Hiatus...

Morning, folks!  Well, I think it's about time I put the ole blog on hiatus while we get the last few odds & ends ready for our new arrival.  And by 'odds & ends,' I mean spending all my extra time with Katie, considering I've been acting like we're shipping her off to Europe vs. her becoming a big sisterJ.  Just can't get enough of her at the moment.

So I'll be back once I get everything settled.  Itll probably be a minute, thoughJ.  In the meantime, I'll still post some quick updates from my My Tasty Journey Facebook page.  Since...I still just can't shut up about food & working outJ.  I'll just have to do it QUICKER at the momentJ

Talk to you again soon...hopefully!J

Sweet reunion...

Wednesday Recap:

Breakfast:  2 slices wheat toast with avocado + honey + sea salt

All the love.

Snack:  Coconut Chia Breakfast Pudding

Workout:  Power Yoga class

STILL hangin' in!

Lunch:  Tone it up Power Bowl 

Chicken + Beans + Red Pepper + Tomatoes + Chili powder, cumin & cinnamon

And since I realized I had forgotten the avocado that was supposed to top the power bowl, I did the next best thing and indulged in one of these AWESOME little avocado brownies that my dear friends, Ricky & Jen from EdoFoods brought me on Tuesday... 

Little nuggets of 4-ingredient perfection, these will fix any mid-afternoon sweet tooth in a healthier way.  Fudgy, dense and a perfect bite.  Scott had em for his afternoon snack when he got home and FLIPPED too.  JUST SO GOOD!  Thanks again, Ricky & Jen!!!  We heart youJ  (So does KatieJ)

Snack:  2 Carrot Cake Protein Bites

Dinner:  Chicken Thai Coconut Bowl + 1/2 cup brown rice 

So I think we may have found our VERYFAVORITE Tone It Up dinner recipe with this one.  The original recipe calls for tofu (and I WILL try it with it one day!), but I just subbed chicken and mixed it with the onion, soy sauce, peanut butter, coconut flakes and some spinach (because, like smoothies, Why not??) and served over a little brown rice for my non-exhaustion healthy carb quota for mid-weekJ

Savory from the soy & peanut butter with kicks of sweet from the coconut shreds throughout, I'm kinda guessing we could eat this about 3-4 times a week and be happy.  Bonus, it came together in about 15 minutes.  DEFINITELY give this one a try!  Totally satisfying. 

Dessert:  Dairy Queen Marshmallow Sundae with coconut 

So...I don't have TOO many pregnancy cravings after the first 3-months of 'eat what I want or else I'll feel sick,' but here's one of the 'funnier' ones that cropped up during a three-Fridays-in-a-row span at the end February/beginning of March in THE BRUTAL DEAD OF WINTER, where Scott ran out at nearly 9:30 one night to pick up one of these when I knew the craving WOULD NOT PASSJ  Marshmallow sundaes with coconut were my winter jam (as was post-Power yoga frozen yogurt)J  I'm not sure I've had one since FREEZING March, but it was a sweet reunion for Survivor treat night last night...made esp. sweeter since Survivor was soooooooooooo good last night!  (How very year-2000 of me to sayJ)  Hahahahahahaha

So talk about anti-ice cream weather, we woke up to THE MOST PERFECT FALL MORNING WEATHER this morning.  Too bad it's MayJ  Hopefully Mother Nature remembers this weather and starts sending it to us bright & early on September 1stJ  I'll be ready and waiting on the other side of many beach days with KatieJ

Have a good Thursday, everyone!J

No Regrets...

Um...how's this for a start of a "No Regrets" post??

First of all:  HI!  How was your weekend??  Mine was a crazy/wild/busy mix of lots of family fun and a crazy amount of yoga, which was both relaxing, overwhelming & intense.

