Danica’s Daily Gets a Makeover & Moves…

Hi all!  I am super excited to show you all the newly designed Danica’s Daily.  So, head on over and check out the new site at:

www.danicasdaily.com

PLEASE BE SURE TO UPDATE YOUR READER/SUBSCRIPTION WITH THE NEW SITE ADDRESS.  You just need to drop the .blogspot and you should be good to go.

I will always keep up this site as this is where it all began :)  Beginning tomorrow, I will start posting on the new site.

Thanks to ZestyCook for his help in designing my fantastic new layout!!!

See you at the NEW Danica’s Daily!!!

Pomegranate Chicken & Roasted Green Beans

Dinner tonight was absolutely fantastic ~ we both gave it 5 stars all around and I will definitely be making this again!  I’ve been wanting to use the POM Wonderful Juice that I received in a recipe and tonight was the night.

Can you guess the star of the show?

 

POMEGRANATE CHICKEN

½ cup chopped walnuts
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 ½ lb chicken breast tenderloin
1 Large Vidalia Onion, halved and sliced
2 cups 100% pomegranate juice
1 lemon, juiced
1/2 tsp minced fresh rosemary
sea salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
1 green onion, sliced, optional

1. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the walnuts and toss until browned, then place on a plate to cool.
2. Add oil to pan, then add tenderloins. Brown on both sides and remove, setting aside.
3. Add onions to skillet, moving them around so they pick up all the chicken drippings. When onions have softened and browned, add pomegranate juice, lemon juice and rosemary. Add sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Allow to remain at a vigorous simmer, for about 10 minutes, then add chicken back to pan. Simmer vigorously until sauce has reduced, about another 10 minutes. Serve with walnuts and green onion sprinkled on top.

Makes 6 servings, 5 Weight Watcher Points Each

    

Our veggies tonight involved roasting the Purple Green Beans we got at the market last week.

Roasted Green Beans with Walnuts

1 lb green beans, stems and ends snapped off
1 small sweet onion, halved and sliced into thick slices
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
sea salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
1 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
1 tsp honey
1/2 tsp minced fresh rosemary
2 Tbsp roasted, chopped walnuts

 

1.  Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Line a large cookie sheet with foil.  Add green beans and onions.  Drizzle with olive oil, sea salt & pepper. Mix with hands and roast for 10 minutes.

2.  Combine balsamic, honey and rosemary.  Drizzle over green beans and roast for an additional 10 minutes.  Serve topped with walnuts.

Makes 4 servings, 1 Weight Watcher Point each

I had one serving of beans ~ I LOVE roasted veggies and the balsamic/honey adds a fantastic sweetness along with the roasted nuttiness of the walnuts.

Plus a 1/2 c Trader Joe’s Organic Frozen Brown Rice.  I have The Husband hooked on this rice – he actually request it now instead of white – yeah!  

And the star of the show, 1 serving Pomegranate Chicken!!!  I LOVED the chicken and it honestly reminded me a bit of Thanksgiving.  I know wrong fruit, but, I think it was just the combination of the herbs and the fruit juice that made it feel like a total healthy comfort meal.

All together with a POM spritzer ~ it was the perfect meal and it was totally worth heating up the kitchen to cook it!  The Husband ate it all, but, I did manage to save one small serving for lunch tomorrow – yeah!

Dessert tonight was another Trader Joe’s Raspberry Vanilla Cream Bar – YUM!

I am off to finish watching the Bachlorette Finale and make the last minute changes to switch to the new site ~ Yeah!

Nite all!

Grilled Eggplant Lasagna

I LOVE Eggplant Parmesan and Lasagna, but, both are not too friendly when it comes to calories and fat.  I decided to combine the two to come up with maybe one of my favorite new healthy recipes. 

Grilled Eggplant Lasagna

 

2 medium eggplants, sliced lengthwise into 1/4 inch slices

2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

1 1/2 cup fat-free cottage cheese

2 cup sliced mushrooms

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tbsp olive oil

1/4 c shredded Parmesan cheese

2 cups marinara sauce (I used Trader Joe’s Starter Sauce)

Sliced the eggplant and lightly brush the eggplant with olive oil.   Place on a medium nonstick baking sheet. Sprinkle both sides with sea salt and pepper. Place on your grill or in the broiler for 3 to 5 minutes per side, or until tender.

Meanwhile, lightly mist a medium nonstick skillet with olive oil spray. Set over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes, or until there is no liquid remaining in the pan and the mushrooms are starting to brown.

Preheat the oven to 350 ° F. Place half of the eggplant in a single layer in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Top with half of the mushroom mixture, half of the marinara sauce, and half of the cheese. Repeat with the remaining eggplant, mushrooms, sauce, and cheese. Cover with aluminum foil.

Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the aluminum foil. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until hot and the cheese is bubbly. Remove and let stand for 10 minutes. Cut into 6 equal portions. Serve immediately.

Makes 6 servings, 5 Weight Watchers Points each!

Start out by slicing your eggplant lengthwise in 1/4 inch strips.  Line up your slices and brush them with Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Sea Salt & Freshly Ground Black Pepper.  I used Consorzio Roasted Garlic Olive oil for extra flavor.

Place your prepared eggplant slices on the grill for about 3-5 minutes per side.

While your eggplant cooks, saute your mushrooms and garlic in nonstick pan with a little nonstick olive oil spray until browned.

 

For your marinara, I have a FAVORITE goto sauce that really doesn’t need added flavors.

I LOVE that the nutritionals are good (it isn’t loaded with sugar) and you can recognize every ingredient on the list.

 

Now it’s time to layer your lasagna.  Start with a layer of your eggplant slices and top them with 1/2 the mushroom mixture.

Add 1/2 your marinara sauce.

Plus 1/2 your mozzarella and cottage cheese. Repeat the layers with last topping being a little freshly shredded parmesan.

Bake in the oven as directed above.

   

Cut into 6 slices and enjoy!  I LOVE any lasagna that gives me 1/6th of the pan for less than 300 calories/5 Weight Watcher Points – YUM!

With my lasagna I had some fun fruit ~ a Plurine (1/2 pear, 1/2 nectarine) and a pluot (1/2 apricot, 1/2 plum).

And for dessert, I decided to bust out some Chez Cocoa Summer Salts!  I LOVED this flavor as well – it’s like a dark chocolate sunflower seed that is crunchy but not super sweet.  It was a lot of fun to crunch.  I started out with 1/2  a serving, but, deciding to just have the full serving – this x’s 2.

I am off to listen to my book on tape Second Chance by Jane Green as I work away on some reports – yeah!

See you all for another NEW POMTastic dinner recipe!

A “Quickie” Post

Today has been such a busy day, but, all in a good way – it means time is flying by!  So I am going to make this a “quickie” breakfast post so I can get you all caught up on my day.  I got back to the basics with my breakfast this morning – a little protein, a little carbs and a little fruity crunch.

I started off with some protein ~ An Egg White Fluffy with 2 Egg Whites, Tapatio Hot Sauce, Sea Salt & Pepper.  You can cook these in the microwave in 50 seconds – YUM!

Instead of making an Eggwich,I kept my Orowheat Double Fiber English Muffin on the side topped with 1 Tbsp Whipped Butter. (3 Weight Watcher Points)

 

And to balance out my meal, 1 c of grapes.

All together I LOVED having a plate of fun to eat for only 4.5 Weight Watcher Points!

My mid-morning snack was a small banana with 1 Tbsp PB&CO Cinnamon Swirl PB.  I didn’t get a chance to snap a picture since I had to gobble it down on a break from my morning long meeting.

In my exciting blogness news, I will be unveiling my new site tonight!!!  I still of course have a few things to change/modify, but, it is good enough to go – yeah!

I hope your Monday is flying by, I know mine sure is!

Coming up next, that Grilled Cheesy Eggplant Lasagna recipe I told you about yesterday!

Grilled Satay Peanut Chicken Salad

I always seem to want something sweet in the afternoon.  Usually some fruit and/or yogurt takes care of the craving.  However, I wasn’t really hungry today so I know I didn’t need anything.   I was super proud of myself for passing up the sample at Trader Joe’s (Apple Streusel w/French Vanilla Ice cream!)   Since I am sticking to tracking all my BLT’s I didn’t want to have to try to figure out the nutritionals for that – ha – that is one way to avoid it, right? LOL…..

When I got home, I STILL wanted something sweet so I had a few of The Husband’s Brachs Jelly Nougats – I LOVE these!  After looking up the nutritional information, I had 2 more since you get 5 for 3 Weight Watcher Points – total justification, right?! :)

It was so hot today so dinner was light and on the grill.  I grilled up some “Satay Peanut” Chicken breasts by brushing them with this sauce I got at Trader Joe’s.

While the chicken grilled, I prepped our salads.  Here is mine BEFORE I added chicken.

Organic Romaine mixed with Organic Mixed Greens

Green onion

Orange Bell Pepper

Sliced cucumber

Sliced yellow/orange tomatoes

A couple of strawberries and a sprinkle of blueberries

1/4 of a small AVOCADO

I added 3 oz of grilled Chicken Satay and a sprinkle of roasted sesame seeds

  

I made up a batch of Ginger Sesame Dressing and drizzled about 2 Tbsp over my salad.

 

Today when I was shopping I happened to see that PopChips has a new flavor that I have not yet tried ~ Sea Salt Multi-Grain Chips.  I couldn’t wait to open them up and give them a try.  They are so different from their other flavors – not in a bad way.  They are sorta like a multi-grain rice cake/cracker to me.  I had 10 chips with my dinner :)

For dessert, I decided to give the Trader Joe’s Raspberry & Vanilla Cream Bars a try that I bought  a few weeks back.

  

My first reaction was – it’s SMALL and then my 2nd reaction was where is the stick?  The bar is about a 1/2 cup of ice cream so it’s a mini bar for 2 Weight Watcher Points.  Oh and if I read the package it says there is no stick, you are suppose to eat it like a push-up :)  It was actually really good, creamy and had the perfect balance of berry and vanilla bean.

  

I also prepped my lunch for tomorrow today ~ Be sure to check back tomorrow for my Grilled Eggplant Lasagna Recipe.

Today was totally productive getting things done around the house and getting ready for our busy weekend next week.  However, I think I am forever behind on reading your blogs….I will do my best to catch up this week to see what you all are up to.

For now, I am off to watch the Next Food Network Star!  Nite all!

Moving right along….

My Double Cinnamon French Toast did a fantastic job of keeping me full all morning.  We didn’t break for lunch until 2:00 ~ 5 hours later – love that.

I knew exactly what I wanted for lunch today and it involved two of my favorite Trader Joe’s products.

I started out with a slice of TJ’s 3 – Seeded Break and topped it with a little sweet & spicy mustard and 1 serving of their Spicy Marinated Mozzarella.

 

I put it in the toaster oven to get ally melty, toasty and a little browned.

 

Topped with 99% FF Turkey, Ham and some cucumber chips – SO GOOD!

To balance out my meal I had a cup of cherry tomatoes.

All together my lunch was 6 Weight Watcher Points (rounding up high) and completely satisfying!  I did pull out a Plurine Fruit to eat too but I am full so I am waiting on that.

I am moving right along getting everything checked off my list and feeling all accomplished.  I have our meals planned out and now I am off to pick up a few things for the week before I come back and spend some quality time in the kitchen cooking/baking.  See you all for dinner tonight!

Double Cinnamon French Toast

I was dreaming all night about that fantastic Cinnamon Swirl bread we bought last night.  I think The Husband was too because when I got back from my meeting he asked if I had French Toast without him – he was smelling the bread all morning – funny!

I started off my day by going to my Weight Watcher meeting first thing this morning and I am really glad I did.  The normal leader that I listen to on Saturday’s was teaching and it made me realize that I miss her.  I think I have found my home again on Saturday’s and plan on switching back to that day.  I never realized how much limbo it can make you feel like you are in by not having a set leader that you love listening to. 

I started out with that Cinnamon Swirl Bread I bought at The Grateful Bread yesterday.  LOVE all the cinnamony swirliness of it – YUM!

I mixed up a “French Toast” mixture of:

2 eggs

3 egg whites

2 Tbsp Fat Free Milk

Splash of Vanilla

Dashes of Cinnamon and Sea Salt

I then dipped each slice in the mix and cooked with nonstick spray until browned on each side.

I made up 6 slices, 2 slices per serving is 5 Weight Watcher Points.

I had TWO slices topped with 1 tsp whipped butter and 1/2 Tbsp Pure Maple syrup for a total of 7.5 points – not too bad for a decadent Sunday Brunch.

I made my slices thin and the Husbands plus his mom Thick slices like below.

I think the BEST part was coming across the cinnamon swirl parts – SO GOOD!

Another goal I have this week is to center each meal around fruit and/or vegetables.  I added a 1 cup serving on cantaloupe and watermelon to balance out my breakfast.

Today I have a ton of things to check off my to-do list including making a few new recipes so I am off to get started.

Have a great Sunday all ~ see you all this afternoon!

Happy Birthday Mom!!!

I have to start off my post by saying Happy Birthday Mom!!!! I know she reads so I had to wait to spill the beans and tell you all what we had up our sleeves today.

Today was all about getting ready for my Mom’s Birthday Celebration and then of course celebrating it.  I did manage to get everything done before we took off with the exception of going to the Farmer’s Market.  I might have withdrawals for missing it for a week :)

My Mom is one of those people who HAS everything she wants and so we really tried to brain storm the things she LOVES the most.  She is really into scrapbooking, genealogy an having pictures of us at different stages in our lives.  So, today, we all got together and had our picture taken at the Picture People.  The BIG gift that we gave my mom was a BIG picture collage that included my Brother, Sis and I along with our significant others.  It was worth all the craziness at the Picture People (not being too organized even with an appointment and waiting forever) just to see her face ~ She totally LOVED it and kept glimpsing at it all night throughout dinner….Yeah for a successful gift!

While primping and getting ready this morning, I snacked on some Annie’s Honey Bunny Grahams.  LOVE these – I think of all the flavors, this is my favorite cookie.

 

As we headed out the door, I was STILL hungry, so I grabbed a Sargento Colby Cheese square and snacked on it while we drove.  The irony is that my Real Simple Magazine was all about smarter snacking which was totally not planned :)

We stopped for lunch at my absolute FAVORITE Salad place called Jack’s Urban Eats.  I LOVE Jack’s because they have a huge selection that you can pick from for them to make up just about any salad combination you want and it’s always fresh.  They make their own dressings too which I LOVE.  Everything there is delicious whether you are getting a pre-designed, but, made fresh salad, sandwiches or plain comfort food meals.  I picked the build your own salad.

* Mixed Greens Plus, 6 Toppings:

- Pickled Red Onions

- Dried Cranberries

- Candied Walnuts

- Strawberries

- Kidney/Garbanzo beans for protein

- Cherry Tomatoes ( should’ve chose something with yellow or orange for more color!)

