We survived the first day of spring break without incident.  No need for whistle blowing or donning a black and white striped referee shirt.  I have high hopes for this break

The best part of it all is that I get to sleep in until 7:15 a.m.!!!  The extra hour makes a huge difference for me  (said I’m not so grouchy).

Since we were in vacation mode, I got a late start on breakfast.  After whipping up pancakes for the daughters and cleaning up, I made my usual bowl of yum…

• 3/4 cup nonfat plain Chobani
• 3 drops liquid vanilla NuStevia
• 1 cup strawberries
• 1/4 cup Special K Granola 

I was really impressed with the daughters today.  After breakfast, they did some spring cleaning of their rooms.  Quietly.  And without much prodding from me.  Hmmmmm……they must want something….

I debated off and on, for about an hour, as to whether I should exercise or not.  My body said not.  But, my brain was telling me that I should.  I should run today.  I should do something.

The debate went on too long.  Time for lunch!

I was craving chickpeas again, so I put together one of my favorites – Chickpea Salad.  I served it over a bed of baby spinach…

I topped it with a dollop of this…

I’m not sure I like this flavor.  Hard for me to say, since I never met a hummus I didn’t like!  The flavor was pretty strong and a bit harsh.  I’ll have to give it another try on its own and see if it grows on me.

Lunch didn’t hold me over very long.  After running a few errands, the daughters invited some friends over and we all got to snacking. I decided on a Banana Nut Vitatop…

It was good, but very lonely without its BFF – PB2, which has been on backorder for an Ice Age.  I be sad without it.  Hope it comes back soon

Finally, the arguing stopped and the action took place.  I got on my sneakers and headed to the treadmill.  I told myself that I had to do it.  That’s it.  No more debating.  Just do it!

I cranked out 35 minutes and was so glad I did it!  Late afternoon or evening isn’t my optimum time for working out.  I like to get it done first thing in the morning because I tend to get too lazy in the afternoon.  When my energy wanes, I find it easier to make excuses for not doing it.

Dinner was Barilla Plus Farfalle pasta with grape tomatoes, simply dressed with extra virgin olive oil, garlic and a sprinkle of parmesan…

So happy

Have a great day, everyone!  Happy Friday!

What is your optimum time to workout?  Morning, afternoon or evening?

Hey guys!  I’m going to try and make this quick so that I can cuddle up with the hubs who is a hurtin’.  Long story short: Old guys cannot sled like they are 12 year olds without breaking a rib.  We don’t know for sure yet, but are fairly certain there’s a break or fracture.  I would like him to get an x-ray, but he’s not cooperating.  And since, I don’t want to add any more injury by beating him upside the head  twisting his arm,  I’ll let him deal with it as he wishes.  I feel badly for him that he’s in so much pain

Anyway, it was a weekend of fun eats ending with my MIL’s Annual Valentine Tea (girls only!).  She always goes all out with decorating and lots of nibbles.  The table was decked out with lots of heart shapes, doilies and Victorian-inspired decorations…

There was chocolate …everywhere!

I loved my place setting…

I filled my plate with lowfat crustless veggie quiche, lunchmeat roll, spinach dip, carrots, pineapple, cucumber tea sandwich and apple bread…

I chose the pear tea for my beverage…

My MIL made a beautiful, heart-shaped raisin spice cake with cream cheese icing…

She gave me a small slice with a big scoop of this chocolate ice cream…

The tea party was very nice and lasted into the night.  For my “dinner”, I had another heart…

And before I left, I grabbed 2 handfuls of peanut butter M & M’s.  A totally chocolate dinner!

The hostess…

****

I got back on track Monday morning with a healthy, chocolate-free breakfast of plain nonfat Chobani, 2 drops  liquid vanilla NuStevia , blueberries, strawberries and a tbsp. of Special K granola …

I spent the morning on some clean-up and preparing for my lunch guests, Rosemary and her baby, Sammy.  The daughters were great with baby Sammy and entertained him while his mommy and I had lunch.  I made us Chickpea Salad with a side of baby mixed greens dressed with the good balsamic vinegar and a WW whole wheat pita…

I think I could eat that Chickpea Salad every day!  So good!

After our guests left, I tackled some chores and made some homemade gnocchi for the hurtin’ husband for dinner

I snacked on a light string cheese…

and a handful of Wheat Thins (unpictured).  And I can’t believe I forgot to get a picture of the homemade gnocchi, too!  Doh!

The husband and daughters enjoyed their homemade pasta and I enjoyed my leftover Seafood Jambalaya from our Valentine’s date…

There’s an awful lot of chocolate floating around the house, but I decided to make a healthy treat to indulge in for dessert – Banana Maple Oatmeal Cookies.  The recipe comes from Susan over at FatFree Vegan Kitchen.  I love that it uses chia seeds and is only 1 POINT per cookie!  Of course, I had two (3 POINTS)…

Can you believe it’s snowing again???  I think it’s not going to amount to much, thankfully!

Off to tend to the injured…

Have a great day, everyone!

When was the last time you went sledding???

How was everyone’s weekend?  Mine was good and boring!  Just the way I like it

Nothing too fantastical to report.  It was a pretty relaxing day around the house, with the exception of an outing to church.  The eats were pretty low-key, too.  Breakfast was a delicious yogurt bowl…

• 1 cup plain, nonfat Chobani yogurt
• 1/8 tsp. NuStevia (from packet)
• 1 cup strawberries
• 1/4 cup Special K granola

I never get tired of that!  It’s so satisfying!

Another thing I never get tired of…

French press coffee has been a life saver for me!  Okay, maybe that’s a little too dramatic, but I am so glad to be able to drink coffee again without stomach/ throat issues.  Plus, that jolt in the morning keeps me going all day

Next up in the “never get tired of” category:  Chickpea Salad!  There was a tiny bit leftover from yesterday’s lunch.  This salad is serious good.  I’m pretty sure I could eat it every day!  I put it over some whole wheat couscous and it was a fab lunch…

Dinner was a meal the family never gets tired of… pasta!  And because I am a nice mom/wife  and get tired of listening to their belly aching about having to eat something healthy love to give them what they want, I made baked pasta along with a very unwelcomed delicious veggie casserole (just layered potato slices, eggplant and zucchini with some seasonings and cheese)…

After dinner, I hopped on the Lifecyle bike for a 40 minute ride while reading more of The Beck Diet For Life.  I just got to the part where the author recommends a daily weighing on the scale.  Her belief is that it is a necessary exercise for a variety of reasons including a way to “desensitize” yourself from letting the scale have power over you.  Whoa.  So far, I’ve been on board with everything she has said, but this part, I’m not sure about.  I shared my thoughts about the scale in my post the other day.  I’m not entirely convinced that a daily weigh-in is a good thing for me.  But, I’m open so I’ll read on…

GTG – Total:  22 POINTS

Have a great day, everyone!

What food or meal do you never get tired of?