I LOVE using my BBQ grill year round, even in the rain.  There is just something about the way it tastes all smoky, crispy and grilled to perfection.  This recipe comes close to bringing that BBQ deliciousness.  Using your slow cooker, you can whip up a tender barbecued beef or chicken sandwich inside and have dinner ready as soon as you walk in the door with little to get it served up and on the table.

This recipe could be used for fun mini BBQ Sliders at your Super Bowl Sunday party tomorrow…let the smell drive your guests crazy all day during the game, then, put these out at half time and watch them disappear.

My inspiration for this recipes comes from the Weight Watcher’s Slow CookIt! Cookbook…I added a few more ingredients to spice it up and of course went with a Healthy Asian Slaw versus a Mayo based slaw.  Enjoy!

Crockpot Spicy BBQ Brisket with Healthy Asian Slaw Recipe

INGREDIENTS:

1 Tbsp chili powder

1 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp Pink Course Sea Salt

1/4 freshly ground black pepper

3 tsp canola oil

1 1/2 lbs LEAN beef brisket or other lean cut of beef

1 large onion, sliced

1 c ketchup

1/2 c sweet jalapeño or chili sauce, 1/4 c for less spice

1/4 molasses

2 Tbsp strong brewed coffee

1/2 tsp liquid smoke, optional

Whole Wheat Hamburger Buns

Healthy Asian Slaw, Recipe Below

INSTRUCTIONS:

1.  Combine chili powder through black pepper to create a “rub” mixture.  Rub your spice mixture generously over both sides of your brisket and set aside.

2.  Heat a nonstick pan with 1 teaspoon canola oil over medium heat.  Add sliced onion and cook, stirring often, until slightly golden, about 7-8 minutes.  Remove from heat and set aside.

3.  In a large 4 quart pan or your removable crockpot pan, heat remaining 2 tsp canola oil over medium high heat.  Add your brisket, searing it on each side for about 4-5 minutes or until a nice golden crust forms.  Remove pan from heat and add brisket to your crockpot and top with onions.

4.  To create your spicy BBQ sauce, combine ketchup through coffee and pour over your beef/onion mixture.  Be sure to coat your brisket thoroughly including lifting it to make sure sauce is underneath as well. 

5.  Slow cook is for 7-9 hours or until fork tender.  Remove brisket from crockpot and cut across the grain to shred.  Serve on buns with additional sauce and Healthy Asian Slaw.

Makes 8 servings, approximately 1/3 c brisket/3 slices and 1 Tbsp Spicy BBQ Sauce),

7 pts a serving with your bun!

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION PER SERVING (including the buns, but, not the slaw):

Calories 331.1, Total Fat 14.0 g, Saturated Fat 0.2 g, Polyunsaturated Fat 0.7 g, Monounsaturated Fat 1.2 g, Cholesterol 79.0 mg, Sodium 717.7 mg, Potassium 296.1 mg, Total Carbohydrate 24.8 g, Dietary Fiber 2.1 g, Sugars 4.4 g, Protein 29.8 g

HEALTHY ASIAN SLAW

Whenever I have a spicy BBQ sandwich, I LOVE to have a cool, crunchy salad to go with it.  I think this Healthy Asian Slaw takes the flavor of this Spicy BBQ Brisket Sandwich to a whole new level without adding the calories and fat you’d find with regular Cole Slaw.  This slaw also makes an AWESOME side dish topped with toasted almond slices or add some grilled chicken for a complete meal.

INGREDIENTS:

1/4  cup  fresh orange juice

1  tablespoon  rice vinegar

1  tablespoon  balsamic vinegar

1  tablespoon  olive oil

1  teaspoon grated fresh ginger

1/2  teaspoon  honey

1/2  cup  chopped green onions or cilantro

1  (16-ounce) package cabbage-and-carrot coleslaw

1  tablespoon  toasted sesame seeds

Sea salt & pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

Whisk together orange juice through honey to form slaw sauce.  Combine green onions with slaw mixture and pour sauce.  Top with sesame seeds stirring well to combine.   Sea Salt and pepper to taste.

