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!

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!!!

The Amazing Grass Contest Winner is…..

Happy Hump Day all!  This morning I woke up craving Banana Nut Waffles!  I didn’t have any homemade waffles frozen so I cheated using Kashi Blueberry Flax Protein Waffles.

 

2 Kashi Blueberry Flax Protein Waffles

1 Tbsp Whipped Butter

1 small banana, sliced

3 Roasted Waluts (Roasted by placing them in the microwave for 1 minute, 30 seconds)

Drizzle of Pure Maple Syrup

I had TWO fantastic waffles like this and they were amazing even if my pictures did not turn out so great this morning!

And now the moment you all have been waiting for ALL WEEK ~ The winner of my Amazing Grass Giveaway generated by the Randomizer.org is:

#44

Vicky @ Cook of Death.  Her blog has some fabulous tips – be sure to check it all out!

Thanks everyone for playing along in my Amazing Grass Giveaway!  I LOVED reading about all the things you wanted to try.  No worries if you didn’t win, you can always check out their site and order online :)

I have other giveaways planned so you will still have a chance to win other cool stuff!

Quick BB Recap for yesterday ~ woot, wooot!

Calories burned: 3,053

Steps taken: 15,051

Today for lunch we are checking out this new local Italian Salata place that just opened ~ I can’t wait!

Have a gr8 day all ~ see you all this afternoon!

Amazing Greens Giveaway!!!

Attention all CLEAN EATERS, this is a giveaway you will definitely want to enter.  As I am sure you all know, Wheat Grass is the one thing that Tosca Reno swears by and look how amazing she looks for her age!

We all know the benefits of Wheat Grass, but, did you know that a one packet serving of Amazing Grass™ Wheat Grass gives you your daily quota of 5 to 9 servings of fruits and vegetables. Each serving of Amazing Grass™ Wheat Grass is packed full of vitamins, minerals, enzymes, amino acids, phytonutrients and carotenoids to promote optimal health.

I am a BIG believer is Superfoods because they do amazing things for your body.  Amazing Grass Green Superfoods contains nutritious whole foods that are natural and better than any vitamin you can take.  You can find out more about the benefits by clicking HERE.

One of the BIGGEST things that is important to me when comparing these products is that they have No added sweeteners or sugars!  I am AMAZED that they can take a product and make it tropical fruity or chocolately naturally and with no processed chemicals added AND it tastes good to boot!

I am super excited that the Amazing Grass people fully believe in their products and are allowing me to give one lucky reader the BEST OF BOTH WORLDS pack that they sent to me!  Here is a peak at what is up for grabs.

* 2 Single Serving Berry Green Packs

* 2 Single Serving Chocolate Green Super Foods

* 2 Single Serving Superfood Packets

* 2 Single Serving Wheat Grass Packets

* 2 Chocolate Green Super Food Bars

* 2 Green Superfood Energy Bars

* 2 Amazing Meal Original Packs

* 2 Amazing meal Pom. Mango Packs

* 2 Amazing Meal Chocolate Packs

* 1 Super Cool Amazing Grass Shaker Container

HERE IS HOW YOU ENTER:

1.  Visit the Amazing Grass website by clicking HERE and leave your FIRST comment telling me what product you want to try most and why.

2.  If you have a blog, post a link back to this contest and leave a SECOND comment with the link letting me know you did.

3.  TWEET this contest and leave a THIRD comment letting me know you did.

The contest is open through Midnight (PST) on Tuesday, July 7, 2009!  One lucky winner will be chosen using the randomizer.org.

Good luck, good luck!  I KNOW you all will LOVE Amazing Greens and how healthy & full of energy it makes you feel!  I absolutely LOVE what I have tried so far and cannot wait to share reviews on more!

The Big S Farms Salsa Giveaway Winners!

Happy Tuesday all! It’s back to the daily grind today, but, I am soooo excited that this is a short week! We have a fun July 4th kickoff BBQ for work on Thursday (I am planning the games and fun with my other co-worker – yeah!) then, they send us off for another LONG weekend after that. Whew ~ I cannot wait for sure! I seriously think whoever created the work schedule created it backwards – doesn’t it seem like we should have MORE balance as in work 4 days, have 3 days off – EACH WEEK? :D Ok…..*sigh* done dreaming.

I didn’t make it to the store last night so today’s breakfast pickings were slim. I DID have a few things I could pick from but I decided to go with exactly what I was craving.

A startbuck’s iced, decaf, nonfat latte – it’s a healthy dairy serving!

