Happy Hump Day all!  Thanks for all the tweets, facebook messages and comments about my recipe being published.  It’s pretty cool to me and kind of a big deal for Danica’s Daily LOL.  It makes it even better that you all are excited with me.  The Cookbook giveaway will be coming up soon to share in the fun!

Pre ~ workout I snacked on a banana then took the train and walked to work.  Once there, I PUSHED myself on the Elliptical for 30 minutes treating it like I would a spin class with hills, going as fast as I could, pedaling backwards and of course no hands.

I was surprisingly not hungry until 3 hours later. Since I am focusing on INTUITIVELY eating when my body says it’s hungry, I waited and had breakfast at 10 am.

Taco Egg Muffins ~ I NEVER get tired of them and am glad I froze a few (5 points+)

Lunch today involved my new Chipotle Flour Tortillas and Spicy Black Bean with Chipotle Harissa Hummus!

* 1 Chipotle Flour Tortilla (totally worth 4 points+) ~ thick, doughy, chewy, spicy, good!

* 2 tbsp spicy black bean hummus (1 points+)

* 2 oz Lean Ham and 1 oz Lean Turkey (3 points+)

* 1 slice Jarlsberg Lite Swiss Cheese (1 points+)

* Organic Mixed Greens

Side of pickles!

The BEST WAY to enjoy this spicy hummus wrap…. take 1 bite of the wrap then 1 bite of the pickle!

Huge pile of Organic Mixed Greens topped with 1 Tbsp dried cranberries, 3 candied walnuts and 2 Tbsp TJ’s LF Spicy Peanut Vinaigrette (4 points+)

I LOVE it when you finish lunch and you think ~ WOW, that was awesome and I am totally FULL!

Snacks for the train ride home (1 points+)

Tonight, I had a BIG craving and it looked a little something like this.

The SECRET INGREDIENT that makes THESE HEALTHY NACHOS awesome is BAKED Extra Thin Mission Tortilla Chips topped with sea salt.

The Husband kept thanking me for the AWESOME Basketball food (He thought I made it for the game….I might have let him just go with that ) (11 points+)

I am feeling a little snacky/hungry so I think I am going to have The Husband peel an orange or two to share for dessert.

OHHHH ~ For those wondering about this week’s Wordless Wednesday.  The Husband accidentally made that flower when he was sharpening his pencil for work and sent it to me…..LOVE!

NEW AT FRIENDS FOR WEIGHT LOSS

* Tracey shares her 2 Points+ Turkey Muffin Meatloaves that look AMAZING!

Q’s

What is one thing you are craving right now?

PINEAPPLE!  I have one, it’s in the fridge….now I just NEED someone to come cut it for me ~ ha!

Night all!

Can I just start off by saying I missed you all?!  I really thought I’d take a little mini break and not want to come back, but, you all made me realize how much I LOVE hearing from you each day….I missed rambling on about my day, taking pictures of my eats and hearing what is going on with you all.

It feels good to be “back in action” cooking in the kitchen and getting back to a somewhat normal routine.  Each day gets a little better and that is all that really matters….time heals everything, right

I picked up a couple of breakfast foods this week that I have been missing. 

Orowheat Double Fiber English Muffin with 1 Tbsp Whipped Butter (4 pts)

1 1/3 cup Melon-goodness (1 pt)

MMMM, simple, delicious and pretty much everything I’ve been craving.  It’s funny how lately all I want is simple breakfasts, but, I’ll take it ~ it’s less work

The Husband asked me to bring him lunch today and I thought of just dropping his off/eating what I planned, but…..When I stopped at Subway, I HAD to order too ~ I am kinda addicted to these lately.  I totally blame it on the AVOCADO!

9 Grain Honey Oat (4 pts)

Turkey/Ham (1 pt)

AVOCADO (1 pt and totally worth it!)

All the veggies, salt, pepper & vinegar (0 pts)

I really wanted chips today so I picked up some 2 pt Baked Lays so I could stuff them IN my sandwich.  I think that might be the 2nd best addition to any sandwich    Yup, we totally ate on the ground sitting side by side on the steps (LOVE)

I wasn’t hungry at all this afternoon, but, I wanted something sweet ~ Big Hunkiness!  I doubled my pleasure and had two (2 pts)  I used to LOVE these and still do!

When I got home I had a BIG BOX waiting for me from Chef’s Catalog!

I finally used my Gift Card I received last year along with the FoodBuzz $1 Shipping Code to get these AWESOME Stainless Steel Bowls for $0.95!!! I cannot wait to use them!

Dinner was super fast and simple.  I started off by making a big batch of Mexican Zucchini.

Then, I decided to use some Leftover POM Infused Chipotle Chicken plus POM Chipotle BBQ Sauce. (1 TJ’s Organic Tortilla, BBQ Sauce, 1/4 diced chicken)

Topped with 2/3 cup of Fresh Corn, Tomato, Avocado Salad

1/4 Low Fat Monterey Jack Cheese!

