Bright & Sunshiney Day

I woke up to find it pouring down rain yesterday morning. Peanut was still sleeping so I fixed a quick and filling breakfast to get me going.

~Arnold’s 100% Whole Wheat Sandwich Thin
~Jimmy Dean turkey sausage patties
~2 scambled egg whites, cooked in the microwave
~slice of 2% American cheese

You know there was coffee.

I made my to-do list while I ate, planning around the idea that I’d probably be inside all day because of the rain. Once Peanut was up, fed and dressed I grabbed my heart rate monitor and got ready to hit the gym. That’s when I noticed something unexpected…the sun! I stepped outside to assess the situation and found that not only were there blue skies and sunshine, but it was also warm. My original plan of running on the treadmill was quickly scrapped. I plopped Peanut in the stroller (which she loves!) and we headed outside for the run instead. I completed Couch to 5k Week 5 Day 2 and felt like I could have kept going forever. I guess that’s a good sign that I’m finding my “running groove” again. I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that I enjoy running outside so much more than on the treadmill. Being in the fresh air makes the time go by so much faster than watching the time display or even the TV.

I wasn’t ready to come home after I finished my scheduled run for the day. Peanut was content so we walked the long way home. Once there, I grabbed some hand weights and did 3 sets of 12 reps of the following on the back patio:

• tricep extensions
• kickbacks
• lateral raises
• lawn mowers
• heavy pants
• upright rows

Lunch was a turkey pastrami sandwich on an Arnold’s thin with camera-shy Laughing Cow Light Swiss & a slice of tomato:

and a lettuce-less salad of fresh mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, croutons, and the last of the bottle of Ken’s Healthy Options Honey Dijon dressing. That’s one I’ll definitely be buying again.

Have I ever told you all how much I love iced tea? It borders on an addiction. I can’t wait for it to be warm enough to make sun tea. For now I’ll settle for the microwaved version.

According to my to-do list, after lunch I should have been cleaning. I did wipe down the kitchen counters, kitchen table, end tables, coffee table and dust the living room. I got distracted by the sun shining in the window and decided to postpone the rest until another day. Peanut and I did some front porch sittin’ and played fetch with the pup until the baby got hungry. She ate and then I got down to business preparing dinner for my husband and I. Nothing fancy at all, but he was a happy man.

Chicken meatballs and cheddar broccoli rice prepared from a mix we bought at the Amish store. I had some unphotographed green beans on the side.

Do you prefer to exercise inside or outside? Why?

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The Snowman Cometh…Again

My husband ended up staying home from work yesterday due to the weather. I got up with him at 3 to pack his lunch and because I was worried. He attempted to leave around 4:30AM, but the roads were horrible and the snow was drifting pretty badly so he didn’t make it a mile before he turned around and came home. I was relieved that he wouldn’t be driving in the mess and happy to be able to spend time with him.

He made coffee when he got back home, but he never saw the first cup because he passed out snoring like a trooper in the recliner before it was done brewing. I was starving so I dove into the coffee while fixing myself a little breakfast:

~Arnold’s Sandwich Thin
~2 egg whites
~deli sliced chicken & French dip beef
~wedge of Laughing Cow Light Swiss cheese

The rest of the morning was pretty lazy. Peanut and I snuggled in the chair and we all watched the Olympics. My husband has decided he’s going to start training for the biathlon even though he’s never been on skis. Riiiiight.

I didn’t make it to the gym, but I did break out another video from The Firm. It was a 45-minute sculpting workout, but I ended up breaking it into a few 15-20 minute increments. Peanut was super cranky and wasn’t interested in any one thing for very long before she melted down. I burned a total of 356 calories which was pretty good considering my HR was up and down when it should have been more steadily elevated. A workout is a workout though and it felt good to move.

