Great Stirrup Cay is a private island owned by Norwegian Cruise Line.  The Husband I pretty much decided that someday, we totally think it would be fun to say we “own” an island   In reality though, unless you had a bunch of tourists coming through all the time, don’t you think it would be kinda boring and lonely and “weather-y”?!

We were pretty much lazy bums on the beach all day, taking naps, participating in the island barbecue and occasionally venturing into the water on our water rafts to cool off.

The water was actually colder in the Bahamas than in Florida, but, it was still bath water warm.

The sand is definitely rockier than the Caribbean, but, less rocky than Hawaii  

Don’t be fooled by the clouds, it was BLAZING HOT and HUMID the entire time.  This is our mini cruise ship

Fun times!  I think we both would go back to Nassau (to hang out at the Atlantis) and to Florida, but, other than that, I think we definitely LOVE the Caribbean and Hawaii more.

I didn’t take pictures of all my meals, but, decided to snap the things that were HIGHLIGHTS.  Here are some of my favorite eats of the trip.

Did you all ever see the Food Network Show ~ Chefs vs. City where they have to guess what flavors the New York Pickle, Pickles are?

I was pretty excited when we came across a vendor at the Flea Market who made the same NY Pickles.  We bought two types.

My FAVORITE ~ like a spicy dill pickle!  It’s a good thing that we don’t live near these people or I’d probably be here ALL the time buying every type of pickle

If you all are ever in Pompano Beach, Check out Gianni’s Ristorante!

If for nothing else than to have these AMAZING GARLIC PARMESAN ROLLS!  I think I could’ve had a basket of these plus

this salad and lived off of that for the week   Believe it or not, I actually liked the stinky cheese, Marisa (only a little thought)   The brown stuff was honey balsamic onions.

Of course I didn’t just have bread and salad. I had this AWESOME SHRIMP SCAMPI with the hugest shrimp.  I only lasted through about 1/3 of this though.

Lincoln Road FAVORITE ~ Pizza Rustica.

One of the things I LOVED about Florida was all the outdoor seating.  We found this place thanks to Amanda!! She has the BEST taste because this might’ve been the BEST PIZZA I’ve ever had!

For $10, you get tea, salad and your choice of a HUGE slice of pizza!

Roasted Veggie Pizza……MMMMM, I need to recreate this!

The Husband had a Caprese Sandwich – tasty, but, if you ever go, get the pizza, not a sandwich….just sayin’

We discovered Tijuana Flats on the fly when The Husband declared he wanted Mexican Food.  I looked up Mexican food on yelp and this place had great reviews.  I think the story of how the place was opened is pretty cool too – you can check it out on the “about” page.

Any place that posts SOMETIMES CHEESY IS GOOD on their walls is a place I want to try!

They won my heart over again when I saw their Lo Cal menu and that you can customize anything with low fat cheese, fat free sour cream, whole wheat tortillas <3!

Then, I saw this……THE HOT BAR!

hehe….because I am 12 and this made me laugh out loud!

But, honestly because I LOVE places who can get silly with their names and their food.

My all time FAVORITE sauce that they had!

I covered our table in every sauce flavor, then, forgot what they all were.  I LOVED every one and probably could’ve bought a bottle of each one to bring home.  But, I refrained, a little….

The Husband had chips and mild salsa and I had chips and all the hot bar sauces.

.I used a different sauce with each bite.  MMMM, I LOVE Mexican food, but, I have to admit, the tacos in California are better

I did LOVE that the chicken tacos that came with FRESH JALEPENOS…

This is what they have painted on their bathroom wall and yes, I totally took a picture

CRUISE FOOD HIGHLIGHTS ~ French Press Coffee!

GIGANTIC Shrimp Cocktail with Jack Daniels Cocktail Sauce.

Crab Cakes with GUACAMOLE and Chipotle Sour Cream

Lobster for me (that melted in my mouth) and steak for him.

Truffle Parmesan Fries….they are interesting – they look the same as regular fries, but, taste a little fattier/flavorful.

Caramel Ice Cream Sundaes….Ummmmm, I had one EVERY night   At least I didn’t have it for lunch too although if we had been on the boat….I kid

Speaking of food, are you all ready for some recipes and daily eats?!  I actually sorta miss rambling on about my latest addiction…..My abnormally normal blogging to resume tomorrow and hopefully by tomorrow night I can catch up on your emails, comments, etc. 

Thanks so much for being patient and for all the great comments on our trip.  We had a blast even if I am counting down the days until our next trip ‘;)

In case you missed the other recaps, here they are…..

