Happy Wednesday all!  Thanks for sharing all of your favorite things on yesterday’s post ~ I now have a few new things that I NEED to try.  Do you all ever watch “Serious TV”?  I ALWAYS call it “Serious TV” whenever we are flipping through channels and we come across the local stations that have government and city presentations.  You know the ones that show your the local city, county, state and councils in “action”. 

It is sort of like the comic strips ~ you are reading along and you see Garfield and the Peanuts, then, you come across the “Serious Comics” like Batman ~ Same Concept!

Make sense?  I am pretty sure it was at this point I lost The Husband on my storyline for tonight.

Well, this week I get to have my 15 minutes of fame by being and “extra” in the audience on serious TV….Ok, well, it’s not really as exciting as it sounds ~ I get to be in the Board Room all week and it’s shown on “Serious TV” all this week.  It’s fun really…..though if you are geeky like me and love seeing how all the work you do comes together.

Before heading out this morning, I whipped up 5 minute Cheesy Sausage Breakfast Burrito for The Husband and I (6 points+).

I had actually brought another batch of Trader Joe’s Egg Salad with Salt & Pepper Crisps, but, I quickly through that idea out the window when my co-worker mentioned……..

FIRE CRACKER CHICKEN!!!

I picked 2 entrees ~ Fire Cracker Chicken above (6 points+) and String Bean Chicken below (4 points+)….

Then, swapped my chow mein/fried rice for steamed veggies to save on points+.   ONLY 10 points+ ~ for my entire meal….

I was totally “green” today by getting my veggies on and um, recycling my pictures from a few weeks ago for Panda since I inhaled everything, THEN, remembered I probably should’ve taken a picture.

Can I just say it now ~ I seriously have THE BEST HUSBAND in the world.  He knew this week was going to be crazy, so he put on his Zesty Cook shirt and had dinner ready as soon as I walked in the door.

Simple salads topped with Newman’s Lite Lime Vinaigrette (1 points+)

Alexia Chipotle Sweet Potato Fries!!!  You get 30 fries for 3 points+….I totally went back for more once I realized that!

Sweet & Spicy BBQ Chicken (6 points+) ~ probably one of my all time favorites too!

As I sat down to post, he dropped on TWO Dove Hearts (2 points+)….THE END!

I LOVE it whenever he cooks! Then, again, I also totally know if I stock the house with steak that he will cook tomorrow too

Q’s

You know I have to ask ~ Have you all ever been on TV?  If so, what was it for?

My only other Claim to Fame was being on The View to watch and meet Lisa Lillian, aka Hungry-Girl. 

Tomorrow is another LONG day, but, I have a chance to be on “serious TV” all over again.

Night all!

Happy Monday all!  I LOVE that you all get just as excited as I do about MINI anything…..like, yesterday’s 1 points+ Apple Cinnamon Chip MINI Muffins!

They honestly are even better the next day ~ super moist and cinnamony…The cinnamon chips just melt in your mouth, not in your hands LOL….actually, they melt everywhere (4 points+)

Protein Power = staying power when you indulge in mini muffins for breakfast (2 points+)

Powered Up with a Banana & Coffee! Not too shabby for 6 points+ and it kept me full for 4 hours.

I intentionally made double batches of our Sweet Potato BLTA Nachos last night just so I could have NACHOS FOR LUNCH too!

I LOVE leftovers ~ especially when they look like this (9 points+ since I only used 2 pieces of turkey bacon)

Rounded out with Veggie Tray Veggies and Ranch (2 points+)

The Husband requested his favorite meal for dinner and I was all for it ~ dinner was on the table in 15 minutes and it’s the perfect “comfort” food for our rainy day.

1 cup Pacific Foods Organic Roasted Red Pepper & Tomato Soup (3 points+)

Plus Grilled Cheesy Goodness!

• 2 slices Trader Joe’s Fat Free Multi-Grain Bread (3 points+)
• 1 oz 2% Sharp Cheddar (2 points+)
• 1 Tbsp Whipped Butter (2 points+)

Q’s

LEFT OVERS ~ LOVE THEM OR HATE THEM???