With some amazingly doughy, cheesiness ~ A toasted Asiago Bagel. I could have picked oatmeal (too hot) or a protein plate (my usual) but I wasn’t feeling either.

I definitely think I NEED to get out to the market and get stocked up on some fresh fruits and veggies – maybe today, maybe Thursday. It’s a toss up between Thai Food for lunch or going to the market and picking up sushi ~ Which would you pick? :)

Ok ~ I’ve made you all wait long enough – it’s time to get down to the Big S Farms Salsa Winners!!!! Thanks again to everyone for playing along. No worries if you didn’t win, they are having some amazing specials on their site that you can order up.

The GRAND PRIZE winner is:

#4 Janetha!!! said ”haha, i want the grand prize. then i dont have to pick just one i would most like to try!” Guess what – you DID!!!!

The THREE Runner-Ups get to pick ONE Salsa or ONE Sauce of their choice. The winners are:

#15 cglich0630 said...”I would like to try the Smoke on the Mountain. I love salsa, but don't think I could handle it too hot!!”

#22 Missy said...”I follow your blog already!” & “I would love to try the Fire on the Mountain Medium Salsa!”

#28 Rikki said...”The Tennessee Thunder piqued my interest with the carrots!”

* Please send me your snail mail addresses and I will get your Big S Farms Salsas sent out ASAP!

Have a fantastic day all! I received more fun mail while I was on Vacation that I will be sharing with you all PLUS another FABULOUS giveaway announcement coming soon!

Big S Salsa Giveaway!!!!

You all have watched me thoroughly enjoy my jar of FIRE in several different ways.  I am definitely planning on digging into ALL the flavors you all saw yesterday with FULL reviews.  In the meantime, I am sure you all WANT to try some Big S Salsa!!!  The fantastic folks at Big S are allowing my to host this super cool giveaway with FOUR WINNERS!!!!

ONE WINNER WILL WIN THE GRAND PRIZE OF ALL 3 FLAVORS OF SALSA PLUS ALL 3 HOT SAUCES PICTURED BELOW!

* Smoke on The Mountain – Medium Salsa

* Fire on The Mountain – Hot Salsa

* Fire on The Mountain – Extra Hot Salsa

* Tennessee Lightning Hot Sauce

* Tennessee Mountain Green Hot Sauce

* Tennessee Thunder Hot Sauce

PLUS RECIPESS!!!

THREE RUNNER-UPS WILL RECEIVE THEIR CHOICE OF ONE SALSA OR HOT SAUCE!

   

TO ENTER:

1.  Go to the Big S Farms website and leave your FIRST COMMENT telling me which product you want to try most.

2.  Post a link back to this contest on our blog and leave a SECOND COMMENT with your link letting me know you did.

3.  Tweet this contest and leave a THIRD COMMENT letting me know you did.

4.  Subscribe to my blog and leave a FOURTH COMMENT letting me know you did.  If you already subscribe or have me in your reader, then, leave a comment letting me know that.

That’s all - 4 PRIZES TO WIN WITH 4 CHANCES TO WIN!  Good luck everyone! 

This contest will end Monday, June 29, 2009 at Midnight (PST).  The winners will be randomly selected and announced on Tuesday, June 30, 2009.

Eat what you crave & The Holey Donuts Winner!!

Happy Friday all! I am so excited that the weekend is almost here. Tomorrow we have a fun day trip planned with my family for our Mothers/Fathers day gifts my sis and I are giving to our parents. We are taking them to lunch & dinner & Safari West! I cannot wait to go.....

I am a firm believer in eating what you crave. I find that if you don't, you will feel deprived and eat a million other things instead trying to satisfy that craving. This morning I woke up craving healthy stuff ~ Yeah for that!

Berries n "Cream"



2 Kashi Strawberry Flax Waffles
1 container TJ's 0% Organic Greek Vanilla Bean Yogurt
5 big organic strawberries, sliced
handful of blueberries

All toasted up and topped with vanilla bean "cream" ~ this tastes so much better than any whipped cream you can get out of a can or container.



With the extra fruit that I couldn't fit on my waffles on the side.



K had asked one time if the Trader Joe's 0% Organic Greek Vanilla Bean yogurt was thick like regular greek yogurt. I think so - check it out sticking to my spoon upside down!



Today was Farmer's Market Friday again at work. I already have enough fruit for the day so I picked up some of the fantatic Pumpkin Bolani Bread ~ I had 3 or maybe 4 of these wedges for my AM snack - LOVE them!