Lunch was some delicious turkey chili that my sister-in-law brought over to share on Monday. She’s a teacher and she’s have plenty of snow days. Lucky for me, she likes to cook and bake when she’s off work. Double lucky is that she’s really into healthy eating. Her chili (which I topped with shredded cheese and a little sour cream) was delicious and perfect for a cold day:

I had a bad case of the munchies after lunch, but I knew I wasn’t really hungry. Instead, I cleaned like a mad woman and drank some Twinings Irish Breakfast tea. The mug was quite appropriate considering I’m absolutely addicted to the Olympics.

Dinner was a usual suspect in the UFC household, taco salad. I forgot to take the picture before I started eating. Pardon the not-so-pretty photo.

~romaine lettuce
~broccoli slaw (used in place of tortilla chips for crunch)
~diced tomatoes
~dollop of sour cream
~little blob of salsa
~Bud Light Golden Wheat beer

We vegged out the rest of the evening and watched it snow some more. My sister-in-law had concert tickets to see the Black Eyed Peas, but she decided not to go because it would have been a long drive in the bad weather and she just wasn’t comfortable. She’s pretty fearless so you know it’s bad when she says she’s too nervous to drive.

Have you been watching the Olympics? What’s your favorite event to watch? Which one would you most like to try?

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Clean Out the Pantry Week: Day 1

Is anyone else watching The Next Food Network Star? I am. Last season was the first time I watched with any regularity and I’m hooked back in this time around. I’m really pulling for Melissa d’Arabian to win this time around. I love all of the tips, tricks and info she shares during her demos and feel like her show would be something I would actually watch.

As a soon-to-be-stay-at-home mom, I enjoy her frugal shopping strategies and home cooked meals that are both healthy and picky-eater approved. On a recent episode, she talked about how she likes challenging herself to skip the grocery and make meals for a week using what she already has in the house.

I find myself going to the grocery just for fun sometimes and end up spending waaaaay more money than is really necessary. I decided to adopt Melissa’s strategy this week, skip my usual Saturday grocery trip and get creative. When I sat down to menu plan, I was extremely surprised at how much food we already have in the house. I’ll be posting our meals as they appear this week.

Lunch

I snapped a pic of my eats for the work day before sticking them in my lunch bag.

In the picture:

• Dannon Light ‘n Fit blueberry yogurt
• fresh pineapple chunks
• grapes
• Laughing Cow Light Swiss wedge
• Arnold’s Multigrain Sandwich Thin
• Gardenburger Sun-Dried Tomato & Basil (it’s hiding)

Dinner

We purchased a roast on sale several weeks ago and it’s just been chillin’ in the freezer since then. I popped it into the crock pot (still frozen) with a can of beef broth and a small can of mushrooms. To season, I sprinkled the top with some Garlic, Garlic and Onion, Onion. 8 hours later, voila!

I saw a commercial for these the other day and it reminded me that I’d received a package from the generous folks at Buitoni to sample.

***Product Review***

Wild Mushroom Agnolotti

Here’s what the manufacturer’s website says about them:

A blend of earthy mushrooms, including sweet, rustic portobellos and delicate criminis, creates an impeccable pairing with fresh-roasted garlic and imported grana padano and parmesan cheeses, wrapped inside thin layers of stone-ground semolina pasta.

I’ve been waiting for the perfect moment to break them out and this seemed to be it. The verdict? Delicious! My husband and I both agreed that this pasta needs no heavy sauce to make it flavorful. The rich mushroom filling does the trick just fine. We topped ours with just a bit of beef broth that cooked in the crockpot with the roast. The nutrition information wasn’t necessarily the most figure friendly, but I found that 1/2 of the recommended portion was more than sufficient as a side dish. These were nice for a casual weekday supper and I think they’d also be great for a more formal event as well.

Tonight’s veggie was zucchini from our garden, cooked just until tender in a little bit of extra virgin olive oil and garlic. I topped mine with a little paprika.

Dinner is served!

My meat and potatoes husband, was over the moon with excitement for this meal. It makes me feel great when I can prepare something that he really enjoys.

After dinner, I straightened up the kitchen, packed lunches, this workout (3 sets, 15 reps of the advanced moves) from FitPregnancy.com, tossed in a load of laundry and chilled with the hubs and the pup.

