Peanut Butter Chocolate Balls

Remember those PB and Pretzel balls dipped in chocolate...well I made them.  And I may or may not have eaten 4 of them.  But before we get ahead of ourselves, lets recap dinner shall we?

Originally Jon and I had planned to meet up with some friends to watch the Final Four basketball games but when that fell through I had to figure out what I was going to cook up for dinner.  As I was flipping through my recipes two stuck out big time.  BBQ meatloaf and the best roasted broccoli ever. We had pretty much everything except the lean ground beef. 

I headed out to Whole Foods to shop each and every aisle looking for my next favorite find pick up the beef.  I walked away with a couple of other items as well.  Shocking, right?  As of now I am most excited about the cinnamon & sugar pita chips I picked up.  I think they'll be delish when dipped in a big ol' bowl of greek yogurt.

Yummy with or without yogurt!


I also picked up some strawberries that were on sale.... I can't even begin to explain how excited I am that the fruits of summer are starting to appear readily in supermarkets across town.  Summer is my favorite season for many reasons and not least of which is the fruit that starts gracing us with their presence during the warmer months.

Once I got home I started getting dinner ready.  Of course meatloaf tastes AH-MAZ-ING but even cooler than that is how quick it comes together.  I literally had the meatloaf in the oven within 15 minutes of getting home.  While it baked (for an hour!!! jeez, hurry up meatloaf!) I prepped the broccoli and started fixin' up my PB balls.  Every little thing was so worth the wait!

fresh out o' the oven

plate full of goodies!

These were both super easy to make and suuuper delish to eat.  I'll definitely be making these again soon.

BBQ Meatloaf Recipe - found on PBF
Ingredients:

• 1 1/2  pounds  ground beef, extra lean (raw)
• 1/2  cup  dry breadcrumbs
• 1/2  cup  chopped onion
• 1/3  cup  barbecue sauce, divided
• 1  tablespoon  prepared mustard
• 1 1/2  teaspoons  chili powder
• 1  teaspoon  garlic powder
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt
• 1/2  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 2  large egg whites
• Cooking spray

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°.
Combine the beef, breadcrumbs, and onion, 1 tablespoon barbecue sauce, and remaining ingredients except cooking spray in a large bowl.
Shape meat mixture into a 9 x 5-inch loaf or a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Spread remaining barbecue sauce over top of meat loaf. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a thermometer registers 160°. Let stand 10 minutes. Cut loaf into 12 slices.
Nutritional Information:
(Recipe yields 12 slices, two slices per serving)

Calories: 203 (24% from fat)

Fat: 5.4g (sat 2.2g,mono 2.2g,poly 0.5g)

Protein: 27.3g

Carbohydrate: 10.5g

Fiber: 1.1g

Cholesterol: 61mg

Iron: 3.2mg

Sodium: 517mg

Calcium: 26mg

Best Roasted Broccoli - found on Carrots 'n Cake
Ingredients:

• 2 large heads of broccoli
• 1/8 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp olive oil

Directions:

• Cut broccoli into florets
• Toss florets in olive oil and sugar
• Cover baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray or tin foil
• Spread broccoli florets on baking sheet
• Broil for 5-7 minutes until edges of florets turn brown and crispy

Now finally onto the PB balls!

These also came together in a flash  and Brewer loved the fact that I made them because she got to clean several spoons as well.

First you mix together 1/4 c. crushed pretzels with 1/2 c. crunchy peanut butter.  I also added chia seeds for some extra crunch and nutrition (nutrition in cookies??? yep!).

You then freeze the "dough" for 15 minutes until it hardens a bit and roll it into balls so they're ready for dunking in chocolate.

Can you spot Brewer?  Don't feel bad for her, she got her fare share of these bad boys. Once the balls harden a bit you dunk 'em in chocolate and they're ready to devour!  And devour we did!!!  I mean, can you blame us?

