Happy Tuesday all!  I am back with the first recipe in my Eggland’s Best Brunch Recipe Series.  I will be the first to admit I have ALWAYS wanted to try to make crepes, but, honestly, I thought they seemed “too hard”.  Maybe it is all the vendors you see at Farmer’s Markets and on the Food Network using their fancy pans twirling the light and fluffy crepe batter around.  Maybe it is just that I thought how do you make such a thin pancake and flip it without tearing. 

We all know I have issues with that ~ hence, why my Chicken Enchiladas are a casserole instead of well pretty rolled up enchiladas.

The idea for this recipe came about when I started pondering what appetizers I could serve for my brunch.  I totally thought of those delicious ham and cream cheese tortilla roll ups that are filled with chives, olives, cream cheese, ham.  The only problem is I can literally eat a bunch of those thinly sliced tortillas and well that didn’t include my star ingredient ~ Eggland’s Best Eggs!

Enter Crepes!  Not just any Crepes ~ crispy and light crepes filled with all those delicious ingredients made healthy.  Lean Brown Sugar Ham, cream cheese with chives, sweet and spicy cherry peppers and a whole lotta deliciousness.

You really can mix and match any ingredients to make your favorite Crepe Roll Up’s ~ get creative and dig!

HAM & CHEESE CREPE ROLL-UPS (print it!)

INGREDIENTS

• 8 Light and Healthy Crepes (recipe below)
• 1/2 cup reduced-fat cream cheese Or 8 Laughing Cow Cheese Wedges
• 2 Tbsp fat-free milk, optional
• 1/2 cup chives, diced
• 1/2 cup cherry peppers, stems removed, diced
• sea salt and black pepper to taste
• 8 slices lean brown sugar ham from the deli
• 2 cups Organic Arugula

INSTRUCTIONS

1.  To make your cream cheese spreadable, use the milk to thin it by beating together cream cheese and milk in a small bowl until smooth.

2. Place 1 crepe on a flat surface.  Spread 1 rounded tablespoon of cream cheese all over the crepe.  Sprinkle with chives, cherry peppers sea salt and black pepper.  Top with 1 slice of ham and a small 1/4 cup of arugula.  Roll it tightly like a fancy burrito being careful to not tear it.

3.  Repeat the remaining crepes. Cut each crepe equally into thirds, plate and serving.

Makes 8 Ham & Cream Cheese Crepe Roll Up’s, 24 pieces, 1 points+ each

Nutritional information per piece, based on 24 roll ups calculated at caloriecount.com

The “Secret” Ingredient ~ who knew making Crepes really was THIS easy!

LIGHT & HEALTHY CREPES! (print it!)

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup fat-free milk
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten

INSTRUCTIONS

1.  Mix together the dry ingredients, flour and salt, in a medium bowl.  Set aside.

2.  Whisk together milk and eggs in a small bowl. Whisk egg mixture into the flour mixture until smooth and let stand for 15 minutes.

3.  Spray an 8-inch nonstick skillet with nonstick spray and set over medium heat until drop of water sizzles in pan. Pour a 1/4 cupful of batter into the skillet, tilting pan to coat bottom completely.

4.  Cook until top is set and underside is golden brown, about 11/2 minutes. With Spatula, loosen edge of crepe and turn over. Cook until second side is slightly browned, about 25 seconds. Slide crepe onto plate.

5.  Repeat with remaining batter, lightly spraying skillet before adding more batter.

Makes 8 crepes, 1 points+ each

Nutritional information per crepe calculated at caloriecount.com

STEP – BY – STEP

Mix together your dry ingredients and set aside.

Whisk together your eggs and milk.

Slowly whisk the wet ingredients into the dry mix whisking until thoroughly combined.

Allow the batter to set up by letting it rest for 15 minutes.

Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Spray with nonstick spray.  Add 1/4 cup of the crepe batter to the pan and swirl it around.

Cook for 1 1/2 minutes until the batter is set and the top is bubbly.

Flip and cook an additional 30 seconds.  Then, remove to a plate.

Repeat until all your batter is gone, you should end up with about 8 crepes.

Spread with a heaping tablespoon of cream cheese (or laughing cow cheese!) and top with chives, sea salt & pepper.

Add toppings ~ My favorite topper ~ Cherry Peppers, but, olives would be pretty amazing too.

Add your greens ~ I used arugula for the peppery bite.

Roll it tightly like a fancy burrito being careful to not tear it.

Cut each roll evenly into 3 pieces.

How awesome is it that they are 1 points+ each or 5 pieces for 5 points+!

MMMM ~ I wish we still had some of these now!

Speaking of eggs ~ Have you gotten Eggy with it and Entered to win your own Eggland’s Best Brunch Kit yet? Go enter now if you haven’t!

Q’s

How would you fill your crepes?

I have been dreaming about Bananas and Nutella ever since I made these 2 points+ Banana Nutella Won Tons.  I have a feeling the combination in crepes might just be phenomenal.  Then again, I think Biscoff would be too as well as maybe a pizza crepe (like Pizza Roll Ups!)

The options really are endless!

Night all!

Happy Monday all!  Thank you all so much for your get well wishes ~ you really made me sappy with each message you sent.  It really helped knowing I have so many caring friends out there.  I am doing a “little” better now but cannot wait to have an action plan to make my shoulder normal and pain free again.  I see the Orthopedic Surgeon on Thursday for another evaluation so my fingers are crossed I can get it “fixed” before our vacation.

Every year I ALWAYS have to buy a box of one of my FAVORITE pancake mixes out there….