- Balsamic Vinaigrette

My salad was HUGE – I managed to eat about 2/3’s of it and I was stuffed.  I rarely say I am stuffed when it comes too salad too.  Along with the salad, The Husband ordered some Cheesy Garlic Bread…Yup, it’s about as amazing as it sounds.  I had 1/2 of one of these pieces but was really trying to save up my breads for dinner.

 

After lunch we had a little time to spare so we stopped in at The Grateful Bread Company.  They had already sold out of the Sour Dough Walnut Wheat, Cinnamon Raisin Walnut Swirl and Apple Swirl.  However, they had one loaf of Cinnamon Swirl that i gladly scooped up and bought.  I am thinking this is going to make some fantastic French toast tomorrow :)

The Husband also picked up a snicker doodle. I felt so bad when he broke it open and he was like ugh ~ this is the wrong cookie – where is the snickers bar – Ha!  He thought that snicker doodles were the Snicker Surprise Cookies I make.  Poor guy.  He begrudgingly ate it and I broke off a bite.

We actually didn’t tell my Mom where she was going for dinner, just that she was going out to eat with all of us.  That is sort of our birthday tradition – The Birthday Person gets treated to where ever they want to go.  We took her to her favorite local Italian Food place called Visconti’s.  The Dad and family are usually there every time we have gone and personally come out to greet you.  It always amazes with of the hundreds of people who go, he always seems to remember everyone – so cool!

They have AMAZING garlic bread that is totally worth the garlic breath it leaves you.  I downed 2 slices as soon as it came out all hot and fresh.

Next up was my house salad with their homemade house creamy Italian on the side. It is like a spicy mustard vinaigrette – YUM!  I do think their salads need more color for picture taking purposes :) but this salad is good in all it’s simplicity.

 

I had a hard time deciding what to get.  I wanted to try pretty much one of everything and we pondered ordering a bunch of dishes and sharing.  I know my Mom always gets their Eggplant Parmesan (one of my choices) and I knew I’d steal a bite.  So, I went with a dish that I cannot remember the Italian name but it was basically Shrimp Scampi with grilled asparagus over linguine.

 

This was honestly one of the BEST SCAMPI style dishes I’ve ever had.  There was just enough garlic/butter to compliment the pasta and shrimp and it was spiced up with black pepper and crushed red pepper flakes.  I seriously NEED to replicate it – it was SO GOOD!  It came with 4 gigantic shrimp that took about 3 bites each just to eat.

  

I ate my entire plate and I am STILL full, but, it was so worth it!  I do wish I had saved room for Vanilla Bean Gelato because I had ice cream envy when my Mom’s came out.  I was cracking up that they used a candle she couldn’t blow out – so fun to be a kid again and to see my mom so happy!  It was a great birthday celebration!

Tonight I got the total hook-up!  Do you all remember how I wanted the Starbuck’s Re-Usable cups but they have been sold out forever???  My Niece works at Starbuck’s and was able to buy a couple for us as soon as they came in – Yahoo!!!  You know what is crazy, she said people have been selling these on E-Bay for $80 since they cannot be found anywhere….funny! 

When we got home, I had a fantastic package waiting for me in the mail – My FAVORITE Balega socks that I won from Amanda’s running giveaway!  I cannot wait to use them – Thanks Amanda!!!

It was a busy but good day.  I am completely wiped out now so I am off to relax!

See you all in the morning after my Weight Watcher meeting. I am challenging myself to a week of tracking every single BLT (bite, lick, taste) and meeting all my daily requirements beginning tomorrow.  I feel like I have strayed too much lately so it’s time to reel myself in…..Feel free to join in and we can encourage each other along the way.

Nite!

“Amazing” Army Green Smoothie….

Happy Saturday all!  This morning I was up early to do some running around before we take off for the day.  I figured after all the “heavy” eating I’ve been doing lately with work that I needed to start my day off with something good for me and good for my body. 

The star of breakfast today was Amazing Grass Pomegranate Mango Infusion Amazing Meal.

 

The entire package is only 1 Weight Watcher Point and it’s loaded with a BUNCH of great stuff to get you energized and ready to start your day.

 

It’s army green instead of the bright green like the other packs :)

Today’s Army Green Smoothie included:

1 ripe banana

1 mango

1/4 c TJ’s 0% Green yogurt (for creaminess & to help it be less powdery)

1 package Amazing Grass Pomegranate Mango Infusion Amazing Meal

Ice

  

All blended together and put in my Amazing Grass smoothie to go cup.  I LOVE this cup – seriously!  It allows you to take BIG sips and it seals so you won’t spill it.  Perfect for when you need to run around.

I actually LOVE this flavor I think more than any of the other flavors I have tried.  It tastes super fruity (maybe the added mango helped) and it almost has to be me the flavor of chewable vitamin C.  Probably not the best comparison, but, it does…..It is a little powdery tasting but it grows on you as you drink it.  YUM ~ I had no problem convincing myself to drink it all up and I am pleasantly full. 

I think this will carry me through until we have a late lunch!

Alright all ~ I am off to finish running around before I get ready to head out for the day.  We are celebrating my Mom’s 60th Birthday tonight so I won’t be back until later tonight!

Have a great Saturday ~ I know we will if I can just fit everything in that needs to get done!

Somersault Fun

For today’s working lunch, I got brave and ventured out trying a NEW Thai dish from the Thai Kitchen called Hot Basil.

I started out with a salad toped with their coconut peanut dressing – SO GOOD!  I seriously think if I could find a way to fit my head in that square box, I’d lick it all up LOL.

 

I remembered to order brown rice this time too – YUM!

Holy Jalapenos!!! Someone should warn a girl that when you order "Hot Basil, your “veggie” is jalapenos.  This dish was eh, ok, I didn’t like how they used “ground” chicken versus chicken breast slices.  The sauce wasn’t as hot as it looks with all those peppers – it was a little salty and a little spicy.  I actually think I prefer the Cashew Chicken with the dried chili’s.

 

I ate 1/2 my rice and 1/2 my Hot Basil before heading off to our afternoon meeting.  After our fun filled presentation, my co-worker shared the story of her trip to New Orleans with the Clif Bar people, In Good Company ~ So cool!  I would LOVE to do something like that but I know The Husband is way handier than I am…We do make a pretty mean team though LOL!

After the presentation and video, it was snack time!  You could get beer and wine too but I’d always rather EAT my calories than drink them.  I made up my first snack plate of cheese, crackers, veggies, dip, some mushroom tart (only ate 1/2 – it was weird) and an artichoke that had garlic/blue cheese on it that I NEVER ate once I heard that.  I did have 2 more crackers with cheese….I think I could LIVE on cheese and crackers.

 

The next plate was a dessert plate.  That fruit tart was VANILLA BEAN cream filled – YUM!  I took one bite out of the pink and yellow things to see what they were – they were super rich white & dark chocolate truffles so I passed on eating them.

 

I had to be “Mikey” for my co-workers.  They were all wondering what the little brown containers were so I grabbed one.  For you Creme Brule lovers, you’d dig this – Chocolate Creme Brule.  I WISH I was a Creme Brule fan, everyone always raves about it…..I had one bite and was pretty much stuffed at this point.

When I got home both The Husband and I had Fun Mail waiting for us from the people at SomerSault Snacks – Yahoo!  He was so excited to have a package with his name – it’s the little things I tell ya.  They wrap up their packages so cute.

I got Chez Cocoa & Salty Pepper.  I LOVE the little characters doing somersaults on the front – so cute!

The nutritionals are pretty good and so is the ingredient list.  Here is the Chez Chocolate Stats: 

And the Salty Pepper Stats.  Each bag contains TWO servings and feels like it is loaded with fun treats.  Not too shabby!

 

Reviews on my two flavors coming soon – I can’t wait to dig in.  The Husband couldn’t wait to dig into his.  He got Sea Salt & Salty Pepper.

He picked the Sea Salt to try first.

And I of course stole 1, then, 2, then, about 3 more.  OMG ~ These rock!  They taste like dry roasted crunchy sunflower seeds.  I LOVE the flavor even if the actual size doesn’t quite match the package :)

But, wait….it gets better. You can get your FREE SOMERSAULTS sent to you too.  Click HERE to sign up and score some if you didn’t already the last time I posted it.

I actually cannot wait to get back to cooking and eating normal again.  One more day of eating out celebrating and then it’s back to healthy cooking and eats.  I actually miss it – funny, huh?!

Ok ~ The Husband is patiently waiting for me to watch He’s Not That Into You (ok, well, maybe not to watch the movie since I picked it, but, waiting for me to hang out with him LOL)

Have a great night all ~ see you in the morning for breakfast & maybe some Farmer’s Market finds before we head out for the day! 

I Heart “Bernie” Surprises…..

Happy Friday all!  The weekend is almost here and I am totally looking forward to it.  We have some fun things planned which I cannot wait for.  What do you all have planned this weekend?

My day started off with another visit from Bernie.  Annie’s is coming out with all their favorite crackers and graham cookies in little 1 oz packs in 3 flavors—Honey, Friends and the ever-popular Cheddar Bunnies.”  I am digging those nutritional stats and the fact that you can recognize/pronounce EVERY ingredient!   YUM – I cannot wait to dig into my Honey Grahams! 

View Full Album

This morning I took The Husband a Starbuck’s and picked up a couple of things.  First was a Venti Nonfat Decaf Iced Latte with caramel drizzle.

And the other was their perfect oatmeal.  Here is the crazy thing to me about their perfect oatmeal with all the toppings.  This is what it consists of:

* 1 package Quaker Instant Oatmeal for 140 calories

* 1 package of brown sugar for 50 calories

* 1 package of mixed nuts for 100 calories

* 1 package of Berry Blend (looks just like the TJ’s blend) for 100 calories

Add it all up and you would have a very SMALL 390 calorie, 8 Weight Watcher Point bowl of oatmeal that would probably leave you hungry still.  Crazy, huh?  While I am sure it IS tasty with all those mix-in’s, I decided to make up my own version using some of there items and some of mine.

* 1 package Quaker Instant Oatmeal – I really do prefer old fashioned or steel cut, but, this was ok for a quick fix

* 1 package of the berry blend

* a handful of blueberries with a couple of raspberries

* 1/2 a banana

* Sprinkle of the mixed nuts – maybe 1/3 of the package

* Dash of cinnamon

YUM ~ Love oatmeal even if it’s quick!  I actually had forgotten that it is Farmer’s Market Friday at work.  I decided to have my Farmer’s Market snacks for my AM snack.  I picked a pluot, some grapes and today I had the Kettle Korn.  OMG – I LOVE kettle korn but it is sooooo addicting.

 

My new site is almost finished too!  I am working with Zesty to put the finishing touches on it and I know it is going to look fantastic!  I cannot wait to share it with you all because it looks so good so far.  I am thinking Monday will be a good launch date – fingers crossed!

We have an offset meeting this afternoon so I may not see you all until late afternoon/evening.  I hope your day is flying by like mine.

Have a Fantastic day!

Dinner in Bed…..Plus What I learned

When I got home tonight, I decided to check on my organic Sweet 100 Cherry Tomatoes that I am growing.  I was SO EXCITED when I saw a little BABY tomato starting to grow!  Since I am a dork like that I immediately went running into the house to show The Husband this single tomato…so cool!  I am proud I’ve kept them alive so far…Yeah!

And there are a TON of little yellow flowers just waiting to grow more baby tomatoes!

For dinner tonight, I decided to grill up some of the Farmer’s Market veggies we have in the fridge so I can restock this weekend.  Do you all remember that purple bell pepper I bought last weekend?  Check it out on the inside – it’s totally yellow/white – who knew?!

I chopped it up with the summer squash, red onion, green bell pepper and a few carrots.  Then, I seasoned them with 2 cloves minced garlic, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Balsamic Vinegar, Sea Salt and Freshly Ground pepper.

  

I used my Pampered Chef Grill Basket and cooked them for about 10 minutes, until they are crispy, crunchy and slightly browned/blackened.  While the veggies cooked, I grilled up The Husband his 1 lb steak he was dreaming of ALL day.

I think it’s cool that the Purple Bell Pepper stays purple when cooked unlike the green beans.

For a quick side, I made up Annie’s NEW 5-Grain Elbows & White Cheddar.  I LOVE this new Mac – it might just be my favorite one other than I like Shells better than elbows.  Shells hold the cheese inside :)

Plus some super sweet white corn.

And a scoop of grilled veggies

With a small piece of grilled steak. I wasn’t planning on having any steak since I wasn’t too hungry but The Husband said I couldn’t carb out at dinner and should have some protein :)  I grilled the steak his favorite way with a little garlic salt, pepper and A-1.

All together dinner was totally filling, fast and delicious.

The best part – we ate dinner in bed :D  The Husband told me yesterday he has been missing me with his hours so we had a picnic in bed and watched The Phone Booth until the cable said it would be back in a few minutes….that movie never came back up – what is up with that?  So we moved onto watching CSI  Fun!

QUICK THOUGHTS ON WHAT I LEARNED DOING THE RECIPE CHALLENGE:

* I am completely honored to have made the Top 5 Finalists with my recipe for a site that I have used for years….This will always be a highlight in my life – win, lose or draw.

* I finally signed up for FaceBook! Ok, so I STILL have no clue on how to use it.

* I actually started Tweeting for real…maybe….

* I learned I can seriously become a little OCD wondering – what’s the tally at now?! Who else can I ask to vote? It was a full time job trying to market myself.  LOL 

* Thanks to those who listened to me and encouraged me as the results went up and down.  I think I turned into a little bit of a basket case mid-way through with the highs and lows but you were all there to pick me up and remind me to stay positive.

* I have more friends and supporters than I ever knew.  Words cannot begin describe how I feel or even do it justice.  Whether you know me in life, through my blog or heard about me through a friend, you all went to such lengths to help me get votes….from giving me a shout-out on your blogs/twitter/facebook, hosting giveaways, to telling your friends and families to vote, to borrowing computers of your co-workers and family.   I am totally amazed and FEEL loved by everything you did to help out!

* I WISH I could personally thank each and everyone of you for believing in me and continuing to support me through the process whether I was ahead or behind.  You ALL really ARE amazing!  If there is anything I can ever do to return the favor, please do not hesitate to ask….I’d be glad to pay it forward!

Have a great night everyone ~ I am off to grab a few hours of snuggle time before he has to head into work!  I’ll see you all in the morning….1 day until the weekend is here – Yahoo!  I cannot wait!

Working Lunch….

Today was insanely busy as we prepared for a big meeting we have tomorrow and an even bigger meeting we have next week.  I survived and managed to make a decent choice for our working lunch.  The place picked for lunch was a local Mexican food place called Taqueria Rosita 2, aka TR2.  Isn’t their website sorta crazy? I have to admit I kinda “dig” their van LOL.   I WISH we could’ve eaten there versus eating as we worked because they have tables outside and well it just looks fun!

