He picked...

Morning everyone!  Hope you guys had a great weekend, especially all you Dads out there! 

Ours started out with a Saturday morning trip to the farmer's market after a 2-week hiatus...  

Strawberry season is starting to wind down (tears!), so Katie was getting while the getting was still goodJ)

But the REAL summer goodies are starting to ramp up, with Jersey tomatoes starting to be spied left & right... 

(Can't wait for that Jersey corn!!!)

And the weekend ended with Scott's 2 picks from his favorite categoriesJ  For breakfast, he picked BLUEBERRIES:

So I made him a Blueberry coffee cake, complete with cream cheese swirl...YUM!

While for dessert, he picked the mysterious "candy bar" categoryJ  Any guess what would be a "candy bar" with a shortbread crust... 

...a layer of smooth & buttery caramel... 

...and a layer of chocolate ganache???  

(that's chocolate mixed with heavy cream, for anyone curious of that crazinessJ)

For anyone who guessed TWIX, you get the gold star!  Twix made into a PIE, how novelJ  And how sad that this morning I realized I never snapped a 'final' photo and all I could get now was a slice of the leftovers???  Oppppsss....(And don't worry, 75% of this pie went home with my in-lawsJ)

But after all the fun and candy bar pies, it was back to the usual yesterdayJ

Monday Recap:

9:30am:  "Cinnamon Toast cheesecake pancakes" 

So I made kind of a hybrid of two recipesJ  One part 'cheesecake', other part 'flax cinnamon toast'J

• 2 oz. low-fat cream cheese
• 1/4 cup egg beaters
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon flax seed

Once they were off the griddle, I topped em with a 1/4 teasp cinnamon & 1/2 teaspoon sugar mix.  I wouldn't go out on a limb and say they tasted much like 'cheesecake,' but again, they were another 'less carb/non-heavy' way to have pancakes for breakfast.  (I think my #1 vote still goes to my flax/almond meal cakes thoughJ)

12:00pm:  Toasted Coconut yogurt with flax & almonds

2:00pm:  Coffee with creamer (sigh...I just can't kick that creamer!)

5:00pm:  Body Jam class

Since my normal Monday night yoga instructor was on vacation this week, which just happen to coincide with seeing my favorite JAM teacher mentioning on Facebook that she taught a Monday night class = Monday night DANCE sessionJ  It was fun to switch it up and get my JAM on to kick off the week.  (even if I may or may not have bruised my hand slapping the floor towards the end of class...it gets a little wild some timesJ)

7:00pm:  Strawberry Chicken Salad

• Grilled chicken coated in Montreal steak seasoning
• Sliced strawberries
• Feta
• 1/2 avocado 
• Red lettuce

This salad was PERFECT for a post-workout/summer night dinner.  Sweet strawberries, spicy chicken, cool & creamy avocado and salty feta.  Just perfection...and thrown together in about 10 minutes.  Can't beat that!

Alright...well, my next order of business today is to find a new pair of workout sneakers.  I normally try to replace them once a year, but have slacked for FAR too long...and now with the double (sometimes triple) whammy of weekly Body Jam and Boxing classes, my right heel has been nagging me a bit.  Here's hopin a new pair of shoes will nip that in the heel budJ

Have a great Tuesday!

And the sun came out...

Thursday Recap:

6:45-7:15am:  Dance/weights with "11's"/stretch

Almost didn't make it yesterday!  I was BEATJ

8:00am:  Hot Lemon Water

9:00am:  Life cereal

Doused with FALL flavored nutmeg & pumpkin pie spice, natchJ

12:00pm:  Banana Cream Smoothie

So of course it only took until high noon yesterday to bust out the NINJA & let her stretch out her legs...

After adding all the ingredients and being met with a FLASHING Power button ( = no go!)... 

...a quick consult of the 'getting started' guide revealed the VITAL (apparently!) step of aligning the lid & base arrows.  Don't forget this peeps or it's "Do not pass go, do not collect $200." 

A few quick pulses and my smoothie ingredients didn't stand a chance!  I wouldn't want to meet this thing in a dark alley. 

