WordPress database error: [Table './quadium_wrdp27/wp_postmeta' is marked as crashed and should be repaired]
INSERT INTO wp_postmeta (post_id,meta_key,meta_value)VALUES (1,'enddate','')

WordPress database error: [Table './quadium_wrdp27/wp_postmeta' is marked as crashed and should be repaired]
INSERT INTO wp_postmeta (post_id,meta_key,meta_value)VALUES (1,'shortname','')

WordPress database error: [Table './quadium_wrdp27/wp_postmeta' is marked as crashed and should be repaired]
SELECT post_id, meta_key, meta_value FROM wp_postmeta WHERE post_id IN (4131,4136,4148,4154,4161,4169,4174,4183,4189,4194,4197,4213) ORDER BY meta_id ASC

Frugal Novice

Lessons Learned

WordPress database error: [Table './quadium_wrdp27/wp_postmeta' is marked as crashed and should be repaired]
SELECT post_id, meta_key, meta_value FROM wp_postmeta WHERE post_id IN (1797,4216,4221,4217,4215,4214) ORDER BY meta_id ASC

Cliff Notes Summary: Today I had my favorite breakfast so far… but also ventured off of the Freshology food a little bit, learning two valuable lessons. And C tried to eat my dinner again!

Breakfast: Lemon Poppy Seed Muffin with Vanilla Ricotta Spread, Canadian Bacon & Fresh Fruit (360 calories)

Like I mentioned, this has been my favorite breakfast so far. I am a bread person. Muffins, tortillas, a good loaf of French bread or some Ciabatta – you name it, I like it! Having a muffin felt like a treat, especially since it didn’t at all taste like a diet muffin. It was soft and just the right density, and the lemon flavor carried through really well. I heated up the Canadian bacon and it was a good complement to the muffin. Again, I saved the fruit for last – the pineapple was ripe and the tangerines were nice and tart!

Lunch: Chicken & Roast Corn Chowder with a Side Salad (340 calories)

So, here’s where I went off course. If you know me, you know why. I hate corn. Hate it. I can tolerate it in things where I can’t really taste it, but if it’s the star of the show, I’ve got a problem. I was hungry, but knew I would just pick at the chicken so I made the executive decision to… gasp… eat something else. I was nervous, honestly! I went with a friend to our local health food store, where they offer lunch. I had four ounces of tomato basil soup (no cream base) and a chef’s salad, which included chopped chicken for a little protein, and had radishes, zucchini, sprouts and other veggies (some of which I may have set to the side. Like olives. Maybe). It came with a dill dressing and a scoop of guacamole. I gave the guacamole to my friend because I wasn’t sure if that would be too high-calorie.

Here’s where I learned two lessons. 1: It is SO nice having Freshology be my meal planner and calculate all the caloric and nutritional information for me. I knew I liked it, but I didn’t realize how much I love it until I had to try to figure it out on my own. 2: I am becoming a better eater in general. The portions I’m getting used to eating with Freshology helped me realize that no, I didn’t need to dump my whole tub of dressing out on my salad (which I SO would have done, pre-Freshology). Instead I used just a little, trying to envision about how much I get with salads on the plan, and then I gave the rest to my friend so I wouldn’t be tempted. This made me even more excited about being on Freshology, because I feel like I’m not only eating healthy during the process, I’m also training myself for how to eat long-term.

Dinner: Rosemary Pork Tenderloin with Wild Mushroom Quinoa & Broccolini (330 calories)

Brian and I are big food TV fans. We watch Top Chef, and a lot of the shows on Food Network, and because of that I’ve heard a lot about quinoa. It’s a really healthy quasi-grain stock full of essential amino acids, calcium and iron among other things. It had mushrooms in it, but the texture of the mushrooms was not too prominent with the quinoa, so I liked it just fine. The hearty texture of the quinoa was really nice with the pork, which was tender. I hadn’t had broccolini before – it’s a cross between broccoli & Chinese broccoli. It has longer stalks and the heads aren’t quite as full. I liked it, but I do like regular broccoli better because the stalks are my least favorite part. All in all, a great, filling dinner.