Florida 2010 Part 1 Gator Park

Florida 2010 Part 2 Island Queen

Florida 2010 Part 3 The Bahamas – Freeport

Florida 2010 Part 4 Nassau & The Atlantis

Night all! So excited the week is HALF over tomorrow

Happy Sunday all!  We had a FANTASTIC weekend kicking off The Husband’s Birthday celebration…His birthday isn’t until Monday, but, he pretty much is convinced it’s his Birthday week

It was completely AWESOME to take this weekend off and completely unplug from everything ~ I really needed it and it helped me to realize a few things I’ve been pondering for a few months now.  But, more on that coming up this week!

Ok, so I wasn’t really planning on “un-plugging” that much, but, I am without my DROID now until Tuesday since their latest update made it crash :/  I never realized I’d be so sad to be without my phone, yet, at the same time….how sad is that that I am sad over my phone LOL….makes, sense, right?

I guess the brighter side of that is that it didn’t happen on vacation and I get a NEW phone free of charge!

* WEEKEND HIGHLIGHT *

We celebrated The Husband’s birthday with my family on Saturday night because he asked my Mom/Dad to have a “Poker Night” at the casinos with my Dad!

We started off at Outback Steakhouse.  Have you all seen their new ONLINE NUTRITIONAL CALCULATOR?! It’s really cool because you can customize your meal including leaving butter off your vegetables, etc to get the stats ~ LOVE THAT!

I could’ve had my salad without cheese or croutons, but, I LOVE them so I left them.

I ALWAYS get their FAT FREE Tangy Tomato on the side…it’s like a spicy French and completely delicious!

I managed to eat only 1 slice of bread too – SCORE!

I added on grilled shrimp onto my entree so The Husband and I could share.  I had 3 and he had 2.  I think I could eat the entire plate of these spicy cajun shrimp.

Steamed Fresh Veggies without the seasoned butter.

I had a 6 oz sirloin with Teriyaki Sauce for dipping.  I am not sure why they had the mustard sauce on the plate, but, everything was so delicious it wasn’t needed.

My entire meal was 15 points and 100% worth EVERY point.  I felt good eating it too, not weighed down and proud that I made thought out choices.

My Parents got The Husband the CUTEST card ~ believe it or not, it got him a little choked up <3!

SO CUTE ~ I LOVE you Mom & Dad & Jay said he does too

Ummm, yup, I totally stole a few bites of this too

Of course after dinner we headed off to Red Hawk Casino and won some $ had fun!  My mom and I ended up letting the boys play poker and escaped to watch The Other Guys.  It was totally slapstick funny – I LOVE Will Ferrell – he’s a hoot!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY “EVE” TO MY FAVORITE PERSON IN THE WORLD!!! XOXO

More fun is planned for him this week, but, he doesn’t know that yet

I can’t wait to see who THE NEXT FOOD NETWORK STAR is tonight!!!  Off to watch the show!

Just FOUR days til we head to Florida & The Bahamas……um, but, whose counting

Night all!

Happy Monday all!  This weekend was awesome, but, I am not sure we were home other than to sleep   We discovered quite possibly my favorite new place (and The Husband likes it too!), celebrated my mom’s birthday and scored some pretty cool things at the Antique Fair.  I am actually starting to like Antiquing because you can find cookbooks for super cheap….nope, totally doesn’t help my addiction at all

SATURDAY

Breakfast was Honey Bunches of Oats with a nectarine & 1/2 cup ff Milk (4 points).  I find I only need 1/2 a cup alot of the time and can save 1 point by doing so.

Anytime there is a road trip, there is Starbuck’s! Grande iced FF decaf latte with caramel drizzle (2 pts)

Lunch was at The Pita Pit!  I LOVE this place for so many reasons!

One of them is of course their fun decor!

They are totally healthy, but, you can also make a totally bad pita too and they are relatively inexpensive.  I was surprised The Husband agreed because he thinks Pitas are weird, but, glad he totally LOVED it!

You start off by picking what you what on the inside ~ I picked the Chicken Crave ~ Chicken plus ham!

Then, you pick your pita (whole wheat, white or fork style (one a salad)), toppings and sauces.

Majority of their toppings are 0 points because they are veggies. But, I think the BEST part is that they have a BUILD YOUR PITA online so you can build it ahead of time to know the nutritionals!