The finished product

Checkin' out the goods

Peanut Butter & Pretzel Truffles - found on Eating Well

1/2 cup crunchy natural peanut butter

1/4 cup finely chopped salted pretzels

1/2 cup milk chocolate chips, melted

Combine peanut butter and pretzels in a small bowl. Chill in the freezer until firm, about 15 minutes. Roll the peanut butter mixture into 20 balls (about 1 teaspoon each). Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment or wax paper and freeze until very firm, about 1 hour. Roll the frozen balls in melted chocolate. Refrigerate until the chocolate is set, about 30 minutes.

Snuggle Sesh

This morning started off slowly but with a bang.  I've never been a morning person, although I really really wanna be one, so I relish the opportunity to sleep in on the weekends.  The usual routine is Brew wakes me up about 8ish to go potty and eat, then we crawl back in bed for a "nap" until about 10. Not having to wake up to an alarm and snuggling with Brew are probably the two things I look forward to most on the weekends. 

Breakfast
Since I mistakenly cooked up a batch of slow oats last nights breakfast was easy.  I scooped out about a cup and half of oats into my bowl, topped it with lots 'o' frozen berries and a large dollop of peanut butter before I popped the mixture into the microwave to get nice and warm.  Once it was piping hot I stirred all the goodies together and added the final touch of some shaved coconut.  This meal was quite the treat!

My yummy (and filling) breakfast bowl

With a meal like that I had the energy I needed to tackle this mornings chores.  The kitchen was in need of some serious TLC and we had tons o' laundry to do.  I put on a good show and got to work. 

Workout
Today was YogaX day.  Its the workout I least look forward to completing, but MOST love having completed when I am done.  I love love love yoga but it is a real time commitment.  The YogaX dvd from P90X is just over an hour and a half start to finish.  It is a great workout but I was in the mood to see what ExerciseTV had to offer me on OnDemand.  I started out doing the Bethenny Frankel yoga thinking it was going to be 60 minutes, but the yoga portion only lasted 40 and then it turned into weights.  I wasn't feeling weights today so I found a nice 30 minute pilates routine to finish out my workout.

Lunch
I skipped right to lunch today because my breakfast was soo filling.  We had quite a bit of leftovers in the fridge and I was determined to put them to good use.  I heated up the remaining spaghetting squash noodles from Monday's lunch and last nights roasted brussel sprouts. I topped the mix with some marinara and a heaping scoop of ricotta cheese.  I stirred it all together and LOVED the way it tasted.  There was a great spice from the chili oil I roasted the brussel sprouts in and this meal most definitely hit the spot. 

mmmmmmmm tasty!

For dessert I polished off a no sugar added tapioca cup.  It was the perfect cherry on top of the meal. 

Its no surprise who else wanted in...

Afternoon happenings
Right after lunch I caught up on some blogs and then took a nap on the couch with Brew.  Have I mentioned how much I love snuggling with her??  Now I'm enjoying a beer while watching what I wish wasn't the end of March Madness (GO BUTLER!).  I'm thinking of heading out to the store to pick up supplies for some PB & Pretzel balls that I saw online.  Stay tuned for those....

I hope you're weekend has started off great!

Boring? No Way!

For my afternoon snack-turned lunch I had a big ol' helping of cottage cheese.  It may seem a bit boring to you, but I love me some cottage cheese and could eat buckets of it in one sitting.  I also enjoyed a strawberry acai jello.  This wasn't the most balanced meal, but it sure made me a happy camper.  

The reason it became my lunch??  I ended up having an off site meeting that kept me away all through lunch time. Not to fear, there was a going away party for a co-worker at 3:30 and I knew I could find some treats there to tide me over should hunger strike.  The party offered lots 'o good stuff - but I only mean good as far as taste, not in nutrition...  When celebration calls a girls gotta answer!  I had a lemon frosted cookie, a bag of garden salsa sun chips (could've been worse, right?), and the most delicious little brownie bite ever known to man.  All of these went undocumented because I ate them in record time :)
The real workout
Upon arriving home I got back on track!  The sun was still out and Brewer was ready for a run!  I had to pick up a couple things at the store for dinner, so I tucked my credit card in my running shorts and headed out for a very enjoyable 4 miler. 
Before I started cooking dinner, I wanted a lil something in my belly. I downed a glass of water and one of these.

Brewer wanted in on it too!

