I started off with a Grande FF Decaf Latte for 2.5 points.  Then, I took my 2 slices of Light Orowheat Bread, banana and cashew butter and….

Turned into this!  I LOVE Cashew Banana Chip Toast (4 pts)

Mid morning I was really craving salty crunchy.  So, I mixed 1 point of Olive Oil Rosemary Triscuits with my low fat cheese and an apple for a 3 point snack.

The day completely flew by because I was super busy.  I LOVE days like that ~ so much better than looking at the clock like every hour. Lunch was so easy yet so delicious.

I started off with a big bottle of HOMEMADE Fizzy Water a la Soda Stream.

All morning long I was thinking about eating more of that Harvest Grain salad I made last night.  I imagined it would be so much better “chilled and marinated” the next day. I honestly think this is my FAVORITE new grain mix and this salad rocks ~ 1/2 c = 4 pts.

Cucumber slices plus sea salt & pepper on the side for crunch.

My lunchtime protein was included in my 5 pt “dessert”. 

1 Nectarine

1 container TJ’s Organic LF Vanilla Yogurt

1/4 c Udi’s BanaBerry Granola

Lunch every day should be this simple and delicious.

After work I quickly stopped by the house to pick up The Husband and head to my Weight Watcher meeting since today was my Hair Appointment day his poker day.  I have to say I am glad that the scale is moving down again ~ I lost .6 lbs, however, I  think with all the running I’ve been doing, I feel like I deserved so much more. 

I know it’s all about the journey and there isn’t a “rush” to reach your goal. But, some weeks “feel” like you should have super star weigh ins and this week was one of them.

After our meeting, we headed out of town and stopped at Subway.

I LOVE that I feel like I get an entire serving of Veggies in my sandwich   I had a Turkey Ham on 9-grain honey oat with AVOCADO and ALL the produce for 6 points.  Today I went for the chips since I wasn’t feeling the apples ~ I had Baked Lays for 2 points.

I always bring my Hair Dresser a Starbuck’s and completely forgot this morning when I had one.  I pondered just getting some herbal tea (but it makes me sleepy), so I just went with what I really wanted ~ Another tall ff, decaf latte with caramel drizzle on top.  It’s ok…..The Husband told me TWO STARBUCK’s in ONE DAY is OK So, that totally justifies it, right?

Alright all, I am rushing out the door ~ Happy Friday Eve!!!! See you all tonight!

Happy Biggest Loser Day!!  Do you all ever have days where you are so tired when you wake up that you cannot for the life of you think of what to eat for the day?  This is pretty rare for me because I honestly I dream up what I am eating the night before.  But, today, for some reason, my brain was broken and nothing came to mine.

I picked an easy breakfast that involved two of my FAVORITE Cereals ~ Kashi Cinnamon Harvest and the new “kid” on the Block Udi’s BanaBerry Granola.

Since I was running late for work, I packed the ENTIRE boxes to take with me to work (now you all know why my lunch box is a re-usable grocery bag  

28 Biscuits (since I didn’t have my scale)

1/2 c banana slices

Sprinkle of Banaberry Granola

1/2 c FF Milk

I LOVE cereal, but, for 5 points, I was STILL hungry after I ate it   I waited my 3 hours though before snack and decided to have a high protein 3 point snack ~ Egg Plus Cheese!

As odd of a combo as it sounds, it totally did the trick in filling me up.  When I looked at the other contents of my lunch bag (organic cottage cheese, yogurt, fruit, tortillas (not sure why) plus a frozen dinner, they just didn’t appeal (broken brain!).  I happily accepted an offer to hit up Thai Kitchen!

I started off with a one won ton soup plus chili sauce ~ HOT! (1 pt)

I almost always order Broccoli Chicken when at Thai or Chinese food because it’s so low in points.  1 cup is only TWO POINTS!!!  I added more Chili sauce ~ HOT! (2 pts)

Plus 1 Cone Cup of Brown Rice (4 pts) – I want to get a cone shaped cup just so I can make Brown Rice Mountains like this

I think today topped the charts as one of the LONGEST days ever.  Long days make my mouth think it NEEDS something sweet even though  my belly is totally happy. 

My Co-worker offered up some of the ChocoLOVE Peppermint Bar I gave her yesterday and I happily accepted 2 squares for 1 point.  I LOVED this flavor – it’s not too strong in mint, but, it’s super creamy and decadent.

Since I wanted to share back, I broke out the Qbel Peanut Butter Wafers that I picked up at Whole Foods this past weekend.

I LOVE the stats (130 cal, 7 g fat, <1 g fiber) for both bars….3 points.

But, only one bar is ONE POINT so of course I had just one.  I LIKE how flakey and creamy and crunchy they are.  I am totally buying more of the choco-peanut butter wafer sticks!

I have had this bag of Harvest Grains from Trader Joe’s for awhile now and have been trying to think of ways to have it.

I LOVE all the different grains and such that are included ~ who knew they made Baby garbanzo beans?

When I stopped at Trader Joe’s to buy some chicken tonight, they were sampling up a Harvest Grain Salad.  I LOVE the idea of using this grain to make a salad and had to recreate it!

I portioned out 1/2 the bag (approximately 1 1/4 cups) and boiled it for 10 minutes in chicken broth to cook it.  I omitted the butter that the packaged instructions suggested because well, I didn’t see a need. 

