WIAW: Pumpkin Protein Pancake

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Hey there, bloggy readers!  Is everyone else enjoying Fall as much as I am?  It is just lovely here.  I even got to bust out my jean jacket this week, so I am a happy camper.

I also have been working on the "falling into good habits" theme as suggested by Peas & Crayons blog (this is where What I Ate Wednesday originated)...and am obviously documenting it for you all right here.

So, anyways, here's some food stuff.

Breakfast 1: Toast

My pre-boot camp food was a half a piece of wheat toast with some super shiny fig jelly on it.  Probably my favorite pre-workout snack with some sugar and carbs to get me energized.

Breakfast 2: Pumpkin Protein Pancake

After my workout, I needed some protein.  And today it came in a pancake form.  I made this using a recipe from Dashing Dish (click on the name to see recipe) & it turned out good.  I made two pancakes and threw the other one in the fridge for another day.  So, I topped my pancake with half a banana, a drizzle of syrup, then a forkful of caramel almond butter.  Coffee on the side (don't worry, I added creamer and sweetener after this picture).

A.M. Snack: Carrots & Hummus

My morning snack was some carrot sticks and red pepper hummus.  I'm trying to get all my fruit & veggie servings in, so I was pretty stoked about this snack (2 servings down-including breakfast).

Lunch: Chicken Taco Soup

For lunch, I had another veggie serving in my Chicken Taco Soup that I made the night before.  This is actually like my most viewed recipe on the blog.  It is pretty darn tasty, if I do say so myself ;)

Then for dessert, a ginormous iced coffee with soy milk consumed while enjoying the beautiful weather.

P.M. Snack: Kind Bar

This bar that I had for snack was tasty, but kind of hard on my teeth.  It's possible it could have been old?  I'm not sure, but I love the coconut flavor, though.

Dinner: Impromptu Mexican Food

My dinner plans for fish and pasta were trumped by dinner with my family.  My mom, brother and I shared some beef fajitas.  Possibly another veggie serving (that's a pretty big hunk of green pepper)?

Yum!

 The main reason for our visit is that Tuesday is dollar beer night.  Can't get any better than that.  And limes are totes a fruit, in case you didn't know (another fruit serving??).

Dolla Dolla Beers, Y'all!

That about wraps things up for my food consumption.

If you want, you should go check out the pizza I made on Endless Simmer's blog this week.  It is a Shrimp Po'boy Pizza & it is worth a look-see.

Sharpie Doodle Mugs

Guys, I used to be a hard core doodler.  I doodled like nobody has ever doodled before (possible exaggeration??).  I would write notes in bright marker, draw dogs and cats on my work clipboard, sketch some Fall leaves on my September calendar.

A shift happened somewhere in my adulthood and now I doodle no more.  Well, rarely, if I do.

I need to get back to that place and get my doodle on-I hear it is good for the brain.  I'm going to lay down some butcher paper on my dining room table and pretend like it is Macaroni Grill.  I will doodle some of these:

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And a little of these just to get me warmed up:

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But before I do all that, I had to break out the Sharpie markers and made some fun mugs.

All you gotta do is.

1. Go to the Target dollar section (or Dollar Tree) & get some mugs.  This pair of 2 stackable mugs was $3.

2. Doodle to your heart's content on the mugs with some Sharpies.

3. Bake in the oven to set the marker (350 degrees for 30 minutes).

4. Handwash only, y'all!

If you are just going to use mugs to hold pens, you can skip the baking step.

I keep trying to think of other doodles I used to do a a kid/young adult.  There was the face of the boy made from the actual word "boy."  Did anyone else do that?  

Feel free to share your doodle ideas with me.  It will only help me in my journey ;)

Have a great week!

Last Taste of Summer Pasta

Well, everyone is talking about pumpkin spice lattes and pumpkin flavored everything.  It seems as though the world was collectively bitten by the "Fall" bug and there is not turning back.

I bet people already have ideas in their minds about what costume they'll wear for Halloween and what sides would be good for Thanksgiving.

To all this malarkey, I say, "Slow down, people.  Let's live in the present."  

Presently, zucchini is still affordable at the grocery store.  We all know how I love me some zucchini.  It screams "Summer!" and is healthy to boot.

So, I created a last taste of summer in the form of pasta, so that I can cling to the hot days by the pool, the fair corn dogs and the pile of flip flops littering my closet floor.

Let's have one last hurrah, shall we?

Last Taste of Summer Pasta

serves like a million (ok, more like 8-10 people--it makes alot!)

1 box wheat pasta 

turkey sausage (or whatever kind of sausage you fancy), cut in quarters

2 medium zucchini, diced

1 large summer squash (or 2 medium), diced

1 cup chopped mushrooms

1 red pepper, diced

2 ears of corn, cooked and cut off the cob

1 cup shredded cheese (I used Gruyere)

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

4 tbsp butter

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

salt & pepper to taste

4 cloves garlic, minced

Boil your pasta to al dente.  Throw 2 tbsp of butter in a large skillet and melt it.  Toss in the diced peppers and cook for about 2 minutes.  Then add garlic and zucchini & squash.  Cook for about 5 minutes and then add the mushrooms and corn.  Toss it all around.  Season to taste.

