Didn't live up to the hype!

Do you ever look forward to a meal... I mean, REALLY REALLY look forward to a meal? I was excited about dinner tonight, but it was missing something.

Spinach and mushrooms sauteed in garlic and olive oil, topped with garlic & herb goat cheese and grilled chicken. On the side, spicy sweet potato fries. I could eat those all day long! :)



Dessert?

HERMITS! Newman's Own Organics chewy soft molasses raisin cookies. I wub these. I finished off the bag tonight. *sniff sniff* I didn't see them at my local store, but I am definitely keeping and eye out for them. I love brown sugar, molasses, sorghum... that kinda sweet sticky stuff. I guess it's the Southern in me.



Yum!



Come clooooooserrrrr



They are calorie dense per cookie, but they are packed with flavor and goodness. I try to limit myself to two in one sitting.

False Start

Leave it to me to not jump into my challenge as strong as I would have liked. I woke up this morning at 3:36... not because I was gung ho and ready for cardio, but because something had my guts twisted and up in my throat. I ran for the restroom, spewing my guts out. WTF?! Who does that? I laid in bed until it was time to get ready for work... cold and sweating, the room spinning, all while taking occasional breaks to stare into the porcelain god. Nice. I'm fine now. SO BIZARRE! I don't know if it was something I ate or a bug. I have been sick a LOT since prep. I need to get my immune system up! I think that gaining some weight probably wouldn't hurt.

So... my challenge is off to a rough start. I have updated my weekly schedule to reflect my lackluster start. LOL! It's all good. I think this may work out better anyways. ;)

Is your week off to a great start?! I hope so!

Menu Planning Monday - No Leftovers!

Anyone else sick of turkey?! I know I am!

This week I went to the grocery store without a shopping list or any idea of what I was cooking. Dangerous! We were also quite low on many essentials. Oh well, such is life!

Monday: chicken breast; sautéed mushrooms and spinach topped with garlic & herb goat cheese; sweet potato wedges

Tuesday: beef & broccoli over brown rice

Wednesday: chicken & brown rice soup (crockpot - using leftover chicken and brown rice); I may make some fresh spelt rolls to go along with it, depending on if I am completely exhausted.

Thursday: oven fried pork topped with chipotle gouda; asparagus; baked potato

Friday: spaghetti on whole wheat pasta (hubby) or corn pasta (me!)

Saturday: venison stew; cornbread

Sunday: homemade pizza - recipe to be determined :)

For more menu ideas, hop on over to I'm and Organizing Junkie's Menu Planning Monday!

2009 Holiday Challenge - Day 1

It's HEEEeeeeere! Are you Crazy Cool Cats ready to reel yourselves in from the gluttony that is Thanksgiving? I know I am.

Do you have your daily or weekly goals ready? No? Get to them!

“Failing to plan is planning to fail.” - Alan Lakein

How's that for today's motto? :)

Today I will:

1. Eat whole, unprocessed foods
2. Lift (heavy legs day!)
3. Cardio -- nothing strenuous, but I have to get this body moving!
4. Drink 1.5 gallons of water

My tentative plan for the week can be found below. I have learned to not be a stickler with my plans. Life happens and you have to be able to roll with it if you want to succeed.

Week 1

Sunday:

(AM) Off

(PM) Legs (booty concentration!)

Monday:

(AM) Off

(PM) abs; yoga

Tuesday:

(AM) 30:00 cardio - warm-up 5:00 + alternate run 2:00/walk 3:00 for 25:00;

(PM) Chest/Shoulders; stretch

Wednesday:

(AM) Pilates; Calves

(PM) Bis & Tris; stretch

Thursday:

(AM) 30:00 cardio - warm-up 5:00 + alternate run 2:00/walk 3:00 for 25:00;

(PM) Yoga

Friday

(AM) Off

(PM) Back; Stretch

Saturday

(AM) 40:00 cardio - warm-up 5:00 + alternate run 2:00/walk 3:00 for 35:00; Calves

(PM) Abs & Calves; stretch

At first glance it looks like I may be hitting it a little too hard. I do not want to overtrain. I will pay close attention to how I feel. Since I am not dieting, I should have plenty of food to recover. We'll see! Also, this week is a little different. I usually have Sundays as complete rest days, but due to the holidays, I have had plenty of those. ;)

What are your daily and weekly goals?

When I met Sally

Words are not coming to me today. I must be in a food coma.