After it was done cooking, I added the following:

1/2 jar chopped marinated artichokes

1/2 jar chopped sun dried tomatoes, drained and rinsed

1/4 c white balsamic vinegar

Big Dashes of TJ’s 21 Spice Salute

Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Chives

Stir to combine and enjoy hot or cold.  So delicious!  Makes 6 servings, 1/2 cup for 4 points.  It’s SO GOOD! Even the non-couscous eating Husband LOVES it

I grilled up the Organic Chicken Breast Tenders with Gayle’s Original BBQ Sauce while I prepared the salad and The Husband’s Garlic Fries.

I decided to use these Lavish Bread’s I bought at Trader Joe’s to make up BBQ Chicken Wraps to go with out Harvest Grain Salad.

I LOVE Lavish Bread Stats ~ 1/2 for 2 pts, whole for 4 pts.  I am totally thinking a LAVISH Pizza is in order this week using these

1 wrap topped with some Gayle’s Original BBQ sauce.

Then, I added the rest…

TJ’s Organic Herb Spring Mix Lettuce

Red Bell Pepper Slices

2 oz BBQ Chicken Tenders

1 Tbsp Finely Shredded Low Fat Cheddar Cheese

1/8 AVOCADO

Wrapped like a Pro ~ Lavish bread makes wrapping E-Z!  The Husband decorated my plate with a few of his fries, some “greens” and a little Harvest Salad.

MMMMM!!! 7 pts for the wrap, plus 2 pts for 1/4 salad and my fries .

The Husband was pretty proud of his plate with THREE wraps (with salsa tortillas), so he took pictures to share   He does a pretty good job at plating, huh?

BIGGEST LOSER TIME!!!! Hasta Manana!

I hope you all are ready because some how I managed to make this post all about reviews and FUN finds when I wasn’t even trying too ~ oops!   I LOVE being able to share everything I find…the problem is I always want to try/share it all at one time

I LOVE that so many of you have shared your stories and questions for the Foam Roller.  I wasn’t sure if everyone was going to “get” why I paid $$ for this solid piece of hard foam and how it made my hip pain go away. 

I was going to attempt to take some pictures to show you all how it works, but, I think my fellow Open Sky ShopKeeper, Candace (a Personal Trainer) demonstrates how to use it perfectly.  Plus she looks AMAZING doing it too ….Me, not so much ~ I am pretty much making scary faces and cursing my way through my 2 minutes

She only touches on a few ways to use it, but, you pretty much follow this process for any part of your body you want to “massage”. 

I am a TOTAL believer in my FOAM ROLLER and spent 15 minutes this morning using it on all my muscles and doing some deep stretching ~ ahhhh!  Might just leave me feeling more relaxed than Yoga (crazy, huh).

I bought mine at Sports Challet because I wanted it ASAP and paid $25.  However, you can get one for less than $20 in My Open Sky Shop and get 15% off too!

EATS

I have really been resisting opening this jar of Dry Roasted Cashew Butter that My Secret Valentine Bloggie (Thanks, Paula!) sent me because I have too many jars of nut butter open.  But, today was a day that just called for it.

I went rummaging through the freezer this morning in search of something good I could use with my nut butter when I found two of the Homemade Whole Wheat Buttermilk Pancakes that I froze a little while back. 

I reheated them for 30 seconds in the microwave to thaw and then toasted them.  Topped with this AMAZING cashew butter (I have to say I LOVE it more than the raw cashew butter).

While my pancakes were “cooking”, I chopped up an apple, poured cinnamon all over it and added 1 teaspoon of this RAW Organic Agave Nectar I got at Trader Joe’s.

I LOVE Agave Nectar because a little goes a long way and you rarely need more than a tsp.

I cooked it for 1 minute to make  “MOCK” Baked Cinnamon Apples for 1 point!

You know I ended up making a big ole cashew butter cinnamon apple PANCAKE-WICH for 7 points.  My hands were too messy to grab the camera so you have to use your imagination

I was missing protein in my breakfast so I had a perfectly hard boiled egg ~ 2 points of Protein.  I was still hungry after this so I had a couple of cashews for 1 point and it did the trick.

Since I was resting my hip for one more day, I ran to Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s today for lunch to get out.  I LOVE that they are right next to each other in Napa.

Lunch was some leftover Baked Cheesy Bacon Mac & Cheese (6 pts).

Plus a Big Salad on the side with Annie’s Lite Balsamic Dressing (1 pt).

I LOVE Marinated Mushrooms and that they are 0 points!

Dessert was a new find for me ~ Trader Joe’s HONEY Plantain Chips.

2 points a serving is AWESOME! 

They are super crunchy, like banana chips, but the honey makes them taste CARAMELIZED! I had about 10 of these (I divided the bag into 3 servings and ate one) since I didn’t have my scale to weigh.

Here are couple of other COOL FINDS I picked up while I was out today.

A NEW to me ChocoLOVE Flavor ~ DARK CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT!

Don’t worry, I didn’t keep it ~ I gave it to my friend who I now have hooked on ChocoLOVE

Then, for my co-worker who is doing Weight Watchers and LOVES popcorn, these SniKiddy Pizza Puffs. (I bought these at Whole Foods ~ Love that they are Gluten Free!)

I just find it CRAZY that 1/4 of this entire bag (it’s a chip sized bag) it only 2 points!

