Lowfat Latte Blondie

Progress Happens Slowly Sometimes

2010-06-08T12:44:00.000-07:00

I have been absent... absent from life, absent from college life, absent from employment and absent from the blogging hemisphere!

And now I must come back to reality.... I am trying desperately to re-configure this gosh awful page! If you are one of my 8 followers who may actually like to read about my mundane and boring life....You may be in luck because I fully intend on re-vamping this website and blogging daily at some point...

Until then I leave you with this.......

MMMM.... pictures of cookies! Because although I have been absent from many things, I refuse to forget about eating cookies!

End of construction soon

2010-04-19T17:55:00.001-07:00

Craziness abounds........Must get my new blogger format up and running!

Nutella, Coconut & Oats "Oh My"

2010-04-12T18:26:00.000-07:00

Monday's are long and call for sugary treats! But oats are healthy right?? What if they are packed with oats, chocolate and nutella slurry???

A NEW SPIRIT NEW SITE

2010-04-12T13:59:00.001-07:00

Changes are coming!!! New blogsite is on it's way... Look out for more exciting things on LLB.... It's going to be great!

Saturday Sensation

2010-04-10T08:45:00.000-07:00

Found the cutest gladiator sandles yesterday at the Maxx.. I screamed for joy when I put them on my feet and not only were they highly a-d-o-r-a-b-l-e but they were super comfy!

I needed something slightly more metallic in my wardrobe since I always just wear seem to throw on the usual suspects. ~brown, black or grey~ sandles and this summer I figured a change was in order.. Who knew it would come at a $24.99 pair of Impo's...

While fixin' up the sandles for their photo shoot.. I glanced over to find the uber spoiled fur butt pouting on the couch... "Do you want to go for a walk?"... And that same little fur butt went darting to the front door..

And it was soooo... walked, sniffed, pranced and allowed her hair to gently blow in the spring breeze.. And all was well with the world!

A trip to the coffee store made mommy happy as well! Iced Lattes on a warm spring morning seem to always have the same effect on me.. Pure Bliss.. Had to couple the iced latte with one of my homemade bluberry streusel muffins I made for the hubby's fishing trip this morning,,, But carefully stowed away for my own private consumption..

MMMMM... look at those crumbles... They taste as good as they look, trust me!

And so at the end of the morning, the dog was happy, I was happy and the latte was happy to be paired along side such a hottie!

And now comes the fun part... Doing my dishes, laundry and the rest of my maid-ly duties! And maybe just maybe the trek might make it's springtime appearance this evening...

Frustration Station

2010-04-09T11:54:00.000-07:00

Savored some ultra fluffy pancakes this morning with bluberry syrup and reddi-whip.. Sugary yet sooooo delicious.. Hubby enjoyed also....

Organized a few coupons on the new dining room table...

Been trying to transfer my new header as well as format to this blog.. I accidentally erased my old formatting when I was cleaning BLOG house a few days back. And now my once somewhat interesting blog is boring boring boring....

In the meantime, I will continue to post until I can get this Blog Drama worked out!

Coffee Shop Cutie

2010-04-08T15:26:00.000-07:00

Hubby called and needed to take a 2 hr ride away to deliver some important business papers for work so he asked for a co-pilot..

I was all game as long as the trip included a stop at a coffee shop to get an espresso! So after googling the area Elkhart, Indiana I found a list of coffee shops to choose from. I was a total dork-o when I called all of them to assure that they did indeed make Specialty Coffee Drinks. (Many times before I would arrive to a coffee shop and find that they had more baked goods than espresso choices)

The ride was pleasant but the little coffee shop on what appeared to be an old little road was even more FANTASTIC...

The Daily Grind .... with the OPEN sign fully lite to my suprise!
Outside of the coffee shop were some little butterflies and some highly creative writings.

Inside was a cozy and warm coffee shop with an adorable couch which nested some bulls-eye hippie pillows.

Twirling thinga-magiggies (shaped like flowers) hanging from the ceiling. A beautiful mural on the wall... I couldn't help but stand and look at it while the barista coated my English Toffee Mocha with fluffy whip cream.

Sweet barista, cozy place and a creamy ULTRA smooth iced mocha... This has to be my number 1 coffee shop in Indiana.. The Daily Grind you have my heart..

Quiche Debate

2010-04-06T05:23:00.000-07:00

The weekend went by toooooooo fast! I blinked and the Easter weekend was over :(

Sunday morning I was getting some things together for easter lunch at the MIL & FIL's place.. When John brought this up

Words in blue- Notes to self !

"You are not bring the (Kw-e-e-ch-e) with you to my parent's this year are you?"

~Digging a hole, digging~

I fire back with "Oh you mean my quiche? Yeah, of course I am bringing my quiche.. Why do you not like it or think it is good?"

"No, its ok but wait! Maybe it will be better this year since you are getting better at cooking eggs after lots of practice making breakfast for me.

~Still digging if you keep this up you may be buried~

"Fine than I won't bring it since you don't think it is good ok?"

"No, if you bring it maybe you could put some bacon in it or something. And then at least I will eat it"... No really I will eat it if you put bacon in it"

~Stop digging yourself a hole hubby you have already heart my quiche making ego~

And so it went like that Easter morning... And after picking my heart off the kitchen floor after about 3 minutes of egg pie insults I decided to make it anyways..

A delcious butter crust was made in the KA mixer... Using near a full cup of super chilled butter from the refridge.. Twas layed gracefully in a cute little tart pan..

Eggs were a crackin and a quiche was made against my hubby's will....And all was well with the world!

MMMMMM

2010-04-01T06:49:00.000-07:00

Made breakfast for the still sick hubby.. I figured fluffy pancakes with 4 differant toppings would surely beat the stomach blah's...

Wondering why when you are trying to make pancakes the same things always seem to happen.. You add butter to the skillet and it always burns, you drop your measuring cup into the batter about 1,000 times.. And when you finally get a peice of pancake in your mouth you inevitably ask yourself why the heck you don't make them more often!

Normal pancake toppings around our home....Sugar free maple syrup, Blackberry Syrup, Blueberry syrup and Agave Nectar...

Trying to get some things rearranged on this blog today.. Even thinking about moving to Wordpress.....So please excuse the current condition of this site! It should be improved in the next week!

My love My Life

2010-03-31T19:00:00.000-07:00

Found this picture tonight and it made me SMILE...... This is the hubby and me a few yrs ago in Chicago..

Hubby looks like a super conservative GOLFER ...*which he is.... And I think I might have overdosed on Hot Pink.... *Wink

Nana Cake's

2010-03-31T16:39:00.000-07:00

Shopping makes you hungry :(........ And when you are out scouring about 8 stores looking for something you just can't locate you may find yourself getting angry and hungry!!

I was shopping and found this...............Yogi~Raw Fruit & Nut Bar~Nana Banana

Dates, Banana, Almonds and Vitamin E

Bought this delight and wasn't sure what to expect because in the passed "Larabar's" have had a 100% of my deart heart... Until today! This was neatly packaged with two small sized bars..

The package made me wan't to hop in my car and fly out to Hawaii this very afternoon...