Dinner has been served. I have eaten at least four times my bodyweight. It only sounds like a lot. I don't weigh much. Bwah! I am sitting here unwinding with my dad, father-in-law, mother-in-law, husband, and a glass of my favorite egg nog... Evan Williams pre-mixed is where it's at. I think this is the fourth (or fifth?) open bottle in 24 hours. The men have been throwing it down the hatch. They made me go out late last night to restock. I am having my first glass of the day! FABULOUS!

My belly has been full and happy today. Yesterday my belly was happy as well... because I ate a little too many Newman's Own Organics goodies. Oopsy!

I came home on Tuesday to a shaved cat and a box full of Newman's Own Organics. Oh boy!

Miss Kitty approves!



How stinking cute is she? I love my cuddly kitty!

Kissy kissy!



I totally look alien-ish in this pic! It does not look like me at all!

ANYWAYS! Back to Newman's Own Organics!

Sally from NOO was kind enough to send me a box of goodies. Thanks Sally! I must also say that Sally is one of those people you just like to get email from. There is just something about her. So, Sally, if you are reading this, thanks for the goodies, and thank you for being you!

Oh yeah, I am easily sidetracked today... back to the review. ;)

As I was unpacking the bounty, I heard a *RIP* then a *CRUNCH*... Seth had already found his way into a bag of soy crisps. I told him that if he was gonna eat the WHOLE bag, he was gonna have to write the review. I had a couple crisps, but I foresee a Seth guest post in the future! LOL!

What did I find that caught my attention?! Oh. My. Goodness. You MUST try Newman's Own Organics Mint Creme Filled Chocolate Cookies. MUST. These little guys are perfect! Seriously! It's like an Oreo made with wholesome ingredients, and they punched the flavor up a notch with mint goodness. Hint-O-Mint is RIGHT!!! These Newman-O's have made me a customer for like -- no joke!



Let's take a look at the label:



Guys, please remember, THIS IS A COOKIE. This is a treat. So what if it doesn't have the nutritional breakdown of 100g of celery and a side of boiled chicken breast? It's a COOKIE. LOL! I'm cool with the macronutrients on these. I can work them into my meal plan. I like that I get two cookies in a serving, and the sugar content is not crazy crazy high. There a many protein bars out there with more than 10g of sugar per serving.

Mmmmm coookies.



I can't wait to tell you about the other Newman's Own Organics products I have tried. They have been fabulous, and, if you are a mint chocolate fan like me, then these are sure to please!

You can find out more about Newman-Os here.

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! :)

2009 Holiday Challenge

Sleighbells ring, are ya listenin'?

In the gym, sweaty guys are whistlin'.

It's a beautiful sight;

Our guts our still tight.

Walkin' in a winter wonderland.

Bet ya'll didn't know I was such a lyricist, huh? LOL! I crack myself up sometimes. :P

Today work has been AWESOMEnot. *channeling Borat* I still do not know if I have Friday off. I guess I will find out as I leave. Have I mentioned that I love my jobnot? Obviously, it is causing my brain to turn to mush.

ON WITH THE CHALLENGE!

I have decided that going sugar free and sugar-free free was not for me. I refuse to live this holiday season depriving myself of things I want. I love my sweets. I can be more mindful and not eat as much! And I can choose my sweets wisely, like sticking to natural sweet goodies like SUGAR (damn right I said sugar) and stevia... honey... etc. I don't do well with rules like "no sugar" or "no sweetener" or "no white shoes after Labor Day" because it makes me want those things.

Another reason I chose not to do the sugar-free challenge is I plan on starting prep January 1st. I will be limiting that stuff plenty then. You all are more then welcome to do this challenge, and if ya do, please keep me posted! :)

What challenge am I doing?!!

On the food front:

I'm going to start READING LABELS. HAHA! Sounds lame, huh? Well, as I was ingesting some "healthy" food, I was thinking about all the narsty chemicals I was putting into my body. Now, I'm not one to knock things. I really do believe most things are okay in moderation, but I am going to use this challenge to FUEL MY BODY with GOODNESS, not chemicals and processed crap. I want to get myself reacquainted with label reading. I always read the nutrition facts, but I just mindlessly look at the ingredients... I guess in hopes that by simply looking and not reading the list, my brain will absorb the information. So far it hasn't worked. So, I'm saying no to high fructose corn syrup, aspartame and the like, and any other ingredient that resembles this: kafjpieprmapkp. This is a bit contradictory because I am making a rule, but when do you seriously crave... uhm... Yellow Dye #5? That's what I thought.

On the fitness front:

I will DO SOMETHING I'VE ALWAYS WANTED to do!

I wish I was a little bit taller, I wish I was a baller, I wish I had a girl that looked good, I would call her... okay, maybe that last little bit isn't true.