That’s a whole lotta puff.  I tried two and they really do taste like pizza ~ COOL!

Dinner tonight was super easy and everything to make The Husband feel better ~ Poor him ~ he keeps going around saying “I Hate OAK (his nick name for Poison Oak), I never want to get it again!” 

His friend who helped him put the fence up has it too so ya – it has to be Jungle Ladies back yard…..booo!  I think I am cracking him up with my “all natural” products I keep busting out Aveeno, Tea Tree Oil and Technu   Fingers crossed it all works soon!

As you all know, I LOVE my whipped butter!

You can get an entire Tablespoon for 2 points and the ingredient list is CLEAN/recognizable.  The only draw back is that it is higher in Saturated Fat, but, a little goes a long way.

Awhile back the folks at I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter gave me a ring to say that they are no longer including Transfats in their spread.  I used to LOVE this stuff and the spray bottle, but, when I realized it included Transfats, I stopped using it.

I like that they replaced their hydrogenated oils with soybean & canola oils ~ it really lowers the Saturated fat.  2 points per Tablespoon as well.

It’s always a toss up to me which to use butter or margarine.  I am not sure that it 100% matters because I think you can make a valid case either way.  What matters is that whichever you use, you use it in moderation.  I like the consistency margarine lends in baking so I know this will be an awesome choice when I want to use 1/2 butter and 1/2 margarine to bake.

What do you all think ~ butter or margarine??

I wanted to give the new ICBINB a try and used 3 Tbsp’s with a little parmesan, sea salt and black pepper to make “buttered” noodles.  It’s not bad….I can tell “it’s not butter” but I like the flavor still.  (1 c for 4 pts)

I grilled up a Tri Tip marinated in TJ’s Island Soyaki and measured out 3 oz for 3 pts.

While the pasta and noodles cooled, I whipped up a quick baby Bok Choy stir fry in my fancy All Clad Pan.  Topped with garlic salt and freshly ground pepper.

You all seriously need to try out All Clad Pans ~ this cooked up in 4 minutes (as long as it took me to slice the meat). (0 pts)

All together with some super crunchy watermelon & cantaloupe for dessert (1 pt).

MONDAY FUN!!!

Recently, I participated in the Monthly Morsels Question of the Month over at Recipelion.com.  The question was…

If you could live with only one utensil for the rest of your life, what would it be and why???

Click HERE to find out my answer and leave a comment below telling me what you all would pick….I want to know what you all eat with

Night all!

Today was an AMAZING day ~ it was so sunny that it was actually “hot” in the 70’s today.  It definitely felt like spring is around the corner.  Spring and Fall are my two favorite seasons because like Goldy Locks the weather is not too hot or too cold, but, just right

My hip kept me up most of the night aching every time I turned.  Finally at 3 am I gave up and got up to have breakfast ( I was surprisingly starving).

Toasted Wheat Bagel Thin with 1 tsp of whipped butter (1.5 pts).

Plus some TJ’s Organic LF Banana Yogurt (2 pts).

I LOVED this combination ~ easy,simple, good.

When The Husband was up we headed out to Starbuck’s on the way to help out our friends.  Sometimes you just have to GO BIG!  I had a Venti Iced Decaf FF Latte with caramel drizzle on top ~ only 3 Points!!! I think that is why I LOVE iced drinks, you get more for your points.

While The Husband and his partner in crime worked, I took my niece over to Walmart to do some shopping.  I had to get The Husband some Poison Oak soap and lotion   We think he got it from our neighbors jungle yard when he did the fence.

Lunch was at Chipolte!  Chipolte scared me because their points are high for everything and their portions are HUGE.  However, if you check out CHIPOLTE FAN BEFORE you can, you can make sure you create something that fits into your points budget.  I LOVE how you can add what you are ordering to see how it impacts the nutritionals.

I made a FANTASTIC Burrito Bowl Sans Beans and Rice (saves a TON of points!)

Romaine

Grilled Chicken

Fajita Vegetables (Peppers and Onions)

Corn Salsa

Tomato Salsa

Hot Salsa

A small sprinkle of cheese ~ I told them must a pinch LOL

GUACAMOLE because it’s totally worth ALL the points to me.

This salad game in at 10 points (not too shabby because it tasted like more).  You can save 3 points by skipping the guacamole, but why would you???

We did some house shopping (bought a fancy new front door that we got 1/2 off plus used a $50 rewards card – LOVE it!)  I bought a FOAM roller for my sore hip flexors.  After all that shopping, I FINALLY got the BayBerry Froyo I’ve been wanting all weekend.

FF Strawberry & FF Chocolate topped with sprinkles, mini yogurt chips, 1 tsp of mini M&M’s and 1 tsp of Reese’s PB cups.  SO good (5 pts).

Dinner was made up of everything I was craving….sort of random, but, I knew I wanted a BIG salad, some Hawaiian Sweet Rolls, Chicken! and this NEW Annie’s Lite Herb Balsamic Dressing.

Romaine & TJ’s Organic Herbed Mixed Greens

Cucumber

Tomatoes

Mini Peppers

1/2 oz LF Sharp Cheddar Cheese

3 TJ’s Candied Pecans, broken into pieces

1/8 AVOCADO

It was everything I dreamed up in my head!

Plus 2 points of fluffy soft, Hawaiian Sweet bread ~ I could probably eat a million of these straight up.