1 More TJ’s Toasty Organic Tortilla for good measure.  I LOVE these TWO POINT tortillas because they are half corn and half flour!

Cheesy!!!

Sweet, Smokey, Spicy, Crunchy ~  7 points & SO GOOD!!!

1/2 my plate with Veggies! (2 pts)

Leftovers Made Over!

Off to finish watching The Bachelorette & True Beauty (yup, I am hooked on that too LOL)!  I LOVE Cape Cod Chris and his family!!!!

Night all!

Happy Friday Eve all!  Wanna hear something sorta ironic?  The Pomegranate Blueberry Jelly I’ve been digging lately I bought at the same time I stocked up on my Nut Barn goodies last year.  Ummm….the Nut Barn Almond Butter and Nuts didn’t last, but, the jelly is now disappearing fast!

I seriously cannot get enough of TJ’s Whole Wheat Sour Dough + Laughing Cow+ POM Jam (3.5 pts).

Plus deliciously sweet watermelon & cantaloupe.  Did you know you can get 1 1/3 cups for 1 point versus just 1 cup?  I am ALL about more for the same points

MMMMM….this may be a repeat tomorrow!

Mid morning I snacked on 1 serving of BUTTER TOFFEE ALMONDS from Nut Barn ~ Probably my favorite flavored almond ever ~ buttery, caramelly, crunchy and salty   You get ALOT for 4 points!

BODY PUMP was awesome today ~ I was so pumped and even braved increasing my weight.  I had totally shakey arms and legs after….Love that!  My Body Bugg said I burned 313 calories for my 40 minute class – woohoo!

Lunch today was PHENOMENAL!!! As in you will see me eat this again!

It started out with my favorite Green Chili Farmer’s Market Tortillas!

Then, my favorite Farmer’s Market Hummus ~ Black Bean with Chipotle Hummus!

However, I think the real star of the show were the AmyLu Sweet Caramelized Onion Chicken Burgers.  They are fully cooked and I keep them in the freezer to grab them when I am feeling like a burger.  You can buy them at Costco in the fridge section next to the CHEESE and other VEGAN BURGERS I like!

Red peppers and GOUDA ~ these burgers are totally juicy & loaded with flavor!!!!

3 POINTS EACH!!!!  Totally juicy, smokey and tasty!

Plus a little Low Fat Sharp Cheddar for dairy…..

THE BEST LUNCH EVER!!! Seriously ~ this is on my top 10 list of favorites and it goes together in minutes.  My co-worker whipped up a salad for us with TJ’s Lowfat Spicy Peanut Dressing and Now Foods Cajun Sesame Stick’s while I did our chicken burger TACOS!

I couldn’t taste the cheese so I think next round I might leave it off.  All together lunch clocks in at (7.5 pts sans the nectarine I didn’t eat).

I wasn’t hungry at all this afternoon but I really wanted some CHOCOLOVE!  I decided to bust out some Annie’s Sunny Citrus Bunnies and they totally cured my sugar craving. (1 pt).

The Husband and I had to run up to meet our tenant tonight soooooooo, we had to visit Jack, JACK’s URBAN EATS!

I wasn’t going to get any meat, but, I found the words Spicy Buffalo Chicken coming out of my mouth…..seriously, how can you resist this?!

MMMMM, I LOVE Jack’s Salads ~ they seriously complete me !!!

10 points and worth every one!

*Mixed Greens

* Kidney Bean/Garbanzo Blend

* Cranberries

* Candied Walnuts

* Mandarin Oranges

* Pepperoncini’s

* Red Bell Pepper

* House Made Balsamic

I seriously think I am drooling everywhere looking at my food today ~ it was a good day and a really GOOD food day!

THE BEST NEWS OF THE DAY ~ I GET MY CAMERA BACK TOMORROW!!!!  Just in time for PHOTO FRIDAY, hopefully!

Ok ~ YOUR TURN ~ What is the BEST LUNCH you ever ate???

Night all!

Today was all about cooking, sunshine and shopping!!! We woke up early and headed out with The Husband’s mom to Denio’s Farmer’s Market & Swap Meet.  The Husband LOVES going here….me, eh, not so much, but, I am a trooper   We typically go maybe once or twice a year, but, I have to say it wasn’t so bad this time around.  I used it as a chance to rack up a lot of steps and we all scored a few good deals!

The Husband packed up my breakfast and we took it on the road (recycled picture because I remembered AFTER I ate my Lemon Chia Seed Muffin) ~ Recipe coming this weekend!

I did remember to take a picture of my Venti Iced Decaf Non Fat Latte with Caramel Drizzle.

After about 3 hours of shopping, I was ready for a snack ~ I am SO GREEN today with all these recycled pictures   I shared a pack of WW Rosemary Olive Oil Pretzel Thins with The Husband and his mom.

I think the COOLEST part of the market, might have been their farmer’s market.  They had $1 bags of everything.  I bought 15 Jalapeños, BIG Red Grapes, 7 bulbs of garlic and some ginger ~ all for $3!

