Eating On The Fly

I could not get out of bed this morning. I slept so deeply (for a change) that it was hard to wake up! Since I got going so late, I didn't have time to work out although I put on my exercise clothes in anticipation of fitting it in sometime during the day. I ate a quick, but filling, breakfast of Whole Wheat Pumpkin Blueberry Pancakes (from the freezer) and 2 hard boiled egg whites for 3 POINTS...


Then, the daughters and I headed to my friend's house to help with preparations for a big luau party she's having tomorrow. I set out making 60 hamburgers then moved on to chopping, chopping and more chopping lots of fruits and veggies. Next up was grilling all the veggies and making up the tray. I put some aside and made us grilled veggie sandwiches on an Arnold Sandwich Thin with some garlic hummus that she had in her fridge which is AWESOME! The garlic flavor went perfectly with the veggies. It was a great 4 POINT sammie eaten "counter style" (aka standing up!)...

I also snacked on some Goldfish while prepping some other dishes and helping to set up. Before we knew it, it was 5 p.m.! Party prep is brutal!

I headed home and found a wonderfully healthy dinner waiting. NOT!! The husband found a way to get pizza 2 nights in a row! He was so happy :) He ordered us a plain pizza and also, a panzarotti which is like an inside out pizza. Too tired to think of making something more healthy for myself, I indulged in a slice of the pizza and a piece of the panzarotti...

I made sure to eat some broccoli, at least...

I also chomped on some of big daughter's pizza crusts. I didn't feel very satisfied after that. I definitely could have eaten more. I guess my hunger kicked in. Thankfully, there was no more pizza left or I probably would have gone to town. Instead, I went right to dessert - a No Pudge Brownie with PB2 for 3 POINTS...

Never did get in that exercise, although I was on my feet the entire day from 10:30 - 5. I will make sure to get in C&K's 10 minute strength routine though, so it's not a total wash. Then, I will flop into my bed and fall into a coma deep slumber })

Have a great night!

Perfect Picnic Days

Such beautiful days! The weather has been absolutely perfect this week - bright sunshine and low humidity. Perfect for an outdoor run which I am beginning to miss:( I thought I might venture out, but got caught up doing other things this morning, so I just hit the treadmill instead. It was a good 40 minute run; I felt strong and probably could have run longer, but I needed to get going with the daughters. Part of the reason I may have had a better run is because I decided to have breakfast first. I usually don't like to eat before running, but it just worked out that way today and I felt pretty good! Maybe, I'll try it more often and see if it really makes a difference in stamina for me.


So, I was in the mood for something different for breakfast. None of the "same olds" were doing it for me. I thought about doing oats, but saw a box of quinoa in the cabinet, begging to be used, so I decided on that. I cooked up some quinoa, then turned it in to Quinoa Cranberry Pecan Hot Cereal. I used ...

• 1/2 c. cooked quinoa, 1/4 c. unsweetened vanilla Almond Breeze, 1 tbsp. dried cranberries, 1 tsp. chopped pecans, dash of cinnamon and 1 tsp. sugar free maple syrup; mixed it in a bowl and heated it in the micro for 1 minute.

A very nutritious 3 POINT bowl...

I liked it! Unfortunately, it didn't hang around very long - I was hungry very soon after eating it. That happens to me with oatmeal, too :( I ended up snacking on a cheese stick and some handfuls of crackers. I snapped out of it and headed to the treadmill before I ate the rest of the food in the kitchen :)


After my run, I packed a picnic lunch for the daughters and myself. I surprised them with a trip to the zoo! We got there just in time to set up our picnic lunch under a shady tree. I made a turkey and hummus wrap with spring mix and, to go along with it, Sea Salt and Pepper Rice Chips and a Fuji apple for 6 POINTS...

The daughters' PB&J's attracted an audience...


He almost came right up to us! We had fun watching him and his friends scurrying around us!

We came home tired and ready for dinner. I planned on Flatbread Pizzas using the Quick Flatbread Dough which couldn't be easier! I made a plain sauce and cheese pizza for the husband and daughters and made a Chicken Sausage, Red Pepper and Asiago Pizza for myself. I used half of a leftover chicken sausage with spinach and feta (these are 4 POINTS per sausage), some sauteed red peppers, onion and a slice of Asiago. I cooked the pizza for about 10-15 minutes ...

I started with half the pizza and a side salad dressed with Kraft Light Three Cheese Ranch...

and then ended up eating the other half, too! That was one big 11 POINT dinner :)

As if that wasn't enough, I had to dig into one of those Holey Donuts! I chose the Raspberry Fudge (5 POINTS) and a light shine down from the heavens....