I can totally admit I am a LEFTOVER LOVER ~ not just because I don’t have to cook or think of something new to eat, but, because I think so many things taste even better the next day….like lasagna, enchiladas, pizza ~ the list goes on……MMMMM.

Night all!

Happy Saturday all!!! Thanks for sharing all the ways you balance out your healthy eats and treats.  They definitely came in handy this week with working long hours and being off my routine.  Sometimes when things get crazy like that, I want to just grab and eat whatever is convenient and easy…..but, I DIDN’T!  I stuck with the plan and avoided the junk (chalk one up for consistency!)

Needless to say, I was completely spent last night and could not think of looking at the computer anymore…Here are a few highlights from the last two days to catch you all up on what we have been up to.

FRIDAY

Every morning I make The Husband a PB&J sandwich and I RESIST licking the spoons…..This time, I decided to join in.

2 slices Trader Joe’s FF Multi-Grain Bread, 1 Tbsp Natural PB and 1 Tbsp Rasberry Preserves all for 7 points+.

I actually made up my lunch the night before using our leftover taco fixin’s.

My entire salad came in at 7 points+

• Organic romaine, red cabbage & carrots
• 3 oz Turkey Taco Meat
• 2 Tbsp Trader Joe’s Corn Salsa
• Pickled Carrots & Jalapenos (I LOVE these MOM ~ thanks!)
• 1 oz LF Sharp Cheddar
• 7 Tostito’s Bite Size Chips for crunch!

My afternoon snack was pretty darn amazing ~ I had some delicious trail mix from this HUGE bag my co-worker brought for us. (5 points+)

We traded in our plans to have Healthy Nachos and headed out to dinner at Monsoon ~ sometimes nothing is as good as the REAL DEAL…..life really is all about that 20% lol….

A REAL DEAL BACON CHEESEBURGER with caramelized onions and BACON!

When I do not have the nutritionals available, I either find something comparable and/or break down the ingredients to estimate the points+:

• Hamburger bun (toasted without butter) ~ 4 points+
• 4 oz Hamburger Patty, cooked ~ 7 points+
• 1 slice Cheddar Cheese ~ 3 points+
• 2 slices bacon ~ 2 points+
• Grilled onions, lettuce, tomato, ketchup and mustard

My burger was so satisfying, I didn’t NEED any of the fries…..it helped that I put them all on The Husband’s plate BEFORE I ate so I couldn’t just randomly eat them.

SATURDAY

This morning I slept in to catch up on some much needed sleep and it was awesome!  After we were both up and going, we headed out to Starbuck’s.

Grande FF Decaf Latte with Caramel drizzled on top (3 points+)

Plus a banana that tasted really banana-y.

Breakfast part 1….. 100% Simply Filling (SF)

I added a hard boiled egg for staying power (2 points+) ~ 100% SF

We had a late lunch since The Husband had to work and we spent some time at the hospital visiting with his grandma.  I brought an apple and cheese stick to snack on since I knew I’d be hungry (1 points+)

After visiting, we headed over to Mary’s to have a Mary’s Pizza Shack Salad….Doesn’t it look awesome? 

Grilled chicken breast over any salad with the dressing on the side is one of my goto staples whether I am doing points+ or Simply Filling.  I have noted which parts are Simply Filling with an SF and which you would have to count points+ for.

• Romaine Lettuce (SF)
• Freshly shredded carrots (SF)
• Tomato Slices (SF)
• Homemade Bean Salad (SF) ~ since it is homemade, canned would not be SF
• Sliced Fungus (Mushrooms! ~ SF)
• Beets (SF)
• Egg Slices(SF)
• 3 oz Grilled Chicken Breast (SF)
• The REAL DEAL Ranch on the side used for dipping with my fork. (4 points+ for 2 Tbsp)

10 points+ for the entire thing plus one of his pesto breadsticks (5 points+)

We had actually planned on making Healthy Nachos for dinner but I am still not hungry.  I think if I do get hungry, I’ll just make up a Simply Filling 0 points+ Fruit Plate.

