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Frugal Novice

Recipe Round-Up

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I got the opportunity to shoot a short cooking segment for our local news that will air today, so I decided it’s only appropriate for me to put up a food-related post to commemorate the occasion. :)

I chose something really simple and family-friendly to share for the segment – I think it’s especially appropriate since school is starting and easy breakfast options will become even more valuable! We call them breakfast cupcakes, and the boys really like them. We actually had them for dinner last night and J said, “Are these dinner or dessert?” Here’s the recipe if you’d like to try making them too.

Breakfast “Cupcakes”

Ingredients:

  • 12 biscuit dough rounds
  • 6 eggs, scrambled & slightly runny
  • Bacon or sausage, cooked and crumbled
  • Cheddar cheese
  • Optional: Parsley & Salsa

Directions:

  1. Press each biscuit dough round into a cup of a muffin tin, spreading the dough up around the sides of each cup.
  2. Place 1 tablespoon of bacon or sausage into each biscuit (you could substitute with other proteins, or even use bell peppers, etc.)
  3. Top each biscuit with scrambled eggs, filling until the top is level.
  4. Bake according to directions on the biscuit dough container; 5 minutes prior to removing the muffin tin from the oven, sprinkle cheddar cheese over the top of each one.
  5. Optional: Put parsley “sprinkles” or salsa “icing” on top according to people’s preferences.

And in the spirit of all things food, here are links to a few of my favorite recipes I’ve shared. I hope you’ll give one or  two a try and let me know what you think!

Have a great day – and eat well!

It’s Video Time Again!

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It’s been another week – I can hardly believe it! My second week on Freshology has absolutely flown by, and I’m still loving it! I have to admit that I had a little nervousness about making a two-month commitment. I mean, I didn’t know how difficult it might be to stick to it! Little did I know, this is the easiest diet I’ve ever tried.

Before I get to my video, let’s take a look at my food for today. Be sure and check out the video too so you can find out how much I’ve lost this week!

Breakfast: Cinnamon Raisin Oatmeal with Fresh Berries & Canadian Bacon (220 calories)

 

I actually liked this oatmeal a LOT! I haven’t had it in a long time, and let’s be honest, oatmeal isn’t very appealing to look at… so I was hesitant to try it. I was pleasantly surprised to find that this was full of flavor and a great texture. It seriously made me want to add oatmeal to my breakfast routine once I’m done with Freshology.

Lunch: Mediterranean Grilled Chicken Salad with Feta Cheese (310 calories)

This was my favorite salad I’ve had so far. The vinaigrette dressing was just tangy enough to balance the saltiness of the feta, and the marinade on the chicken was very slightly sweet. So good, and actually filling too!

Dinner: Roasted Turkey Breast with Sauteed Spinach, Roasted Mushrooms, Sweet Potatoes & Citrus Aioli (465 calories)

After a breakfast and lunch I loved this was kind of average to me. The turkey was good and well-flavored, and the sweet potatoes were really good. I don’t like mushrooms or tomatoes that much, so I just picked at those, and I discussed my ambiguity toward cooked greens in last night’s post.

Dessert: Marshmallow Cloud (160 calories)

I thought this photo might give you a better idea of the size of this dessert. I was SOOO happy to have this one again. It is delicious and I’d have it every day if I could!

Now let’s take a look at my weekly video:

And here are a few of those tips I promised to share with you from the Freshology Newsletter.

  • Be attentive to your breathing. Mindful breathing slows down the heart rate, reducing stress, and allows us to take more oxygen to the brain, raising the capacity to think more clearly.
  • Be honest about your eating. If you’re in denial about your habits, you can’t change them.
  • Try new, flavorful recipes so you still get variety in your diet while keeping it healthy. Check out this recipe for roasted squash wheels stuffed with Goat Cheese. Yum!

Friendly Friday 8/19

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Welcome to Friendly Friday! Friendly Friday begins at 8pm Central Thursday nights each week. We hope you’ll come back and join us again next week – and remember, the earlier you link up, the higher up on the list you are!

