Happy Tuesday everyone! Over the last few days, I’ve really been getting into Eat, Pray, Love. Unfortunately, because I read before bed/in bed, I can only get through 5-6 pages at the most each night. But, I’ve finally made it through the “Eat” part. Of course, after reading this section, I now want to move to Italy and eat pasta and gelato all day long.

Inspired by the book, tonight I attempted to make an authentic Italian pasta dish. What that translates into is Jennifer going to Fresh Market and spending $17 on two blocks of fresh cheese in hopes that they will make her dish more “Italian”. Ok, I have never spent $17 on two (very small) blocks of cheese in my life! I can already tell that eating my way through Eat, Pray, Love (ie. eating the food from the countries mentioned in the book) will not be cheap. But then again, Indian food is basically rice and curry, so how expensive could that be?

Anyway, in the book, Liz talks about eating the traditional Italian pasta with cheese and pepper. The way she described it in the book sounded so simple but absolutely amazing! So, I combined pasta with a little olive oil and mixed in pecorino, parmesan, and asiago cheeses, along with roma tomatoes, peas, and tons of pepper. Oh yeah, and bacon. Sorry Italians, I did not have prosciutto in the house, so bacon it was. But we all know bacon makes everything taste better. It was probably not as close to traditional Italian pasta as I would have liked. It was more like a pomodoro sauce, light on the sauce and heavy on the tomatoes- but it tasted awesome!

Aside from wanting to eat pasta and gelato at every meal, I also want to go to Italy now more than ever. Actually, this is not really a good time to go considering every Eat, Pray, Love groupie will be traveling there in the next two years, similar to what happened with Under the Tuscan Sun. I wonder if India and Bali will see an influx of American visitors this year as well??

OK, must start my book travels to India. I am considering lighting a candle and reading it while sitting on a yoga mat. Is that too much?

Speaking of yoga….only one more day to enter my Yoga Giveaway! By leaving a comment on Sunday’s yoga post, you could win your very own copy of 27 Things to Know About Yoga. And quite honestly, who wouldn’t want to know that?

Have a great night everyone!

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Bonjour everyone and Happy Bastille Day! If you’re not sure what Bastille Day is, it’s the French Independence Day. Celebrating Bastille Day in the US is easy – just do something French! At the very least, you could order a French café and listen to French music on Pandora

Last night after work, I met my sister-in-law and mother-in-law for dinner at a fabulous local winery – Cooper’s Hawk. Although located in the Midwest Cooper’s Hawk makes all of their wines and has designed their restaurant and tasting room to have the same look and feel of a traditional winery – dark colors, wood floors, and walls of wine…

They have sooo many wines to choose from but I went with my standard – a fruity chardonnay which was just lovely – very cool and crisp, which was perfect because I was sitting directly in the sun! For dinner, I had the penne in a lemon cream sauce with asparagus and chicken – plus I added a little spinach for more veggies…

‘Twas delicious! But with such a huge portion, there was no way I could finish it all! When dessert came around, I contemplated skipping it because I was fairly full. But I had checked out the menu ahead of time and noticed they had Banoffee pie on the menu – I’ve never had it and it sounded SO good! It is seriously the first time I have EVER seen it on a menu – anywhere! We decided on the pie and a peanut butter ice cream cookie. The pie, which is a mix of toffee and banana, was amazing! It really gives my current favorite pie – banana cream – a run for it’s money.

Overall, we spent 3 1/2 hours eating and chatting. Some would even say we closed down the restaurant, which is probably easier to do on a Tuesday night. What a perfect way to spend a summer evening. Can’t wait for the next girls night out!

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Last night, Scott and I had the “night off” from parenting. We took advantage of our time alone and headed to a local French bistro. Although I love going out for French food, I don’t usually stray too much from what I normally eat – salad, chicken, fruit, etc. Of course, we started with drinks – mine being an awesome French sangria made with a splash of Grand Marnier – that’s what makes it French. The GM made all the difference in the world with this drink – fabulous! Who knew French restaurants offered Sangria? Notice the plate that Scott strategically placed behind my glass.