**It’s VEGAN, if you use Agave

Makes 8 servings, 1/2 cup each (1 pt per 1/2 cup)

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION PER SERVING

Calories 48.9, Total Fat 2.3 g, Saturated Fat 0.3 g, Polyunsaturated Fat
0.4 g, Monounsaturated Fat 1.5 g, Cholesterol 0.0 mg, Sodium 1.9 mg, Potassium
38.8 mg, Total Carbohydrate 6.1 g, Dietary Fiber 1.3 g, Sugars 2.4 g, Protein 0.9 g

STEP-BY-STEPS:

1. Cook your onions until slightly golden.

2.  Sear your prepared “rubbed” brisket on both sides until a nice brown crust forms, about 4-5 minutes over medium high heat.

3.  Whisk together your Spicy BBQ Sauce.  I wasn’t sure I could handle a full 1/2 cup of chili sauce, so I opted for it’s sweeter friend ~ Sweet Jalapeño Sauce from Bolani.  I LOVE this sauce ~ it’s slightly spicy, slightly sweet and amazing on anything form eggs to breads to sauces.  It used to only be available at my local Farmer’s Market, but, now Foodzie is helping local growers get their products out there.  I am all about supporting local sustainable farmers ~ Thanks Foodzie!

4.  Place your brisket and onions in your crock pot, Cover with sauce and cook slow and low for 7-9 hours.

5.  Remove brisket from your crock pot and shred/slice.

6.  Top half your bun with your brisket mixture and additional spicy BBQ sauce ~ 1-2 Tbsps.

7.  Top with a heaping spoonful of Healthy Asian Slaw.

8.  Top with your other bun top.

9.  Dig in!!!

You can SpringIt to Save Both Recipes with this button or save the Healthy Asian Slaw separately with this button.

ENJOY!!!

I LOVE thick, hearty and rich vegetable based soups in the winter.  This soup has so much flavor that there really is NO cream required. You will be surprised at how easy it is to make and by the flavor.  The onion, garlic and ginger give it a nice spice, while the brown sugar and squash sweeten it slightly.  I actually learned how to make this simple Butternut Squash soup during my Bikini Bootcamp Challenge.  I LOVE how the challenge always had you start each dinner with a broth based soup so that you would eat less during dinner.  If you want more low calorie soup recipes like this, be sure to check out the Bikini Bootcamp Challenge or look up my Soups tag.

The BEST part is the fun toppings and add-ins you can use to make it a meal,  just have it as is for a snack or before dinner.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP

INGREDIENTS:

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/2 large onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1 thumb-sized piece ginger, peeled and minced

2 Tbsp brown sugar

1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cut into chunks

3 c low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth

Sea Salt & Freshly Ground Pepper to taste

Optional topping: Toasted pumpkin seeds or almond slivers for garnish

Optional add in: Serve over steamed vegetables ~ My NEW FAVORITE way to make this filling soup even heartier.

INSTRUCTIONS:

1.  Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Add the onion, garlic and ginger, and sauté, stirring frequently, for 6 to 8 minutes, until the onion is soft, but, not browned.  Stir in the brown sugar and set aside.

2.  Cook the squash in a large pot with the broth until tender, 25 to 30 minutes.

3.  Remove the squash from the heat, but do not drain.  Let cool for 10 minutes.  Add the garlic-ginger mixture.

4.  Work in batches, transfer the soup to a food process or blender and process until smooth.

5.  Return the soup to the pot and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes longer.  Season with salt and pepper.

6.  Top each serving with a sprinkle of toasted pumpkin seeds or almond slices.  Serve immediately.

Makes 4 heaping 1 cup servings

Nutritional information per serving (excluding toppings or add-ins):

Calories 136.6,  Total Fat 3.6 g, Saturated Fat 0.5 g, Polyunsaturated Fat 0.4 g,  Monounsaturated Fat 2.5 g, Cholesterol 0.0 mg,  Sodium 62.5 mg, Potassium 522.2 mg, Total Carbohydrate 25.1 g, Dietary Fiber 5.3 g, Sugars 0.0 g, Protein 3.4 g

This soup FREEZES well.  I like making up a big pot and freeze half for the nights when you just don’t want to cook. I added this to my SpringIt so you all can add it to your collection.

Have a great night all!  I will be back tomorrow with my daily recap and my first LONG run recap.  Fun!

Nite all!

I grew up NEVER liking Brussels Sprouts at all.  I mean, they are little balls of strong flavored cabbage.  But, I learned that if you prepare them the right way, versus just boiling and buttering them, that they can have a phenomenal flavor.  In this recipe, I combine my favorite roasting ingredients (Olive Oil, Balsamic, Honey) to add a salty sweet balsamic caramelized flavor to these little balls of cabbage.