Dinner
I picked up what I needed from the store to whip up a spicy green curry meal.  I started cooking away and before too long I realized my cous cous was looking funny.  After closer look at the label I learned that I picked up slow cooking oats instead of a hearty topping for the curry.  Another oopsie poopsie :)  So when life gives you lemons (or you give yourself lemons) you quickly start a pot of rice [for the hunny] to eat with dinner and save the oats for a nice Saturday breakfast.

Rice vs. Slow cooked oats

Dinner was quite good, but lacked a bit of flavor.  I like my curry's to punch me in the face, and this was like a soft breeze.  I'll do some doctoring to it when I re-heat the left overs for my second go round.

Curry 'n Sprouts

Since we only had white rice on hand I ate my curry with a whole wheat tortilla and had a big helping of roasted brussel sprouts.

For dessert I discovered something I'd like to call heaven in a cup.  It was a fudge covered banana pudding cup.  I'm not a huge fan of banana flavored things, but this was, in one word.....WINNING.

So far, April is off to a pretty great start!  See ya in the morning :)

April ain't foolin' me!

Lots of exciting things have happened today!!

Workout (kinda)
The only thing that I haven't been a big fan of is that I woke up with some major shoulder pain.  When I told Jon about it, he jovially proclaimed that it was probably from all the post-its I put up last night.  I decided to take this morning off working out because I didn't want to aggravate my shoulder any further doing Core Synergistics from the P90X program, and also because the weatherman told us that we could expect some sun today and I LOVE running in the sun with Brew!  I think I'm not the only one, because I just read this adorable article on Melindas blog that talks about how great it is to run with your canine friends.

Running the Doggie Dash last year with my friend Collen, sister Ceressa and our pups!

The sun is just starting to show its face so I'm hoping it'll have around until I leave work.


Breakfast
That covered my workout (or lack thereof) now back to breakfast.  I once again enjoyed an egg/veggie scramble.  This topped I added some feta cheese and it was quite tasty and very filling.  This is quickly becoming my go-to breakfast.  Its quick, delish, and fast to make.

 A few hours after I digested this I was ready for a snack.  I tried a string cheese quesadilla that I learned from my trusty fellow blogger, Julie over at Peanut Butter Fingers.  It was quite tasty, but I think next time I'd like to add some almonds or something to give it that extra punch!  As with all my string cheeses, this one too had a fun trivia fact:

Q: The signal from NASA's Voyager requires less energy than what common household appliance?
A: The Blow Dryer (GASP!)

 

Check out that oooey gooey goodness

When I read that post I thought how much I am killing our environment every time I blow dry my hair.  I don't think I'm willing to give it up yet, but I will do my part to make this world better.  Its green month here at Nike and they have quite the fantastic campaign going right now.  Check it out: Nike Better World

So inspiring!  On that note, I'm off!

Oopsie Poopsie

I'd like to title this post Oopsie Poopsie because I had a bit of an oopsie poopsie day in diet land yesterday.  It started off well enough: a workout, a veggie scramble, a fantastic lunch and eggs for a snack....then things went south.  I started craving something sweet.  I tried crystal light, I tried a piece of fruity gum, both to no avail.  I needed something better.  I know of a very convenient yet evil candy drawer in my coworkers office. I picked up a mini pack of peanut M&Ms and a fun size Snickers.  That curbed the sweet tooth, and I didn't even feel guilty afterward.  I mean, the whole reason I want to do this diet isn't to lose weight, its to become healthy.  Part of being healthy to me includes happiness and the amount of pleasure I get from enjoying little treats now and then is definitely worth the extra calories. 

Having said that, the derailing of the diet didn't stop there.  Some girlfriends at work and myself were getting ready to pull off the BEST April Fools Day prank in history but we had to wait for everyone to leave work before we could undertake the task.  They threw out the option of going to sushi and who I am to turn down my favorite meal ever.  I went with the best intentions.  I was planning on getting some miso soup, edamame and sashimi.  That didn't work out.  I am a sucker for sushi and especially eel.  So I indulged in my favorite treat: sushi rolls!

Eel sushi roll!