Trader Joe’s Pancake & Waffle Mix ~ for the record, I’d totally make them as waffles if I had a waffle maker ~ kinda crazy that is one kitchen appliance I do not have

Yes, you could make these tasty pancakes from scratch, but, why mess with a good thing?!

The mix alone is 4 points+ per serving.  I mix 1 cup of the pancake mix with 3/4 cup FF milk and an egg (I omit the butter because you don’t need it).  It adds a little protein boost and brings the total to 5 points+ for 3 pancakes (each 1 cup batch makes 9 pancakes).

Topped with 1 tsp whipped butter, 1 Tbsp PURE Maple Syrup, 1 tsp unsweetened coconut flakes and 1/2 a banana (7 points+).

It’s like having a pumpkin spice muffin that is accented by hints of salty whipped butter, sweet maple syrup and creamy banana.

Another FUN FALL FAV ~ Cuties!!! Paired with a Chobani Peach Yogurt (3 points+)

Tracey of TJ’s Test Kitchen actually turned me onto this Asian Salad Mix you can pick up (or make at home) from Costco.

100% REAL ingredients that you can pronounce and recognize.

I LOVE that they break down all the components in the mix so you can calculate the stats.  For the record….

Salad Mix ~ 0 points+

1 1/2 Tbsp Crunchy Noodles & Almonds ~ 1 points+

1 1/2 Tbsp Ginger Sesame Dressing ~ 1 points+

YUP ~ you totally read that right ~ ONLY 2 points+ per serving and a little goes a LONG way!

I took 1 1/2 cups of the mix and added 1/2 cup shredded carrots with 1/2 a pear for crunch and sweetness.

Rounded out with 3 oz. of Rotisserie Chicken Breast (3 points+), green onions and 2 types of sesame seeds.

One HUGE salad that only took minutes to make! Sometimes I really NEED to remember that meals can really be THIS easy. 

I always buy the big bag of these mini peppers when I go to Costco too because they are great snacks and work for decorating salads and/or as peppers in any dish. They are sweet & crunchy (not spicy at all).

I measured the crunchies to make sure I kept myself in check.

Then, I measured out 1 1/2 Tbsp of dressing with 1/2 Tbsp of Rice Vinegar because I LOVE the kick it adds and it “stretches” your dressing further.

Commute snacks ~ Sargento Lite String Cheese & another cutie (1 points+)

When I drove up to our house I saw The Husband’s Mom waiting “in line”and The Husband was hard at work at the “Farmer’s Market”.

He is SUCH a clown!!! He knew I was bumming out a bit because I missed the last two days of our local Farmer’s Markets and have to wait until next year.

So, instead, he brought the Farmer’s Market to me

Can you believe he didn’t buy anything? Yup, this is only like 1/2 of what is in our fridge….what can I say ~ at least it’s “The Good Stuff”

He also said we should go to Chipotle for dinner so I could rest my arm…..um OK!

I decided to go with the 3 Crunchy Chicken Tacos because they fill them so much that you end up with a salad after you eat them.  I LOVE that! (15 points+ or 5 points+/taco)

* 3 crunchy corn taco shells with chicken, pico de gallo, corn salsa, cheese & lettuce

I will be working on catching up on all your emails and comments this week.  Thanks again for being patient since my arm has sort of made me slow down a bit. I also have some SUPER FUN giveaways coming up too!

Q’s

What is your FAVORITE thing to get at The Farmer’s Market or store?

I definitely change favorites each year, but, this year, I cannot get enough watermelon.

Night all!

This year we bought my Sister a pancake griddle and my brother a waffle maker.  I really wanted to give them something to make up “fun” from our kitchen.  I have made cookies in a jar before, so I figured, why not do that with one of my favorite pancake mixes.  It totally works for waffles too

This recipe keeps in the Mason Jar for about 6 months.  You can layer the ingredients or mix it all up before putting it in the jar.

It’s a fun, inexpensive gift that only takes minutes to make with what you have in your kitchen.

Cinnamon Pecan “Oatmeal” Pancakes in a Jar

DRY MIX INGREDIENTS IN THE JAR:

1 1/2 cups Oat Flour (grind up Oatmeal until it is “flour” in your blender/magic bullet)

1 1/2 cups Whole Wheat or White All Purpose Flour

2 tablespoons baking powder

1  teaspoons salt

4 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/4 cup finely chopped pecans

2 1/4 tablespoons brown sugar (Maple Flakes would be awesome!)

To Make Batter Combine 1 1/3 Cups Dry

WITH THE FOLLOWING:

3/4 cup milk

1 egg

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

INSTRUCTIONS:

Directions ~ pour jar into a bowl, stir to combine and return to jar. Store in jar for up to 6 months.

1. To make Batter for Cinnamon Pecan Pancakes: In a medium bowl, combine 3/4 c milk, 1 egg, 2 tbsp. vegetable oil. Whisk in 1 1/3 cups prepared Dry Pancake Mix until moistened but still lumpy.

2. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot.

3. Serve with butter, maple syrup, fruit and your favorite toppings.

Attached your recipe card.  I used this Microsoft Word Holiday Recipe Card Template.

Enjoy!

Happy Monday everyone!  Thank you all SO MUCH for all of your comments on my last post.  You all definitely had me feeling the Weight Watchers LOVE and I now have so many great new recipes/menu ideas to try!  It’s just another reason I cannot wait to get the Weight Watchers Support Group site up.  It should be going LIVE any day now.

I actually used every single point today all in 3 square meals, no snacks.  It’s so interesting to me because I am definitely a “snacker”.  Maybe my Points Plus choices indirectly make me pick filling foods that last.  Then again, when you have delicious food like these pancakes, there really isn’t a need to snack!