Catch the company website...... I can assure you these bars are wayyyyy-yyyyyy-yyyyyy better than the LB you may be accustomed too...!!!

http://www.wailana.com/ check it out........................................

Sunshine, Coffee & Shopping I am in LOVE

2010-03-31T14:24:00.000-07:00

Weather.com called for SUNSHINE today..... After throwing in about 3 loads of laundry, I decided that enough was enough and I needed to get the heck out of the condo on such a beautiful day. (Or it could have been that hubby decided to work from home and I decided that since he was working from the home office, I would skip cleaning),..

So I was off to enjoy the beautiful sunshine and warm breeze... Windows were open in the Camry and I set out towards a sunshine/shopping and coffee adventure..

The blue stratus sky looked like this ....

And the outside temperature read this....

And so I headed here.............

And savored this........................

And headed to TJmaxx to find some new placemats and possibly a new centerpeice for my new cherry table that is arriving tomorrow..

Off now to finish my laundry and run to DQ to grab a Banana Cream Blizzard for my "apparently ill husband" claims he has a stomach bug but can't seem to get his mind off Bananas, Cream and Blizzards!!!

Need some Rest

2010-03-30T17:57:00.000-07:00

Erased this post already.. And I am TIREDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

Spent the night like this................................

Made a cafe latte with this..........

Made dinner with this............

Nuff said.............

Ick Take Two

2010-03-30T08:07:00.000-07:00

Still have the "Ick" today and soooo not feeling the idea of cleaning my house! But I will down my iced latte and getta' cleaning..

Besides, I have a really relaxing Hair Highlight today....at my favorite salon ever!

No interesting food this morning,,,, actually no food at all! I can hardly stomach the idea of sticking anything down my pie hole!

Iced lattes + Glacier Frost Gatorade= Not vomitting all over my stylist and her beautiful station at Salon Capelani....

ICCKKKKKKKKK

2010-03-29T17:48:00.000-07:00

I have a bad case of the 'icckkkkkkkkkk" today! Didn't feel like eating alot so I had a small plate of bite sized goodness....

Carrot Sticks, California Clementine Cutie and a toasted whole wheat bagel with my greek olive and feta cream cheese.....

Stayed in bed to try to rid my body of the "ICK" and I found that in the process I had a little fur buddy who was quite sympathetic to my condition...

Look real close and beyond the cover waves... Look real close and you may just see her .... bundled up and lookin' cute!

The rest of the day concluded with watching a few movies to include (The Box, Time Travelers Wife, 4 Christmases)...

There was some computer work done as well.....................................From my new bed of course!

Looking up some French Macaroon Recipe's for Easter...........................To be continued...

Delicious Dish with Ashley M

2010-03-28T11:43:00.000-07:00

Thai Takeout In....... We had takeout in tonight! I scare myself sometimes thinking about the massive quantities of MSG, non pronounce-ables and chemicals we may be ingesting when the sudden urge for Thai Takeout....overcomes us....

We may enjoy the first few spoonfull's of the food in a takeout box but once the chem's and sodium kick in we are m-i-s-e-r-a-b-l-e... Fly swatter hands and all! Sometime's we joke that we both will look single because we immediately have to ditch our Wedding Bands because the Salt has made our ring size go up by 2~

I did a chicken, noodle and veggie Chop N Drop... Oil in pan and a whole lotta' choppin' and droppin'..!!!

Zuchinni, S Onion, Orange & Green Pep's. Bamboo Shoots, Bean Sprouts and Cabbage Slaw .. Add your Thai noodles and you have yourself an MSG free meal and you can keep your rings on...

Shake n' Sauce it up... Teriyaki Korean Sauce and you got yourself something that is highly Drool Worthy... Take that "Happy Thai"

And for dessert I decided to mix an Espresso Granita... I will post this evening since my camera is taking forever to load the picture,...

Soup for One... and Painting Fun

2010-03-27T05:26:00.000-07:00

Italian Wedding Soup.......................................................With a few 'Ashley Modifications"......

I almost did it today.... I ran into my kitchen and looked into the pantry and there sat two cans of "evil soup"... Condensed, Calorie laden and Chemically Challenged Cream of ........????? Since there is neither chicken or mushroom peices to be found in either of them.. I figured neither would make an appropriate lunch.

So instead, the soup pot came out ( my humongo stainless steel pot) and the chopping began...

Onions, Carrots, Celery.........................................................along with a few other ingredients... Subbed spagetti noodles for the small dot pasta normally used in IWS...

Needless to say.... I am sooooooooooooooo glad I decided to make my own soup instead of eating a tin can for lunch!!

On to other things- Painting is complete in my living room and my old Terracotta red is now a very refreshing shade of "Cafe Latte" .... makes me thirsty just thinking about it..

Argued over our living room "Art Redecoration" .... New Art is headed our way which should only modernize our place a little bit more...

Off to go clean my oven since my MIL decided she needed to bring over a can of "Fume Free Oven Cleaner" for me when she helped me paint the other day. Then she told me to spray my oven done before our painting project so SHE could help me clean it.. !! I told her we would NOT be cleaning my oven that day.. *MIL DISCLAIMER: If mother in law brings over an entire can of oven cleaner and tells you she wants to help you clean it, she may be incinuating that you need to clean your FILTHY oven.. Like Yesterday*

Friday Fun-Day

2010-03-26T07:44:00.000-07:00

Is it morning already??? Sleep overcame me this morning and I didn't want to get out of bed.. But dog + might have to go potty outside = Carpet Disaster so I decided staying in bed until 7am was not an option..

This is the little fur-munchkin saying "Seriously can we go now paleeeezzzzzz"!

Dog went for a 10 minute walk before I realized I didn't exactly dress for the weather.. I thought it was spring people.... So why the heck was it 28 degrees this morning? brrrrrrrrrr

Trip to Starbucks for an iced venti nonfat latte and back home for a Oikos Parfait ( Oikos and Puffin Cereal) ....

Now I am off to mark some items off my to do list.. Cleaning, organizing and getting some gifts wrapped for the MIL's 58th birthday dinner tomorrow evening.. I need to get everything done so I can go to my new room, make some delish popcorn and watch the "The time travelers wife"

Paint, Paint, Paint

2010-03-24T18:24:00.000-07:00

Paint Paint Paint Paint..................Up early this morning to take on a major and I mean "Major" Painting project.... My formally Terracotta Red room is now a tranquil "Cafe Latte"..

I realized very early that I couldn't spend my afternoon here watching endless hours of lifetime in bed watching my new bedroom tv... But that I needed to get my rear in gear and getta' paintin'.....
Painting was on the brain but apparently so was dressing our lil Bailey up in a totally "ridic" easter custom and taking 41 pictures of her in this exact pose. Snapfish here I come!

41 pictures of a dog sitting in a totally absurd position was enough Easter-ly type of moment for me so I headed to the kitchen to put out a light breakfast for the cleaning crew which was soon to arrive.. Cleaning crew meaning cheap labor my MIL & FIL..

Not the healthiest spread in the word but sure to fight off the hunger pangs.. (Cheese Danish and some Yogi Granola and Freshly brewed Almond-Vanilla Decaf Coffee ala' Agave Nectar).