I am a BIG sucker for chips and fresh salsa especially when it includes fire roasted veggies.  I of course snacked of a few chips and salsa and then some more :)

I then grabbed a piece of the chicken quesadilla appetizer with a little GUACAMOLE.  It was eh, ok, but, got ALOT better with some of that salsa!

 

For my main dish I picked 2 chicken tacos with corn tortillas – YUM!

You can’t tell in the picture, but the chicken is cooked in that salsa and has such an incredible flavor.  This definitely hit the spot and I kept working away.

 

This afternoon I wasn’t really hungry from my heavy lunch, but, I wanted something sweet.  I remembered I had a back of Annie’s Organic Bunny Fruits in my purse – LOVE these and the fact that they are made with REAL juice!

Did you all see the SWEETEST COMMENT I think I’ve ever had on my site ever this morning?  The Husband (aka Jay) left me his FIRST comment ever – I actually didn’t think he read my site.  I have to say, it made me a little misty eyed reading it – LOVE him!

Check it out for yourself……He was the Anonymous writer proclaiming his LOVE for me:\ :)

i just wanted to say that i love you... and i'll be done working my crazy EARLY morning hours next week. Then, life back to normal. I'm so proud of you and your "blogness". I think i made a new word. You're doing a wonderful job. Anyway, i voted for you.... and i'd do it a million times if i could. Have an awesome day!! love, jay

Coming up next….The Husband’s requested dinner menu for tonight!

Today is the last day to Vote 4 me to Win!

This morning for breakfast I got down to a little Bee’s Knee’s :D I absolutely LOVE this peanut butter ~ honey + creamy peanut butter = LOVE!!!

I started off topping my Orowheat High Fiber 1 Weight Watcher Point Whole Wheat English Muffin with a 2 Weight Watcher Point nice smear of The Bees Knees!

Then came my favorite pb topper ~ Bananas!!!

But, I really thought I could make this breakfast sammie even better by adding Pluot “Jam”.  WOW – what an amazing combo this turned out to be.  Sweet, Crunchy, Creamy and so fun to eat!

I also had the extra fruit on the side.

 

All together it was the perfect fuel to start my day and kept me full all morning for a total of 5 Weight Watcher Points – woohoo!

 

Today is a super busy day, but, I hope to find time to share what I’ve learned on my journey this week, catch up on your comments,  visit your blogs to say hi and many thanks!  Your support, readership and friendship amazes me.

Thanks again to everyone for your continued support…..Today is D-Day…..the last day to VOTE for my Nectarine Raspberry Sorbet over Fresh Fruit – Click HERE to VOTE!

Have a fantastic day – see you all later this afternoon!  Keep on VOTING!

Going with the flow

Tonight I went with the flow of where everyone wanted to go to eat.  We ended up at Panda Express since we all couldn’t agree on a place :) LOL….I LOVE Chinese food but I often prefer to make it since you can make it so much healthier.  I was surprised to find that the nutritional stats at Panda Express are not too bad if you stay away from the known bad for you items.

I normally ordered the Mixed Vegetables when they give you the option of fried rice or chow mein.  But, not having my afternoon snack and waiting so long for dinner left my eyes WAY bigger than my stomach.  I decided to order 1/2 and 1/2 of each and ironically I only ate 1/2 and 1/2 of my 1/2’s….make sense?! :D LOL….Along with my carb overload, I had…

A bunch of crisp mixed veggies – steamed with soy sauce.

Plus some green bean chicken…LOVE this dish and it’s only 3 Weight Watcher Points!

I might have also stole 2 bites of The Husband’s Orange Chicken and Mushroom Chicken.

Doesn’t their Chinese food look pretty delish for being fast?  I have to admit, it wasn’t half bad.  Oh I had my fortune cookie too because honestly I EAT Chinese just for that little cookie with a message.  Have you all noticed I have a thing for foods that talk to me yet? LOL….

It was a good night out with some fun bonding with The Husband and his Mom (Mother-In-Law sounds so formal).

My Summer Dessert also got selected to be on FoodieView as a featured dish of the day – how cool is that?!  Click HERE to check it out!

Thanks again to EACH and EVERY one of you who has gone above and beyond in helping to VOTE! for me in the MyRecipes.Com Best Summer Desserts contest.  I plan on posting what I’ve learned from this whole experience tomorrow.

For now, there is STILL one day left to my Nectarine Raspberry Sorbet over Fresh Fruit – Click HERE to VOTE!….Just think after tomorrow you all won’t have to hear me say or ask you to do that anymore :)

Ha! Have a great night ~ See you all in the morning!

I NEED your VOTES!!! :D

Today for lunch we had to run some errands for work – Shopping for work can be fun!!!  I actually was so wrapped up in the suspense of the voting for the Best Summer Desserts contest that I forgot to have my mid morning snack.  I picked up some Honey Roasted Cashews while we were out because I was starving.  I had a small handful of these delicious nuts.

While out shopping we decided to pick up some sushi to go.  I grabbed a Hawaiian Roll ~ Spicy Tuna, Cucumber, Avocado, two types of spicy sauce on top – LOVE it!  I only managed to eat about 3/4 of this though because I wanted to save room for our AVOCADO rolls.

I split these awesome AVOCADO rolls with my co-worker.  I LOVE the sweet chili sauce they give you for dipping – so good!

Thanks to everyone for your continued support in VOTING for me to WIN the MyRecipes.com Best Summer Desserts Contest.  I really appreciate everyone who has helped to give me a shout out, held a contest, tweeted about it and just plain encouraged me.  Because of you all, I had the lead this morning by over 300 votes.  One of my competitors managed to beat that huge lead you all gave me today and now I NEED your votes to get ahead.

Tomorrow is D-Day – the final voting day!  So here is what I would LOVE for you all to do!!! 

* If you have a blog, please give me a shout out by posting this link and have having everyone vote.

* If you can vote again, please VOTE

Tell one, tell all, VOTE, VOTE, VOTE!  Ask anyone and everyone you know to vote – I would LOVE to win this contest!!!!

The Husband, his mom and I are heading out!  See you all for a late dinner!

Blueberry Protein Pancakes with Fresh Blueberry Syrup

Happy Hump Day All!!  I am so glad the week is 1/2 over!  Be sure to VOTE for me today so I can maintain the the lead you all helped me get yesterday!!

This morning I decided a “fun” and “fruity” breakfast was in order.

Blueberry Protein Pancakes with Fresh Blueberry Syrup

Ingredients

1/2 c ff cottage cheese
1/2 c uncooked oatmeal (quick cooking or old fashioned)
1 egg
1 egg white
1-2 T ground flax seed
2 T maple flakes (could use agave or sucanat or brown sugar, etc)
Splash of vanilla extract
Dashes of cinnamon & salt
handful of fresh blueberries, 1/2 blended in and 1/2 stirred in

Toppings: Fresh Blueberry Syrup (recipe below), fresh fruit, Greek Yogurt

Directions

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).

Serve up with your favorite toppings or pure maple syrup, fruit, almond butter, etc. The options are endless.

Number of Servings: 2

Calculated using Sparkrecipes.com

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 194.7, Total Fat: 5.2 g, Cholesterol: 106.3 mg, Sodium: 255.7 mg, Total Carbs: 21.2 g, Dietary Fiber: 3.6 g, Protein: 15.4 g

I made up 4 pancakes that included a few blueberries blended in to make them BLUE and a few blueberries stirred in for chunky blueberriness throughout.

 

While I mixed up and cooked my pancakes, I cooked the Fresh Blueberry Syrup.

Fresh Blueberry Syrup

1 c fresh blueberries

1/2 c water

1 Tbsp PURE Maple Syrup

Combine the blueberries and water in a medium sauce pan over medium high heat.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until majority of the water is reduced.  Remove from heat and stir in the maple syrup.

Makes about 1/2 cup of Fresh Blueberry Syrup, 8 Tbsp, 2 Tbsp per serving

Calculated using Sparkrecipes.com

Amount per 2 Tbsp serving (4 servings total)

Calories 25.3, Total Fat 0.1 g, Saturated Fat 0.0 g, Polyunsaturated Fat 0.1 g, Monounsaturated Fat 0.0 g, Cholesterol 0.0 mg, Sodium 2.9 mg, Potassium 32.3 mg, Total Carbohydrate6.4 g, Dietary Fiber 1.0 g, Sugars 1.3 g, Protein 0.2 g

I topped my 2 pancakes with the Fresh Blueberry Syrup, 1/4 Trader Joe’s 2% Greek Yogurt and fresh blueberries/raspberries.  OMG ~ absolutely amazing!!!!  The best part is that my entire meal was only 6 Weight Watcher Points!

   

And now the moment you all have been waiting for…….The winners of my Annie’s Giveaway!

The Annie’s NEW Mac & BBQ Sauce Winners are:

61. Anne on Thu, 16th Jul 2009 3:54 pm

You're on my blog roll

Anne’s favorite way to use Annie’s BBQ is on Tofu!

75. Lisa on Thu, 16th Jul 2009 7:49 pm

I love to use Annie's BBQ sauce on my tofu…it is soooo good!

128. Mandy on Wed, 22nd Jul 2009 2:03 am

4th comment… I subscribed!

Mandy’s love using Annie's bbq sauce on chicken!! SO yummy… but then.. and yes, i'm weird… but I love adding the bbq chicken right into my Annie's Mac 'N Cheese!!

 

Congrats ladies ~ Please email your snail mail addresses to me at danicasdaily@gmail.com and I will get your prize packs out ASAP!

Thanks for playing along everyone – I LOVED reading all your comments on how you would use Annie’s BBQ sauce.

TODAY’S FUN STUFF:

* Check out the Hungry-Girl’s article in the LA Times – I had the chance to be interviewed to let everyone know how awesome she is – woohoo!  Click HERE to read it!

*  I won Amanda’s Balega Socks Giveaway – yahoo!  I LOVE their socks!

* HOLEY DONUTS GIVEAWAY ALERT!!! I know you all have been wanting to try out these fabulous donuts, be sure to Click HERE today to enter!

PLEASE VOTE AND TELL EVERYONE YOU KNOW TO VOTE FOR MY NECTARINE RASPBERRY SORBET OVER FRESH FRUIT!!! Click HERE to VOTE NOW!

A Healthy BBQ BLTA Wrap….

Tonight’s dinner was all about super fast and exactly what The Husband requested.  I LOVE it when I can modify a fattier recipe to make it healthy and have him LOVE it all the same!  I replace the “mayo” with a healthier fat in avocados and swap out the fatty bacon (even center cuts are not so good) for 97% Minimally Processed Turkey Bacon.  For my VEGANISH friends, make this using Fakin’ Bacon and I guarantee you will LOVE it just the same!

Here is everything you need to whip up a fast, healthy BLTA in under 10 minutes!

* Organic Mixed Greens

* Trader Joe’s 3-Seeded Bread (I LOVE this bread, have you noticed?)

* Avocado

* Big Tomato, I am using one of the Heirlooms I got at the Market

* Trader Joe’s 97% Fat Free Turkey Bacon ~ Make it VEGAN by using Fakin’ Bacon

* Freshly Ground Pepper

I decided to take my BLTA a step further and use these 8-Grain VEGAN Wheat Tortillas that I get at the Farmer’s Market.

And add a little Annie’s Organic Sweet & Spicy BBQ Sauce.

I started out by toasting my tortilla a little and topping it with a 1/4 sliced avocado & freshly ground pepper.

  

Then, I added my tomato slices & Annie’s BBQ Sauce.

Plus 2 slices of TJ’s turkey bacon that I cooked in the microwave ~ 1 minute per slice to get it nice and crispy!

 

Wrap it up and enjoy ALL 6 WEIGHT WATCHER Points of goodness!

I had my “lettuce” on the side since I forgot to put it in the wrap LOL.  I added a few cherry tomatoes and drizzled it with balsamic vinegar (after the picture of course).

All together with a POM Spritzer, it was a completely filling and satisfying dinner!

After dinner, I had the chance to open up my “fun mail’!  Nicole from Time, Inc. hooked me up with THE COOLEST Thank You package for posting my interview with Anne Cain.  The MyRecipes.com people are just so nice ~ they didn’t have to send me any Thank You gifts as I thought it was such an honor just to be able to host the interview!  Yeah!!!  Just another reason why I LOVE MyRecipes.com! 

Some heavy duty, stainless steel MyRecipes.com measuring cups!

A reusable MyRecipes.com Grocery Bag that folds up and snaps!

A Real Simple Apron!

A fun Birthday Calendar, Real Simple Organizing 3xt cards and a VERY COOL Mouse Pad Todo list organizer.  The top is your mouse pad and the todo list organizer is a tablet that you slide out to use – Fun!

View Full Album

The prettiest Wooden Card Box too!  The Husband said this is a Southern thing, but, I am not sure – is it??  Either way I totally LOVE it and it is our house colors too – yeah!

Here is everything all together – LOVE it!!!  Thanks, Nicole ~ You ROCK – I LOVE it all and cannot wait to use it!!!

You have just a few more hours to enter my Annie’s New Mac & BBQ Sauce Giveaway – Click HERE before Midnight to enter!

Keep sending the LOVE for my Nectarine Raspberry Sorbet over Fresh Fruit – Click HERE to VOTE!

I am off to spend a little time catching up on your comments, blogs and reading/relaxing a bit!

Have a great night ~ See you all in the morning for a Berry-licious breakfast!

I am feeling the Blogger LOVE ~ Thanks all!

I have to send a HUGE thanks to all of you ~ You are seriously helping me ROCK THE VOTE!! Words cannot describe how lucky I feel to have such fantastic followers and blogging friends! I am truly touched and beyond words……

I owe a special thanks to my good friends who gave me a shout out yesterday and to those who gave me a helped me get votes today ~ Thanks Kath, Caitlin, Bobbi & Erica for believing in my and giving a voting call!

Meghann ~ You always amaze me and are such a great friend to have! Thanks for giving your readers some incentive to make it to the voting polls and vote for me~ You Rock!!!

I am back in the lead thanks to all of you ~ Keep those VOTES coming because I have to maintain my lead through Thursday!!!

Ok ~ enough mushy, gushy stuff and onto the rest of my day. I HAD to get out at lunch because I had so much nervous energy going on ~ the suspense! I hit up the treadmill at the gym and pounded out 35 minutes of run/walk intervals. It felt amazing and I burned 369 calories.

I came back and made up a FANTASTIC Sandwich.