But, I refrained.  I settled for one and put 3 oz of baked chicken (another craving) inside with spicy mustard to make dinner a chicken sandwich plus salad.  (7 points)

I was sort of excited and sort of afraid to try out the Foam Roller I picked up to help out my sore hip flexors.  I have been pretty cool strutting my stuff today with a limp/gimp so I was pretty desperate to make the pain go away.  My hip hurt so bad it was painful just to lift my leg in and out of the car.

I’ve heard great things about foam rollers helping with deep tissue massage and knots you can get in your muscles from running.  I have resisted so far because they are pretty expensive, but, this weekend I had a REAL NEED.  I didn’t work this hard to let my body stop me ONE WEEK before our race.

OMG!! I wish I could describe to you all the MAJOR relief I felt AFTER I used my roller.  During, not so much, several not so nice things were coming out of my mouth as I felt like I was rubbing my hip on concrete.  I am a TOTAL BELIEVER in these things….The Husband is now too ~ he tried it out and LOVED it. 

You can check out all the exercises you can do with it by clicking HERE!

You can BUY ONE just like this in My Open Sky Shop (complete the puzzle on My Open Sky Page to get 15% off everything your order!)

The other fun Gadget ~ My sis got us this super cool Electric Tooth Brush & Crest Toothpaste kit!  This brush makes your teeth feel SO CLEAN like when you visit the dentist & The Husband swears it makes my teeth whiter (woohoo!)

I am a total sucker for brushing my teeth for 2 minutes now because you get a smiley face when you meet the time.  Oh and if you go OVER the 2 minutes, it winks at you    So I am easy to please, what can I say….it’s the little things.

Alright all ~ I am SO TIRED and bed is calling my name!

Have a great Monday!

My Sis and I rocked our last long run before the Shamrock Half Marathon Next weekend.  We ran along the same trail we did last week, deciding to do an out and back route.  The funny thing is we were flying through the first HALF and though, wow, this is pretty easy, why not go farther??  Ha! In the end we went 12 miles, instead of 11….it was tough, but, we were like super fast PENGUINS. I think what I learned is don’t make decisions like that when you are only HALF way through and still have another 6 miles to go back

It felt amazing to complete it and I honestly cannot wait for our race now ~ it’s one week from today – woohoo!

I started off my day with some Sour Dough Cinnamon Raisin Peanut Butter and Co Toast for 4 points.  I think next week I’ll add an egg too for some protein since this didn’t last long on our run.

This is my 2nd favorite Peanut Butter & Co Flavor (The Bee Knees is 1st)….You can definitely taste the cinnamon and I LOVE the BIG chunks of raisins.

I started to get really hungry during the last few miles of our run.  When we got back, we shared this Cashew Cookie Lara Bar from the depths of my workout bag (2 points).

I decided to give the last packet of drink mix I picked up at Fleet Feet a try.  I was sorta scared after last week, but, I figured, this might be safer because there wasn’t any Whey Protein Powder.

I LOVED the fact that this was simply 10 calories.  The flavor isn’t bad either – sorta just like watered down Gatorade.  Not sure if it really did anything or not, but, it was fun to drink after all the water I chugged on our run.

We refueled at Whole Foods where I made a salad as BIG as my head

Let’s see if I can remember everything:

Romaine & Mixed Greens

Cucumbers

Tomatoes

Cioppini Onions (The BEST!)

Marinated Mushrooms (These are the BEST too!)

Kidney & Garbanzo Beans

A little Cheddar

2 tsp raisins, 3 pecans and a sprinkle of walnuts/almond slivers

Asian Noodle Salad (that was so ICK, I took it off)

1 Tbsp Balsamic Dressing on the side

SO GOOD!!!!

I also made up a hot plate that we shared.  We each had a Black Bean Tamale (only $2.49 – deal huh?!) (4 pts)  It was pretty tasty, but, I wish I had got salsa and it had more filling.  I had a bite of the egg roll & potsticker but decided they were ick.  We split the Teriyaki and Hawaiian chicken too. (4 pts estimated)

We did a little WF shopping after and then went shopping to buy matching running shirts for next weekend.  Totally dorky, but, totally fun.

When I got home, I hopped in another ICE BATH!!!  I managed to hang out for 20 minutes reading my latest US Magazine with The Bachelor Gossip   I honestly think that the Ice Bath completely reduces the damage done by your long run and your soreness the next day.  My hip flexor is still a bit sore, but, that’s about all I am feeling today ~ awesome!

I was totally ready for a snack when I was done so I pulled out this Udi’s BanaBerry Granola that Kristina sent me in our TJ/Colorado Goodie Swap.

Simple, clean ingredients.

I have to say I totally dig that its only 2 points for a 1/4 c serving.

But, you know I weighed it because you get MORE!  

Bananas & Strawberries are IN the granola – LOVE it!

I added a little granola to some TJ’s Organic Vanilla Yogurt and washed it all down with a Sobe Agave Lemonade Life Water.  I actually didn’t like this Sobe flavor as much as the others. (3 points for my granola + yogurt – awesome!)

The Husband was so cute when I had left in the morning.  He was like I’ll miss you even though he was working on his projects outside.  I really think he DID because all our laundry was done when I got home I should go running all day more often LOL/

We decided to go out for a date night to Mary’s Pizza Shack.  I had another AWESOME salad with my dressing on the side (2 pts)  I so met my fruit/veggie quota today LOL.

