The easy way out....Plus Danica's Daily Amazon Store

Tonight I completely took the easy way out. We decided to stay in, relax and order pizza. We go to a local place called Cenario's ~ their pizza is pretty decent for a cheap pizza. The Husband loves it so that makes it all the better. I had them make my 1/2 of the pizza vegetarian. Look at ALL those veggies.



The best part of the pizza is by far the crust. They stuff it with mozzarella and it is so gooey, cheesy and delicious. I had good intentions of making a salad to go with it, but, after eating these two pieces I was stuffed. I suppose it would have been better if I started with the salad ~ oops!

Tonight we are the total IT family....he is happily playing poker online and I am working on making my blog more fun. We have Saving Private Ryan on but I am not sure we are actually watching it :)

Here is the fun thing I made tonight - my very own Amazon Store. I am hoping to figure out how to set it up as a link on my site. I haven't fully added all my stuff, but, just a few items to start. It was so easy. I figure I'll add more categories as well.

http://astore.amazon.com/dansdai-20

Okie dokie ~ suppose I need to fit in some Yoga and get to bed at a decent time since I still have a ton left on my todo list. Night all!

Vegetable Chips ~ Fake "Health Food" or not?

One of the things we picked up today at The Vegetable Patch was Dried Vegetable Chips. The process of how they make them is pretty cool. They take your favorite veggies (right now it's nice winter produce), slightly season them with a little olive oil and sea salt then put them in this cool machine that "dries" them really fast. It is not like a dehydrator because it completely preserves the color and shape of the vegetable. Look at how good these look and they are 100% crispy like a chip. They are quite tasty and The Husband and quickly devoured this little ramkin container.



In the mix:

Carrots
Squash
Sweet Potato
Taro Root
Green Beans

I always tend to think that the vegetable chips you buy at the store are fake health foods. People buy them to think they are being healthier because they are made of vegetables. But, in reality, they are still fried and they are still chips with very little nutritonal value. These Vegetable Chips made me wonder though - they truly are vegetables that are "flash dried" with minimal oil. The nutritional information found here doesn't seem as bad as real chips.

Do you think they are fake health food or a great way to get your veggies in?

I want to go on vacation again......

Today has been such a fun day and I have enjoyed hanging out with The Husband. We ran some errands today~ the bank to add each other to our accounts, a local farmers stand, shopping and stopped to visit with some friends. We chatted with our friends about our next vacations and where to go next. Our ideas went from Autstralia/New Zealand (airfare was announced at $299 each way this week), to visiting the Grand Canyon, Mt. Rushmore, Niagara Falls/East Coast......how about all of the above?! It really made me think a vacation is in order.

I got a little hungry while we were out/about and decided I needed to snack since lunch was still a ways away. I received some free loot this morning from Weight Watchers, so I decided to snack on their 1 point Mint Chocolate Crisp Bar. I LOVE Mima at my local WW facility - she is really my favorite receptionist ever.



The verdict: Everyone says they taste like the Girl Scout Thin Mints and I have to agree. It was crunchy, chewy, chocolately and a pretty tasty snack for 70 calories. I found some recipes for making your own Girl Scout Cookies so I may just have to buy some and make some for comparison. What do you think? Good idea???

Next up on our list was lunch out at The Husband's favorite mexican food place, Vasquez Deli. I LOVE Vasquez too. The place is so cute and it's family owned. They have gone from a small stand on the corner to a big restaraunt. They really do so much for the community and so many people travel from far away to eat here. They make everything themselves including their tortillas and hot sauce. The food is pretty tasty and not too expensive either so that is a definite added bonus.

For starters, I had a few tortilla chips with beans/cheese for dipping.



To keep with the vegetarian week theme, I had a bean tostada that was so filling. I was sorta bummed that the guacamole wasn't made from scratch, but, this was still super tasty.



While devouring my meal, The Husband asked if I wanted some of his cheesy quesadilla. Look how thick that flour tortilla is - how can you say no to having a bite of this?



This was seriously heaven, I could eat a whole one of these easily! Too bad I was too stuffed to have more than a bite.