So, you’ve seen how much was on my dinner plate. It’s a full plate. Now let’s take a look at what the guys ate tonight:

This was J’s plate, hence the hot dog sliced in half and no bun. I took a look at the packaging, and figured out that one hot dog with a bun, plus a serving of ranch-style beans, would equal more than the amount of calories in my whole plate of food!

Dessert: Flourless Chocolate Cake (150 calories)

I love chocolate, and it’s probably one of my biggest weaknesses. I was pretty thrilled to get chocolate for my dessert tonight! To give you perspective on size, these cakes were probably each about the size of 1 1/2-2 small Reese’s peanut butter cups. So, kind of small but not absolutely tiny. They were delicious – rich and decadent, and totally something I would love to have for dessert anytime. This was a good lesson in portion control too because in the past I totally would have eaten way too many of these. When I ate a good thing, I wanted more. Now I’m learning to enjoy a little of something good, and let that be enough.

Except sleep. I’d like a lot more of that.

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.

Chuck E. Cheese’s New Pizza & 3 Giveaways!

WordPress database error: [Table './quadium_wrdp27/wp_postmeta' is marked as crashed and should be repaired]
SELECT post_id, meta_key, meta_value FROM wp_postmeta WHERE post_id IN (4207,4203,4204,4202,4198,4206,4205,4201,4200,2164,2163,2162) ORDER BY meta_id ASC

The boys LOVE going to Chuck E. Cheese. The games are a good fit for their ages, and what child doesn’t like eating pizza? Well, now we’ll all enjoy going to Chuck E. Cheese even more because they’ve completely revamped their pizza recipe! We got the chance to review the new pizza recipe, and the timing worked out perfectly so we could go on J’s birthday and make it a special treat for him and C.

If you’ve never been to Chuck E. Cheese before, they stamp each person’s arm with a number in UV ink, so that when you leave they can make sure children are leaving with the correct adults. I love that they take that precaution (and the kids think it’s cool to be stamped with a “magic” stamp that only shows up under the special light). When we arrived, the greeter asked if we were celebrating any birthdays. When we told him yes, he made J feel really special, giving him a sticker and some extra tokens. What a great start to our evening!

I was impressed with the customer service throughout the entire evening – I know I’m writing a review about their pizza, but the whole experience of a place is important to me, and great customer service makes me want to be loyal to a business. We ordered our large pizza, and a few minutes later an employee came out to let me know they were out of larges (we were there toward the end of the day) – then he asked if it would be ok if they provided us with two medium pizzas instead. Perfect! He apologized for the inconvenience, but we were happy because it meant more pizza!

Speaking of pizza, let’s talk about the new recipe. I noticed some information about it while sitting at our booth:

We ordered pepperoni, but there are a lot of other ingredients available too.

We all thought the pizza was great! I only had one bite because I’m sticking to my Freshology diet, but I wanted to be able to report back my thoughts too. The crust was that great balance of crispy on the bottom and slightly chewy too, and there was a good amount of sauce (well-seasoned), cheese and pepperoni. Brian said he liked it a lot and it rated up there with some of our go-to pizza places. Yup, it was a hit!

Of course, half the fun of eating at Chuck E. Cheese is all of the games. We all had a blast, as you can see below:

It was a really fun evening with great food – and we ended up with enough leftovers that the boys could have pizza again last night too.

THREE lucky readers are going to win your own fun time at Chuck E. Cheese! Each winner will receive a Guest Pass Card, which provides you with a large pizza, four fountain drinks, and 30 tokens. Your kids will think you’re the greatest, and you’ll get a fun family night for free! This contest is open to all U.S. residents. Entries will be accepted until the end of the day (midnight CST) Thursday, September 1.

Mandatory Entry: Comment telling me what your favorite pizza topping(s) is/are!

(Only valid after the required entry has been completed)

Please leave a comment for each extra entry – if you blog about this giveaway and get 2 entries, for example, comment 2 times.

Note: I was provided with a Guest Pass for the review, along with three Guest Passes for the giveaway. All opinions provided are honest, and are those of myself and my family.