The Holey Donuts peeps would strangle me if they saw this pic of my melty donut ( nuked too long), but no matter to me - it still tasted terrific! That is one good lowfat donut! The husband even got in on the action and tried the Boston Cream and the Cinnamon Strudel and gave it thumbs up. And he knew they were lowfat! Normally, that would immediately be a deal breaker, but he thought they were really good and would eat them again. Sold!

I'm off to enjoy the rest of the beautiful evening. I leave you runners and/or morning exercisers a Question of the Day...

Do you eat before you run or exercise in the morning?

Have a great night!

Happy Birthday Baby!!

Today is my little daughter's 7th birthday! Wow, time sure does fly! She and my big daughter made the grand plan as to what we were going to do today. Before we got started, I got in a quick 20 minute run, then showered and headed out to begin the celebration.



Our first stop was Starbucks. The daughters love fraps as much as I do, so they wanted to go there for breakfast. While the daughters dug into their fraps and donuts, I sipped my Mocha Light Frappuccino and dug into a BlueBran Vitatop that I brought with me for 3 POINTS...



We hung out at Starbucks for quite a while, then made our way over to a toy store for some browsing and playing. Such a fun little store! Of course, we couldn't get out of there without a small present for the birthday girl!

Then, we were off to pick up lunch at one of their favorite places - Chick-fil-A. They wanted to bring lunch home and have a picnic, so we did just that. I spread out the blanket and they ate their yummy lunch. I snagged a fry or two, but quickly made my lunch before things got out of control! My lunch was a Dr. Praeger's Tex Mex Burger on a whole wheat english muffin topped with a slice of Weight Watchers American and some sauteed peppers with onion. Delish! I added a serving of yellow watermelon and carrots for my side. A filling 6 POINT lunch...

After lunch, these guys came to the door....

HOLEY DONUTS!!!! I won these from Danica's giveaway and have been anxiously awaiting them! I was VERY tempted to dive right in, but I contained myself! Instead, I put each one in their own baggie and labeled it with the POINT value. That way, I won't be tempted to defrost a whole box and then "have" to eat them all! Looking forward to trying these soon :)

Our party-goers (grandparents) came for birthday dinner later in the afternoon. We got right to eating with a starter of Bruschetta with Asiago...

Then came the family favorite (and birthday girl's too!) - ravioli...

some rustic bread ( a must on our table)...

Grilled bratwurst and onions (left) and Chicken Sausage with spinach and feta over sauteed red peppers (right)...

I also made hot Italian sausage with hot fried peppers, broccoli and salad. I didn't get a pic of those before everyone dug in, but here's a pic of my plate...

I ended up eating another piece of bruschetta and a taste of hot sausage, but I was able to dodge the ravioli! Not too bad; I'm estimating about 13 POINTS.

For dessert, of course we had birthday cake - triple chocolate mousse cake! I didn't want to tempt anyone with a picture ;P In an effort to have a healthy alternative, I made a blueberry crisp...

I had a serving topped with fat free whipped topping for 2 POINTS...

It's super late now, but I'm determined to fit in my 10 minute strength routine, so off I go!

Have a great night everyone =)

An All Day Affair

Shopping was an all day affair today. I had lots to do to prep for little daughter's birthday tomorrow, so I was up and out of the house by 9 a.m. The cupboards were pretty bare, so I grabbed a bowl of Puffins with unsweetened vanilla Almond Breeze and Trader Joe's Freeze Dried Strawberries for 3 POINTS...


I hit the produce store, regular grocery store and Trader Joe's before rushing back for lunch. I was really hungry. I've been noticing that I get "the shakes" if I go too long and I hate that feeling. So strange since I remember those old days when I used to go the whole day without eating anything and then, eat a big meal at night. It never bothered me then, but what a great way to screw up your metabolism! I wouldn't even think of going that long without food now! Anyway, lunch had to be quick since I was starving, so I went with a hummus and cucumber sammie on an Arnold Sandwich Thin, a serving of Trader Joe's Sea Salt and Pepper Rice Chips and 1 c. of.... can you guess what those yellow cubes are? If you said, yellow watermelon, you're right! I have never seen yellow watermelon before coming across it at Trader Joe's today. Looks like a regular watermelon on the outside, but it has a lemon yellow color on the inside. Interesting! I thought the flavor was sweet, but mild. Almost a honey-like flavor. I liked it, but red watermelon remains my favorite, especially when it's super sweet like candy ;P
Altogether, a yummy 6 POINT lunch...


I barely finished my last bite before I was out the door again. Do you believe, I had to hit 2 more supermarkets (each one carries something that I needed that the other didn't - Pfft!)? Then, a final trip to Target and Five Below. I felt my stomach rumbling, but it was getting too close to dinner for a snack, so I decided to give myself an afternoon jolt to get me through....

