I put "fire" in my eggs!

I LOVE you all ~ Seriously! Even when I wasn't able to post, you STILL commented on my I can't post, post! Thanks, you all made my LONG day so much better! Before I hop into today, let me just quickly share my rockin' Body Bugg totals for yesterday ~ I am soooo proud!

Calories burned: 3,257 (woohoo! go me!)
Steps taken: 17,223 (I wonder how many miles I went all day!)
I didn't input calories but I know they fall into 1,200-1,500 as the entire Bikini BootCamp Book meals do.

Ok, onto today....I got up bright and early to fit in ALL my workouts this morning. I whipped out 60 minutes on the treadmill followed up by circuits, 10 minutes of meditation and 15 minutes on Sun Salutation Yoga. Can I just say I am soooo sore...The Husband laughs at me when I get up to walk anywhere.

I sipped on my Morning Burst (hot water plus lemon slices) while I got ready.



Today's BBC breakie called for hard boiled eggs with salsa. Is it just more or does that sound funky monkey?! Angelea followed the plan and I probably would have too if I got to use her super cute egg boiler! Instead, I took my eggs to a whole new level by add some "fire" to them!

Do you all remember when I won Julie GoLean's Big S Farms Salsa Giveaway? I've had my jar of "Fire on the Mountain" sitting on my counter just screaming for me to try it. Check it out - I LOVE the ingredient list - it's 100% clean with nothing funky added - you can recognize EVERY ingredient in the jar!



And who doesn't LOVE a salsa that has only 10 calories a serving!



I LOVE the chunkiness of the salsa.....It looks so fresh when you open it up.





Salsa BELONGS with chips - especially Lundberg Sea Salt Rice Chips! So, to kick off the morning hours.......



The Husband tested it out for us! Ha ~ no, I didn't break my Bikini Bootcamp Challenge and I didn't have chips with salsa before noon. He LOVED the salsa with the chips while I ate it off the spoon (because I am a cave girl like that!). It has a nice spice, but, it's not so hot you cannot handle it. To me, it's the perfect like medium spice and you can really taste all the flavors in the salsa. I can tell they used a good quality tomato because there is a hint of sweetness to it.

I used my "Fire on the Mountain" salsa and mixed it in with 2 organic eggs and a little freshly made, Salsa Mexicana. You can click HERE for that recipe. All cooked up in a little non-stick cooking spray.



With a little more "Fire on the Mountain" salsa on the side.



I LOVE eggs with salsa! This breakfast kept me going ALL morning long through the delivery of our new fridge. Pictures coming soon! I did snack of a few of my Secret Bloggie AkMak Sesame Crackers on my drive into work. I am SO SAD that these are almost gone - I need to find them ASAP!



Coming up next, a few fridge pics plus my lunch and dinner recaps, fun mail and more!

More fun Salsa Mail……..

I received another COOL or should I say HOT package this afternoon from Big S Farms! Since my first taste of this awesome salsa, I have been wanting to try more. The fabulous Peeps at Big hooked me up with some HOT Stuff.

3 types of salsa:

* Smoke on the Mountain ~ Medium

* Fire on the Mountain ~ Hot

* Fire on the Mountain ~ Extra HOT!

Plus some fantastic sounding HOT SAUCES:

All together with MORE Recipes ~ woohoo!

I cannot WAIT to try this all out. I LOVED the original Fire on the Mountain that I had. You can Click HERE to check out some of the ways I’ve used it so far.

I WISH I had not eaten my lunch/dinner before this arrived. But, that’s ok, it was still cheesy good. I think I eat like a little kid when I am sick. Today I was craving a cheesy quesadilla so that is what I had.

CHEESE!!!!!

2 Mission Life Balance Whole Wheat Tortillas

3 lowfat Sargento Cheese Slices

Cooked in nonstick spray over medium heat until both sides were browned – YUM! This definitely hit the spot along with the Orange Juice The Husband brought home for me.

I did end up snack on a few FoodShouldTasteGood Multi-Grain Chips while this cooked. I LOVE these crunchy, nutty chips with the perfect balance of salt! The BEST part was I could finally almost taste it all.

I still have to pack but that should go pretty quick. When we headed out to the bank The Husband made a special stop for me to get a low fat ice cream cone ~ ahhhh, it’s the little things that make you happy. I realize my nutrition may not be at it’s highest today, but, I think it’s ok to give yourself a break when you don’t feel good. I’ll have to make up for it with a Jamba Juice tomorrow :D

I am off to pack, relax and get to bed early for our trip to VEGAS tomorrow! The Guest Posts I have for you all begin tomorrow – yeah!!! So exciting!!!

TWO GIVEAWAYS TO CHECK OUT:

* Erica is having a fantastic Naturally More & Peeled Fruit Giveaway - Click HERE to check it out.

* Amanda is having a Amazing Super Foods Giveaway, click HERE to check it out.

PLUS STAY TUNED FOR A GIVEAWAY ANNOUNCEMENT TOMORROW AT NOON!

Have a fantastic night all ~ I am not sure when I’ll check back in, but, I plan on popping in to say hi here and there! Enjoy all the fun posts I have set up for you and be sure to leave everyone LOTS of comments :)

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.