* 1 Slice Trader Joe’s 3-Seeded Bread, toasted

* 2 Tbsp Artichoke Hummus

* Organic Mixed Greens

* 2 Slices 97% FF honey ham & 3 slices 99% FF honey roasted turkey

* 1 slice Tillamook Colby Cheese

* Cucumber Chips aka Pickles

So amazing….I LOVE HUMMUS and Cheese on really good bread!!! I think I could eat this sammie EVERY DAY!

For dessert, I had a nice fruit salad that I only managed to eat 1/2 of before getting pulled into a meeting.

* 1 Plurine

* 1 Puot

* Handful of raspberries & blueberries

All together with fizzy water (minus 1 bite ~ oops!), it was a VERY filling lunch!

When I got out of my meeting, I had this HUGE plate of bites sitting at my desk ~ What?!?!?!?! Co-workers can be such a bad influence I tell ya! One of my co-workers hit up The Model Bakery and brought treats for us to all share. They said that I usually like to just try them and gave me one bite of each LOL…..My other co-worker bought my FAVORITE cake on the bottom right ~ Strawberry Fields……I pondered taking it home to The Husband, but, then, I decided to dig in.

As you can see, I didn’t get very far before I was on over the top sugar load. Surprisingly I didn’t really like too many of the things (even all that Red Velvet Frosting) ~ shocker huh?!

Needless to say I didn’t need my healthy afternoon snack *sigh*

I am off to figure out dinner for The Husband before he has to go to bed. Maybe I should start getting up with him at 3 am to get my workouts in…I just think that might be too early!

Don’t forget to enter my Annie’s New Mac & BBQ Sauce Giveaway – Click HERE before Midnight to enter!

Oh and in case you didn’t already know, keep rocking the VOTE!

See you all for dinner!

I got a FREE Starbuck’s Pastry

Happy Tuesday all!  Did you all make sure to get your FREE STARBUCK’s Pastry this morning?  If not, Click HERE to print out a coupon you can use today until 10:30 AM.

Since I “had” to take The Husband a Starbuck’s on my way into work, I made sure to take advantage of their giveaway.

I started out with a Venti Iced Nonfat Decaf Misto with Caramel Drizzle for 2 Weight Watcher Points (90 calories).  Not a good idea when going decaf because they use the hot coffee over the ice and it tasted like water.  I think I’d rather just spend one more point next time and get an iced latte.

 

I picked the Low-Fat Triple Berry Coffee Cake for my FREE pastry – YUM!  I LOVE this and it’s totally worth 6 Weight Watcher Points to me!

GIVEAWAYS:

* Enter Bobbi’s Anniversary Giveaway – Click HERE!

*  Today is the LAST day to enter my Annie’s New Mac & BBQ Sauce Giveaway.  Click HERE before Midnight to enter!

ROCK THE VOTE ~ VOTE FOR MY NECTARINE RASPBERRY SORBET OVER FRESH FRUIT!!

Have a fantastic Tuesday all! See you all for lunch…

A little bit of this and little bit of that

Since I did not have to cook tonight for The Husband, my dinner was a little bit of this and a little bit of that.

I started out with some leftover Summertime Tortellini Pasta Salad.  It is still pretty tasty on day 2 but I have to say I LOVE it more on day 1.

 

And a Lowfat Sargento Colby Jack Cheese Square for more protein (only 1 Weight Watcher Point!)

I felt sorta full, but, like something was missing – I needed a little breadiness to go with my meal.  So, I toasted up a piece of TJ’s 3 seeded bread with a little whipped butter.

YUM ~ There is nothing like nutty sourdough bread and butter to complete any meal.

I am perfectly content now ~ I am off to read and get to bed early.   It’s been a fun day, but, I think all the excitement has me wore out.  I am glad I kept my commitment to myself today – we all have a choice we can make each day.  I “chose” to make Monday a fantastic day and you know what – it turned out to be one!  Maybe there is something to that whole “believe it will happen and it will” philosophy! 

Check out my Annie’s Mac n Cheese & BBQ Sauce Giveaway – you have 4 chances to win!

ROCK THE VOTE ~ VOTE FOR MY NECTARINE RASPBERRY SORBET OVER FRESH FRUIT!!

Nite all!

I have so much to tell you all….

First, I have to start out by saying sorry for missing out on posting all day until now ~ it’s been such a busy, but, completely exciting/fun day for me.  Where do I start……

I owe Hungry-Girl a HUGE Thank You for Tweeting to everyone today to VOTE FOR MY NECTARINE RASPBERRY SORBET OVER FRESH FRUIT!! 

Thanks also goes out to JulieGoLean and Janetha for posting a shout out on their blogs to VOTE too!  I really appreciate it you all – I need all the votes I can get to win….TWO more days to VOTE – pass it on!

I started out my day bright and early taking a Starbuck’s to The Husband ~ They had samples of the Low-Fat Triple Berry Coffee Cake…..YUM!

 

And, then, today, I think my brain wasn’t working. I thought I’d save a few calories and get a Cafe Misto, but, she said they were out of decaf so I ordered a Venti Decaf Americano with a splash of nonfat milk and caramel drizzle.  Holy Strong coffee-espresso, but, I cannot deny I LOVED her use of heavy caramel syrup – YUM!

I have been craving mangos lately (so weird since I never used to like them).   The toughest decision was whether I wanted it as a smoothie or a parfait.  The parfait won!

1 big mango, sliced and chopped

1 small banana, sliced

1/2 c TJ’s 2 % Greek Yogurt

Drizzle of Dark Agave Syrup

2 Tbsp Kashi Honey Almond Flax

Sprinkle of unsweetened organic coconut

 

This was so good and tropically!  Is it just me or do you all think that mangos look so big, but, by the time you cut them, there isn’t really that much fruit?

After a busy morning filled with lots of fun news, my co-worker and I headed out to use our winning Whole Foods gift card.  I made up the HUGEST salad totaling 1.4 lbs!

 

Let’s see if I can remember everything I put in there.

* Romaine

* scoops of corn, edamame, peas, corn, garbanzo beans, kidney beans

* shredded beets, carrots, zucchini, summer squash

* One gigantic roasted beet

* A few cherry tomatoes

* a big scoop of cioppino onions – LOVE these balsamic marinated onions!

* An egg – I only eat the whites!

* Salads ~ Citrus Soba (no flavor), Spicy Peanut (YUM!)

* I actually forgot to add any nuts (like I needed them) and this salad had so much flavor I didn’t need any dressing.

OH ya and 3 of these GIGANTIC butter beans – they are as big as the cherry tomatoes.  I managed to eat about 2/3’s of my salad before I had to give up.

Do you all remember my fantastic interview with Anne Cain from MyRecipes.com?  When I got home I had probably one of THE COOLEST EVER gifts waiting for me!  She sent me aw awesome cookbook to thank me for the interview ~ The Best of Cooking Light Everyday Favorites Cookbook!! How did she know this is one cookbook I don’t have?!

I cannot wait to whip up some recipes from this cookbook – there are over 500 to choose from  - Wooohoo!!!! I LOVE IT and know I will be spending all night looking at all the fantastic pictures deciding which “science project” I am going to cook for The Husband next!

  

My other cool news of the day:

* I WON Krittie’s giveaway for a $25 Gift Card to The Noodles and Company – woohoo!!!!  I cannot wait to get all noodlely….Thanks Krittie!!

* I also got to do a fun interview for an article today that I am hoping to be able to share with you all this week.

* My new site is officially in the works being finalized and I think it will be a “go” on Thursday to share with you all.  Even more scary, posting from it too……fun!

I think that is everything I can remember….Pretty good for a Monday, huh??

It does get  a little better in that The Husband wanted cereal for dinner so that means no cooking for me – yahoo!  Now I am off to figure out what I am having for dinner.  I’ll let you all know what I decide in a bit.

There is only one day left to enter to win the Annie’s Mac n Cheese & BBQ Sauce Giveaway? 

Be back in a bit….

Hi all ~ Just a quick note that I’ll see you all this afternoon with some fun stuff!  I am in the works of updating my new blog to have it ready for you all this week! 

My Monday is awesome so far and I hope yours is too!

In the meantime, VOTE AWAY one my Nectarine Raspberry Sorbet over Fresh Fruit!

A Summertime Tortellini Vegetable Pasta Salad

It was just TOO HOT today to even grill so we changed our plans and ended up making an AMAZING Tortellini Vegetable Pasta Salad.  I had no rhyme or reason for making this salad, it was just a combination of everything that sounded good.  So light and refreshing – I can’t wait for leftover’s tomorrow.

A Summertime Tortellini Vegetable Pasta Salad

1 Package Fresh Tortellini ~ I used TJ's Pesto Filled Tortellini

1 cup cherry tomatoes

1 cucumber, quartered – I used 2 lemon cucumbers

1/2  red bell pepper(s)

1 medium corn on the cob, cut off the cob

15 oz canned garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

2/3 c chopped sugar snap peas

1/2 package TJ’s Marinated Mozzarella Braid

1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped

3 Tbsp chopped fresh basil

Sea Salt & Freshly Ground Pepper to Taste

For the dressing:

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 lemon, juiced

1 tbsp honey

1 tsp Dijon mustard

Cook the tortellini according the package directions, cooking on the least amount of boiling time.  You want it firm, not mushy so if it lists 4-6 minutes, cook for 4 minutes.

Combine everything in one bowl, stir, cover and refrigerate for about 30 minutes. 

Eat as is or serve over mixed greens.

Makes 6, 1 cup servings for 7 Weight Watcher Points

I served mine over ~ 2 cups of organic mixed greens and let the vinaigrette season it ~ SO Delish!  The Husband gave it 4.75 stars out of 5.  He couldn’t give it 5 because his favorite pasta salad is still my VEGAN Pasta Salad (3 WWP).

All together with another POM Spritzer Mock-Tail – I LOVE juice + fizzy water!

1) VOTE for my nectarine raspberry sorbet over fresh fruit!!!

2) Have you entered all the ways you can to win the Annie’s Mac n Cheese & BBQ Sauce Giveaway.?  There is is still time to enter and win.

I am off to read my book and get to bed early.  The Husband is watching some show on the Bot Fly ~ it’s so creepy!  At this point I am not wanting dessert because I am full and well THAT show LOL….but, I’ll be sure to let you know if I bust out some Nectarine Raspberry Sorbet over Mango, Watermelon & Cantaloupe.

Have a great night all!

Playing Catch-up….

Sundays are usually my days to do nothing if I want to because I get everything else done on Saturday.  It was completely nice to get a massage/relax yesterday, but, now I have to play catch up on everything. 

Let me recap the rest of yesterday.  We both were not too hungry when we left to go to the Poker Tourney so I packed up some snacks and since we had to Bring Our Own Drinks, we made a quick stop ~ Venti Non-fat Decaf Iced Latte with caramel drizzle on top and a bottle of water for me.

When we got to the party they had snacks out for everyone.  I made up a little tray for both The Husband and I to share.  Can you guess which side is mine and which is his?!  I had the veggies, crackers and cheese – he had the chips and wieners.  I did steal a chip though…..

Mid-way through the party it was time to celebrate our friends 22nd Wedding Anniversary.  They actually had it on Wednesday, but, who ever passes up a chance for cake.

I picked a corner piece because it’s all about the frosting for me.  Normally I pass on store bought cake but I think the lack of a “real” dinner tempted me more than usual.  The cake was eh, ok, it honestly was a huge sugar bomb and didn’t taste that good.  I figured it wasn’t worth the calories so I had 3 bites and slyly tossed it. 

The Husband rocked the poker tourney!! He took me out (putting me in 4th place – yes, I STILL gave him a ride home after that :o) and he took 3rd place getting $$.  It was a fun night and it was great to catch up with all our friends.

Fast forward to today.  I slept in a little then headed to my Weight Watcher meeting. I am trying to give Sunday's a go over Saturday for a change.  Right now they keep rotating leaders since the lady I was going for isn’t doing it.  Hopefully they find someone “cool” soon.  After my meeting I was starving, so I broke out my Amazing Grass Chocolate Green Super Food Energy bar.

I LOVE how it is coated in chocolate!  That was definitely a nice surprise.

I broke it in 1/2 and had a 2 Weight Watcher Point Serving.

Yup, it’s GREEN inside too!  I actually LOVED this flavor.  It was crunchy from the nuts and I could totally taste the cashews.  The chocolate really added a nice flavor too.  Out of the TWO flavors I’ve tried, this one is by far the best.  YUM!

1/2 of this bar did an excellent job at keeping me full ALL morning long.  I have now completed 3 loads of laundry – 1 to go, went to Sam’s Club and the grocery store plus cut up a watermelon/cantaloupe and made The Husband some Healthier Potato Salad.

Lunch today was absolutely fantastic!  I started out with 1 slice of Trader Joe’s 3-seeded bread and toasted it a little.  I topped it with the Artichoke Hummus I got at the Farmer’s market.

Then, I added some 97% fat free brown sugar ham and honey turkey from the deli plus a slice of Tillamook pepperjack cheese.

For sides, I had a small scoop of my Healthier Potato Salad.

Plus a sliced up Heirloom tomato topped with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.

Plus cucumber “chips” on the side.

I decided that my cucumber chips belonged in my sandwich so I added them and the flavor of my sandwich exploded – SO GOOD!  I need to remember this combo is fantastic!

For dessert, I had some watermelon and cantaloupe.

All together with some freshly brewed iced tea this lunch was incredibly filling for 7 Weight Watcher Points!

I am off to finish up laundry, run to TJ’s (must have GREEK YOGURT!), stop by the library and finish prepping some food for the week.  I am going to pre-cook a few things to make this weeks cooking go faster since The Husband needs to eat early and get to bed early.

Ugh ~ did I mention it’s BLAZING HOT today.  When I got in my car at noon my thermostat said 112..  Granite my car was sitting in the shade and it probably isn’t THAT hot, but, still……

1) VOTE for my nectarine raspberry sorbet over fresh fruit!!!

2) Have you entered all the ways you can to win the Annie’s Mac n Cheese & BBQ Sauce Giveaway.?  There is is still time to enter and win.

Tonight’s dinner is all about grilling out and keeping the heat outside.  See you all for dinner!

Massages make me want to do nothing…..

Can I just say our massages were FANTASTIC?! Ok, well I LOVED mine, The Husband said his was just ok.  They used hot towels and hot stones throughout the entire 90 minute massage complete with chocolate body butter on our hands and feet ~ ahhh! 

After our massages we were both pretty hungry, so we went to one of The Husband’s favorite sandwich places, Buckhorn’s Grill.  He LOVES their aged, smoked, grilled tri tip and today I decided to join in on the fun instead of getting my usual Yik Yak salad.

I started off with my side salad with an amazing Honey Basil Vinaigrette.  I need to try to replicate this dressing – it rocked!

