Last Monday of 2008

Sophie hates us. She has cried ever since we picked her up from the vet. I can't decide if she is in pain or is just that sad that she won't ever be a mother. I'm hoping her crying stops, because at night we crate her in the laundry room on the first floor which is below our bedroom and her cries will travel up the laundry shoot.

Here is Sophie hugging her papa :)

Now on to being healthy...

This morning I woke up hungry and before I could grab my camera a coconut date cookie that I made yesterday jumped into my hand when I opened the fridge door. Some puffins also ended up finding me as well. Once I gained enough self control to decide what I wanted for breakfast, I had a peanut butter and jelly on an english muffin.

For lunch I had some left over Chinese food from Friday night. I had ordered steamed veggies and tofu with no sauce. There was much more tofu than veggies, so I added some cauliflower that I have in the fridge. Also in the bowl is some brown rice and low sodium soy sauce.

Around 4pm I had an orange.

After picking up our really sad puppy from the vet, I made quesadillas. I used vegetarian refried beans, guacamole, salsa, and some cheese. I love this combo and it is really filing. When I have produce for a salad I have half of of a quesadillas and a nice salad.

An hour ago I had a few pieces of chocolate from our candy bowl. I was too busy playing Guitar Hero to take a picture.

Well I need to decide if I am going to hit the gym, use our treadmill, or take today off. I'm feeling tired, but that is most likely because I got dressed in comfy pjs as soon as I got home.

Sunday afternoon...

Before I rush off to work, here is what I ate the rest of Sunday. My husband picked up lunch for us from Aladdin's Eatery. I ordered a falaffel salad pocket. It had 4 or 5 falaffel patties with a huge salad in a pita.

I topped my pita salad with a few spoons of hummus.

While watching the Steelers game, I had a bowl of grapes. I'm not so sure that most people would consider grapes football food:)

My husband and I hit the gym around 5pm. We did lower body weights after I did 35 minutes of the elliptical machine. I have been running so much that I felt like I needed some cross training.

By the time we got home, I didn't feel like cooking, so I had a pb&j and an apple.

Before going to bed I made Tina's Coconut Date Cookies. I ate some of the cookie dough (which was so good) and one of the baked cookies. I also had a glass of milk. I'm so glad that I finally made these cookies!

Off to work. See you tonight! Oh and poor Sophie is getting spayed today, so I will have one sad pup tonight!!

Lazy week.

Believe it or not I have been taking pictures like a good blogger the last week, but I never got around to posting them! So instead of catching up, I'll start clean with today:) I'll post breakfast now, and then the rest of my day later tonight.

First, a few days ago I received a package from Melissa at Fitness NYC as part of the Marathon Challenge. Thanks Melissa, for the package and for hosting this challenge! I was so excited to receive the Granola Planks, because I have been waiting months to try these! I haven't tried the face cleanser yet, but I did try one of the Keribars, I'll do a review after I try the second one.


Now to the food . . . this morning I had a chocolate chip z-bar on the way to church, but it was a grab and go, so no picture.

We got back from church around 10am and I had some puffins and Kashi Cinnamon Harvest with some fresh berries and a yogurt.

After I poured the yogurt on to my berries and cereal, I gave the container to Sophie. She loves yogurt, and she was so happy to clean out the container. I put plain fat free yogurt on her food, but the flavored kinds have too much sugar for her, so she only gets to lick the container:)

Off to enjoy my last day off. I'll post about the rest of my day tonight!

Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies

My meals have been BORING, which is not good for a food blog. Yesterday I had PB&J for breakfast, oatmeal for lunch, grapes, Annie's Mac and Cheese for dinner. I think I have tired of Mac and Cheese, so maybe that will help get me out of this food rut. It is so hard for me to switch things up when I'm busy. I had planned on making a yummy stir fry last night, but that will have to wait for tonight.

Because my meals were so boring, and I felt badly making you look at them, I'm going to show you the cookies I made over the weekend.