Our next stop was to visit LeAnne at DownTown Gowns, the place I bought my wedding dress from. It doesn't hurt that one of The Husband's good friends is her significant other. We stopped to share our photos with her (better late then never) and she picked out 3 to have blown up to show her guests. So fun, here are links to the 3 she picked.

http://jayanddanicasadventures.shutterfly.com/741

http://jayanddanicasadventures.shutterfly.com/735

http://jayanddanicasadventures.shutterfly.com/734

I really do think she is awesome and so is her shop. I highly recommend DownTown Gowns as a place to pick out your dress, try them on to get ideas and more. She made sure I had everything from my dress (packed & ready to take with me), to my jewelry, to my princess crown and the recommendation for our cool flip flowns that marked the sand with "Just Married" as we walked in the first picture. It was fun visit and it totally makes me want to go back!

We also made a stopped at The Vegetable Patch (local farmer) and then continued on shopping to get stuff for the St. Patricks Day celebration we will be having at work. I will share more details with you all on Tuesday, but, I think it will be a blast.

Look at all the nooks and crannies

It felt great to sleep in this morning. I woke up feeling refreshed and ready to tackle the todo list we set up for today, including sharing our wedding photos with the owner of the shop I bought my dress from. She said she might want to have one blown up to display - so fun! I will definitely let you know what happens.

I started my weekend off with a Grande Nonfat Decaf Latte from "Bucks" ~ so good! I've missed lattes. I had it with a Thomas Double Fiber Whole Wheat English muffin and a little Trader Joe's Organic Crunchy Peanut Butter. I was thinking of the commercial as I put my peanut butter on it ~ Look at all the Nooks and Crannies. What is a nook and cranny anway? lol

No fruit, but, I wasn't too hungry and didn't feel I needed it. I am sure it will make an appearance later on in the day.



Have a great Saturday all!

My eyes were bigger than my stomach

Tonight I decided to go with a fast, easy and that would help me clear out the fridge. I cooked up one of my favorite recipes for having zucchini and summer squash ~ Parmesan Squash. The Husband does not like squash at all, but, I have to fight him off this dish to get some if I want any. It goes together in minutes.



Parmesan Squash

4 medium Size Zucchini, sliced
2-3 small crook neck squash, sliced
~ 1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Freshly Ground Pepper
Sea Salt
1/4-1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add your squashes and cook for about 5 minutes stirring/flipping occassionally as you "carmelize"/brown the squash. You do not want to over cook it, just get a little bit of brown goodness going. Sprinkle as desired with salt and pepper. Top with parmesan, cover, reduce heat to low and cook for about 8-10 minutes, depending on desired consistency. I like the squash to be firm versus soggy.

It's really that easy! The key is definitely in the carmelization - it really adds to the flavor. Too bad I didn't get a picture of it. But, here is another up close ~ Yum!



While the squash cooked, I boiled some pasta, sauted some mushrooms and reheated some of the leftover CrockPot Spagetti Sauce. I put about 1 cup of pasta on top of a bed of spinach as soon as it was cooked and drained. The heat helps to steam the spinach and it gives you an added vegetable boost. I then topped it with the sauce, mushrooms, a little parmesan and more spinach (because I didn't have basil, but, you can't tell!) :D



With my share of the Parmesan Squash above.



I also broiled up a slice of our Multi-Grain Sour Dough from The Grateful Bread with a little bit of butter. I only managed to each about 2/3's of my plate before I had to call it quits. I guess I waited too long to eat because I dished up more than my stomach could eat.



It was such an easy and filling dinner. The Husband was happy too.

Crazy Day and Cupcake Update!

I am sorry I didn't get a chance to post my snack and lunch sooner ~ my day was seriously crazy busy from the time I sat down. Sometimes I think days like that are good because they fly by and other times I think nope because I never get up from my desk. No lunchtim walk to enjoy the 70 degree weather we are having and I ate as I worked. But, all that doesn't matter now - it's the weekend and it's time to relax - yahoo!

For lunch, I made over my leftovers from last night into a big salad.



