Sunday

…was a glorious day.  Why, you ask, because I made a delectable breakfast for two of my favorite people in the world.  Being a rookie blogger, I made blogger mistake #1 and did not take pictures! gah!  But I shall tell you the menu and you can salivate while conjuring up the pictures in your mind:

1. Experimental pancakes #1:  Buttermilk pancakes with ricotta cheese
2. Experimental pancakes #2: Buttermilk pancakes with ricotta cheese and cacao nibs
3. Buttermilk pancakes (b-o-r-i-n-g!)
4. Red potatoes with olive oil and fresh rosemary
5. Whole-wheat toast with selection of nut butters
6. Buttery and fluffy scrambled eggs
7. Chicken sausage

I think my guests were pleased   Have you noticed that it can be *so* much more fun cooking for other people?  Especially when you don’t have to be too stringent on ingredients or portions for calorie purposes.  My belly and sanity thanked me.

Love is in the Air

Recently, I discovered the most amazing threesome out there

Get your minds out of the gutter! That’s whole-wheat toast with organic Kirkland Signature (Costco’s brand) peanut butter, Peanut Butter & Co.’s Dark Chocolate Dreams and 365 Brand (Whole Foods’ brand) Almond Butter.

Now let me be honest with you…this

is dangerous.  At first I was skeptical because the texture is much drier than I usually like, but one bite and I thought to myself, “oh sh*t” because I knew I was in trouble! TOO DELIGHTFUL! Cool thing is — I thought that per 2 tbsp it would be more than my beloved almond butter — but it’s not! 2 tbsp of PB & Co. DCD is 170 calories, 13 g fat versus 365 Almond Butter’s 190 calories, 16 g fat.

But don’t get too cocky over there PB & Co., I have two new food loves in my life and I will let them introduce themselves to you.

Love #1

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Hey guys!  I’m Oikos Organic Nonfat Greek Yogurt. I’m short, stout and extra rich and creamy!  Best thing is — I’m only 90-120 calories a serving!

Thanks Oikos.  Yes, Oikos is flippin’ amazing.  I wasn’t convinced I would be making regular Whole Foods trips until I tried this yogurt.  Since they don’t sell it at Trader Joe’s, WF here I come!  This stuff is totally legit, I’m serious.  Delicious and filling.  I’ve tried blueberry, vanilla and honey.  Blueberry and honey have 120 calories and vanilla has 110. If you didn’t know, Greek Yogurt typically has double the protein of regular yogurt, which makes it quite a caloric bargain!

Fave toppings for Oikos: blackberries and raspberries. Did you know that one cup of blackberries has 7.6 g of fiber and one cup of raspberries has 8 g of fiber?!  Talk about mother nature being a giver!

You can download a $0.50 off Oikos’ products coupon here.

Love #2

Buongiorno!  I am Trader Joe’s Italian Sausage-Less Sausage. Yes, I am made from soy, but pick your battles, per favore! I taste just like meat and you will love me, just try me! Prego!

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I gave him a try and am happy to say that he goes delightfully well with fake eggs and smoky, peach salsa. Nutritional information per sausage (and it’s big!) — 140 calories, 7 g fat, 1 g fiber, 13 g protein

Coming tomorrow – My review of a turbo kick boxing class & some tips on how to take it seriously (hehe)
Later this week – My twin, Chris…

will share his own tips for weight loss, maintenance and, knowing him, something tangential and hilarious.

Any new food finds you want to share? Have you tried Oikos Greek Yogurt yet? What’s your take on soy products?

Yesterday was an amazing day.  Why?  I think because I had actually slept an adequate amount. If that’s how I’d usually feel with more sleep, I am definitely making sleep more of a priority!  Here are the main things that made my day a great one:

Beach Babe Workout
I went to the beach to workout by myself for the first time.  I’ve worked out at the beach before, but only when accompanied by a friend or my twin. Why have I lived in this beach town my entire life and only now taken the opportunity to relish it as a workout spot?  Not sure.  A) I’m lame.  B) I think as a “chubbier” person, I just didn’t like being “exposed” at the beach and developed an aversion to all beach activities.

Well, it was beautiful.  I ran along the beach for three miles (yes, I RAN! My knee is getting better and better!).  I am keeping my runs short and sporadic — I do not want to overextend myself again.  So, 3 miles of beach sand running at the slow and steady pace of 10-minute miles.  I then sprinted for half a mile at a 7:30 minute/mile pace.  I wasn’t sure what to do next, then I saw a huge flight of stairs and evil laughter escaped my lips as I ran towards it.  Up, down, up, down, up down. I’m sure I looked like a nut running up and down this very high and steep staircase, but I can’t tell you how much fun I was having.  Again, if this positive mindset was a result of sleep, I profess my love to the Sleep God.  I was able to see my total mileage, pace and calories because I wore my new Garmin 305 for the first time!  Thanks to Tamara for her recommendation.

Do any of you have Garmin 305s? Work out at the beach?

Whole Foods
I have been a loyal and ardent supporter of Trader Joe’s during my health journey and have felt no need to branch out…until A) I started seeing other foodies writing about products from WF that I had not tried and did not have access to and B) Out of state friends complained they could not try my recipes/snack ideas since they did not have a TJs. So, yesterday, I marked a big “WF” in my calendar and excitedly went to this health food Disneyland to scope out the goods.  I feel like there should have been an induction ceremony involved or something, but, alas, there was not.

I had no clue that WF allowed you to make your own trail mix or to mix your own nut butter!  Why had no one told me this?!  Insane!

The goods:

It might not have been smart to get the Peanut Butter & Co. Dark Chocolate Dreams.  I tried a spoonful last night.  And then another.  Repeat.  Yea, unbelievably scrumptious.

Just a note – I was surprised to find that WF still carries a lot of foods on my “no-no” list.  I had envisioned WF as a place that shunned refined flours and high-sugar foods, but everywhere I turned there was something that I would never put in my mouth. I guess no matter where you go, you always have to be a smart, health-minded consumer.

What do you guys love about Whole Foods?  Any product recommendations?

Mimi’s Cafe
I did not end up cooking the black bean dish I had envisioned for dinner, but instead went to dinner at Mimi’s Café.  Meh.  I didn’t know Mimi’s was like a high-end Denny’s, but it was.  Their saving grace, however, is that they are so open with the nutritional content/caloric content of their dishes and they even have A) A “Just Enough” section on their menu where you can choose items in smaller portions for less money and B) a Fresh and Fit menu that has specifically nutritious and less calorie-dense foods with all the nutritional information posted right there on the menu.  While I’ve read here that only 1/10 people will actually look at nutritional content at fast-food restaurants, I’m pretty sure that the 10% are you guys and myself!  I am always stoked when the info. is available and applaud all restaurants that provide it.

Do you guys check out nutritional information of restaurant foods before you order?

Alright, it’s going to be a lame weekend spent at the library   Hope you guys actually do something fun!