Plus a piece of fresh hot sour dough bread for 1 point.

They serve everything family style….The first dish up was Fettuccine Alfredo.  I typically avoid this because it makes me feel really sick, but, I had a dumb though ~ I burned 1,200 calories today so maybe….

The other dish was a HUGE plate of Spaghetti with two meatballs.

I requested a small salad bowl and served up a little of each including some a little of a meatball.  I had all of the spaghetti (5 pts) and about 3 bites of the fettuccine (3 pts).  It just tasted so bland to me I decided it wasn’t worth the calories and I was full.

In cased you didn’t see it earlier, be sure to check to see if you are a WINNER of the SCALES. 

I posted the recipe below for the BAKED CHEESY BACON MAC N CHEESE too!

Have a relaxing Sunday all ~ see you all tonight!

I think the BEST food ever created was Macaroni and Cheese and I honestly don’t discriminate. This Baked Cheesy Bacon Mac recipe takes your Traditional Baked Macaroni & Cheese to the next level by using FOUR types of Cheese, BACON, a little HEAT and some vegetables for crunch….Plus, it’s healthy too Try it, you’ll like it!

Thanks to TJ’s Test Kitchen for the inspiration to take her delicious looking Baked Macaroni recipe and spice it up a bit with this version!

Baked Cheesy Bacon Mac N Cheese Recipe

INGREDIENTS:

7 oz Whole Wheat Elbow Macaroni (or any shape)

1 c Low Fat Riccota Cheese

3.5 oz Low Fat Mozzarella Cheese

3.5 ox Low Fat Sharp Cheddar Cheese

1/2 oz Shredded Parmesan Cheese

2 cloves minced garlic

1/2 tsp Italian seasoning (optional)

1 Egg

1 Tsp Sea Salt

1/4 Tsp Freshly Ground Black Pepper

4 c chopped fresh spinach

2-3 small zucchini’s sliced and quartered

4 slices center cut bacon or turkey bacon, cooked and crumbled

1 jar Bertolli Spicy Arabbiata Pasta Sauce

A few pinches of crushed red pepper flakes, optional

Nonstick Spray

INSTRUCTIONS:

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Spray a small 8×8 or 9×13 dish with nonstick cooking spray.

2.  Prepare pasta according to packaged instructions.  Be sure to salt your water as it’s the only time you can season your pasta and cook it all dente.  I cooked mine for 8 minutes.

3. After weighing your cheese, set aside one handful of the mozzarella and cheddar (about 1/4 cup each).   Combine ricotta through freshly ground black pepper mixing thoroughly.

4.  Stir in your fresh spinach and zucchini mixing thoroughly.  Stir in your bacon.  Add hot pasta and stir to combine.

5.  Layer it up!  Start with 1 cup of pasta sauce, topped with 1/2 of the cheesy bacon macaroni mix, then 1/2 cup to 1 cup sauce followed by the rest of the cheesy bacon pasta.  Top with 1/2 cup sauce and remaining cheese.

6.  Bake at 400 for 25 minutes.  Allow to cool for 5 minutes and cut into 6 slices.

Makes 6 BIG Cheesy Bacon Macaroni squares for only 6 POINTS EACH!

VEGETARIANS ~ Use Fakin’ Bacon or omit bacon to make it vegetarian.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION PER SERVING (using sparkrecipes.com):

Calories 296.6, Total Fat 8.3 g, Saturated Fat 4.0 g, Polyunsaturated Fat 0.2 g, Monounsaturated Fat 0.9 g, Cholesterol 61.6 mg, Sodium 807.7 mg, Potassium 190.4 mg, Total Carbohydrate 35.2 g, Dietary Fiber 5.6 g, Sugars 5.4 g, Protein 22.3 g

STEP-BY-STEP:

1.  Prepare your pasta according to the packaged instructions ~ be sure to salt the water and cook al dente.

2.  Save yourself some time (& mess)and cook your bacon in the microwave.  Place on 3 paper towels and cook approximately 1-1 1/2 minutes per piece.

Tadah ~ crispy, crunchy micro waved bacon with NO mess to clean up.  I cook all of my turkey bacon this way when using it.

While your bacon cooks, measure out all your cheeses using your super cool Eat Smart Precision Pro Digital Food Scale.

.5 Ounce Parmesan

3.5 Ounces Low Fat Mozzarella

3.5 Ounces Low Fat SHARP Cheddar Cheese

3.  Set aside a small handful of your cheeses for topping and combine Ricotta through freshly ground pepper.

4.  Add spinach and zucchini and mix well.

Add your secret ingredient ~ crispy, crumbled bacon pieces.

Plus your cooked pasta.

Stir well to combine.

5.  Layer it up!  You could make your own spicy pasta sauce, but, I wanted to try out my new Spicy Arrabbiata Sauce from Bertolli.  Of course I had to taste it BEFORE I put it on my pasta

I LOVE the ingredient list ~ this sauce is pretty tasty by itself.  It has a nice tomato/red pepper flavor with a little spicy kick.

Add 1 cup of your pasta sauce to your prepared 9 x 13 pan.

Next, 1/2 of your cheesy bacon pasta mixture and a little more sauce.  You can dot the sauce or spread it around, whatever you prefer.