Waiting for the laborers to arrive I checked a few emails on my new fan-ta-ba-loso HP Pavillion computer the hubby just bought me. No emails get checked in this house without a DD iced latte.

But the break didn't last long because I had a variety of neutrals painted on my living room wall and had to get started painting before the hubby arrived home and decided he wanted to change his mind about the color again..

Too bad hubby - I chose the second color on the bottom (CL) and its here to stay.. More pics to come..

Paint Project Take 1

2010-03-24T05:46:00.000-07:00

After officially testing 6 Glidden & 8 Behr Paint samples it's official "We found our living room paint"... So today with the help of my MIL and FIL I will begin painting the living room!!! I will upload pics this afternoon since my inlaws should be here in about 20 mins and I need to get some coffee started..

I am planning on serving some danish as well as some granola crisps just so we have the energy to paint for a few hours.

Granola is......"Yogi Fresh Strawberry Crunch Granola Crisps" More on these later!!

And BTW: The color is "Cafe Latte" and is a lighted tan almost khaki color.. I LOVE !!

White Chocolate Wonderful.;...

2010-03-22T20:00:00.000-07:00

I have an obsession and it's a scary one... " I am in love with PB&C's "White Chocolate Wonderful Peanut Butter".. I found this jar at Target a few weeks ago and decided to pick one up.. It was love at first bite....

This Peanut Butter has been seen in hot oatmeal, smothered on hot whole wheat bagels and dipped in melted chocolate "Truffle Style". I am even more excited to participate in my first ever "Oat's in a Jar" which can also be seen on all of the other bloggies sites..

I may not be able to sleep tonight since my thoughts are focused on some hot oats that will be poured into my WCWPB jar.. mmmm

Pizza and New Paint

2010-03-22T15:30:00.000-07:00

Finally, the room remodel is complete and I can have my life back... The last week included steaming the carpets, painting, selecting furniture, setting up furniture, buying a new comforter set and blah blah blah... And we are pretty happy with the end result !

Modern Blu-ish- Green-ish walls.. (Never thought I would ever paint a room in my home either of those colors but I likey like)

Hubby reused some older art work from the guest room because he has no idea I am having a photograph custom canvassed for him in secret :)

The only thing not pictured is my lovely "32 inch Sanity Tv" Which hubby bought for me so I won't complain when he takes over the living room during any {Sport Season}.. I think he secretly bought it for me because he is sick of all of the piss and moaning.. LOL

I needed some time away from the master bedroom for awhile during our project so I proceeded to the kitchen for some "Pizza Makin' Downtime" .. I rolled up my sleeves and got the kitchen aid ready for this .....Pizza Bianco crust...mmmmmmmmmmmm

Toppings for "Pizza Bianco" Leftover grilled chicken from the night before, sliced baby spinach, cherry tomatoes, roasted red peppers, tuscan olives... Basil and Or-e---ga----n--ooooo

Not pictured: Canned "Newman's Own Alfredo white sauce, S&P and some special pizza_ love..

Placed pizza on middle rack for exactly 14 minutes on 475 and I ended up with this beauty.. However, I don't think my peice of crap Kodak does it any justice.. This may be reason for me to to start researching a few Nikon's or Cannon's ... " I NEED A REAL CAMERA PEOPLE"

Crusty, Cheesy and Pleasy

2010-03-19T05:15:00.000-07:00

Mattress is finally set to be delivered this morning... YAY!! We will see if it actually arrives or if they do something stupid again! Up early because sleeping is out of the question when you have a mattress being delivered and the excitement is overwhelming.

Made some delish Crusty Parma Potatoes with our honey mustard chicken bites. So I decided to "nuke" a few in the microwave this morning for breakfast.

Pic was taken lastnight but is still highly drool-worthy! Crusty, Cheesey and Pleasy~

Someone had a trip to the dog Spa Yesterday for a little TLC.. They always do such a wonderful job and sometimes I am truly envious.. (Her hair may just look better than mine) ... Isn't she cute?

This picture was taken yesterday but the {bow} didn't last long.. Because 6'3 burly husband's don't look so attractive walking frou frou malshi's.. This paired with our pink leash may have all of my neighbors questioning his orientation....!!

I am Gym'd, Showered and Coffee'd and ready to set up my new bedroom this evening.. Pics should be posted tonight if anyone may care about my new bedroom domain..

"Let them Eat Cake"

2010-03-18T18:46:00.000-07:00

Found this picture on my computer from my birthday which was just less than two months ago. The Inlaws always bring over a cake from a local grocery store which is always

Dry/ Tasteless/ Gritty/ Powdery/ 80s Decorated/ Generic and all around WEIRD..

Usually, I just take a few bites and act pleased to get out of actually having the eat most of it.
I am sorry "local grocery store" but your cake is gross! (Pretty but gross)

Grocery Store Cakes = Gross
Cake Balls= Moist, delish , tasty and fun to make!

Found a vanilla white cake mix in my pantry and added a few drops of Wilton-color to turn it a lovely shade of "ultra-girly-pink".. Baked it off and scrambled the cooled cake like you would scrambled eggs. Added a can of cream cheese frosting and mixed until completely moist.
And this is what I created.......................mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Located these adorable damask-ish looking leftover valentine's day cupcake holders to cradle a few of my lil cake balls!

Decorated my adorable "ballz" with some of these multi-colored sprinkles. (Teal, Coral, Pink). I love these so much I could just eats these plain..

Cake balls rolled, dipped in colored white chocolate melters (Camera ate the pictures) Glazed, Dipped and sprinkled!

And you end up with this.........................................................Cake Ball Delight's

If I can make these then so can "YOU"...... Do yourself a favor and skip the grocery store cake and get to rollin'.....

Hello, My name is Ashley and I am a Latte-A-Holic

2010-03-17T18:57:00.000-07:00

Up at 5am while the sun is still sleeping.... Hubby is showering and getting ready for work and I need some motivation to stay out of my bed as soon as he walks out of the door.

One thing and One thing only could keep me
from retiring to my berkshire blankets..

Breakfast of Champions

Starbuck's Venti Nonfat Vanilla Latte

Made a run for some coffee this morning and returned home to check a few emails and catch up on a few blogs... Then my sweet tooth emerged and with a vengence.. ( I knew I should have ordered a slice of RF berry coffee cake at sbux) So I went to the kitchen and found this in the "wayback" of my fridge..

Stonyfield { Chocolate Underground Vanilla and Chocolate Yogurt}

This was sweeter than other yogo's I have consumed by this brand, but in this case of extreme sweet tooth craving hit the spot.. (please excuse the various ugly office decore-including the golf ball rack).

Anxiety......

2010-03-16T17:10:00.000-07:00

Found the cutest comforter set, sheets and lamps for our bedroom renovation.. Can't wait to post the pictures when it is finally complete..

I ended up going with a Margaret Muir Comforter set which I found at Marshall's (A swanky super clearanced outlet.. It is similar to this one but in shades of metallic grey, ocean blue and dark blue.

Came off my re-decorating high when I came home to a missed call from the Mattress Delivery Company.. Apparently, my mattress has grown legs and escaped from the delivery hub..!! It is G-O-N-E..