Rubbermaid Glass Containers Winner

WordPress database error: [Table './quadium_wrdp27/wp_postmeta' is marked as crashed and should be repaired]
SELECT post_id, meta_key, meta_value FROM wp_postmeta WHERE post_id IN (4195) ORDER BY meta_id ASC

Congratulations Kaitlyn!!

Wordless Wednesday: Love

WordPress database error: [Table './quadium_wrdp27/wp_postmeta' is marked as crashed and should be repaired]
SELECT post_id, meta_key, meta_value FROM wp_postmeta WHERE post_id IN (4190) ORDER BY meta_id ASC

I came home yesterday to find this waiting for me.

I love that it unclasps by taking the two Lego pieces apart.

I love that it’s so Brian and so perfect for me, too.

I love that he thought to get this for me for no reason at all except that he thought I’d like it.

I love that man.

A Turning Point

WordPress database error: [Table './quadium_wrdp27/wp_postmeta' is marked as crashed and should be repaired]
SELECT post_id, meta_key, meta_value FROM wp_postmeta WHERE post_id IN (4184,4187,4186,4185) ORDER BY meta_id ASC

I’ve always been a snacker. I would typically snack throughout the day, which could be a good thing if I weren’t eating junky food! Today was the first time since starting Freshology that I didn’t feel the need to have some apple or another little snack to get myself through the day. It’s like my stomach is finally catching on to what’s happening!

I’m excited about my progress this week, but I’ll wait and tell you about that Thursday with my first weekly vlog! For now, I’ll tell you a little more about my meals today.

Breakfast: Broccoli, Mushroom & Cheese Frittata with Turkey Maple Sausage & Fresh Fruit (270 calories)

Yup, you’re just seeing the fruit there. That’s ’cause I gobbled up the frittata and sausage before I realized I had forgotten to take a photo of it! It was really good – the omelet was structured similarly to the omelet I had last week, with two egg rounds and filling in between. The flavors were completely different and I actually didn’t mind the mushrooms in this dish at all! As always, I love finishing my breakfast with fresh fruit. It’s nice having grapes, because they take longer to eat and you feel like you’re getting even more.

Lunch: Open-Faced Philly Cheese Steak with Side Salad (400 calories)

I didn’t take a photo of the salad because I figured the sandwich is the star of the show. There was half of a whole-wheat pita for the bread, and it was piled with onions, red peppers, beef and cheese. I thought Freshology did a great job of translating such an unhealthy sandwich into something light! My favorite part of this lunch was the sauteed onions – yum.

Dinner: Teriyaki Chicken with Sauteed Bok Choy & Shiitake Mushrooms, and Rice (390 calories)

Yet again dinner was filling and flavorful. The teriyaki sauce was slightly sweet and totally made me feel like I was eating our stir-fry we like so much. The chicken was tender, and the rice was a great compliment. I love fried rice… this was heartier with a brown rice grain,  but was a good substitute! I let Brian have at the bok choy and mushrooms, and he was really impressed, especially with the mushrooms.

Dessert: Apple & Cranberry Cobbler (140 calories)

SO good! I heated it up in the microwave for 30 seconds, and it was a perfect end to my day’s food. There was just enough of the crumble on top to make it feel like I was splurging, and the apples and cranberries were a nice blend of sweet and tart.

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.

J’s Birthday!

WordPress database error: [Table './quadium_wrdp27/wp_postmeta' is marked as crashed and should be repaired]
SELECT post_id, meta_key, meta_value FROM wp_postmeta WHERE post_id IN (4175,4177,4180,4178,4179,4176) ORDER BY meta_id ASC

J officially turned 4 today! It was a fun day, from picking up donuts in the morning, to surprising him at lunch with a trip to the bike store, to a trip to Chuck E Cheese for dinner (watch for the review and a really fun giveaway later this week, by the way)! I think we’re all exhausted – I know as soon as I finish this post I’m going to crash!

He picked out a green bike, because green is his favorite color right now, along with brown and black. Alas, no brown or black bikes were available but I am kind of glad – I love the one he ended up with!