I also scored two pairs of really cute flip flops for $3, The Husband’s mom got a really cute swim suit wrap for $18 and The Husband even found some $1 poker chips~ Fun!!!

Since we were in town, we had to stop at Jack’s Urban Eats for lunch. My salad was phenomenal ~ my mouth is watering just seeing this picture

In the mix:

* Mixed Greens

* Garbanzo/Kidney Beans

* Pickled Onions

* Pepperoncini’s

* CORN

* Cranberries

* Candied Walnuts

* Grilled Chicken Breast

* Balsamic Vinaigrette

I want to go back just so I can have it all over again

I spent the afternoon whipping up some new recipes that I will be sharing this week/weekend! Here is a picture sneak peak……

Dinner tonight was courtesy of The Husband’s Pallet!  He was craving a BBQ Chicken Wrap and made the suggestion we use the new Watkins Salsa & Sour Cream Spice Blend we picked up yesterday at the home and garden show..

I started off by “rubbing” two organic chicken breasts with the Salsa and Sour Cream Spice Mix.  Then, during the last 5 minutes of grilling, I topped them with TJ’s BBQ Sauce.

While the chicken cooked, I prepped the wrap toppers.

I also mixed 1 1/2 Tbsp’s of the Salsa Spice Blend with a 1/2 cup of FF Greek yogurt.  This is going to make an AMAZING veggie dip!  I LOVE this spice blend – it’s sweet, hot & salty!

I started off with a Jalapeño Salsa Tortilla topped with more BBQ sauce.

Then, a smear of the spicy salsa yogurt spread.

1 oz sprinkle of part skim mozzarella.

3 oz of the spicy bbq chicken.

AVOCADO, red bell pepper & lettuce.

WOW ~ this was sweet from the BBQ, spicy from the Salsa Blend, creamy from the spicy yogurt mix and AVOCADO, cheesy and crunchy.  I WISH I made more for leftovers

Speaking of shopping…..get ready for yet ANOTHER SHOPPING GIVEAWAY coming up this week!

You also will have a chance to BID ON MY BAKE SALE ITEMS over at NHerShoes beginning tomorrow ~ I will post the details and link when the bake sale goes live!

Off to relax and enjoy the last little bit of our weekend!

Night all!

Happy Friday all!  Although it has been a rainy day, I have to say I am so PUMPED for the weekend to begin.  We kicked off our weekend with “date night” tonight and tomorrow we are heading to the Seed Bank to pick out everything for our garden and we might even plant “stuff” too!!! Sunday is the BIG RUN….I am just a little excited for it all to start, but, I need to sit back and enjoy the ride

I have been working RICE for my hips ~ Rest, Ice, Elevation and Compression.  A LOT of stretching with my FOAM ROLLER on my super thick Boulder Yoga Mat (which is awesome if you have hard wood floors), plus ice and Motrin.  Fingers crossed that it works and I am “SUPER FLY” and FAST on Sunday

I have been really craving baked goods all week and haven’t had time to bake.  So, this morning, I finally gave in and picked up a Low-Fat Triple Berry Coffee Cake (7 pts) with a Grande FF Decaf Latte for breakfast (2.5 pts).  It was a higher in point breakfast, but, worth every bite!

Mid morning I snacked on a bit of Kettle Cashew Butter and a banana (2 pts).  I didn’t want them together so I just licked my spoon since I am classy like that

I was really looking forward to using last night’s Mexican Pizza Leftovers to make a HUGE Lavish Burrito today.

I started off with 1/4 c ff salsa beans plus 1 1/2 oz taco ground turkey and SRIRACHA.

Then, I melted 1/2 oz of low fat CHEESE.

Plus TJ’s Corn Salsa, mini peppers, and AVOCADO!

Tomatoes, cilantro and fresh jalapeño slices.  I actually learned that I LOVE fresh jalapeño slices, just don’t eat the seeds ~ HOT, HOT!!!

My last topping was some organic herbed greens.

NOM, NOM, NOM!!! This was so spicy, cheesy, good and not bad for 7 points.

I have to admit I was pretty excited to have some down time when I got home.  For those of you who know me, I rarely sit still for long.  But, today, I plopped down in front of the TV and indulged in the Food Network.  I honestly think I could watch it for HOURS, other than it makes me really HUNGRY!

Mid afternoon snack ~ a few Salt & Pepper Pop Chips and a LF Colby Cheese (3 pts).

When The Husband got home, we headed out for date night.  I have been craving a really good salad, so we hit up Fresh Choice!  Let’s just say, I pretty much emptied their salad bar with everything I could on my salad. Estimated (3 pts since it’s mainly veggies and I had FF dressing on the side)

I LOVE that they are now serving up ORGANIC, LOCAL PRODUCE with their new FARM TO FORK INITIATIVE!!! 

Chicken Fettuccine Noodle Soup (3 pts per cup)

1 slice of Veggie Pizza that was just ok ~ not sure it was worth the 3 points.