It’s off to bed for me now. Hope everyone had a great Monday!

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CHECK IT OUT: Bidding for Erin’s Bake Sale & Auction has begun! All money raised is going to the fight against cancer through our mutual friend Beth’s Jimmy Fund Walk. There are sooo many yummy & fun items on the list so be sure to view the items and place your bids!

Every single time I see the word auction, I can’t help but sing (in my head) the John Michael Montgomery song, Sold! Country fans? Anyone? No?

Yesterday started off pretty sad for me. I got word that the OB I’ve been seeing for all things baby passed away unexpectedly over the weekend. It appears to have been a heart attack. I was so saddened by the news and my glum feelings matched the grey, cloudy, rainy weather outside. Dr. K was truly a remarkable man. Not only was he an MD, but he was also a practicing Catholic priest. As if that wasn’t enough, he did tons of charity work. He touched the lives of many and will be missed greatly.

I was in a hurry to pack lunch and snacks for yesterday which resulted in very unexciting eats. Breakfast (not pictured) was a toasted whole wheat English muffin with peanut butter and Amish blueberry jam.

My morning snack was a Chocolate Brownie Clif Z bar. I picked up a few different flavors of these at the grocery last weekend. They’re designed more for kids than adults, but I like that they’re low in calories, still very filling and quite delicious. They taste more like a chewy cookie than a traditional bar and this one was VERY chocolaty.

Lunch was another English muffin topped with a Boca Chik’n patty, Laughing Cow Light Swiss and yellow mustard. I’ve been through 2 boxes of these Bocas in just a little over 2 weeks. Can we say addicted? On the side I had a 100 calorie bag of Smartfood White Cheddar popcorn. My grandma used to stock this in her house and it was a favorite snack of all us grandkids. Brings back some fun memories.

My afternoon snack was an entire package of blackberries. I brought it thinking I’d eat half and save the other half for another day. They were perfectly sweet and tasted so good that I just couldn’t stop myself.

Dinner was hijacked from my parents’ house. Mom made way too much goulash and said there was no way she and my dad could eat it all. She sent a generous container home with me which made dinner quick and easy at our house. Mom’s version is made with macaroni noodles, Classico Four Cheese pasta sauce, sliced mushrooms and grated Vermont cheddar cheese. We topped ours with grated Parmesan cheese from the Amish store and paired it with fresh-from-the-oven French bread

Salad on the side as the veggie.

Group photo!

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Happy World Water Day!

• The average American uses 150 gallons of water every day.
• 1 in 6 people on Earth do not have access to safe drinking water.

How can you help?

• Drink tap water instead of bottled water. It helps our planet and gives you a really great excuse to buy a cute, reusable bottle. WIN-WIN in my book!
• Be conscious of the water you use and try to reduce your consumption.
• Share information about water conservation with your friend.

In honor of this special day, Nubius Organics (LOVE ‘em) is offering 20% off all reusable bottles, including those that are already on sale. Just enter promo code WWD20 at checkout. The offer is good through March 23rd, so hurry!

Here’s a recap of my eats from the past two days:

Friday

I woke up STARVING because I didn’t eat much of a dinner last night. Two Kashi waffles with a little butter and lite maple syrup filled me right up. I’d really like to start posting pictures of my first-thing-in-the-morning meals. It’s still dark when I leave the house so I can just never get the lighting right.

I ate the last bit of my strawberries after getting settled in at my desk.

I ate what was supposed to be my lunch about an hour and a half before workout time. Morningstar Farms Spicy Black Bean Burger, a wedge of Laughing Cow Light Swiss cheese and lettuce all on a La Tortilla Factor EVOO Tomato & Basil Softwrap. Here it is pre-rollup.

I was trying to decide what to do about being lunchless when my coworkersaid she was calling in an order to the fancy hotel bistro across the street and would pick it up after our workout. Clearly, it was meant to be.

Our workout at work today had tougher cardio stations than normal and I could feel the burn. My favorite exercise today was the BOSU trainer plank. I was grateful to have food on the way when I returned because I was hungry.