In short:  A complete mess of emotionsJ

But I guess I should back-track back to Friday where I said "there weren't going to be too many zucchini noodles" involved & I was right about that one!  Especially when a trip to Uncle Dood's Donuts in Toms River is how you start off the day...

photo source

We had full plans to 'just get a few to sample,' but after the INCREDIBLY FRIENDLY staff led us through all the donuts + a few 'menu additions,' we were pretty much dying to get on our hands on as many as possible.  So we ordered up our box of (COMPLETELY OBSCENE FOR 2 1/2 PEOPLE) NINE donuts (EEK!) and headed outside for the benches to give em a sample...

"Only a bite or 2 of each" was my mantra as we sat down:  Till I took my first bite.  HOLY SHMOLY these donuts were OUT. OF. THIS. WORLD!  Crispy, hot & fresh, HAND DIPPED TO ORDER and not to mention:  light, not greasy in the slightest and WAYYYYY to easy to sneak too many bitesJ  (or at least that's gonna be my excuseJ)

I didn't sample either of the top left ones or the middle one (they were Scott's pick of Twix & specialty coffee/mocha varieties), but I had a bite (or 2...or 3) of the rest.  Including the cinnamon & cream cheese frosted (top right), the blueberry & basil (Katie's pick...TO DIE FOR!),  the samoa (bottom left...do I even need to tell you how much I liked that one???) and the two biggest surprise favorites:  The peanut butter iced/chocolate sprinkles one ("you're gonna die" was my preceding bite warning for Scott) and the FRENCH TOAST...

Again, back to that friendly staff:  the guy convinced us to order 2 French Toasts cause they were his favorite and they did NOT disappoint.  Maple frosted, dipped in cinnamon & sugar...they probably were actually the family favorite of the whole box.  Can't say enough great things about this place, the staff and those CRISPY (yes, I'm gonna emphasize that again cause it's a FAV) donuts.  We left with....um, not as many as we thoughtJ), but some of them DID INDEED survive our on slaughter and made it home somewhat in tack.   ...till Saturday.  More on that laterJ

After stuffing our faces, we headed over to (the original plan from my birthdayJ) the Popcorn Zoo,  in Forked River.  

The zoo is actually an animal sanctuary for abandoned or injured animals.  So on top of it being a fun place to visit with kids, it's also nice to see these animals being SOOO well loved & taken care of by the friendly staff.   A very sweet experience.

And the place gets its name from being offered popcorn to share with the animals throughout your visit...

...even if someone snuck in a few bites of her own.  OY!

I'm not sure I've ever seen some of these animals as up close as the Popcorn Zoo is set up....

...which may or may not have been a good thing, considering this tiger was eyein Katie up like a nice steakJ

But needless to say my little animal-lover (except for Polar bears!  She DOES NOT like polar bears for some reason) had an absolute BLAST at this place and couldn't run around fast enough to make several visits to ALL the animalsJ

Only "problem" with this place??  It felt like it was built on the surface of the sun.  ...or at least that's what my 8-month pregnant self felt:), so after our visit, Momma needed to sit down and RELAX for a sec!

So we headed over to Point Pleasant and to one of our all-time favs:  Frankie's Bar & Grill for some of thier AWWWWWWWWWESOME nachos and a salad with ranch that sounded like THEGREATESTTHINGONEARTH at that momentJ 

And in an effort to, ahem, keep it SOMEWHAT together, we split one of their PERFECT burgers, complete with fire-burnt edges on a poppy seed bun.  Oh the joy of it all... 

And of course, after we had to head East.....where we went from 'the surface of the sun,' to a cooooooooool & breezy beach.  Scott deemed the ocean 'like ice'...

...but that didn't stop SOMEONE from headin in!

....which lead to a SOAKED dress, a lack-of change of clothes and THIS LOOK (in one of Daddy's shirts) on a traditional stop at Hoffman's on the way homeJ

#WAYMOREMEMORABLE!

And after 2 LONG, INTENSE days filled with yoga school, we headed out to Mafalda's restaurant on Sunday night to cap off Mother's Day weekend with a fine dining bang.  Starting with these sausage & cheese filled "Italian Spring Rolls" (which Katie HOUSED!)

...a blue cheese, walnut & strawberry salad... 