What do I wish? Well, I've always wanted to be better at endurance! I also want to be a nimble little yogini. I have the little part down. LOL! And, Hell, let's be frank, I also want a nice set of abs. I want to be able to lift up my shirt, take a picture, send it to my friend and say Becca, I HAZ ABZ, knowing that she would understand. Because I am that lame awesome.

So, I will:

1. Begin a run/walk program... again.

2. Practice yoga 1-3 times a week

3. Do abs 2 times a week (probably pilates once and one ab workout at the gym)

Now, I CHALLENGE YOU to pick things you have always wanted to do, or set your mind on certain goals you want to achieve, and GROW SOME STINKIN' CAJONES and just go for it!! What's stopping you?

You may also steal my challenge and do exactly what I am doing. :o)

So, what's everyone gonna do to better themselves this holiday season?

Weak Week

Shooo. I feel like a GIRL at the gym this week. :-D I am glad to be back on track, though. Hopefully this little holiday we have sneaking up on us won't be too detrimental to my progress. I've jam-packed this week w/ weights so I should be done by tomorrow! It's times like this that planning ahead really pays off.

Anyways, I wanted to post yet another Oikos review!! I love LOVE this stuff, and now I have had the chance to try every flavor. My favorite is easily the Fruit on the Bottom variety. Strawberry is my fav, then blueberry. This is surprising because usually I'm a blueberry kinda gal.





How can you NOT love all that strawberry goodness?

The nutrition facts aren't too shabby either. (I would post a pic here, but my pic is blurry! LOL!)

HOLIDAY CHALLENGE

I have had a lot of people comment, email, IM, etc. me about the possibility of a holiday challenge. It looks like a healthy split between something like a sugar-free challenge and a workout challenge. I think a combo may be in order!

I will post the details BEFORE Thanksgiving so that we can get all of our ducks in a row! :)

Menu Planning Monday - Cleaning out the fridge!

Oof! I have been a busy bee this morning. I must get organized. I keep thinking of blogging ideas that slip my mind. I just can't find time to write.





The name of the game this week is CLEANING OUT THE FRIDGE! Gotta make room for the Thanksgiving feast and leftovers.

Monday: Spaghetti w/ a lean ground turkey and lean ground Italian turkey sausage combo, whole wheat noodles for the hubby and corn noodles for me, crushed tomatoes as a sauce base... hope it's good. I have never used crushed tomatoes and seasoning only for a sauce.

Tuesday: Sweet & sour pork stir-fry w/ brown rice (homemade sauce using sugar-free preserves... Jamie Eason tweeted about this the other day, and I want to try it out! :) )

Wednesday: Tuna salad on Ezekiel bread for me, white bread for the hubs. I want to keep the ovens and stove tops FREE this day because I will be preparing so much food for Thanksgiving day.

Thursday: Uhm, turkey, what else? :P

The rest of the week is a toss up! We will be on the road. I don't know what food will be served. I'm going to adopt the Body for Life mentality while traveling -- protein the size of your palm, carbs the size of a fist, and the rest vegetables. I doubt I will stick to it 100%, but it's all good.

Are you looking for more menu ideas? Check out Menu Planning Monday at I'm an Organizing Junkie!

Shakin' in mah bootz!

Gah!! Nationals this weekend... WOW!!

First, let me announce that I would make a terrible, terrible NPC judge. LMAO!

Second, holy macaroni, I would have got my ass stomped, then trampled, then kicked to crap at Nationals this weekend. I was sad that I wasn't competing, but yowzah! These girls look ah-mazing! Phew! I got my work cut out for me... but that is okay. I like having goals and having spots to build on. It makes my workouts seem that much more important.

Shoulders, yes, I have them, but not like these girls. Back, eh, I need more V! For some reason I have bigger and better front lats than back lats. Maybe this is a posing issue. Third, I suffer from noassitol. No ass at all. LOL!

I see a lot of posing issues that I need to fix, too, but that is okay. That is "easy" and totally in my control... just takes practice... something that I do not do much of when it comes to posing.

Building has begun. I need it. Hopefully I will have enough time to build in the remaining month so that I can begin dieting January 1 to hit the stage early early Spring. Now, this also means that I can't gain much fat. I don't know how much I will be able to build these areas up without packing on the poundage, not that more fat means more muscle... Ahhh, the contradictory thoughts flying through my measly brain. :-D

So, tomorrow begins clean eats, more eats, but still clean. I do have some "dirties" that I need to eat up, but (hehehe) that should not be a problem. After Turkey Day I plan on beginning my "challenge"... I'm debating between a sugar-free (all sweeteners) challenge or a challenge more on the workout front... like pick something you don't usually do and do it 1-3 times a week (I would pick yoga & pilates). I don't know. If you would be interested in joining such a challenge, lemme know in a comment... perhaps I will draw something up more official. I'd love to include my bloggerfam in this, instead of just doing a challenge all by my sad, lonesome self *sniff* *sniff*. Do I get any sympathy challenge-joiners for that? I would like some cheese with that wine... I mean, whine. Ha!