I had the spicy vegetarian rice rolls. All I can say is HOLY WASABI! They came with a veggie blend (tossed in balsamic vinegar) and their homemade chips. I ate everything except the onions from the veggie salad and about 1/2 of the chips. I’m a little worried that these will become an addiction. They were sooooo good.

I had an afternoon craving for something sweet, but the only thing available in the office was candy. I ran over to the cafe across the street for a chocolate chip oatmeal cookie and ended up with a cup of unsweetened raspberry iced tea, too.

It always feels so good to leave work on a Friday evening. There’s just something so exciting and freeing about knowing you have those 2 days ahead of you for fun. I called a few close friends and family members during my commute to share our baby news. Everyone was thrilled and offered lots of encouragement.

I wasn’t even a little bit hungry for supper. I had toast with butter and jam at some point, but no photo because I was really into the Ohio State vs. Siena basketball game. The outcome didn’t help my bracket any, but man that was a good game! I’m not usually a big fan of basketball on TV, but that’s changed a bit since I’m in the office pool this year.

Saturday

I slept in a little and was worried that the grocery would be crazy busy since I was going a couple hours later than normal. I ate some Kashi waffles and was out the door.

The grocery was actually quite peaceful. I had freedom to browse without being crowded or pushed along by the flow of cart traffic. This resulted in some new products which I’ll be reviewing here soon.

After the grocery, I stopped at the bank and then the local coffee shop for a light iced java chip frappe. It’s one of my favorites.

By the time I’d put groceries away, I was hungry for lunch. I tried something new and made my organic whole wheat couscous in the microwave per the directions from the box. It worked perfectly! Actually, I think it turned out even better than on the stovetop. I added some black beans and Tastefully Simple Mild Red Pepper Salsa.

I also had VeggiePatch Veggie Nuggets with mustard for dipping.

After lunch, I headed outside to do some reading for my Nutrition & Wellness Consultant at-home study. That’s where I spent most of the afternoon into early evening. The sunshine felt great! We didn’t have an “official” dinner. I just did a repeat of lunch because it was so yummy and then hung out with my husband until time for bed.

Just FYI, this is where I’m blogging and blog reading today:

I have some water (in my reusable bottle of course) and fresh iced sun tea for refreshment. Those are clothes drying on the line in the background. That’s one of my favorite parts of warm weather. I love the way they feel and smell. The real perk is that it’s more eco-friendly than the dryer. Plus, it cuts down a LOT on our electric bill.

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Food Frustration

Yesterday was a frustrating day for a few reasons. Luckily, it ended on a great note.

I splurged all of my caffeine allowance for coffee day and ordered a large frozen skim latte with sugar free hazelnut syrup and a scoop of protein powder. I drank it pretty fast and definitely felt the buzz.

Breakfast was where things got frustrating. Well, it actually started on Tuesday and just continued into my Wednesday. For some reason, my coworkers all suddenly feel the need to critique my food and tell me how gross it is. Tuesday, it was tofu. No fewer than 6 people stopped me on my way from the microwave to my desk. The conversations all went something like this:

Coworker: What IS that?
Me: Tofu. Would you like to try a piece?
Coworker: Gross! Yuck! Disgusting! Nasty! Gag! How in the world can you eat that?
Me: Have you ever tried tofu?
Coworker: No! I can’t even imagine. It’s awful.
Me: *walking away*

Very few people in my office have any concept of healthy eating or exercise nor do they care about either. Most of them are female and older than me by at least 20 years or so. Several of them have health issues which could benefit greatly from a more healthy lifestyle.

Save three of four people, my coworkers aren’t the easiest to get along with and they tend to be extremely nosy. I try to be pleasant, respectful and cordial at all times. While I do often notice their unhealthy food choices, it’s none of my business and not for me to judge. I can’t imagine walking up to someone and telling them how disgusting the food they were about to eat looked. I just wish they would show me the same courtesy.