Remember, YOU can host the link list on your blog, too! Just get the InLinkz code and copy it directly into your post. The code is different every week, so be sure to get the new code when hosting Friendly Friday on your blog. Hosting the list is a great way to get even more traffic to your blog and make Friendly Friday more beneficial for everyone.

Thanks for joining the Friendly Friday celebration hosted by Christi at Frugal Novice, Xenia at Thanks, Mail Carrier and Charla at Healthy Home Blog! We invite you to join us every Friday to make more friends in blogville, get more blog followers and follow other great blogs out there.

To join in the Friendly Friday celebration, include your family-friendly link in our list, follow the hostesses in the first 3 spots and then start blog hopping! Visit other blogs on the list and comment to give them some blog love. Then take a minute to follow them through Google Friend Connect – this is a good way to keep up with other blogs, but also lets us show support to each other! Please DO NOT list your giveaways here, links must be to either your homepage or your Friday posting with your blog title. All others will be deleted.

When people comment on your blog and let you know they’re a part of Friendly Friday, return the favor and follow them back. This way everyone gets traffic and followers out of participating, and it’s a win-win situation. We would love for you to also grab our Friendly Friday button and post it on your blog and/or in a post – the more bloggers that find out about Friendly Friday and participate, the better!

Spotlight on Friendly Friday Followers! We love your participation and want to show it! In addition to gaining followers, each week we’ll select one blog at random and will feature links and a write-up for that blog in the content of next week’s Friendly Friday post. There are so many seriously wonderful blogs out there, and this will be a great way to highlight one of those each week. Say hello to the lucky chosen blog & blogger for this week (and feel free to stop by and give her a little extra love):

Amy at We’re In For It is a Virginian living outside of DC with her husband Luke and her almost-two son Gage. She’s a teacher for her “day job” and is very passionate about what she does. Her blog began when she was pregnant to keep people updated, and has expanded now to chronicle Gage’s life. If you like seeing photos of an adorable little boy then you’ll love Amy’s blog! She also shares some product reviews and giveaways, like one for a Carmex prize pack right now! Stop by and visit Amy and get to know her family a little better – you’ll feel like you’ve made a new friend!

Now that you know about this wonderful blog, it’s time for you to join in! Add your family-friendly link below and we’ll see you back here every Friday! And don’t forget, you can get the InLinkz codeget the InLinkz code to share Friendly Friday on your blog!

All three hostesses appreciate followers through GFC and Twitter, and we’ll follow you back – be sure to leave a comment with your URL and/or Twitter username. Hope everyone has a great weekend!


Wordy Wednesday: Freshology Edition

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Today I had a few cravings pop up, which was a little unexpected because I’d been doing so well at curbing hunger. I learned another lesson, though – I can now satisfy a craving with a tiny amount of something, which is new for me. Before, if I wanted ice cream, I’d get a big bowl of it. I guess it felt like a way to treat myself. Today after lunch I was craving something sweet. I had a couple of pieces of the boys’ Reese’s peanut butter cereal, and that was enough to give me the taste of sweetness and hold me over until dinner. I was really excited about that, because it again shows me that this is more than just a diet, it’s a lifestyle and mindset change.

Breakfast: Blueberry Pancakes with Turkey Bacon, Fresh Fruit and Blueberry Ricotta Spread (360 calories)

I haven’t had pancakes in a while, so this was a nice treat. I didn’t even use the syrup. I mainly ate the pancake plain because it was pretty flavorful on its own, although I did spread a little of the blueberry ricotta mixture on some bites – it was a nice complement to the pancake! I seriously want to buy Freshology’s turkey bacon forever because it is SO much better than any of the kinds we’ve tried from the store! Theirs is much more similar to regular bacon, whereas the other kinds we’ve tried have been like cardboard or something – crisp, with no chewiness to it at all. Anyway, I rounded out the meal with peaches and kiwi. Good stuff!