OATMEAL PROTEIN PANCAKES

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup fat free cottage cheese

1/3 cup uncooked oatmeal (quick cooking or old fashioned)

1 egg

1 egg white

1 Tbsp ground flax seed

2 tsp Agave (could use maple flakes, sucanat or brown sugar, etc)

1/4 tsp vanilla or coconut extract (sometimes I use both)

Dashes of cinnamon & salt

INSTRUCTIONS

1.  Blend everything together until smooth and creamy. I use my Magic Bullet and it only takes seconds.

2.  Cook on a skillet over medium heat (use ns cooking spray or 1 tsp oil) on both sides until browned (about 5 minutes total).

3. Serve up with your favorite toppings – pure maple syrup, whipped butter, fruit, almond butter, etc – the options are endless.

Makes 2 medium pancakes or 1 super huge pancake for 8 points+

Nutritional information for the entire recipe excluding toppings, 8 points+

My pancake held me over from 5 hours ~ PROTEIN POWER!

I was really undecided about lunch, but, since I am really trying to not catch a cold, my favorite mixed soups from Whole Foods won.

I have to admit, when it comes to soup, bread is a must.

This is a HUGE loaf, so I only had half for 5 points+ (worth it for the REAL DEAL)…

Especially when you can have it with a whole pat of butter! (3 points+)

I can NEVER decide which soup to get because they give you 15 different kinds to choose from.  Why pick one, when you can have TWO ~ 1/2 Chicken Noodle with Stars & 1/2 Minestrone.  I had 1/2 this cup for 3 points+

I let The Husband pick dinner from our Weekly Menu and he picked this ~ surprised?! lol

This is by far The Husband’s FAVORITE pre- marinated meat.  I LOVE it because it cooks in 15 minutes and is delicious!

Oh and 4 oz = 5 points+!

I prepped all the “fixin’s” while this was on the grill.

Super simple Carne Asada Steak Salad (10 points+)

3 cups organic romaine lettuce, chopped

1/2 cup organic cherry tomatoes, halved

1/4 AVOCADO, chopped!!!

1/2 oz Pepper Jack Cheese, grated

4 oz Carne Asada

2 Tbsp organic green onions, chopped

Plus a few Trader Joe’s Veggie & Flax Tortilla Chips for crunch!

The DRESSING!  I LOVE Frontera products and I have been waiting for a chance to make this ever since Amanda of Eating Up sent it to me as part of our cookie exchange.

It’s AWESOME! Smoky with a little heat and nope, you don’t taste the pumpkin at all.  I am totally using this salsa in a breakfast burrito!

Deliciousness!

Can you believe I actually didn’t eat a banana today?!  I brought one, but, was never hungry for a snack.  So cool!

Q’s: 

#1 I am looking to include your ideas on the new the Weight Watcher Support Group Site!  Here is a sneak peak of some of the categories we have on the site.

# 1 Point Ideas ~ snacks, meals, recipes

# 5 Ingredients or Less Recipes

# Before/After Photos – want to be a success story

# Food Finds

# Holiday

# Lightened Up

# Low Point Ideas

# Motivation

# Recipes

# Snacks

We need help filling in the categories.  Leave a comment below  or email me at danicasdaily at gmail.com telling me your favorite things for any of these categories.  ( I will be sure to give you credit when posted!) Thanks!

#2 I cannot wait for the BIGGEST LOSER FINALE tomorrow night!  Who are you rooting for?  I have to say this is the first season I don’t have a favorite.  I think I am going to take the route of GIRL POWER and root for ADA

Night all!

Happy Friday Eve all!  Thanks for all the comments on my recipes lately ~ It has been really fun to get back in the kitchen and have a little fun trying to find ways to fit in vegetables for breakfast along with 2 cups of vegetables at both lunch and dinner.

I think aside from sometimes feeling like I might turn into a vegetable from eating so many, that it IS really true that when you fill your belly with so much of the good stuff, there isn’t much room for the not so good stuff. 

Speaking of experiments ~ breakfast was a TOTAL EXPERIMENT.  I saw a recipe for Mock French Toast on a message board and was intrigued.  I pretty much followed the recipe but substituted agave for the sugar free substitute and added a pinch of salt.

“MOCK” MY FRENCH TOAST

INGREDIENTS

1 egg

4 egg whites

1/4 cup part skim ricotta cheese

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 tsp Agave

Sprinkle of cinnamon

Pinch of salt, optional

Optional Toppers:

Butter, Maple Syrup, Agave, Nut Butters, Fruit, Super Nutty Granola, greek yogurt!

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat a nonstick pan over medium heat and spray with nonstick spray.

2.  Combine all the ingredients thoroughly using a whisk or a beater. Pour into “pancake shapes” and cook until browned on each side, about 2 minutes per side.

3.  Serve it up with your favorite toppings or enjoy as is.

Makes 2 servings, 3 pts each  (or you can be like me and eat it as 1 serving)

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION PER SERVING:

BEYOND AMAZING!!!! These little thin pancakes seriously taste just like FRENCH TOAST, but, better.  Sorta like a crepe, but, with the flavor of french toast. 

I topped mine with a little ICBNB Spray, a little extra Agave and some Super Nutty Granola……MMMM, I am so going to have these again soon! 

The breakfast veggie of the day was some Yellow Bell Pepper Strips.  I actually think I LOVE having these more than cucumbers on the side.

Mid morning snackage (2 pts)…..anyone know the answer????