So we may be sleeping on the sofa and loveseat a little bit longer.. Needless to say... I HAVE NO appetite and won't be posting a delightful dinner tonight.

Hubby just requested a buffalo chicken sandwich for dinner because apparently he is s-t-a-r-v-i-n-g.. (Can't relate, I guess I lost my appetite when I spent 40 minutes on hold with the delivery company..

Lunch For Two?

2010-03-16T10:16:00.000-07:00

THIS HUNGRY AND INTIMIDATING "Furry-licious" thing was staring at me as I put together a little lunch for myself... or should I say us??

My Bowl Included:

Heart to Heart Kashi Crackers

Baby Carrots

Sabra Roasted Pine Nut Hummus

Furrylicious Bowl Included-Blue Buffalo Dog Food

Day Disclaimer: I am now off to go find a few things for my new bedroom collection. I must find a new set of King Sized Sheets, Mattress Pad and a few new pillows. Also, my husband just called and said he wants to buy a new computer for me this evening since mine decided to be plaqued by computer demons a few nights ago....

Not sure which to buy since my heart has been dearly set on a new Sony Vaio. However, my husband thinks we should just get a Toshiba... To be continued..... I may lose the fight on this one~

Yogurt Tuesday

2010-03-16T06:18:00.000-07:00

I am currently in the process of trying to switch over to a (.com).. As much as love Blogspot and its extremely easy formatting, I am finding that it lacks the capabilities I am looking for. However, in the process I plan to continue my food adventures on this site.

The morning came too early with the "Spring Ahead" time change and for some bizarre reason I was starving.. So before leaving to take the dog for a walk in the dark I had this..

Bluberry Oikos with some Oatmeal squares on top... This was ok but slightly dry with the oatmeal squares.. I hate to say this but ( I miss my Puffin Cereal) :(

NOTE TO SELF: Must pick up Barbara's Puffin Cereal during my normal grocery run. ( My Yogurt will thank me)

Under Construction

2010-03-04T20:12:00.000-08:00

Pardon Me...........................................While I update this website....
Good things are coming.........................SOON

When a snack becomes an addiction

2010-03-04T19:25:00.000-08:00

" Crack Bunnies"

These little delights should be labeled with a "Controlled Substance" Marker from the Food and Drug Administration. I started with a small bowl to snack on this evening while enjoying my coffee and somehow..

1/2 turned into 1 cup and 1cup turned into 3... I swear, I need Annie Cocoa Bunnie rehab right NOW!

Crunchy, Chocolately, Rich and Delish

Somehow while munching on these my mind got to wandering and I envisioned a bowl of vanilla ice-cream with these little crack bunnies all laying on top..

" I guess I have a sick sense of humor when it comes to food"

"GET YOU SOME"

Solitary Saturday

2010-02-27T07:02:00.000-08:00

Hubby left early this morning for a "GUY" day so needless to say ... "I wasn't invited", which is fine with me because I would much rather drink my dd iced latte in peace while watching my Food Network Saturday Specials. :)..

Duties for the Day are to include*********************

Finish making the "Bean Soup" I started yesterday and didn't complete

Continue working on my blog-makeover (clearly my blog needs some updated and a new header)

Take the pup over to grandma and grampa's (per their request)

Isn't she adorable? I know, I am partial to her cuteness only because she is my dog.. :)

Corazonas Heart Healthy Chips-Spicy Rio Habanero

2010-02-25T06:11:00.000-08:00

Corazona's "Spicy Rio Haberno All Natural Chips" - Also called the "Devil Chip"

"Information was found on the back of the bag"

Corazona's are the ONLY chips made with Plant Sterols-natural ingredients found in fruits, vegetbales and other plants that help lower chilesterol. It's clincially proven!

"Snack until your heart's content"

Review: I was a little bit horrified by the taste, flavor and over-all idea of this chip. First off, when I cracked open the bag I nearly passed out in my kitchen because of the strong odor of hot habanero pepper seasoning. Next, when I finally bit into a chip I thought instantly that this chip may work because of its similar "Kettle Chip" like crunchiness.. BOY was I wrong!

These were disgusting......To say the least

The seasoning on the chip was horribly overpowering, The chip tasted sweet-from the plant sterols they infused and hellaciously hot from the haberno seasoning they used to cover up the nasty taste from the sterols.

I would not recommend these chips to any of my friends but not because I think they are just down right disgusting. But, because I figure if you are going to consume chips which should be eaten in moderation you should at least enjoy them. YUCKO!

A secret Obsession

2010-02-25T05:58:00.000-08:00

I have a confession to make....I am addicted to Dunkin Donut's iced lattes :( .. This obsession started when I decided to take a last minute trip to DD instead of my 6 mile voyage to sbux for my normal iced beverage.. And to my suprise........ I found that this .......

A creamy and "oh so delish" iced beverage that I actually enjoyed.. A few other observations I made while I was waiting for my coffee were

DD exceptional speed of service which inlcuded getting each car in and out in about 30 seconds (this includes accepting form of payment, handing off beverages/donuts ect)

Friendly greeting which normally included the use of "Thank You for coming my Friend"

And a vast array of iced coffees, iced lattes, hot chocolates, breakfast sandwiches, donuts, muffins and bagels.

Now, I am not endorsing every day consumption of these calorically challenged foods on a day to day basis. But, I do think that for a treat once in awhile it wouldn't be so bad would it?

Superbowl Confusion

2010-02-08T06:21:00.000-08:00

(Favorite moment of the evening was Drew Brees winning MVP and showing his trophy to his wife Brittany and their 1 yr old son).. So Cute!

I woke up with a slight "superbowl snack-over".. Last night we over indulged in some of my most favorite snacks.. We had pizza, doritos (those florescent colored snacking chips we all love)

cheddar cheese rice cakes and spice cake...mmmmmm

And got to partake in a rather large football victory which kept my husbands "grumpiness" at bay. (he's a huge Saint's fan).. This may be my first year actually getting into the riga-maroll of the superbowl. Most years you may find me on the couch, with a book or gossip weekly magazine just snacking and waiting earnestly for the over-rated commercials..

Good snacks+Us Weekly+High Priced Advertising= A good time

However, for some most bizarre reason I found one common theme to this years highly anticipated ad space was a consistent theme of "men in their underwear".. I am a little appalled by this since the idea of seeing "men in briefs" in more than a half dozen commercials is not my idea of a good time.. And I am a bit confused by it... I guess you know the economy has put even limitations on multi-billion dollar companies ad space when you see they have clearly swapped a "Star power commercial for ordinary man-isms"

Man in underwear, Man drinks beer, Man likes woman and beer, Man drives fast car,

Man wants to be buried alive in doritios, Man runs through african wilderness in underwear to get coke from a snake infested refridgerator...

Very Very Intresting.. I spent nearly my entire evening trying to make sense of these,,

Please , Please , Please executive marketing directors give us some "Star Power" next year...

A List of Mention-ables

2010-02-04T08:34:00.000-08:00

I have been away from blogging the last few days because of some recent things going on.

My 27th birthday-which was the first birthday I refused to have my official number iced on the cake.