In the mix:

Romaine lettuce
Leftover black beans
Leftover Spicy Potatoes
1 crumbled blue organic taco shell and 1 eaten in a moment of starvation lol (not pictured)
1 Morning Star Chick Patty Toasted
Cherry Tomatoes
Mini peppers
TJ's Pineapple Salsa
Cilantro

Just look at all the colors! This salad totally hit the spot and kept me satisfied all afternoon.



This morning as I frantically worked away rocking out to some tunes, I snacked on a Trader Joe's Light String cheese and an apple for some crunch (crunch=stress!)



CUPCAKE UPDATE:

When all was said and done I made up the cupcakes for my co-workers. They all absolutely LOVED them, then, again, who doesn't love a cupcake. I split mine with one of my other co-workers and I have to say it was pretty fabulous. I didn't think I'd like them since I am not a fruit and chocolate person, but, the combination goes really good together. The sauce on the cherries sort of melts into the cupcake and gives it a nice added sweetness while the fluffy vanilla buttercream makes the cupcake.

I am off to fix our dinner, relax and watch Role Models with The Husband. I can't wait for the movie, but, wish I had a chef to do the cooking for me :)

Quick & Tasty Breakfast for a busy day

Last night for my yoga, I ended the day with Gentle Hatha #1 again from yogadownload.com. Can I just say this really made the difference in helping me sleep so good. I will have to remember that for the future.

It's Friday, the sun is shining and I finally got caught up on sleep ~ Ahhh! Today is going to be so incredibly busy but in a good way. It will make my work day fly by so I can go and enjoy my evening with The Husband. I do not have much time to post this morning as a result ~ so sorry about that.

This morning I heated up a Trader joe's Crustless Soyrizo Quiche. It was actually pretty tasty and flavorful. I think it might actually be better in the oven, but, due to time, I used the microwave directions.



On the side I had 4 big strawberries cut up with half a banana.



This will definitley keep me fueled to get through my gigantic workload.

Have a great Friday all ~ I'll check back later when I get a chance to breath.

Vegan Chocolate Cherry Cream Cupcakes

And now I present to you, the cupcake of the night!

You start out with the same base chocolate cupcake. For this round, I bought Organic Cacao Chocolate Powder to see if it improved the tast. I am sorta bummed that I bought these super cute cupcake wrappers and you can't even see them. I put one on the cooling rack upside down so you can see it.



You also use the same Fluffy Vanilla Butter Cream Frosting as before. However, I do not use shortening, only butter and I 1/2 the recipe. The addition to this cupcake is making up some sweet dark cherries in a pomegranate sauce and doing a super cool decorating technique. You scoop out part of the cupcake to use in building your cupcake tower. Then, it's just a matter of layering fluffy butter cream, cherries, chocolate cupcake and candied cherries with chocolate shavings.



The pictures really do not do the beauty of this cupcake justice. I was so proud of myself ~ toot, toot, my own horn! LOL. Seriously, I am by no means a fancy baker, I like to bake but it isn't exactly fancy. My secret is the super cool decorating tool I bought. It is seriously the best $10 I've ever spent at Walmart. Here is a pick up close:



I actually haven't tasted the cupcake as The Husband inhaled this one. I am however carting everything to work tomorrow to share :D I will give you a review then. The Husband did devour it pretty quickly and said he like it for not liking chocolate and fruit together - once again, he's funny!

I am off to do some yoga, shower, and get caught up on some sleep. Night all!

Fun Vegan Cooking & Baking

I have been anxiously awaiting making the Spicy Potato Tacos from Veggie Train all week. The picture practically makes me drool every time I look at it and I LOVED the Chick Pea Tacos she made before. Can I just say these did not disappoint ~ they tasted even better than they looked. The Husband LOVED these - he gave them 4.5 stars out of 5 and asked me to make them again. I give them 5 stars all around!



I tried to pin it down to one "star" ingredient, but, the whole combination works. The potatoes are spicy and roasted, the crunchy blue corn shells are crispy and crunchy like salty chips and I LOVE avocado on anything. I highly recommend this recipe and will definitely make it again. I can see so many possibilities for this combination.