A ~ A BOWLING alley hehehehe ~ yes, I totally eat these string cheeses JUST for the riddles.

Lunch was a repeat of yesterday since I had the other half of my Mayo-Less Tuna to use up.

I like romaine lettuce leaves over bibb lettuce because they are crispier, juicer and make perfect little “boats’” to fit my tuna salad.

You know another cool realization??  My co-worker today saw my lunch and was like “THAT’s SO HEALTHY! I wish I could do that” 

When he said that, I just kept thinking….well, really, it’s just THAT GOOD I wouldn’t trade it for anything else.

Isn’t it funny how it takes 21 days to form a habit……but, it’s not quite 21 days yet and I look forward to and crave….

Big Bowls of Vegetables and Fruit with hummus and tuna lettuce wraps.

This is by far my FAVORITE HUMMUS of all times ~ I only know one vendor at the Farmer’s Markets out here who sells Spicy with Harissa Hummus. 

I wonder if I can freeze some for the winter….have any of you ever tried freezing hummus and using it later???

Served up with my favorite Homemade Fizzy Water ~ Deliciousness! (5 pts)

I had some TJ’s Cashews for my afternoon snack (2 pts)

Dinner tonight involved a HUGE Bowl of Parmesan Kale Chips ~ I LOVE these so much, I actually forgot to bust out my ketchup with them. (2 pts)

Then, I moved on to some left over Spinach and FOUR Cheese Lasagan (7 pts)

It was honestly the PERFECT dinner because I got to browse through all of these while chowing down.

I am in charge of the Halloween Celebrations this year at work so buying a bunch of magazines for ummm ideas is totally justified  

Yeah, ok….I bought the Food Network Magazine because seriously ~ I want to make that SQUASH SOUP WITH A TON OF TOPPINGS IN AN EDIBLE BOWL!

Who else thinks Martha Stewart’s eyes look kinda creepy cool in this picture?!

SO, SO GLAD tomorrow is FRIDAY and a short day, but, long day!  We are going to watch the CAL vs RENO game tomorrow night ~ Part 1,578,890 of The Husband’s Birthday Gifts….He is like a little kid before Christmas right now preparing for it ~ so funny!

Night all!

Happy Saturday all!  Did you all think I had abandoned you for “How-To’s” and “Recipes” only?  No worries, I didn’t.  Sometimes I have so many things I want to share with you all but I don’t have time to do that with my recaps too.   So I improvise – I post the extras I want to share and play catch up later.  Plus, sometimes it gives me a chance to breathe a little versus getting overwhelmed with all I want to share.  I still have a few more extra posts to share so hopefully you all will get the bonus plan this weekend too with more extras

Ok, let’s get down to business with a little backtracking.

THURSDAY

I woke up craving a savory eggwich.  I whipped up this eggwich in less than 10 minutes and for /12 the points of a certain eggwich you’d get if you bought it.

I took 1 Morning Star Veggie Sausage for 2 pts.

Then, I added a “fried” egg on top of two slices of TJ’s FF Multi-Grain Bread.

And devoured my 6 point sandwich on my way into work ~ so, so good, I know all the drivers passing me were all jealous at my eggwich as they drove by

My protein eggwich did an awesome job at keeping me full for 4 hours.  It was raining once again outside (booo!) but I needed to get out of the office.  So, I decided to head to Panda Express for lunch and blogging.  Yes, I am a total multi-tasker and honestly I CRAVE their veggies….could be worse, right?

3 pt side of mushroom chicken

Plus a side of their NEW not fried Fire chicken ~ estimated 3-4 pts.

All together my lunch completely rocked and I’d say did an awesome job at helping me to check off those veggie and protein healthy guidelines

Ok, so let me confess, I had an ulterior motive.  It’s been forever since I’ve have Froyo and well it’s right next door to Panda!  I mixed up the BEST combination of 1 c Fat Free Froyos ~ Boysenberry, Pineapple and Vanilla with sprinkles and a couple yogurt chips.  I LOVE that FF froyo is 4 pts for a cup (I know I won’t get the 1/2 cup serving so I am honest and go for the full cup).

Total bonus ~ the Over The Top Shop peeps gave me a 10% off coupon for next time – woohoo!!!

They had a celebration at work for the January birthdays but I was so content with my lunchtime treats.  I found a new secret way to avoid eating cake though ~ Serve it up to everyone and they won’t notice you didn’t take any

When I got home I had yet another birthday package ~ Seriously, you all amazed me…I am SOOO LOVED!  The super sweet Jasmine from Sweet a& Fit sent me a Pink Birthday package.  I LOVE how she wrapped it and mailed it in birthday wrapping paper.

HOLY SURPRISE!!! Jasmine, You amaze me.  I cannot believe that she baked me a ton of treats, plus tea, plus chocolate (including my new favorite!)

Oatmeal raisin bars (which might be my new favorite thing!) & butterscotch cookies!

Plus banana bread squares ~ i LOVE banana nut everything!

Fun tea and FAVORITE chocolates!  I am super excited to try everything.

The Husband said we could each share a few to try….since  he knew I could totally spoil my dinner on cookies   I had a bite of this caramelly butterscotch cookie – so good!

The, 1/4 of these fully loaded Oatmeal Raisin Bars.  OMG ~ they are so chewy, buttery and melt in your mouth.  Jasmine you are seriously an AWESOME baker!  Thank you so much, I honestly LOVE everything.  I did put 2/3 of everything in the freezer so I can make it all last awhile and not have it go to my rear

I also received another package from Mrs. Dash in honor of National Salt Reduction month.  Fun, I LOVE having new spices and herbs to play with.