I hope you all had a fabulous weekend! I spent mine in the basement... doing renovations... more like demo. Man, it is a mess down there!!

Let's make this week a great one! Press towards your goals! You can do anything you put your mind to... well, for the most part. Please don't jump out a window thinking you can fly because you put your mind to it. :)

Orange

Orange ya glad it's Friday?

TGIF Bloggerfam!!

I had to quickly snap a pic of the food I packed this morning. It made me giggle -- everything was... ORANGE! I apologize for the poor pic quality. My digital camera was dead, and I made due with my crappy camera phone.

I must say, I have totally fallen off the wagon. Last week I went to the gym one time. I was battling the stomach flu most of the week! Then KY Muscle rolled around, so I didn't work out.

This week, I went to the gym hoarse on Monday, thinking it was just the traveling, but it really was an awful cough/cold. I'm still on the mend.

I am making tomorrow my FRESH START! I know, kinda crazy with Turkey Day around the corner, but I need my mojo back, and gosh darnit, I want it back sooner than later. Even if I am still sick tomorrow, I must do something active. MUST!

I'm also thinking some kind of challenge between Thanksgiving and Christmas would be fun, right? Kick start to the New Year? I don't know... just tossing out ideas (and trying to avoid work).

Have a fabulous weekend!! I've been a poop head all day, but I'm going to have FUN after work. Greek pizza and Guinness at one of my favorite joints! WOO HOO!

Wordless Wednesday -- Awards Pic! Finally!

Yum Yum Gimme Some!!

I had the most amazing breakfast Friday. Yes, I am just now telling you about it. I'm a slacker! :-D Actually, I just didn't want to bombard you with a ton of Amazing Grass and Oikos posts, like I was some sort of brainwashed broken record... but, actually, I am. I can't get enough of either!!

BEHOLD

Oikos and Amazing Grass unite!!! for an Amazingly delicious breakfast.

I mixed together two of my favs, Oikos Honey and Amazing Grass Chocolate Infusion Amazing Meal. It was a match made in breakfast heaven.

Oh, but I couldn't just stop there... I had to top it with dark chocolate chips, dried coconut, and frozen banana slices. Perfection. If I wasn't out of Amazing Grass Chocolate Infusion Amazing Meal, I would have it again on Friday... it was a perfect way to start the end of the week. I like making Fridays feel extra special. I'm cheesy like that.

I want to eat Amazing Grass products and Oikos Organic Greek Yogurt with EVERYTHING. I wish I was joking. It's getting a bit ridiculous.

Order your Amazing Grass products here!

Menu Planning Monday

What what what? I haz resurrected the blogging schedule... for today anyways. Bwahahaha.





Oh guess what guys, I woke up late this morning and desperately needed to wash my hair... but I had no time. I broke out the dry shampoo, which I normally hate, but today it worked WONDERS!

Okay, that has nothing to do with menus.

Here we go!

Monday: leftover banana bread muffins, bourbon balls. Don't judge. Hehehe

Tuesday: Philly cheese steak sammiches, except it will be chicken... and smoked provolone veggie cheese, on a crusty loaf from the bakery that I have been dying to use. Chicken, cheese, peppers, onions, light mayo, all broiled into a melty goodness, with a side of roasted asparagus drizzled with grapeseed oil, topped with smoked sea salt and cracked black pepper. *drools* Wish I had mushrooms for the sandwich, but I do not!

Wednesday: Black & Bleu (Gorgonzola, since that's what we have) salad w/ a side of baked sweet potato fries

Thursday: Lemon herb chicken, scalloped potatoes, roasted cauliflower

Friday: Date night @ CJ Maggies -- I'm having a Greek pizza and draft Guinness

Saturday: Chicken Parmesan

Sunday: Chicken fajitas w/ a ton of toppings -- buffet style (This helps me w/ veggie prep for the rest of the week since I will be chopping and sauteing tons of veggies for this meal.)

If you'd like a recipe to any of these, leave me a comment and ask! :) I'm a wing it as a I go cook a lot of the time, but I can pay attention and tell you the steps after the meal!... that is, if it ends up edible. LOL!