Honey Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb Brussels Sprouts, halved and quartered

1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 Tbsp Good Quality Balsamic Vinegar

1 tsp honey

Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper

1/4 c chopped walnuts, optional

INSTRUCTIONS:

1.  Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with foil and spray with nonstick spray.

2.  Halve and quarter your Brussels sprouts. Combine Olive Oil, Balsamic and honey.  Pour over Brussels sprouts.  Stir to combine and coat.

3.  Pour Brussels sprouts onto prepared cookie sheet.  Sprinkle with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

4.  Bake for 20 minutes, stirring once half way through.  Add your walnuts during the last 5 minutes if using.  Enjoy!

STEP-BY-STEPS:

Quarter and halve your Brussels sprouts.  I like doing a little of both.

Whisk together your olive oil, balsamic and honey.

Pour mixture over Brussels sprouts and stir to coat.

Pour your balsamic spouts onto a prepared cookie sheet and sprinkle with sea salt and black pepper.

Roast for 20 minutes, stirring once half way through.

I dare ya ~ try it, and I bet you may just find you like Brussels sprouts too! 

Enjoy!

I LOVE spicy foods especially when they involve coconut!  This VEGAN recipe uses chickpeas, a.k.a., garbanzo beans, however, I imagine you could use any protein of choice (tofu, chicken, beef, shrimp).  If coconut isn’t your thing, feel free to use ALL vegetable broth and it is just as AMAZING. 

My inspiration for this recipe is going to sound funny, but,  as you read yesterday it was inspired by a Trader Joe’s Channa Masala Frozen Dinner that I tried awhile back.  I am not an Indian food person really, but, I LOVED these spicy chickpeas so much that I recreated my own version with a coconut kick!

CHANNA MASALA WITH A COCONUT KICK

INGREDIENTS:

1 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 tsp butter

1 medium red onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp fresh ginger, minced

1/2 jalapeño, minced (fresh or canned)

1 tsp yellow curry powder

1/2 tsp cumin

1 large red tomato, chopped

1/2 c Lite Coconut Milk (can substitute with vegetable broth)

1/4 c Vegetable Broth

1 15 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 tsp sea salt

1/8 tsp freshly ground pepper

1/8 tsp garam masala

1/4 tsp paprika

2 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

INSTRUCTIONS:

1.  Heat olive oil and butter over medium heat until melted and add onion.  Cook until softened, about 5 minutes.

2.  Stir in garlic, ginger, jalapeño, curry, and cumin.  Cook one minute.  Add tomato and cook one minute.

3.  Add coconut milk, broth, chickpeas, salt and pepper.  Cook for 5 minutes or until liquid is almost evaporated.

4.  Remove from heat; stir in garam masala, paprika, and cilantro.

Enjoy as is, served over brown rice, with a pita bread, wrapped up or pour over a big batch of stir fried vegetables.

Makes 4 – 1/2 cup servings.

Nutritional information per serving:

Calories 195.7, Total Fat 5.5 g, Saturated Fat 2.4 g, Cholesterol 2.5 mg, Sodium 974.2 mg, Potassium 362.4 mg, Total Carbohydrate 31.3 g, Dietary Fiber 6.1 g, Sugars .4 g, Protein 7.5 g

This recipe is VEGAN!

The STAR of this recipe is Trader Joe’s Light Coconut Milk.  Despite the bad rap that Coconut gets, I have to say the nutritionals are not too shabby.  Oh and being only $0.99 a can is pretty awesome too!

Cook your onion with the olive oil and butter over medium heat until soft.

Add your aromatics ~ garlic, ginger, jalepeno, curry and cumin ~ cook for 1 minute. 

Add tomato and cook for 1 additional minute.

Add chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans), vegetable broth and coconut milk.

Cook until majority of the sauce is reduced.

Remove pan from heat and stir in cilantro, garam masala and paprika.

Tadah!!!!  All done in under 20 minutes!

I served my first serving over 1/2 a Trader Joe’s Organic Brown Rice.

Enjoy!

This is the easiest Molasses Baked Beans recipe you will ever make because you let it cook all day long in the slow cooker.  It is amazing eaten straight or served over organic brown rice. 