Top with the remaining cheesy bacon pasta mixture.

Plus another 1/2 cup of sauce and the reserved cheese.

I like adding a few pinches of crushed red pepper flakes on top to add some more HEAT, but, you don’t have to do that

Bake at 400 degrees for about 20-25 minutes until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling.  Let cool for 5 minutes, cut into 6 pieces and enjoy!

I LOVE how a little bacon and a little strong flavored cheeses go a long way to adding flavor to this Baked Macaroni and Cheese.  This casserole is even better the next day.  Enjoy!

If you like this recipe and want to save it, click the Springit! Button to add it to your recipe collection too.

Thanks to everyone for playing along in My FIRST Open Sky Giveaway for the Eat Smart Precision Pro Digital Food Scale.  I LOVE this scale, but, I have to say I honestly LOVED reading all the things you all want from my shop.  It’s good to know that the things I’ve added so far you all would want to own too.

Check out the ratings for the things you MOST would want to own:

THE #1 THING YOU ALL WANTED WAS…. The EatSmart Precision Pro Scale ~ Good thing I am giving away THREE for FREE today!

# VOTES  – ITEM

21  Garmin Forerunner 305 Personal Trainer

14  All-Clad Stainless Steel Fry Pan

14  Cuisinart GR1 Griddler Panini and Sandwich Press

9    Cuisinart CSB-76 Smart Stick Hand Blender

8    Reebok – Reebok Adjustable Hand Weights

5    Flirty Aprons – Women’s Aprons

4    Chia Seeds (Organic, Heirloom quality)

4    Organic Soft Winter Wheat Berries

3    Naturally Nutty – Butter Toffee Peanut Butter – 2 Pack

3    Naturally Nutty – Vanilla Almond Butter – 2 Pack

2    Back to Basics Peel Away Apple Peeler

2    George Foreman Next Grilleration 4-Burger Grills with Removable Plates – White

2    The Tumbleweed Composter (Black)

1    Pyrex Bake ‘N Store 5-Pc Set

1    Organic Golden Flax Seeds (1 lb)

1    Black & Decker HC306 Handy Chopper Plus.

1    BodySport – Resistance Bands

1    Ball- Plastic Freezer jar 8oz, 5 pack

1    The Step – Extra Risers

1    Kuhn Rikon – Quick Slice Mandoline with Guard

1    Swissmar Borner V-Slicer Plus Mandoline

SO FUN ~ You all obviously have great taste ~ I want to go shopping with you   I will have to see if I can work any group deals or discounts for you all on the items you most want.  For now, I can offer up the 15% off Coupon for anything in my shop by completing the Puzzle on My Open Sky Page. I will also be including a Custom Recipe Makeover for anyone who makes a purchase.

Now that I’ve tortured you all enough with the suspense, the THREE WINNERS of the Eat Right Precision Pro Scale and Custom Recipe Makeover using randomizer.org are:

#4 sarah carstensen

#72 daidai

#120 Lindsay

Congrats to all THREE of you.  Please email your name, address and the recipe/food you want me to Makeover for you!

Happy Weekend all!  I am old and fell asleep last night I think right after the credits of our movie and totally forgot to blog.  I didn’t realize it until this morning…..LONG WEEK I guess ~ Oops   Let’s get down to business with how yesterday went down!

Breakfast #1 sounded really good in theory.  I mean I LOVE Eggs with hot sauce and I LOVE Grits!  One of my AMAZING friends (who happens to be Southern) told me to try them together, so I figured why not??

Totally and completely NOT my thing.  I think it’s a texture thing of maybe a flavor thing…bleh!  I think the only SAVORY grits I like are butter and cheese and my egg should be kept separate….oh well, down the sink they went and I came up with another FAST breakfast I could take on the go.

3 points of deliciousness!  A Whole Wheat Bagel Thin topped with 1 Tbsp Whipped Butter!

2 points of TJ’s Banana Froyo!

1 point of crunchy grapes.  Such an awesome back up breakfast…then again, when can you ever go wrong with bagels plus fruit plus yogurt.

Mid morning my ChocoLOVE was calling my name, but, I had to remind myself that it was Dipped Chocolate Peanut Butter Mojo Bar only 10 am and I didn’t need to start the “crack” that soon!  So I pulled out this that the awesome people at Clif Bar left at our work when they stopped by for a visit.

Since I wasn’t willing to spend 5 points on a bar, I had half and called it good!  It’s funny the WW Calculator with the nutritionals in 1/2 says 2, but, the online tracker says 2.5 pts – hmmmm!

Thick layers of chocolate, WHOLE ALMONDS and Pretzels…Sweet, salty and totally like a candy bar.  I will definitely be picking some of these up….Plus they are BIG – half was plenty!

Since I have been good ALL week and I didn’t have any leftover Cheesy Chicken Plantain Enchiladas to have , my co-worker and I headed out for Salad & Pizza at Fazarrati’s.  I LOVE that you can make up a GIGANTIC salad with a slice of pizza and a drink for only $5.99 ~ DEAL!

My GIGANTIC salad included:

* Lettuce/cabbage blend

* Tbsp Kidney/Garbanzo Beans

* Beets

* Mushrooms

* Cucumbers

* Tomatoes

* Red Bell Pepper

* 1/2 an egg sliced

* Tbsp Sunflower Seeds

* Tbsp Crunchy Noodles

* 4 croutons

* 2 Peppercini’s

THE KITCHEN SINK all with the dressing on the side using my fork dip method with each bite ~ AWESOME!