I HAD to have my standard corn bread & honey spread bite too…just a bite though (1 pt) – See how the pts can add up so quickly?!  I broke into my WPA for today and it was totally worth it

Dessert was a 3 point cone with sprinkles.  FUN FACT ~ did you all know that the plain regular cones are ZERO POINTS (only 15 calories!).  I LOVE them because it’s built in portion control that doesn’t FEEL like it’s a small amount.

After dinner we went to see the Green House and we LOVED it!  Totally intense, but, I have to say it leaves you wanting to see more.  I honestly don’t think I’ve seen a Matt Damon movie I don’t like!

Have a great Saturday all ~ Night!!!

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!

Happy Hump Day all!  This morning started off with some Honest Foods and a little Justin’s Almond Butter…..

I have learned since my Blueberry Crack experience that it is not in my best interest to eat the ENTIRE plank bar.  This morning I broke off 1/4 of this Pomegranate Granola Plank as a crumbly topper for 2 pts.

Note to self ~ those stats are for HALF the bar, not all

Plus a dallop of Classic Justin’s Almond Butter (1 tsp for 1 pt) ~ it’s tasty, but, I think I may LOVE the Maple better.

As much as I LOVE almond butter, I hate to admit that I am not sure it added anything other than calories to my breakfast

I added it to 1 cup of blueberries with 1 container of TJ’s 0% Blueberry Greek yogurt.

This totally reminded me of spring and farmer’s markets ~ oh, how I cannot wait for it to be Farmer’s Market season again ~ just 2-3  months!  The POM Honest Foods plank is ok, it’s tasty and I LOVED the big chunks of fruit, however, I feel like it tastes a bit perfume like from the POM maybe?

I rocked out to music, slammed out some work and snacked on a 1 pt TJ’s string cheese and a banana (2 pts).

I spent the next hour having a full on conversation with myself about what to do about lunch.  I had planned on getting out for a run, but, honestly, I wasn’t feeling it.  So, I thought, maybe I should go out to eat and get that BEET salad with my co-worker…nope, she couldn’t go either *sigh*  Then, I thought, ok, fine, maybe I should just work through lunch since I have a deadline this week….NOOO, I need to get outside.  I finally decided I’d get take out and forgo the lunch I’ve been bringing all week.

But, as soon as I walked outside, it was BEAUTIFUL!  Sunny and slightly cool/warm. I couldn’t pass up such an amazing day ~ so I quickly changed into my running clothes before I could let those voices in my head say anything else.  I am so glad I did ~ I had an amazing 3-ish mile run.

I always feel AMAZING after my run, so I need to remember that when I hear those voices in my head

You all will laugh at this part, I even brought $$ to pick up lunch on the way back (can you tell I really wanted that BEET salad?!)  But, I am uber proud to say, I passed it up and had a super delish lunch.

My FANTASTIC wrap included:

1 La Tortilla Low Carb Wrap (1 pt)

1 wedge Laughing Cow (1 pt)

Big smear of Spicy Apple Mustard (0 pts)

6 slices of honey roasted turkey (2.5 pts)

Spinach

For crunch, I had some Stacy’s Parmesan Garlic Pita Chips…I LOVE these but know I can only be around them if I have them in these mini 3 pt bags.  I can totally eat an entire big bag without thinking about it.

Mini peppers (LOVE these!) and Cantaloupe for dessert (1 pt).

I did manage to “reward” myself with the last of my ChocoLOVE Dark Chocolate with Cherries and Almonds.  I LOVE this flavor!  3 squares = 1.5 pts of awesomeness!

The Husband met me after my Weight Watcher meeting and we did a little shopping for birthday gifts and cards.  I pretty much did not want to cook so we had our FAVORITE tacos from Vasquez….two chicken tacos for 8 points.

Don’t worry all, I will get back in the kitchen and whipping up some good recipes again tomorrow night.

Oh and BIGGEST LOSER ~ LOVE/HATE it ~ I LOVED who got sent home, but, I hate the to be continued….the SUSPENSE!  I am not sure who I am rooting for yet….although I did start to LOVE the Grey team a bit more yesterday along with yellow and purple.

Tomorrow we have a BBQ at work ~ wish me luck in picking good choices or resisting and eating something good for me.  I am really trying to save up my points for this weekend!

I am off to read, relax and catch some zzzzz’s!

Night all!

I was up at 4:45 am this morning with The Husband since he had to be work at 5 AM.  So, I took complete advantage of that and fit in my HIIT workout.  My brain was so there to push myself but my legs were tired.  I think maybe they were tired from 5 days or workouts with all but 1 including legs.  I STILL pushed myself and whipped out a fantastic workout on the treadmill.

** 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: 5.5 mph (level 7)
minute 9: 6.0 mph (level
minute 10: 6.5 mph (level 9)
minute 11: 4.0 mph (level 6)
minute 12: 5.5 mph (level 7)
minute 13: 6.0 mph (level
minute 14: 6.5 mph (level 9)
minute 15: 4.0 mph (level 6)
minute 16: 5.2 mph (level 7)
minute 17: 5.5 mph (level
minute 18: 6.0 mph (level 9)
minute 19: 30 seconds @7.5 & 30 seconds @ 8.0 mph (level 10)  -woohooo!
minute 20: 3.5 mph (cool down & panting)

I spent about 5 minutes walking slow to cool down and watch the news.