See you all tomorrow with my weigh in, Weekly Menu and some more Simply Filling ideas!

Night all!

Happy Friday Eve all!!  I cannot wait to watch this season of the Biggest Loser after reading all of your thoughts. Work has been crazy busy this week, but, I have managed to totally stay on top of The Plan.  I can honestly say I am having a FANTASTIC on track week and balancing it out.

This morning on my way into work, I stopped at Panera to bring bagels to work for my co-workers.  I think I must’ve been really too tired or something because I ended up with just a FF Latte versus a Dirty Latte. (3 points+ and 100% SF).

I really wanted my FAVORITE cinnamon crunch bagel with honey walnut cream cheese.  In fact, I even bought one to eat……but, when, I got to work I decided I wanted to start my day off right.

Can you believe I passed up BAGELS just to have my Asparagus Tortilla?!  I am pretty sure I could sustain on bagels!

SUCCESS!!!

The crazy part….I felt empowered by it because I told myself if I wanted a bagel, I could have it.  I really think “knowing” I could have it versus telling myself I couldn’t have it made me not really want it.  

100% SF and 4 points+

It did help knowing I was going to have pizza later for our working lunch and I didn’t want to double up on my treats ~ it’s all about BALANCING IT OUT!

4 hours later, I powered up with a Trader Joe’s Lite String Cheese and pineapple (1 points+).

I started off with TWO slices ~ 1 ham & pineapple and 1 veggie (11 points+)

Then, filled half my plate with salad! (3 points+)

I am pretty sure Pizza and Salad qualify as two of my favorite food groups…..

Since I knew I was working late and I didn’t want to eat everything in the house when I did get home to make dinner, I snacked on an egg mid evening (2 points+)

After whipping up the best taco meat with Homemade Taco Seasoning, I pondered making a taco salad or tacos.  When I saw The Husband’s taco shells, I decided I NEEDED my taco salad inside the shell

Layered up:

• 2 Mission Extra Thin Corn Tortillas (2 points+)
• 1/2 cup Turkey Taco Meat (2 points+)
• 2 Tbsp LF Sharp Cheddar Cheese (1 points+)
• 2 Tbsp Trader Joe’s Corn Salsa (1 points+)
• 2 Tbsp Wholly Guacamole (1 points+)
• Lettuce mix

Definitely worth every single bite ~ sometimes you need more than just a “salad”!

Q’s

How do you all balance it out each day? 

I honestly really try to focus on the 80/20 rule.  I try to eat really healthy 80% of the time to make up for the 20% in treats I am going to have.  I LOVE it when you make a decision based on what you CAN HAVE instead of thinking of it as what you CAN’T HAVE.

Night all!

I LOVE LONG Weekends especially when we are not running around all over the place.  I totally stand by the thought of when they created the work week it should’ve been more “balanced”….lke 4 days work, 3 days off or something like that…..5 days and 2 days is just not the same LOL.

This morning I started my day with a few of my favorite Power Foods that fit Simply Filling.

Eggs!!! They are a go to for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks….2 points+

Fat Free Lattes!!! You can totally have a Starbuck’s Latte EVERY day on Simply Filling…that was totally a motivator and justification for going to Starbuck’s when I did CORE

Today I had a Grande FF Decaf Latte with Caramel Drizzle (3 points+)

All rounded out with banana ~ all Power Foods, all Simply Filling and one super easy 5 points+ breakfast.

Nope, I am not doing Simply Filling just yet, but, my brain is “thinking” that way so I can mentally prepare for it in January…..it really is easier than you think when you put your mind to it.

Today’s lunch was a Free Salad from our Café thanks to my boss.  I actually wanted to get a grilled chicken salad, but, they only had Tri Tip (yup, The Husband was wondering why I didn’t bring him one home).