When you’re drinking, it’s good to soak up some of the alcohol with food – I think that’s what French bread was made for and this was some of the best I’ve had! I am sooo glad that they did not put a big basket of this bread on the table – it was delivered in individual pieces by a “bread server” – I seriously would have eaten the whole basket, complete with the olive and red pepper tapenade that it came with.

I was going to pass on the appetizer but then I saw this cute little cone-shaped holder on someone’s table – ahh French Fries! Yes, I did get them, but only because they were served in the traditional French metal holder with a piece of “newsprint” to soak up the oil.

I was not in the adventurous mood (no cow tongue or snails for me!) so I opted for an eggplant and goat cheese crepe. Not gonna lie to you, it was just ok – rather uninteresting and blah by crepe standards. I decided not to waste the calories and only ate about 1/2 of it. Last but not least, Scott and I shared his dessert fave, chocolate mousse. The mousse was divine and I kept my tastes to just two bites – that’s really all you need with super rich mousse.

The best thing about this dinner was that I did not have to eat it with a 2-year old sitting on my lap. I’m all about sharing the love but not when I’m eating!

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I try not to eat a whole lot of bread, but when I do I want it to be good. This morning, I smeared some Bonne Maman raspberry preserves and all-natural peanut butter on a fresh French baguette. Hmmm…so good! I really think I should move to France just so I can have fresh French bread everyday and have it be normal. I also had a couple strawberries just ‘cuz they’re so good for you.

I am really looking forward to warmer weather when I can enjoy these types of breakfast out on my huge front porch. Spring/Summer can not come soon enough.

It was status quo at work today. Even lunch was a meager 1 1/2 cups of chicken soup and a couple Dr. Kracker flatbreads. But late in the afternoon, I enjoyed some purple yogurt!

If you have not tried Dannon’s Greek yogurt yet, I highly recommend the blueberry flavor -it’s fantastic! I think I may even like this better than Trader Joe’s vanilla Greek yogurt – I can’t believe it either!

Dinner was some very spicy chicken stir-fry a la my husband who can’t tell things are too spicy when he’s congested.

Oooh, so spicy!

After dinner, I headed out to the mall for another fruitless, 2-hour shopping trip. I think the retail gods are laughing right about now at how much time I’ve spent searching for new clothes.

I’m going to make one more attempt at shopping this week, before Fitbloggin. If I can’t find anything, just remember I tried!

See ya all tomorrow

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I layered the parfait with the following awesome ingredients…

• 5.3 ounces of Trader Joe’s nonfat Greek yogurt, vanilla
• 1/4 cup Galaxy Vanilla Almond Granola
• 1/8 cup blueberries
• 1 huge strawberry, chopped

My own Greek Yogurt “Sundae”. This was, by far, the best breakfast I’ve had in a long time.

And, if you can believe it, the whole parfait added up to less than 300 calories – now that’s a great breakfast!

Scott and I took the kids to church at 11 AM then headed to Jason’s Deli for lunch. It really wasn’t too exciting, but I did snag a couple of Dr. Kracker flatbreads for a snack at work tomorrow – he he!

After lunch, I headed back out shopping. I am trying to find something fun to wear for Fitbloggin. There’s been a little chatter about going out dancing, which sounds really fun. Unfortunately, my dancing days post-kids are few and far between and my fun, party girl close have taken a hit because of this. I shopped for more than 2 hours at Gap, Banana Republic, Ann Taylor, etc. and only found one thing that I remotely liked.

Is it just me or is anyone else having a hard time finding cute clothes for Fitbloggin and Spring in general??

For dinner ….it was taco night at the RWC house tonight.