Tomorrow morning for breakfast I totally am wanting to fry up some organic egg substitute and top it w/ that smoked provolone veggie cheese I mentioned earlier. It just sounds like the right thing to do. Maybe I will chase it down with some Amazing Grass Chocolate SuperFood!

Are you looking for more menu ideas? Check out Menu Planning Monday at I'm an Organizing Junkie!

I am a Compulsive Liar

Yeehaw! I feel special. And cold, but that's not the point.

It's that time again. The beautiful Alyson at "Nourished Fitness" and my twinnytwintwin Becca at "A Mile in These Shoes" both awarded me with the Honest Scrap Award. I have to divulge 10 truths then tag seven bloggers who I think will also tell the truth.

1. I had a muffin and bourbon balls for dinner. Diet FAIL! but it was tasty, and I am way underweight, which leads me to #2.

2. I can justify anything to myself.

3. I have to go to CVS, but I am totally procrastinating. I wonder what time they close.

4. When I blog, log, journal, email, etc., it is total word vomit, straight to my fingers... somehow all the words go straight to my fingers, completely bypassing my brain.

5. My closest girl friends are online.

6. Gone are the days that I could squat 300+ pounds multiple times without a blink or hesitation. I will get that back.

7. When I look at my last show pics, I can't believe it's me. That's not how I see myself. And, my waist is not that small, and my muscles are not that big. I don't know who's body that is, but I sure am glad that they let me borrow it for the show.

8. I do not get grossed out by "dirty" foods. I love them. I love healthy food, too, so it's all good.

9. While watching KY Muscle, I was sad that I was not competing. I am also sad that I am not doing Nationals this weekend. WTF BBQ?

10. I wear house shoes to work nearly every day... just don't tell my boss they are house shoes. I don't think he knows any better.

And, let's not discriminate! I'm gonna open this up to some non-fitness related bloggers. I follow all sorts of blogs! :) I will try not to do duplicates... this is gonna be tough!!

1. First goes to my darling, dearest friend Kathie. She keeps changing her blog name, so I'm not even gonna try to post the name because it will probably change by the time she sees the link. LOL

2. Amber at Finding Body After Baby. She's been a wonderful support system for me throughout the past couple years. She is a new mother and got back to her prepreg weight in NO TIME! Go Amber! Can't wait to see you hit that stage again!

3. Jamie at I am a Money Magnet, a fellow KY resident! Her blog was one of the first blogs I ever discovered, and her blog has helped me save so much dough!! Thanks Jamie!!

4. Dana, you've been tagged!! I got the pleasure of meeting Dana at her first show (my 2nd) at the Bluegrass Classic. She tore it up, too! I want to know more about ya, girlie!

5. Sohee, who is on a "commercial break" from blogging. I hope she suddenly finds some spare time to share some intriguing tidbits about her life. I always love her posts!

6. Melissa, a spicy ;) newlywed who loves food, fitness, and travel. An awesome chickie!

and

7. Last, but definitely not least, my girl Jenn, who has the dreams, aspirations, and DRIVE to become a Pro. Get it girl!! WOO! I hope to meet you on that National stage next year!!

Okay, for realz. I gotta go to CVS. I have so many bloggy ideas running through my brain, but no time! AHHHH!

Hugz! and let's make this week a great one, okay?

Two Casualties...

Two casualties occurred in my kitchen early yesterday. After a brief mourning session, I composed myself and picked up the pieces.

Let me start off by saying that I LOVE Oikos Greek Yogurt! Love it! However, it is HARD TO COME BY around these parts. And, when I do run across it, I never find any fun flavors. In comes Kristina from Stonyfield Farms (they make this wonderful yogurt!) to save the day!! She was kind and generous enough to send me a sampling of the flavors! Thank you SO MUCH Kristina!!

Upon opening my big box of refrigerated goodness, I noticed that one of the yogurts had a leak! OH NO!!! I knew at that moment I had to consume it IMMEDIATELY! I couldn't let it go rancid, now could I?! I ingested a big dollop of Oikos Organic Greek Yogurt in Plain. This stuff is THICK, RICH, and CREAMY! The website ain't lyin' when it says it! YUM!

You all know I have to get creative with my food, right? Tons of flavor combos rush through my brain!