For dinner I was craving MORE veggies, in particular a Mary’s Pizza Shack salad.  I LOVE this salad.  The Husband wanted to eat out too so it worked out perfectly.

With our salads they brought out some cheesy garlic bread.  YUM!  I actually resisted a bit…

And had that piece on the end you see without really any butter or cheese on it.

We ordered the Couples special where we each get soup/salad, drink, bread and then share spaghetti with meatballs for $20 – cheap, huh?

Since I wasn’t super hungry, I had a little pasta, a bite of the meatball and my piece of garlic bread.  And…..The Husband ate the REST

I LOVE ending the work week without having to cook I was pretty pumped all day since Thursday was my Friday and I had a long 3-day weekend ahead – yeah!    

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

FRIDAY

Do you all find as much as you try that you cannot sleep in that much on the weekends?  I am such am morning person, I was up bright and early at 6 am to start my day – Fun

I have been CRAVING real homemade pancakes ever since I saw Janetha make her Blueberry Pancakes in celebration of National Blueberry “Pancake” day.

Since I happen to have a little extra low-fat buttermilk on hand from a guest post recipe I recently made, I whipped up a batch of Cooking Light’s Whole Wheat Buttermilk Pancakes.   The recipe can be found on myrecipes.com by clicking HERE.

I LOVE that you can “hide” the whole wheat taste by using 1/2 wheat and 1/2 white flours.  The Husband NEVER notices the whole wheat when I do this.

I used Trader Joe’s ~ Baker Joe’s 100% Whole Wheat Flour.  Is it just me or do you all LOVE how Trader Joe’s gives their products funny names, like Baker Joe’s or Mexican food is Trader Jose, Chinese food is Trader Ming’s etc?  It’s so funny to me

Since my regular whisk was dirty, I FINALLY found a reason to use my Fancy New Whisk I got at the FoodBuzz Blogger Festival.  So cool!

The batter turns out perfectly thick/thin.

I added 2 tsp PURE Vanilla Extract and 1 Tbsp Organic Maple Flakes to the Cooking Light Recipe.   I will see if I can have Maple Flakes added to My Open Sky Shop….I’ll let you all know when and if I can….They ROCK!

The secret to knowing when to flip your pancakes is when they have bubbles on top and they are slightly browned on the edges.

I LOVED how fluffy the got ~ I seriously felt like a pancake pro!

Served up with a little Whipped Butter (1/2 Tbsp for 1 pt) plus a 1 Tbsp Drizzle of Warmed PURE Maple Syrup (1 pt)

YUM ~ I totally want to have these all over again.  So glad I froze the extras to have on another day I CRAVE pancakes.

After breakfast we did a quick 2 mile loop (or square according to my Cardio Trainer).  Then, I filled my afternoon up working my todo list – it felt AWESOME to get so many things done I’ve been wanting to get done.  Lunch was FAST and made up of things we had on hand in an effort to use up the pantry/freezer.

BIG baby broccoli steamed and sprinkled with garlic salt (0 pts).

Annie’s ~ Simply Organic M&C.  You know, this is my least favorite flavor and it was running versus creamy and not as cheesy like the shells. (5 pts)  I still ate it all though   I heart M&C cheese!

Homemade Cheaters Buffalo Nuggets = Trader Joe’s Baked Chickenless Tenders tossed in hot sauce….(4 for 2 pts x 2)

Then dipped in Annie’s Organic Ketchup.  Pretty tasty but I wish they got crispier.

The Husband worked on my Garden Box in the afternoon while I worked on our taxes   It’s getting so close to being done, I CANNOT wait to start planting stuff.  I am totally ready for spring to start already

We headed out to an early Matinee to watch Edge of Darkness.  We both thought it was REALLY good and has some intense parts. I can’t say I am a huge fan of Mel Gibson, but, he did some great Lethal Weapon type acting and I LOVE movies that make you jump in your seat.

After the movie we headed over to MS Tasty for some more of THIS….

I honestly think I could eat plates and plates of her vegetables.  I don’t know how she does it, but, they are cooked so simple ~ garlic, black pepper, salt or soy sauce ~ perfect crunchy and delicious.

Ok ~ I’ll spare you all the fun of how today went down…It was a FUN day spent with my parents, but I am completely ready to relax now. 

See you all tomorrow for a Weekend Recap. Night!

Happy Monday all!  WOW, you all really LOVE mashed AVOCADO and Nachos!  I have to agree though, mashed avocado can seriously make any meal go from drab to fab!  I HEART AVOCADO on just about anything.  I will make sure I get that Nacho-Riffic Recipe up for you all this week too

I woke up craving pancakes but I didn’t want the homemade kind ~ I wanted the kind out of the box ~ wierd.  So, I browsed the shelf and remembered we had Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Pancake Mix!!!

Stats!

I actually measured out 1/3 c of the dry mix, 1 egg white and 3 Tbsp FF Milk (no buttah!)

Topped with 1 Tbsp TJ’s Organic PURE Maple Syrup (if you heat it for 10 seconds, it spreads further so you use less), 1/2 banana and a sprinkle of Unsweetened Organic Coconut.  Total points bargain for 5 pts.

Plus some, eh, ok, decaf Hazelnut Coffee.

Mid morning, I snacked on a Perfect Hard Boiled Egg.  2 pts.

I was sitting at my desk debating what to do for lunch ~ do I stay in and blog since I owe you all a ton of things or do I head outside in the rain for my 3.5 mile run.  As I was pondering, my phone rang…..*ring, ring*.  It was The Husband.

* Husband “whatcha doin’?”