While dinner was cooking, I set up shop to bake my next cupcake from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World. I let my friend pick the order of the next 3 cupcakes I am making and the first on the list is the Chocolate Cherry Cream Cupcakes.

It's Official ~ I am a Food Buzz Featured Publisher!

I am so excited to report to you all that I am now a featured publisher on FoodBuzz.com. This is so cool for so many reasons and I will definitely share more with you all as I learn exactly what it means. I am still learning all about it. For now, make sure you click on the "Vote For Me" button below to vote for my blog. Feel free to check out FoodBuzz.com as well by clicking on the Featured Publisher Tab above subscribe too. The more clicks the better for me ~ so click to your hearts content and let your OCD side go crazy.

I was so busy playing with everything that I actually didn't eat lunch until about 2 pm. I did manage to step out for a little lunchtime stroll and chat session with my co-worker however. Lunch was so tasty, I am not sure why I waited so long to have it.



To start, I had a Morning Star Chick Patty with about 2 Tbsp of Roasted Red Pepper Sabra Hummus and spinach on two pieces of Toasted Multi-Grain Sour Dough ~ now this is how I do a sandiwch My-Way!



For my veggies, I made up a Peanutty Slaw Salad.



Contents:

Organic Baby Spinach
TJ's Organic Broccoli Slaw
Mini Sweet Peppers
Dry Roasted Peanuts
~ 2 Tbsp TJ's Spicy Lowfat Peanut Dressing

For added crunch, I also had a few cucumber crunchers (pickles) on the side. This was so satisfying, but, I wanted something sweet for "dessert". When I stopped by my co-workers desk for some Good Earth Sweet & Spicy Tea, she offered up this cute little cookie that I of course didn't resist.



This might have been why I wasn't hungry until later. This morning I snacked on a little homemade trail mix:



~ 2 Tbsp TJ's Golden Berry Blend
~ 2 Tbsp Dry Roasted Sunflower Seeds
~ 1 tsp Vegan Chocolate Chips

Be sure to check back tonight as I am making another fabulous Vegan/Vegetarian Meal that is guaranteed to be crunchtastic!

Banana Nut Bread Oats

Note to self, going to bed past midnight and trying to get up before 6 am doesn't really work. I am seriously dragging this morning.....so tired! But, I did manage to muster up a pretty decent menu for today in my morning fog. I made up a quick batch of Banana Nut Bread Oats this morning that seriously rocked.



In the mix:

1/2 cup Quaker Old Fashioned Oats
1 cup water
1 1/2 Tbsp ground flax seed
3 dashes of cinnamon
1 banana, 1/2 quatered and put in after cooking, 1/2 used for topping
1/2 oz "toasted" walnuts (nuked in the microwave for 1 minute)
1/4 tsp organic unsweetened coconut
2 tsps pure maple syrup drizzled (one would've worked)



This made up a huge, satisfying bowl that I am sure will fuel me all morning. I served it up with 1/2 and 1/2 (decaf & regular Starbuck's Coffee). I must really be THAT tired. As I walked out of the kitchen with my breakfast, my co-worker was like, "you look sooo tired! Well, I mean, you never look tired, but, you really look tired. So you must be." LOL ~ wow, does how I feel really show?!

Alright ~ off to crank out some work. Be sure to check out lunch today. I am so excited for it and have been trying to make it all week (going out to eat gets in the way lol). The weekend is almost here - yahoo!

Sub ~ Not My ~ Way....

After work, I stopped to pick up The Husband for our night out. We both were like eh, not super hungry, so actually going out to dinner didn't appeal. After listing out all the options we could think of that would be good for me (for veggie week), we decided to go to Subway. I planned out my sandwich as we drove. I ordered a $5 foot long vegetable sandwich on their new 9-grain honey wehat with pepperjack cheese and all the produce.



I also wanted avocado to make it more filling with some healthy fat since it was lacking in protein. I wish Subway had hummus or something. I was soooo thoroughly bumme when the guy said they were all out of avocado. Seriously?! I almost told them to stop making my sandwich becase I didn't want it anymore :D The guy offered up double cheese but I passed. The Husband was sweet, he offered to run over to the store across the street to buy me avocado. But, I decided to not be so difficult and enjoyed 1/2 my sandwich (6 inches) but about 1/4 of the other half.



