Wednesday, September 23, 2009

No Noodle-Caboodle

Happy Humpday Darlings!!

How are all of you?!

I'm feeling very sleepy for 930 P.M.... so I thought it might be a good idea to do my post now because I might not make it another hour or so. I have a double ahead of me tomorrow at worky plus a run in the A.M. before that so beauty sleep is needed for this chica to prevent crashing halfway through my day... blech!

Today was so-so...
Woke up early to get moving:
Ran 3.7 miles

...I did my fav route up in the center of town and it's getting more and more beautiful (...more like Fall) every single day. I love it!! :) :)

Backtracking just a tad... I had a yummy snack last night using a new Clif bar!

Maple Nut Clif Bar Review:
YUM!!
Not too nutty... just enough maple flavor and topped with a dollop of light whipped topping and *ding* *ding* *ding* we have a winner!

Will definitely buy this flava-flaaav! again

Post Run this morning I was absolutely craving a Pumpkin Spice Latte... like I thought I may get less than pleasant if I didn't get my hands on one ASAP.

....maybe it was all the Fall foliage I took in that put me in the mood....

Choosing something for Breaky was easy because I found this little number on my shelf that's been hiding on me for a while...
PUMPKIN BUTTER!!!!!


Throw in.. 1 egg, 1 egg white scrambled
Salt & Pep
1 banana
1 Multi-Grain Thomas's english muffin (1/2 for the eggs, 1/2 smeared with delicious, sweet pumpkin buttah)

...and you gotta happy girl ;)


If you haven't tried pumpkin butter Please Please PLEASE DO!!
It's perfect for the Fall season and tastes a lot like pumpkin pie filling...

Can I have this smeared on every single thing I eat for the rest of my life??
I'm leaning towards yes.


Snacked on this before lunch:

Pear slices with a tbsp. of Teddie smooth PB
(I tried it with the Pumpkin Butter but it was just a TAD too sweet... this pear was very ripe so I needed a sweet & salty combo instead)



Lunch Break!
Messy salad with:
Baby spinach
Lettuce mix
1 Mushroom Lovers burger crumbled
Shredded carrots
Sprinkle of parmesan cheese
Light Balsamic Vinegarette drizzle

(complete lack of veggies in this household & it's driving me nuts!)


Mix her alll up...



Afternoon snack:
Small bowl of FF Stonyfield plain yogurt
Handful of PB Puffins
Tsp. of Pumpkin Buttah ;) lovin it!!!!!

OH. MY. GOD.
try this combo and live in Heaven for a few mins...



Like I said... today was GOING to be a rainy day according to the Weather Channel but since when are those chooches ever right about the forecast?

77 degrees and not a cloud in the sky....

But I still found a little time before dinner to whip up these No-Pudge brownie bebes that have been begging to be made...
They come in a few different flavs too...
Original Fudge
Cappuccino
Mint
Raspberry

Veryyy fudgy batter.. I actually threw in a handful of white chocolate chips *shhhh* before baking just to add a little naughty-ness.
And it was a saweeeet move.
My fam LOVES them.


I was originally planning to make Iced Pumpkin Cookies (since a few of you lovahs suggested those in my last post!) but low and behold, go to the cabinet where the canned pumpkin should be andddd GONE...like the wind.

My mom later told me she brought it to my Grandma's for a recipe she was making. :(

Poor form Jillybean.

But I will be investing in another can this weekend to whip 'em up... and send some to YOU Naomi, Brandi, & Whitney!!! haha



Dinner was inspired by something I saw on Meghann's blog about "noodle-less" lasagna...
What an awesome idea!
When you feel like you've overdone your carbs throughout the day this is a great alternative.
You still get the great flavor of lasagna without the heavy feeling after eating the pasta.
In my Noodle-less Lasagna:
8 oz. turkey sausage (casings removed)
1 medium onion chopped
Handful of sliced mushrooms
1-1/2 c. zucchini & summer squash
1 jar of your favorite marinara
3/4 c. water
3/4 c. FF Ricotta Cheese
1 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
2 tbsp. parmesan cheese
Sprinkle of shredded part-skim mozz

Directions:
Just sautee the sausage, onions, & mushrooms in a little EVOO in a large skillet until sausage is cooked through
Add the jar of marina & the water and bring to a boil
Add zucchini & squash; return to a boil
Cover; lower heat and simmer 12 minutes, stirring occasionally
In a small bowl stir together the ricotta, parm, & parsley
After 12 mins, dollop the ricotta mixture on top of the sausage mixture in the pan & spread slightly
Sprinkle with however much mozz you like
Recover & cook another 4-5 mins on low
Let sit for 10 mins and serve!

It was REALLY yummy... lots of veggies, perfect amount of cheese, and because I used my FAV marinara.. it tasted as good as any regular pasta dish

The classy outdoor dinner setting my parents constructed...
Very "comfort food without the extra calories" in my opinion...

Of course... I HAD to have some of the dessert I made earlier

FF Brownie warmed in the micro for 15 seconds + a dollop of Light Cool Whip
=
Mmmmmmmm....melt in your mouth delicious.
NOTE: Have with a glass of milk...seriously...it's that rich & decadent.
Ok darlings... I'm apparently an old lady and need to rest my ol' bones so I'll leave you with a question that I've been curious about!

For those of you who don't eat meat, what is your go-to source of protein??

Just curious! I went a week without meat and felt I wasn't getting enough protein, but I'm sure I wasn't very knowledgeable about the other possible protein options...

Goodnight!!! :)

1 comment:

  1. haha girl you know i am dyinggg for some pumpkin cookies now...BUT those ff brownies look ahhhmazing! i need to find some of the batter asap! and pumpkin lattes = heaven :)

    ive tried to go without meat for a bit but it always ends up sneaking back into my diet. i think its good for you in moderation :) love my ham n cheese omlettes! ha

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