I ordered the Big Buck because I knew I’d be giving 1/2 the sandwich and meat to The Husband.  He can seriously eat a whole tri tip himself.  I had 1/2 this sandwich with 1/2 the meat removed so I could save room for……

SWEET POTATO FRIES!  I had 1/2 of these and probably a couple more ~ straight up, dipped in ketchup and dipped in BBQ sauce – LOVED THEM!

The Husband wasn’t up for a movie so we decided to come back and just relaxed.  I am so completely relaxed now that i feel like doing nothing.  I did have a chance to finally catch up on all your blogs and now I am off to read a little bit before we head out to our friends for a Poker Tournament – yeah!

* VOTE for my nectarine raspberry sorbet over fresh fruit.

* Enter my Annie’s Mac n Cheese & BBQ Sauce Giveaway.

I am still not hungry so not sure what dinner will be!  See you all in the morning and remember to

I Heart Thrive Bars!

Happy Weekend all!!! I am so pumped for today as we are going to have a blast.  I started my morning off with going to the Farmer’s Market and scoring a fun “colorful” array of fruits and veggies.  Then, it was home for a quick yogadownload.com Gentle Hatha Yoga Session (seemed to fit the day), breakfast and we are off for our 90 minute STONE MASSAGES!  I think we are going to lunch and then to see The Proposal too after to stay cool – it’s HOT today! Yahoo…..

Before, I get onto today, I have a quick update for our late night snack ~ The Husband and I opened up a bag of the Mr. Krispers Sea Salt & Pepper ~ So good, so addicting!  I am glad you get 35 in a serving!  Don’t let The Husband’s hand fool you – he didn’t grab from my pile – he grabbed the bag LOL!

I LOVED today’s Farmer’s Market!  I wait ALL YEAR for them to come out with their “Plurines”!  It is a cross between a white nectarine and a pear – they are so crunchy, sweet and juicy.  I bought a bunch!

Along with some Pluots (cross between a plum & apricot) – so crunchy and sweet!

I stocked up on colorful organic veggies ~ bell peppers, summer squash, Armani an cucumber, lemon cucumbers and some more of those fantastic heirloom tomatoes.

 

I LOVE these tomatoes….Any ideas for tomato recipes because we now have a ton!

 

Organic Purple Green Beans ~ I am going to add lemon juice or vinegar this round to see if they keep their color.

Candy Cherry Tomatoes – we ate all of these last week by Thursday LOL!

I couldn’t wait to get home to dig into a Plurine so I had one in the car on my drive home.

Plus a Pluot when I got home.

 

And to round out my breakfast, I decided it was time to try an Apricot Heart Thrive Bar.

I LOVE the heart shapes – they make eating a bar fun!

The inside is loaded with fruit and goodness.  Not bad for 3 Weight Watcher Points!

The first bite I had it raw and then decided it would be better toasted.  It IS way better toasted so if you have them toast them!  At first I noticed the flour-i-ness of them all, but, the flavor really grew on me as I ate it.  It has an almond extract taste, not so much apricot but the flavor is good.  I really enjoyed it and definitely look forward to trying the other flavors too – YUM!

I have to share this picture with you all because our kitty seriously makes me laugh.  That mat we bought just for her so she knows to stay on it when we let her inside.  I LOVE how she sits like a panda bear to clean herself – so funny!

Alright all….I have to get in the shower so we can go get MASSAGED!

If you do TWO THINGS today, do this:

* VOTE for my nectarine raspberry sorbet over fresh fruit.

* Enter my Annie’s Mac n Cheese & BBQ Sauce Giveaway.

Have a great Saturday all – I probably won’t be back until later this afternoon/tonight!

A dinner inspired by my readers….

As soon as I walked in the door, I knew I needed a nice cool, refreshing Mocktail.  It’s over 106 degrees here today, but, does that even matter….once you get over 100 it’s just all hot, right?

I used a splash of my POM Wonderful 100% POM juice with some Perrier Fizzy water and lots of ice!

 

It was so good and refreshing!  I LOVE POM juice because it is 100% juice and naturally sweet.  The Husband quickly downed the rest of my two bottles :)

Then, it was time to break open the TWO fun packages I got in the mail today.  I feel like it’s my birthday lately with all the cool stuff I am getting!

The first package was from C.G. Foodie.  It was my prize for winning the June Mystery Ingredient Challenge with my Filet Mignon in a Strawberry Mushroom Marsala Sauce over Chive Butter Noodles.

 

* A super cute card, fun mug that was stuffed with TEA, tea mix-ins, lots of bars and a high fiber vitamin lollypop (interesting!).  LOVE it – Thanks, C.G!

Next up, was a package that I was completely not expecting!  Hikari – YOU ROCK!!!!!  I noticed last week that Hikari at Sonoma Crisps updated her blog and raved about the new Raisin Crunches!  I already thought they were fabulous as they were, but, they added CINNAMON and took out the wheat flour.  The ENTIRE BAG is STILL only 2 Weight Watcher Points!

 

I couldn’t resist breaking open a package right then and there.  I “almost” didn’t get a container, but, I remembered my rule to never eat straight from the bag.  OMG – these are SOOO AMAZING – I LOVE the new mix.  The hint of cinnamon really makes them that much better.  They remind me a little of Raisin Bran, I think.  They are crunchy and “pop” when you bite into them.  I do have to warn you all though – they are highly addictive.  I am definitely going to have to stock up on these!!!

 

I couldn’t figure out why I have been craving Chicken-less Nuggets and BBQ sauce, but, then I remembered I have been reading ALL YOUR fantastic comments on how you will use the Annie’s BBQ sauce.  So, tonight’s dinner, I decided to make based on what you all have been recommending!  I broke out some of these and heated up the house (ugh – not my brightest moment!)

    

While the “nuggets” cooked, i made up a BIG salad loaded with a lot of crunch and flavors.

In the mix:

* Romaine

* Fresh Corn

* Shredded Carrots

* Cucumber slices

* Green Onions

* Tillamook colby cheddar

* Red Bell Pepper

* Cherry Tomatoes

* AVOCADO

* Raisin Crunch!!!

For dressing, I decided to take your recommendations and top my salad with some fantastic BBQ sauce!

View Full Album

All dressed up with some Annie’s Sweet & Spicy BBQ sauce ~ YUM!!!!

Ok ~ so the funny thing about this salad is that I didn’t tell The Husband that the chicken nuggets were “chicken-less”.  He ate them but said they sure didn’t taste too good like real nuggets :D  I thought they were good LOL….He just saw me typing this ~ woops!

After dinner we took a little drive……for something cool and something fun!

I think whenever the temperature is over 100 degrees there is a definitely need for a 3 Weight Watcher Point Low-Fat Vanilla Ice cream cone!

We also picked up a little scratcher fun too!  No worries, I won’t be retiring tomorrow – I only won another $2 ticket *sigh!

GIVEAWAY ALERT!!!

* Amanda is giving away some fantastic running gear.  Click HERE to enter.

* Lauren is celebrating her Blogiversary with a cool giveaway – Click HERE.

* Enter to get your Annie’s Mac & Cheese & BBQ Sauce pack by clicking HERE!!!

Help me win the Best Desserts contest ~ Click HERE vote for the Nectarine Raspberry Sorbet over Fruit!! Be sure to tell all your friends and have them vote too!!!

Alright all ~ I am off to relax with The Husband and read my Body For Life book ~ so far I am completing digging it! Thanks for the recommendation Janetha!

See you all tomorrow morning after my run and before our STONE MASSAGES!!

A day of celebrations…

Wow ~ What a Friday!  It’s been a fun filled, busy day with some FANTASTIC news.  I am still in my little state of happiness for making the Top 5 Finalists for the Myrecipes.com Best Desserts contest!  I have never entered any of my recipes in any contests before ~ so cool!

This morning I got my day started with a  Kashi Blueberry Flax Protein waffle topped with a little whipped butter and natural apricot preserves.

 

Plus a container of TJ’s Organic 0% Vanilla Bean Greek Yogurt for some protein.

And a super sweet, juicy pluot, sugar plum and a handful of blueberries.

All together my breakfast really hit the spot for 6 Weight Watcher Points!

 

My co-worker made up a cream cheese, smoked salmon, dill bread platter to celebrate her 1 year anniversary here!  I have to admit I’ve never tried smoked salmon before and was a bit scared due to the fact I only seem to like raw sushi salmon LOL!

I took one square and you know what – it wasn’t that bad!  I liked the smokey flavor and it was not fishy at all.  I have a feeling anything with whipped cream cheese and a super soft baguette would be good though :)

  

Lunch was totally made up on the fly.  I made up a cheesy hummus wrap!

 

* 1 Whole 8-Grain Tortilla

* A smear of that whipped cream cheese above

* Black Bean Chipolte Hummus (there are whole beans it in – LOVE it!)

* 1 slice Tillamook Pepperjack cheese

* Cucumber slices, carrot strings and a sprinkle of cilantro & green onions.

All wrapped up it was a fantastic combination!

 

I also had a small plate of leftover pad thai to go with it.

Then, it was time for yet, another celebration ~ another co-workers birthday!  This cake is so cool – one of my co-workers made it – decorations and all – so cute and oh pretty darn tasty too

 

 

Ok ~ I think that brings me up to speed with you all.  I am not sure of our plans tonight (maybe another celebration for being in the Top 5!!!  I am totally looking forward to the weekend!  Tomorrow we are getting a 90 minute Couples Relaxation treatment – massage and more – ahhhhhh!!!

* You can still enter my Annie’s NEW Mac & BBQ Sauce Giveaway.  Click HERE!

* Plus, rock the VOTE FOR MY NECTARINE RASPBERRY SORBET OVER FRUIT ~ Click HERE to vote.  I am hoping you can vote more than once but I’ll let you all know tomorrow if that is the case.

Have a fantastic Friday night ~ catch you all later!

I am a Top 5 – Finalist ~ VOTE for me!!!

Can you all believe it?!  I made the Top 5 Finalists in the My.Recipes.com Best Summer Dessert Recipe!!!!!

Please VOTE FOR ME – Click HERE and vote on the Nectarine and Raspberry Sorbet!  You can vote as many times as you like from now until July 24th!  Go ahead and get a little OCD :)

Thanks everyone!  I will be back later with updates on today – working on a deadline!

My Farmer’s Market Date….

The Husband called me up on my way home and asked if I wanted to go on a “date” with him to the Farmer’s Market!  I tell ya, that boy definitely knows the way to my heart – obviously my answer was YES!!!

I really wanted to walk to the market but it was just too hot outside so we took a short drive there, parked and strolled through the market checking out all the fruit and veggie samples.  YUM!

We scored some fantastic deals (I spared you all so many pix again):

* 5 ears white corn for $1

* 1 BIG cantaloupe for $1.50

* 3.5 lbs of nectarines/pluots/peaches for $1/lb

And THESE TWO fantastic HUMMUS spreads.  The Hummus Guy had like 20 flavors to choose from so I went with two that are different.  I LOVE the spice of the harissa in the black bean and the artichoke is just plain good with the roasted garlic.  I cannot wait to make up a hummus wrap using these!

I visited the ridiculously priced shaved ice vendor again because it’s one of my favorite things.  This time I bought a large 1/2 banana and 1/2 bubble gum to share with The Husband. (Yup, still a rip off at $3.75 but totally worth it in the heat!)

The Husband wanted to get his beef stick, but, they were all out.  So he settled for the grilled teriyaki chicken.

And I stole a little piece – I LOVE grilled chicken.

We decided to stop at the new Pizza By The Slice place that just opened up, Evelyn’s Big Italian Pizzeria.  I LOVE the story of the owner’s and how they started out in Italy with their pizzeria before moving to NYC, Chicago and then California.  Everyone was so friendly and helpful.  We sort of didn’t believe them when they told us that the pictures are the wall were the ACTUAL size of the pizza.

  

And then, our single slices came out!  WOW – check out The Husband’s – that is a full size fork next to his piece.

 

My veggie pizza slice didn’t even fit on my plate!

 

That is some serious veggies too!  Their tomato mixture was had a bruschetta flavor that packed a nice vinegar/herby punch.  The dough was crispy and chewy and honestly pretty amazing!

I did my best, but only managed to eat about 1/2 of my piece.  I should’ve cut it in half so I could have enjoyed that crust!  I did cut a small piece of it off.  We ate outside in the shade and it was just so nice.

 

We pondered heading to the movies to see The Proposal, but, The Husband didn’t think he could stay up that long.  We are relaxing now and getting ready to call it a night!

Did you all see my fantastic Annie’s Summer Mac & BBQ Giveaway?  Click HERE to enter.

Nite all!

I heart Thai & fun mail!

My legs were telling me that after 3 days of jogging after my jogging hiatus that Body Pump and more cardio would not be a good thing.  So, I decided to give my legs a break and have a fun chat session with my co-worker at Thai Kitchen!  It was AMAZING as usual!

I started out with a salad with awesome Thai Peanut Dressing – I think there may actually be a hint of coconut flavor in there too.

 

And, today they brought out soup too ~ cool!

I ordered the Cashew Chicken ~ I am so hooked on the sweet/spicy flavor of this – I really need to move on and try something else….this is just so amazing.  I forgot to order brown rice :( so I only ate about 1/2 my white rice.

 

My co-worker ordered the Chicken Prik – LOVE all the veggies in her dish.  I have to admit I was a little jealous of those green beans!  Wouldn’t it be fun if they used the purple green beans?!

And because we couldn’t decide on having a main dish of a noodley dish – we got pad thai!  I had a small scoop of this ~ so good!  I have leftovers for tomorrow too – yeah!

I really think it was the HEAT, but, we decided some fried bananas with honey and coconut ice cream was needed.  SO GOOD, but, I am sure you all already knew that!  I had 1/2 that ice cream and 2 slices of banana……then rolled back to work :)

Now, THIS was something NEW they didn’t have last time and I have to say I thought it was “ice”.  It’s actually a coconut jelly candy – the flavor is interesting like coconut plus coconut milk flavor….but, the texture – so funky! No gummy, but, sorta rubbery and it doesn’t dissolve – you chew it.  Funky monkey – not sure if I liked the texture…. 

Do you all remember last time we were trying to figure out the green stuff?  No, still do not know what it is, but, we did learn that they have Jack Fruit in the ice cream….fun!  My lunch kept me full all afternoon, but, I did have a snack while driving home in traffic ~ Some Annie’s Sunny Citrus fruits. Soft, fruity, good and gone in seconds…..I wish traffic worked like that!

When I got home, I had TWO fantastic packages waiting for me.  I honestly cannot wait to dig into both! 

The first was an awesome package from The Healthy Baking Company.  They sent EVERY flavor of their VEGAN Heart Thrive Energy Bars.  I LOVE the shape – little hearts and that you get TWO in a package.  The ingredient list is awesome and they even list the Weight Watcher Points on each one ~ LOVE that!  I now know what I am having for breakfast tomorrow – woohoo!  Reviews and more coming soon!