In the mix:

• 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
• Banana cream Oikos yogurt
• 1/2 scoop protein powder
• Frozen banana
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds
• cinnamon...lots of cinnamonJ
• 4 ice cubes 

YAY!  So excited to have a smoothie without having to pray my blender wasn't going to set on fire!J hahahahaha  Can't wait to see what I'll whirl up todayJ

1:00pm:  Coffee with creamer (the gloomy weather got the best of me)

3:00pm:  Trader Joe's White Cheddar Corn Puffs

I knew a 'salty snack' was going to be the order of the day...hmmmm...around 10amJ  These little cheddar nuggets hit the spot, and for only 140 calories for 2.5 cups!  That's A LOT of cheddar nuggets for your calorie buckJ

6:00pm:  Lasagna Soup

So after yesterday's threat of day-long showers & thunderstorms led my mind from my previously planned "summer dinner" (it's already on the menu for next week) to something more on the cozy side to combat the dreary day.  (thanks FB peeps for help with the final vote!)

Only problem?  By the time I went to cook, not only had the humidity been kicked up 400%, BUT THE DAMN SUN CAME OUT! 

At least it was only for a brief spell and by the time the soup had finished it's required 30 minutes of simmering, it was back to doom & gloom...ya know, which is only an acceptable reason to be happy when soup is simmering on the stoveJ

After taking a quick inventory and realizing we had everything on hand to make this soup (minus the fresh basil, I ended up just using some that I had frozen), I made the recipe the exact same as last time.  I found this sausage in the freezer and figured why not add ONE more layer of cheese to the soup???J

Ya know, along with the "surprise" layer at the bottom! 

This is seriously one of my favorite recipes of all-time.  The soup is SO hearty and comforting, and who could beat a hidden layer of gooey cheese????  It's just cozy 101.

We also turned someone into a new fanJ  This made me laugh because while I was still carrying Katie, there was one night where every time we said the word "soup," she would KICK like CRAZY!  So when I asked her last night if she wanted more soup and all limbs went flying with a big smile plastered on her face, all I could think was 'well, I knew that was going to happen even from back then' J

Sentimental story over, as that wraps up todayJ.  There won't be tooooo much cooking in my house this weekend since we'll be seeing my niece off to semi-formal dance tonight and celebrating her graduation from middle school (eeee!) on Saturday night.  But I'll be back in the kitchen on Sunday to whip up Scott some good treats for Father's Day!  I told him to pick from a category of his favorites and I would make a breakfast & dessert to matchJ  We'll see if he picks:

• Blueberry
• Coffee
• Peanut Butter & chocolate
• Nutella
• Carrot Cake
• Cake batter
• "Candy Bar"

As of last night, he was still in a quandaryJ hahahahhahahaa  Hope you guys have a great weekend and happy Father's day to all the dads out there!

ENJOY!

Upgrade...

Hey everyone!  Hope you're having a good week.  These last 2 days have blended together pretty quick, so I have a double recap for your this stormy (NJ) Thursday morning.

Tuesday Recap:

6:45-7:15am:  Dance/weights/1 minute plank/'booty blast'

8:00am:  Hot Lemon Water

9:30am:  All natural cafe mocha

To this little coffee, chocolate & honey mix...I should also mention that cocoa powder & honey are known fat blasters.  Win/winJ

10:00am:  Breakfast- Banana Oatmeal with sunflower butter

12:30pm:  Lunch- Chicken burger with red onion & 1/2 avocado 

I guess the oatmeal really kept me full, because I was held over until dinner time with no snacks.  A true miracle unto itselfJ

6:00pm:  Dinner- Artichoke  Pasta with diced tomatoes

This dinner is so absurdly easy that by the time everything was simmering in the pan & the pasta boiling away, I had managed to clean up the entire kitchen and all of the dishes (besides the pots, obv!)

The sauce is an easy simmer of garlic, green onions and 1 can of diced tomatoes & artichoke hearts.  While that simmers for 8 minutes, your pasta cooks away nearby for 7 minutes...

In the last 30 seconds, you swirl in 1/4 cup of half & half (fat free, in available) and 1/4 cup chicken broth.

Meanwhile, drain your pasta and add in 1/2 cup of grated cheese before tossing in the artichoke sauce... 

And Wallah!  How easy is that?  And you'd be AMAZED how good just a few simple ingredients tossed together can make such a great meal. 