Preheat the oven to 425 and spray a 9x13 pan with spray oil.

Throw in the pasta and veggies into the pan.  

Heat the other 2 tbsp of butter until bubbly and turning a little brown.  Throw in the sausage and sear for about 3 minutes.  Pour all of this goodness over the pasta/veggie mixture and stir it to combine.  

Top with grated Parmesan and shredded cheese and heat in the oven until melt-y (about 10 minutes).  Top with additional cheese if you are feeling saucy ;)

Have an awesome weekend.  I'll be back Monday with a craft (say what??!!)!

WIAW: Fall Veggie Chili

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Well, howdy folks!  Hope everyone is having a great Wednesday.

Let's talk about some food stuff, okay?

Breakfast, Part 1: Kind Bar

Before 5 a.m. boot camp, I enjoyed a lovely bar.  I saw this new (to me, anyways) Kind bar at Kroger this week and had to get it.  I love the flavor combo of cinnamon, chocolate and pecans.  Definitely a winner.

Breakfast, Part 2: Scone, Fruit Smoothie, Iced Latte

A little later on, I made a fruity protein smoothie (made with frozen mixed berries, a frozen banana, some frozen peach slices, a scoop of protein powder an some almond milk) and ate a leftover cinnamon stuffed scone from a brunch on Sunday.  I used this recipe, but used butterscotch chips in place of chocolate chips.  They were pretty killer.  Here's an up close view.

For my iced latte, I brewed some super strong coffee, added my pumpkin spice syrup, sweetener and almond milk & poured it over ice--yum!

Morning Snack: Carrots & Hummus

This morning's snack was pretty good.  I think red pepper hummus is my favorite flavor.

A short time after, I had a 10 calorie lemonade energy drink while I caught up on some very important work stuff ;)

Lunch: Wrap & Veg

Before eating lunch, I went on a run in the neighborhood around work.  I just had to take advantage of the cooler weather.  You know what I decided is my favorite thing about running?  I love how I think I can't do it...and then I totally do it.  That is a cool feeling.

Anywho, for lunch I made a wrap using a low carb wrap, a little dijon mustard, 1 slice of pastrami, 2 slices of turkey and 2 slices of light provolone.  Then I had a double serving of roasted zucchini on the side.  So filling!

Afternoon Snack: Fruit!

 

I snacked on a bit of this fruit salad that I made for the same brunch I mentioned above.  I brought the rest to work and have been snacking on it here and there.  The mix includes fresh pineapple, strawberries, red grapes and canned mandarin oranges.  I would have thrown blueberries in the mix, but boy has the price gone up on those suckers!

Dinner: Veggie Chili

I finally satisfied my chili craving with some impromptu chili!
Here's how I made it:

Veggie Chili
serves 4-6

1 lb lean ground meat
olive oil to coat pan
1/3 cup tomato paste
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp chili powder
1 can white beans
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 large zucchini, chopped
1 cup chopped mushrooms
1/2 small onion, diced
1/2 green pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt & pepper

Brown the meat in a little oil (I also add a little water when it starts to stick), season with a bit of seasoning.  Remove from pot.  Add chopped onion and green pepper and sautee for about 5 minutes.  Add minced garlic and carrots and cook for another 5 minutes.  Add some liquid from the meat if it starts to stick.  Throw in the rest of the seasoning.  Add zucchini and cook for about 2 minutes before adding mushrooms.  Cook for an additional 2 minutes and then dump the meat back in there.  Add the can of beans and tomato paste.  Fill up the can from the beans with water & put that in there, too.

That's about it.  Adjust seasoning to taste.
I served mine with a piece of bread I toasted in an oiled pan.  That black junk is fresh garlic and oregano.

While I cooked, Baby the Cat sat on the Target bags I had just unpacked.  What can I say?  That girl loves her some Target!

And Boscoe lounged on his favorite chair!  (That's not a grumpy face at all..)

You're welcome, for giving you an update on my cats' evening, also ;)

Ok, have a good week, all!

Be sure to check out my indulgent treat on a stick over at Endless Simmer!

What I'm Pinning

Hey, y'all.  It's Friday!!  Time for a happy dance!

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Carlton makes me happy, and so does Friday!

So, I thought I'd be a lazy blogger and show you some of my latest pins from Pinterest.  If you don't know what Pinterest is, I explain my love for it here.

Here are some lovely things that have caught my eye over the last few weeks.  The sources can all be found on my Pinterest page.  Go on over there and follow me!

Strawberry Shortcake Made with a Glazed Doughnut

I don't even think there are words for this.  Except yum.  And brilliant.  Ok, there are words.  Doesn't this look scrumptious?  I'm gonna have to make this on a caloric splurge day (We all have those, right?).

Goodwill Table Makeover

I've been staring at this on and off for about a week.  It's so pretty!  I really love mosaic looking stuff, but this takes it to a new, colorful level.  I heart re-doing old furniture, too!