Here is the recipe (which makes over 50 cookies):

1.5 cups Peanut Butter (I used natural no salt or sugar added)

1 cup Smart Balance light

2/3 cup granulated sugar

2/3 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

6 tablespoons skim milk

2 teaspoons vanilla

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

Sugar to roll the cookies in

1 bag of Hot Cocoa Hershey Kisses

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Beat peanut butter and smart balance with mixer. Add sugars and beat well. Add egg, milk and vanilla and beat. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt, and then gradually add the flour mixture to the peanut butter mixture, beating until blended. Shape into balls and roll balls in sugar. Finally place on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper (this makes baking so much easier). I think my cookies baked for about 10 minutes, but just watch the first tray and look for the bottom of the cookie to slightly brown.

These turned out so good. I was worried with using the Smart Balance Light, but they taste great.

Off to get ready for work.

Christmas prep = too busy to blog!!

My weekend FLEW by! I was hardly on my computer, and I was eating on the run a lot. I did almost all of the wrapping, finished shopping (I hope), and baked peanut butter kiss cookies. I hope to do more baking tonight, so maybe I can post pictures of all the cookies I baked at once. I did take pictures of the peanut butter kiss cookies, and they turned out amazing!

Last night Steve and I tried to see a huge light display at a place called Hartwood Acres, but after being in a line of traffic for an hour and still being a mile away from the entrance to the lights, we went home.

I started to read the book Marley and Me, so I can read the book before seeing the movie. Has anyone read it yet?

Well I need to start my real work. Yes, I managed to get to work. I just overheard a secretary answer the phone, and a partner that has an office next to me called in to say that 7 degrees outside is too cold to come to work. Oh if only I could do that.

Have a great day everyone!

Friday is here!!!

I wanted to stop in and let you know that I was at work until 10pm last night and had a late night Wednesday too. Hopefully I can get a post up tonight or tomorrow morning, and maybe that post can include some holiday baking!!

Enjoy your Friday!!

Mini-meals

For breakfast I made a PB&J that I ate in the car drive to work, because once again I was running late.

I had to pack my lunch in a hurry, so I ended up with a few mini-meals. I had a cherry pie Larabar, which is one of my favorites. I also had a skinny latte from Starbucks.

Around 1:30 pm I ate a grapefruit, which I eat like an orange.

At 4:00 I ate my yogurt and berries.

I liked having food to eat over the course of the day.

When I got home at 7pm, I ate some baked chips with hummus while deciding on dinner (no picture).

For dinner I made couscous with Morningstar crumbles, broccoli, cauliflower and tomatoes.

I ran 4 miles last night while watching the Biggest Loser Finale.

Oh and I almost forgot I had a granola bar around 11pm, right before bed, because I felt pretty hungry.

Weekend highlights.

We had a busy weekend, and I didn't have very interesting meals Monday, so I thought I would summarize some highlights from over the weekend...



First, where Pittsburghers get their cheese... Pennsylvania Macaroni Co (known here at Penn Mac). They even carry soy cheese. When we got there around 2pm on Saturday there were 30 people with tickets in front of us. Steve gets three or four different cheeses when we go, including soy cheese for me. The website claims that they stock over 5,000 specialty products and sell over 200,000 pounds of cheese each week!! It is owned by an Italian family, and now the third generation of family owners.



If you are ever in Pittsburgh it is an awesome place to check out. They carry a lot more than cheese, it was just too crowded to take any other pictures.



Here is their cheese list:



And here are some pictures of the behind the counter action...

We hosted dinner for Steve's mom, sister, and brother on Saturday night, and I decided to make a healthy dessert. I made a pan of No Pudge brownies and topped them with cool whip that I mixed with a packet of pudding mix and berries. The family was amazed that they were healthy. They tasted so rich. If you have never made No Pudge brownies, the only extra you add is non-fat yogurt. They sell them online at Amazon for a good price. I read in a magazine that you can make this substitution to any brand of fat free brownie mix.

The other thing I love about No Pudge brownies, is that you can make one serving at a time. The side of the box gives you instructions for making a single serving brownie in the microwave in about a minute. This is a great alternative to Vitamuffins (although no vitamins in this mix).

My final new find this week was a frozen pizza from Trader Joe's. Steve and I prefer making our own pizza with Trader Joe's crust, but this was a great quick alternative. The crust was very crisp, which I liked. The big problem I have with this pizza is that it has a high amount of saturated fat. The cheese used vegetable rennet, which is something I look for before buying cheese.