I heart Mocha Light Frappuccinos! (2 POINTS)

I planned a light dinner for the husband and daughters tonight : Annie's Shells and White Cheddar with some mixed veggies ( on the side - of course! No way would they allow those two things to TOUCH ;)) I picked up a new single serving frozen meal at Trader Joe's today and thought it would be a good opportunity to try it....

This Filet of Sole with Butter Beans and Fresh Spinach looks delicious, doesn't it??? And the nutritional facts are phenomenal - only 3 POINTS!

Unfortunately, this was not as tasty of a meal as I was hoping. The flavor was very bland with just a bit of heat here and there from the poblano and chili seasoning. There were about 2 strands of spinach and the butter beans were very mushy. Boo! TJ's needs to go back to the drawing board on that one. I plated my meal and ended up adding 1/2 c. Annie's Shells and White Cheddar on the side. It was the best part of my meal! That is seriously the greatest boxed mac and cheese I have ever tasted! Love it!

My sad 6 POINT dinner...

After dinner, I prepped a bit for tomorrow night's meal, cleaned up and settled down for some dessert. I wanted something really fantastic, but decided I should finish up these Weight Watchers Chocolate Sundae Cones (2 POINTS) before breaking out some other dessert...

Whew, that's enough shopping for one day! At least I kept moving the whole day, which is about all the exercise I was able to fit in today. I think before I sit for too long, I'll get in my C&K 10 Minute Strength Training Workout, too! I'm determined to do it for the month long challenge. Okay, I'm getting up now....

Have a great night =)

Shore Debauchery

Hi All! I'm back from the shore and it's pretty late, so I'll be quick. Well, the weather this weekend was absolutely beautiful which allowed for a lovely time at the beach and pool. We soaked in the sun and had lots of delicious eats. I allowed myself to eat whatever and boy, did I! I went a little crazy on the cheese; my Mom had brought an amazing array of imported Italian specialty cheeses and I made sure to do my fair tasting! On a healthy note, I did keep up with my exercise which included bike riding (probably about 10 miles), a little extra walking and C&K's 10 Minute Strength Challenge that I am participating in this month (it's a great workout - check it out!). But, I woke up this morning determined to get back on track and not let the debauchery continue! I eased my way back beginning with a breakfast of 1/2 bagel with Laughing Cow Light Cheese, 1 oz. smoked salmon and a side of fruit salad...



Then a 30 minute bike ride with my Dad before hitting the pool...


After sloshing in the pool, I came in for a quick lunch before packing up and heading home. I made a wrap with some leftover beef tenderloin, baby arugula and 1 oz. of Gorgonzola Dolce (from Italy) and a crunchy apple to go with it...

I brought one of my Blueberry Apricot Oat Bran Muffins for a snack in the car...

I got home just in time to take a quick shower and head out with the husband for a little date. We stopped at Cosi Restaurant for dinner. I ordered my new fave sandwich , Fire Roasted Veggie, with a side of baby carrots...

We browsed around Borders Bookstore and went for a walk at a local trail before heading back to tuck the daughters in bed. Now, it's our turn to tuck in! Relaxing is very tiring ;P

Hope you all had a fabulous weekend! See you tomorrow =)

All In The Family

I woke up this morning with running on my mind. Before the feeling left me, I quickly put on my sneakers and headed to the treadmill. Since, I woke up with the desire, I thought it would be a great run, but it wasn't so hot. I felt a little weak and it took me a good 20 minutes to get in a groove where I felt strong and steady. Weird. But, I toughed it out for 40 minutes, then did a few reps of leg exercises. Then, I hit the kitchen for a red, fiber and blue! A pretty 3 POINT bowl...


The daughters and I hit the library for some books and movies, then came home to make lunch. Nothing was exciting me today. In an effort to use up some leftovers, I decided to make a tasting plate including leftover sweet potatoes, carrots and a "deconstructed sandwich" of turkey slices and a cut-up Arnold Sandwich Thin. I added a bit of Grey Poupon Dijon Mustard in the middle for dipping. Carrots and dijon are a surprisingly good combo! Altogether, a very filling 5 POINT lunch...

While playing some board games and doing crafts with the daughters, I had a handful of Goldfish crackers... then, about 3 more handfuls...Pfft!

I had an easy pizza dinner planned for tonight. The husband and daughters had regular pizza because they would never touch a pizza with a vegetable on it! I decided to make a flatbread pizza for myself. With a vegetable on it!

This is the easiest flatbread pizza dough to make...