Day Away with the Hub's- entailed hanging out at a "fly-fishing expo" with a bunch of white collar men who had little to no sense of humor..

Two days being grounded to my office while preparing our 2009 taxes-minus the $300.00 accounting fee we always get charged when we decide to allow another seasonal/unprepared worker to do them for us.

Selecting, packaging and shipping a new "GLUTEN FREE LIFESTYLE CARE PACKAGE" for my mother who recently was diagnosed with Celiac's disease. *more on that later*

A new gym/assessment/routine applied for the upcoming year.

I have laid out all of my excuses.....and shall elaborate later when I have time to fully analyze the list I have prepared for myself.

Cristal Taste on a Michelob Income

2010-01-29T07:32:00.001-08:00

Going back to the "ink people" today to return my cartridge and put it towards a new one :( I am not happy about this because I hate the fact that I waste plastic everytime the thing has to be replaced. And with the hubby in grad school that is every few weeks.. :( I miss my old lexmark printer (the one that allowed me to drop the empty cartridge off at Walgreens to be refilled for only $9 dollars).. I guess I now have a love/ hate relationship with Cannon!

After that, I am headed to the "Factory Card Outlet" to pick up about 12 birthday cards for upcoming birthdays in the next two months. For some bizarre reason, I have an insane obsession with all things" Stationary" ~cards, monograms, return address labels, gift wrap~ and the only way to keep from going broke is to seize any oppurtunity I may have to buy these items at a discount. ~ie 49 cent cards, 75% off wrapping paper after the date of a holiday.

Although, I would much rather shop at my favorite specialty paper shops in downtown Chicago such as (Papyrus) to order everything ....LOL ,, what can I say , I clearly have " Cristal taste on a Michelob income"

Will post my eats of the day and anymore desirable merchandise I may have purchased later!
Happy Shopping......<3

Thursday Planning

2010-01-28T10:59:00.000-08:00

Today is going to be a busy day! This morning I was running around like a crazy person trying to find an ink cartridge for my new "Canon Mx330 Print, Copy, Scan" I went to 5 differant stores (Target, Office Depot, Staples, Walgreens) all to find out that the #210 blank ink I needed was offically "SOLD OUT"

Finally, I went to a specialized store here in town that I just knew would be able to just refill my old ink cartridge.. Walked in and sure enough they said it would be no problem but that I would have to wait about 10 minutes for the refill.

So I ran out to the car to grab this

Left with my ink cartridge and drove home..... Then found out it won't work!!! :( Now I have to go back, return the refilled one and pay for a new cartridge.. I hope my day gets better :(

A Coffee Romance Novel

2010-01-27T08:57:00.000-08:00

Casi Cielo- "oh how I love your rich taste and well rounded appeal, you tickle my tongue with an elegantly smooth kiss" You accentuate my half n half creamer and sometimes my Starbuck's vanilla syrup almost as well as my daily "Iced vanilla nonfat vanilla latte" ...

I will forever, as long as you shall remain in production look forward to the months of January-February when I can purchase your modernly wrapped 1 pound bag for $12.95..Take you home and throw you gracefully into my cuisanart bean grinder and sip you strategically while dipping my almond "Nonni's" vanilla biscotti in you.

~A kiss of Cielo- Now on sbux shelves near you~LOL

Fallen off the Bandwagon

2010-01-27T08:45:00.000-08:00

I didn't post yesterday as I had intended too.. While cleaning out my junk drawer I found my weight watchers food journal and very sadly realized the last dated entry ( December 3rd, 2009).

It has been that long since I have tracked, followed or complied with my so called New and Improved lifestyle and I am not happy about it .

So this morning, after seeing a post on a fellow Weight Watcher Genius "HEATHERs" website...weightwatcherchick.com ... I realized I am guilty of the following excuses...

*Failure to comply with mandated ww journaling

*Decreased enthusiasm for the ww program

*Lack of motivation to excersize

*Continious excuses for "not weighing or using measuring cups to ensure portion control"

*Lack luster approach to overall goal attainment "stop eating junk, follow plan, increase fitness"

This was all prompted by the creation of her video which goes on to talk about what has helped her stay on plan. I am not going to outline her video and if you want to see it you will have to take yourself directly to her site!~

Today is my wake up call... I haven't been honest with myself for a very long time about this journey I started pre-summer of last year. NO MORE EXCUSES!! The holiday's are officially over and even though I used the term "holiday eating" as inappropriate verbage for my lack of accountability.. The buck must stop here~

Are you suffering from "Winter-itis?"

2010-01-25T18:46:00.000-08:00

I think I may be suffering from Winter-itis... This is a highly common disorder that may cause the following symptoms.

Irritability towards husbands who want to hog the tv and watch endless hours of pre-superbowl football.

Suffering from a lack luster approach to household cleaning this may include but is not limited to (overflowing sink full of dishes, overloaded dishwasher, carpets with 4 inches of dirt or your entire supply of clothing still hanging out in the hamper.

Instead of 8 glasses of water- you supplement with 8 cups of coffee in an attempt to motivate yourself to do something!

You consider yourself to be a morning person because you get out of bed before 11

You tell others your refridge has an "open door policy" because you are constantly looking for snacks to distract from the fact that it is cold, wet, snowy and just plain ol' miserable outside.

Please note : Winter-itis is not a true condition and cannot be confused with seasonal affect disorder.

Afternoon of Baking Synergy

2010-01-25T16:16:00.000-08:00

I recently graduated from Purdue with a Marketing degree and have found myself unemployed :(.... So to pass the time this afternoon while waiting for a phone interview (a marketing agency position). I decided to pull out the kitchen aid mixer and make some pumpkin flax seed muffins. THEY WERE DELISH and very hard to resist just eating one.

Pumpkin Flax Muffins

Wet Ingredients
1 cup (pumpkin,banana,apple puree)
½ cup of vanilla yogurt
2 Eggs

Dry Ingredients
¾ cup bran or mill’s mix
¾ cup flour (whole wheat, white ect)
2 tablespoons flaxseeds
¾ sugar or equivalent in honey
2 tablespoons pumpkin pie seasoning
½ teaspoon salt

Mix fruit, yogurt and eggs together. Sift whole wheat flower, add flax seeds, bran, honey and seasonings together.
Fill muffins to 3/4th’s capacity
Bake at 375 for 15 minutes or until tester comes out clean
Enjoy :)

*Muffin Disclaimer*: Make muffins and place on a beautiful platter. But refrain from telling your husband, kids or family members they contain fiber and may be healthy!

Starbucks Vanilla Rooibos Tea Latte

2010-01-25T08:57:00.000-08:00

Vanilla Rooibos Tea Latte-

I savored a delish Vanilla Rooibos Tea latte per my mothers request.. After some hesitation I finally tried it and actually surpised myself "I LOVE IT"..

The tea was smooth, well rounded and had a slight hint of vanilla that was utterly tasty and not too artificial tasting. I did get a nonfat steamed topper with it but would love to try this tea with some steamed almond breeze on top.

I would recommend this tea to anyone who is a tea-aholic or beginner.. This is a big winner in my book! yummmmmmmmmmm

No more sick days.....