The second package was from POM wonderful!!!  They sent me 8 of the cutest 8 oz 100% POM Juice bottles!  I can already see some POM Spritzers and POM Chicken recipes using this fantastic juice.  I will definitely be providing you all with some reviews, uses and recipes, health benefits and more on POM soon.

Coming up next, my fun Farmer’s Market date with The Husband!!!

Be sure to check out my Annie’s NEW Mac & BBQ sauce giveaway…..I am thinking I need to throw some extra Annie’s stuff in there for the winners!!! There are 4 ways to enter to win one of THREE prize packs!  Click HERE!

Happy “Friday Eve” all!

I am so glad the weekend is almost here and it’s Friday Eve!  I didn’t sleep very well last night, but, then again, I am sure waking up for an hour while The Husband heads out at 3 am probably doesn’t help either :)

I took The Husband another Starbuck’s today and picked up another 3 Weight Watcher Point iced fat free decaf latte with caramel drizzle on top to help ward off the over 105+ degree temps they are predicting.

 

My brain was not working this morning for breakfast.  The only thing that sounded good was my Blueberry Protein pancakes, but, that would require me making them.  Where is your own personal chef when you need them, huh?!  So, I opted for the next best alternative ~ An Apple Graham Cracker Holey Donut for ONLY 4 Weight Watcher Points!!!

Check out how much APPLE PIE filling gets packed into these – LOVE IT!!!  I LOVE how doughy and soft these baked healthy donuts are.  It’s like having a super filled apple pie with sweet, doughy bread ~ YUM!

 

My morning snack was not as exciting, but, it definitely hit the spot.  I had a bunch of fresh watermelon and a low fat Sargento Cheese Square.  I LOVE watermelon this time of year – so refreshing!

  

Quick recaps for the past two days:

Tuesday’s stats:

Calories burned: 2,708

Steps Taken: 9,689

Wednesday’s stats:

Calories burned: 2,520 (afternoon meetings kill my step/cal count)

Steps taken: 8,557

TODAY’S FUN STUFF!

* Click HERE to get FREE SOMERSAULT Snacks!!!

* Fun SWAG Giveaway ~ click HERE.

* Heather is having a fantastic giveaway in celebration of friends, click HERE.

* Nutters for Futters giveaway ~ Click HERE.

* Click HERE if you want to have a chance to win the new Annie’s Mac & BBQ Sauces!

I think the Whole Foods Salad bar or maybe sushi! is calling me for lunch today!  It’s way better than leftovers :)

Have a fantastic “Friday Eve” type of day!  Two days and counting….see you all later!

MyRecipes.Com Interview w/Anne Cain

A few weeks ago Nicole from Time, Inc. contacted me with the opportunity to interview one of the MyRecipes.com Food Editors. I was beyond excited when I discovered that I would be interviewing one of the fabulous Senior Editors at MyRecipes.com, Anne Cain. She has assisted in writing several of the cookbooks I own from Cooking Light to Weight Watchers as well as several of the recipes I’ve made from MyRecipes.com.

MyRecipes.com is one of my absolute FAVORITE recipes sites that I use all the time. They host all the Cooking Light recipes that you frequently see me make and I am addicted to the daily Dinner Tonight as well as weekly newsletters that they send out. I can honestly say that I LOVE everything about their site .

Before I jump into my interview with Anne, here is a little about her from their website.

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

Image and profile courtesy of MyRecipes.com.

Anne Cain, a registered dietitian, is the senior food editor for MyRecipes. She comes to MyRecipes after a 17-year stint at Oxmoor House, where she edited over 25 cookbooks including the award-winning All-New Complete Cooking Light Cookbook, Wine, Food & Friends with Karen MacNeil, Best-Ever Secrets from the Cooking Light Test Kitchens, Cooking Light Superfast Suppers, The Cooking Light Way to Lose Weight, Down-Home Diabetic Recipes, and The All-New Complete Step-by-Step Diabetic Cookbook. From 2000 to 2001, she was the editor of Successful Living with Diabetes, a diabetes food and lifestyle magazine. Living with Type 1 diabetes for over 39 years, she has particular expertise in the area of nutrition and diabetes.
She received her undergraduate degree from Auburn University, and master's degrees in both clinical nutrition and public health from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

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

When I first spoke to Anne I have to say her cute Southern accent stood out and I LOVED it. She was incredibly friendly and a pleasure to speak with. I really admire the fact that she LOVES her job everyday and looks forward to it. I can see why ~ she gets to create, edit, make and taste test recipes for a living! (I wonder if she wants to trade jobs with me :D LOL….)

1. What was the first cookbook and/or recipe that you ever published?

The very first cookbook Anne wrote while she was working for Oxmoor House was The Complete Step by Step Diabetic Cookbook. She also shared the story of her very first recipe that she had to create for a job interview ~ A meatless dish that she was pretty sure wasn’t too good. However, it was a start and she landed the job so I bet it was amazing.

2. What is your favorite "go-to" recipe for summer gatherings? What did you make to celebrate July 4th?

Here are a few links to some of her favorite cookout recipes that she makes all the time. But, like the true chef, she does modify and throw additional things into the recipes based on what sounds good. She likes to put a healthy spin on her dishes and often adds extra chunky veggies to her salads.

Classic American Potato Salad

Potato Salad 101

She shares the same passion as I do about recipes and cookbooks. Her favorite go-to cookbook that she uses all the time is Cooking Light Superfast Suppers: Speedy Solutions for Dinner Dilemmas. Her husband thinks she is the BEST cook when she makes the Beefy and Black Bean Soup pg.66 (use soy crumbles to make it vegetarian). Her latest favorite appears on page 249 ~ the Sesame Tuna made with Ponzu Sauce instead of Soy Sauce.

3. People seem to have so many different diets these days with the most recent focus being on vegetarian/vegan. Do you have a favorite diabetic, vegan and/or gluten-free recipe?

She focuses on choosing recipes based on how she feels and what she is craving. During the summer, it’s often salads (Caprese salad is her favorite – mine too!) She will pair her salads with a fantastic Myrecipes.com grilling recipe such as these:

Lemon and Oregano Rubbed Chicken Paillards

Grilled Chicken Hot off the Coals

We ALL need dessert ~ Two of her favorite low-sugar recipes that she makes for company are:

Cookies ‘n Cream Crunch – you can modify this one by using different cookies or ice cream! How good does that sound?!

Grapefruit Sorbet – her go to recipe that she has often during the hot Alabama summers.

Diabetic Desserts – an excellent link for those look to find more recipes like the ones above.

4. How has your food philosophy changed over the years with the food trends? (For example, mine would be that I have followed several “diets” which lead me to Weight Watchers to counting calories to Clean Eating and even Clean Eating mixed with vegan...)

Anne has been diabetic since she was 12 years old so she has always had to watch what she eats with an emphasis on low to no sugar. Over the years, her eating has evolved from a low-fat stage to a low-carb stage with her focus now being on a healthy balance to include whole grains (whole wheat pasta, brown rice) and healthy fats (nuts, AVOCADO, salmon). She loves to eat what is “in season” and often shops at farmer’s markets. Like many of us, she is always focusing on how she can eat healthy while spending less.

5. I noticed that you had interviewed an author about the Beck Diet Solution. In many of the interviews that you have done with others, is there any common thread of "diet advice" or "nutritional advice" you’d give to everyone?

Anne used to provide counseling to patients at hospitals before she went into publishing. She offers up some fantastic advice for all of us. You really have to find something that works for you and your lifestyle. You may need to make some changes, but, they need to be changes you can live with. If you are a meat eater, you probably would not be happy going vegetarian. You need to find balance in your healthy eating and have it be something that is sustainable.

The best place to start is to look at what it is that you do now and find “little” changes you can make that you can live with to find balance. Little changes can go a long way and we all have to start somewhere.

6. I am a BIG fan of Myrecipes.com and I have an insane recipe and magazine addiction. I actually think I own several of your cookbooks too. What is your personal recipe collection like and how do you go about organizing your recipes?

Anne might be a tad bit more organized than I am when it comes to recipes. In addition to tagging her cookbooks with yellow post-its, she also uses the My Recipes file from Myrecipes.com.

Did you all know that Myrecipes.com has a fantastic “Recipe File” that you allows you to save and organize recipes -- both your own and those from the Recipe Finder. It also allows you to save menus along with customized Shopping Lists. You can sign up for your FREE recipe file by clicking HERE.

7. Is there anything you’d like to add or let everyone know?

Anne shared her philosophy on healthy eating, cooking and finding balance. Through the years she has learned that when you get diagnosed with something like diabetes, etc, that it isn’t a “death sentence”. It really isn’t that hard to make changes to eat healthy because there are so many good things and delicious foods out there to help you out. She has never felt deprived in all her years being diabetic and has learned that there are so many resources available along with easy tricks that allow her to enjoy the foods she eats.

The last thing we discussed I thought was really cool. It was about the Myrecipes.com Test Kitchen and all the thought/testing that goes into each recipe. Some of the things they consider in the test kitchen are:

* How is someone going to remake this at home?

* Does it taste good? Is it worth the Weight Watchers Points or calories for the serving you get? How can the reduce the calories?

* If they use 1/2 a packet of something, then, what will you do with the rest? They try to avoid making people buy something for one use only when possible.

* Picky eaters, time to cook, the shopping list needed to create the recipe, what it takes to get the dinner on the table….the lists go on. They really put A LOT of thought into each and every recipe.

All of the recipes in the Myrecipes.com are tested in a Professional Test Kitchen. They are looking into adding a symbol so that everyone knows this and providing a video for everyone to see the process of what it takes to get a recipe approved in the Test Kitchen.

Thanks again, Anne for taking the time to answer all of my questions and provide everyone with such fantastic advice (plus recipes links too!)

Please leave a comment below if you all have any questions you would like to know about Myrecipes.com or Anne. Anne said she would be happy to answer and I will pass them along!

Annie’s NEW Mac & BBQ Sauce Giveaway!!!

This just might be one of the BEST giveaways this summer in my book!  I know you all have been searching for the new Annie’s 5-Grain Elbows and White Cheddar ever since I posted about it HERE.   So, I decided it’s time to share the LOVE….and then some!

I am giving away THREE Fun Annie’s Barbecue packs to THREE lucky winners!  Each pack contains everything you need for a rockin’ summer BBQ – the sauce & the sides! 

Oh did I mention that ALL of Annie’s products fit the Clean Eating Guidelines (plus they are featured in Clean Eating Magazine!!)  There will not be a single ingredient you cannot recognize or pronounce!  Click the links below to check it out yourself!

PRIZE PACK #1

* The NEW Annie’s Organic 5-Grain Elbows & White Cheddar

* Annie’s Naturals Organic Hot Chipotle BBQ Sauce

* Annie’s Organic Shells & White Cheddar

* Annie’s Naturals Coupon to buy more!

PRIZE PACK #2

 

* The NEW Annie’s 25% Reduced Sodium Macaroni & Cheese

* Annie’s Naturals NEW! Organic Sweet & Spicy BBQ Sauce

* Annie’s Organic Peace Pasta & Parmesan

* Annie’s Naturals Coupon to buy more!

PRIZE PACK #3

* The NEW Annie’s Organic 5-Grain Elbows & White Cheddar

* Annie’s Naturals Organic Smokey Maple BBQ Sauce

* Annie’s Organic Shells & Real Aged Cheddar

* Annie’s Naturals Coupon to buy more!

HOW TO ENTER:

1.  Leave your FIRST COMMENT below telling me your favorite way to use Annie’s Barbecue Sauce.

2. If you have a blog, post a link back and leave a SECOND COMMENT here with the link. 

3.  Add me to your blog roll and leave a THIRD COMMENT letting me know you did or that I am already on there.

4.  Subscribe to my blog leave a FOURTH COMMENT letting me know you did or that you already do.

Please make sure you leave a valid link to your blog or email address so I can contact you if you win!  I wouldn’t want you to miss out :)

This contest will remain open until Tuesday, July 21, 2009, at Midnight (PST)!  Winners will be randomly drawn & announce on Wednesday.

Good luck everyone!!!

Creative “freezer” leftovers

I headed to the gym today for lunch ready to hop on the treadmill.  I did 4:1 run:walk intervals for 30 minutes with a warm up and cool down before heading back to work for a “spicetastic” lunch!

Today I took the other half of my Channa Masala from Trader Joe’s, added a chopped organic light green zucchini

 

and poured it over 1 cup of Trader Joe’s Frozen Organic Brown Rice. 

 

I topped it with a little green onion and cilantro for color…..

Then mixed it up all ~ it was fantastic!  I think I might like it better this way versus eating it with Naan TJ’s product and will definitely get it again!

I added some more color with a bunch of organic cherry tomatoes.

This was the perfect lunch to power me through all my afternoon meetings.

 

My afternoon sweet tooth kicked in and I snagged a few vanilla and cinnamon cookies from the breakroom.  LOVE the Vanilla – they taste just like the kind with cream in the middle, only there is no cream.

I ended up working late then rushing home to try to get dinner for The Husband before he had to go to bed.  He goes to bed around 6 pm lately since he has to be at work at 3 am.  He was trying to stay up to wait for me so I just grabbed Subway on the way home.  I originally asked for a flatbread, but, they didn’t have it.  I settled for a Turkey/Ham Sandwich on 9-grain honey oat loaded with all the veggies, fat free Honey Dijon and AVOCADO!

And a handful of Salsa Sun Chips!  I am a chip person when it comes to sandwiches, I LOVE sticking them in the middle for added crunch.

All together with a Perrier fizzy water and a BIG pluot that I didn’t eat.  I might have it later but I have a feeling I am going to join The Husband in bed soon.  I need to get a good 8 hours of sleep!

  

Coming up next…..My next giveaway ~ it’s everything you need for a fantastic summer meal!

It’s H-O-T today…….

Happy Hump Day All!  You know it’s going to be a hot day when it’s 72 degrees outside and it’s only 7 AM.  They said the expected high for today is 104 degrees – H-O-T!!!  I am definitely taking my workout inside today.

I really think that the heat impacts what I eat – I just not hungry and want everything that is cool.  I decided to check off my dairy servings for the day with another Venti FF, Decaf Latte with Caramel Drizzle on top…..sorry, I have to recycle my picture from yesterday since I drank 1/2 of it before realizing I had not taken a picture.

I rounded out my breakfast with a slice of Trader Joe’s 3-seeded bread topped with freshly ground almond butter – Soooo nutty good!

About an hour later, I decided I was still hungry so I had a banana.  I should’ve put it on my sandwich this morning :)

     

I think my whole week is busy, busy, but, that is good, it means time flies by so the weekend gets here faster.