SLOW COOKER MOLASSES BAKED BEANS

Source of Inspiration: The Eat-Clean Diet for Family & Kids Cookbook

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb dry canario or white beans – pea, navy, cannellini (not canned)

2 medium onions, peeled and finely chopped

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

5.5 oz canned tomato paste

3/4 c Ketchup (or make your own)

3/4 c dark, unsulfured blackstrap molasses

4 cloves garlic, passed through a garlic press

1/4 dark agave nectar (the dark is better to use than the light) or honey

2 tsp dry mustard

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

*Optional: 1 package lean turkey bacon or center cut bacon, cooked & crumbled

INSTRUCTIONS:

1.  Place beans in a large soup pot or sauce pan and cover with at least 4 inches of water.  Soak overnight to help get the “gassiness” out   The next day, drain the beans and cover with clean, fresh water plus a bit of sea salt.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.  Drain and rinse.

2.  Place the cooked beans in the slow cooker.  Add at least 6 cups of water, completely covering the beans.  Place of low (long cook) setting and cook for 10 hours.  The beans are ready when the skins split.  Scoop out 2 cups of the cooking liquid and set aside.  Discard the rest of the liquid and return the beans to the crock pot.

3.  In a medium skillet heat 2 tablespoons olive oil.  Add onion and garlic.  Reduce heat and sauté until soft.  Add to beans in the slow cooker.

4.  In a small bowl combine tomato paste, ketchup, molasses, agave nectar, mustard, sea salt and black pepper.  Add reserved 2 cups bean-cooking liquid.  Mix well.  Pour over bean/onion mixture.  Cover and cook on low for 6 hours.  Stir in crumbled bacon reserving a little to sprinkle on top if desired.

Nutritional Information for each 1/2 cup serving (excluding bacon):

Calories 123, Fat 2g, Saturated fat 0.2 g, Trans fat 0g, Protein 3g, Dietary Fiber 3g, Sodium 300 mg, Cholesterol 0 mg

These beans are vegetarian and VEGAN if using agave versus honey & omit the bacon.

I used the Canario Beans I bought at the Farmer’s Market.  They start out as yellow and turn into brown pinto colored beans ~ fun!  I let them soak during the day on Saturday, cooked the beans overnight and made the “baked part” on Sunday.

These beans make the perfect meal served over organic brown rice.  You can take a short cut on the rice and use Trader Joe’s Frozen Organic Brown Rice.  It cooks in 3 minutes!

Enjoy!

It is super easy to make your own Pumpkin Butter.  If you are a fall fanatic like me, then, Pumpkin Butter, Cinnamon, and Spice are all things that show up in your house during this time of year.  I have put a new spin on the traditional pumpkin butter by replacing the white sugar with Organic Agave Nectar & a little pure maple syrup.  The agave makes it so rich, thick and creamy that no pectin is required at all.  I think you’ll find this version better than any jar you will ever open….The best part is your house will smell just like fall as you make this sweet treat.

Ingredients:

1 15-oz can pumpkin puree

1/2 cup agave syrup or honey

1 Tbsp Pure Maple Syrup

1/2 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract

1 tsp Cinnamon

3/4  tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice*

Pinch of salt

* You can make your own pumpkin pie type spice by combining 1/2 tsp ground ginger, 1/4 tsp ground cloves, 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg.  You do not need to add cinnamon since it is already included above, however, if using this spice for another recipe, you would want to add 1 tsp ground cinnamon to the mix.

Instructions:

Combine the pumpkin, agave nectar, maple syrup and vanilla extract in a small saucepan over medium heat, mixing until well combined. Stirring constantly, cook for about 15 minutes, or until thickened. Stir in the spices and salt, and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Remove the pan from heat, and transfer your pumpkin butter to a small bowl or jar. Let cool completely before covering and refrigerating. Pumpkin butter will keep for about 2 weeks in a covered air tight container in the refrigerator.

NOTE:  Continuously stirring is really important in this recipe to keep your pumpkin butter from burning. If you have to walk away, add a few tablespoons of apple juice and turn down the stove heat to low, still continuing to stir as you can. (Add about 5-7 minutes additional cooking time if you do this.)