One of the BEST go to meals you could have on Simply Filling when dining out is salad with grilled chicken, steak, shrimp, etc….dressing on the side….then, count the points+ for any dressing & toppings that are not Power Foods (like nuts, croutons, cheese).

Here is what was in my mix today (I LOVE that the Café will weigh my meat too!)

• Romaine, carrots
• Grilled veggies
• Beets
• Shredded carrots
• 1 Tbsp Sunflower Seeds & 1 1/2 Tbsp dried cranberries (2 points+)
• 10 Croutons (2 points+)
• 3 oz Grilled Tri Tip (3 points+) ~ power food!
• 2 Tbsp FF Sesame Ginger Dressing on the side (2 points+)

There was also a Biscoff Cookie in there for dessert that went unphotographed (1 points+)

When I got home I snacked on an apple with 1 Tbsp Peanut Butter ~ I was too lazy to cut my apple and I totally may or may not have licked my peanut butter container (3 points+).

I LOVE nights when you do NOT have to cook ~ dinner was exactly the same as last night, but, probably even tastier.

My favorite new salad mix topped with 1 Tbsp Newman’s Lite LIme Vinaigrette (1 points+)

Bubble Up Pizza Casserole (10 points+)!  I was actually thinking you could easily make this up using spaghetti or maybe even gnocchi……although I do LOVE those biscuit dough balls.

I think I am going to head to weigh in tomorrow so I don’t have to stress over any sodium or what not in the foods we eat and/or drink for New Year’s Eve…..I’ll keep you all posted on how it goes.

Q’s

What are you all doing to ring in the New Year???

I was actually telling The Husband tonight that I think we are officially getting old because I am SO EXCITED for our Nothingness New Year’s!  We usually have friends over or we go to our friends house to celebrate.  I am so excited to stay in ~ watch movies, maybe play some board games and there are talks of Chinese Food so there will be NO cooking!  We might even celebrate on East Coast time…..LOL…..The funny part…..I can’t wait!

Let the weekend begin!!!!

Happy Friday Eve all!!!  It sounds like the consensus from yesterday’s post is that you all want to see more Simply Filling meals and menu ideas.  Now, that is something I can definitely do.  I actually did CORE (aka Simply Filling) for over a year when Weight Watchers first introduced the idea several years back and lost 30 lbs with it. 

In the same way my brain is wired to look at everything with “floating” points+ values over it, I still have a tendency to ask is it a “Power Food”.  It is sort of like riding a bike, once you learn it and get into nour groove, you can never really forget it or look at foods the same.

I am totally that little kid whose brain does NOT stop all day long….you all already know how I think IN BLOG all day long and now this……lol….

Do you all think in points+ values too or is it just my bean counting geekiness that makes me do it?

I will work on some ideas and weekly meals plans starting in January….Let me know if you all want to join me in the challenge!

This morning I was up at 5 AM working out with Kathy Smith: Strong on demand.  After 30 minutes of Total Body Training and wondering why she was so happy at 5 AM, I grabbed a banana and got ready for work.

Breakfast looked exactly like yesterday….don’t worry, the ham is now gone~ sad, but true (5 points+)

For some reason today was an “I am STARVING” all day long day.  After eyeing the candy and donuts in the office (plus TWO cups of coffee), I decided I NEEDED to eat my afternoon snack early.

I busted out my new fork, spoon, knife thing that The Husband bought me for Christmas.

Maybe I was SO HUNGRY because I knew I had my crunchy Blackberry Pomegranate Chobani Cookie mix sitting in my bag (5 points+).

While making up my lunch today, I remembered another way I use my Chobani Greek Yogurt ~ I LOVE using it for Mayo in Mayo-Less Tuna Salad and Egg Salad.

Whenever you buy a new carton of eggs, turn all your “extras” into hard boiled eggs to have as a snack or to make this super easy sandwich.