Ok ~ I know you all cannot take the suspense anymore!! It was such a tough decision to make - seriously I LOVED each and EVERY comment that you all made for why you'd LOVE the have a lowfat donut! Thanks for all the laughs. I couldn't make the decision on my own so I asked The Husband and two co-workers to pick their favorites. We had a consenses on 2 winners with 1 winner having one more vote than the other.

The winner of the THREE BOXES OF HOLEY DONUTS is: .......Marisa at Trim The Fat! Check out the hilarious poem she wrote up:

I have been wanting to try these for a while now! I subscribe to their newsletter and I'm adding them on facebook. I really want to try these, so here's my best effort at being "creative"...

ODE TO A DONUT

Oh, Holey Donuts, you make me drool
If I could win you, it would be so cool
The coconut, the cinnamon, the caramel crumb
How is it possible to eat just one!
I'm happy you're lowfat, that is for sure
There is no sweet craving that you won't cure
So, here is my entry that screams, "please pick me"
When I get you, I'll remember "moderation" is key:)

You know I want these bad!!! LOL!

Congratulations Marisa!!! Please send me an email with the THREE boxes of Holey Donuts that you want to try out. No worries if you didn't win all the Holey Donuts still want to give back to my readers! Just enter the coupon code "4FREECB" when you check out and you will get a FREE box of Holey Donuts gigantic reduced fat Cinnamon Buns!!!





That's a whole lot of YUM for FREE!

Thanks again everyone for playing along! Have a Fantastic Friday! I am off to spin class and lunchtime is going to involved one of my new Peanut Butters from Janetha!

My Holey Donuts Giveaway!!!!

Are you all as excited as I am to be hosting a Holey Donuts Giveaway? You know the FABULOUS healthy, low fat donuts that you always hear me rave about?! You may recall the Donut Party that I went to or maybe when I first received my Holey Surprise? These healthy donuts have ALL the flavor without the fat or crazy high calories of the real deal! In fact, I think they ACTUALLY taste better ~ it's all about that AMAZING donut bread they make!

Let me just share a few pictures of the donuts I've sampled because the pictures alone say a 1,0000000000000000 words!

The Coconut Assortment #3



Reduced Fat Vanilla Coconut



Low Fat Cinnamon Strudel



Reduced Fat Toasted Coconut



The Classic Assortment #1



The 3 Weight Watcher Point Lowfat Vanilla Crumb



Lowfat Caramel Crumb



Lowfat Chocolate Crumb



The ~ 40 calorie Lemon Donut Hole!





The 6-inch Cinnamon Rolls ~ OMG - these are my absolute FAVORITE - worth every bite and ALL 7 Weight Watcher Points!!!!





If lemon isn't your thing, then, check out the Lowfat Cinnamon Glazed Donut Holes - Just like the cinnamon roll, but, in little bites!



My new favorite ~ The Celebrity Assortment!



Reduced Fat Rasbperry Vanilla Truffle



Look how much RASBPERRY goodness is inside - you will have a hard time not licking the plate on this one!



Finally ~ The OREO Cookie Boston Cream Pie!





Are you all CRAVING these amazing healthy donuts that are between 1-7 Weight Watcher Points each?! I hope so.....because now is the perfect time to enter to win!

The Holey Donuts Peeps are letting me give one lucky winner, not one, but THREE BOXES of their choice OF HEALTHY HOLEY DONUTS (18 donuts)!!! (Plus a free ice chest :D)

HOW TO ENTER and WIN:

1) Sign-up for the Holey Donuts Newsletter by clicking HERE*
2) Become a friend of Holey Donuts on facebook by clicking HERE*
3) After doing items 1 & 2, leave a COMMENT here telling me "why you would love a low fat donut". Get creative ~ the most creative response wins!!!

I'd LOVE you MORE for posting a linkback to this contest and helping me spread the word :D

* Be sure to let me know in your comment when you have signed up for their newsletter and follow HD on Facebook. If you already receive their newsletter or follow them on Facebook, include that in your comment for item #3.

This contest will be open until Thursday, June 18, 2009, Midnight (PST). The person with the creative comment for why they would LOVE a lowfat donut wins! The winner will be announced Friday, June 19, 2009.

Mr. Krispers Winners

Happy Saturday all! I am so excited that we have NO plans/commitments this weekend and can maybe find some time to relax - yeah! After passing out last night at like 9 pm (such a party pooper huh), I woke up today at 5:45 am wide awake. So much for Saturday morning sleeping in LOL. I packed up my Morning Burst (lemon & hot water) to go to take to my Weight Watcher meeting.