I think I as honestly ready to crawl back into bed at this point, but, I decided on some good stretching.  The cool part I realized during my workout is that I am now thinking that 5.5 and 6.0 do not seem super fast to me like they used to – LOVE THAT!

Meal #1 @ 6:45 am I started off with my FAVORITE protein pancake of all times topped with a little creamy Organic Raw Cashew Butter and an Agave Syrup drizzle.

Work flew by since I knew they were letting us go early to get ahead of the traffic.  I LOVE holiday weekends for THAT reason alone   Meal #2 @ 10:00 am was 1/2 a cup of low-fat cottage cheese and an orange.  I saw these oranges last week on sale and picked up a couple on a whim.  They were surprisingly good.

Two of my co-workers have been talking about these cool Nutella like spreads they found at World Market (Cost Plus) for only $2.  So, they picked up 3 flavors – Banana Chocolate, Dark Chocolate and Cappuccino Chocolate.  I LOVE how they look in the jars!  It was at this point that I decided I just needed to try a little bit of each.  So I grabbed 3 spoons and had little tastes.

Banana Chocolate was by far my FAVORITE!  The banana tastes just like the banana Laffy Taffies and has just the right balance of chocolate.

I really thought I’d LOVE the dark chocolate – seriously if Nutella came in DARK chocolate I’d be all over it. (Just saying….)

Chocolate cappuccino was not good at all to me.  It tasted more like crisco than a smooth creamy chocolate coffee.

As we were sampling away everyone came in the break room to have leftover pizza ~ ahhhhh!  Pizza temptation TWO days in a row – booo!  But, I stuck with my planned meal #3 @ 12.35 pm ~ A BBQ Chicken Wrap

I started off with a La Tortilla Whole Grain wrap topped with 2 Tbsp Roasted Red Pepper Hummus, 3.5 oz leftover BBQ chicken and 2 Tbsp low-fat shredded cheddar cheese.

Then, I added a layer of crunch (red peppers & cucumber plus some creamy AVOCADO and crushed red pepper flakes for spice.

It was SO GOOD!  To add in some veggies, I had some extra slices of cucumber and red pepper.

We got out of work at 1 PM – yahoo!  I LOVE that I totally beat traffic – usually holiday weekend traffic takes a good hour + to travel my 11 miles home – sad, huh?!  On my drive home I was pondering if I should just call today my FREE DAY since I tried the chocolates and I knew The Husband wanted to go to Texas Road House for dinner. 

I decided it was a good day to call a FREE DAY so I could enjoy dinner and will most likely be cooking all weekend.  So, I grabbed the baggie of candies my sweet co-workers had been giving me all week.  I had 1 Dove Almond Dark Chocolate and 3 Salt Water Taffies for snack ~ MMMMMM!  I think these are two of my favorite things.

We drove everywhere all afternoon ~ 1st stop to pick up our Jet Skis.  They are all “purdy” and ready to go – yeah!

Then, we drove to The Husband’s friends to pick up some things they need to help another friend out installing a fence on Saturday.  So excited for a me day on Saturday but I know I’ll be busy. 

Meal #4 started @ 5:34 pm at The Texas Road House.  I snacked on a few peanuts from their barrel of peanuts while we waited.

We had fun throwing our shells on the floor.  Although I really did want to sweep them up for them

We sat at our table and they put that AMAZING bread and CINNAMON BUTTER on the table.  This is the ONE reason I knew I had to have a FREE DAY today.  I LOVE their bread and cannot resist it.  It is the BEST bread I’ve ever had in my life – really!  I had 2 or maybe 3 rolls

I did attempt to make my dinner somewhat healthy.  I ordered grilled shrimp to be cooked WITHOUT butter and with cocktail sauce on the side.  Um….I think he told them EXTRA butter.  I had 4 shrimp and The Husband had 1.

Since you have to pick two items, I picked a grilled sirloin steak.  I ate about 1/3 of the steak and gave the rest to The Husband (he was happy!)

I ordered a plain baked sweet potato for side #1 and resisted the AMAZING sounding toppings of (cinnamon butter or caramel sauce).  I ate 1/2 of my tater insides but did not eat the funky looking skin.

Side #2 was steamed fresh veggies – perfectly crispy & crunchy.  I ate all of them.

I did steel 3 of The Husband’s fries – so good!  This is another one of my favorite foods and the spice they use is so good – a little sweet, a little salty and a little spicy.  It reminded me of the seasoning we had on the tortilla chips in Lake Tahoe.

All together with my veggies being camera shy

I was cracking up watching The Husband drink his tea.  He didn’t want to clean the BBQ sauce off his hands until he was all done with his ribs.

Check out The Hands ~ So Funny!