I figured this gave me a reason to justify having some Sun Chips with it - I needed more too it than just eating veggies in bread. I did steal one of The Husband's spicy jalepeno chips as well but it isn't pictured.

As with tradition I dropped The Husband off at poker and went to Starbuck's. I always bring my hair dresser a Starbucks plus sometimes a treat. This time not treats and I think she really wanted sorry ~ sorry K! :D Have I ever told you she is the best hair dresser ever?! I love my new do and the new highlight colors we went with. Phew ~ that should get me back into her good graces :D lol. I ordered a tall nonfat decaf latte and had them top it with a little caramel drizzle for my dessert. I LOVE doing this because it makes the foam taste like a marshmallow. Being a bad blogger, I forgot to take a picture. As I savored it, I realized this is the first time I've had milk since our Vegan Challenge. I missed it!

We didn't get home until late so I know I will be dragging for sure in the morning.

It's the little things that make me happy

Today I traded in my afternoon run with my co-worker for a trip to Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods. I am so excited to report that I found everything I need for the next Vegan Cupcake, but, couldn't find Chickpea Flour. It wasn't in the bagged flour or the bulk bins. I am going to make Chickpea Fries with Romesco Sauce someday (I have my recipes ready). I decided this is a must after having them at Ubuntu.

I pretty much cannot resist “building” a salad whenever we god. Just look at this beauty packed full of goodness and flavor:



In the mix, although some of it is buried:

Romaine
Spinach
Green onions
Garbanzo beans
Edamame
Corn
Beets
Regular sliced mushrooms
1 Tbsp sunflower seeds
Egg – only ate the egg white for protein
3 pieces flavored tofu
Buckwheat Sesame noodle salad ~ a Tbsp
Marinated mushrooms
Roasted mushrooms
3 croutons
3 big butter beans
Cioppino Onions (so flavorful you don’t need dressing)
Grilled Veggies
Colorful Cauliflower

Look at the super cool purple and orange cauliflower. It doesn’t taste any different than the real deal though.



We had been talking about sushi all week including my sushi flop. We decided to take a peak to see if the Veggie Sushi rolls were worth it. Our first glance was eh, not really…..then, we came across this Vegetable Rainbow Roll. Hello, avocado!



We split the roll in half and I dipped mine in a combination of soy sauce and hot chili sauce. So Good! I am telling you this lunch completely and totally made my day. Although my lunch was huge, I feel good about it because it was veggie packed and good for me. It is the little things that make you smile! Yes, food makes me happy lol! I have to say though I am pretty full now and probably will be until dinner time.

For snack this morning I still had a funky tummy going on and didn’t think I could stomach an apple with almond butter. So I traded it in for a Kashi Strawberry Flax waffle with almond butter and some Good Earth Hot and Spicy Tea. It definitely hit the spot.

Starting my day with a little Morning Flow...

This morning I struggled a bit to get out of bed after staying up way too late to watch The Biggest Loser AND Law and Order. I really do love both shows and once The Biggest Loser was over, I told myself I was not tired so I should stay up longer :D It felt great last night, but, not so much this morning.

BTW, Didn't The Biggest Loser rock last night? I think this might have been one of the best shows of the season. Since I know some of you may not have watched it yet, I won't spoil it for you...just make sure you do though!

To wake up my sleepy self this morning, I started my day off with Morning Flow #1 from yogadownload.com. I had envisioned a nice, relaxing, stretching class, but, this class was a definite work out. It was a nice change to focus on balance, strength, posture and stretching. It made me realize that I am actually starting to make some progress in yoga. My heels are almost flat on the ground in my downward dogs, I don't shake while balancing and I can stretch further each time. I still wasn't able to do a full wheel for fear of falling on my head :) but I made an attempt and that is what counts, right? I was definitely awake and alert after this class and ready to start my day. It was a nice change from being in my set, relaxed state that yoga usually puts me in.