...and even though they had an exquisite Mother's Day menu of delectable & unique treats, I ordered what just sounded like THE most scrumptious and delicious choice at that moment:  The classic Vodka Rigatoni.  Momma needed some comfort after a loooooooonnnnnnnggggg day. 

Creamy, comforting and delivered to our table PIPPING HOT, I honestly couldn't have enjoy this more at the moment.  A fabulous night out with my Mom, Scott & Katie to end a wild weekend.  (we also had a round of dessert, but I was too exhausted to even reach for my camera again at that pointJ)

Of course, these weren't ALL my eats of the weekend....just the more decadent onesJ  I can't say I always made the SMARTER choices (ummm...9 donuts??), but I never really got overly full and enjoyed ALL my splurges VERY MUCH and I don't have ONE ounce of guilt this morning.  Just ready to get back to our Bikini Series:  Week 5!

I'll have my more VIRTUOUS selections from my weekend of EdoFoods eats, as well as my healthier Monday recap for you tomorrow!

For now, I'll leave you with my hilarious dinner selection from Saturday night...where I walked in the house and realized NOTHING ON PLANET EARTH was going to sound better (or be any more or less caloric, really!J) than the last few bites of the remaining donuts.  And I sided up those bites with my EdoFoods green juice (more on that tomm!) and called it a day...

 

If THAT is not THE portrait of balance, I don't know what isJ

Hahahahahaha...here's to a healthy Monday, everyone!

Winner, winner, chicken dinner....

Tuesday Recap:

Breakfast:  Apple with 2 tablespoons peanut butter

Lunch:  1/2 can of tuna with mayo & capers on sprouted grain wheat bread

 Snack:  Trader Joe's Chocolate Chip Brownie & Oat Bars

These little babies are soooooo yummy.  Much more brownie than granola bar and studded with chocolate chips.  Perfect for a mid-afternoon chocolate fix for 120 calories.

Dinner:  Slow Cooker Italian Pulled Chicken + broccoli

Talk about a yummy dinner with MINIMAL EFFORT.  Into the slow cooker went:

• 1 pound chicken breast
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• Oregano
• Garlic Powder
• Onion Powder
• Dried Basil  (didn't measure any of those, just sprinkled em on top)

Let that cook on low about 5 hours and then add:

• 1 cup shredded kale (mine went in frozen and cooked up fine)
• 3 diced roasted red peppers

Let everything cook up for another hour and you're good to go.

Well, sort ofJ These were supposed to be sandwiches topped with melted mozzarella, but since we were plum out of sandwich rolls, I just laid the chicken out on non-stick sprayed foil and topped it with a sprinkle of parm and lots of mozz and popped it in the toaster oven for about 5 minutes, or until the cheese was melty.

Extra step = WORTH IT!  The cheese made it extra gooey and all of the flavors of the chicken just powered on through. All the flavors, and who can't use an excuse to cut back on carbs for dinner here and there.  Try this one out.  It was def a winner, winner, chicken dinnerJ

Dessert:  1 Smore  (not pictured)

Not pictured cause I was JUST TOO EXCITED to eat it to stop and take a pictureJ  Made with Trader Joe Grahams and pieces of one of the THREE Lindts chocolate bunnies that Katie got for EasterJ  Poor bunnyJ

And sigh...another day and no workout.  As excited as I was to get to movin, I actually had a doc appointment yesterday morning and after a few 'signs,' she suggested it I take certain 'strenuous' exercises a little easier ....and that I need to drink a LITER of water for every HALF HOUR of exercise???  (even though I admittedly HAVE been really thirsty this time around) So in an attempt to give my body one extra day to heal an ache I had had, I rested for another day and am going to try to get on a regular/not so strenuous routine....which means:  probably more walks/less zumba/and paying more attention in power yoga (cause I'm NOT givin up that one yet!).  We'll see how this goesJ  Just gotta pay more attention to the 'signs' at this momentJ

Alright...that was a lot of yammeringJ  Have a good Wednesday!

A family affair...