I picked pretty much everything to go inside mine:

* Chicken & Ham

* Grilled mushrooms, onions and bell peppers

* Romaine, tomatoes, pickles, pepperoncini’s

* PINEAPPLE, corn, olives

* BBQ sauce, Hot Sauce, Tzatziki Sauce

* Whole Wheat Pita

10 points of YUM!

I was too full for the Baked Lay’s I picked out so I saved them for afternoon snack (2 pts).

My Mom’s birthday celebration was at Old Spaghetti Factory.  I am really digging that so many of these places now have all their nutritionals online.  It definitely makes it easier to pick a healthier option.

Did you know if you pick the Minestrone soup it’s only 60 calories?!  It was too hot for soup so I went with salad with the Creamy Pesto on the side (I LOVE this dressing and it’s worth it to dip my fork to use a little over having a lot of their FF honey mustard). (3 pts)

Spinach & Cheese ravioli’s with mushroom sauce (10 pts), delicious and completely satisfying.

SUNDAY

Shocker #2 of the weekend ~ The Husband (for the first time EVER since I have known him) actually ate oatmeal with me! I have never known him to eat oatmeal!

My “Perfect Oatmeal” ~ Quaker Old Fashioned Oatmeal, sprinkle of TJ’s Berry Blend, 1 Tbsp Whipped Butter and 2 tsp brown sugar.  (5 pts)

I don’t mix in the butter or the sugar because that way you get a little with each bite and it tastes like CARAMEL!

Road Trip #2 ~ The Antique Fair.  Same Starbuck’s (2 pts).

The Husband bought the coolest popcorn mix at the Fair I’ve ever seen ~ Kettle PopCorn Mixed with Caramel Kettle Korn ~ HOLY!

I typically pretend he doesn’t have this when he does because I know once I start, I can’t stop.  But, I LOVED seeing that they have their nutritionals on the bag and could totally justify a few handfuls for 4 pts.

Ingredients too! Fair food is getting so sophisticated – LOVE it!

After spending like 4 hours walking around, we worked up an appetite again for The Pita Pit!!!!

This time I got the Chicken Aloha! (11 pts because I had cheese!)

* Grilled Chicken, ham, mushrooms, bell pepper, onions

* GRILLED Pineapple, Teriyaki Sauce

* Swiss Cheese

* Romaine, tomatoes, cucumbers, pickles, pepperoncini’s, jalapeño, corn

* Tzatziki Sauce

DELICOUS!  I actually LOVED the BBQ/Hot Sauce combo better, but, this was a good change.  I honestly think I could go back to this place and try everything ~ they even make Breakfast pitas!

It’s probably a good thing it’s an hour drive away

On our drive home, we stopped by our friends for a BBQ ~ Delicious Lemon Pepper chicken with potatoes, tomatoes and corn.(5 pts)

FUN FINDS OF THE WEEKEND!

* 2 New books I got at the Antique Fair for $4

David Lebovitz ~ The Great Book of Chocolate

Moosewoods Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites

* 6 Napkins & 6 Placemats for only $9 at Kohl’s!

Now, I just need a weekend to recover from our weekend ~ I can’t wait to get back in the kitchen

See you all tonight!

We started Saturday off with another Road Trip   I told The Husband we needed to have a little fun after busting our booties for the past 3 weeks to get our rental ready for our new tenants.

I whipped up a fast breakfast to take on the go starting with Fresh Organic Blueberries (1 pt)

Then, a simple egg sandwich on Tj’s FF Multi-Grain Bread (4 pts).

Yup, I really did take my “Kick Start” materials with me so I could do my best to make “good choices” as close to the plan as possible.

Can you believe I resisted my usual Iced Latte and got just a plain black decaf coffee (0 pts).

Road trip snackage ~ Weight Watchers Ranch Multigrain Crisps and a Mini Babybel Light (3 pts).

Is it funny that I can be bribed with food??   I can admit it.  the Husband managed to get me to agree to go to Reno (I LOVE Lake Tahoe any day over Reno) with the promise of Michael’s Deli. 

I really LOVED The Thai Chicken Salad I got last time and as much as I should’ve adventured out, I just had to get it again.

Holy huge salad…..Note to self, order it to go because you get like 10 x’s more.  I LOVE HUGE salads.

I really need to re-create their dressing, but, what really makes this salad delicious is the Sweet Chili sauce they drizzle over the chicken.

Oh and the fact that it’s fully loaded with all types of crunch, spice and flavor ~ LOVE! (10 point estimate since it was HUGE).

Speaking of HUGE..The Husband ordered their Mile High Pastrami.