2010-01-25T08:42:00.000-08:00

Sorry about the "no posts" lately, I have been very sick with a cold that seems to not want to leave my body.. :( And I have been stuck with (no energy, coughing, sneezing, body aches, crankiness, stuffy head) which has not allowed me to enjoy blogging.

But since I was sick, I had plenty of time to reorganize my photo albums and stumbled over a photo that made me smile.

Me before starting college... Apparently standing in front of a very messy background..

...

I remember the pre college days that were filled with over-indulging in full fat espresso drinks and late night munchies at Jack n the box.. :)

Sunday...That's my fun day

2010-01-17T18:51:00.000-08:00

Sunday mornings are suppose to be all about sleeping in and enjoying a hearty breakfast. However, this morning did not start out like that because........ just as I was about to take in another hour of "sweet sweet sunday sleep", I hear the rustling amongst the kitchen cabinets and the so familiar voice coming from our 42 inch flat screen tv. NO REST FOR the sleepyhead!! My hubby was up and so was Bay and I walked out of my room to find this-

My adorable Bailey sleeping on the corner of our sage colored couch looking at me wondering just why the heck I was out of bed so early on a darn Sunday morning. Is it possible to ask for a Sunday morning replay? Or do I have to wait until next week before I can have a do-over? Anyways, I realized my "REM sleep" had already been disrupted and it was far too late to consider crawling back into the warm bed that was quietly beckoning me to comeback.

And BTW..dosen't it appear that my dearest malshi seems to be sporting a rather modern looking mohawk?

All I have to say is that there better be an iced venti nonfat vanilla latte with my name on it because I could be a potential threat if I don't get some coffee in me ASAP>

On Healthy Hiatus

2010-01-16T17:39:00.000-08:00

It has been far to long my friend,

After suffering from a camera and pc crash in the middle of September, I found myself not able to post for lack of proper equipment. Yes, it has taken nearly five months to replace the casualties from the equipment crash. :( All I can say is "I am back and ready to start blogging again".

Count this as my official "BLOG COMEBACK"! I am back and back with a vengence! I am going to kick the semi un-healthy habits in the tush...

The best is yet to come my friends................

It's officially FALL!

2009-09-28T14:49:00.000-07:00

Summer is over....
And here in Chicago land we have very little to look forward too except the turning of leaves, brisk airy bursts and piles of snow...

Since trying my oatmeal a few weeks back per suggestions from a few other bloggers I seem to follow everyday, I have found myself to be a new "Oatmeal Girl" the crazy thing is... I love to come up with new oatmeal recipes so this morning I decided on this...

My new morning pleasure

" Steel cut oats, ground flax seeds, honey, almond breeze, a scoop of better n peanut butter and a small scoop of low sugar jelly.. " This combo had me singing " Peanut, Peanut Butter n Jelly" LOL

Errand running took longer than expected so when I got home at 2 I was starvvvvviiiinnnnngg..I decided to make a turkey, sprout, and artichoke cream cheese bagel with a side of healthy harvest "granny smith applesauce"

"Oh My Pumpkin Pie" OATS

2009-09-06T09:59:00.000-07:00

I came home ravenous and decided to finish off leftover pumpkin pie spice oatmeal and a Peach Stonyfield Organic yogo....DELISH

I rode a total of 31 miles this weekend... I can't beleive that ..... I rode a total of 31 miles... This was a pic of my new trek pace tracker wireless ........... I <3 this

Well, I am trying my best to blog about everything I eat in addition to keeping track of it in my weight watchers pocket book.. After following many other health food bloggers I finally cracked this morning and decided to make the infamous PUMPKIN SPICE OATMEAL

I was a little unsure about mixing all of the ingredients together for this mixture

However, what I ended up with both suprised and delighted me

Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal

So in the pan went a few key ingrediants quick cooking oats, canned pumpkin, water

Pumpkin pie seasoning, ground flax seeds and some local honey

and I topped this delish substance with some skim milk (only because I have yet to purchase almond breeze because I am fearful of anything tasting like almonds. :(

I know feel satisfied after only one serving and see that a meal like this could very well be a fine and far more substitute for my fall like daily consumption of PSL "Pumpkin Spice Latte" which more health benefits.. Yippee,,,

Well I am off for a 20 mile bike ride this morning and will have every oppurtunity to burn off my carb loading splendor! Happy Oats!

A Greek Sensation..... for $ 5.00

2009-09-05T19:00:00.000-07:00

Stayed in tonight and decided to make some greek food a la budget... Come on people we are in a recession right now and the thought of spending 45.00 dollars on so / so food is just not something I want to do...

Made some delish sauce with some organic tomatoes, onions, kalamata olives, feta cheese and some countertop merlot. Also, some cherry tomatoes, english cukes, red onion and some greek yogo... My hubby was munching this as I was making it... it went over really really well....

MIGRAINE ANNIVERSARY

2009-09-03T13:18:00.000-07:00

Today is my 3 yr wedding anniversary to the love of my life John..... I was hoping to spend the entire day with him since I strongly think the day should be completely devoted to "US".. But life goes on and so does work, classes and prepping for his 28th birthday for tomorrow.

Among the hussle and bussle of this mild day, I decided that I needed to pick up a few groceries (just a few odds and ends).. Stop at a local discount retailer (my new obsession for designer duds on a budget). And as I was nearing a stop at sbux for the famed "PSL " Pumpkin Spice Latte~ when I was struck with a horrible MIGRAINE! Not today , Not on my anniversary! This is not a good thing since I fully intend on sipping some of my barefoot bubbly when I get home from class today.............Headache please go away!

Here is a pic from our anniversary 6 yrs ago when we met!

3 Yr Anniversary gift that keeps on GIVING

2009-09-02T14:31:00.000-07:00

Excuse the Mess- My hubby's fishing stuff abounds

On Friday will be our 3yr wedding anniversary and I will not be receiving a gift ! Because my sweet hubby already bought me "THIS" a 2009 Trek Hybrid Bike with all of the bells and whistles.. The funny thing is when I thought about a bike I just thought I could wander into any ol' store and buy one for a few hundred dollars.... "Oh no !" It seems there is alot more to look for when purchasing a bike ...

Here were a few things my hubby told me to consider

The height and profile of the cross bar as I am 5'1

The componentry such as (gear shifters, tires, seat ect)

Warranty

Wheels & Pump

*he even mentioned to consider regulating your pedal stroke* This was all from a man who takes biking seriously and is more into serious "manly roadbiking" than just riding to the breeze.

So needless to say, I did get the bike of my dreams and am soo happy I listen to his recomendations.

Thanks Hubby <3

And YES I will be taking this out for a ride tonight

The Baking Continues ..... PUMPKIN......mmmmm

2009-09-02T14:26:00.000-07:00

Woke up this morning with a baking bug..... BAKE BAKE BAKE.... This better mean that I am getting on my bike tonight for at least a 1 hour... My stomach aches of the thought of counting all of the calories I have consumed while mixing a little bit of this and a little bit of that..

To be continued........................................................recipe for this delish and moist pun-kin- bread as my younger neice calls it!! But for now I will post a picture to make all 4 of my bloggers salivate!