…which brings us to breakfast yesterday morning. I made up a packet of Quaker Simple Harvest Vanilla, Honey, Almond oatmeal. Then, I stirred in a couple handfuls of blueberries and some unsweetened coconut.

One coworker was pouring herself a cup of coffee while I was mixing this up in the work kitchen. She turned her nose up and asked, in a disgusted voice, “What IS that?” I tried not to sound annoyed and replied back simply. “It’s oatmeal.” “Oh,” she said. “That’s not what it LOOKS like.” She then huffed away, mumbling under her breath, and proceeded to tell other people how gross my food was. Of course, they all had to come over, check it out and share their opinions. My boss said it looked like “horse food.”

Vent over. Just needed to get that out there.

Around noon the IT people came down to swap out my hard drive. This left me computerless until about 3:00. While it was down I took a brisk 15 minute walk to soak up the sunshine, filed, wiped my desk down, wrote my to-do list and tidied up my office.

Somewhere in there I ate my lunch of leftover buffalo chicken, a Laughing Cow Light Swiss cheese wedge and lettuce all on a La Tortilla Factory EVOO Tomato & Basil Softwrap.

I also had a snack. Kashi TLC Roasted Vegetable crackers and another Laughing Cow Light Swiss cheese wedge.

Shortly before I left, I had a juicy plum to hold me over until dinner.

Dinner was a rare weeknight meal out. I met a friend at Dakota’s Roadhouse. We were so wrapped up in conversation that I forgot to photograph my house salad with bacon tomato dressing and a baked potato with cheese, bacon & sour cream. We were all geared up for dessert, but they only had 3 choices and nothing looked good.

I got home a little before 9, watched Criminal Minds with my husband and headed to bed. That show always creeps me out and then I have trouble sleeping.

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Sicky McSickerson

My husband was so generous as to share his icky cold with me. Boo! I woke up with a sore throat, plugged up head and a little headache. The list of drugs I can take is pretty limited so it’s just been one extra-strength Tylenol every 4 hours to help with the headache.

I had a bowl of Cascadian Farm multigrain squares and organic skim milk for breakfast which is when I discovered that I couldn’t taste.

I got hungry again at my desk later in the morning and had a peach and a packet of Quaker Simple Harvest vanilla, honey & almond oatmeal. It was pretty good and kept me full for more than an hour. I don’t ever use as much water as the package called for. I like my pre-packaged oats a little thicker than when I make them myself.

I still miss my “real” oats. Making a big batch this weekend is going to be one of my priorities.

My salon is right across the street from my office which makes lunchtime appointments very convenient. The same lady has cut my hair since I was 4. She’s pretty much like family so appointments are part beautifying, part social hour. I went waaaaay too long between appointments this time and she ended up taking 2 inches off the length. It looks so much more polished and healthy. I feel like a new woman!

Afterwards I walked to the deli and took my lunch back to the office to eat at my desk. I ordered my usual there, the Loaded Perk salad, minus turkey because of my “no lunch meat unless it’s steaming hot” order from the doctor. I was uncomfortably full after I finished eating all of this:

Mid-afternoon is the roughest time of day. That’s when I just feel drained of all energy and start to get sleepy. The last few days I’ve been doing these office stretches from body+soul magazine and they seem to really help me refocus & regroup. Plus, they’re a good excuse to get up out of my desk chair and move around.

I thought I’d be full the rest of the day from my salad, but it wasn’t to be. About an hour before quittin’ time I snacked on some water crackers and a wedge of Laughing Cow Light Swiss cheese. I also had a plum which made it into my tummy before I could get my camera out.

Dinner was the definition of “convenience foods.” We had light cheese ravioli topped with meatballs (from frozen) and Muir Glen Organic pasta sauce. The variety we had was a sausage flavor, but I can’t find that one on their website. It tasted almost more like pizza sauce than pasta sauce. We both really liked it and would buy it again. We also had a repeat side dish of cottage cheese.

Sorry for the horrible picture. My camera battery was losing steam and the picture quality seems to suffer. No worries, though. It’s all charged and ready to go for today. Aren’t you excited?