And BONUS was that even though I CLAIMED I was headed to the grocery store this week, I still have yet to set a foot in there and made all of this with pantry staples.  So raid your cupboards and make this one tonight! J

Wednesday Recap:

8:00am:  Hot Lemon Water

9:00am:  Breakfast- Flax seed & almond pancake 

So I tried to get all fancy yesterday and swap out the sugar & MOST of the egg in this pancake recipe with a mashed banana.  It was all fun & games until it STUCK to the pan again (much like my 'diva pancake'!)  I was able to glue it together a bit with some peanut butter, but not the prettiest pancake to say the leastJ

10:30-11:45am:  Power Yoga class

12:30pm:  Lunch- Pizza Kitchen
Yesterday was JUST. TOO. GORGEOUS to stay cooped up inside for lunch.  The temperature was a perfect high 70's, no humidity, light breeze and perfect blue skies...

So the afternoon just called for a pizza out on the Pizza Kitchen patio... 

Margarita pizza this time...and I'm not even going to cop to how many slices I had.  Let's just say there was NO MORE EATING for the rest of the day after this 'little' lunch! J

But it was just too perfect of a day not to get out and enjoy itJ 

6:00-7:00pm:  Body Jam Class

And like I said, no more food was had after that pizzaJ  But I do have some other 'kitchen news' to share!  I finally got a replacement blender after my beloved Cuisinart spent 2 months both smelling like fire when it was turned on for more than 30 seconds (joy) AND spitting out black soot from the bottom (double joy)  At least I can say she was WELL USED!

And thanks to a sale AND a 30% off coupon from Kohl's, I was able to get an UP-GRADE!! 

Now we're talkin some SERIOUS smoothie business.  Can't wait to start putting this to use TODAY!  Doesn't she look intimidating??

Well, alright.  I should probably get off the computer since it's thundering & lightening all around the house.  This lovely storm system is tearin through NJ today bringing wind, hail and torrential rain.  I guess that's our payback for such a gorgeous day yesterdayJ  Mother nature has to keep the balance too, I guessJ

Have a good Thursday!

Had on hand...

Hey everyone!  Hope you guys had a great weekend!  Mine was fun & busy with a baby shower on Sunday anddd....

...our 6th annual cousins weekend at my cousin's shore house in Tuckerton!J

As usual, it was wall-to-wall chatter, laughing and FOOD!  Even though Scott was SHOCKED we didn't spend the whole weekend eating spaghetti & meatballsJ, we DID chow down on some pulled pork and my cousin's AWESOME 4-cheese mac & cheese...

...and of course, plenty of festive dessertsJ 

But come Monday, after a week of TOO many treats & ice cream cones last week, it was BACK to the grind!

Monday Recap:

8:00am:  Hot Lemon Water

9:30am:  All-natural "cafe mocha"

• 1 cup coffee
• 2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons honey
• Milk of your choice (I stole some of Katie's 2%J)

That actually really hits the spot and the 2 teaspoons of honey is just enough to sweeten the cocoa powder.

10:30am:  Breakfast- Toasted Coconut yogurt with almonds & flax seed

12:30pm:  Lunch-  Trader Joe's Chicken Burger with 1/2 avocado & red onion

 3:00pm:  Snack- 1/2 bowl Life cereal

5:30pm:  Dinner- Tandoori chicken with mashed chickpeas & peas 

This is called 'what can I make with what I already have when it's WAYYYY to gloomy & rainy to go grocery shopping!'  hehehehehe  Thankfully, I had everything on hand to pull this meal together in a jiff!

Spicy & tangy yogurt-marinated grilled chicken, creamy mashed chickpeas...and the one green vegetable we ALWAYS have on hand!  hahahahhaha  Not too shabby for not going to the grocery store in about 2 1/2 weeks!J

6:30-7:50pm:  Beginner's Power Yoga

And despite the absolute MONSOON we had last night, I haddd to get myself to yoga last night.  I hadn't had a class since Wednesday morning and was VERY ready to get back in the swing!  It felt good...even if my head hurt from all of the headstands we practiced last nightJ hahahhaha

But anyway, I gotta get to the grocery store today.  I already can't WAIT to hit the farmer's market this weekend after a 2-week hiatus!  I think every dish next week is going to be veggies, veggies & more veggies.

Have a great Tuesday!

Dove right in...

Hey guys!  Sorry for the delay, as I had an EPIC meal to show you from Wednesday afternoon.  One of the best I've had in a WHILE, and I think that's saying a lot!  El Tule had been in the back of our minds since we were unable to score a reservation during restaurant week back in March, so it swiftly got moved to the front of the line when we were picking somewhere new to try on Wednesday...