I have come to the realization that since I am not "dieting" to lost weight I can eat things that make me happy and are nutritious.  I am just going to be more aware of what I put in my mouth and the impact it has on my body.  For instance, this white rice in this roll gives my body the same reaction as if I had eaten straight sugar.  I know its not good for me and causes my insulin levels to spike, but I also know since I ate it with edamame and avocados and fish that the general glycemic index level for this meal was lower than if I had eaten the white rice alone.  This saved my body from crashing too hard and I had a delicious meal to boot!

The ULTIMATE PRANK
The fuel was just what I needed to undertake the best prank I've ever pulled, which took some serious attention to detail for about 3 1/2 hours.  The finished product was worth every minute!  Myself, along with two other girls decided to post-it note our managers office.  And not just a post-it or two... We used over 8200 :)

only half of the finished product last night

The whole office was abuzz about it this morning.  We were secretly giggling amongst ourselves :)

Some peeps checking out the work



Our manager posing amongst the madness!

So far, this day is off to a very good start!!

A little Java fix

I planned and pack today's snacks last night with full intentions on eating them.  However, I was crrraaaving a coffee all day.  I would have stopped by Starbucks on the way into work, but I had just eaten breakfast and thought I would wait until I digested a bit and then pay the campus barista a little visit.  Well a few meetings later and it was snack time.  But instead of turning to my hard boiled eggs or cottage cheese for comfort I indulged in a non-fat latte with a packet of truvia (similar to Splenda) stirred in.  I drank that about as fast as I could and loved every little sip!!!

slurp!!!

Lunch was an even better version of last nights taco wraps.  I was lucky enough to find some salsa to use as my dressing (!!!!) and the added moisture and spice made this salad a winning combo! 

SCORE!

I packed the turkey mix separate so I could heat it in the microwave. I love it when I can find a way to have a cold dish with some hot elements...its tastes like I'm getting it from a restaurant or something.  I washed it all down some Crystal Light because it gives me the sweet punch I always crave after I eat something savory.

can't figure out how the get the picture upright, but you get the idea.

MMMM Tasty!

How great is reality t.v.?!?!

I would first like to offer an apology that I didn't update the blog with the delicious tacos I mentioned in yesterdays lunch post.  But it was Wednesday night and that meant: Survivor!, the season finale of Top Chef!, and the new Real World.  I must admit, Jon and I are suckers for reality TV. 

Onto last nights dinner.

I made those taco lettuce wraps I name dropped last night.  They were quite good, but a bit dry.  For my second wrap I added some Cafe Yumm sauce (only 1 carb and 0 grams of sugar) and that helped a bit.  We had quite a bit left over so I made a taco salad for lunch today.  I think I'll have to pop down to the cafeteria in hopes of scoring some salsa as my dressing :)

Big ol' Lettuce wraps!

improved by some Yumm Sauce

I discovered this recipe on Kayln's Kitchen.
For tacos:
1 T olive oil
1 tsp. minced garlic (I used minced garlic from a jar, but fresh garlic would be even better)
1-2 T diced green chiles (I used about half of a 4 oz. jar of diced green chiles, recipe called for fresh chiles which would be a bit hotter)
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. ground chipotle chile powder (recipe called for cayenne)
1 1/2 lbs. ground turkey
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
1 large bunch cilantro, finely chopped (about 1 1/4 cups chopped cilantro. I used 1 cup in tacos and 1/4 cup in salsa. Use more or less cilantro to taste.)
2 T fresh lime juice
2 large heads romaine lettuce (or use iceberg, Boston lettuce, or butter lettuce)

Heat olive oil in heavy frying pan then add minced garlic and diced green chiles and saute about 1 minute. (I used a non-stick pan. If you use fresh garlic and chiles, I'd cook them a bit longer.) Add cumin and ground chipotle or cayenne and cook about 1 minute more. Then add turkey and salt and cook over medium-high heat, breaking apart with the back of the turner as it cooks. Cook about 5 minutes, or until turkey is starting to brown.

While turkey cooks, thinly slice green onions and set aside, then wash cilantro, spin dry or dry with paper towels, and finely chop cilantro. Cut off root end of lettuce, discard tough outer leaves, and wash lettuce and spin dry in salad spinner or dry with paper towels.