The past four years have absolutely flown by. Sunday night Brian and I reminisced about the night before J was born, when the air conditioner was out and we were burning up! We spent that last night with the fans blasting and completely uncomfortable. I remember being so nervous the next day, and then being so elated once he was born. He keeps us on our toes and sometimes alternates between silly and grumpy in a matter of minutes, but mostly he is a sweet, thoughtful kid who makes us laugh a lot. He is still a negotiator and is always angling for more dessert, or less bites of dinner, or 2 extra minutes of play time before bed. He loves to play with his little brother and our dog Josie, and is following in his dad’s footsteps as a Lego fan. It’s so fun to watch his personality unfold and we can’t wait to see who he continues to become (slowly, though. This whole “time flying” thing is not cool). We’re so thankful for him!

**********

Before heading to bed I need to share my Freshology update, and I thought I’d include it in this post.

Breakfast: Dried strawberry granola with nonfat vanilla yogurt & fresh berries (380 calories)

Good stuff – I’ve always been a big fan of yogurt with fruit & granola, so this was right up my alley! And guess what – I didn’t eat ANY donuts (even though I brought some for work too and they were sitting RIGHT THERE around the corner from my office. And even though I got chocolate glazed, which are my favorite. I was pretty proud!

Lunch: Roasted Vegetable Salad with Pork Loin and Apple Cider Vinaigrette (300 calories)

 

I’m going to blame it on being really focused on work, but I didn’t realize the salad was supposed to be eaten with the veggies & pork on top, so I ate these separately, heating up the veggies & pork. It was actually really nice that way and took me a long time to eat since I was eating the salad and then the rest. I very rarely eat pork, so this was a reminder that I actually do like it! Seasoning was spot on as always, and both the veggies & pork were tender.

Dinner: Black Pepper & Pomegranate Glazed Turkey with Wild Rice Pilaf & Carrot Puree (460 calories)

While I have liked almost everything I’ve eaten, the dinners have been my favorite meals so far. They’re so substantial, and I think I especially like them because they’re a departure from what I normally eat. We only eat turkey for Thanksgiving or in deli sandwiches, but I’ve already had it twice on Freshology, and each time has been a completely different incarnation. Tonight’s version was sweet with a hint of tartness, and was great paired with the rice and carrots. I’d never had a veggie puree and worried it would remind me of baby food, but it actually seemed more like a mashed potato consistency – and was really good!

Dessert: Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt Cake (150 calories)

This was delicious! I love lemon creme cakes, and this was a lighter version of that without losing any of the depth of flavor. The drizzle of icing was a nice treat, too.

I did really well again today, not straying from the meals except to try one small bite of pizza at Chuck E Cheese, and that was only to help facilitate an upcoming review. I am already noticing that I’m adjusting to eating less, and am not feeling as hungry throughout the day. The heat (Texas has been in triple digits consistently for weeks) has helped with my water consumption – I’m hitting well over 64 ounces per day. I worried I might get headaches from caffeine withdrawal (it’s happened before) but so far it’s been just fine!

Ok, I’m off to bed… hopefully I make it all the way back to our bedroom before falling asleep. Night, everyone!

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.

Sam’s Club Box Tops for Education $25 Gift Card Giveaway

WordPress database error: [Table './quadium_wrdp27/wp_postmeta' is marked as crashed and should be repaired]
SELECT post_id, meta_key, meta_value FROM wp_postmeta WHERE post_id IN (4170,1224) ORDER BY meta_id ASC

Sam’s Club wants to remind you that it´s never too early to start collecting Box Tops. This year, Sam’s Club and Box Tops for Education can help you prepare for the fall when you shop their back-to-school event.

We love shopping at Sam’s because it’s great for stocking up on snacks for the boys’ lunches. With the hustle and bustle of our day-to-day schedule, it is really nice to be able to have everything on hand!

  • Earn more cash for your local school at Sam’s Club this August with the 6 Box Tops on a Pack promotion.
  • When you purchase participating Box Top items, you can collect even more Box Tops on some of your favorite General Mills brands such as Honey Nut Cheerios, Nature Valley Oats ‘N Honey Crunchy Granola Bars, Totino´s Pizza Rolls, and more!
  • Sam’s Club has your favorite back to school items from computers to clothing, and at the best values.