Quick Flatbread Dough

(from The Perfect Recipe for Losing Weight and Eating Great by Pam Anderson)

1 c. bread flour, plus extra for dusting

1/2 tsp. teaspoon salt

1/3 c. warm water, plus extra if necessary

1 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil

Mix flour and salt in food processor. Mix water and oil and pour over flour mixture; process to form a soft dough ball. If dough is too stiff, process in another tablespoon of warm water, Continue to process until dough is well kneaded, about 15 seconds.

With floured hands, turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and cut into quarters. Working with one quarter at a time, roll dough out to about a 12 x4 inch rectangle, dusting with flour and turning as necessary to keep it from sticking. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Place flatbreads on the sheet, top and bake at 425 degrees for about 10-12 minutes.

Makes 4 flatbreads pizza crusts(110 calories per crust)

So easy! Literally took me 5 minutes to put together. I decided to cut the dough in half and make two flatbread crusts instead of 4 (so 220 calories per crust). I topped them with 1/4 c. chopped sundried tomatoes(in oil), shredded baby spinach and one got 1 oz. asiago cheese...

and the other got 1 oz. goat cheese...

To go with it, I made Barbeque Bean Salad ( click HERE for recipe). I cut each pizza into 4 pieces. I had 2 pieces with asiago and 1 piece with goat cheese. Both were equally delicious! These would make a great party appetizer. It was an awesome 10 POINT dinner...

The husband even tried a piece of the goat cheese one and didn't die! Yippee ;P

I felt pretty full, but dessert called my name later on. I ended up eating a Weight Watchers Chocolate Fudge Sundae Cone for 2 POINTS....

This was not my favorite. The ice cream was lacking flavor compared to the Breyers Fat Free Double Churn Ice Cream that I usually buy. The sugar cone was good, but I probably won't buy these again.

I'm off to pack. We're heading to the beach again for the weekend! So excited to ride my bike again!! And because my Gram thinks I'm obsessed with the computer, I decided not to bring it with me this weekend. So, I won't be blogging this weekend so that I can focus ALL my attention on my family and Gram! She might want me to bring my computer again after this weekend - LOL!!!! I'll see you Sun. night for a recap.

Hope you all have a great weekend! Happy 4th and Happy belated Canada Day to my Canadian peeps!

It's Still Me

Hey, how do you like the new digs??? I have been wanting a custom header for a while, so I decided to get myself one in honor of my upcoming 300th post! Thanks to The Blog Fairy who was an absolute dream to work with! I love how she made "me" skinny; gives me hope - LOL ;)

So, I have to say, today was a good day in the eating department. I got right to working out this morning. I decided on the 3 Mile Walk Away The Pounds For Abs DVD again and it was just what I was up for this morning. It's not too hard, but long enough (43 min.) to do some good. After that, I had an easy breakfast of toast and berries: 2 slices Trader Joe's Organic Spelt Bread topped with 1 Laughing Cow Light Cheese Wedge and 1 cup of blueberries on the side. A nice 4 POINT breakfast...

I did some organizing this morning and before I knew it, it was time for lunch. I was in the mood for soup even though it was hot today. I decided on this...

It is really rich and delicious. It has the best nutrition facts of any other canned split pea soup on the shelves, although the sodium is a bit high as is with most canned soups. But, I love that this is packed with protein and fiber, has no fat and is only 1 POINT per cup...

Along with my soup, I made a turkey and 2% cheese sammie on an Arnold Sandwich Thin and had some carrots for crunch. Not on purpose. I was out of chips! It was still a great lunch for 4 POINTS...

After refereeing the daughters all afternoon in The Battle Of Ouch-Quit It She's Touching Me, I needed a good snack to keep up my energy. I went for half of an Apple Pie Larabar for 2 POINTS...

Then, dinner was a vegetarian delight. I had two portabella mushrooms waiting to be used and since no one else in this house will touch them, it was all me! I decided to make a stuffed mushroom burger. I cleaned and stemmed both mushrooms, seasoned with salt and pepper and stuffed one half with a mixture of spinach, parmesan cheese and a bit of light sour cream. Then, topped it with a slice of asiago cheese and the other mushroom and placed it on the grill until mushroom cooked down a little. While I was grilling, I threw some sweet potato slices on, too. A filling 8 POINT meal...

It was one cheesy "burger"...

Plenty of room for another Brownie Strawberry Shortcake for 3 POINTS...

No Pudge Brownies rock!

And before I go, I want to say a big Thank You to Danica for giving me the Hard Working Food Blogger Award! I really appreciate it! Seriously, blogging is so much fun for me, I love being part of the blogging community!

Have a great night =)