Okay, have a great Tuesday!!!

A Few Tasty Meals

I missed a Thursday and Friday post, so I thought I would cover a few meals that I had, which were either new or that I really enjoyed...

First, the discovery of using the George Foreman as a Panini press...

I never had a panini before, because I only eat cheese at home so that I know that it is vegetarian cheese. So I finally tried to make one. We had some left over grilled portabella mushrooms in the fridge, so I used those, some cheese, and some cranberry fig hummus to make a great sandwich. The combo of the hummus and the cheese melted so well together. I can't wait to have this again!!Then this morning I used the George Foreman to make a peanut butter and banana sandwich. I loved how it was so warm inside. I want to try a peanut butter and jelly sandwich next!

Secondly I had an oatmeal combo that I loved! I have seen people doing peanut butter and jelly in their oatmeal, so I tried mine with chocolate dreams peanut butter and some mixed berry jam. Then I topped it with original Puffins. I loved the crunch of the Puffins in the oatmeal! This was a combo I can't wait to have again.

I also added some Greek Yogurt, so this was a great protein filled breakfast that kept me fueled until lunch!

My third find was the Vegetarian Chili from Au Bon Pain. Like I mentioned before, we have one in the lobby of my building, so I pick it up every once and awhile. Another attorneys at my firm eat here DAILY!! I think it is a little crazy to eat at the same place every day, and I only eat out once or twice a week maximum usually, so I never understood eating out every meal. However, this chili was great, and it is even labeled Vegan. It filled me up and tasted great, so I would recommend it.

Well I have a lot to do around the house because my mother-in-law, sister-in-law, and brother-in-law are coming for dinner.

Have a great Saturday!!

Giveaways and a food rut...

You have seen everything I ate yesterday already and too often. I told my husband that I feel like I'm in a food rut and he just laughed. I need to work on planning some new meals for next week.

Breakfast: PB&J
Lunch: Steel cut oatmeal with frozen berries. I really love oats for lunch, and the steel cut oats fill me up so well.

Snack: Grapes (VeggieGirl I finally restocked, I know you have been missing them as much as I have:)

Dinner a left over piece of pizza that Steve made on Monday and a carrot with some hummus. I also had a Z-bar with Chocolate Dreams (I ate this standing in the pantry without a camera).

Steve and I went to the gym last night and I was on the treadmill for 25 minutes and ran 2.3 miles. Then we both felt whipped (he is getting sick now:( ). I really hope I get better because I got sick last Thursday and I can get any miles in for the marathon challenge!! Plus I'm so slow when I try to get mileage in or get points for the HBBC!! I'll be back to my regular fitness levels soon...I hope!

And if you haven't heard yet Jenn at Eating Bender has an awesome giveaway for a Vita-Mix, I have been wanting to get my hands on one of these, because I always end up with blenders that don't work as well as I need them to for smoothies.

The ZestyCook is also celebrating 100 posts with a great giveaway, especially because I have done 50% of my shopping at Amazon.com.

oh no late again!!

Short but sweet....

Breakfast: Frozen berries, greek yogurt, Kashi puffed rice, original Puffins (so sorry on the bad picture):

Lunch: Steel cut oatmeal with apples made in my rice cooker, and Blueberry Oikos...

Close up of the steel oats goodness....

Around 4pm I had an orange:

My husband made dinner: mushrooms, lettuce guacamole, tomatoes, soy cheese, a side of pinto beans with corn and salsa, and a side of Guiltless Gourmet Blue Corn Chips...

I dug into some of our Christmas chocolate, but no picture as it was on impulse:)

I didn't exercise Monday or Tuesday, because I have been trying to get better. I hope to get a workout in today, because I'm really behind on the holiday running and exercise challenges I signed up for!! I have been sick since Thursday and I think I am feeling a lot better today (although now my husband thinks he is getting sick!!)

I'm behind on my Google Reader and comments, but I plan on catching up tonight!

Monday...

I woke up really sick Monday morning (worse than the last couple days), but I still dragged myself to work for my review. Nothing good comes out of reviews at huge law firms, so it wasn't a good experience. However, it is over and time to move on.