Scott makes fantastic turkey tacos – really juicy and just the right amount of spice. He makes it all from memory too. As you can see, I had my fair share of the taco fiesta…

After letting my stomach settle, I hopped on the treadmill again for a fast 2-mile run. I had to shorten my morning workout a bit due to church so I wanted to make up for the lost time tonight. I used to do double workouts/runs quite often – mostly in the few months post-pregnancy. I love how strong the fast bursts of exercise make me feel. However, I stopped doing them so often because running in the evening tends to make it difficult for me to fall asleep.

Anyway, post evening run, I enjoyed a little sweet treat…

Double chocolate Ghirardelli brownies. I cooked them a tad too long, but they were still ooey and gooey!

Time to plan my wardrobe for the week and for Fitbloggin! Have a great night!

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This morning was an “off” day for running. I was really contemplating a late-afternoon run but just couldn’t get home in time. Breakfast was a cup of Kashi Go Lean Crunch with flax and about 1/4 cup blueberries…

I just love the way blueberries look in cereal – they add so much color, not to mention they have a ton of antioxidants which are great for your skin.

Work went by rather slow and when that happens, I tend to eat more – ugh! Lunch was leftover risotto and a small piece of chicken from the other night – nothing special, but satisfying. Then all hell broke loose as I proceeded to eat a clementine, pretzels, and a few pieces of chocolate!

Dinner was nearly ready when I arrived home – which, I have to admit, is sooo nice!

Scott grilled some Italian sausage which he paired with sauteed peppers and steamed carrots – oh, and low-fat Cape Cod chips too

Gotta go, time for the season finale of Psych!

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Luckily, I anticipated a very long day and started out on the right foot. I jumped out of bed just before 6 AM for a 4.5 mile interval run on the treadmill. Then, it was an energizing breakfast  - 3/4 cup Kashi Go Lean Crunch with flax..

I know flax is supposed to be good for you, but does anyone else think it leaves a weird aftertaste in your mouth?

On the way to work, I wanted to treat myself to a new Starbucks drink – the cherry mocha. Has anyone tried this yet?? Because I was running late for work, per usual, I was hoping to zip in and zip out of the ‘buck. However, as fate would have it, there was a sign on the counter that said they would only be making brewed coffee and tea drinks today due to equipment problems. Foiled again, Batman!

Work ended up being a pretty normal day – like I never left. I don’t know if that’s a good sign or a bad one???

For dinner, Scott made another one of his specialities – chicken fajitas!!!

This is usually his go-to summer dish, but for some reason he was craving fajitas – maybe it has to do with March Madness . Scott makes his fajitas with all the fixins, like bell peppers, mushrooms, onions, lettuce, and guacamole. I made a fajita salad in order to avoid unnecessary calories from the tortilla.

Now, it’s off to bed for me. But wait!  Stay tuned tomorrow for a peak at my new 1154 Lill bag. It was delivered to my door the day we arrived home from vacation – how’s that for timing?

Have a great night!

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It’s not that I’m unpatriotic. It’s just that I do not really watch television and, quite honestly, I’m not really into the Olympics. However, I am intrigued by Apolo Ohno – how does he skate so fast? – as well as Shaun White – I’m actually disappointed I missed his gold medal jump/performance. I know I should be watching them, if not for the athletes, but for the amazing coverage of Vancouver. I’m headed there in November for a meeting and can’t wait!

Is there anyone else out there who does not really watch the Olympics?

Anyway, we’ve had a very busy day and night – between work, going to yet another Kindergarten round-up, and then cleaning the house. Dinner needed to be simple for me just for the sake of time…

An easy peasey salami and cheese sandwich on Brownberry Whole Grain bread, with a side of low-fat Cape Cod chips and some of these crunchies..

Yellow bell peppers – so sweet and good, even when they are eaten plain.

Now I must go clean on my bed so that I can actually get a good night’s sleep tonight. See you all tomorrow.