He loved it and even shared his pickles with me.  I LOVE pickles.

For dinner The Husband really wanted BBQ.  So, I pulled up my Urban Spoon Droid app (I LOVE this one!) and locked in BBQ.  OMG….I couldn’t believe it when this showed up?!

I cannot believe that there is a Buffalo Wild Wings within driving distance and I never knew it!  (Liz it totally figures I’d find it after you hooked us up)

I LOVE their Buffalo Sauce way too much to resist having a few of these.  So freakin’ good! (6 pts and worth it in every way).

I traded in my fries for a garden salad with the lemons used as dressing on the side (3 pts)

Then, split this Honey BBQ Bacon Cheesy Chicken Sandwich with The Husband.  Their BBQ sauce rocks too….I think I might just LOVE all the BWW sauces. (1/2 = 6 pts estimate)

I busted into my extra weekly points and it’s totally worth it when you are spending it on good food that you can’t get every day.

Off to finish day 2 of our Road Trip before heading off to finish up the business at our rental.

Happy Sunday 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 Friday all!  This is going to be a FAST PHOTO FRIDAY since we have to be up super early…It’s going to be a LONG weekend, but, at least I will be burning mucho calories  

Today was an insanely busy day that had me running everywhere with work, then, running everywhere after work to get ready for this weekend.

So…..nothing too exciting except possibly my NEW FAVORITE THAI Place in Napa ~ Mini Mango Thai Bistro and a SIFT SNICKER~ DROOODLE CUPCAKE!!!

If anyone wants to help paint tomorrow send me a message,  I’ll totally make it up to you in Annie’s ways LOL….

Let the craziness begin!

They use GOJI BERRIES!!!

20% OFF YOUR ENTIRE PURCHASE OR FREE SHIPPING ~ Danica’s Daily Shop!

Stay tuned for that fun SHOPPING SPREE GIVEAWAY coming up this weekend!

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 4th of JULY all ***!!!

Do you ever just have days that don’t really seem to work for you + cooking?!  Ummm, that was me tonight of all nights.  I LOVE MY GRILL and as you all know grill any chance I get to avoid doing extra dishes I can admit that LOL…..

I was so excited to grill tonight because I had been marinating a fantastic tri tip in Chaka Sauce and Chicken in TJ’s Island Soyaki for over 24 hours (lots of flavor).  But, I LEARNED that…..

HOT GRILLS + SUGARY SAUCES LIKE SOYAKI = CATCHING YOUR GRILL ON FIRE!

We are not talking just a little flame, we are talking 3-4 foot flames that don’t go out even when we dumped water on them *sigh* I have to admit that’s the first time I’ve ever set our grill like ON FIRE!

I sadly had to toss out ALL THE MEAT and go shopping ALL over again (Dinner Impossible Style) with only 45 minutes to spare.  Luckily it all worked out and everyone pretended to LOVE my charcoaled tri tip that they wouldn’t let me toss out LOL.  The Husband just can’t let go of his tri tip even if it’s burnt to a crisp LOL.

I can laugh now, but, I probably wasn’t the most pleasant person this evening

Moving on…….the rest of today was FUN!

I really, really, wanted a Starbuck’s this morning, but, figured I should save my points for our July 4th BBQ.  I whipped up a Mock~ a ~ Latte by mixing 1 cup of fat free milk with ice & decaf French Roast and a little caramel drizzle (2 pts)

Since I didn’t really eat breakfast, I was STARVING by the time lunch rolled around.

Have you all ever heard of Quizno’s “Toasty Bullets?  They look and sound a lot simpler than their regular sandwiches and after checking out the nutritionals I thought, why not, it’s less than 400 calories. 

I LOVE that they are fortifying their breads and spreads to make them better for you.

I picked the Turkey Pesto for only $3, but, I am not sure it was worth 7 points.

I paired it with their Pan Asian Salad which is this sad looking salad.  The dressing they use is just ok, but, I guess it’s what you get for $2? (2 pts)

Mid afternoon snackage was FREAKIN’ AWESOME if I do say so myself   Recipe and details coming tomorrow as part of my Summer of POM series.

After whipping up our appetizers and salad, I thought it would be REALLY COOL to set everything on the grill on fire   I guess, at least I learned……

After running to the store to re-buy all our meats, I figured I deserved a drink

New to me Izze flavor ~ Blackberry!  MMMMMM ~ I LOVE these!!!