Makes about 2 cups ~ 32 Tablespoons

Nutritional information per 1 Tbsp serving:

Calories 26.6, Total Fat 0.1 g, Saturated Fat 0.0 g, Cholesterol 0.0 mg, Sodium 1.3 mg, Potassium 1.3 mg, Total Carbohydrate 6.4 g, Dietary Fiber 1.3 g, Sugars 5.1 g, Protein 0.5 g

Here is everything you need to make your own pumpkin butter.  You should always use the best ingredients (organic pumpkin) when you can for optimal flavor.  Ok, well, the REAL pumpkin is just for decoration, but, you could get inventive and make your own from scratch pumpkin puree by following this Crock Pot Pumpkin Butter Recipe.

Combine first 4 ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat.

Stir continuously for 15 minutes ~ do not stop stirring or your pumpkin butter will burn.

Stirring….

Still stirring – it gets thicker and creamier as it cooks.

Add your spices and salt.

Tadah!  After 20 minutes of continuous stirring & chatting on the phone with The Husband, it’s all done!

Transfer to a glass bowl or jar to cool.

Super thick, creamy and pumpkin-Y!!!  This pumpkin butter is awesome straight off the spoon, on bread or in your favorite baked goods.

Once you make your own, you’ll never want to go back to the jarred stuff   Enjoy!

Today was such a “Monday”, but, the good thing about it is that my day flew by fast.  Only 4 days of work left before I am on vacation ~ Yahoo!  I was up at 5:45 am (yup, hit snooze a few times) to whip out a quick HIIT this morning.  Oh, how I wanted to stay in bed because it was cool and rainy out……so glad I didn’t though because this started my day off right.

** Happy Faces are level 8 – that’s fun that 8 ) equals a LOL

minutes 1 & 2: 3.5 mph (level 5)
minute 3: 4.0 mph (level 6)
minute 4: 5.0 mph (level 7)
minute 5: 5.5 mph (level
minute 6: 6.0 mph (level 9)
minute 7: 4.0 mph (level 6)
minute 8: 6.0 mph (level 7)
minute 9: 6.5 mph (level
minute 10: 7.0 mph (level 9)
minute 11: 4.0 mph (level 6)
minute 12: 6.0 mph (level 7)
minute 13: 6.5 mph (level
minute 14: 7.0 mph (level 9)
minute 15: 4.0 mph (level 6)
minute 16: 6.0 mph (level 7)
minute 17: 6.5 mph (level
minute 18: 7.0 mph (level 9)
minute 19: 30 seconds @8.0 & 30 seconds @ 9.0 mph (level 10) 
minute 20-21: 3.5 mph (cool down & panting) Plus a few more minutes just walking really, really slow

On my way to work, I slurped an iced decaf cinnamon vanilla nut coffee.

I took a scoop of Leftover Organic Heirloom Tomato Bruschetta topped with a little parmesan and put it

On top of 1/2 c of Egg White Fluffies!

Plus some super sweet organic strawberries & grapes.

All together with some Lean & Holey Trader Joe’s Turkey Bacon. I think they put the holes in there to make it “leaner”     

Meal #2 rocked!  I am really LOVING the StoneyField Organic Oikos 0% Greek Yogurts with “stuff” on the bottom.  Today, I had the Honey with 1/2 c low fat cottage cheese ~ SO GOOD!

My Co-worker who has done Body For Life with her husband told me about these Nutletts today.  Have you all ever heard of them?  They are made by Dixie Diners and get these ~ a 1/2 c serving contains 140 cal, 15 g carbs and 25 g PROTEIN!  They are Gluten Free, Low/No Sugar Added, Vegan, Dairy Free, Low Fat/Fat Free, Heart Healthy, Low Sodium.

It’s ok that they look like little pooh drops…I have to admit I was scared trying them, but, they reminded me of Grapenuts ~ Must, tInd them!  I check TJ’s and Whole Foods today with no such luck.  She did mention she got them at a small local Mom & Pop health food store so I may have to visit there.

Yesterday I took a little time to prepare some lunches for the week.  I LOVE taking part of Sunday to prepare lunches because then I just grab the container and go in the morning.  It makes mornings so much faster when you are rushing around.

Meal #3 ~ I marinated some organic chicken breasts in an Easy Lime Marinade and grilled them.  I served up 4 oz.