I totally ate it all then dug into this cheesy slice of Veggie Pizza.  It was the PERFECT lunch out and a great gossip session.

My lunch kept me full all afternoon long, however, while sitting in traffic on my way home I wanted something sweet.  I know I didn’t need to spend a crazy amount of points (chocolate) when I wasn’t hungry, so I whipped out some 1 point Annie’s Organic Fruit Bunnies….So Good!  I honestly think Sunny Citrus is my FAVORITE flavor well because it’s sunny like me Haven’t you all noticed I am just a ray of sunshine??? Kidding LOL.

Dinner was courtesy of the FANTASTIC TJ (My Bay Area Blogger Meet-Up Team Co-Captain!)!  I put a spin on her Baked Macaroni & Cheese to make a Cheesy Bacon Vegetable Mac n Cheese that ROCKED!!!!

I LOVED the addition of bacon and extra veggie plus two types of cheese and spice.  I will be posting the recipe (hopefully today) so I can add it to my collection (to make it again!)  I am thinking that mine comes in at 6-7 points, but, I have to calc it next.

I made up a fast side salad to go with it 1 pt.

Yum, I cannot wait for leftovers tonight!

You all didn’t really think I was done with that and that I’d go all day without chocolate did you?  Sometimes you really do just NEED to have milk chocolate and I knew I couldn’t have a couple of pieces of the ChocoLOVE and stop there.

So, I decided to keep it in check and eat the ENTIRE bar of TJ’s 100 Calorie Milk Chocolate bar for 3 points for dessert. 

Today is my LAST LONG RUN with my sis BEFORE OUR RACE next weekend!!!  Ahhh, so excited and so nervous.,  We are shooting for 11 miles and then heading to the Whole Foods Salad bar to refuel!  Wish us luck!

If I don’t get a chance to post before then, I will post the Cheesy Bacon & Veggie Mac N Cheese Recipe and announce the scale winners when I return later today/tonight.

Have an AWESOME Saturday all!

Happy Friday Eve all!  Today was a FANTASTICALLY FREEZING sunny day, but, I pretty much figure the cold (California Cold in the 60’s) doesn’t matter ~ all that matters is that it isn’t raining.  I was so glad to get outside and knock off a 4.25 mile run today.  I felt FAST too

So I am just your typical California girl who LOVES, LOVES Grits!  I can eat them straight up, sweet or savory, but, they are honestly one of my FAVORITE things to eat   (I LOVE that they are a FILLING FOOD too!) 

Since I picked some up last night, I had 2 points of Quaker Instant Grits topped with just a sprinkle of whipped butter and a sprinkle of brown sugar.

Plus 2 points of Eggsellant Protein.

1 1/2 cups Strawberries (1 pt)

Totally delicious and satisfying for 5 points!

Mid morning I wasn’t feeling my yogurt, so I grabbed a Low Fat Sargento Colby Cheese.  I actually remembered to take a picture of the front for those who asked.

And the back ~ 1 point of cheesy goodness that totally doesn’t taste low-fat at all.  I buy them at Sam’s Club.

I stole a few of my co-workers crunchy snacks (swapped for ChocoLOVE of course!).  6 Olive Oil & Rosemary Triscuits (2 pts).

Plus, my NEW FAVORITE THING!  Have you all tried these Alexia Crunchy HOT Waffle Fries (3 points a serving).  They taste like spicy waffle fry chips LOL.  I am counting this as a point since 8 are in a serving.  The HEAT totally grows on you.

After my lunchtime run, I came back for my last 8 point serving (with AVOCADO) of my Slow Cooker Turkey & Bean Burrito Bake.  I am so sad it’s gone, but, I am sure you all are tired of seeing it.  I topped today’s with Sriracha ~ some like it HOT!  I WISH I did this all along.

I really think that Sriracha Hot Sauce is totally addictive.  You start out with just a little, but, you always end up adding more and MORE! 

I had some mini peppers on the side for crunch.

Served up on my FAVORITE fun plate with Sobe Vitamin Water. 

I was STILL hungry after lunch, but, I waited an hour before I broke out some Snackimals!

3 points a serving (1/2 the bag)

Awesome ingredients!

I totally LOVED these little animal crackers and how the monkey is rubbing his belly/touching his head   I have to admit for being Wheat Free, you couldn’t even tell.

I had a fun meal planned for tonight but I learned the hard way my Plantains were not ripe (I couldn’t peel them at all!)  I drove to TWO stores looking for ripe Plantains but everybody had GREEN ones like me

I whipped up a POM Nectarine Mocktail while I pondered what else to make for dinner.  Plain POM and POM Blueberry are still my favorite two flavors ~ this one tastes flowery to me

I decided to go for Quick & Easy.  I pulled out my Eat Smart Precision Pro Scale and measured out an ounce of Chicken.

Plus an house of TJ’s Spicy Marinated Mozzarella.

I HONESTLY use my scale every day ~ each time you see me listing the ingredients in oz, grams or what not, it’s because I weighed it out to get more.  I cannot be trusted to eye ball my servings because my 1 cup typically is like 1 1/2 cups

I used my chicken and mozzarella to make a quick 4 point salad.