I had sort of a funky stomach going on this moring that I am sure was due to my indulgences yesterday. So, I decided to have a nice, soothing and refreshing breakfast today.



I layered all of the following to make this super filling bowl of Greek Yogurt.

1 cup Trader Joe's Fat Free Greek Yogurt
Drizzle of Agave ~ about 2 tsp
1/2 cup Natures Path Pumpkin Flax
1/3 cup Trader Joe's High Fiber Cereal (aka fiber worms)
1/2 banana
2 big strawberries

This really hit the spot and packed alot of protein plus fiber and a little fat to help me stay full all morning. I had it together with my SIGG water bottle and real coffee this time - 1/2 coffee and 1/2 water. The caffeine is sure to make me bounce off the walls, but, sometimes, you just have to have it :)



Today is a short day for me as I am leaving work early ~ yahoo! It's also a fun day because tonight I am getting my hair done. While I chat it up with my friend & hairdressor, The Husband gets dropped off to play poker. He says he doesn't want me to have to drive alone ~ ha, he's funny! I don't mind the company though and it gives him a little fun play time.

Happy Hump Day all! The week is half over and I couldn't be happier about that. Enjoy the sunshine.....

I am turning into a carbetarian!

Carbetarian ~ someone who becomes vegetarain but mainly eats starchy carbs. Ok, I am not sure if it is a real word or not, but, that is how I feel I have been this week. Reflecting on my day so far (and yes, it gets worse from here), I have gone from complex carbs (fruits, veggies) to simple carbs (breads, pastas, muffins and such). I am not saying carbs are bad by any means, but, I usually try to center eat meal/snack around fruits and vegetables then I layered on the rest. This week, I am focused on how I can eat my breads, etc. So, after this post, for the next 3 days, I am turning my focus back to fruits and veggies as it should be.

But, first, onto the AMAZING eats I had today. Um, yeah, throwing in the AMAZING part = treats = probably not as healthy as I could've been. After our lunch, I bought a Morning Glory Muffin for my afternoon snack. Seriously, can an apple with almond butter stand up to this?



It really was as good as it looks, but, better. I savored every single bite! I did go on quick 30 minute walk to earn a little bit of this muffin.

My original plan was to come home, do Jillian's 30 day Shredd, followed by Yoga. However, The Husband wanted to TV and to eat ASAP. I decided to lighten my dinner up a bit and had only 1/2 a piece of leftover vegetable lasagna.



Along with an even better salad. I topped my salad with Trader Joe's Spicy Peanut Dressing - this is by far one of my absolute favorite dressings in the whole wide world. For 2 Tbsp it is only 70 cal and 4 g fat plus it packs so much flavor you do not need more than that.



I added a few dry roasted peanuts to top off the salad and was perfectly satisfied with my meal.

After dinner, I knew I wouldn't be able to workout or do Yoga just yet, so we headed out to get some scratchers and lotto tickets ~ You have to be in it, to win it, right?! LOL....It's one of our fun weekly adventures. Then, all of a sudden, while we were out, enjoying the sunshine, there it was......ice cream! Do you remember how I passed up ice cream on Saturday?! I have been wanting it ever since. Then, The Husband made me realize that ice cream IS vegetarian and it was all over. I caved and had this fabulous chocolate dipped vanilla cone. If it is any consolation, I did resist the urge to get a blizzard because I knew they were a bazillion more calories than my cone.



I am so over the top full now and just waiting for my tummy to settle down a bit to do some yoga and watch The Biggest Loser. Tomorrow is definitely going to be a better day in every way! Have a great night all.....3 days of healthy eats, here I come!

Breakfast for lunch!

Since it is so beautiful outside today, my co-worker and I decided to head out for lunch today instead of going for a run. I actually welcomed this as I am looking forward to doing a different workout tonight, but, more on that later. We ended up going to Gillwood's Cafe because they have so many options you can pick from. I LOVE that they serve breakfast ALL day, they make amazing sandwiches, salads and more. I was pretty torn about what to order, but, when I saw the Chive with Vegetable Omelet I was sold. Thanks to Rachel for saving me since I completely forgot my camera in all my excitement to get outside.