Plan ahead and take advantage of the savings made simple at Sam’s Club. Your wallet – and your local school – will be thanking you! To learn more about the Box Tops for Education Program and how you can help contribute to your school, visit www.boxtops4education.com.

One lucky reader will win a $25 gift card to Sam’s Club! This giveaway is open to all US residents. Entries will be accepted until the end of the day (midnight Central) Monday, August 29.

Mandatory Entry: Comment below telling me what products you’re excited to buy at Sam’s Club to get ready for the school year!

(Only valid after the required entry has been completed)

Please leave a comment for each extra entry – if you blog about this giveaway and get 2 entries, for example, comment 2 times.

Disclosure: The Sam´s Club gift card, information, and giveaway have been provided by General Mills through MyBlogSpark.

Menu Plan Monday August 8-13

WordPress database error: [Table './quadium_wrdp27/wp_postmeta' is marked as crashed and should be repaired]
SELECT post_id, meta_key, meta_value FROM wp_postmeta WHERE post_id IN (101,4166,4165,4162,4163,4164,3780,4167) ORDER BY meta_id ASC

Menu Plan Monday

We’ve had an eventful weekend, starting with J’s birthday party Thursday night. I’ll have to post photos from it – it was so much fun! We had it at a local gymnastics place, and I really think the adults had just as much fun as the kids. J liked it so much that we signed him up for gymnastics classes that start this week! We’ve had family in town and have been on the go most of the weekend! The boys and I managed to fit in naps this afternoon. If only the boys appreciated the greatness of naps like I do. :)

Tomorrow is J’s actual birthday, so we’ve still got some celebrating left to do – we like to spread birthdays out in our family! Brian and I are picking him up to have lunch, and we’re surprising him with a trip to the store to pick out his present from us – a big kid bike! I think Brian and I are just as excited about it as he will be. He has been talking about wanting a bike for months, so we can’t wait to see his reaction.  We’ll also go to Chuck E Cheese for dinner, which is partially blog-related – we’re (well, the boys and Brian are) reviewing the new pizza recipe they’ve recently started using. There will be even more celebrating this next weekend when my parents & brother are in town, so that will be fun!

I did well with meals today, although I learned that Sundays are a little tricky with lunch. I ate my breakfast before church, but then it’s just easiest to go straight from church to lunch, so I did order a side of cantaloupe to eat while everyone else had burgers & fries (and J had a hot fudge sundae… have to admit that was slightly tempting, but I didn’t give in!).

Breakfast: Roasted Vegetable Egg Scramble with Fresh Fruit and Grilled Foccacia (290 calories)

The egg scramble was good, although I avoided the mushrooms. I know, you mushroom lovers think I’m nuts. I’ve got to learn to like them more! The foccacia bread seemed a little dry to me, but it was perfect paired with the eggs, and the flavoring of the bread was nice. The fruit was incredibly fresh. I have to say, it’s a huge treat getting all this fresh fruit!

Lunch: Grilled Chicken Cobb Salad (410 calories)

This was a really filling salad with a lot of flavor! It came with the lettuce, half of a hard-boiled egg, carrots, a ton of Canadian bacon, and grilled chicken. It also had a lemon to squeeze over the top of it, and a nice creamy salad dressing. This salad was a good lesson to me in how I should be eating salads. I learned I can still get a lot of flavor without drowning the salad in dressing. The lemon juice was a nice addition to the salad, too – it gave it a fresh, bright flavor.

Dinner: Basil Crusted Beef with Green Beans & Red Rice (310 calories)

This was SO good! The beef was tender and had a great flavor from the basil. The rice was blended with veggies and was just the right texture for me, and the green beans were fresh and lightly seasoned. I could seriously imagine getting this meal at a nice restaurant. I would eat this again any day! C came over and started snagging some of my green beans – he kept coming back over to “see me” and grabbing a green bean each time.

Dessert: Sweet Potato Chip Cookies (160 calories)

I wasn’t sure what to expect with these, because I’ve never had any sort of cookie with sweet potato in it before. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that these were a real treat! The “chips” in the cookies almost had the texture of little toffee bits, but with a sweeter flavor. It was nice having two of them, because that felt a little indulgent to have more than just one. I did pour about 1/3 cup of milk to have with the cookies, because they were a little sweet… and, well, I just love milk with cookies!