Be sure to check out the TWO FAVORITE summer dessert recipes I posted for you all HERE and HERE ~ let me know what you think.  I couldn’t decide which one I liked best so I submitted both ~ that would be sooooo cool to be featured in the top 5 and then featured on the my recipes You’ve got to taste this!!!!  *Fingers & toes crossed* :)

Have a great day all ~ catch you all later this afternoon for more freezer eating creativity!

A Healthier Watermelon Bombe

Makes 12 servings

Presented by Danica at Danica’s Daily

One of the most popular desserts to have at a summer cookout is watermelon.  Why not take your watermelon a step further and make a Watermelon Bombe!  Your guests will LOVE the healthy flavorful combination of the lime, vanilla and watermelon.  I replaced the pistacio ice cream with sherbert and created my own sorbet to lighten up this favorite summertime dessert.  This is one of my recipe submissions to the myrecipes.com BEST Summer Desserts contest!

Ingredients:

1/3 cup honey

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup water

2 pounds of watermelon, rind removed, seeded and chopped

Juice of one lime ~ 1 Tablespoon

1 quart Key Lime Sherbert, slightly softened

1 pint Slow Churn Light Vanilla Bean Ice Cream, slightly softened

1/3 cup mini chocolate chips

Green food coloring, optional

Instructions

1. Spray a 3-quart metal or glass bowl with nonstick cooking spray or line with 3 overlapping pieces of plastic wrap, keeping the wrap as wrinkle free as possible and allowing the excess to extend over the rim by about 3-4 inches. Freeze until chilled, about 30 minutes.
2. To make the sugar syrup, combine the honey, sugar, and water in a small saucepan set over high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Reduce the heat and simmer 5 minutes. Transfer the syrup to a small bowl, cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, about 30 minutes.
3. To make the watermelon sorbet, puree the watermelon, in batches, in a food processor, transferring each batch to a medium bowl. Pour the puree through a sieve set over a medium bowl, pressing the hard solids to extract as much liquid as possible; discard the solids. Stir in the sugar syrup and lime juice. Transfer the watermelon mixture to an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer the watermelon sorbet to a bowl, cover and place in the freezer.
4. Place your lime sherbert in a medium mixing bowl, add green food coloring if using and beat slightly until softened and spreadable. Using a rubber spatula, spread the lime sherbert inside the bowl, making a ½-inch thick wall. Freeze until completely frozen about 30-40 minutes. Remove from freezer, beat vanilla ice cream slightly until softened and spread an even ¼-inch thick layer over the lime sherbert. Freeze until completely frozen, about 30-40 minutes.
5. Stir the chocolate chips into the watermelon sorbet and pack into the center of the lime-vanilla mold. Cover tightly with plastic wrap; wrap in heavy-duty foil. Freeze until completely frozen, at least 4 hours or overnight.
6. Remove the foil. Fold back the plastic wrap and invert the bombe onto a serving plate. If it will not come out of the dish, place in a bowl of luke warm water for 30 seconds to loosen. With a serrated knife, cut the bombe into wedges and place on chilled plates. Serve at once and Enoy!

Here are few step by step pictures to guide you through the process of making your own healthy Watermelon Bombe.

Add your GREEN food coloring to your sherbert to make it “greener”.  Then, blend slightly using a mixer.

Using a rubber spatula, spread the lime sherbert inside the bowl, making a ½-inch thick wall. Freeze until completely frozen about 30-40 minutes.  Repeat the process with the vanilla, creating a ¼-inch thick layer.

  

To make your watermelon sorbet, start out by pureeing your cut up watermelon and straining in through your sieve.

 

Freeze according to the ice cream maker's manufacturer’s instructions.  Stir in your mini chocolate chip “seeds”

 

Freeze until solid, 4 hours to overnight.  Invert your bombe onto a plate.

 

Slice into watermelon wedges and enjoy!

 

I LOVED the creamsicle flavors of the lime and vanilla followed up by the cool, slushy watermelon sorbet.  I also thought it was fun to find little chocolate watermelon seeds along the way. 

This is my second and final recipe that I am submitting to the contest.  I will be sure to let you all know if I make the Top 5 with this recipe.  If I do, I will definitely NEED your votes! :) 

I’d LOVE to hear your feedback on this recipe – What do you think?

Nectarine Raspberry Sorbet over Fresh Fruit

This is one of my favorite desserts to have during the summer. I LOVE the combination of homemade sorbet over fresh fruit. You can find a fantastic selection of using what is “in season” at your local farmer’s market to create a refreshing and healthy dessert that your guests will love. This is one of my recipe submissions to the myrecipes.com BEST Summer Desserts contest!

Makes ~ 1 quart

Presented by Danica at Danica’s Daily

Ingredients

6 ripe nectarines

1 pint raspberries

2/3 cup water

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup honey

1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

4 cups of your favorite farmer’s market fruit blend (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, nectarines, peaches ~ whatever is in season and full of color)

Instructions

1. Slice the nectarines in half and remove the pits. Cut the unpeeled nectarines into small chunks and cook them with the water in a medium saucepan, covered, over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until they’re soft and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Add a bit more water if necessary during cooking.
2. While the nectarines are cooking, rinsed your raspberries, pat them dry and blend them in your food processor. Drain through a sieve placed on a small bowl to remove seeds, reserving the raspberry juice. Set aside.
3. Remove from the heat and stir in the sugar and honey. Let cool to room temperature. When cool, purée the mixture in a blender or food processor until smooth. Stir in the raspberry puree and the lemon juice.
4. Chill the mixture thoroughly in the fridge, and then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. If you do not have an ice cream maker, place sorbet in a square baking dish and freeze until solid.
5. Serve your nectarine sorbet over your favorite farmer’s market fruit blend and enjoy!

Here are some step by step pictures that will take you through the process to make the BEST Summer Dessert out there :)

Start out by picking out your favorite fruit combination. I selected nectarines and raspberries because they just scream summer to me.

Slice the nectarines in half and remove the pits. Cut the unpeeled nectarines into small chunks and cook them with the water in a medium saucepan, covered, over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until they’re soft and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Add a bit more water if necessary during cooking.

Remove from the heat and stir in the sugar and honey.

While the nectarines are cooking, rinsed your raspberries, pat them dry and blend them in your food processor. Drain through a sieve placed on a small bowl to remove seeds, reserving the raspberry juice. Set aside.

Freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions or in a pan as noted above.

Serve your nectarine sorbet over your favorite farmer’s market fruit blend and enjoy!

I absolutely LOVE this recipe – it reminds me of the push up pops you’d have as a kid. The fruit gets an amazing flavor as the sorbet melts while you enjoy it. I like using the honey in addition to the sugar because it makes the sorbet creamier and keeps it from getting super hard in the freezer.

I will be sure to let you all know if I make the Top 5 with this recipe. If I do, I will definitely NEED your votes! :)

I’d LOVE to hear your feedback on this recipe – What do you think?

Heirloom Tomato Caprese Salad

After work I stopped over at Whole Foods to pick up a few things and some Cassava Chips that my Mom told me about. Have you ever had Cassava Root? It’s really good boiled in sea salt – it reminds me of a sweeter version of a Yukon Gold Potato. I was excited to try these after she raved about them.

The nutritional stats are not too bad for a “potato chip”.

I portioned some out like The Husband does :) and shared. We both really liked them. They have a sour cream and onion taste surprisingly for “original” flavor. I think it’s the garlic powder.

I really wasn’t hungry for dinner tonight, so I went with a lighter salad and some fruit. I started off slicing up the two beautiful Heirloom Tomatoes that I had picked up at the Farmer’s Market on Saturday. I seasoned them with a little sea slat and freshly ground black pepper.

Then, topped them each with a thin slice of low-fat mozzarella and 3 basil leaves off our plant, chopped. I drizzled a little Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Blackberry Balsamic with Pear Vinegar.

The result was absolutely amazing! I had four slices

with some watermelon on the side.

I know it wasn’t much for dinner as The Husband teased me about having vegetables and fruit, but, honestly, it was exactly what I was craving. Something light and fresh ~ It definitely hit the spot and allowed me to save room for dessert.

While we ran some errands, we made sure to stop and get a Low-Fat Ice Cream Cone ~ I LOVE these 3 Weight Watcher Point cones and could get them as a treat every day :D

I am off to bed ~ I plan on posting the recipes I’ve been telling you about all week tomorrow and there is a giveaway announcement happening this week (tomorrow or Thursday) that you will definitely want to WIN!

Thanks for all the great things you all say and I always love seeing your messages pop up in my inbox.

See you all in the morning when the week will be 1/2 over – yeah!

We won a Whole Foods Gift Card!!!

Just call me Bond, James Bond, Agent 007 and I had a side kick on today’s Mission.  The prize up for grabs was a $25 gift card to Whole Foods……The mission…..to tag as many Annie’s Natural Products with promotional coupons that everyone can enjoy….snap a picture and submit it in a top secret email disclosing our location. (BTW ~ Check out those SUPER SALES PRICES on Annie’s loot!!!  Make a note to stock up because it’s the prime season and the discounts are everywhere!)

We made a special stop at lunch to “tag” the suspects and guess what ~ We won, we won!!!!  How cute is the little bag that the gift card comes in…..We cannot wait to hit up the salad bar at Whole Foods for FREE~ woohoo!

 

We were obviously famished after having such a big task!  We popped over to BuckHorn’s Grill for a fantastic Yik Yak Salad “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”.  LOVE this salad but I could only finish about 2/3’sof it with a few bites of the tortilla.

I think we have come to the conclusion that all afternoons need to include some Gourmet Peanut Butter!!!  Today we broke out our 4 jars of PB and topped some chocolate wafer cookies.  I selected PB LOCO’s Chocolate Chip Cookie dough as my topper, but, I may have snuck a small spoon of the Dark Chocolate Duo or the Cocoa Banana too!

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!!! Ok, well, the cookie wasn’t as good as topping a Dove Dark Chocolate, but, it wasn’t too bad!

 

Today flew by and I STILL have so much to do.  I am not sure of the plans for dinner tonight but it is definitely going to be something that is cool and doesn’t heat up the house.  I have to rummage the freezer and pantry.

See you all later ~ I am hoping to have some special posts ready to go for you all to check out tonight – yeah!

I wish every day could start out like this….

Happy Tuesday all! Is that all, really, it’s only Tuesday…..It feels like it should be AT LEAST Wednesday.  I had the chance to start my day off in a different way today and all I have to say is that I wish EVERY day could start out like this.   This week was my turn to pick up the Farmer’s Market Goodies for work and since everyone is always gone on Fridays, I picked today. 

First though I was a good wife and brought The Husband as Starbuck’s since he had to go into work at 3 AM.  I couldn’t resist getting a Venti Non-Fat Decaf Latte with Caramel Drizzle on top.  It is similar to a caramel macchiato but it has less calories since I leave out the fake tasting sugary vanilla syrup.

Next, it was off to the Tuesday Farmer’s Market….I specifically went to this one because the Bolani Bread boys are there…..but, *gasp* They were NOWHERE to be found.  So bummed!  I still scored some fantastic stuff for the office.

 

White & Yellow Nectarines

White & Yellow Peaches

Pluots

Apricots

Plums

Asian Pears

Strawberries

Blackberries

Grapes

Red & Yellow Cherry Tomatoes

Lemon Pita Chips

Wheat & White Wheat Pita bread

3 types of hummus – Roasted Red Pepper, Artichoke something and Black Bean Chipolte

Cinnamon Roll Bread

Honey Sticks

I couldn’t decide what to get so I got a little of everything.  I did miss out on getting nuts though ~ Eh, oh well!  I made up a sampler plate for breakfast.

The Blackberries are amazingly sweet!

Plus some Fantastic Organic Strawberries!

Crunchy sweet grapes!

Some veggies to round it out  ~ two types or cherry tomatoes

 

Wheat Pita bread with a little sample of each (ALL amazing – The Hummus Guy might be my new favorite!) plus one gigantic lemon pita chip.  Yep, I ate hummus before NOON!

The Cinnamon Roll Bread was hot out of the oven when I got it.  She brought it straight to the market and didn’t even have me close the bags.  So doughy, sweet and good.  I actually went back for another 1/2 piece – YUM!  I cannot even describe how good this bread was even with the big chunks of raw sugar on top!

I will be snacking on all of this all morning ~ such a fun breakfast.  I LOVE sampler plates! 

Quick recap for yesterday & because I need to get back to posting these:

2,769 calories burned

11,705 steps taken!

TODAY’S FUN STUFF:

* Check out these TwitPix Gone Wild ~ so HILARIOUS – click HERE!

* Would you wear these Beauty Trends?  Click HERE to check them out!

* Take your towel & do Yoga on the Beach!! – Click HERE to print out the moves!

* Super cool NOODLE GIFTCARD GIVEAWAY ~ Click HERE to check it out!

I have a ton of stuff to get done today plus I am heading out to lunch with my co-worker who forgot her lunch.  It’s going to be completely hot again today over 100 degrees, but, I will fit in a workout at some point.  I am wishing now I did the 530 am water aerobics!

Have a great day all ~ see you all late this afternoon!

Tortilla & Black Bean Casserole

I have been wanting to make this recipe ever since I first saw the picture and read the ingredient list.  I took THIS Martha Stewart recipe and made a healthier version for dinner tonight. 

Tortilla & Black Bean Casserole

** Make it VEGAN by using Veggie Shredds Pepper Jack or Cheddar Cheese.

Ingredients

4 (10-inch) flour tortillas ~ I used Low-Fat Salsa tortillas
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 large onion, diced
1 jalapeno chile, minced (remove seeds and ribs for less heat)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 cans (15 ounces each) black beans, drained and rinsed
12 ounces beer, or 1 1/2 cups water – I used 1 Pacifico Mexican Beer
1 package (10 ounces) frozen corn
4 scallions, thinly sliced, plus more for garnish
2-3 Tbsp chopped cilantro 
2 1/2 cups (8 ounces) low-fat shredded Mexican cheese

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.   Spray a 9 inch round casserole dish with nonstick spray and set aside.

2.  Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Add onion, jalapeno, garlic, and cumin; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, 5 to 7 minutes.

3.  Add beans and beer to skillet, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; simmer until liquid has almost evaporated, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in corn and scallions, and remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper.

4.  Fit a trimmed tortilla in bottom of your baking dish; layer with 1/4 of the beans and 1/2 cup cheese. Repeat three times, using 1 cup cheese on top layer. Bake until hot and cheese is melted, 20 to 25 minutes. Sprinkle with scallions, cilantro and any other toppings you desire. To serve, slice into wedges.

Makes 6, 7 Weight Watcher Point wedges

Here is a photo recap of the process.  Start out by sautéing your veggies and spices.

 

Add your beans and beer.  Cook until the beer is almost evaportated.

Add your corn, cilantro and scallions.

 

Stir to combine and you get this beautiful mixture that smells amazing!

