Productive + Unique

Being productive was my number one goal today!  I spent a few minutes making a list of all the things (that I can remember) that I need and want to get done.  Some were short term, some were long term and it felt so good to start crossing things off as I accomplished them today.  One of the personal goals I have is to get better with time management.  The convenience of being at home sometimes hinders the ability to get the most done.  There are lots of distractions and since I don’t have to “report” to anyone, it’s easy to push stuff off to another day.  That day doesn’t come and then I get bogged down with having a list a mile long!  So, I’m going to work on that!!

Breakfast was a bit unusual for me.  I was making the daughters’ lunches and decided that the turkey looked delicious for some reason.  I went with the craving and made up a tasting plate with turkey, a lite string cheese and an apple.  It was just what I wanted!

I headed out to the gym where I did a 30 minute interval stint on The Arc Trainer , then another 25 minutes of lower body weight machines.  My hammies were screaming!

When I got home, it was right to the list!  I powered out quite a few things before realizing it was lunch time.  I got shaky all at one time;  I knew I waited to long, but the strange thing was that my stomach didn’t even growl until just that moment.  I looked in the fridge and saw the leftover Angel hair with Zucchini and Chickpeas and nuked it right up!  Leftover pasta is generally not my fave, but this tasted even better than the first night…(maybe cuz I was starved!)…

I thought this might not hold me for long and planned to eat something else with it, but I was so intent on tackling my list that I just got right to it! 

I made up for the rest of my lunch with snacks for sure!  When the daughters got home, I dug into a few cashews x2…

then a Chobani nonfat pineapple yogurt topped with a bit of Kashi cereal…

I have to say that I heart Chobani.  I love all the flavors that I’ve tried, but the pineapple is one of their newer flavors and I do not care for it.  It had a fake pineapple taste to it.  All the other flavors rock, this one…not so much.

Dinner was a plan!  YAY!  I planned on roast beef sandwiches and sweet potato fries.  I pulled out all the gadgets for this dinner.  I cooked the roast in the oven, then drug out my slicer and thinly sliced it before settling it into a pan of au jus (I use a packet of Knor Au Jus mixed with water –it’s great!)

I have gotten some emails inquiring about the mandoline that I use for making sweet potato fries, so I thought I’d show you what it looks like…

It comes with various slicing blades for a variety of cuts.  I use the one that is most “fry-like” …

I also decided to try a new technique in the ever continuing effort to find a  way to make  crispy sweet potato fries without frying.  I used a pizza pan with holes, sprayed with nonstick cooking spray and it worked great!  At first, when I took them out, I didn’t think there was a difference, but as they sat for a few minutes they really crisped up.  Give it a try and let me know if it worked for you!

My roast beef sandwich got cheese, pickles and roasted peppers.  Altogether, a yummy dinner…

I thought I would leave you with an amazing video that was posted on Roni’s site.  I LOVED THIS VIDEO.  The message is so inspiring and powerful.  I can’t get it out of my mind.  I have shown it to the daughters.  I want them to KNOW this.  We should all KNOW this and BELIEVE it.  We don’t need to look like everyone else.  WE ARE UNIQUE.  Please view this and let me know your thoughts…

Have a great day!!

Another 5K Day!

I woke up this morning with all good intentions of trying out my treadmill 5K for the second day. I headed to the treadmill and about 14 min. into the run, I began having second thoughts! It's funny how your mind can really mess with you. I was coming up with all kinds of excuses as to why I didn't need to do a 5K run for another day in a row! Finally, I got in a groove (and something interesting came on the TV), so I pushed myself to finish it! I even beat my time from yesterday by 40 seconds! Just goes to show the power of the mind and unfortunately, mine likes to talk me into things(like wolfing down tons of snacks -more on that later) or shall I say out of things(like staying on program- again, more on that later).



So after this wonderful run in the scenic basement of my home, I decided to have cereal for breakfast. I love these Barbara's Bakery Puffins. A 3/4 c. serving is 90 cal., 1 gr. fat and 5 gr. fiber which comes to 1 POINT....







Instead of going with milk, I used them to top 1/2c. plain yogurt with 4 sliced strawberries...

For lunch, I decided to have a "redo" of my meal the other day. I browned a Spinach, Fontina and Roasted Garlic Chicken Sausage, served it on a light hot dog bun. This time, I filled my plate with apple slices and a serving of Sea Salt and Pepper Rice Chips for a filling 7 POINT lunch...

This afternoon was spent hanging out with little daughter (big daughter was at a friend's house). We played games, Wii Fit and read. Then I made a snack that I haven't had in a long time - cheesecake pudding!

I love instant pudding; it really is ready in an instant! Which is essential for someone like me who lacks the virtue of patience. I topped my cheesecake pudding with a few slices of banana and 1/4 graham cracker crumbled. I know you're probably thinking, can't this girl eat ANYTHING plain???

That was really good, by the way. Kinda like a banana cream pie. It was filling for only 2.5 POINTS. I've said it before and I'll say it again, "it should've been enough, but it wasn't". Much of the remainder of the afternoon was spent snacking. Heavily. Which is probably how I will feel tomorrow. I don't know why I kept snacking. I actually was having conversations with myself that could be likened to a tennis match: back and forth, back and forth. I talked myself into eating stuff, then talked myself out, closing packages and pantry doors. Then in again, then out. WTF???? Pardon my potty mouth. But, as I always conclude...move on...NEXT!

Hi, I'm back! Yes, feeling better - back on track. Don't worry I'm not Sybil. Just feeling veklempt and had to regroup. Soooooo, on to dinner. We had some leftover roast beef from the freezer and along with that, I made a butternut squash puree and some crinkle potatoes...

I topped off the night with dessert. I know, I can hear the tsk, tsk from here, but I was still in the mood for the sweets. I had a serving of Breyers Fat Free Double Churned Caramel Swirl Ice Cream and a WW peanut butter cookie...

I feel full. Kinda sickish. As I sit here writing this post, my muffin top that's coming out of my jeans now feels more like a donut. Eeewww. What's a girl to do? Another 5K day tomorrow, you say??? Well, okay =(

Meat and Potatoes

I went with a good old meat and potatoes dinner tonight, but with a healthier twist. Instead of mashed potatoes with gravy, I had a sweet potato with some ICBINB spray. The roast beef was lean eye round and I had 4 oz. of that. Then a heaping serving of fresh broccoli with evoo and garlic. Hearty and comforting; all for 8 Points...



I had 3 Points left for dessert. Yay! I had 1/2 c. Breyers Fat Free Double Churn Caramel Swirl Ice Cream and 1/2 of a huge Nonni's Biscotti...


I finished off the night with a cup of Celestial Seasonings Gingerbread Tea and quickly ran upstairs. I have sequestered myself here so that I will not be tempted to dig into anything else in the kitchen. Hooray for my first on program day of the new year!!!!