For breakfast I had peanut butter and mixed berry preserves on an Arnold's sandwich thins.

After seeing how sick I was in my review, the reviewing attorneys suggested I go home and go to bed. I did go home and slept from noon until almost 3pm. At 3pm I decided I should try to eat some lunch, so I ate 1/2 cup oatmeal, with a z-bar, a spoon of chocolate dreams, and a TJ's Greek Yogurt.

My husband got home early from his MBA class and decided to make a vegetarian pizza (soy pepperoni). It was after 8pm when it was done, so I had some. I also had a few handfuls of regular Puffins during the day.

I'm still not feeling 100%, but I'm behind at work, so I'm off. I don't know if running on Saturday and Sunday (although indoor running) has delayed me from getting better? I felt better after my runs, but then I went to bed and woke up feeling a lot worse!!

Oh Christmas Tree...

I wasn't very good at taking pictures of my eats this weekend, because I was sick in bed for most of it. I did get out of bed to decorate our Christmas tree. It looks a lot nicer in person, but here it is....


Some more decorations...

And as I was wrapping presents I snacked on this PB Larabar...the penguin looks so happy to be holding a Larabar :)

While I was home sick last Friday a partner called my cell phone to let me know my yearly review is on Monday. This is my first review and I am terrified. So keep your fingers crossed for me!! Hopefully I'm not so sick tomorrow, because I won't be able to handle criticism and sickness at the same time.

Help Give to a Food Bank...

I'm behind on yesterday's post because I have been fighting a cold that really hit me hard last night. So from my bed this morning I typed emails from my blackberry to alert people at my firm that I could not make it in. I tried so hard to go, but then fell back into my bed until 10:40am. My husband did bring me a orange yogurt shake he made me before he left.

Anyways, here is what happened yesterday when my throat gradually began to ache...

For breakfast I had a cup of kashi puffed rice cereal and some pb puffins with skim milk. After seeing other bloggers warm up their cereal, and after seeing a mini wheaties commercial advertising warming up your cereal, I tried it. I was so good after 1 1/2 minutes in the microwave. I added the berries after it was heated up.

Because my throat was hurting and because my office was so hot, I told my husband I didn't feel like a lunch workout and would rather go with him for a drink. At noon he met me at my office and we walked to a Starbucks which is in a really nice hotel the Omni William Penn. After we got our drinks (I got a mocha frap lite and he got the hot pumpkin spice latte) we sat in one of the couches in the hotel lobby for about 35 minutes. It was a nice lunch break.

After the drink and because of my cold, I didn't feel hungry until 2pm. Even then I wasn't really hungry, but I thought I should eat for some energy.

This morning I opened this can of soup and put it in a tupperware container to take to work. This soup was on sale, and is really not that good. I just like some other canned lentil soups that are on the market a lot better.


The soup doesn't photograph very well. I ate it with some carrots and Newman's Own lite honey mustard dressing.

At 4pm I ate an orange, that was pretty small. One of the administrative assistants saw me peeling this in our "kitchen" area, and she said "I think you are sick because you eat too healthy." Which is an odd statement, but oh well. You would think I would not get sick, but I have always been one to get sick easily.

I went to Rite Aid to get some throat drops and all this holiday chocolate was on sale, and some how, several packages jumped in my arms. This was one of those packages. I didn't have any all day, until I got in the car and my husband wanted some. I decided to try a piece of the Chocolate Pecan Pie and the Egg Nog. I really liked both.

For dinner we had an egg sandwich with some microwaved brown rice. I added salsa and peas to the rice. On the sandwich is a morningstar patty.

I also had some Edy's slow churned ice cream to sooth my throat. No picture, and not so much luck helping my throat.

Happy Friday. I hope to at least walk on the treadmill a little today to get my legs moving.

And go visit Heather and Mark and leave them a comment (if you didn't already), because they are donating 5 cents per comment to the Rhode Island Community Food Bank. Food banks are really hurting because demand has gone up, but donations have done down. My husband and I wrote a check to a foodbank last week, because we realize the need and the importance of food.

So Thanks Heather and Mark for such a noble "challenge"!!