Flavor concoction #1: Oikos Organic Plain Greek Yogurt, cinnamon bun protein powder, raisins, chopped walnuts, coconut flakes, Saigon Cinnamon

YUM! Who needs sugary, fattening, processed desserts when you can have this rich creamy goodness?! Seriously! So tasty! And the best part? This massive 5.3oz container has some killer nutritional stats! Check out the low carb and sugar stats!! and SUPAH DUPAH high protein in this HUGE container:

plain - Oikos organic - Greek yogurt

Serving Size 1 containerAmount Per Serving 150gCalories 80Calories from Fat 0 % Daily Value^*Total Fat 0g0%Trans Fat 0gSat Fat 0g0%Cholesterol 0mg0%Sodium 60mg3%Potassium 230mg7%Total Carbohydrate 6g2%Dietary Fiber 0g0%Sugars 6gProtein 15g30% Vitamin A 0%Vitamin C 0%Calcium 20%Iron 0%Thiamin 6%Riboflavin 20%Vitamin B6 2%Vitamin B12 15%Pantothenic Acid 8%Phosphorus 20%Magnesium 4% *Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

OUR FAMILY RECIPE:

CULTURED PASTEURIZED ORGANIC NONFAT MILK. CONTAINS FIVE LIVE AND ACTIVE CULTURES INCLUDING L. ACIDOPHILUS, BIFIDUS, AND L. CASEI.

Now, I tried taking a picture, but my sloppy mixing skills left me with an unappealing photo. I will be neater next time.

On to the second casualty...

As I was neatly placing my remaining containers into the fridge, Butterfingers (that would be me) managed to forcefully drop one on the floor. SPLAT! Instant yogurt crisis! This time it was the vanilla flavor. I cleaned up my floor and placed the unharmed remnants (a good 3.6oz, I measured! LOL!) in a container. This brings me to my next tasty concoction!

Flavor concoction #2: Oikos Organic Vanilla Greek Yogurt, vanilla protein powder, frozen wild blueberries

I mixed it all up and placed it in the freezer for an evening snack. This was GREAT! An even healthier version of frozen yogurt! We know the sugar content of frozen yogurts can get pretty scary... we won't even go into the chemical content in most... ;) I love the light sweetness in the Vanilla flavored Oikos, and of course, you still get every bit of the rich creamy goodness that the Plain has.

While the carbs and sugar is a little higher than plain, it is still a LOT lower than regular yogurt. Plus it's creamier, thicker, and just plain better... Have I mentioned the protein is higher?

vanilla - Oikos organic - Greek yogurt

Serving Size 1 containerAmount Per Serving 150gCalories 110Calories from Fat 0 % Daily Value^*Total Fat 0g0%Trans Fat 0gSat Fat 0g0%Cholesterol 0mg0%Sodium 60mg3%Potassium 220mg6%Total Carbohydrate 12g4%Dietary Fiber 0g0%Sugars 11gProtein 15g30% Vitamin A 0%Vitamin C 0%Calcium 20%Iron 0%Thiamin 4%Riboflavin 20%Vitamin B6 2%Vitamin B12 10%Pantothenic Acid 8%Phosphorus 20%Magnesium 4% *Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

OUR FAMILY RECIPE:

CULTURED PASTEURIZED ORGANIC NONFAT MILK, ORGANIC SUGAR, ORGANIC NATURAL VANILLA FLAVOR. CONTAINS FIVE LIVE AND ACTIVE CULTURES INCLUDING L. ACIDOPHILUS, BIFIDUS, AND L. CASEI.

Obviously, I could go on and on about how much I love this yogurt. Heck, I have went on and on about it... and I've only tested two of the fabulous flavors! If you want to know more about this indulgent treat that is actually healthy!! check out their site at www.oikosorganic.com ... Get the scoop on the flavors, some recipes, AND there are even COUPONS!! $$$

Raising the (Protein) Bar

Boy oh boy!! I quickly ran drove home over my lunch break to grab some chicken and rice, and much to my surprise, there were packages on my doorstep! YEEEEHAW!!! Of course, I busted those bad boys right open. Teri Jo from Amazing Grass was kind enough to send me a plethora of samples! Thank you so much, Teri Jo!! I can't wait to try them all out. You should have seen my eyes light up when I discovered bars in the mix! What perfect timing! I need a quickie meal replacement.

Naturally, I chose the Organic Green SuperFood Peanut Butter Chocolate Protein bar to try first. In my opinion, you just simply can not go wrong with the peanut butter chocolate flavor combo! Now, for me, this bar is a meal replacement. It's a hefty bar with the nutritional stats to prove it.

Anything that is between 200-300 cals is a meal in my book. I guess that's what happens when you eat a billion times a day! ;)

Now, I'm not afraid to admit... I'm a bit of a bar junky. I have tried SO MANY, and I do have my favorites. Well, this is a new favorite! It's coated with organic chocolate and filled with green, yes GREEN, chewy peanutbuttery goodness.