A Quick & Colorful Taco Salad

Before I hop into my dinner post, I have to share with you all this crazy article I read on WomensHealth.com today. I have ALWAYS wondered the secret of those who can take one bite of things and be satisfied? I am NOT one of those people at all and usually only resist stuff by not even having a bite. 1 bite is never enough and 1,000 is too many! Well, guess what? I found out today that there is a REASON behind not being able to have just one. Restaraunts play on our "BLISS" factor and know just how to make us want more and more and more....Check out the article HERE and find some great recipe substitutions too!

I typically LOVE marinating my own meats, but, there are a few exceptions of pre-marinated versions that I like. I like Jennie-O Turkey Loins because you can recognize all their ingredients and you get 4 LEAN ounces for only 110 calories/2 Weight Watcher Points - that's less than chicken!

The flavor we used tonight is not pictured on their website for some reason ~ it was Southwestern - perfect for Taco Salad.





Each pack includes 2 loins in it - one for tonight and one for tomorrow. While the turkey grilled up, I prepped the salad.



Organic Romaine Lettuce
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
3 scallions, chopped
Big handful cherry tomatoes
3 Sargetino lowfat colby cheese squares, chopped
1/2 can olives, sliced

All mixed up and ready to go!



I also prepped all the sides. AVOCADO!



TJ's Fire Roasted Corn ~ The Husband won't eat corn in his salad - he's wierd!



Basic Black Beans



Big S Farms Fire On The Mountain Salsa for me & sissy lala sauce for The Husband :D



We also broke out a bag of the Organic White Corn Miki's Chips for crunch!





The Husband was crunching away on some chips with leftover Spicy Bean Dip ~ so I had to give it a try. I had two chips with dip ~ Yum! I LOVE how crunchy these chips are - they are thicker than other versions so you have a good corn, crunch factor.



Since I sort of spoiled my appetite with the Cupcake, I made up a much smaller version of my Quick & Colorful Taco Salad than planned.



Grilled Turkey Goodness! It has sooo much flavor and it's completely juicy and just plain good!



And a dallop of Big S Farms Fire On The Mountain Salsa!



I LOVED this salad and cannot wait to use the leftovers tomorrow. I am thinking of making a Southwestern Turkey BBQ Avocado Wrap maybe......MMMMM!

I am off to hang out with The Husband and possibly watch our NetFlix ~ Juno or a movie we own ~ Pineapple Express!

OHHHH and because I am cool like that ~ Click HERE to download a FREE RECIPE BOOK from Jennie-O! Yeah for feeding my recipe addiction even more!

Check you my Holey Donut Giveaway - just one day left!

Racing against the clock & Some Salsa Mail!

I feel like I have been racing against the clock ALL day just to be able to fit everything in. I got up extra early this morning to fit in both workouts so I could get a pedicure at lunch plus go to the nephews baseball game. This post is going to be quick so I can get 3 packages ready to mail, meditate, do yoga, journal and zonk out. I am not so sure I managed my time so well today, but, you know what, it was all WORTH IT!

We watched the nephews play a great playoff game while our youngest nephew entertained us showing his muscles, telling us we should all be ants so we can drive little ant cars and then being uber sweet trying to warm me up by blowing on his hands and hugging me ~ SO CUTE!

Tonight's dinner was interesting. I actually LOVED the soup and am glad I made it.

Carrot Ginger Soup ~ Get the recipe for this soup by clicking HERE.



It was very flavorful because you carmelize onion, garlic and ginger. I LOVED the addition of the pumpkin seeds on top as well.

While the soup cooked, I marinated and assembled Fish Kabobs with Zucchini, Mushrooms and Peppers.



I used Halibut cut into chunks and marinated them in this:

Juice of 1 lemon
1 garlic clove Minced
1 Tbsp Soy Sauce
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
dashes of sea salt and pepper
a few pinches of cilantro

I pre-cooked the veggies for 5 minutes on the stove in a little olive oil so that they would cook as fast as the fish on the grill.

Here it is all served up with some whole wheat couscous.



All together is was way too much food and I focused on listening to my body when it was full. I finished all my soup and about 1/2 of everything you see here. I did pick the mushrooms and peppers off my other kabob and gave our adopted kitty the rest of my fish.



Dessert tonight was a watermelon frappe that I completely wanted to have but am too full *sigh*

I really think I should be eating dessert every night! LOL....I completely forgot about dessert when I saw the big box waiting for me that was delivered today.

Do you all remember when I won JulieGoleans Salsa Giveaway a little while back? Well, my Fire on the Mountain Salsa arrived today - yahoo! Big S Farms was nice enough to include FOUR RECIPE CARDS with my package ~ ahhhh, they must know me already LOL!



How good do ALL of these recipes sound?!

* Grilled Shrimp with "Tennessee Talk Cocke Tail" Sauce (appetizer)
* Tennessee Mountain Green Spicy Chex Mix
* Suggs Mountain Salsa Roast
* Tennessee Thunder Carribean Chicken ( I am ALL over this recipe!!!)

Thanks again, Julie!!! I can't wait to try out my new salsa - yeah! Reviews coming soon!

Alright all....my energy is quickly fading...off to check off the rest of my todo's. See you in the morning ~ SOOOO GLAD it's Friday!

Check out Mr. Krispers if you want to grab a bag for yourself. Click HERE! The contest ends tomorrow night so don't miss out

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!

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!