Baking For the Birthday

2009-09-02T14:18:00.000-07:00

Today I BAKEd

My hubby requested a German Chocolate Cake for his birthday and since I am soooo against store bought cakes (simply because I think when you buy a cake from the grocery who knows what could be in it)... So I decided to make a 3 layer chocolate mousse / traditional german chocolate filling cake...

3 1/3 hours later............the cake was complete and so was my excitement for him to see it on Friday.. Now if I could just figure out where to stash this darn thing..

Notice the Bears Helmet on the top.... "what can I say we live in Chicago and should you be suprised we are avid Bears Fans"

Lets Play Catch Up.....Can We????

2009-09-01T18:27:00.001-07:00

I have been away far-rrrrrrrr-rrrr tooo long... I have no excuses accept for maybe something called "end of the summer lethargy"... LOL Even though I haven't posted anything on my site I have and do frequent others blogs and just get such a kick out of some of them..

In fact....... Some of the blogs I frequent have encouraged me to try some differant things I wouldn't normally try...

Almond Breeze.. I did buy this sweetened

Flax Seeds for homemade granola bars.... Yum

Oikos Greek Yogurt :because I had a coupon from my Stonyfields

Green Monster....MORE ON THAT LATER

So thank you to the long list of bloggers who have created my interest.... the awards go to

Embracing Balance

Oh She Glows

Angie All the Way

Carrots N Cake

Eat Run Live

Jessissinging

Hangry Pants

Healthy Tipping Point

And if I left out any others I am truly sorry....but thanks for your daily blogging it inspires us all...

I scored when I found this delish box of ( honey almond flax seed lowfat granola) I purchased

this little gem from a big lots store here in Chicagoland..... If there is one thing I have learned since trying to integrate some healthy changes to my diet it is that you CAN find lowfat and healthy foods on a budget..

I took about a half cup of this new cereal and combined it with some Stonyfield organice vanilla yogo and a half of leftover banana and what I ended up with was PURE BLISS..

The Reason for my Ramblings

2009-08-25T18:43:00.000-07:00

Its Tuesday and for some reason I am feeling super lethargic.. Despite my grumpy and lazy condition, I did manage to get a few things done around the house... By 5:30 as I started to desire some more coffee I thought I would try something new.. ... Let me explain a little more..

For the last 1 1/2 I have been laid off from my previous job at a luxury clothing shop. As I am nearing the finishing line of receiving my BA in Marketing I know that the job market is very limited. So all of my summer has been spent mostly knocking around the house a bit , reading some pretty horrible novels and eating.. Also because I have little to no reason to get up early in the morning, I find that most nights I fight to get myself into bed by 1 am. YEs you read that correctly "1 am"... So as the summer is winding down and I am now realizing that I simply accomplished nothing this summer and have little energy that something needs to be changed. In doing so I made the switch to a healthier eating lifestyle... So below are a few changes that I hope to make within my own household.

1. Finding ways to get at least 1 hour of exersize

2. Breaking in my new Trek hybrid bike

3. No more high fructose, fillers, mono-trigiclerides, xanthan gum, JUNK in my house

3. Getting my recomended amout of veggies and fruits daily

4. Trying to buy organic whenever possible

5. Lower my caffiene intake in the evening

6. Find my old yoga mat and use the darn thing

7. DRINK 8 Glasses of water a day

So with that said...... I am instituting some SERIOUS changes which I know will not always be easy, fun or convienent. " But I will make it work"

Dinner for 1 ...............a lonely one

2009-08-24T19:31:00.000-07:00

Hubby is running late because he decided to play in a work golf outing :(..... I guess this means "I" have full reign of the dinner selection.. After glancing into my pantry I noticed a small casualty left from a previous meal " GREAT NORTHERN BEANS" and suddenly I was struck with some sort of health food empowerment that made me think ' BIG ASS SALAD" taken from "Embracing Balance Blog" I guess all of the time watching her make such delish salads has made me think I should also try to make my own "big ass salad ashley style"

So my salad included

Leftover mixed salad with Iceberg lettuce "which is leftover"

Salad Disclaimer*normally I would only be eating mixed greens, romaine, italian mix*

Black Olives

Soy mixed Cheese

Whole Wheat Pita - which I grilled with FF olive spray

Great Northern Beans which I sauteed with some seasonings

This was soo filling I actually wasn't able to eat the entire thing

Struck by the hungry bug

2009-08-24T19:22:00.000-07:00

We made it to starbucks and I ordered my typical Iced Grande Nonfat Vanilla Latte and I received a Iced Grande "FULL FAT" Vanilla Latte..... Thats ok at least Sbux has switch its traditional milk lattes from Whole Milk to less fatty 2% .... I sipped my latte in the car and crunched on one of my fav Kashi Caramel Chocolate Bar

MONDAY ....I want me some CARBS!

2009-08-24T18:43:00.000-07:00

Ok...... ok.... So as of now I have "2" followers... I had orginally thought I would have far more than 2 follower/ bloggers by now.. but that won't change the fact that I have enjoyed blogging about my daily summer eats...

So this morning as I was leaving to run a few errands, my doggie slowly made her way to the front door when she overheard me telling my husband on the phone that I was leaving to do a sbux run.. "Yes my 4 1/2 yr old lil pup fully understands coffee lingo and as most people would say that dogs are like their owners I truly can't say I am suprised. So instead of my originally planned trip to cage the dog and do a few errands, I gave in and took the puppy with me..

On the way to Starbucks "Miss Bailey" decided she wanted to investigate outside of the Camry for a bit.... weeeeeeeeee

FUN FUN FUN FUN FUN

FIXINGS for a $4.00 Dollar Daily Savings

2009-08-21T21:02:00.000-07:00

Today while taking my routine trip to the nearest coffee shop which shall remain nameless.. (as I am not wanting any lawsuits) ....HA

While waiting for the norm... An iced grande nonfat vanilla latte ..... I stumbled upon some evidence... Yes I know what you are thinking ???? What evidence Ashley???

Evidence of the missing latte syrups.... Which clearly separates the home making latte people from the $4.00+ dollar latte making people..

They do sell vanilla, caramel, hazelnut and a certainly delightful caramel sauce used for making that frothy caramel drink we all love... !!! Of course these products are stashed on the very bottom shelf facing the wall ( only to be un-noticed as though it may be midwest contraband) HAHA now if I could just get my hands on one of those new delonghi machines and I could save the debit card about $1200.00 dollars a yr...

Oatmeal Raisin Crazy Cookies for the MIL & FIL

2009-08-21T20:45:00.000-07:00

Catching up on a few old posts... I guess you realize how much you have missed when you see all of your photos piling up without being posted.... :( .... Here are a few things that were used to make some delish homemade oatmeal raisin cookies.. P.S.... Hubby said they were extra delish because of my secret tip... But I shall share that only with my bloggers .........................

I soak the raisins overnight in ff milk so they maintain a juicy and delish texture.... Will Post pics of the final product in the Am....

2009-08-21T20:17:00.000-07:00

Cascadian Farm Organics ~ Flax right Harvest Spice Crunchy Granola Bar

Rating ***** / 5 stars

Delish and crunchy with a fall like pumpkin-y essence if that is a word.. Strong resemblence to another crunchy granola bar I have purchased in the past without the "organic label" and minus the high fructose corn syrup..