Oh and a fun Texas Road House fact we learned ~ when it’s your birthday they bring a saddle up on a wooden horse for you to sit on and have your picture taken on while they sing.  I am SO BUMMED I let The Husband slide by on his birthday Next time…….

I had been planning my sweet treat all week for my FREE DAY.  Meal #5@ 8:08 pm was a French Vanilla Ice Cream Cone that I made at home using my favorite TJ’s French Vanilla Ice cream and a sugar cone.  YUM!  The perfect ending…….

So, there you have it ~ My FREE DAY came and went.  I am a little sad that I don’t have Saturday Free for food, just from exercise.  But, honestly, what would I eat (other than maybe PIZZA LOL).

STAT RECAP:

Calories Burned: 2,891

Steps taken: 11,678

No ratios/calories consumed for FREE DAYS

We were both exhausted when we got home and zonked out during the previews of our Net Flix LOL ~ we are so OLD!

I hope your long weekend is off to a great start.  See you all tomorrow night!

I LOVED reading all the fantastic eats you have planned this week on yesterday’s post.  You all seriously made me hungry and I was taking some notes to make your recommendations!

This morning I actually debated turning my alarm off and going back to bed.  I was soooo tired when it went off that I didn’t believe my alarm clock was right.  But, I remembered my Body-For-Life Commitment and that you burn the most fast/calories ALL day with an AM workout.  So, I dragged myself out of bed and hopped on the treadmill for my HIIT’s.

I decided to mix up my HIIT’s today and do what I am calling “Power HIlls”.  I increased my speed and grade every minute so that I was speed walking up a BIG HILL.  I could definitely feel the burn in my legs, hamstrings and bootie!  It got my heart rate up for sure and I think it may have been even tougher than running fast especially when you do NOT hold on.

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

minutes 1 & 2: 3.5 mph @ 1% grade(level 5)
minute 3: 3.6 mph @ 6% grade (level 6)
minute 4: 3.7 mph @ 7% grade (level 7)
minute 5: 3.8 mph @ 8% grade (level
minute 6: 3.9 mph @ 9% grade (level 9)
minute 7: 3.6 mph @ 6% grade (level 6)
minute 8: 3.7 mph @ 7% grade (level 7)
minute 9: 3.8 mph @ 8% grade (level
minute 10: 3.9 mph @ 9% grade (level 9)
minute 11: 3.6 mph @ 6% grade (level 6)
minute 12: 3.7 mph @ 7% grade (level 7)
minute 13: 3.8 mph @ 8% grade (level
minute 14: 3.9 mph @ 9% grade (level 9)
minute 15: 3.6 mph @ 6% grade(level 6)
minute 16: 3.7 mph @ 7% grade (level 7)
minute 17: 3.8 mph @ 8% grade (level
minute 18: 3.9 mph @ 9% grade (level 9)
minute 19: 4.0 mph @ 10% (level 10)  – I think at this point, my legs burned off and ran away.
minute 20-21: 3.5 mph @ 0% grade (cool down)

I whipped up a fantastic protein pancake (click HERE for the recipe) for Meal #1 @ 7:17 am.

I topped it with Chunky Almond Butter and Agave Nectar ~ HMMMMM!  This might be one of my FAVORITE breakfasts ever.

I rolled it up into a pancake burrito so I could enjoy it on my commute into work.

Meal #2 @ 10:04 am started out with my new favorite base for ANY WRAP.  Start out with a BIG La Tortilla Factory GIANT low carb tortilla, smeared 1 Laughing Cow Lite Wedge, 2 Tbsp Spicy with Harissa Hummus & 1 BIG Tbsp TJ’s Roasted Red Pepper Spread.

Then, add in your favorite toppings.  Today I selected 2 oz Honey Roasted Turkey with a  sprinkle of green onions.  It reminded me a bit of “pin wheels” ~ so creamy and spicy – MMMMMMM!

I had actually packed up a really good lunch for today but I realized AFTER my AM snack that part of my lunch was my snack ~ oops!  So, I DID get my salad after all and headed out to Whole Foods since I can NEVER get enough of their fantastic “bars”.

Meal #3 @ 1:22 pm consisted of all of my favorite things.  I started off with this amazing salad.

* Romaine & Mixed Greens with a little purple cabbage

* Edamame with a small teaspoon of dried cranberries (protein & carbs together – perfect!)

* Cherry tomatoes, mushroom slices and some broccoli

* My FAVORITE balsamic onions

and tow GIGANTIC BEANS ~ LOVE these beans!

And because a girl can never get enough fiber in her diet, I added a side of grilled veggies ~ so good!  I think I could eat these alone and call it my meal.

4 oz grilled teriyaki chicken for my protein

and 1/2 a cup brown rice for my carb.

It was the perfect lunch ~ seriously though!  I helped serve up a big sheet cake of Chocolate Chocolate cake today for the birthdays at work and wasn’t even tempted to have a single bite!  Go me!!! I really think having satisfying food goes a LONG way in helping you to resist the temptations that lurk everywhere in the office!

