The Sun’ll Come Out Tomorrow..

It was a b-e-a-utiful day yesterday, with a high of 80º!  Today is supposed to be just as warm but with a little less sunshine.  I heard a last minute forecast that we’re supposed to have scattered thunderstorms.   Oh well!  Beats snow, right?! 

The verse of the day today comes from 1 John:

“This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.”

- 1 John 3:16

When I got home yesterday, I made myself a protein cake a la Janetha.  This was my FIRST successful cake!  The others flopped miserably.  Guess you just have to have the magic touch!

 

Carrot protein cake with cream cheese frosting?

Isn’t it stunning?  I used Dixie Diners’ Carrot Cake Muffin Mix (2 Tbsp.), Optimum Nutrition Cake Batter Protein (3/4 scoop), 1 egg white, and some cinnamon & splenda.  Then for the icing, I melted a Sonoma Jack’s cheese wedge with some splenda and spread it ontop.

It made perfect pre-workout fuel.  I changed out of my work clothing and hit the gym.  I wanted something low impact, so I opted for an hour on the elliptical [600 calories].  Then I went to the weight room to do a little ab & back work.  I stopped at the grocery store on the way home so I’d have veggies to pack for my lunch! 

I was hungry for dinner when I got home and decided on some sugar snap peas with a protein shake & a sweet tater.  While I was waiting for my steamfresh veggies to be finished in the microwave, I snacked on a few sourdough pretzels dipped in this Vermont Co. Store pure raw honey. 

heavenly!

OMG.  Try this combo.  Honey dipped pretzel.  Sweet & salty perfection.

Before I knew it, my meal came together:

Mashed sweet tater with SF syrup & cinnamon.

Steamed sugar snap peas.

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Premixed protein shake [chocolate covered strawberry, anyone?

For the protein shake, I used Optimum Nutrition Oats & Whey Chocolate protein powder and it turned out fantastically thick & rich.  It really blended well with the strawberry flavor!  I may or may not have had a spoonful of Sugar Free Fat Free Vanilla Ice Cream for dessert.  You really can’t beat the stats though!  It’s Walmart brand.  It has 70 calories per 1/2 C. along with 5g protein & 4g fiber!    What more can you ask for when it comes to ice cream?  The taste is awesome too.   It reminds me of the Pillsbury canned vanilla frosting!

After this feast, I packed my lunch.

Plain Greek Yogurt w/ SF Syrup, Fiber One for topping, and a big tub of veggies!

In the veggie tub we’ve got a few all-stars including yellow pepper, cucumbers, tomatoes, & carrots.

 

Nom, nom.

The greek yogurt + cereal combo keeps me full for eeeeeever since it’s got so much protein and fiber. 

The flavors remind me so much of french toast!

So there you have it.  Happy Tuesday, ya’ll! There’s an awesome giveaway over at Teri’s blog for some Bob’s Red Mill products!  It’s only for the next FIVE days, so make sure you get to check it out!

Talk to you soon

Vermont County Store

Many thanks to Lauren from The Vermont County Store for sending me a few goodies to sample and review for you lucky readers!

The store began in 1945 by the Orton Family, and has expanded greatly based on family principals, providing buyers with practical, yet hard to find, one-of-a-kind items.  They carry apparel, food & candy, apothecary, and toys.  Naturally, this is a nutritional blog, so the items I got to review were food!

Lauren sent me some Carribean Conch Chowder, Carrot Ginger Soup, Squash with Vidalia Onions, Manhattan Clam Chowder, and some Vermont Raw Honey for the review!

Squash with Vidalia Onion.

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My favorite product was definitely the Squash with Vidalia Onions.  It came came, canned, and contained a medley of yellow summer squash packed with sweet vidalia onions.  I practically ate these straight from the can, they were that good.  The flavor is out of this world.  Microwaved, the taste is really enhanced with the warmth!

The stats were really good too! I definitely ate the entire can as a veggie addition to my meal, for only about 115 calories.  They’re even fairly low in sodium for a canned food!

Carribean Conch Chowder.

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The second tastiest product that I tried, was the Carribean Conch Chowder.  This stuff is unbelievable.  Made with REAL Tortuga Rum, it blends together a tomato-based broth, conch meat, onions, spices, and potatoes for a combination that you won’t soon forget.  I loved the hint of sweet red bell peppers that I could taste in this soup as well!

In one 1/2 C. serving, you’ll get just 120 calories, 9g of protein, 2g of fiber and 2.5g of fat ( 0.5g saturated). Pretty good stats if you ask me!

 

Carrot Ginger Soup.

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For some reason, I wasn’t really a fan of this Carrot Ginger Soup.  It’s got all the right, winning ingredients (ginger, carrots, leeks)…in fact it’s actually created by an award-winning chef!  I think the problem was, I absolutely love carrots.  Steamed, raw, roasted, whatever.  They’re sweet and I like that factor alot.  This soup kind of took away from their sweetness?  I thought for sure the ginger would enhance it, but it left me a bit disappointed. 

The nutritional facts are fantastic!  You can have the entire can for just 100 calories!  Not to mention, 80% of your DV Vitamin C!  But the nutritionals and the smoothy, creamy texture were the only two positive things I had to say about this one.  I disliked the tangy taste.

Manhattan Clam Chowder.

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Manhattan Clam Chowder…Mmhmmmm goood.  I was a little bit reluctant to try this stuff, because I’ve known clam chowders to have a creamy, thick, white base, which doesn’t appeal to me at all.  This stuff was light and flavorful with a nice blend of fresh veggies like vine-ripened tomatoes, celery, carrots, onions, and bell peppers in a tomatoey light broth with chunks of yummy sea clams!  It doesn’t even contain artificial colors or preservatives!

 At just 100 calories per 1/2C . serving, you’ll get 8g of filling protein and 15% of your DV Vitamins A&C! YUM.  It makes for a quick, comforting addition to your meal with restaurant quality!

Raw Honey.

Last but not least, we’ve got the Raw Honey.  This stuff is naturally rich in enzymes, aiding in digestion, as well as vitamins, minerals and essential amino acids that will keep your body healthy and boosting your immunity!  Packed with Vitamin B, iron, and zinc, it’s also a natural anti-inflammatory & anti-oxidant!  Who knew that honey lost a bunch of nutrients when heated?! I sure didn’t!

You can find all these products and MORE at their website, where you can also order online! Check it out!