It’s one of the few drinks I am willing to spend points on drinking. (3 pts)

I can see I had a little I DON’T CARE ATTITUDE when I plated/took pictures of dinner tonight ~ oops   I am better now though…promise

2nd Tri-Tip of the Night made with Whiskey Pepper Steak Sauce & a Trader Joe’s Sweet Apple Chicken Sausage (5 pts)

A super secret salad to be revealed tomorrow too

Corniness! (1 pt)

Plus Watermelon x’s 2 (1 pt)

Dessert came from one of my FAVORITE Weight Watcher Cookbooks ~ Best Ever Desserts!

Very Lemony Pudding Cakes!

These little 4 point treats would be AWESOME topped with fresh berries or even a fresh berry sauce.

The texture is really light and creamy, but, rich like a lemon cheesecake.

MMMMM…..A perfect ending!

Get ready for round TWO tomorrow of the Summer of POM Recipe Series!

Time for *FIRE*WORKS*!!!

Welcome Back Everyone!!!  Although we had a blast in Las Vegas, I have to admit it’s SO GOOD to be home.  It was blazing hot there the entire time with yesterday topping out at 109 degrees ~ crazy! 

103 was actually the coolest temperature the entire weekend! 

Our trip this year included a few road trips to towns that nobody has ever heard of ~ Like Pahrump. 

The drive there totally made me realize we were really in the “desert” LOL. 

Random flowers grow in the middle of the dessert too.

The Husband collects Casino Chips so he was excited to check out a few casinos in other towns.

Stop #2 was the “other half” of Vegas ~ North Las Vegas “Old Town”.  I talked a little bit about old town the last time we visited Vegas.  I LOVE old town casinos because they have that old western feel…Like we might see Clint Eastwood or someone like that there

Ever wonder what $1,000,000 looks like?

I am so playing lotto this week

I think one of my favorite parts of Las Vegas is looking at all the casinos lit up at night.  Plus there is almost always good people watching on the streets at night. Member Baby Elvis from last visit? Good times!

Did I mention he likes collecting casino chips???  That means A LOT of walking, steps for the new chips and visiting their casino chip show for the older chips of closed casinos.

This is my FAVORITE chip he got because it has two different casinos on it – there is a big story behind the Last Frontier Casino Chips that is pretty cool too.

The Silver Slipper on the front.

Last Frontier on the back

SO FUN and I LOVE seeing him happy like a little kid in a candy shop

I usually LOVE travelling because it gives you a chance to try new foods that you don’t have back home. 

I also brought a few snacks for the road…like my FAVORITE Clif Bar out there ~ Mojo Bars Rock!

They are salty, sweet, crunchy, chewy and chocolatey!

Watermelon!

Cashews that we snacked on all weekend!

I LOVE Samurai Sam’s!  I wish we had one near us.

It’s a simple teriyaki bowl place, but, you have your choice of lean, grilled meats over brown rice, white rice, soba noodles or steamed veggies.

I picked the small grilled teriyaki chicken bowl with SPICY Teriyaki Sauce over brown rice ~ LOVE!

Do you all tend to scan the stores for new things whenever you walk by?  I LOVE finding new foods to try and may be guilty of just spending time wondering new grocery stores when we travel   It’s the little things…..

NEW POPCHIPS Flavor ~ Jalapeno Potato!

I thought I’d LOVE this flavor, but, honestly, it was disappointing ~ it tastes really like chili powder, not jalapeno

Buffalo Wild Wings Visit #2

This time I took the advice of Liz and picked the Zesty Asian Sauce for my Chicken Salad.

MMMM ~ I may just LOVE this flavor the most ~ It’s sweet, spicy and totally made me want to lick my plate

Starbuck’s ~ the usual latte plus a reduced fat egg white turkey bacon muffin.

Random Casino Food….I can’t remember which place we were in, but it wasn’t anything fancy.

Turkey Club ~ I only managed half of this huge sandwich.

COCKTAILS were involved

If you are ever in New York, New York ~ GO HERE ~ America!

The food is amazing and the service was awesome!

I decided to indulge a little by getting Shrimp Scampi ~ the portions are HUGE so I only managed to eat  a little less than half of this. I LOVE shrimp and pasta and garlic and butter and….

garlic focaccia bread!!!

The Husband ordered Ribs!

I think he liked them too

TRIP STATS:

TOTAL STEPS: 50,130 (12,533 steps/day on average but more some days than others!)

TOTAL CALORIES BURNED: 12,088 (a little over 3,000/day with only walking the strip!)