I made a side of Lemon & Basil Brown Rice from Annabel.  LOVE her site and her transformation – she is AMAZING!!!  Stop by & check it out if you haven’t.  This rice was awesome ~ garlicky, lemon, basily good!  (Yes, those are ALL REAL words)   This recipe is fantastic in stats if you are looking for a good VEGAN/VEGETARIAN option.  I served up a 1/2 cup serving with my meal.

To use up add in some veggies, I whipped up a batch of super easy Parmesan Zucchini.

All together with fun lemon and basil slices on the side ~ this was a super filling lunch!  I LOVE that I have leftovers for later this week too.

While I was at Whole Foods looking for the Nutletts cereal, I happened to come across a NEW MaraNatha Product ~ Dark Chocolate Almond Butter!!!!  I HAD to buy it because well you can’t walk in a store and leave without buying anything, right?!

For Meal #4, I added 1 Tbsp to my usual Chocolate Banana Protein Shake ~ So chocolately good with healthy fats and antioxidants too!

Meal #5 is a new recipe and I will be posting that next.

STAT RECAP!

Calories consumed: 1,383

Calories burned: 2,706

Steps taken: 11,151

Ratios: 36% Protein, 38% carbs, 28% fat (all off – boo!)

On a FUN note, you can score TWO FREE COOKBOOKS by simply mailing a postcard to Smucker’s.

To receive your free Smucker’s Natural Peanut Butter Recipes Booklet, just send a postcard to.   To find out more info, go to Smuckers here

Coming up next, my Body For Life Baked Cheesy Turkey Rigatoni!

Are you all surprised as The Husband was to see Mexican Food on the menu again tonight? I LOVE the Mexican Food theme of the Bikini Bootcamp Challenge (BBC), however, I do think it appears ALOT.

The Husband wanted to have “snacks” tonight. I decided to make him some homemade Bean dip with these super cool chips I found at Trader Joe’s called LongBoard Chips. Check out the shape – just like a surf board – Fun!

Spicy Bean Dip

Why buy a jarred, funky looking dip, when you can whip up your own in minutes.

15 oz can organic pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 roma tomato, quartered
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 small jalepeno, seeded, cleaned and chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
1/4 C Fire On The Mountain Salsa
Sea Salt & Pepper to Taste
if it isn’t hot enough, add a few dashes of HOT sauce

Whirl it all up in your food processor (or blender) until it is smooth. Then have your Husband add a ton of his cool new chips to enjoy! (he’s so funny!)

I also whipped up a quick batch of Guacamole for fun dipping for The Husband and topping on my vegan meal.

I found these super cute Mini Tacos for The Husband at Trader Joe’s….so he enjoyed these with ALL the toppings while I whipped up a batch of Basic Black Beans and Vegetable Fajitas.

Tonight like all the other nights was supposed to start with soup. It was a Spicy Lentil Soup that I actually made up last weekend and froze. However, I decided to not pull it out of the freezer so you will get to see it along with the recipe another night

I absolutely LOVED my dinner tonight – no tortillas were even needed. However, you might seen tortillas make an appearance for lunch tomorrow.

Easy Veggie Fajitas

1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 small onion, sliced
1/2 green and 1/2 red bell peppers sliced
1 yellow zucchini, sliced
7 button mushrooms, sliced
2 Tsp Taco Seasoning – THIS is my favorite one
Salsa Mexicana
Guacamole
Basic Black Beans

In a large pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook for 3-4 minutes until softened. Add remaining veggies and cook for 4-5 minutes until crisp tender. Sprinkle with taco seasoning and remove from heat. Serve with Salsa Mexicana, Guacamole and Black Beans. Makes 2-3 nice size servings.

This is such a low-cal, low Weight Watcher Point, Vegan, healthy and full of flavor meal. Here is what my plate looked like with all the topping goodness!

Veggie Fajitas plus Basic Black Beans

Salsa Mexicana

Guacamole

I am completely satisfied and finally sitting down for the first time ALL day long – phew! Busy weekend. I am off to catch up on your blogs and comments before I catch some zzzzz’s!

Night all!

Yoga for my mind, Yoga for my body! I picked a Yoga Fusion class today for lunch and it was awesome. This class is different from regular Yoga in that it will get your heart rate up and you leave feeling really strong. Here is a description they give for the Yoga Fusion Class:

“Yoga Fusion is a blend of yoga, strength, movement and flexibility. What make this class different are the music, choreography & movement. All moves are put to very unique music in a very unique style. You can expect to flow through this class and experience a full body stretch, as well as muscle strengthening, lengthening & endurance. ”

It was honestly just what I needed to ring out all the stress I had going on this week and to stretch out my sore muscles. Although somehow, I think I’ll end up sore tomorrow from it LOL. I feel stronger and empowered now – woohoo!