When I was ready for a little something sweet, I whipped up Meal #4 @ 4:25 PM – A Chocolate Banana “Milk Shake” MMMMMM……I honestly look forward to THIS shake every day.  The EAS Chocolate Whey Protein Powder is by far the BEST and I am not a big chocolate person either!

After work I ran to the store to stock up on all our goodies for the week.  When I came home, The Husband was in action cooking dinner for us.  Ok, seriously, I have to mark my calendar.  I think this is now the THIRD TIME he has cooked for us since I’ve known him.  LOVE him for that because I was totally exhausted.

Against his will, he pulled out these Trader Joe’s Turkey Meatballs from the freezer.  He said that turkey does not belong in spaghetti ~ just ask any Italian LOL

I picked them up awhile back thinking they’ could be used for a fast meal.  The stats are pretty nice.

The Husband in action ~ “selecting his spices” and covering up his “secret sauce”.  He’s funny!

While he cooked, I made up some “garlic” bread for him using the Orowheat Onion Rolls that his mom got us.  I pulled them out of the freezer, added a little butter, garlic seasoning, pepper and parmesan.  I did have serious BREAD ENVY because garlic bread is like some of the BEST bread EVER!

The finished product ~ Turkey Meatballs in a secret sauce plus Multi-Grain Pasta with a little sauce mixed in to keep the noodles from sticking (“he’s clever!”)

For our veggies, he cut thick slices of the Heirloom Tomatoes I got at the market and made them up just like I did HERE.

I had 1/2 cup of Multi-Grain pasta with 2 turkey meatballs in special sauce with a sprinkle of parmesan and fresh basil.  The sauce was actually amazing ~ the Husband NEEDS to cook more   The meatballs were, eh, ok ~ we both agreed that they were too “turkey” tasting.  I think I might be spoiled on the real deal – nothing is as good as real homemade meatballs versus packaged ones.  I probably will not buy these again, but, instead, will double my next batch and freeze 1/2.

I had 3 Heirloom Caprese Slices ~ YUM!  This is my one of my FAVORITE salads and sandwiches.  If it would’ve been BFL approved to eat the entire plate, I would have LOL

All together on the fancy new blue mat The Husband bought me this weekend.

Stat Recap:

Calories consumed: 1,510

Calories burned: 2,851

Steps taken: 10,887

Ratios:  35 % Protein, 35 % Carbs, 30% Fat

TWO Fun Sites I heard about today from two message boards I LOVE!

* You can run a 10K no matter where you are at on 10/2009 by joining the Nike 10K Human Race ~ click HERE to learn more about it.

* The Daily Mile Training Log is a fun FREE site that just might motivate you to get in those miles ~ click HERE to check it out – so cool!

QUESTION OF THE DAY:

What is one of your absolute favorite websites that you LOVE to visit?  It can be one you read for motivation, support, gossip, news, or what not. 

I’d have to say for me, it isn’t one site, but, a bunch depending on the the mood.  I LOVE people.com for gossip, my weight watchers buddy group and lately my Bad @$$ Team at the bodyforlife-tracker.com.  For recipes, Myrecipes.com and cookinglight.com.  Of course I am addicted to reading blogs and tweets too!

I am off to catch some zzz’s and hopefully wake up NOT tired tomorrow!  Have a great nite all!

Happy Hump Day all!  This morning I was dragging when my alarm went off at 5:15AM.  I pondered not working out this morning and doing it at lunch.  Then, I convinced myself that I’d have more fat burn and I made the commitment so I stepped out of bad.  HOLY SORENESS ~ my legs are so sore that I almost crawled back into bed and said forget it.

My legs were so sore that I had to start out with walking for 5 minutes just to get them loosened up enough to get my HIIT’s on.  It sorta did the trick and I pushed myself a little harder today than I did on Monday.

** 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: 5.0 mph (level 7)
minute 9: 5.5 mph (level
minute 10: 6.0 mph (level 9)
minute 11: 4.0 mph (level 6)
minute 12: 5.0 mph (level 7)
minute 13: 5.5 mph (level
minute 14: 6.0 mph (level 9)
minute 15: 4.0 mph (level 6)
minute 16: 5.0 mph (level 7)
minute 17: 5.5 mph (level
minute 18: 6.0 mph (level 9)
minute 19: 7.0 mph (level 10)  – I did it & hit my HIGH POINT – I was huffing and puffing waiting for the seconds to pass
minute 20: 3.5 mph (cool down)

I did alot of stretching after my HIIT’s to hopefully help with the soreness and patted  myself on the back for a job well done.  I was able to wait the FULL hour before chowing down on Meal #1 ~ Breakfast at 7:00 AM.  I cooked everything in the microwave – so easy!

I started off with a 1/2 c serving of cinnamon vanilla oats.

1/2 c Quaker Old Fashioned Oats

1 c water

Big dashes of cinnamon

Splash of Pure Vanilla Extract

I normally would do an agave drizzle on this but I was ponder if the oats had too many carbs at 1/2 a cup.  Maybe next round I’ll go for 1/3 c and mix in some fruit & agave – YUM!