Lunch: Chicken Tortilla Soup with Side Caesar Salad (230 calories)

This felt like a lot of food for 230 calories! I loved that they gave me little tortilla strips – they provided a nice texture to the soup and made it feel a little like I was getting soup out at a restaurant. It was slightly spicy and I *think* I could taste some cumin and paprika in it. It was right up my alley, and I’d eat it any day! The Caesar salad was good too, and had cheese shavings with it. I love me some cheese!

Dinner: Apple Sweet Soy Sauce Glazed Pork Loin with Butternut Squash and Sauteed Swiss Chard (370 calories)

I had mixed feelings about this meal. The pork was well flavored and tender – I have never been a big pork fan, but I’m learning to actually like it while on Freshology! The squash was slightly sweet and had a slow heat/spiciness to it. It was really good paired with the pork, and I think I liked it better with bites of the meat than on its own. The flavors of the two together just really worked. I wasn’t a big fan of the swiss chard, but that’s just me not really liking cooked greens as much. The flavor of it was really nice, but the texture threw me off.

Dessert: Chocolate Caramel Cookies (200 calories)

These cookies were SO soft! It almost seemed like cake, which was perfectly fine with me! There wasn’t much caramel in either of my cookies, but the chocolate alone was really satisfying. It had a very slight saltiness to it which offset the sweetness perfectly. Can’t really go wrong with chocolate!

Don’t forget, I’ll be back tomorrow with my second video update!

 

Monday, Monday

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I know, I know – it’s Tuesday. But Monday was so busy that by the time I was able to work on my Freshology post, I was exhausted and crashed in bed. It was a good day, but really busy from start to finish. We took Sally to PetSmart and picked up a few essentials, including a collar that she apparently finds quite itchy. Speaking of Sally, here’s a gratuitous cute puppy pic:

This post will be longer anyway since I’m grouping two days worth of food into it, so let’s get on to talking about meals:

Monday Breakfast: Blueberry Muffin with Canadian Bacon & Fresh Fruit Salad (350 calories)

Great meal! This is seriously going to become my staple breakfast post-Freshology: muffin, Canadian or turkey bacon and fresh fruit. It’s the perfect balance of flavors and it truly left me feeling full all the way until lunch.

Lunch: Roast Beef Wrap with Watermelon Radish and Garlic Aioli (390 calories)

This was pretty good, although (well-done beef orderer that I am) the meat was a little pink for my liking. It was tender and flavorful, though and I ended up really liking it. The tortilla (hidden under the meat in a plastic bag to keep it fresh) was whole wheat and a little dry compared to the flour tortillas I’m used to, but all in all it was a great combination. I’m seriously in love with squeezing a lemon on meals prior to eating them. It brings out such great flavor and really gives everything a fresh feel!

Dinner: Orange Glazed Grilled Turkey with Cranberry Quinoa and Brussel Sprouts (370 calories)

This was my favorite version of the turkey so far, although I didn’t get any orange flavor coming through. It was perfectly cooked! The quinoa was pretty good – the cranberry really made it with bright bursts of flavor, but I’m still getting used to the texture of this grain. I was most surprised by brussel sprouts… I actually kind of like them! I had never had them before, so I was a little uncertain, but these are good!

Dessert: Carrot Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting (150 calories)

GOOD stuff! This reminded me a lot of the Zucchini Bundt Cake with Mascarpone Cream, but I’m not complaining because I really liked that one too! This is a small dessert that feels like a big one, and I thought the cream cheese filling was spot on.

*****

Tuesday Breakfast: Goat Cheese & Oven-Dried Tomato Frittata with Chicken Apple Sausage and Fresh Fruit (350 calories)

I had goat cheese for the first time a couple of months ago and was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked it. The saltiness of it really made this frittata a stand-out to me, and the sweet sausage was a great combination.