I decided last night that I was going to weigh in backwards and told my favorite WW receptionist to not tell me what my results were. I didn't want to have it impact my Bikini Bootcamp motivation whether I did good, or not as good as I thought or what not. She did tell me my results, but, said to keep it up, I did REALLY GOOD! Ahhhh, the suspense, it's killing me! But, I will NOT look....I am going the full 2 weeks, 14 days without stepping on the scale (total scale withdrawals I tell ya!)

When I got back home, I whipped up a quick Banana Smoothie for breakfast.



1 c ice
1 small banana
1/2 c lowfat "homemade" greek yogurt (RECIPE COMING SOON!)
2 tsp honey
1 tsp ground flax seed

It was absolutely delicious and refreshing. I am surprisingly full too - yeah for that! I know I will be getting a decaf coffee at The Bucks (Starbucks) today because I told The Husband I'd buy him one for helping me drop off my car to get my breaks done and taking me to the Farmer's Market.

Quick recap for yesterday (not bad considering I couldn't wear my BB for 3 hours while it charged):

Cal burned: 2,868
Steps taken: 11,106

And the Mr. Krisper's Giveaway winners are (drumroll, please.....):

# 6 kristi said.."I have never seen these before, I would love to try! And, at 2 points you can't beat that!"

# 9 Ashley and Bo said..."I just twittered and linked!" (Sour Cream & Onion)

# 20 C.G. the Foodie said..."I linked you to the top of Uncovering Me! (BBQ)whoiamuncovering.blogspot.com"

# 34 hopskipleap said..."linked: http://hopskipleap.wordpress.com/2009/06/05/1st-times-for-everything/"

Congratulations ladies!!! Please email me your snail mail addy so I can get the good out to you all. Kristi & Hop - you both get to pick from the remaining 2 flavors (Sea Salt & Pepper or Nacho). The first to email gets first dibs.

All of these ladies have fantastic blogs, be sure to click on their names and check them out.

Thanks everyone for playing along in my Mr. Krispers giveaway!

No worries if you didn't win Mr. Krispers, you can sign up to join us for Bikini Bootcamp Month and be entered to win a FREE copy of the Bikini Bootcamp Book. Click HERE to find out how.

We are off to get our day started ~ Farmer's Market here I come! See you all for a fantastic salady lunch!

Mr. Krispers Giveaway ~ the 2 WWP Snappy Chips!!

Ok all ~ It's Giveaway time! But, before I get to the Giveaway Details, let me just tell you that The Husband said he'd take one for the "team" today and break open a bag to try them out since I am on Bikini Bootcamp Restriction :D He's funny!

I let him pick any flavor and he picked BBQ to try first.



You get 35 of these chips for 2 Weight Watcher Points (110 cal, 2.5 g fat, 1 g fiber). Check out how much crunch you get for a serving.



Did I mention that this flavor is not only certified Gluten Free, 100 % all natural, but VEGAN. Check out the nutritionals....



Mr. Krispers intrigued me when I heard of them because all of their products are made with 100% natural ingredients, contain 10-11 g Whole Grains Per Serving, are baked, never fried, Certified Gluten Free and you can recognize ALL the ingredients on their package!!! These are all things I look for in a healthy snack!

THE REVIEW: He actually LOVED them and gave them 4 out of 5 stars. He ate them straight up and put them in his soup. I may or may not have stolen 2 of these chips. I LOVE how light and airy they are but they are super crispy and crunchy. They are not like any rice chip I've ever had. The BBQ flavor has a little kick to it that makes it as well.

HERE IS HOW TO ENTER MY GIVEAWAY:

1) Leave your FIRST comment below telling me which flavor you most want to try.
2) If you have a blog, link back to this contest and leave a SECOND comment with the link letting me know.
3) TWEET about this Giveaway and leave a THIRD COMMENT telling me you did for a THIRD entry.

These bags are ALL the FULL SIZED bags with 4 servings per bag - that's a whole lot of crisp. I will also include a coupon for each winner so they can head out and buy more.

I am giving away 1 of each of the 4 flavors I have and two of them are VEGAN!!!



Sour Cream & Onion
Nacho

VEGAN Flavors:
Sea salt & Pepper
Barbecue

FOUR RANDOM WINNERS will be drawn using randomizer.org. This giveaway is open until Friday, June 5th at Midnight (PST)! Good luck, good luck!

Win the book by joining our Bikini Bootcamp Challenge!

So you now have all had a chance to see how the first couple of days of the June Bikini Bootcamp Challenge went down. Doesn't it look like fun? I know both Angelea and I are having a blast with it. Click HERE to see how she is doing - she has posted the Strength & Core workouts as well. You can also click on the Bikini Bootcamp label on the right to see how I am doing.