What’s the most comforting (non-drug) thing to you when you’re sick?

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Technical Difficulties

So yae…about that contest I was going to have last week. I’ve been having camera issues since my last post. They weren’t downloading to my computer correctly and several ended up being deleted between the camera and the computer. Everything appears to be corrected now and my first giveaway will be in tomorrow’s post!

Yesterday was an uneventful Monday. The only real thing of note was the temperature (with wind chill) was below 0. Soooo cold!

I started the day off with a bowl of Cascadian Farms Multigrain Squares. This is one of my go-to cold cereals. It’s sweet, but not too sweet. They have a very nice texture and are extremely filling. I eat them plain right out of the box sometimes, but this was a “with milk” day. Organic skim in case you were wondering.

My morning beverage of choice is my newest addiction. The wonderful folks from POM Wonderful sent me a box of their delicious pomegranate juice to sample and review. Two thumbs way, way up on this one. It’s delicious! I love the perfect balance between sweet & tart. Combine that with all the health benefits and it’s a clear winner. I like it straight up, but I’ve also been mixing 8oz. of juice with 16oz. of Perrier for a pomegranate spritzer. Or, as my husband calls it, a “pregnant lady cocktail.” LOL

The drive to work flew by. I’ve been whipping through audiobooks lately. If I find one I really enjoy, it seems to make the drive go faster.

My morning snack at my desk was a Baybel Light cheese wheel & a big, hot mug of Lipton Black Pearl tea. I made the mug myself. Well, just painted it. My friend and I went to one of those paint-your-own pottery studios a couple years ago and this is the fruit of my labors there. I am by no means artistic, but I love pretending to be.

Lunch was exactly what I was craving. Light Cheese ravioli with homemade tomato sauce. I’ve been in the mood for spicy lately so I added some crushed red pepper flakes to the sauce. Whoa Nelly! It didn’t taste nearly that hot when I sampled it from the saucepan. It was still really, really good.

The afternoon was a typical Monday. Uneventful and booooring. My husband sent me a text message saying he was making dinner, but wouldn’t tell me what. I assumed omelettes. Wrong. He pounded out some chicken breasts, seasoned them and cooked them in the grill pan. He also made steamed broccoli & egg noodles. While he ate his as three separate things, I threw all three of mine in a bowl and stirred in a wedge of Laughing Cow cheese. Everything was cooked to perfection and a simple meal turned out to be extremely yummy. I think having someone else cook for you always helps.

Everyone have a fabulous Tuesday! The weather here is still extremely cold, but the sun is shining which makes it easier to handle…at least when you’re inside. We’re supposed to be in the 60′s this weekend. Rainy, but warm. Spring is slowly but surely making it’s way to Ohio!

What’s your favorite season?

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Tag Team Dinner

I should have known that Tuesday would go by slow considering how Monday seemed to fly by. The morning wasn’t bad, but the afternoon went at a snail’s pace.

Breakfast was another Horizon Organic milk box and an in-the-car egg white sandwich with a Laughing Cow Light cheese wedge. No picture (again) because I was on the run.

I was swamped at work most of the morning which is probably why it seemed to go by so quickly. I munched on some more Annie’s White Cheddar Bunnies around 10:00.

I have found heaven and it is a Clif bar. I found the Clif Iced Gingerbread bar at the grocery last weekend and bought quite a few. Good thing I did because they are deeeelicious! I had one around 11:30 before my lunch time “workout at work” session.

My afternoon snack was a banana and a few cups of hot water with True Lemon. It’s just crystallized lemon in convenient little packets. It’s a great option when you don’t want plain water, but don’t want anything sweetened either. I keep a box in my desk and I’ve gotten my coworkers hooked, too. I was sporting some alma mater love with my mug choice today. Go Bobcats!

Five o’clock finally came and I hit the door running. It was a rainy drive which I’ll take over an icy commute any day.