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I had a great early morning run today – started before 6 AM which I haven’t done for a while. After 4.5 sweaty miles running from 7.0 to 7.6 on a 10% incline, I was sooo ready for breakfast. I couldn’t wait to try my new Oikos nonfat Greek vanilla yogurt…

Hmm…not so good. I really wanted to like this yogurt because it’s a little more accessible than going to Trader Joe’s and it’s a little cheaper too. But there was just something about it I did NOT like. It almost tasted too sour – like it was on the verge of becoming bad, although the expiration date wasn’t until mid-March. I tried adding some peanut butter to it and that didn’t help, which totally goes against my peanut butter reality (that peanut butter makes everything taste better).

I only took a few bites and then gave the rest to Miss M, who didn’t like it either. And that is saying a lot considering this is a girl who loves Trader Joe’s vanilla Greek yogurt. Oh well, I only bought two – I’m hoping the strawberry flavor is better. To compensate for my blah breakfast, I had 1/2  Luna bar on the way to work. Luna – so dependable! Then it was on to Starbucks for a skinny vanilla latte – I needed it after only getting about 6 hours of sleep!

Work ended up going by really fast today, which is always nice Lunch was an unpictured can of soup and a banana, and then another Luna bar for a snack.

Dinner was one of my favorites tonight – homemade pasta sauce made with ground turkey…

Plus some homemade garlic bread on the side. Scott made it and it was sooo good – doesn’t this look like Texas toast??? But it wasn’t, it was the leftover three-cheese bread from La Brea.

I had about 1 1/2 cups of pasta plus 3/4 cup sauce. I really wanted MORE, but I refrained knowing that there is a brownie in the house with my name on it.

So let’s see how I did…

Jen’s Calories for Monday, February 22:

• Few bites of yogurt = 50 calories
• 1/2 Luna bar = 90 calories
• Skinny vanilla latte – 90 calories
• Banana – 90 calories
• 1 can of chicken soup = 150 calories
• 1 Luna Bar – 180 calories
• 2 small pieces of garlic bread = 200 calories
• 1 1/2 cups cooked pasta (measured) = 300 calories
• 3/4 cup pasta sauce (measured) – 200 calories
• 1 cup steamed broccoli = 50 calories
• 1 brownie = 200 calories
• Total calories = 1,600

Not too bad as far as calories, but the majority of my calories were consumed after 5 PM (950 calories), when I am at my least active. Not so good for my metabolism. 

Gotta read a few articles before heading to bed. See you all tomorrow!

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We all have our food/snack vices. Many of these are outright or blatant vices – things we know we can’t resist when they are offered to us or when they are lurking inside your pantry. Yet other times, these vices sneak up on us when we least expect them too. That is what happened to me tonight.

There is a bread at our local grocery store – La Brea Three Cheese Bread – that is so incredibly good. I can eat it with just about anything – sandwiches, soups, pasta, etc. Not only does it have a mix of cheeses baked on top, but it has cheese baked in the bread as well. We don’t buy it very often because it’s near $5 a loaf. But when we do, it’s like Christmas in a little brown bag.

And now, the rest of the story. While doing a little grocery shopping this evening, I noticed a fresh loaf of three cheese bread sitting on the display. I wasn’t particularly craving bread nor did I really want to spend the money on the loaf, but when I felt it, it was so fresh the bag was hot! I thought it was fate and put it in the basket. It turns out, the bread was just my sneaky vice covertly working its way into my home and then onto my plate.

When I arrived home to Scott’s homemade chicken soup, I temporarily bypassed the soup and dug right into the bag of bread – just for a taste, right? I went on to have about 3 slices of bread – and that was before the chicken soup…

I knew after the 4th slice of bread that I had made a mistake. My overindulgence in cheesy carbs got the best of me, so I barely ate any of the soup – maybe 1 cup total. Hmm..not the best dinner calorie-wise, but it was oh so tasty!

However next time, I’m going to bypass the fresh bread aisle and head straight for the broccoli. 

Time for carb overload triage.

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