• 1 egg + 1 egg white (2 points+)
• 1 Tbsp 0% Greek Yogurt (0 points+)
• 1 tsp LF Mayo + 1 tsp Mustard (0 points+)
• Sea salt & black pepper to taste ~ other fun toppings, dill or crushed red pepper flakes

I topped 2 slices of Trader Joe’s FF Multi-Grain Bread with the ENTIRE mix for 5 points+.

Served up with my FAVORITE “healthier” chip ~ BBQ Pop Chips!

You can now buy the individual little bags at Costco.  The BEST PART…..the ENTIRE bag is only 2 points+…..

Look how many you get too ~ DEAL!

Dinner tonight was all about what I have been craving for weeks now. 

Simple Salads

Mixed greens, carrots, red cabbage, 1 Tbsp Mozzarella and 1 Tbsp pomegranate seeds topped with 1 Tbsp Newman’s Lite Lime Vinaigrette (1 points+)

Remember this ~ BUBBLE UP PIZZA CASSEROLE! (print it!!!)

I am so completely IN LOVE with these little dough balls baked with tons of spicy, cheesy, pizza goodness…..Honestly, why have pizza when you can make this?!

(10 points+) for 1/8th of the pan!

Last chance to enter this really “BIG” Chobani Giveaway!

Just one more day………I am totally sleeping in and getting a dirty latte tomorrow to celebrate getting up at 5 AM to workout everyday this week!

Night all!

Happy Sunday all!  What a whirlwind of a week it ended up being…..Work was extremely busy and took up most of my time last week.  Add on top of that all the holiday festivities and I had nothing left to post….Yet, I still took pictures of it all LOL.  This week I want to share with you all my healthy holiday recipe ideas and I hope to find time for my dailies….The positive side is there are ONLY 4 workdays ~ that is that crazy part too! So much to do so little time.

This weekend we managed to finish the rest of our holiday shopping then celebrated Christmas with my family….I also did some baking to keep up with the tradition!

I am pretty sure I NEED a weekend to recover from my weekend!

Despite how crazy life has been, I did tell myself I was TRACKING IT ALL ~ good, bad or indifferent.  It always amazes me at how telling myself I am tracking it all really makes me focus on making better choices.

I finished my week using all my dailies and WPA……celebrating 2 holiday parties, 2 holiday luncheons and a dinner out with The Husband focusing on ONLY the things I really wanted……

The RESULT ~ I LOST 2.0 MORE LBS!!! I’ll take it ~ 3.8 lbs in two weeks!

My FANTASTIC Weight Watcher Leader hand made all the cards you see above for all of us…..She is just so thoughtful ~ I am not sure I could’ve hand glued all those bells on

It’s totally going on our fridge for motivation going into Christmas week!

My Weekly Menu is going to look a lot like last week so tomorrow will kick off my Healthy Holiday Series instead.  I am even more behind on your emails, comments, etc….I hope to catch up with you all soon.

For now, I honestly need some zzzzzz’s……

Night all!

I wanted to pop in quickly and wish you all a Happy Turkey Day. I honestly cannot tell you all how much I appreciate each and every one of you.  Thank you all for always being there for me, encouraging me through all of life’s challenges and more importantly for your friendship.  I am pretty sure I could never put it all into words, but, just know that you all make a big impact on my life and inspire me with each comment, email, facebook, tweet and more.  Thank you for reading and for sharing your daily adventures with me every day.

Enough of the mushy gushy-ness and on with the delicious Turkey Day feast!  I was so excited when I was able to convince everyone (including the non-turkey loving husband) to have a Turkey Day Dinner while in Florida (courtesy of Publix).

Just for fun……Here is the points+ breakdown of my plate.  It totally tasted like homemade and I got my Turkey Day fix with everything I wanted to eat for 16 points+!

• 1/4 cup candied yams ~ 3 points+
• 2 oz turkey breast with 1 Tbsp gravy ~ 2 points+
• 1/4 cup cranberry orange relish ~ 2 points+
• 1/2 cup corn bread stuffing ~ 5 points+
• 1/4 cup mashed potatoes with 1 Tbsp Gravy ~ 2 points+
• 1/2 cup steamed green beans ~ 0 points+
• 1 dinner roll ~ 2 points+

I am totally sad I am going to miss out on Black Friday Shopping….I told The Husband I was seriously pondering getting up super early for a Florida Style Black Friday Shopping….he had to go and be all logical though and ask me where I’d fit everything in my luggage

Are any of you getting up early to go shopping??? It’s total justification to start your day with a Starbuck’s!