For my protein I made a SUPERSIZED Egg White Fluffy.

1/2 c 100% Organic Pure Egg Whites

Splashes of your FAVORITE Hot Sauce ~ I used some Tennessee Lightning!

Nonstick Spray

Ramkin (A small clear bowl – think of the ones used for custards)

Sea Salt & Pepper to taste

Spray your Ramkin with nonstick cooking spray.  Add your egg whites and hot sauce.  Nuke for 2 minutes (watch it fluff up and check at 1:30 to see if it is done).  If you are only using a 1/4 cup, then, reduce time to 1 minute.  Flip your bowl upside down on your plate and season with salt & pepper. 

It’s so easy that I guarantee you won’t worry about taking the time to cook your eggs on the stove again.  This works for regular eggs too.

I decided to spice up my fluffies a little more by adding some FRESH SALSA!

MMMMMM ~ This might be one of my favorite combinations other than adding some veggies to it and maybe some cheesy laughing cow!

Since I realized I was lacking in the fruit/veggie department, I tossed on a few cherry tomatoes ~ delish!

All together with the fancy homemade salsa I got at the farmer’s market last week.

I portioned my breakfast perfectly because exactly 3 hours later, I was ready for Meal #2 at 10:00 AM~ My LATEST FAVORITE Nutty Milk Shake.

1 scoop EAS Chocolate Whey Protein Powder

1 ripe banana ~ the riper the sweeter your shake will be!

1 Tbsp Crunchy Almond Butter (this was the KEY ingredient0

Lotsa ice & water

OMG~  This seriously was the absolute BEST shake I’ve had yet.  I cannot believe I am describing a protein shake as something I freakin’ LOVE!  I will definitely have this over and over again ~ that dose of healthy almond fat was fantastic.  Yes, I did lick my Tbsp clean too

I knocked out a bunch of work today and didn’t even get the chance to get out of the office at all ~ there is something wrong with that!   I did however get to listen to some super cool 80’s music off a CD that my co-worker let me borrow.  It seriously amazes me how much music can make the day fly by!

At 1:00 PM, my stomach was telling me it’s LUNCH TIME already.  Meal #3 was some amazing leftovers.

Spiced Up Grilled Shrimp & Veggies ~ So good even the next day.  I was sad that there was only ONE mushroom in there though

Plus leftover corn ~ crunchy, sweet – GOOD!

I LOVE this plate that my co-worker gave me.  She has the matching coffee cup that I’ve pondered stealing too   I may have to venture out and buy more.  I have so much fun plating lunch and showing off this plate every time I use it.

Meal #4 4:00 PM ~ I had to take my snack on the go so I could head home for my hair appointment tonight.  1 Sugar Spotted White Nectarine ~ amazing plus 3/4 c low-fat cottage cheese.  Nom, Nom, Nom ~ I was sad when this was gone!

I rushed home, made up a quick BFL dinner and snack on the go and grabbed The Husband to head out of town for my hair appointment.  He LOVES my hair appointment days since I drop him off to play poker while I chat it up with my fantastic hair dresser and friend.  We had a TON to talk about today because she got new boobies (I wonder if she will kill me for posting it on here Nah!  They looked great though.  Oh and she did BFL for 5 weeks so we chatted about that too!

Backtrack for a second to Meal #5 (6:30 PM) & #6 (9:30 PM)  It’s a little bit of a repeat wrap since I am honestly LOVING this flavor combination. 

Start out with a BIG La Tortilla Factory GIANT low carb tortilla, smeared 1 Laughing Cow Lite Wedge, 2 Tbsp Roasted Red Pepper Hummus & 1 BIG Tbsp TJ’s Roasted Red Pepper Spread.

Then, add all your favorite toppings.  I like to add 4 oz chicken for a little protein, cucumber some crunch, some smooth AVOCADO, Sriyachi HOT Sauce and freshly ground pepper.

Roll it up, wrap it in foil and take it to go.

The Husband helped me out with the veggies and packed me a mini bag of mini peppers.

I had 1/2 the wrap before my appointment and the other 1/ 2 after.  It was AMAZING both times.  I am purposely going to the Farmer’s Market tomorrow to get more HUMMUS – LOVE The Hummus Guy’s Hummus.  I will be so sad in November when he goes into hibernation for the winter.

Oh and I made a FANTASTIC BFL choice at Starbuck’s.  I always bring my hair dresser a Starbuck’s.  I resisted the latte and had an unsweetened ice tea ~ yeah, go me!

Fun fact of the day ~ I guess I am limping a bit.  I had several co-workers ask me if I was hurt ~ LOL….no, just old and out of shape   But, I know that soreness means my transformation is happening!

Well ~ That’s all I have for tonight.  I am typing this up in the car on our way home so my STAT RECAP will show up tomorrow in the AM!

Calories Consumed: 1,366

Calories Burned: 2,800

Steps Taken: 7,854

Ratios: Protein 39%, Carbs 39%, fat 22% ~ Pretty spot on to my goal 40/40/20

100+ oz of water!

Nite all!