When turkey is lightly browned, add sliced green onions and cook about 2 minutes. Turn off heat, then stir in 1 cup chopped cilantro and 2 T lime juice.

For salsa:
2 medium avocados, diced
1 1/2 cups finely chopped cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
2 T fresh lime juice
2 T olive oil (optional)
sea salt to taste

Peel and dice avocado, place in glass or plastic bowl and toss with lime juice. Stir in chopped tomato, chopped cilantro, and olive oil, season to taste with salt.

Jon ate his like a man in a real tortilla, and Brew kept him company in case anything dropped her way :)

 I followed up dinner with a jello cup and half of a hard boiled egg.  I was intending to have the eggs for a snack today, but one cracked so I just had to try it :)

After dinner and dessert, I snuggled up on the couch with my girl Brew to take in some of the aforementioned reality television.

My fav' snuggle buddy!

Workout
This morning I completed shoulders and arms from the P90X program.  I seriously LOVE this workout program!!  I also love this morning workout.  If I could wish for one thing (body related) I would want nice tone/definition in my arms.  This workout helps to get me there :)  I followed this up with Ab RipperX.  I always dread doing the Ab Ripper, but the last time I completed P90X I left out Ab Ripper 80% of the time....this go 'round I made the commitment to (as Nike says) JUST DO IT!  I always feel so proud of myself when I finish.  Its the small victories in life.

Breakfast
During my workout/shower I was wracking my brain for what sounded good for breakfast.  I landed on the eggy breakfast that I had two days ago.  However, I omitted the cheese and replaced it with three slices of canadian bacon.  It was tasty, but I think the first one I made was better...next time I won't leave out the cheese!

Toppin' my meat with my eggs

Ready to dive in!

Hope you're morning is treating you fantastic!

Chili, Chili, CHA CHA CHA!

As promised I had chili for lunch today!  And it was just as tasty the second time around.  But first, let cover my mid-morning snack!

Today I enjoyed a SBD take on guac with veggie dippers.  I mixed up 1/2 an avocado, cottage cheese (for protein), some onions, red chili flakes, garlic and cilantro. 

fun little snack :D

The vessels with which I shoveled this dip to my mouth were: radishes, celery, zucchini, and a Japanese cucumber.  It was quite a tasty treat but it didn't keep me full for long.  I was prepared for this so I added a string cheese into the mix...  and it was a trivia string cheese at that! 

Q: No matter where you are in Australia, what are you never more than 625 mile from?
A: The ocean

I love fun facts paired with fun foods.  C'mon, you can't tell me that string cheese isn't fun!  Especially when you reallllly string it! 

Lovin' on my string cheese!

Wanna know an adorable fun fact about my 83 year old grandma?  She went her whole life not knowing that string cheese got its name from being stringy.  She just though it was called string cheese because it was shaped long a thick string!  Isn't that sooo stinking cute?!  Grandmas are the best!

Isn't she GORGEOUS?!?!

Lunch
As mentioned above, I enjoyed another heaping portion of last nights chili, sans ricotta because I forgot it this morning.  I did, however, LOAD it up with extra tomatoes and cilantro.  You know how sometimes stuff tastes better depending on the weather?  For example, nothing sounds better to me than an ice cold corona on a hot day, in much the same way my soup sounded especially good today because of the grey Oregon skies.  Aaand, I've still got a little left in the fridge that I may just have to use as a snack tomorrow :)

Now doesn't like look juuust about perfect?

I am also enjoying my second snack now, which is the same yogurt snack that I've had the last two days so I'll spare you another picture.  The reason I'm having it so late you wonder?  We're making spicy taco lettuce wraps tonight, but they take a bit to cook and I don't want to be too famished while I'm watching the goodness simmer to fruition.  Plus, its not raining so I might take Brew for a walk.  Yes, its grey and cold, but any dry day in Oregon is a good day! 

For your veiwing pleasure, a pic of Brew on her first "big girl' walk....even though she was still a lil girl :)

My first attempt at the GREEN MONSTER!

Green Monster talk in a second, first last nights dessert.

