Feelin Fine Friday

I feel so much better today! Must have been all your well wishes!! My body really fought this cold and didn't let it come out full force thankfully! I even got to stay in bed a little later since the daughters were off from school. Then, I got up and rolling. I had a great strength training session. Today was back and biceps; I worked them pretty hard - my arms were shaking after I was done! I do miss the cardio with this new routine I'm trying. I'm looking forward to 5K Saturday tomorrow! Who knew???!!

Breakfast was a wonderful combo of Ezekiel english muffin (plain ones) topped with PB2 and Smucker's Sugar Free Grape Jam. I have to say that the Ezekiel Cinnamon Raisin are much better than the plain which is a bit on the bland side. Both are such hearty muffins and really stay with you; the husband is HOOKED on the Cinnamon Raisin ones! I also had a hard boiled egg white cuz it looked good! A good looking 3 POINT breakfast...


Lunch was a turkey BLT on an Arnold Sandwich Thin. So tasty! Center cut bacon is a bargain; 2 slices are 1 POINT (check the brand - some are more) and add so much flavor. I had a serving of Creamy Ranch Soy Crisps and 1 c. cantaloupe for a delicious 6 POINT lunch...


And I just needed a teensy bit of sweet, so I grabbed 2 Chocolate Macaroons for 1 POINT...

I took little daughter to the library in the afternoon. I LOVE the library! I know, such a dork. I read some books to little daughter, then got a few books for myself. And what do I get??? Yep, cookbooks and diet books!!! It's a horrible obsession. I can't resist new diet books that have recipes in them. I read cookbooks like novels and I wonder why I am preoccupied with food morning, noon and night! I picked up the new Biggest Loser Family Cookbook; looking forward to trying out some recipes:)

Speaking of recipes, I made up a crazy one of my own for dinner! I had 4 beautiful zucchini in my fridge and every time I looked at them, I pictured them stuffed with cheese! I would add cheese to everything if I could!! So, I came up with Breaded Cheese Stuffed Zucchini...

• 4 medium zucchini
• 2 egg whites
• 1/2 c. seasoned Italian breadcrumbs
• 4 light string cheese sticks
• 1 tbsp. grated parmesan cheese

1. Cut zucchini in half, leaving stems on. Hollow out the centers with a pairing knife and spoon.
2. Season zucchini with salt and pepper.
3. Dip each zucchini shell into beaten egg, then into breadcrumbs.
4. Cut each cheese stick in half and place one half in each zucchini shell. Sprinkle top with breadcrumbs.
5. Spray a baking rack with cooking spray and place over a baking sheet. Place zucchini on baking rack and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
6. Bake in 400 degree oven for 15 -20 min. or until browned and cheese is melted.
7. Makes 4 servings - 3 POINTS per serving (2 halves). Serve with marinara sauce for additional POINTS.

Before going in the oven...

and after....

These were really tasty! I ate mine dipped in a bit of pizza sauce. Yep, tonight was pizza night! I indulged in a small slice along with my stuffed zucchini and a bit of salad with Kraft Light Three Cheese dressing. A yummy 9 POINT dinner...

After a serious game of Connect Four with little daughter, I had dessert...

another sweet Banana Cream Pie! This time I used some ground up Trader Joe's Holiday Ginger Cookies for the crust and omitted the butter. I liked this better than the graham crackers! Awesome and only 3 POINTS!

A busy day is on tap tomorrow, so I better get busy on the ZZZ's! Have a great night!

Drooling Dogs

Back to the early morning grind; up and at em! I sent big daughter off to school and went to the basement for my early morning workout. Wow, it seems like I haven't done this in a long time. I guess I've been taking advantage of the outdoor runs more than I realized! I did 30 huffy minutes on the elliptical while watching boring morning TV- so tired of all those talking heads! Then, I got little daughter off to school and came home to Shred. Yes, still Level 1! There are only 11 days left of this challenge and I think I am looking forward to burying Jillian in my pile of unused exercise DVD's for a while!!! Nah, not really, just ready to give it a break for a bit. However, the husband is hooked on doing this 2 days a week and he's the type A that once he starts a routine, he sticks with it foreeeever!

For breakfast, I had a big dose of heartburn due to arguing with our health insurance company over a claim. I was on the phone for a while, so by the time I got to eat, I was starving! The first thing I saw was smoked salmon. I toasted a Weight Watchers Petite Bagel and topped it with a Laughing Cow Light Cheese Wedge and 1 oz. of the smoked salmon for 3 POINTS...

For lunch, I had a bowl of Black Bean Soup, a turkey BLT using 2 oz. turkey, 2 slices center cut bacon, lettuce and tomato on an Arnold Sandwich Thin and some carrots. Delicious and filling for only 4 POINTS...

I debated on eating something else afterward because it was such a low POINT lunch and I'm trying not to eat an afternoon snack. But, part of this "listening to my body" experiment this week, is to actually LISTEN and not eat just to eat. I was full and that should signal the end of eating, so I let it go. Turns out, after the daughters came home, I felt munchie and grabbed a handful of TJ's bbq popped chips that the daughters were munching on. I did take a moment to realize that I wasn't actually hungry, but it's almost like I'm one of Pavlov's dogs in that, the girls come in the door from school and I am ready to eat!!! Just like those drooling dogs! I ended up heading to my bedroom and having the daughters come with me to work on homework! I had a feeling that if I stayed in the kitchen, it would've gotten ugly!

I made a delicious dinner of pan-seared thyme pork chops and garlic potatoes. So simple. I used very thin center cut pork chops and seasoned them with salt, pepper and thyme. I sprayed a large nonstick pan with cooking spray and browned the chops. While they were browning, I cut small potatoes into chunks and placed them in a large bowl. I added 2 minced cloves of garlic, salt, pepper and 1 tsp. olive oil and tossed it together. I removed the browned chops from the skillet, added the potatoes and browned for a few minutes. I added the chops back to the skillet along with 1 cup of chicken broth. I covered and simmered for about 15 minutes until potatoes were done. At the end, I added a bit of cornstarch to thicken the sauce. I paired it with a salad with Kraft Light Three Cheese Dressing. A great family pleaser dinner (yes, they liked it!!!) for 8 POINTS...

I was very excited for dessert tonight! Remember this???.....

I love this!!!! A yummy 3 POINT dessert!

Okay guys, you know what time it is.....

*singing* what have you done today to make you feel proud.....