Dinner was a team effort. I made Macaroni & Cheese with Cauliflower from the February issue of Real Simple magazine. I did modify the recipe quite a lot. Skipping the breadcrumb topping saved some time. I just sprinkled the top with Parmesan cheese & some crushed up croutons before popping it in the oven.

While that baked, my husband grilled some portobello mushroom caps. Besides omelets, these are one of his favorite things to cook. This time he just brushed them with a mixture of minced garlic and extra virgin olive oil before cooking them on the grill pan. It made the whole house smell divine.

The mac & cheese recipe says it makes 6 servings which ends up being a HUGE portion. I had about half of a serving with one my my husband’s grilled portobello caps. I was way too full. The mac & cheese was a hit and we have plenty for leftovers.

Clean up was pretty easy. I used my Rachael Ray enameled dutch oven for every step of the mac & cheese which meant only that and the grill pan to clean. All the work was done in time to watch The Biggest Loser. I made it through the first half just fine, but was asleep off and on for the last hour. I did wake back up for the elimination, but I won’t spoil it for you DVRers.

Do you watch The Biggest Loser? Who are you pulling for? Who do you wish would go away?

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“Fast Food”

I went back to work today which was probably a mistake. The news made it sound like the roads weren’t too bad. My husband called shortly after he left to tell me that the streets were snow covered where he was, but that I’d be fine if I slowed down and took it easy.

Wrong. What normally takes an hour and a half took over two hours today. Basically my entire commute was like driving on gravel because of the ice with snow packed on top of it.. My car was shaking. I was shaking. It was loud. I thought if I just kept driving a little further it would get better. That was not the case, but by the time I decided I should probably turn around I was already halfway there. I kept pushing and eventually made it only to almost get stuck trying to pull into the parking lot.

Anyway, enough of my whining. I got to work safely and that’s really all that matters. On to my eats!

I wanted to get out the door as early as possible so I grabbed a Clif bar for breakfast. This was the first time I’ve ever had the Chocolate Chip flavor and it was good. Just enough chocolate without being overly sweet. I really like the texture of these bars. Not only are they hearty, but the consistency forces me to slow down when I eat. Here’s an after picture of the wrapper:

Lunch was a Lean Cuisine Chicken Club panini. Not exactly the most “natural” food ever, but they have good flavor and stick with you. I don’t like to have packaged lunches like this every day. However, they do work well when you’re in a hurry and they’re better than icky fast food.

An hour or so after lunch I was feeling anxious so I had a cup of Tazo Calm tea and did some deep breathing at my desk.

Snack was a few Kashi TLC crackers (one of my new addictions) and a wedge of Laughing Cow Light swiss cheese.

I worked through my lunch and got to leave at four so I could pick up the pooch and be home before dark. They’re calling for more snow tonight and I didn’t want to chance getting stuck in that if it came early. The drive was a little better than this morning. Still pretty icy and slow going.

I cooked Ranch Chicken & Potatoes in the crock pot yesterday so that we could just heat it up for a quick dinner tonight. My friend gave me this recipe and I’m not exactly certain of the original source.

1lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1 can cream of chicken soup (I use 99% fat free)
1 packet Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix (powder)
1/4 cup diced onion
20 oz. Yukon Gold potatoes, cubed & parboiled 10-15 minutes

Put all the ingredients in a slow cooker and stir together. Cook on low 4-6 hours.

On the side I had cottage cheese and a romaine & green leaf lettuce salad with a drizzle of Annie’s Goddess dressing. I won’t bore you with a picture of another of these salads. Seems like it’s becoming a trend.

I’ve had a horrible headache all day and ibuprofen isn’t touching it. Not sure what’s up. I normally don’t get headaches, but they’ve been an every other day thing for about the last week. I’ll be taking it easy this evening and probably heading to bed early again. Looks like I’ll need to be up and at ‘em early again tomorrow.

I’m really excited to be participating in the Valentine’s Day Blogging Exchange! Click here for more information or to sign up. You need to do so by January 30th (which is tomorrow) so don’t wait!

What’s your “go to” lunch when you’re in a hurry to get something together?

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