For more of my Freshology posts & photos of my food, click here, or the button in my sidebar!

On to meals for the week. I’ll be continuing with my Freshology meals, but here’s what the guys will be eating:

Monday: Chuck E Cheese!

Tuesday: Hot dogs & ranch style beans. This is a favorite of theirs, and a least-favorite of mine, so it’s perfect!

Wednesday: Burritos – Brian requested this, and I’m fine with that because it makes great leftovers. Speaking of leftovers…

Thursday: Leftover burritos – shocking, right? The boys eat theirs deconstructed, because they’re all gourmet like that. :)

Friday: Pasta with marinara, green beans, and raw carrots.

Saturday: We haven’t quite decided yet, and will probably see what sounds good to my family since we’ll be celebrating not only J’s birthday but also my brother’s (the 20th) and my dad’s (the 29th). August is a busy birthday month for our family!

Don’t forget to check out Weber’s grilling recipe of the week. This one looks like something Brian would love – scallop salad with citrus vinaigrette!

Have a wonderful week, everyone!

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.

Stepping Outside My Food Comfort Zone

WordPress database error: [Table './quadium_wrdp27/wp_postmeta' is marked as crashed and should be repaired]
SELECT post_id, meta_key, meta_value FROM wp_postmeta WHERE post_id IN (4156,4157,4158,4155,4159) ORDER BY meta_id ASC

I’m not one to try a huge variety of foods. Brian and I love to experiment in the kitchen, but it’s always been within my comfort zone – trying a new ice cream recipe, for example, isn’t exactly risky!

I tend to stick to the same foods. I like chicken and a handful of veggies, and those tend to make the rotation of meals in our house on a regular basis. One thing that has been great about Freshology even in just the three days I’ve been eating their food is that I’m forced out of my comfort zone. And not only that, it’s with the safety net of knowing this is well-seasoned food prepared by chefs. I’ve had asparagus, eggplant (neither of which I’ve really had before), and I even ate ham, asparagus and mushroom pizza today (and liked it).

Opening myself up to trying more foods is making me realize that variety is key in eating healthy. If I’m eating the same things over and over again, I’m going to get tired of them, and I’m going to be more tempted to get variety by eating something unhealthy. I love that Freshology has a long cycle of meals so that in one month I’m never eating the same meal twice. That in itself is a treat!

Breakfast: Whole Wheat Waffles with Fresh Fruit & Chicken Apple Sausage (340 calories)

I’m sure you’re noticing there’s no photo of the waffles. That’s because I kind of, um, ate them before remembering to take a photo. And half of a sausage link too. This was a great breakfast! The sausage had a slightly sweet flavor to it but was really well balanced, and the waffles were fluffy even after I heated them in the microwave. I love having fruit with breakfast, because it feels like a treat. It’s also easy to spread it out a little and make it feel like I’m eating even more.

Lunch: Smoked Ham & Asparagus Whole Wheat Pizza with Side Salad (350 calories)

I was skeptical about this one – I don’t typically like ham. Or asparagus. Or mushrooms, which were also on the pizza. But it was truly very good, as was the salad (the cheese combined with the spinach and celery was perfect against the tangy vinaigrette dressing). I ate it all before going out to eat, and I wasn’t tempted at all (not even by buttery, garlic-y breadsticks)!

Dinner: Ancho Beef Culottes with Steamed Broccoli, Roasted Tomato & Southwestern Salsa (330 calories)

SOOOO good! The beef was a little rarer than I prefer, so I cooked it in a skillet with a little bit of cooking spray, then heated the broccoli and tomato in the same skillet. It was all delicious, and I don’t even typically like tomatoes by themselves. The beef was tender even after I cooked it additionally, and everything was seasoned perfectly. It felt like a lot of food, and was a great meal to end the day.

Dessert: Dairy-Free Raspberry Cheesecake (180 calories)

This was the first thing I’ve had that I didn’t care for. I don’t like cheesecake a whole lot to begin with, but this particular version just wasn’t sweet enough for me. The other desserts I’ve had didn’t taste at all like healthy desserts, but this one gave me that impression.