Morning, everyone...and if you're on ANY spot in the north east:  Happy snow morning, as this is the view most of us are waking up to this morning:

I was hoping Scott was going to get another snow day with us, but no such luck.  Oh well...I think he at least will get done an hour early since he went in on time, despite a delayJ

Soooooo...anyway, after an EXCESSIVE amount of cake & a blog hiatus, we're back to our first "regularly scheduled post" this morning with a good ole daily food recap...and it turned into a much healthier one than we originally planned, thankfully.

Monday Recap:

Breakfast:  Pancakes with flax

OK...here's where we took a little bit of an "extended weekend liberties" since Scott was wishing for pancakes on his day off and I certainly wasn't going to argue with that ideaJ.

Oh, and Katie wanted to say "Hi"...J

Lunch:  Kale Fried Rice with chicken 

While breakfast was an easy sell, lunch proved to be MUCHHHHHHHHHHH more difficult of a choice.  To the tune of it taking me about an hour & a half to decide what I wanted (blame the reoccurring nausea that's been hanging around this week...UGH!)  We toyed with the idea of going out for lunch, but leaving our house (and our PJ's) to venture in the 12 degree high of yesterday didn't sound too appealing.  Take-out was also tossed around since I've been craving an Italian Hot Dog like woah for about a month...but knew that was a good idea IN THEORY, but doubt it would help with feeling lousy.  So then I went for my SECOND NO-FAIL dinner pick of late (behind ANY Italian food...hence that lovely chicken parm from the weekend):  SCOTT-MADE Asian entreesJ 

Kung Pao Lettuce Wraps (so good) and Basil Chili Garlic Chicken (sooooooooooo good!!) have been two MAJOR hits around here lately, and the return of Kale fried rice was met with the same amount of HAPPY.  Not only was it delicious, but I swear my body was humming from eating something GREEN after what felt like an excessively indulgent weekend.  

Workout #1:  3 mile Walk Away the Pounds
So my new plan is to get Scott & I to sneak in these quick workouts as many times a week as we can squeeze them in.  As I've said probably a zillion times on this blog, these videos were what got me started in exercise to begin with, since I always thought "in the 30 minutes I could debate about whether I wanted to work out or not: I could be done."  They're just that easy & accessible, which is KEY to having a workout you can STICK with (Proof:  these are still in repertoire after 10 YEARS!)  

Plus, we have ZERO excuse since Katie actually thinks it's a game and joins in with us...could you just die from this (sideways??) cuteness??

Of course she also decided she needed a few breaks and promptly plopped in the middle of us with her markers...and workout matJ 

Dinner- Green Cherry Cake Batter Smoothie 

So this MAJORLY hit the spot after the workout, especially sine it's one of my very favorite, favorite smoothies.

And made even happier served up in my NYC glass... 

...because HOW FABULOUS was the SNL 40 show on Sunday night??  I laughed till my face hurt...except during the tribute to my Sweet NYC, which prompted me to burst into tearsJ  Paris & San Francisco may have stolen pieces of my heart, but NYC will always be MA SOUL <3 p="">

Workout #2:  Beginner's Power Yoga

Which felt like one huge stretch after the 3-mile walk...so great!

Snack- Small bowl of Cheerios (not pictured)

Because hunger + nausea do not go well together.  That is all.

Alrighty...well, off to start this snowy day.  I'm torn between two cozy dinner options (one a soup, the other a pasta dish...what sounds better to you??) so we'll see what wins out.  Hope you have a good one and STAY SAFE if you're in the area.  

OK....so I lied...

But first:  HI!  How are you guys??  Long time, no chat!

And even though my given reasons for my blogger break were partially true, the real reason for the hiatus was:

Yet another round of ALL DAY/ALL NIGHT MORNING SICKNESS!