I can bet this place was a family restaurant, as you could feel the warmth & love as soon as you walked in the door.  Our hostess/waitress was a doll and was so helpful coming up with recommendations.  The food is freshly prepared, so it was one of those nice, slow meals where you didn't feel rushed out and you got to sit and enjoy for a minute between courses (LOVE THAT!).

Not to mention it was, again, an absolutely gorgeous day so we snagged one of the tables outside near all of the violets & vines.  It was so peaceful, I felt like we were on vacationJ

The menu at El Tule is both Mexican and Peruvian, so we just dove right into trying some new things even with our drink orders.  Scott got the Horchata (rice, milk & cinnamon), while I got the purple corn & vanilla soda.  

Both were so refreshing and my drinkl was sweet & almost floral-y.  So good.

After placing our orders, the complimentary chips & a salsa sampler hit the table.  I only was able to try the pico de gallo on the bottom, the other 2 were wayyyyyyyyyyyy too hot for me!J

And while Katie got her coloring on... 

...the MOST GORGEOUS "appetizer sampler" platter I've ever seen hit our table.  EVERY SINGLE appetizer on the Peruvian menu sounded soooo good, so I was super glad they offered this mix as a special.  Isn't it a beaut??? 

First up was a potato cake stuffed with a chicken salad... 

Sooo good, even if a few bites of the potato part were surprisingly spicy.  Katie bite down and SQUUEEEEAAALLLEEEDD at one point and we're guessing she got a surprise spice biteJ

Next were the Yucca frita with a spicy huancaina sauce and pappas rellenas with an even SPICER salsa (I dipped my fork in there and my mouth was on FI-YA!)

Pappas rellenas are fried mashed potato cakes stuffed with meat.  Almost like a Peruvian rice ballJ

And the absolute BEST on a dish of fabulousness (and I will TOTALLY be copying this soon for dinner!) was a chicken salad stuffed avocado... 

Talk about something so simple that was made so phenomenal by combining the 2 (made even better by adding the pretty pink pickled onions).  What I loved about EVERYTHING on the dish was that none of it was OVER done, but just had such a clean, nice taste that really let you taste all the ingredients. (much like Cubanu)  Just delish!

 And the appetizers was just a preview of the phenomonal-ness to come, as my entree was one of the best dishes I've had EVER.

A traditional Peruvian brunch dish, the Limeno consisted of a shredded chicken in a yellow Peruvian sauce and a sauteed meat stew with onions & tomatoes, all served with bread to sop up all of the FANTASTIC sauces on both sides of the plate.  I can't even TELL you how great this is.  Again, not overly done but just PERFECT flavors all the way through.  If you're in the area, GO to El Tule and GET THIS DISH.  Like, yesterday!  It was sooooooooooo good!

Scott's dish was also delicious with fried pork (CHICHARRON!), sweet potatoes & more yucca fries... 

Ever single part of this brunch was done to absolute perfection.  SOOOOOOOOOOOO loved this meal.

And yes, our ice cream consumption is OUT OF CONTROL this week, admittedly...butttt that didn't stop us from visiting Uncle Dave's ice cream on the way homeJ  It IS one of the finer things in summer, amIright?? 

Uncle Dave's has always been one of the best in our area, but Scott & I REALLY got on board last summer when we both went a little cake batter ice cream crazy for awhile thereJ  And UD has some of the best around.

Anyway...back to Wednesday, so I've never been much of a 'cone' girl myself, but I'm all over em this week!  And after 2 of them being toasted coconut, I finally branched out and went with Reese's Peanut Butter cup with chocolate jimmies... 

Yes, I have a full blown ice cream cone while STILL wearing my gym clothes from the morning class..oh yeah, and an awesome sunburn from the beach.  Don't judgeJ

And speaking of gym clothes, I DID manage to get in both a Power Yoga AND Body Jam (Track 61) class since they now moved it to Wednesday nights.  And since a breakfast waffle was the only other thing consumed that day, I'm hoping that & the exercise helps balance everything outJ

Alrighty, well that's all I got for today.  Hope you guys have a fun weekend ahead.  Mine is going to be family-PACKED, with one day being a yearly family tradition.  I'll share on MondayJ

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!