I left you wondering how my jello ricotta dessert concoction would taste.  The verdit: meehhh... I'd give it a B-.  It was definitely better than my PB/Ricotta/Pudding concotion, but I am still getting used to the grainy texture of the ricotta cheese.  Hopefully my palette warms up to it quick!

Workout
I confessed my sin to you last night:  I didn't get my workout in on Tuesday.  The good news with P90X is, its a 6 day/ week program, so since I skipped my Tuesday workout I am just going to shift all my workouts over one day (i.e. instead of working out M-Sa, I'll do M, rest Tu, W-Su).  Ya dig?  Again this morning I didn't want to get out of my cozy cozy bed, but I knew I needed to get my endorphins flowing.  I quickly changed and started grooving to CardioX.  I;m sure glad I did!  I LOVE the feeling I get after each and every workout, and today was no different!  The added bonus is knowing I can check my workout off my to-do list first thing in the AM. 

Breakfast
So far the biggest struggle for me on this intese 2-week phase of SBD is breakfast.  I usually crave fruit or some major carbs after my workout and I am currently not allowed to have either.  I wasn't feeling eggs so I got my mental wheels turning on some other options.  I settled on creating my own verion of the Green Monster smoothie!  If you haven't heard of this, its basically a smoothie with tons 'o spinach but isn't supposed to taste like spinach at all.  Generally the recipe calls for protein powder, a banana, and some alomnd milk.  Since I was allowed any of those items I made my own version.  Into my blender went:

- Cottage Cheese (about 1 1/2 cups)
- A little 1% milk
- Tbs. Cocoa Powder
- Two Trevia packets (I started with one but after my first taste realized I needed another)
- Mocha Via instant coffee (which I have since learned has REAL sugar in it!  Ugh...)
- two big handfuls of spinach
- Ice cubes for thickening

Adding the Nutrients

Ready to indulge in my not-so-visually appealing Green Monster!

It wasn't as amazing as I was hoping, but it wasn't too disappointing either.  I'm not a huge fan of chocolate (but that does NOT translate to me not liking sweets...give me a barrel of sour patch kids or starburst any day!) but since that was all I had to make this taste a bit "sweeter" I threw it in.  The real bummer though is that I have been trying so hard to stick to the whole "no fruit, sugar or carbs thing" and unbeknownst to me, I added 11g into this shake via the instant coffee packet (pun inteneded :)).  I thought I was safe adding this since the un-flavored version is sugar free, but apprently thats not the case with the mocha guy.  Oh well, lession learned. 

I drank the whole thing, but I think I'll wait until phase two when I can add back in some fruit and carbs before I make this again.  Hopefully the protein powder will help it stick to my ribs a bit better, I'm already starrrving.  Off to enjoy my yogurt cup!

In search of a winning Desset....

Hello friends!

I have some good news and a little bad.  Since my good news is much more exciting than the bad, I'll tell the bad first.

Bad news:  I never did get in my workout tonight like I was hoping.  This isn't all that surprising since statistically if I don't get my workout in first thing in the morning there is a 90% chance it won't happen all day.  I can attribute this to a couple of things.
1) I am usually a bit drained of energy when I get home from work and like to melt into the couch (although one of the bonus' of living the South Beach way is I shooouuld have more energy soon - once my blood sugar levels out).
2) We live in a tiny tiny apartment with juuust enough space to workout in the living room comfortably (i.e. I can kick and lunge and move all over without hitting anything/walls), but if I workout after work Jon usually has some game on in the living room that he is super invested in, which means I am relegated to the bedroom for my workout.  The less than fortunate part about that is that working out in the bedroom means I have about a six by four foot space to get all "fitnessy".
3) I found a great recipe that I wanted to whip up for tonight, so as soon as I left work I made a bee line for our grocery store and once I got home I just couldn't bring myself to put off cooking in favor of a workout --- crazy for someone who has always claimed they don't like to cook.