Lunch: Pulled BBQ Pork and Pineapple Pizza with a Side Salad (440 calories)

 

I’m so excited to have a new pizza combination that I love! The BBQ pork and pineapple played off of each other perfectly, and the crust was amazingly soft, especially after being microwaved. The salad was a nice finish to the meal, and I totally felt just as satisfied as if I’d had a couple of full-sized slices of pepperoni.

Dinner: Chicken Cacciatore & Roasted Vegetables (300 calories)

The chicken was amazing. I could totally taste the pepper flavors coming through in the marinade and of course as one of the sides of the dish. I even tried cauliflower and liked it! It helps that it was cooked until tender and had tons of flavor, I’m sure.

Dessert: Peach Cobbler (140 calories)

I loved that this had so much breading and felt like a traditional cobbler, but the bread was a little softer than I would have expected. The flavors were great but I wished the bread was a little crisper to provide some crunch. Great meal!

So, there you have it – two days of meals in one. I’ll be back again tomorrow to tell you what I think about Chicken Tortilla Soup (and chocolate caramel cookies – yum)!

Managing Your Website

How many of you out there have your own websites? Do you use a content management system to update content? I’ve heard more and more people are using WordPress, even if their site isn’t a traditional blog format. The CMS can make a huge difference – if it’s not user-friendly, then your capabilities in managing your site are limited!

In regard to publicizing your site, what online marketing tools do you use? Do you have strategies in place for maximizing your exposure? I feel like I’m still learning more and more about how to best get the word out about my blog. It seems like there’s something new I should be doing every day!

There are so many things to think about when managing your own website, from what site search engine you’ll use, to what software you’ll use to track stats. In your opinion, what is the most crucial decision to make?

Note: http://cmp.ly/3

Menu Plan Monday August 15-19

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Menu Plan Monday

Hi everyone! Well, our weekend ended with some excitement – we got a puppy! My friend Stephanie’s Golden Retriever & Labrador had puppies a while back, and of course I kept telling Brian how adorable they were every time she’d send me a photo. We went to check them out today, and Brian even said going in he knew I’d be a lost cause once I saw them. SO true – I fell in love! So, without further ado, meet Sally:

Named, of course, after Sally from Cars (we vetoed Lightning McQueen & Buzz Lightyear as options). Our miniature dachshund, Josie, has kind of adopted Sally and has spent quite a bit of time cleaning her. I’ll have to take some video of them playing together to show y’all!

We also got to spend time with my family this weekend, celebrating family birthdays and hanging out. It was a fun weekend for all of us! My brother is back out here for college, which of course is great because that means we get to see him more!

Breakfast: Flat Iron Steak with Scrambled Eggs & Fresh Fruit (230 calories)

I don’t know that I’ve ever had steak for breakfast before, but this was great! It was another one of those meals that didn’t look like a ton on the plate, but was really filling. The steak was tender and the eggs were cooked just how I like them. The toast was more like a crouton, but was provided crispiness and seemed to round out the meal. And of course, fruit! Can’t go wrong with that.

Lunch: Andouille Chicken Sausage Salad with Mango & Cucumber over Crisp Romaine Lettuce (330 calories)

I know I was supposed to eat the salad with the sausage, but for me keeping the elements separate fit more to my tastes. The sausage was spicy and flavorful, and I enjoyed it (which is saying a lot for someone who doesn’t really like sausage very much!). I wasn’t a huge fan of the salad dressing so I ended up just picking at the salad, but I still felt satisfied and wasn’t hungry throughout the afternoon. I love the concept of this salad, because the sweetness of the mango and the coolness of the cucumber really balance the spiciness of the sausage.

Dinner: Ginger Steamed Tofu with Baby Bok Choy & Forbidden Rice (480 calories)

This one was outside of my food comfort zone, for sure. I’ve never tried tofu before, and I have to admit I have a preconceived perception that it’s, well… gross. I was determined to try it, though. The texture was softer than I expected; a little softer than the white of a hard-boiled egg, if that makes sense. It was really mildly flavored, so not too bad at all. That being said, this is a meal I wouldn’t pick to eat again solely because it doesn’t fit my specific tastes.