I was really happy today because even with going out to eat twice I wasn’t tempted at all! At dinner I got a cup of crushed ice and “snacked” on that, which kept me from feeling like I was sitting there watching other people eat! I’m going to have to remember that, because sometimes in the past I think I’ve snacked out of boredom (which sounds so ridiculous now that I’m talking about it!) and ice is a nice guilt-free option. Be sure, if you try this, to get ice that’s crushed so you’re not messing up your teeth!

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.

Avoiding Food Temptations

WordPress database error: [Table './quadium_wrdp27/wp_postmeta' is marked as crashed and should be repaired]
SELECT post_id, meta_key, meta_value FROM wp_postmeta WHERE post_id IN (4152,4151,4150,4149) ORDER BY meta_id ASC

I learned a valuable lesson today in avoiding food temptations – eat first! We went out to Jason’s Deli and I had (for some reason) decided to wait and eat dinner when we got back. Bad idea! I was good, but it was challenging watching Brian scarf down his fully-loaded baked potato while I sipped water. Next time I will definitely eat beforehand so it’s a little less tempting!

Other than dinner, it was pretty easy to stick to my meals for the day. I had the not-so-fun experience of getting rear ended this afternoon (our poor car didn’t fare too well!) and felt a little shaky so I did have a little bit of apple mid-afternoon again.

Breakfast: Basil & Artichoke Omelet with Fresh Fruit & Turkey Bacon (330 calories)

SO good. The fruit was fresh and I saved it for “dessert.” The omelet was two egg rounds with the basil & artichoke between them. It was really flavorful and the eggs were fluffy. Texture is really important to me, and so far the texture of everything has been incredibly impressive. My favorite part of this breakfast was the turkey bacon. It was amazing! Let me just say, we’ve made turkey bacon before and I have never liked it – it’s always seemed like cardboard. This turkey bacon was delicious! I wasn’t a huge fan of the little wedge of bread, but it was good with the omelet on it.

Lunch: Mandarin Steak Salad (320 calories)

Sorry for the slightly blurry photo! This salad was refreshing because it was so different from most salads I’ve eaten. There was seasoned beef in the top compartment along with mandarin oranges, carrots and cucumber. The dressing was tangy and added great flavor to everything.

Dinner: Herb Roasted Chicken Breast with Grilled Eggplant & Roasted Peppers

The flavors in this meal were all spot-on and didn’t make me feel at all like I was missing out on anything. The chicken was cooked perfectly and was really great with the peppers. I ate a little of the eggplant & liked the flavor, but haven’t ever really had it before and the texture kind of threw me off. Brian has had eggplant before so I had him try it, and he said that’s its typical texture. Maybe it’s an acquired taste?

Dessert: Chocolate Zucchini Bundt Cake (190 calories)

My white plate makes it look like I took the cake into a studio for photographing it! The cake was really good and had a nice level of chocolate to it. I should have shot it next to something so you can get an idea of size – the cake was smaller than my fist, but it was a satisfying end to today’s meals. I have a huge sweet tooth, so getting to have dessert each day really helps me a lot!

I was pretty happy with how today went. I’m still having moments of being hungry throughout the day, but drinking water does help suppress that. I’ve realized how much I relied on little snacks throughout the day. Before I might just grab a handful of Reese’s Pieces from my candy machine at work, or eat a couple of animal crackers with the boys, and little things like that can really add up to sabotage efforts to stay healthy or lose weight. I’m a lot more aware not of what I consume, and having the meals prepared for me really helps me stay on track!

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.

Freshology Kick-Off

WordPress database error: [Table './quadium_wrdp27/wp_postmeta' is marked as crashed and should be repaired]
SELECT post_id, meta_key, meta_value FROM wp_postmeta WHERE post_id IN (4138,4142,4137,4140,4141,4139) ORDER BY meta_id ASC

As I mentioned in my Menu Plan Monday post, I’m going to be doing Freshology meal delivery for the next two months. I got my first shipment yesterday afternoon and started eating the meals today!