My breakfast kept me full all morning long – no need for an AM snack (and I so wanted to show you all the inside of the pluot -it’s bright red!) I came back ready for the fantastic salad I threw together last night.

Quick ChickPea Couscous Salad*

*It’s Vegan!

1/2 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/2 c cooked whole wheat couscous
2/3 cucumber, peeled and quartered
1/3 c Trader Joe’s Berry blend
1 Tbsp toasted almond slices
1 serving Ginger Sesame Dressing (my new favorite thing – it makes me happy!)
1-2 roughly chopped basil leaves
Sea Salt & Pepper to taste

Mix it all together and enjoy! Makes 1 BIG 9 Weight Watcher Point salad!

TWO FUN THINGS TO CHECK OUT:

The awesome folks at PBLoco (you know the fabulous gourment peanut butter -Think Sumatra Cinnamon Raisin and Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough – YUM!) wanted me to share a fabulous coupon special they have going on right now. Stock up on all your favorite flavors by buying 5 and getting the 6th one FREE. Just add 6 jars to your cart and use this code “BLOG709″ when you check out. Coupon expires July 10, 2009.

And because I think this would be a fabulous addition to dunk if your chocolate. Go to Ashley’s site for details by clicking HERE to get a FREE Mars bar!

I hope your day is flying by as fast as mine ~ the weekend is almost here – yahoo!

Ok ~ I can’t take it! I can’t wait to show you all the pictures of our new fridge! I had all the good intentions to wait until I had organized and stocked it up to show you the cool features, but, eh, that still hasn’t happened tonight and probably will not until tomorrow.

Look how much fridge space THIS baby has!

I’ve never had a fridge that has all the bells and whistles complete with a digital system to tell you what is going on.

The water filtration system is INSIDE the fridge versus on the door – I LOVED that about this. Just open, fill up and go!

The door compartments are so cool. On the right side, there is this bin that you put your fresh fruit in – think apples, oranges and such. The door drawers have liners and everything pops out.

And finally, the bottom freezer has not one, but, TWO pull out drawers for organizing all my obsessions. The Husband says I am a freezer “ho” in that I freeze everything LOL – OMG it’s so true if you all could only see our other freezer right now LOL

Oh and there is an ice maker in it too – LOVE that!

So ~ that’s pretty much the grand tour of our new fridge ~ I am beyond excited if you can’t tell! I will be stocking it up tomorrow and reorganizing things…maybe I’ll share pictures of that too? Hmmmm….what do you think? The BEFORE pictures might scare you all LOL.

Since this is a FOOD blog, not a FRIDGE blog, I suppose I should get onto my eats. Lunch today was an eh, ok, salad. I LOVED that it called for 1/2 an avocado, but, that was about it.

Black Bean, Jicama, Tomato Salad w/Orange Cilantro Dressing

1/2 can organic black beans, drained and rinsed
hadnful of organic cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 c chopped jicama
1/2 avocado, chopped
1 serving Orange-Cilantro Dressing
Sea Salt and Pepper to taste

This is one recipe I probably won’t make again. For what it’s worth, it did keep me full for 3 hours though. My afternoon snack was one of my favorite ALL time LOVES!

1 c lowfat greek yogurt
1 Tbsp TJ’s Berry Blend
Big Drizzle VEGAN Honey (Agave Nectar)

I LOVE how thick lowfat greek yogurt is – you know it’s thick when the berries do not even fall off the spoon when it’s lifted.

Ok, so here is my question of the day. The Husband said we should buy a matching stove and possibly (KitchenAid for me!) to complete our set. He said we should do this as our 1 year anniversary gift. Now here is the kicker – I was like, hmmmmm, I need to think about that -it’s not so romantic and I thought we’d do special stuff for each other. He of course said I get kitchen stuff which I LOVE and it makes me giddy and I get to cook for him which he LOVES. LOL

So, what do you all think? Should I agree to that and still do something small or should I scratch his idea because afterall it IS our very first wedding anniversary in November?

Since I somehow made this a long post too – I’ll go ahead and save fun mail, dinner and more up next!