Worth the try if you are looking for a little fall in your summer!

2009-08-21T19:26:00.000-07:00

At 2 I realized I should probably make something to eat lunch since I had a light breakfast of yogo, cereal and some strawberries.. As I thought about sitting in my house during a beautifully light summer day... It dawned on me " take my pc, food, starbucks and my furbaby outside on the balcony for a little downtime..

Sorry about the bad picture... On my plate some scrambled lean turkey meat and some "great northern beans" ... Can't have a lunch without some seasoning

2009-08-21T19:22:00.000-07:00

When I managed to get my rear out of bed this morning.... I had this for breakfast

Kashi Go Lean Cereal 1/2 cup of this delish blend

Chopped Organic Strawberries from the local farmers market

Organic vanilla yogo served in one of my coffee mugs for appeal

" Stop Drooling you know you want this "

On Food Blogger's Sabatical

2009-08-21T18:54:00.000-07:00

Yeah, I know I have been away from my rather endearing food blog for awhile now.. What can I say " Spending my summer doing fun things outside seems to always occupy the very few chicago summer hours".

TA DA..........................Although I have been away on what I like to call my "Summer Food Bloggers Sabatical" I have a few things to report...

1. I am still following my new healthy lifestyle (leaving the word "DIET" exempt from this post

2. I did manage to get onto my bike a few times already which may mean that my $600.00 dollar madatory Trek Bike purchase was not in vain.

3. After a few trips to the grocery store, I am not able to shop with ease and am finally not considering some of the things I once would have put into my cart...

So with all things considered my goal within the next 2 months is simply to continue this healthy food journey as well as aquire a few additional followers to my blogging sanctuary... hehe

Homemade Organic Strawberry Freezer Jam

2009-07-11T21:17:00.000-07:00

Hello All~

Tonight I decided to make some homemade organic strawberry jam... I love this recipe because it is so simple yet yields the most tasty homemade jam around. Besides who wants to eat bottle jam from the grocery that might have (preservatives, additives, refined & high fructose sugars as well as things we can't even pronounce) So below I have posted my simple freezer jam which is good for up to 3 weeks held in refrige or up to 1 yr in the freezer.. Hint.... Jam will not freeze entirely and get hard to scoop due to the fruit pectin..

Organic Strawberry Freezer Jam

4 cups mashed Organic Strawberries

1 1/2 cups sugar or splenda ( 2 tablespoons of sugar jam equal 2 pts/2 tablespoons of splenda made jam equal 1 pt.

1 Package of Freezer Jam fruit pectin

Late Night Munchies on WW

2009-07-08T22:34:00.000-07:00

Hello... This blog post comes at exactly 12:38 this evening.... I am up and thinking about what could be delish in the kitchen... There is only one small problem " I don't have any points left to spare".. Hmmm... is it possible to find a 0 pts food around here without considering raiding the veggie drawer?

Can I get filled up on Raspberry Crystal light or Diet Cola.? Well this wasn't exactly poor planning on my part. You see... I woke up this morning and consumed my normal sbux latte (which is worth mentioning because it always soo delish) and my Go Lean bar.. Then later this afternoon while cooking a "southern style dinner for my husband I found myself nibbling on a little bit of cornbread, and then a few bites of bbq boneless ribs and I don't know how many scoops of potatoes.. And it made me realize... " HOW LONG HAVE I BEEN DOING THIS .. I am munching just to munch and calculating my total calories today. The only discouraging point was that by dinner time I was almost positive that I even though I didn't count my points I more than likely exceeded my limit.. So tonight I will sit here and deal with restless hunger sydrome and hope that only tomorrow I will not make this bad decision again...

Good Night ,

Ash

Sunday Nights Delish Dinner

2009-07-06T14:59:00.000-07:00

I said I would post lastnights dinner recipe which was absolutely delish ( high fiber penne pasta, with 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, mushrooms & Asparagus & Low cal chicken parma with skimmed mozz and egg beaters.

If you are interested in a recipe let me know. Enjoy! 7 pt dinner but well worth it!

YOU CAN SAVE MONEY SHOPPING HEALTHY

2009-07-06T11:13:00.001-07:00

So I just got home from shopping at the grocery store and had a wild experience... Let me explain why! I just realized the other day that I can start saving money on the healthier versions of some of the foods I already love... A good way to do this is by logging on to a few coupon websites as well as your the manufacturers website.. So anyways back to the story ~ You would not beleive the stare I received from the lady who was standing behind me and waiting to be helped by the cashier. I kindly smiled back and took out my stack of coupons which I knew would only help to lower my total. Yes I did save money a total of $41.32 to be exact and it was fully worth the glares I received at the checkout counter.. Below I created a list of items that I purchased to stay on plan as well as saved money on.

Arnold Sandwich Thins

Special K crackers (90 Calories)

Kashi Go Lean Cereal

4 golden delish apples

Cucumbers

Green Peppers

Red Onion

Roma tomatoes

Cilantro

Ground Turkey Meat

Chicken Breasts without skin

Sugar Free Rice Pudding

Sugar Free Jello Box

Mozzarella Ball skimmed

Of course this wasnt all of the items I purchased.. However, the list would cover my entire page so I decided not to post it all. Hope you enjoy~

2009-06-29T20:56:00.000-07:00

Me now (on left) and needing a change

Old Me ~ At goal weight

So here are a few pics that show why I am choosing to make some serious changes. It is time I get back on plan and start on the WW journey again!

2009-06-29T20:49:00.000-07:00

Ok ... So today went well sticking to the plan. I am posting my meals today below just to show you some of the things I ate today.. I had class tonight but prepared for it by packing my lunch this morning so I could just grab it and head out of the door at 5 pm.

Breakfast

Starbucks Latte
1cup egg beater omelet with veggies

Lunch
2 slices of healthy life low calorie bread
1 tablespoon Better n peanut butter spread
1 tablespoon low sugar apricot spread
No sugar Iced Tea

Snack
100 calorie oreo bar - which was 2 pts but well worth it
half of my apple sliced

Dinner
Chipotle chicken wrap with low calorie wrap
sliced onions & green peppers

1 coffee with fat free hazelnut cream`

So I think it is important to mention that I had a huge craving at school tonight but avoided the vending machines entirely. Instead, I snacked on my pre sliced apple slices and oreo bar..

Below please find a picture of my sandwich fixings

Enjoy!

Modern Meals Made Low Fat

2009-06-27T22:27:00.000-07:00

First Time Blogger

2009-06-27T22:21:00.001-07:00

Well! All I have to say is "Finally" it has been weeks of searching online blogs for inspiration for my own personal journey. What you may ask? A new healthy journey as I find a way to cook myself thin again. Before I begin my Blog I think its important to introduce myself.

I have slowly managed to pack on some pounds since I first met my husband 7 yrs ago. Before meeting him I was thoughtful about what I ate and made a consistent effort to make wholesome choices. One move, endless bachelorette course hours, endless retail job stress and adjusting to married life has not been so easy on my waistline. Well tonight at 12:3o I am officially saying "enough is enough". The last few years worth of making poor food decisions will stop today!