Yep, we're getting set for round #2 of baby around here and couldn't be more excited.  And terrified...but mostly excitedJ  And while yoga school & a more and more independent Katie were certainly a good excuse for a bit of a break, the real reason was that I could barely even LOOK or THINK about this blog for months.  I thought I'd get a bit of a break since morning sickness with Katie had been so bad, but that CERTAINLY was NOT the caseJ  It cropped up on Halloween night and rendered me to bed for nearly the entire months of November & December. (and that was ALL in thanks to Scott & my Mom who went above & beyond and took care of EVERYTHING for me those couple months.)  I DID recover enough to enjoy Christmas & New Years, but still felt lousy enough not to feel like delving in a daily food discussion for a bit longer.  I FINALLY feel like I've turned a corner (although it STILL comes and goes some days), but I think I might be feeling well enough to get back to it.  I've also gotten back to my exercise routines slow & steady after a two-month COMPLETE hiatus.  Some time around mid-December I toyed with the idea of doing a plank just to test my strength level, buttttttttt the thought of trying one ALONE made me nearly cry (as did even thinking about the word "quinoa"...shudder), so yeah-it's been a slow & steady build of strength over the past month & a half, but have been SOVERYHAPPY to get back to Power Yoga & dance, even if they're at about an 80-85% on a good day.

Soooooooo...I said all of that to say I think I'm gonna have a lot to share with you guys over the next few days and going into Valentines weekend!  We have our typical Valentines "road trip" meal planned (since...ummmm...the second week in JanuaryJ), but I'm still tossing around ideas for my home meal.  I'm thinking this year it might be something that is just AGREEABLE with my stomach (esp. since RICH foods are still the ULTIMATE nemesis)J hahahahahhahaha

SO, hope you guys are doing well and hopefully I'll be back to share some incredible eats I've had lately with you guys tomorrow!

Have a good Wednesday

And while I have you here, here are a few Valentines appropriate recipes you might enjoy making over the next few days:

RED Pasta
Heart Pizza
Sorta-Red Velvet Baked Donuts
Red Velvet Crepe Cake
Brownie Mix Truffles
Chocolate Cream-Filled Hearts
Valentines Pup Pancakes (for your furry Valentine)

With thoughts elsewhere...

Morning everyone.  I have to start this blog post by sending out my thoughts & prayers to the city of Boston and all of those affected in yesterdays events.  These news stories are becoming far too common & need to end NOW.  I pray for peace to those families & throughout this world.

Boston 2010

And even though it seems silly at the moment, here is my Monday recap:

9:00am:  Coffee with creamer

10:30am:  Breakfast- Almond Joy Oatmeal 

• 1 cup almond milk
• 1/4 cup oats
• 1 banana
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 2 teaspoons mini chocolate chips
• 1 tablespoon slivered almonds

1:00pm:  Lunch- "Spinach Pizza"

Speaking of spinach, I must admit I tried my 'spinach nachos' with spinach rather than arugula last Thursday, and I have to say I didn't enjoy them as much.  The spinach got flimsy, meanwhile the arugula was more sturdy & stood up better to the microwaving.  Just an FYI.  Spinach, however, is great here where it needs to be sauteed.

3:30pm:  Snack- Fiber 1 Coconut Almond Protein bar

5:30pm:  Dinner- Spring Salad with Walnut crusted goat cheese

One of my VERY favorite salads.  This one just FELT GOOD to eat.

• Salad mix
• Halved green grapes
• Craisins
• Goat cheese slices coated in toasted walnuts

Accented by this VERY FRESH dressing... 

• 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon honey
• salt
• 5-6 diced basil leaves
• 2 diced scallions

Sooooooooooo good!  Light, healthy & fresh with a tangy crunch from the walnut goat cheese & the FRESH dressing with that beautiful basil.  I can't say it enough:  SOOOOOOOOOO VERY GOOD!

6:30-7:50pm:  Beginners Power Yoga

Tonight's class was a little tougher than usual...and I'm not sure if it was because we did a few more power moves than usual on Monday OR that by noon yesterday, I thought I was getting the flu as my whole body began to ACHE from head to toe.  Only to remember my return to boxing class the day before.  Even now, my shoulders still feel super tense.  I guess SOMETHIN workedJ

Have a good Tuesday.

Guilty conscious...

Happy Valentines Day, ya'll!  Why not start off the day with a little VINTAGE love?? (my FAVS!)