Dessert: Oatmeal Raisin Cookies (140 calories)

Great, tender cookies packed with a lot of flavor! They’re smaller – about the size of Oreos – but in having two it felt like a substantial dessert.

I’m excited about the meals I have waiting for me for the next few days (including chicken tortilla soup and – yay -a muffin for breakfast! I’m sure you’re wondering what the guys will be chowing down on this week… let’ take a look:

Monday: Pasta that we didn’t end up having this past week. I’ll sautee some carrots and we have leftover garlic bread to go with it. This meal won’t take long to prepare, which is good because J has gymnastics class.

Tuesday: We’re babysitting our friends’ girls plus C has his first gymnastics class, so we’re doing Chick Fil A for dinner.

Wednesday: Leftover pasta with salad

Thursday: Grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato basil soup, and raw veggies to snack on with it.

Friday: Breakfast for dinner! We’re doing our breakfast in a biscuit, which we’ve affectionately renamed Breakfast Cupcakes.

Don’t forget to check out Weber’s Grilling Recipe of the Week – Peach Shortcakes! I love this because I never think about doing dessert on the grill – and this sounds soooo good!

 

Relief From the Heat

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Saying it’s hot in Texas probably seems like a no-brainer, but this summer has been HOT. Like, triple-digit temps for over a month straight. It’s also been incredibly dry, so when we woke up this morning to find out it had rained we were thrilled! It also meant that the day wasn’t a complete scorcher, so we jumped at the chance to head to the park so J could finally really break in his new bike we got him for his birthday.

I walked beside C, who wasn’t too sure about those weird red pedal things and much preferred to just walk along while sitting on his little bike. That quickly turned into me holding him on one hip and carrying the bike in my other hand. We all had a lot of fun and decided we need to do this on a regular basis. It was around 83 degrees and breezy when we were out there, so it felt amazing! It was a huge blessing to have a break from the heat.

I was glad to get some exercise in, and it made me think of a question I’m going to ask Freshology. If I’m eating a reduced-calorie meal plan each day, and I exercise, do I need to somehow replace those calories with a healthy snack so I’m not ending up with too large of a calorie deficit? I’ll find out the answer and let you know.

Breakfast: Carrot Walnut Muffin with Vanilla Ricotta, Turkey Bacon, Strawberries & Kiwi (380 calories)

I loved this breakfast! The muffin was slightly sweet and the turkey bacon offset that perfectly. Strawberries & kiwis are two of my favorite fruits, so this was a trifecta of greatness for me! I could seriously eat variations of this breakfast every day and not get tired of it.

Lunch: Vietnamese Noodle Bowl with Shiitake Mushrooms, Edamame & Ginger Ponzu (380 calories)

Lunch was totally out of my comfort zone! I have to admit this is a meal that I didn’t eat a lot of, and it’s totally due to my own picky tastes. Brian ate some of what I didn’t eat and loved it. I at the noodles, cucumber, carrots, and a little sprouts and edamame. I wished this dish had assembly instructions. I assumed you were supposed to just mix everything together (although I didn’t, because I knew I wanted to eat only certain parts), but the contents of the bowl to the right also looked like they could potentially be a salad of sorts. There was a sauce, but I wasn’t sure where to use it exactly. A little label with preparation suggestions would be really helpful for more complicated dishes like this. I love that Freshology pushes the envelope and doesn’t just deliver chicken for meal after meal, but this wasn’t my favorite. Brian, however? He gave it two thumbs up.

Dinner: Roasted Turkey with Broccoli, Roasted Yams & Fresh Herb Gravy (340 calories)

Great dinner that felt like Thanksgiving on a plate. I heated this in the oven for a bit and the turkey came out very flavorful and not dry at all. This was a meal that didn’t fill up my plate as much, but it was very filling and so good. I could’ve eaten a whole plate-full of the yams alone! I thought the broccoli was cooked to the perfect level of tenderness. C apparently did too, because he kept snagging pieces of it!