We have a new recruit ~ Ashley at Healthy, Happier, Bear! She won our first book giveaway and will be joining in on the fun beginning Monday, June 8th!

Does anyone else want to join in and partner up? If so, you could WIN a copy of the Bikini Bootcamp Book!

I will be giving away ONE copy of the Bikini Bootcamp book to one lucky bootcamp recruit! To enter, send an email to me at danicasdaily at gmail dot com or by clicking HERE. I'll draw a name on Monday, June 8th from those that have emailed me to join the program, so SIGN UP NOW! The contest closes Sunday, June 7th at 6PM (PST).

Angelea and I are also plotting other giveaways throughout the month to keep you motivated and going strong!

You know you want to get ready for and look hot in your swim suit. So, what are you wating for ~ join the challenge and get emailing to win your FREE copy of the book :)

And the GNU Bar Winners Are.....

Happy Monday all! I was up bright and early this morning at 5 AM to kick off my Bikini Bootcamp 2 week challenge. I started off by weighing in to get my starting weight and I won't check again until day 15 (wow, can I control my scale obsession & not look?!) I put on some hot water and used that as my timer for my 10 minutes of meditation.

I lit my body shop Mandarin Orange Oil Scents and sat in a comfortable cross legged position to meditate. I am still learning how to be a good meditator, but, I tried to focus on today's theme "Intentions", clear my head and let my thoughts flow down stream as I watched them from the beach. After medidating, I did 15 minutes of Sun Salutations Yoga.

I did each pose for 5 breaths for 12 minutes:

* Mountain Pose
* Hands up
* Forward Fold
* Flat Back
* Plank
* Stick
* Upward-Facing Dog
* Downward-Facing Dog
* Lunge
*Forward Fold
* Flat back
* Mountain Pose

I ended the last 3 minutes with Child's Pose and Corspe Pose.

Ahhh ~ How I missed Yoga ~ it's such an awesome way to start your day. I grabbed my cup of hot lemon water and sipped it while getting ready.



They say that this is the first thing your drink/eat when you wake up to detox and cleanse your body. I actually LIKED it and didn't miss having my decaf coffee. Wooohoo!

One I got to work, I whipped up a quick Blueberry Smoothie and will be having some herbal tea (it's unlimited!) later on mid morning.



1 c ice
1 c blueberries
1/2 c TJ's 2% Greek Yogurt
1 tsp ground flaxseed
1 tsp agave syrup

It was thick, creamy and absolutely delicious. I felt so healthy drinking it and I am surprised that I am full/content. I did bring 2 healthy snack options in case I need them before lunch time (an apple - mild hunger, a banana - strong hunger). I'll let you know if I end up needing either.

TODAY'S FUN STUFF:

* Click HERE to test your Metabolism I.Q. ~ It's a fun quiz about busting Metabolism Myths.

* Get active in June. Click HERE for your 30-days to an active lifestyle printable Calendar from Sparkspeople. It's fun, simple calendar and I LOVE that you can check off each day as you move it and shake it!

* For all those Vegan & Gluten Free Bakers out there, Karina's Kitchen put together a baking cheat sheet that has everything you need to know. Click HERE to check it out.

Ok, ok, I made you all wait long enough and READ (skip through) all of what I wrote above. So, here you have it ~ the much anticipated winners of the awesome GNU BARS.

THE GNU BAR WINNERS ARE:

1) RunToFinish said..."oh I have seen a lot about these, but not yet sampled!! Can't wait as I'm just sure I'll win..yes I'm working on the positive mojo today"

2) healthhappinesshope said..."You know, after hearing your review of the orange cranberry, I remember how much I liked that flavor. I'd change my choices to banana walnut and ORANGE CRANBERRY instead of the cinnamon raison! :)"

3) Nutritious is Delicious said..."GREAT giveaway! All of the flavors soun yummy, but I would love to try the chocolate one....straight up! ;)"

CONGRATULATIONS LADIES!!! Please email me your #1 and #2 selections of which two bars you want to try. Run gets first dibs, then, health, then nutritious. All of these girls have fabulous blogs, be sure to click on them and check them out.

Thanks everyone for playing along in my GNU BARS Giveaway. It was fun to read all the ways you'd eat them ~ I think the consensus was just straight up tearing open the package.

Ok ~ I am off to focus my "intentions" on getting some work done before I head of to Spin Class (that might be my walking for the day). Catch you all at lunch for a great salad + dressing recipe ala the Bikini Bootcamp eats!