Good News:  I ate lots of yummy stuff today, and haven't even gotten to dessert (which I'm hoping will be a vast improvement from last nights failure).  I intially was planning on making a eggplant lasagna, sans noodles, but turns out the area where my store gets their eggplants from is flooded so they are "nearly impossible to come by" - according to my produce guy at Fred Meyer.  Plan B was a chili.  I was planning to make the chili anyway for tomorrow's lunch, so I just decided to make enough to have for dinner tonight and leftovers for lunch tomorrow.  I made a SBD "Turkey and White Bean Chili" with a couple variations.  I topped it off with cilantro, fresh cut tomatoes, and a dollop of ricotta cheese (that made it uber creamy).  It was a HUGE success according to myself (who is not at all biased;)) and Jon.  His only comment was that the turkey was a bit chewy (a tell tale sign of an unexperienced chef like myself), but that it felt like he was eating steak so he gave it a thumbs up!  I'll chalk this up as a VIC. TOR.Y!

I'm such a frantic cook... I try to prep but I always find myself scrambling to get things in the pot "in time".

Chili getting all cooked up!

Topped with Ricotta, tomatoes, and cilantro.

All stirred up and ready for me to inhale!

I also whipped up a ricotta/strawberry jello mix for dessert that I found on a great SBD go to site, Kayln's Kithcen.  It was super simple to make.  While boiling water for the Jello, stir up the ricotta to smooth it out.  Then combine the water, Jello and ricotta and pop it in the fridge.  The hardest part is waiting for it to "jell".  Stay tuned for a report on that manana... <----still clinging to my Mexican vacation :)

Dessert "jelled" and ready to dish!

His and hers plates, topped with a small dollop of Non-Fat Reddi Whip!

Here are the recipes:

Turkey and White Bean Chili

2 (1 1/4-cup) Servings

Description
This yummy chili can be made many different ways, if you want to experiment. Try using chicken instead of turkey or navy, black, or pinto beans in place of the white ones. Top it with a tablespoon or two of shredded low-fat cheddar or jack cheese, sliced scallions, or chopped cilantro. You can even use chipotle chili powder for a smoky taste, in place of regular.
 
Prep time: 10 minutes 
Start to finish: 30minutes 

Ingredients (I doubled all ingredients)
1/2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 
1/2 medium onion, roughly chopped 
1 garlic clove, minced 
1/2 pound turkey cutlets, cut into 1/2" pieces 
1/2 tablespoon chili powder 
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 
1/2 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained (I used a can of black and a can of chili beans - pinto beans dressed in a chili marinade)
1/2 (14.5-ounce) can Mexican diced tomatoes 
1/2 cup lower-sodium chicken broth 
Salt and freshly ground black pepper (omitted this on accident, but it still tasted great)


Instructions
Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more.

Add turkey, chili powder, and cumin; cook, stirring often, until turkey is no longer pink inside, about 5 minutes. 

Add beans, tomatoes with juice, and broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until flavors blend, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve. 

Nutritional Information:

260 calories
5 total fat (0.5 g sat)
21 g carbohydrate
34 g protein
6 g fiber
500 mg sodium

Jelled Ricotta Pudding 
Makes 4 servings

1 pkg sugar-free Jello, any flavor that appeals to you
(this recipe is for 4-serving size package, double it for larger box of Jello.)
1 cup boiling water
2/3 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup cold water

Put ricotta cheese into bowl and stir with fork or whisk until it's slightly softened. Have four glass dishes (slightly over 1/2 cup each) ready on counter to pour the hot Jello mixture into.

Put powdered Jello from package into large glass measuring cup, pour in boiling water and whisk for 1-2 minutes, until all Jello is dissolved in the water. Stir in ricotta, then cold water and mix together. Pour into glass bowls and place in refrigerator to set. I waited about 2 hours until the mixture was partly firm, then covered it with cling wrap.

Serve cold, from individual dishes.

Day 2- A SUCCESSSSS

Before moving onto day 2, I want to recap my dessert last night. While my PB/ricotta/chocolate pudding dessert sounded very promising... it didn't deliver. I had a couple of bites and traded it out for another jello cup. 0 grams of sugar and 10 calories?! Yessss please :)

Now for breakky this morning. I knew I had the egg "fritatta" muffins that I had whipped up on Sunday in the fridge, but I was feeling an omeltte. Into the pan went two whole eggs, a handfull of spinach, a sprinkling of mushrooms, and a lite blue cheese laughing cow cheese wedge (I love me some blue cheese!). I seasoned it with salt and pepper and then topped it with some sliced cherry tomatoes and some tabasco (I could eat hot sauce on just about anything). I packed it to-go, along with my lunch and snacks and was out the door.