While I enjoy bars in general, my huge deterrent from eating them constantly is most of them are chemical laden processed crap, covered in fake chocolate. Tasty? Maybe, but not exactly health food. This bar is actually chock full of healthy goodness. Just check out the ingredient list!

Ingredient List:

Organic Peanut Butter, Organic Agave Nectar, Organic Dates, Whey Protein Concentrate, Organic Peanuts, Organic Rice Crisps, Amazing Grass Green SuperFood (Organic Wheat Grass, Organic Barley Grass, Organic Alfalfa, Organic Spirulina, Organic Spinach, Organic Chlorella, Organic Broccoli, Organic Acai, Organic Maca, Organic Carrot, Organic Beet, Raspberry, Organic Rose Hips, Pineapple, Green Tea, Organic Flax Lignans, L. Adidophilus, Alpha and Beta Amylase, Protease, Lipase, Lactase, Cellulase, Organic Peppermint), Natural Flavor, Peanut Extract, Organic Vanilla Extract, Sea Salt
Organic Dark Chocolate Coating: Cane Sugar, Unsweetened Chocolate, Cocoa Butter, Non-GMO Soy Lecithin, Natural Vanilla Flavor

To make them even better (and to make my digestive system happier), these bars are gluten free!

I am sold on these bars! and I can't wait to try the other Amazing Grass products in my stash! You can get your own bars and other Amazing Grass products by clicking on my affiliate link on my side bar to the right. I highly recommend them!

Order your Amazing Grass products here!

Late July Organic Snacks

Yum yum gimme some!!!

Jessica from Late July was kind enough to send me some of their mini sandwich cookies, in both Milk Chocolate and White Chocolate flavors. Thank you, Jessica!! The verdict? Absolutely delicious!! In fact, so much so that neither box survived the weekend. These mini sandwich cookies are so tasty! and you can be confident that you are consuming whole grain goodness, calcium, and organic ingredients.



My favorite flavor is the Milk Chocolate. The chocolate filling was the perfect balance to the vanilla cookie. Not too sweet, just sweet enough!



How CUTE are these cookies?! They feature seven different endangered animals. Late July Organic Snacks has teamed with the Jane Goodale Institute with 10 percent of their sale profits supporting the institute. So, not only are you eating something delicious, wholesome, and USDA Certified Organic, you are supporting a great cause -- now that's a feel good snack!





These Mini Sandwich cookies are definitely something I plan on purchasing in the future! Even my husband, who is not the biggest cookie fan, loved them!

Check out their website for more information on their products. There is also a store locater so that you can find these products near you!

2009 Monster Mash Recap

OMFG! What a wonderfully fantastic weekend!!! I will try to cover just my "side" of the story, since I know that Bec and Jes will probably want to post their own experiences. :)

Sooo.... as y'all know, I worked half a day Friday. I come home, change clothes, and LOW AND BEHOLD, I have freaking abs. I'm all excited. I snap a cell pic and text it to my Monster Mash buddies, as well as my friends Michele and Amber. They all know how I obsess about not having them. I also weighed a measley 111.8 that morning. Dr. Joe gave me more food, and I was filling out quite nicely. At the end of the night, I started to look smooth and the abs were disappearing. Bummer. I think I peaked a day early.

So, I lug my junk into the car and take off on my merry way. I'm anxious and excited. I'm wondering what Tasha, Bec, and Jes will be like in real life. I get there before anyone else, and check in, carry all of my crap to the second floor because this hotel has not had a renovation since the Civil War... LOL There are no elevators or anything, and everything just looks old. The room is hot and musty. It was clean, though, and that's all that matters, right?! Tasha arrives shortly after me... EEP!! <-- I think that is the sound I made when I answered the door. LOL! Jess and Becca arrived a little later, and we all squealed like girls, of course!! It was like we had all known each other for years!

I'm missing details, I am sure... oh yeah, we did early check in that evening. The people working the registration (expeditors? I don't know what to call them... let's just call them the "crew")... Anyways, the crew kept asking if I was Bikini all damn weekend long. I wanted to stomp and whine, "I'm FIGURE!!" LOL! It was getting on my nerves. Funny thing, they kept asking Becca if she was Figure.

That night the Bikini girls got to drink wine... I didn't want to be left out, so I did have a sip! Less than half an ounce. I weighed it. LOL!