Eye Makeup Tutorials

For some reason, it took me 30 years of life to become interested in eye makeup.  Totally about to try this little wing tip/cat eye look.

Fall Crafts!!

I'm officially excited for Fall!  I can't wait to try some pretty leaf prints.  This person hammered the leaf onto paper to get this effect.  Cool, huh?

Treadmill Workout

The Fitnessista is so awesomely creative with her workouts.  Who knew you could use the treadmill for more than just walking and running?  Definitely going to incorporate this into my workout on rainy days when I can't workout outside.

Chili Bar

I have had chili on my brain lately.  And, yes, today it is going to be 99 degrees with a heat advisory.  But as soon as that temp dips down to below 80, it is on.  This chili bar would be perfect for a football watching party, too.

Ombre Hair

I dig the ombre, dip dyed look here.  So much so, that my sweet little cousin (who is an amazing beautification expert-ad on the sidebar) did it on my hair!

I love it, despite my expression in the picture ;)

Friends

I use this quote everytime there is a moot point.  It's one of my favorite Joey quotes!

K, guys.  Hope you have a lovely weekend.  Be sure to look over at Endless Simmer over the next few days for this treat on a stick that I made:

WIAW: Eggplant "Meat"ball Sandwich

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Well, hello there.

It's time to look at all the foods I ate today (Really, it was yesterday.  I can't lie to you.).

I hope everyone had a lovely Labor Day weekend.  I did.  I can say with all certainty that I avoided all forms of labor & had a relaxing long weekend.

On to the good stuff!

B-Fast, Take 1: Fiber One Bar

I think I need to start taking more pictures in the laundry room at 5 a.m., because this was super bright and clear (unlike last week's blurry pic).  Anywho..I had this new (?) Fiber One bar as I headed out the door to boot camp this morning.  It was just okay, not the most fantastic bar out there.

B-fast, Numero Dos: PB English Muffin, Fruit Smoothie

Some time later, I enjoyed my full-on breakfast of a whole grain English muffin smeared with natural peanut butter and a protein/fruit smoothie (containing a frozen banana, frozen berry mix, almond milk and vanilla protein powder).  I also had some gas station coffee (blech) because I ran out of my favorite Target coffee (blergh).

 A.M. Snack: Cereal & Cheese

This snack was a little random, but delicious nonetheless.  I had a light Sargento cheese stick and some Special K chocolatey delight cereal.

How do you guys eat your cheese sticks?  I prefer the peel with the teeth method.

Probably the best picture of me.  Ever.  It looks like I'm nervously watching a horror movie or something.

My nephew bites into the cheese stick and does not peel it.  I'm pretty sure I'm doing it the right way.

 Lunch: Soup & Pretzel Crisps

I had some grotesque looking Amy's low fat split pea soup for lunch, because it's totally normal to eat hot soup when it is 90 degrees outside.  I also munched on a few pretzel crisps on the side.

After eating, I headed out to get my favorite Target coffee, and stumbled upon my inanimate soul mate.

Sugar free, zero calorie pumpkin spice coffee syrup.  Heck yes.  I see many delicious lattes and iced coffees in my near future.  Did you know I'm a little psychic?

When there's a Target trip, it usually is coupled with a Starbucks trip.  I got an unsweetened black tea with 1/4 cup lemonade and 3 Splendas.  Perfection.

I enjoyed my beverage with one of those sort of brownie like Kashi bars while I did very important tasks (ok, not really).

Dinner was sort of late-ish tonight, because I had to wait for my dad to fix my dishwasher.  So I hung around and ate a piece of toast while I waited.  I did not take a picture though.  Oops!

Dinner: Egglplant "Meat"ball Sandwich & Sweet Potato Fries

 These "meat" balls were made of no meat at all.  They were mostly eggplant.  I actually do not like eggplant.  The texture is weird.  So grinding it up and adding breadcrumbs and cheese seemed like a good way to get to like it.  Hooray for eggplant!

Eggplant "Meat"ball Sandwich
serves 4

2 medium eggplants
salt
olive oil spray
1/4 tsp garlic salt
1 egg
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
lite rolls or buns
lite provolone cheese
veggie tomato sauce (I used Prego)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and slice your eggplant (about 1/4" thickness).  Spray the slices with oil and sprinkle with salt.  Roast in the oven for about 20-25 minutes.
Dump the roasted eggplant into a food processor with garlic salt, egg, breadcrumbs and cheese & grind it all up.  Use a cookie scoop to scoop meatballs out onto sprayed pan (or in a casserole dish).  Bake at 425 for about 20 minutes.  Top with veggie sauce while still hot.

Toast your bun on an oiled griddle and top with 3 meatballs and a slice of cheese.  Yum yum!

It actually tasted alot like meat.  For realz.

Have a great week!!!

Worth a look-see:

• Benefits of Breakfast
• A funny look at gender stereotypes
• My healthy Lobster Mac & Cheese recipe on Endless Simmer
• Daily Grace's hilarious morning routine video