TJ’s Organic Herb Mixed Greens

Chopped Mini Peppers

Sliced Carrot

Cherry Tomatoes

1 oz Chicken Breast

1 oz TJ’s Marinated Mozzarella

1/8 AVOCADO

A couple of Organic Herbed Croutons

Topped with Newman’s Light Lime Vinaigrette.

I went lighter on dinner so I could thoroughly enjoy some ChocoLOVE while I watch a movie with The Husband.

5 points for 8 squares in this mini bar and 100 million % worth busting into my Weekly Points Allowance!

I think it’s cute that they still go with their poem theme using quotes in the mini bars.

Tomorrow is the LAST DAY to enter to WIN THREE FREE Eat Smart Precision Pro Scales!

Movie TIME!!!

Happy Hump Day all!  I LOVE hearing all the cool things you’d LOVE to own from My Open Sky Shop and how you all plan on using them.  Remember you have THREE ways you can enter to win one of the THREE Eat Smart Precision Pro Digital Food Scales I am giving away ~ Make sure you Tweet, Facebook, Link and tell everyone you know to improve your chances to WIN

I have sort of a funny story regarding my breakfast this morning.  I was pondering all the ideas you shared with me to help break me out of my Breakfast Rut when I randomly recalled my visit to Europe a few years back.  I LOVED how they served up meats and cheeses to make sandwiches for breakfast.  So, I thought, why not do that?

1 Whole Wheat Bagel Thin

1 oz LEAN Honey Ham

1/2 oz Lean Honey Roasted Turkey Breast

1 Laughing Cow Light Original Swiss Wedge

It was good, but, you know, I really think you have to be in EUROPE to actually appreciate having a sandwich for breakfast.  It wasn’t bad for 3.5 points, but, I am not sure it was as COOL as I remembered .  I served it up with 1 cup of strawberries.

4 points of Europeanness LOL

My Mid Morning snack was a 3 point repeat of yesterday ~ 4 Kashi Bruschetta Crackers with 1 Sargento Low-Fat Colby Jack Cheese.

It has been pouring rain here all day and I have to admit I got REALLY excited when I saw the sun come out.  I thought for sure that I could squeeze in a quick run before the rain came back even though there were a million signs telling “Don’t Do It!” (Rain, forgot my water bottles for my fuel belt, forgot my headphones = no music)

I laced up my shoes, found some spare headphones in my desk and headed out.  3 minutes in it started to sprinkle.  I thought, ok, I can handle a little rain….then, the drops got bigger and BIGGER and I thought ~ wait, I don’t want to ruin my shoes & I have my WEIGH IN tonight so I don’t want wet hair (you know that could be like an extra 1/2 lb LOL).

I reluctantly turned around and changed up my lunch plans.  I ran to Whole Foods to pick up some PLANTAINS to make Cheesy Chicken & Plantain Enchiladas later this week.

Guess what I found when I was there????

CHOCO-LOVE!!!! Not, just any flavored Choco-LOVE, but the TWO flavors that everyone has been searching for to get me ~ DARK CHOCOLATE SEA SALTED ALMOND & TOFFEE+ALMONDS IN MILK CHOCOLATE!!!  Notice how they have MINI bars now – so cool!  Don’t worry, I went Choco-CRAZY, but, I shared with two of my friends

Lunch started out with a 1/2 cup Sweet Potato “bowl”.

Topped with 1 cup of leftover Black Bean & Sausage soup. tomatoes, 1/8 AVOCADO, 3 FoodShouldTasteGood Tortilla Chips and Sriracha! (6.5 points)

I honestly think that my favorite new way to enjoy any beans is in a sweet potato bowl ~ I LOVE the salty, sweet, creamy combo!

I am pretty sure you could guess my afternoon snack ~ 6 squares of ChocoLOVE Dark Chocolate with Sea Salt and Almonds for 3 points. SO GOOD ~ It’s totally LOVE

My Weigh In today was a totally bust ~ I lost .2 lbs ~ really, that’s all?!  I am happy it’s down, always better than up, but I honestly felt I earned so much more, but, for whatever reason, I am doing a great job maintaining.  I am going to see if I can shake things up this week and make the scale go down again.

Our topic was pretty cool ~ It was all about spicing things up and trying new things.  Definitely something I will be focusing on this week.

I had a fun, unexpected package on my door when I got home from Bertolli.

I had forgot I had signed up with FoodBuzz as part of the Taste Maker Program to receive TWO Bertolli Sauces ~ Four Cheese Rosa & Arrabbiatta.  I am so excited to try them out.

I LOVE that they fed my recipe addiction by including recipes too!

The Husband and I did some shopping after my meeting and decided to have some of my FAVORITE Spicy Chicken Tacos at Vasquez for dinner.  I had two for 8 points.

I am such a good wife because I shared my Choco-LOVE with The Husband!  I totally wanted to have more but, I refrained and opted for some 1 point Annie’s Organic Bunnies to satisfy my sweet tooth.  Yes, I totally should’ve had fruit since I am lacking in the f/v department, but, sometimes you just have to go with what sounds good, right

Keep those emails coming because we have such a fun group ready to meet up.  If you are interested in participating (or driving from anywhere to meet us) in the Bay Area Blogger Meet Up with TJ & I, send an email to me at danicasdaily at gmail.com.

Just TWO more days….Yeah!

Night all!