This breakfast was a BIG winner in my book. Not only was it delicious, but it kept me full for about three hours - well after when I planned on having my first snack.

Speaking of snacks, I again brought a greek yogurt cup to enjoy. This time I added some almond extract, in place of vanilla, and topped it with slivered almonds again. I am pretty sure I could eat this snack all day every day if I could get all my nutrients from it.  The almonds add such a GREAT crunch!

There is something so comforting about almond extract to me. A little goes a long way but the flavor is incredible. I think it takes me back to the holidays when my family cooks insane amounts of cookies - many of which incorporate almonds or almond extract in some way.

Even though my yogurt cup kept me full for a good three hours (again, longer than anticipated) I couldn't wait to break into the lunch I packed. I made a salad of spinach, broccoli slaw (another trick I learned from Julie), and cherry tomatoes. I topped it with some salmon that I grilled up last night and then tossed it all up with a honey dijon dressing I snagged from our cefeteria. I couldn't eat this fast enough. It was soooo yummy!

pre-mixed

all shook up!

Its a good thing I was blogging during my lunch or I literally mught not even remember how it tasted I would've eaten it so quick!

Now that I'm fat (wait, isn't this what I am trying to avoid? ;)) and happy, I'm going to return to work.

If you're wondering about my workout this morning... it didn't happen. I think I am still getting caught up on my sleep from the trip and I couldn't seem to pull myself out of bed this morning. The extra couple of hours did me well! I feel refreshed and ready to take on CardioX when I get home :)

Made it through day Uno!

Still in the Mexican spirit after my Mazatlan vacation last week :)

I've made it through day one...well there are still a couple more hours, but I'm just about to dive into dessert and retire for the night.

I had a good first day back at work, but it was busy so I was very thankful that I had planned my lunch and snacks last night.  Otherwise, I would have been tempted to head down to the cafeteria and pick up the easiest (and not necessarily healthiest) thing.

For my morning snack I enjoyed some Fage Greek yogurt (I LOVE!) mixed with a dash of vanilla extract and a packet of splenda.  I topped it with slivered almonds... YUMMY!  This is one of my favorite snacks of all time - its sweet but packs a good protein punch! I enjoyed it alongside a cup of vanilla carmel tea.

Next up was lunch.  I was super excited to eat my lunch today because I have read all about using spaghetti squash as noodles on Julie's blog (also highly recommend!).  It certainly lived up to my expectations.  I prepped the squash last night by cutting it and then baking it face down on a cookie sheet at 375 for 40 minutes.  I then scooped out the seeds and forked out my "noodles".  I topped it with sauteed broccoli, spinach and mushrooms then added marinara, goat cheese and a heaping spoonful of ricotta.  This meal definitely hit the spot and filled me up, but of course I had to have some sweets. I finished my meal with a Jello cup.  Perfect!

Pre-Stirred

Pre-Stirred

Since my lunch was lacking a bit of protein I was hungry not too long after, so I learned my first SBD lesson: fiber keeps you regular but protein keeps you full.  I'll make sure to have protein at all my main meals going forward.  For my afternoon snack I packed sliced red peppers, sugar snap peas and broccoli stems... all of which I dipped into my roasted red pepper hummus.

By the time I left work I was hungry again, and craving some carbs and sweets.  Luckily my honey used to be a chef and whipped us up some turkey burgers with roasted cauliflower and onions.  I placed my burger over a bed of spinach and tomatoes and topped it off with avocado and spicy hot mustard.  I'm happy to report that I didn't miss the bun :)  The burger was so juicy and the mustard was so sweet/spicy that I enjoyed every last bite!

Burger and grilled onions cookin' away

Veggies roastin' in the oven

the YUMMY finished product!

Now finally I am off to enjoy my ricotta/peanut butter/and chocolate pudding dessert :)

Ready to tackle day 2!!!  See ya in the morning!