TOTAL CALORIES EATEN: No clue but I feel like I made smart choices and practiced moderation by only eating until I was content, about 1/2 of everything I was served.

Now if I could only have a vacation from our vacation, I’d be set

I will catch up with all your comments, emails, etc and resume regular blogging tomorrow with a new Weight Watcher Week and goals to get ready for our CRUISE!!!

Stay tuned for another fun giveaway coming up tomorrow too!

Night all!

Happy Tuesday all!  If you all LOVE lemons, garlic, butter, broccoli and pasta, then, I think you will LOVE the recipe I made tonight as much as we did.  It’s light, simple, low in points and delicious.

Today started out at my FAVORITE place (3 pts) ‘;)

S’more Homemade Brown Sugar Banana Nut Bread Goodness (4 pts)

You all are probably going to laugh at my incentive for heading to the gym today….I REALLY, REALLY, wanted more BANANA FROYO but I told myself I had to earn it

It worked really good because I whipped up 30 minutes on the Elliptical putting the cross ramp at 19 (to hit every muscle), resistance at 10 and then alternated going forward & backwards.  I think I might now be addicted to All My Children because they have been playing it every day at the gym LOL!

Lunch was a simple salad with broccoli slaw & 1 Tbsp drizzle TJ’s Spicy LF Peanut Vinaigrette….a little really does go a long way. (1 pt)

Leftover Chicken & Sausage Paella with Olives (8 pts).  I have determined I like eating this because I LIKE saying it

Then, it was time to get a little Over The Top!  Thanks to my FANTASTIC FRIEND Sandy, I learned that you get A LOT more caramel if you layer your toppings underneath & in the middle of your FROYO

Not only is BANANA FROZEN YOGURT the BEST flavor, but, they have REAL, caramel that is buttery, salty and just plain good with Heath Bar Crunch.

SO GOOD!!! Seriously….just seeing this picture makes me want to get in my car and drive down there again!  It doesn’t help that I know they are open late too LOL (7 pts)

I am on a quest this week to use up all of the vegetables we have in our fridge before we head to VEGAS!!!

I had two big bags of 2 types of broccoli to use ~ 1 from my sisters garden (jealous!) and 1 from the farmer’s market.

I really LOVE any recipe that let’s me use my Zester!  I feel like such a Food Network Star whenever I bet to bust it out.  I highly recommend this Zester because your fruit just glides & peels without any effort at all.

I started off my lemon sauce by melting 2 Tbsp of butter with 4 cloves garlic and the zest plus juice of one lemon.  Bring to a boil and remove from heat.

The easiest way to steam your broccoli is to add it to your pasta during the last 2 minutes of cooking.  It will come out vibrate, green and perfectly crisp/crunchy/cooked.

Remove your pasta/broccoli and add them to the sauce pan.  Top with sea Salt, Pepper, Crushed Red Pepper Flakes, 1 Tbsp EVOO & Shaved Parmesan.  If your pasta seems dry, add 1/2 cup reserved pasta water or chicken broth.

Toss & enjoy!

Lemon Garlic Fettuccine with Broccoli

INGREDIENTS:

8 oz Whole Wheat uncooked Fettuccine

3-4 cups broccoli florets

2 Tbsp Butter

3-4 cloves, garlic, minced

1 lemon, zested and juiced

1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 c shaved parmesan

Sea Salt & freshly ground Black Pepper to taste

**You could add chickpeas, grilled shrimp or chicken ~ just count the points!

INSTRUCTIONS:

1.  Prepare pasta according to package directions, including salting the water.  Add broccoli during the last 2 minutes of cooking.

2.  While the water boils, prepare your lemon sauce, by melting your butter.  Add garlic, lemon zest and juice.  Bring to a boil, remove from heat and set aside.

3.  Remove pasta/broccoli from water and add to lemon sauce pan.  Be sure to reserve 1/2 c pasta water.

4.  Add crushed red pepper flakes, parmesan, sea salt & black pepper to taste.  Drizzle with Olive Oil and Enjoy!

Makes 6 servings, 4 points each!

Nutritional Information per serving:

Fast, fresh, healthy!

I used to plan my meals around having this Texas Toast ~ It’s the BEST tasting prepared garlic bread (3 pts).

Side salad topped with a drizzle of Balsamic Vinegar (1 pt)

You can add this recipe to your recipe collection by clicking the Spring It Button!

I am off to read, relax and maybe watch Wipe Out!

Just TWO DAYS ~ I can’t wait since today feels like it should be Thursday

Night all!