* Me “debating what to do for lunch (reiterate my debate above”

* Husband “ oh, well, I was wondering if you wanted to go to lunch with me because I am outside your office right now”

Um, ya, he drove out there to surprise me since he was restless with nothing to do since it’s raining outside LOL.  He actually had an ulterior motive since I know he wanted to play poker at the card room down the street

We headed off to Buckhorn’s Grill ~ “The BEST Place on the Planet for Tri Tip”.  He LOVES their Tri-tip sandwiches and I LOVE their salad.

Since it was pouring rain outside, we headed to the Fireside Room.

Even though we didn’t sit next to the fire, it STILL makes you feel warmer being by it.

I ordered the Yik Yak Salad plus chicken ~ “An oriental salad with south of the border flair; a crisp mix of greens, cabbages, jicama, red peppers, snow peas, tossed with sweet sesame dressing & topped with toasted almonds”

I don’t ever eat the tortilla but usually try a bite.

We had finished lunch and were chatting it up when the conversation goes like this.

* Husband “ We should totally get a room, just don’t go back to work and get a room with me”

* Me “ WHAT?! Laughing…you’re funny since we live like 10 miles away”

* Husband “Ok, well….wanna go home?”

* Then, he is like “well, OK, since you won’t go with me I guess I will just HAVE TO go play poker”

He is such a clown ~ like he needed an “excuse” to go play LMAO.  Maybe he is thinking of Valentine’s day already.

As he drove me back to our office without ANY stops for those wondering , we saw the coolest BUGGY BUS! (That’s what I call them)

I LOVE Napa ~ you really do get a BIG mix of people. 

I wasn’t hungry this afternoon, but, I wanted something sweet so I had some TJ’s Power Berries x’s 2.

I attempted to get in a run when I got home but my back wasn’t cooperating   I started off with a 5 minute warm up walk then within 5 steps of jogging, my back was hurting.  So, I figured, fine, I’ll just walk….that didn’t work either.  I was so bummed because mentally my head was there and ready to go, but, my back didn’t want any part of it.

I read in today’s comments from Sarah W that she LOVES Tiger Balm and it worked wonders at making her feel better.  I headed out to Target to pick some up (ironically you can only buy it at the Target pharmacy since Target doesn’t sell it. Not sure how that works?!) Thanks Sarah!!!

I got a 20 minute massage  a la The Husband with this stuff so that may make it worth the $$ right there   OH and the fact that he keeps passing me up growling like a Tiger when he smells me LMAO.  So far my back is loving it even if I do smell Big Red Gum.

I whipped up quick Taco Salads using the Nacho-riffic Leftovers.

*Romaine

* 1/2 c TJ’s sweet white corn

* Cucumber

* Carrots

* Cherry Tomatoes

* Taco/Bean Mix

* Low fat Sharp Cheese

* AVOCADO!!!

* Jalapeños

* Big dollop of 0% Greek Yogurt

* Crumble of Baked Tostidos

* Salsa

OH and The ever comical Husband added 1 of his Chili Cheese Fritos for color   He’s so funny today!

It’s almost SCANDALOUS BACHELOR time!!! I have been waiting ALL WEEK to watch tonight’s episode since he actually doesn’t want to give out all the roses…….I wonder what “scandal” happened THIS time

Hasta Manana! NIte all!

Today felt like the LONGEST day ever because I think I officially have a case of vacationitis!  I am totally ready to be on a warm beach, soaking in some Vitamin D……Ahhh, 3 days togo and of course a ton to do!  The Husband has been rockin’ his todo list around the house.  I had to share with you all the update on our garage ~ he finished ALOT of it this weekend.

Our Garage A.K.A The Husband’s Workshop ~ BEFORE:

And AFTER!!! He has it almost finished, just a few more trims and touch up on the top.  He worked his bootie off to have this done before we go ~ doesn’t he do awesome work???

He had me snap those in our freezing 38 degree temps this morning to share.  I wanted something warm for breakfast when we came inside so I finally decided to open my box of Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Pancake mix I’ve had forever.  Normally I’d make my own, but, somehow ended up with an extra box after I hosted The Great Pumpkin Giveaway ~ oops!

Stats!

E-Z Prep!  I used FF milk, 3 egg whites and 1 Tbsp butter to lighten it up a bit.

Topped with a little whipped butter, PURE maple syrup, banana and unsweetened organic coconut snowballs (it was so cold, the coconut froze too )

The batter is pretty runny but they totally fluff up when you cook them.  These pancakes are super delish – like a moist pumpkin muffin.   Next time I’d add some ground flax seed, walnuts and possibly coconut extract too.

This little pumpkin wanted in on the action since today was the last day for their appearance   I am so sad we had to compost The Pumpkin family since we can’t leave them while we cruise the Caribbean.

Mid morning I had the last of my TJ’s Spicy Hummus with a lite (ONE POINT!) TJ’s String cheese and Kashi Original 7-grain crackers.  This is still by far my FAVORITE snack at the moment of course!

Lunch was a NEW recipe I whipped up yesterday that I will be sharing this week as well.

Butter Bean Sausage & Kale Soup

I used Jennie-O’s Spicy Lean Hot Italian Sausage and it really made the flavor of this soup ~ it’s AWESOME and just 4 Weight Watcher Points per 1 1/2 cups – yahoo!

When I got home I was surprise to see a package waiting for me on the door step from the folks at Healthy Choice.  They sent me a little Thank You package for taking time to talk to them at BlogHERFood09.  Thanks HC ~ it was great talking to you all and I am glad to see you all are creating a line of Natural Products with ingredients I can recognize.  Fun!