The next day we were up bright and early. I went for a 15 minute walk around the hotel. It was freaking COLD! Then Bec painted us all... well, except Tasha. Duh! So, there were three naked girls sauntering from room to room. LMFAO. Oh to be a male fly on that wall. HA! I put my face paint on (LOL!) and forgot to moisturize first. Apparently I am drier around the mouth and on my forehead. Well, when I got done w/ my makeup and looked in the mirror in the natural light, the makeup had caked around my mouth and on my forehead. I looked like I had a 5 o'clock shadow. Damn. So, I just put moisturizer on over top of my makeup. Thankfully, it worked. No crisis... yet.

We get to the venue after numerous U-turns... Becca is the only driver I know who actually stops the car and pulls a U-y whenever the GPS asks her to! LOL! We get there, the meeting is slow, and then we go to the changing closet, I mean, dressing room. The room is tiny, CRAMPED, hot, ugh... there were exactly 100 competitors at the show... the majority female... and ONE TOILET! Oh lordy!

Anyways, we get through prejudging. I'm the last in my class, again. Sweet. I can dig it. The class is a monster, so I was happy to go out last so that I didn't have to stand out there as long! LOL! We do our presentation and quarter turns, I get confused somewhere along the way, and when we are asked to go back in line, I didn't know if that meant where we were standing or in the order we are currently standing. Yeah, oops. The audience got a chuckle and so did I. Why I don't get embarrassed over dumb crap like that, I do not know. Maybe I'm just used to being an idiot!

During pre-j, they call the top 5 out. I was the first one called in my little group. I walk up to the #5 spot. We all line up, then they move me first, again... straight to the #1 spot on the floor. I stand there in my dreaded relaxed pose (I hate this pose) while they shuffle people around me. We do quarter turns and I get called out for doing too much of a twist, only I don't realize they are talking to me. DOH! LOL! I stopped twisting once I figured it out. Thank goodness they don't penalize for stupidity.

Figure was after Bikini, so once I got off stage we were allowed to go. I try to nap because I am exhausted and have not slept in days... I have too much energy from the show, though, and can't sleep. I did lay there half asleep for about an hour, managed to drool on myself some, and when the alarm went off, I got up and started to fix the mess I made of myself. I pull my shirt off in the bathroom and my chest and neck are GREEN! GREEN!!!! Oops. I'm not panicking, though. I go off to the main section of the room and show off my green-ness. LOL! They confirmed. I was green. So, I take a damp wash cloth and lightly scrub the green off. I applied Dream Tan over the lighter areas to blend in it again. Another crisis dodged! I used Jan Tana Ultra 1 that morning, so I wasn't sure how it would look.

Night show ran so smooth. I was in mean mode, though, so I just sat there quietly. People were talking, and it was annoying me. Thankfully, misery had company and Becca was in mean mode, too. We just kept exchanging bitchy stares in the mirror. LOL! Bikini is up first and I hear Bec's name called out for second place. I moaned, "NOoooooo!", and then I realized I was in public. LOL! I just really had her pinned for 1st! I wanted her to take it all. She looked so great. I hear her class winner really worked the stage, though. Figure goes up and I'm waiting in line, apparently goofing off with the crew, because Jes calls me out on it. Oopsy. Oh well, it was fun. I just knew the night was almost over and I could shower and put on deodorant soon!

We do our business on stage again (not that kind of business), then the top five go out. I got first! I won my class! HOLY CRAP! It was a huge class! I couldn't believe it. The girl who got 3rd, I had her pinned for first! I got a SWORD!! Yeah baby! I can play ninja now. Seth says it's more of a He-Man sword, though. LOL I immediately am piss tested, and then I go back to the changing room to chill until overalls. It was pretty much just me and the Figure A winner back there. She was a lot of fun, and she got a kick out of my stupidity, so that helped, too. We laughed so much back there. I'm back there eating my candy trying to get harder thinking, "Dammit, there may be a chance. I better fill up and pump up!" Figure A tells me I should slow down... this was 6 pieces of candy corn in. I open a Reese's pumpkin and eat it happily, then try to kill my back and shoulders w/ the bands. We are both still laughing and cracking jokes all the way back to the line by the stage. I'm not really nervous at this point because, well, what are the odds? Figure B looked dynamite, and I thought she won it. We do our quarter turns. The judges have us up there FOREVER... maybe 10 minutes, seriously... the lights are hot. I am sweating... then, then they call out MY NUMBER for the Overall. I swear, I felt like I won Miss America or something. LMAO. I'm so lame, huh? I got a big ol' cup and a "letter" jacket!

I will try to get some pics up later today or later this week. :) I don't have any awards pics! *cries*

For now, you can find them here: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=133199&id=674740982&l=d35774a9c0&subject=2009 NPC Monster Mash - 10/31/09