Dessert: Marble Cheesecake (160 calories)

I don’t know if you remember, but I had a non-dairy cheesecake last week that I was less than fond of. When I saw cheesecake on the menu again, I was a little hesitant. I was very happily proven wrong for having worried, because this was great! It had the consistency almost of a cheesecake pudding, if there were such a thing, and was light while still feeling creamy. It was pretty rich and the small portion was perfect. I may have flipped the wrapper inside out when I was done and licked it, though. Maybe. Yup, it was that good! A nice end to a great day.

FindABeautySalon.com

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Whether you’re a spa junkie or are just looking for an occasional mani/pedi, FindABeautySalon.com is there to help you find just what you’re looking for. My favorite service is a massage, although pedicures rank right up there too!

Right now, FindABeautySalon is running a great giveaway:

They are giving away thousands of dollars in gifts and prizes. Beginning August 10th, they will be holding weekly or daily giftcard giveaways! The Grand Prize is a year of treatments to a salon or spa of your choice. The Weekly and Daily winners will receive gift cards to luxury salons or spas in their area, or stores like Nordstrom, Sephora, Victoria’s Secret, and more.

It just takes a few seconds to enter – go here if you’re interested!

A Day Off

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A day off from work, not from Freshology! I got “attitude of the month” at work and earned a free day of vacation, which worked out really well because the boys’ day care was closed yesterday! We had a fun morning – I took the boys to Target to get new backpacks and lunchboxes (they both picked Cars 2 stuff, surprise surprise), and then we headed over to the mall for them to eat lunch at Chick Fil A, to buy shoes for them, and to give them some time to play in the mall play area. 100+ degree weather day after day makes indoor play very appealing. Later my family came over – they’re in town – so all in all it was a busy, fun day.

Breakfast: Granola with Nonfat Vanilla Yogurt, Fresh Blueberries & Grapes (410 calories)

I waited and ate this right before we left for our errands so that I wouldn’t get hungry while we were out and about. The granola was sweeter than the granola I had last time, and it included two types of raisins. The yogurt mixed with the granola was really good and reminded me of the yogurt parfaits I enjoyed pre-Freshology. It’s amazing to me how filling granola is. I ate some of the fruit and put some in a baggie to save for later, because I was actually getting full just from the granola. I kind of wished I had something salty with this breakfast to balance out all the sweetness, but all-in-all it was a good breakfast.

Lunch: Granny Smith Apple & Walnut Salad with Grilled Chicken over Romaine (405 calories)

Loved this salad! The walnuts were glazed and slightly sweet, the apple was tart and crispy, and it also had peppers & cucumber, with lemon juice squeezed over top. The flavors worked really well together and it was a really satisfying, filling lunch!

Dinner: Peppered Flat Iron Steak with Barley, Roasted Tomato and Asparagus (390 calories)

 

Instead of microwaving my whole meal, I heated the meat, tomato and asparagus in a skillet. The beef quickly got a little extra caramelization to it, and it didn’t take long at all to heat everything through. I was split on my opinions of this meal. The barley was new to me – it was pretty good but was a little heartier than I am used to. I liked the asparagus ok, but mainly just the tips. I’m not a big tomato fan, but I did have to admit that it’s seasoned really well (and I gave some to my parents to try – they loved it!). My favorite part, though? The steak. AMAZING. Seriously, it was sooooo good and definitely felt like something I’d get in a restaurant. I’m eating more beef than normal while on Freshology and I’m realizing how much I like it! They do a great job of giving it a ton of flavor and keeping it tender. I think it’s really smart of them to send it slightly pink – if someone likes is medium they’re good to go, and it’s really easy for people like me (I’m a well-done kind of girl) to heat the meat to our liking without drying it out.

Dessert: Zucchini Bundt Cake with Mascarpone Cream (140 calories)

Great dessert. We were celebrating several August birthdays in our family (J, my dad, and my brother) and everyone else had ice cream cake, but with this dessert I didn’t feel at all like I was missing out. The mascarpone cream tasted kind of like a cream cheese filling, and the cakes were soft & light, with a nice subtly sweet flavor to them.