FUN MAIL #2 I was completely PUMPED about ~ The Latest Edition of Cooking Light Magazine (Thanks, Time, Inc!)!  This is by far one of my FAVORITE mags because they have such AMAZING pictures that make me drool and well, I LOVE all of their recipes and make them often

Check out some of the cool features in the November issue ~ you all seriously will want to pick this up if you plan on cooking for Turkey day.  So many great things….where to start.

10 Tips for Your Easiest Thanksgiving Dinner Ever (p. 66) – The perfect holiday meal takes a lot of preparation and hard work. Cooking Light offers tips to make the day easier and the food delicious. Tips include:
*  Make sides on the stovetop to save time and oven space.
*  Cook the stuffing separate from the turkey. Baking it inside often causes the turkey to overcook.
*  If you can, splurge on a fresh turkey instead of frozen. They are juicer and have better texture.

New Uses For Thanksgiving Leftovers (p. 74) – If you find yourself with too many Thanksgiving leftovers, try these fun and unique uses for traditional ingredients: Cranberry Sauce and Jalapeno Corn Muffins, Potato Pancakes with Green Onion and Swiss, and Turkey Wontons.

The Holiday Cookbook (p. 119) – Cooking Light offers recipes for every type of holiday gathering: Starters, drinks, main courses, sides, extras and desserts.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner in Los Angeles (p. 48) – Recreate some LA-inspired meals with fresh ingredients and international flavors. Recipes include: Banana-Agave Smoothie, Carne Asada Taco with Avocado Pico de Gallo, and Spaghetti with Caramelized Onion and Radicchio.  I am all over that smoothie and those tacos!!!

The Best Thanksgiving Wines (p.54) – Confused over which wines you should serve with your Thanksgiving feast? Cooking Light offers four great options: Beaujolais, Riesling, Chianti and Shiraz.

Ok, I’ll stop and get onto dinner.  It’s an AWESOME issue ~ perusing it B4 dinner may not have been a good idea   Continuing with my veggie cravings, I whipped up a quick Veggie/Sausage Pasta Toss.

* Whole Wheat Farfalle ~ Butterfly Pasta!!!, prepared and stirred in at the end.

* Trader Joe’s Apple Chicken Sausage (made with PURE Maple Syrup!), sliced, cooked, set aside then added at the end.

All sautéed together:

* 3 garlic cloves, minced

* 1 red onion, chopped

* Red, orange and yellow bell peppers, chopped

* Asparagus

* Mrs. Dash Sun Dried Tomato Basil Seasoning

* Pink Sea Salt & Freshly Ground Black Pepper

* A few pinches of crushed red pepper flakes

Really simple, easy and delish!

That’s all I have for tonight ~ see, how can you pick a title for all of that?!

I promise the two soup recipes will appear soon ~ one tomorrow (while we are getting our massages!!!) and one on Wednesday, while I am getting my hair done.    Yeah – 3 days and counting!

Must…..go……. pack!

Nite all!

This is the perfect Fall Breakfast ~ Pumpkin Butter, Maple Syrup, Oatmeal, Coconut and spice.  Why not start your day off with “dessert” for breakfast?  The best part is it is so easy to make because you just throw everything in your Magic Bullet or Blender.  From start to finish you can whip up a restaurant style Saturday morning breakfast in under 10 minutes!

Maple Pumpkin Butter Pancake Recipe

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 c Quaker Old Fashioned Oatmeal

1/3 c Fat Free or Low Fat Cottage Cheese

1 Egg

1 Egg White

2 Tbsp Homemade Healthy Pumpkin Butter or store bought Pumpkin Butter

Dash of Cinnamon or Pumpkin Pie Spice ~ 1/4 tsp

Splash of Vanilla Extract ~ 1/2 tsp

Optional:

* 2 tsp Organic Maple Flakes

* 1 Tbsp ground flax seed 

TOPPINGS:

1-2 Tbsp Homemade Healthy Pumpkin Butter

1 Tbsp Pure Maple Syrup, heated (it spreads further when hot)

Organic Unsweetened Coconut

INSTRUCTIONS:

Blend everything together until smooth and creamy. I use my Magic Bullet and it only takes seconds. Cook on a skillet over medium heat (use ns cooking spray or 1 tsp oil) on both sides until browned (about 5 minutes total).

Top with additional  Pumpkin Butter, pure maple syrup and coconut sprinkles.

Number of Servings: 2, 2 pancake servings or 1 BIG pancake

Calculated using Sparkrecipes.com

Amount Per Serving, excluding toppings
Calories: 167, Total Fat: 4.2 g, Cholesterol: 110 mg, Sodium: 203 mg, Total Carbs: 21 g, Dietary Fiber: 2.0 g, Protein: 13 g

I am having so much fun finding different ways to use the Homemade Healthy Pumpkin Butter that  made.  The only problem now is it’s almost gone ~ must make more!

I am pretty sure you will love this recipe as much as I did ~ it’s AMAZING!

Have a fantastic Saturday all!

Happy Thursday all!  ONE work day left before we are on vacation for NINE days – yahoo!  Vacation cannot come soon enough and I am really looking forward to our Lake Tahoe trip.  Did I tell you all that my Mom/Dad are going up the first part of the week and then Sis/Hubby are going for the 2nd part.  We get double family doses spread out over the week – fun, fun, fun!

Thanks again everyone for the fantastic comments on my BFL Scampi.  I LOVE hearing what you all think of what I am making and any suggestions you have.