OK, OK...before I get too ahead of myselfJ One little happy 'milestone' thing to share with you guys today:  I've officially lost 10 pounds since January 1st!  Wohooooooo...I was happy.  Now to tackle the next 7 pounds to reach my 'Mini goal #1'J

Wednesday Recap:

8:30am:  Coffee with creamer

9:30am:  Breakfast- Strawberries, Trail Mix & Ricotta

This is pretty Valentines day appropriate, if I do say so myself!  Red berries & CHOCOLATE (mixed up with 2 tablespoons almonds & cashew trail mix, 1/4 cup part skim ricotta and a drizzle of honey).  I really did NOT think this was going to hold me over for too long, but I guess the protein from the nuts prevailed and I made it to the gym full & light! 

10:30-11:30:  Power Yoga

Which apparently wore SOMEONE out...

12:30pm:  Lunch- Cucumber & Feta salad 

And picked this for lunch because I had a cucumber to use up...and the feta.  Oh yes, the feta.  But this was realllllllllllllllly good.  As in:  I may have to stock up on cucumbers.

• 3/4 cucumber
• 1/4 sliced onion
• Handful of toasted walnuts
• Greek seasoning (oregano, garlic, onion powder)
• salt
• Olive oil & a drizzle of apple cider vinegar
• FETA!!!!

Cool, crisp, tangy and CHEESY, this just hit the spot. 

OK, OK...but not SUPER FILLING.  It wasn't long before:

2:30pm:  Snack- Carnation Instant Breakfast with Almond Milk 

Not a bad excuse to have chocolate malt for a snackJ  This officially made me feel full for the rest of the afternoon.

5:30pm:  Dinner-  Meatless Mexican Stuffed Peppers & Grilled Avocado

So after I realized that Ash Wednesday follows Crepe Cake Mardi Gras, my inner Catholic guilt kicked in and my plan for shredded chicken stuffed peppers quickly went by the wayside.  After bouncing around a few ideas for fillings, I decided on a new item I had picked up from Trader Joe's a few weeks ago. 

Red split lentils were very easy to make.  Just simmer 1 cup lentils with 3 cups water for about 15 minutes or until tender.  Lentils = DONE!

Next, I mixed up a healthy bunch of 'filler'...

• 1/2 diced zucchini
• 1 diced onion
• 1 can black beans, drained & rinsed
• 1 cup torn spinach
• 1 cup roasted corn
• 1 diced red pepper

That was what I had on hand, but you can use any veggies to bulk these up.  Next, I added the cooked lentils, a can of enchilada sauce, a good shake of taco seasoning and stuffed into cored peppers.  Top with salsa and either bake in the oven for an hour or in a slow cooker on high for 4 hours (or low for 6 hours)  

When the peppers were just about done, I got started on our SUPER EASY side dish.   All I did was split an avocado in half & drizzled it with olive oil & salt...

...and popped them on the grill for about 5 minutes!

How easy is that?? 

The peppers had ALL of the flavors of enchiladas without any meat AND hardly ANY oil or fat.  (I mean, I DID top them with a diced light cheese stick...but ya need a little something, right??) 

And the avocado (oh, the avocado) was like melty guacamole.  I topped it with a little salsa, but it wasn't even necessary.  It was just melty & creamy loveliness with just a KISS of char.  DELISH! 

I'll be honest, I was excited to make this dinner but wasn't necessarily sure it was going to be GOOD, but I was definitely pleasantly surprised.  It was an all around hit! 

Even Katie enjoyed her little munches (made easy since everything was already chopped up)

 So I'm THISEXCITED to get started on my Valentine's Dinner tonight.  Much like our 'memory' trips to Paris, Vermont & the New York Food and Wine Festival previous V-days, tonight's dinner will also have a 'travel memory' theme.  It was a GREAT dish when we originally had it...and not one I have a solid recipe for, soooooooooo...FINGERS CROSSED.

But there will be cake.  And then everything will be fine.

Enjoy your day, everyone!