb of my mom or Master Gardener dad, but, we are not doing too bad.  Some things are going great and others not so much.

I managed to kill our crook neck squash and zucchini before they ever got started so I decided to try something new…..

Here are the beginnings of Swiss Chard that I planted about a week ago

Our bell pepper plants are starting to get baby peppers on them….

I seriously get so freakin’ excited and call everyone over to check them out whenever I see a new one….yup, I am a total dork like that!

Japanese cucumbers….

We have lots of flowers and little nubbies coming in.

This would be our second basil plant – the first I accidentally let go to seed, but, I am doing a little better with this one.

Rosemary!

The Lemon Basil Thyme hasn’t been doing so well since Mr Stripey seems to be growling like a big bully of a tomato plant.

Meet Mr. Stripey ~ The Husband’s HUGE tomato plant that is turning into a total plant bully.

Supposedly Mr. Bully Stripey grows HUGE 18 oz tomatoes, but, so far we just have a ton of yellow flowers like this.

Our cherry tomato & snap pea plants are still going slowly but we get lots of little bowls of tomatoes here and there so I am happy about that

Maybe I am better off sticking to the Farmer’s Markets, but, I am still learning and having fun at it.  So far, I’ve managed to grow things a lot better than I ever have before…I guess my Green Acres Farm Days did help a little growing up

Breakfast started off with a little Decaf French Vanilla!

Plus 1 svg of Honey Bunches of Oats with 1 cup of Blueberries & 1 c Fat Free Milk (5 points). I LOVE cereal but it usually never fills me up for long.

I managed to make it through to lunch without a mid morning snack, but, I am pretty sure it was the Farmer’s Market samples that got me through.  The market was a total bust today…everything I wanted was out….I managed to score a few cookies, a little Bolani (but not the PUMPKIN I wanted), corn and tons of fruit.

However, all was made right in the world when I got to have another OctoberFeast BAVARIAN PRETZEL CROSSAINT with ham & cheese!!! <3 (9 points and worth every bite)….If you all live near Berkeley or go to the Napa or Davis Farmer’s Markets go check them out and get one of these!!! AMAZING is all I can say and I am not even a croissant person.

On the side, I had some leftover Fresh Tomato/Corn Salad over mixed greens.

Ahhh, I totally want to do this all over again….good thing I bought some of their Pumpkin Seed Bread to try tomorrow

Sadly when we stopped to say hi to Annie The Baker she was sold out ~ seriously !  But, not letting that be a clue that I probably didn’t need the calories, we headed into the OxBow Market to Ritual Coffee to score some of her cookies (they just started carrying them )

I shared with my co-worker and chalked up cookies for my afternoon snack (4 pts worth!)

I have to admit I was really excited to try out wee before last week’s CEiMB recipe, but, I never had time to make it until now.  You can check out the full Ellie Krieger Pesto Potato Salad recipe over on Liz’s site.

I absolutely adore PESTO especially when nuts are involved and I get to use my cool steamer/noodle cooking pan.

I pretty much followed the recipe, but, subbed the pine nuts for roasted walnuts.  I roasted them over medium heat for about 5 minutes until toasted.

You whip up your pesto in just a few simple steps using your food processor.

Whirl your walnuts until finely chopped.

Add your fresh basil, lemon juice, garlic and parmesan cheese.

Process until smooth.

Season to taste with Sea Salt and freshly ground black pepper.

NOTE:  I LOVED this pesto, however, I think next time I would blanch the basil and possibly add more lemon juice to make it creamier versus thick like I do in my Low-Fat Pesto or this pesto pizzettas Recipe.  It is delicious though and you can totally taste the roasted walnuts.

Making the Pesto Pasta salad is even easier than the pesto.

Chop up a red & yellow bell pepper.

Add our red potatoes that you steamed for 20 minutes, then quartered.

Plus about 1/3-1/2 cup of pesto, sea salt, black pepper and a little crushed red pepper flakes. Stir to combine and chill 2 hours.

Super easy, super delicious and I LOVE the idea of having a non-traditional potato salad. We both LOVED it and will definitely have it again.

Alright all ~ that’s all I’ve got for now…I am off to start Twenties Girls or maybe catch up with The Next Food Network Star ON DEMAND

See you all tomorrow for Wordless Wednesday!