This fabulous omelet was made using Egg Beaters (per my request) and a veggie medley which includes mushrooms, zucchini, crooked neck squash, Red and green bell peppers & onion, chopped tomato, a little jack/cheddar cheese and it's topped with fresh chives.

On the side I had their homemade Honey Wheat Bread (2 slices) and Grilled Home Fried Potatoes.

Can I just that I completely devoured this entire meal....it was so tasty and it really hit the spot. Why don't I have breakfast for lunch more often?!

This morning I snacked on a Kashi Dark Chocolate Coconut bar as I knew we were having a later lunch.



We also picked up something special for snack time at the bakery....check back later to find out what ~ I can't wait!

Oh Happy Day.....

I woke up in such a great mood this morning ~ I slept good last night, the sun is shining and it's Biggest Loser night. All those equal a happy day for me. For breakfast, I wanted something simple and fast.

I took two Kashi Strawberry Flax Waffles and topped them with a little real maple syrup, a few strawberries, 1/2 a banana, a sprinkle of unsweetened organic coconut and a little real maple syrup.



OMG ~ This was so amazing and only took a few minutes to throw together. On the side I had my last Chobani Strawberry Greek Yogurt topped with a few more strawberries. This flavor is good as well, but, with 19 grams of sugar (almost 5 teaspoons of sugar) I think I am better sweetenening my own yogurt. It was fun to try it though.

All togetherwith my SIGG bottle and some decaf coffee in this goofy coffee cup they had at work. I am not even sure what it is supposed to represent.



Here are my quick stats for yesterday:

Calories burned: 3,149, Steps taken: 14,678
Calories consumed: 1,688
20% protein, 52% carbs, 28% fat

I met my 1,000 mg calcium too! Woohoo, still a little light on protein though.

Happy Tuesday all! Today is going to be "awes-some"! :D

Crockpot Spagetti Sauce & Vegetable Lasagna

Last night I threw all the ingredients I needed in the crockpot to make a homemade spagetti sauce. I definitely think the real deal is better than any canned or jarred sauce you can get. You can easily whip up a huge batch of this to have now and freeze for later. The Husband loves it and always requests to have some left out for him to "snack" on lol.

This is the sauce that I used for my homemade vegetable lasagna. It is really thick and hearty but if you do not like the chunks, just puree it when you get home.



2 28 oz cans crushed tomatoes
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes, drained
1 6 oz can tomato paste
½ c chopped green bell pepper
½ c chopped red bell pepper
1 large celery stalk chopped
½ c chopped onion
1 Tbsp sugar
1 package 8 oz fresh mushrooms
1 large carrot grated
3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 T Italian seasoning
Pinch crushed red pepper
Salt and Pepper to taste
Optional: ¼- ½ cup good quality red wine

This fills my entire small 3 quart crockpot. You can increase the crushed tomatoes by 3-4 more cans for larger crockpots. Cook on low for 8-10 hours.

The house smelled so amazing when I walked in the door. I couldn't wait to get started on making this cookinglight recipe that I modified.

I used the sauce above as my base. Here is what it looks like after adding in the vegetables for the lasagna.



I added a layer of fresh spinach to the mix and tried out the Trader Joe's no cook lasagna noodles. The noodles were not bad, but, they were a little chewy like. I think it is probably worth the extra step to boil your own noodles. I also added salt and pepper to the ricotta and finely shredded my mozzarella so you get more. I sprinkled a little fresh parmesan between the layers as well for additional flavor.

After layering everything , it was ready to go into the oven.



50 minutes later, I took it out and this is what it looked like - Yum!



I had one big slice ~ look at all that cheesy & "vegetable-y" goodness.



On the side I had a piece of Alexis Garlic Bread. I had meant to make my own using the super cool bread we bought this weekend from Grateful Bread, but, forgot.



And a big salad with Annie's Naturals Raspberry Vinaigrette.



This dinner was so satisfying and filling. However I still made room for dessert and made sure I polished off the remainder of the Trader Joe's Yogurt Covered Pretzels. I LOVE these but probably too much. We managed to eat the entire bag in a weekend :D