I did well today staying on track, even avoiding  having any of the boys’ ICEE and popcorn at Target. While they ate lunch at Chick Fil A I did order a small sweet tea to sip on. Then anytime I felt a little hungry I just took a sip of tea and felt like I was getting a treat, since all I normally drink is water. I didn’t get a refill, so I just added 90 calories to my day!

First Freshology Video Post!

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Part of the whole Freshology experience for me is posting daily and vlogging (video blogging, of course! It’s the new Brangelina) once a week. Today I’ve been on the program for one week, so it’s about time for my first video… little did I know I’d be having an, um, interesting hair day. I’m really low-maintenance, but oh how I wanted to wash my hair and start fresh for this! Lesson learned for next week – be prepared.

Here’s my video in all its glory. In it, you’ll hear:

  • my recap of the week
  • thoughts on my meals for today
  • how much weight I lost during my first week (!)

Here are photos of the meals I had today (watch the video to find out more about them, including calorie count):

Breakfast:

Lunch:

Dinner:

Dessert:

Note: I received food from Freshology to facilitate my review. I was not compensated monetarily. All opinions shared in this post are honest and are entirely my own.

Friendly Friday August 12

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Welcome to Friendly Friday! Friendly Friday begins at 8pm Central Thursday nights each week. We hope you’ll come back and join us again next week – and remember, the earlier you link up, the higher up on the list you are!

Remember, YOU can host the link list on your blog, too! Just get the InLinkz code and copy it directly into your post. The code is different every week, so be sure to get the new code when hosting Friendly Friday on your blog. Hosting the list is a great way to get even more traffic to your blog and make Friendly Friday more beneficial for everyone.

Thanks for joining the Friendly Friday celebration hosted by Christi at Frugal Novice, Xenia at Thanks, Mail Carrier and Charla at Healthy Home Blog! We invite you to join us every Friday to make more friends in blogville, get more blog followers and follow other great blogs out there.

To join in the Friendly Friday celebration, include your family-friendly link in our list, follow the hostesses in the first 3 spots and then start blog hopping! Visit other blogs on the list and comment to give them some blog love. Then take a minute to follow them through Google Friend Connect – this is a good way to keep up with other blogs, but also lets us show support to each other! Please DO NOT list your giveaways here, links must be to either your homepage or your Friday posting with your blog title. All others will be deleted.

When people comment on your blog and let you know they’re a part of Friendly Friday, return the favor and follow them back. This way everyone gets traffic and followers out of participating, and it’s a win-win situation. We would love for you to also grab our Friendly Friday button and post it on your blog and/or in a post – the more bloggers that find out about Friendly Friday and participate, the better!

Spotlight on Friendly Friday Followers! We love your participation and want to show it! In addition to gaining followers, each week we’ll select one blog at random and will feature links and a write-up for that blog in the content of next week’s Friendly Friday post. There are so many seriously wonderful blogs out there, and this will be a great way to highlight one of those each week. Say hello to the lucky chosen blog & blogger for this week (and feel free to stop by and give her a little extra love):

Jayda at Two Children And A Migraine is a happily married mom of two little girls and two dogs and, like most all moms, is working to find just the right the balance in her life. Her blog will take you from great reviews and giveaways to tasty recipes to inspirational quotes to help you through your day to photos of her beautiful girls and more! Whether you are looking to hear about the next great book to read or a shopping deal you won’t want to miss to, you’ll find it all!

Now that you know about this wonderful blog, it’s time for you to join in! Add your family-friendly link below and we’ll see you back here every Friday! And don’t forget, you can get the InLinkz codeget the InLinkz code to share Friendly Friday on your blog!

All three hostesses appreciate followers through GFC and Twitter, and we’ll follow you back – be sure to leave a comment with your URL and/or Twitter username. Hope everyone has a great weekend!