I was up at 5 AM this morning to whip out a quick Lower Body Workout.  I LOVE doing Lower Body workouts but today my body just wasn’t having it.  My legs were tired, I was tired and I had a hard time hitting my high points ~ 10’s!  I did manage to in all but one round and I did boost up my weight so I feel good about that.

5 minute warm-up on the treadmill

Quads

Squats – I think I can start 10 lbs heavier next time
12 reps at 60 #, 30 seconds Jump Rope
10 reps at 70 #, 30 seconds Jumping Rope
8 reps at 80 #, 30 seconds Jumping Rope
6 reps at 90 #, then my brain said ~ no more jumping rope – you are not a kid anymore  
12 reps at 90 #
Leg Extensions

12 reps at 45 # – Definite 10!

Hamgstrings

Leg Curls

12 reps at 15 #, 30 seconds Jumping Jacks
10 reps at 20 #, 30 seconds Jumping Jacks
8 reps at 25 #, 30 seconds Jumping Jacks
6 reps at 30 #

12 reps at 25 #

Straight Leg Dead Lifts
12 reps at 50 # – Only a 9!  I am not sure that dead lifts do much for me – I go slow and keep the barbells near my legs with a level back, but, I feel like I can go forever doing these.

Calves

Standing Calf Raises on the Step

12 reps at 20 #
10 reps at 30 #
8 reps at 40 #
6 reps at 50 #
12 reps at 50 lbs

Seated Calf Raises

12 reps at 44 # 10 ++!

Abs~ performed VERY SLOW for each side no weights added.

Obliques – both sides with a crunch in the middle

12 reps
10 reps
8 reps
6 reps

12 reps

Leg Raises
12 reps – 10!

After, I whipped up a Coconut Protein Pancake for Meal #1.  In today’s addition, I added coconut extract for the vanilla and topped it with a drizzle of pure maple syrup and a sprinkle of unsweetened organic coconut shreds.

I was excited when I remembered I had some TJ’s Turkey Bacon leftover from this weekend’s BLTA’s.  So, I cooked 2 slices in the microwave for an added protein boost.

All together with my Starbuck’s Iced Decaf Cinnamon Vanilla Nut Coffee.  I took this togo and ate it “burrito style” while I drove to work – MMMMM!  I think this might be my FAVORITE BFL breakfast.

I have been on a mission ALL week long to find out what has been making our work fridge totally stinky.  I think work fridges are probably the nastiest fridges around since I think everyone forgets they put food in there or something.  Anyway, today, I FINALLY figured it out and OMG it was awful.  It was a cup of half n half creamer from 5 months ago ~ Nastiness!    Sadly after I recovered from the smell that I will NEVER forget, I wasy ready for my morning snack by 10:30.  Meal #2 a Chocolate Banana Almond Protein Shake.  LOVE our breakroom decor – it’s fun, huh?!

1 scoop EAS 100% Whey Chocolate Whey Protein Powder

Small banana

2 slices of frozen peaches

1 Tbsp freshly ground almond butter

Ice

I brought my lunch today but after chatting it up with one of my co-workers we both decided Mexican food was in order.  I seriously LOVE Mexican food and think I could eat it EVERY DAY.  Ok, well, maybe not, but, it definitely could be on the agenda several times a week   I figured I could get an easy BFL meal by getting a taco salad.  I left my camera on my desk so I had to use my phone to take these – booooo!

Meal #3 ~ Chicken Taco Salad

No I didn’t eat the tortilla – not a fan of fried greasiness – my stomach, can’t stomach it

Whole pinto beans

Salsa shredded chicken

Ice Berg lettuce – people should know that this isn’t meant for REAL salads lol

Purple Cabbage

Tomatoes

GUACAMOLE ~ Avocados – I LOVE you!

I scraped of the glob of sour cream that they put on there even though I asked for it to be left off

I decided my salad needed some kick so I used the salsa for my dressing.  It really helped to dress it up alot and make my entire meal alot tastier.  I might have been guilty of having a few chips too – I CAN’T resist them….really, I know can’t isn’t supposed to be in your vocabulary, but, it’s in mine when you say chips n salsa!

As is the tradition, I was slammed with work at work.  They tend to somehow know to do that whenever I am going on vacation.  I didn’t care though because I kept thinking ~ ONE, ONE more day!  I had to work late and completely forgot about our plans tonight (bad Auntie!)

The Husband occasionally takes each nephew for part of the day to have one on one time and we take them out or make them their favorite meal.  Um……Can you see where this is going?!  Since I was exhausted & didn’t want to cook couldn’t think of anything, we let our 9 year old nephew pick what he wanted for dinner.

Tadah!!! Meal #4 (I didn’t have a PM snack) ~ Panda Express.  This time I got smarter since I know what is the healthiest there.  I started off with string bean chicken.

Plus a side of Broccoli Beef

I got the steamed mixed veggies instead of the rice or chow mein.

All together this wasn’t pretty but it definitely hit the spot and was fast.  It was actually pretty informative for me as our nephew explained all about tofu to us (they learned about it in school).  I LOVED watching him use chop sticks and joined in on the fun.

I think I might be getting sick (go figure!) so I am making sure I take my vitamin c, echinecea and get to bed super early tonight.  Not too exciting of a post or perfect BFL day, but, I have to admit, it was nice being served by everyone else today.

Oh and one more thing I had to do.  I am taking a week off from wearing my Body Bugg because I have been getting blisters on my arms.  It’s really odd because I’ve had it for over a year now and never had a problem…..Sad, but, it will be good to push myself since I won’t know where I am at.

Have a great night all!  Tomorrow is FRIDAY and the weekend is “almost” here – yahoo!