Have a FANTASTIC LONG Weekend!  We head to Miami tomorrow then to St. Lucia on Saturday!!!!

Happy Friday Eve all!!  I am sorry for leaving you all hanging lately.  I can honestly say I absolutely LOVE my job ~ it is amazing how much you do not mind working your hinny off when you feel challenged and LOVE what you do.  I guess I never realized how much of that was missing in my life until I actually stepped out of my comfort zone at my last place and into a new one.  Yesterday I reached the official 1 month mark and I still feel like it’s the BEST DECISION I’ve ever made!

That being said, I am totally struggling balancing it all.  The thing is that I absolutely LOVE all of you, blogging, sharing recipes, ideas and more importantly, hearing from you. In a strange way I feel like I know each and everyone of you and I look forward to your comments, emails, tweets, and Facebook messages. You all have a way of making me laugh, smile and I am always interested in knowing how you are doing.  I know I am often reading your comments to The Husband too so it’s like we both feel like we know all of you whether we have met in person or not.

I am determined to make it all work though and I am constantly trying new things to balance it all!  I know a lot of my struggle is I do not know how to “half-way” anything.  I feel like if I am going to do something, then, I need to give it my all and do it 110%.  I do not feel like I can give you half of me or only half way answer your emails, comments, etc. You all deserve 110% from me and I wouldn’t feel good giving anything less……

So, I am making an executive decision LOL…..Even though my title Danica’s Daily implies daily posting, some days, my daily is nothing.  My NEW focus is going to be on QUALITY OVER QUANTITY.  I would rather post less and share something you all want to read rather than to put up a post half @$$ed.  I will still post my daily eats, new recipes, giveaways and all that as time permits.  When I am short on time, I will also continue to cycle through some of my archived recipes because they are a great reminder for me and my occasional Wordless Wednesday posts too.  Not much will really change, other than, some “days” I do not have much to say.

Hopefully all that rambling makes sense, but, I just wanted you all to know that I care about you all and it is never intentional if I miss a post and am forever behind on emails (I will get caught up!). 

Ok…..stepping off my soap box ~ I just want you all to know I am always thinking of you whether I am here rambling on or not.

This morning The Husband actually crawled out of bed early just so he could go to Starbuck’s with me….now that IS LOVE!

Venti Iced Nonfat Decaf Latte with Caramel Drizzle (3 points+)

Plus a banana!

I totally brought Soup Fusion to the Café too!  I combine Green Chili Posole with Navy Bean Soup and it was spicy, smoky and just plain delicious! (8 points+)

This time I added one doughy, crunchy, homemade roll (4 points+)

There may have been a Starbust or Two in the mix too for dessert (1 points+)

When I walked in the door, The Husband surprised me by having dinner made complete with the table set ~ I LOVE HIM!!! (oh, he said to tell you all that is a Root Beer )

I think I just need to lay out steaks more often because um it’s his favorite and he will grill them ANYTIME!

4 oz served with 1/2 cup Trader Joe’s Organic Brown Rice (it cooks in 3 minutes!) 9 points+

Served with leftover sesame cucumber salad that I actually think tasted better today.

WIN ROCCO’S NEW NOW EAT THIS TIP BOOK!

Q’s

How do you all balance it all?  I would LOVE to know any tips and/or advice you all have.

Night all!

Hi all. I ended up having surgery on my arm today so I am taking tonight off.  It went really well and I am hopeful it has/will resolve all the pain I was having in my shoulder.

On a brighter note The Husband has agreed to play Secretary and will be posting his super secret pasta recipe for you all tomorrow

Have a fantastic Friday and I will catch up with you all soon!