Start out by layering one tortilla and topping it with 1/3 of the bean mixture.

 

Top with 1/3 cup of cheese.  Repeat 3 times.

Bake for 20 minutes or until your lowfat cheese doesn’t really melt :)

 

Allow to cool for about 5 minutes and slice into 6 wedges.  Top with your scallions and green onions.

And the Salsa of your choice.

Tonight we picked “Smoke On The Mountain” from Big S Farms.  I LOVE the ingredient listing and the chunkiness of their salsa.  This medium salsa has a slightly sweeter taste than the Fire on The Mountain, but, in a good way.  It added fantastic flavor to this dish.

 

I also couldn’t resist adding AVOCADO.  I just really think you shouldn’t eat Mexican food without it!

This is served up on a salad plate so visually it looks like you get ALOT.  It is definitely a nice size serving for only 7 Weight Watcher Points.  I LOVED the flavor of the beans, but, I really think there needed to be more “spice” to this dish.  Maybe adding a can of diced green chili’s or putting the SALSA IN THE BEANS would have made it fantastic.  I LOVED the cheesy layers…….

The Husband was not a fan….in fact, he doesn’t even want the leftovers.  I guess I’ll be adding to the freezer since I cannot eat 4 servings in one week of this! Lunch tomorrow maybe…. LOL.

I also had dessert tonight BEFORE dinner (while it was cooking actually) but I cannot share it yet until I submit it.  I promise to share ASAP because it was AWESOME!

We received the CUTEST invitation for my nephews birthday party today.  I am not sure if my mom or sis made it, but, I had to show you all – so cute!

Oh and at the “ripe” age of 2, my “nephew” emailed us to tell us what he would like for his birthday….they must start them young on computers now a days :D LOL……

Alright all ~ I am off to type up recipes, maybe finish my interview too that I will share one day, I promise LOL, read and get to bed early.  Oh….guess that would be now since it’s almost 9 *sigh*  I have an early wake up call……

See you all in the morning!

I am the product reviewer today…..

My workout today was fantastic! Now I completely remember WHY I LOVE working out – it’s for how I feel during sometimes (empowered), but, honestly, it is for how it makes me feel AFTER! I spent 20 minutes on the Elliptical at 19 (to hit all muscle groups) with a tension of 5. I put on my fast paced music and tried to hold the beat. After, I hopped over to the treadmill for a 15 minute free for all. I changed the speed and grade every 10 seconds here and there, did a couple of sprints and cooled down with a little walking. It was definitely a fast, but, effective workout.

I came back to work ready for lunch. Keeping up with my need to eat up our freezer this morning I pulled out this new to me product I found at Trader Joe’s, Channa Masala. I am not a big fan of indian food, but, the combination of spicy and savory with chick peas got me.

It also didn’t hurt that 1/2 of this is only 3 Weight Watcher Points and the ingredients are CLEAN!

Here is 1/2 my cooked portion – sort looks like chunky baby food, huh?!

I used 1/2 a Whole Wheat Naan to scoop it up with ~ OMG – it was fantastic. It was spicy, but, totally loaded with flavor. I wasn’t sure I would LOVE it, but, by the end, I definitely wanted more.

I had some healthy crunch for sides. I learned that the Armani an Cucumber needs to be “rubbed” to have the bitterness taken out. OMG – it was awful since I didn’t rub the ends on both sides on the cutting board. I tossed the cucumber :( I used a little drizzle of Annie’s Naturals Lowfat Honey Mustard on my salad and had an additional side of cherry tomatoes with red bell pepper.

YUM!!!! My lunch was full of comfort and crunch – what a great combo.

For dessert I had a handful of Just Apricots for 0 Weight Watcher Points!

Although my lunch was tasty, it didn’t stick with me for long. I held out as long as I could before I had my afternoon snack. This morning my co-worker gave me this new Kashi Cereal bar ~ it’s 2 Weight Watcher Points. I LOVE everything Kashi but this bar was just eh, ok. It didn’t really fill me up and was sorta like a dry fig newton.

Part 2 of my afternoon snack involved these “healthy” Brown Rice Rice Krispy Treats I found at Trader Joe’s. I have to admit, I am a HUGE rice krispy treat fan so I couldn’t wait to try these.

I LOVE how BIG they are….a small nibble made me realize it needed to be topped with something fantastic. I am not sure I’d eat these bars plain or buy them again.

I enlisted my Peanut Butter Party Co-workers and we ALL decided that PB Loco Dark Chocolate Duo was the perfect “frosting” for our treat. I sectioned it into 3 pieces and we shared ~ YUM! You really can’t go wrong with anything peanut butter and chocolate, right?

Wow, that was alot of reviews for one post, huh?! LOL…..

I am not sure what is on the agenda for tonight, but, I am hoping to find time to work on the fun posts I have planned for you all (including another giveaway!)

Tonight I am trying out another new recipe….but I am missing TWO ingredients ~ beer & beans – must stop to get that!

See you all for dinner!

Summer Oats with Freshly Ground Almond Butter

Happy Monday all! Today is absolutely flying by ~ time flies when you are having fun, right?! I started my day off with a fantastic bowl of oats ~ this summery blend really made me realize how much I’ve missed oatmeal!

1/2 c Quaker Old Fashioned Oatmeal

1 c water

1 Tbsp TJ’s Berry Blend

1 Tbsp fresh blueberries

Dash of Cinnamon (forgot my flax seed :(

All cooked up in the microwave and then I mixed in my favorite toppings.

1 Super Sweet Nectarine

Handul of Blueberries

Sprinkle of unsweetened organic coconut

15 calorie Drizzle of Sweet Cactus Dark Agave Nectar

I LOVE having freshly ground almond butter on a spoon with my oats so that was added at the last minute. All together with a full Nathan bottle (working my water this week) and some Starbuck’s watered down decaf coffee.

Today is going to be super busy and we are back to HOT temperatures close to 100! I plan on heading indoors today to workout at the gym….I am thinking spinning or the Elliptical.

The Husband is taking his mom to lunch today since they both have the day off...He just called and they are having "lunch" at the Indian Casino....so jealous! LOL....

One of my goals this week is to work on using up our freezers and shelf staples…..I am going to be working on some new recipes to get a little creative – starting tonight.

Oh and I cannot wait for dessert – it is one of my favorites that I made this weekend. I will be sharing TWO FANTASTIC summer dessert recipes with you this week so stay tuned for that!

Have a great day all ~ Catch you all later!

Quick Sunday Recap

I decided that I needed to just focus on relaxing (me time), getting things done, helping out The Husband and staying away from the computer on Sunday. Sort of like a day off in a sense lol….I still managed to find time to catch up with you all though :)

To make this quick, I will just do a picture recap since my food was not too interesting.

We started out day out by running to Lowe’s for some house supplies which included a stop at Starbuck’s. I had a Venti Decaf Non-Fat Iced latte with a banana (I ate it before I remembered to take a picture).

Lunch was leftovers to clean out the fridge – the chicken rocks leftover, the pizza was eh, ok leftover – it’s better fresh.

Plus some watermelon as I cut it up.

In the afternoon I took my book and magazine outside to read while I watched The Husband do the part of the siding I couldn’t help with. I heart PopChips!

Dinner was fantastic. I took one of my homemade Spicy Black Bean Burgers out of the freezer, topped it with some Tillamook Pepper Jack Cheese and grilled it. For sides 1/2 a red bell pepper and cherry tomatoes – YUM!

Speaking of Cherry Tomatoes – Our mini cherry tomato garden is flourishing like crazy! The plants are getting so big and loaded with little yellow flowers – yeah! I cannot wait for homegrown tomatoes!

I am not sure if I told you all before or not, but, we bought our house to fix it up. It was built in the 1940’s and we have been spending the past 5 years restoring it. It is getting exciting for us because everything is really starting to come together. Here is our work in process for the garage renovation.

Here is a BEFORE picture of our garage (with the overhead roof and trims removed) aka The Husband’s tool workshop – it’s detached.

We are not done yet with replacing all the siding, but, here is the progress we made this weekend ~ A brand NEW door to go into the garage, a brand NEW big door and the start of our brick siding. We will be replacing all the white siding you see, adding our trims and painting. I will send you updates when we are done – we cannot wait! A few AFTER IN PROGRESS shots….

We LOVE our Nichia siding so far and we are not even done installing it all! That was our big weekend project – it looks sooooo AWESOME, then, again, I might be biased. The Husband does fantastic work and I make a pretty good tool girl LOL.

I will include more photos as we finish everything, but, this is our start!

Hope you all had a fantastic weekend ~ we worked hard, but, it was all worth it!

Be back later….

tonight or tomorrow with a quick recap for you all…..today has been a good Sunday!  See you all soon! :)

Hope you all had a fantastic weekend ~ we did!

There’s a new Mac N Cheese in town….

I cannot remember the last weekend where we didn’t have something planned.  However, after today, I am thinking, why don’t we have no plans more often!  I have had a great day getting things done, helping The Husband and having a little fun baking.

For my afternoon snack, I couldn’t wait to break into the newest bread I picked up at Trader Joe’s today ~ Three Seed Sour Dough Bread.

 

I toasted up and slice with a little whipped butter.  I LOVED the nuttiness of the sesame, poppy and sunflower seeds.

 

Next up, I decided I “needed” to make up the Starbuck’s Outrageous Oatmeal Cookies.  I followed the recipe on the recipe card, however, I used Whole Wheat Flour and Trader Joe’s Berry Blend for ALL the raisins and such in the cookie.  You can get your very own Starbuck’s Outrageous Oatmeal Cookie Recipe Card by clicking HERE. 

Here they are getting ready to get chewy and crispy in the oven!

I LOVE how loaded with dried fruit these cookies are.

The recipe card doesn’t tell you how many it makes, so I just made up 17 nice sized cookies.

 

Each cookie is 3 Weight Watcher Points as modified above.  I obviously made them smaller than at the stores because they are 8 Weight Watchers Points each in store.  They are super chewy, crunchy, cinnamony and loaded with fruit – so good that I had two!  

Do you all remember about a month ago I told you I have a visit from Bernie?  I have been dying to try our newest 5-grain flavor and can finally share with you the cool stuff he brought!  Two NEW Flavors of Annie’s Mac N Cheese.

   

Tonight we selected the 5-Grain Elbows & White Cheddar.  I LOVE that they are using a healthy mix of WHOLE grains all in one noodle with their classic White Cheddar sauce.

 

I cook all my Annie’s Mac by adding 1 Tbsp real butter with a small splash ~ 2-3 Tbsp fat free milk.  It makes the sauce super creamy.  I have to say that I think this may be our FAVORITE new flavor.  The noodles are really thick and chewy in a good way.  I can definitely see this mac n cheese filling you up if you didn’t have anything else with it ~ LOVE that!  I had a small scoop in the spot I left after I loaded up my plate with veggies.  

 

Plus BBQ chicken.

And some grilled zucchini, summer squash & onions with EVVO, a sprinkle of parmesan, sea salt and pepper.

 

And some colorful Grilled Organic Corn.

All together dinner was so good.  I LOVE filling up my plate with so many fantastic summer veggies.  I had some ice tea on the side that was too camera shy to show up :)

 

We got over half the siding on the garage today – it looks amazing!  I cannot wait to show you all.

I am off to snuggle with The Husband, relax and read…..such a fun couple we are, huh? LOL…..Have a great night all!

Meet Corn Husk Man…..

The Husband cracks me up.  He is the type of person who has a hard time sitting still and LOVES to do all the house projects himself.  We had our friend’s son install our garage door today and he was so antsy to help out or do something, but, there was nothing for him to do.  So, I decided to help entertain him with CORN…..HUSK! :)

 

Let me introduce to you some of his characters ~ The Mustache Man

 

The Biker Boy…..

 

Boy George ~ 80’s

Mo-Hawk Rocker Boy

Peace out…….

 

LMAO ~ Yes, that is the husk off the corn – It entertained him for awhile :D haha!   These pictures STILL crack me up.  He is such a clown!

So our new garage door is officially in, but, we are working on putting up the Nichia Siding before I show you before/after pictures.  I think we might have it up on the garage this weekend ~ Yeah!

All morning we snacked on the Cherry Tomatoes so that was my morning snack.  I LOVE them!  For lunch, we fired up the grill now that we have gas again (for the grill!)

I used my favorite 2 Weight Watcher Point Honey Wheat Buns from Trader Joe’s.

 

And added a 3 Weight Watcher Point Trader Joe’s Mango Chicken Sausage – LOVE these!

I whipped up another batch of Balsamic Dressing for our Organic Mixed Green & cherry tomato salad.

I also made up a “Mock-Tail” using Perrier with a splash of The Husband’s Tropical Lemonade.

View Full Album

All together is was a surprisingly fill lunch for only 6 Weight Watcher Points!

I am off to continue working on my Favorite Dessert Recipe and I think I might whip up a batch of the Starbuck’s Outrageous Oatmeal Raisin Cookies while I am at it.  I am helping The Husband with our siding in between it all too.

See you all later tonight for a cookie review and more grilling fun!

I went for the BIG one….

I LOVE sleeping in and waking up to sunshine!  Today is going to be a beautiful California day in the 80’s ~ ahhhh…..that just automatically puts you in a great mood.

I went to my Weight Watcher meeting today but didn’t stay because they had the same topic I heard on Sunday (oops, I forgot it goes from Sunday – Saturday – oh well) LOL….Maybe I’ll check out the topic tomorrow.  After  I headed to the Farmer’s Market and picked up some fun stuff.

I stocked up on my favorite tortillas ~ two flour – Wheat & Jalapeño Salsa and two corn ~ Green Chili and Traditional.

 

 

A fun organic Armani an cucumber plus two Heirloom Tomatoes.

Look at how beautiful these tomatoes look.  I am thinking they belong on a nice burger or in a wrap or maybe as part of a Caprese salad.

I went a little crazy on the organic cherry tomatoes, but, they ALL tasted amazing and we snack on them ALL day long.

 

Two organic white corn

An organic berry sampler ~ Strawberries, Raspberries and Boysenberries

 

Yellow Peaches and Nectarines

You know the funny part is I feel like I should have bought more LOL. 

The Husband had a special request for a big, tall, iced coffee from Starbuck’s so I decided to join him and I got the BIG ONE!  I Venti Iced, Nonfat Decaf Latte with caramel drizzle on top for only 3 Weight Watcher Points.  I picked up their Outrageous Oatmeal Cookie recipe too – I might have to try this!

 

I couldn’t resist the Low-Fat Very Berry Coffee Cake!  It was 6 Weight Watcher Points and totally worth it for the flavor even though I know it won’t fill me up.

Ok ~ I am off to get my day rolling.  Today’s agenda includes a few todos, a fun new recipe or two, some shopping and some relaxation!

I hope you all have a great day ~ I plan on it!  See you later.