The box contained meals for today, tomorrow and Saturday; tomorrow I’ll get another shipment with meals for Sunday through Wednesday. The meals are color-coded by day – so, for instance, all meals with orange labels were for today. I was really impressed with how well everything was packaged; there was a cooler inside the box and all of the food was still nice, cold, and fresh. It was fun coming home to this on my front porch:

Right off the bat I’m impressed with Freshology’s customer service. I get an email with a tracking number for each shipment, so I can know exactly when the food is delivered. Prior to receiving my first shipment, I got a link to a menu letting me know what foods I’d be eating each day, along with the nutritional information. I also got a short survey to give feedback on my impressions so far. It’s apparent that they really want to make their customers happy.

Today was an interesting/challenging day to start, because we had J’s birthday party tonight. I was good and didn’t have any of the pizza, cake, or soda. In a way I’m glad this was how I started off my experience, because challenges like the party tonight are where I tend to slip up and eat things I shouldn’t. Some people say they’re social drinkers; I’m a social eater, I think! I was busy enough doing things that it didn’t seem too bad to miss out  on cake.

Let’s talk about food – I know you’ve got to be curious!

Breakfast: Vanilla French Toast with Canadian Bacon and Fresh Fruit (250 calories)

I heated up the toast and Canadian bacon in the microwave at work, and this made for a filling and delicious meal. The syrup wasn’t thick and gooey like I’m used to, but mixed with the vanilla spread I still got a sense of richness that makes french toast so good. I was really impressed with how fresh the fruit was. This is definitely a better breakfast than I normally eat! It was a nice blend of savory & sweet, too.

Lunch: Basil Marinated Chicken Wrap with Cucumber Salad (390 calories)

Another hit. I’ll be honest and say that at first I couldn’t tell where the chicken was; since it was marinated in basil sauce and was green it kind of blended in with the cucumber salad it was next to! Once I figured it out I was incredibly impressed with this lunch. I didn’t even use the dressing that came on the side, because everything was so flavorful on its own. The cucumber salad was nice and crisp, too. I enjoyed having the dried apples to finish things off – it was a nice little treat.

Dinner: Turkey Breast with Asparagus, Sunburst Squash & Sherry Piccata Sauce (370 calories)

Since I was eating this at home after the party I decided to plate it before eating. I was glad I did, because it was amazing to me how much food there was!

Once again, the quality of everything was top-notch. The seasoning of everything was perfect; the turkey and squash were tender, and the asparagus was just slightly crisp. I’m not a huge asparagus fan in general, but C kept coming over and snagging stalks from my plate!

Dessert: Marshmallow Cloud (160 calories)

This photo doesn’t do the dessert justice – it was SO good! The crust seemed like a graham cracker crust, then there was a layer of chocolate and the top layer of marshmallows. This totally made up for the fact that I didn’t eat birthday cake at the party; in fact, I’d rather have eaten this than cake anyway. It was that good.

All in all, this was a great day! I felt hungry mid-afternoon and ate a few slices of apple. Freshology mentions in their welcome packet that during the first two weeks it can be an adjustment to get used to smaller portions, and recommends some low-calorie options. I’m hoping to get to the point where I don’t need to rely on snacks, but if I do I’ll stick to something small and healthy.  I got in a little exercise at J’s party jumping on the trampoline, but I hope to fit in more exercise on a regular basis – at least three times a week. I didn’t really have any struggles or temptations to stray today, and I’m ending the day feeling really motivated and excited about the two months to come.

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 5

WordPress database error: [Table './quadium_wrdp27/wp_postmeta' is marked as crashed and should be repaired]
SELECT post_id, meta_key, meta_value FROM wp_postmeta WHERE post_id IN (2566,4133) ORDER BY meta_id ASC

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):

 

Having learned how to quilt from watching her grandmother, Amber at Quilted Euphoria started quilting when she was 19.  She has been married for four and a half years to her best friend, is a stay-at-home-wife, and has a “fur baby” named Milo.  Not only does Amber love to quilt, but she has an Etsy Shop where she takes orders for quilts, tote bags, pillows, bookmarks, etc.  She also does giveaways, has patterns for sale, does customized orders and would love to “inspire your quilting eye,” so contact her if there is something that you’re interested in.

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!