News about a my exciting blog milestone in a second, but first let’s get to the f-o-o-d.
Slammin' Salad
Hooray for starting the workweek on a healthy note!
Today’s lunch was a big ol’ salad.
On top of a bed of spinach, I enjoyed:
- Carrots
- Yellow squash
- Refried beans
- Celery
- Broccoli
- Sweet corn
- Black bean, roasted corn & 5 pepper salsa
Along with my salad, I also included a Sargento reduced fat Colby Jack cheese stick for some added protein (five grams in one of these bad boys!).
Monday's Lunch
Refried Beans
The salsa I used on this salad was delicious!
Kerry & Loni's Bean-Tastico Salsa
A Peek Inside
I bought a jar of Kerry & Loni’s Bean-Tastico salsa at le gourmet chef after my sister and I tried a sample of the salsa in the store. It was slightly spicy and chock-full of black beans and roasted corn. Gotta love hearty salsa!
All Together
Produce packed lunch = Lots o’ nutrients!
One Million
Over the weekend I had a pretty big blog milestone. Early Sunday morning my blog reached one million page views!!!
I am honestly floored by this, because I remember for the first several months of blogging I had like eight (totally fantastic!) readers.
Here’s a link to my first post (kind of embarrassing)! I would also like to send a special shout out to Tina and Lisa, the first two amazing people to comment on my blog.
This milestone made me think a lot about my blog and why I blog every day.
I blog because I honestly love it. I love having an outlet to share my thoughts, ideas, random recipes and personal experiences. Blogging and being part of such a wonderfully supportive, intelligent, kind and thought-provoking group of people brings me so much joy every day.
I blog because I love to write. I blog because I love health and fitness. And I blog because I love each and every one of you.
Thank you for reading and commenting and supporting this lil’ blog of mine that means so much to me. I get excited anytime any one of you leaves me a comment or sends me an email sharing a story, experience, idea or request for advice. For you silent readers out there, I adore you, too! 😀
Thank you for visiting my blog, from the very bottom of my heart. 😀
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tagged: black bean salsa, blog milestone, Colby-Jack cheese, Kerry & Loni's, Le Gourmet Chef, lunch, salad, Sargento |
Peanut Butter Fingers 
Love your blog, girl! 🙂
congratulations, that’s huge! i can’t wait til i hit that milestone, although i have quite a while til that happens 🙂
oh lord with your fantastic pics it’ll happen in no time. i wish i had half the photography skills that you do!
Woo Hoo! Congrats!
aww Congrats girl! we adore you! 🙂
congrats on a million! your blog is super fabulous and it shows with your huge readership 🙂
I thoroughly enjoy your blog, especially when you post pictures of one of your classic “peanut butter finger” moments!
Also, pictures of Sadie 😉
haha i think i need to make a sadie fan page. i think she’s accountable for about 50% of my page views 🙂
I second the Sadie fan page! 😉 Sadie is too cute.
Congrats to you girl! Keep on bloggin’! 🙂
Wow, congrats on all those page views!! Quite an accomplishment- I can see why though, I absolutely love your blog! You have such a healthy mentality and it really shines through in every post. Hope you’re having a great Monday so far!
congrats! if u dont mind me asking, how did u get so many people to hear about your blog. I doubt you put an ad up!
WOOOHOOO! Huge congrats! Here’s to 2 million 😀
Congrats Julie! I love reading your blog everyday (well 3x’s a day actually!) . You have so much energy and personality- just like me! Here’s to a million more….
Whoa! Congrats in the million!
congrats 😉
I love reading your blog, you always seem so happy and energetic, I admire you 🙂
CONGRATS!! That’s insane 🙂 Hope to keep reading many more posts from you!
Congratulations on the milestone… that’s huge! I’m more impressed at how fast your blog has grown in under a year! I think you bring a fun and realistic view to healthy living and can’t wait to keep reading!
this is off topic and is from a few posts go…but my mom has that plantar thing that you possibly have.
they keep on advertising idealfeet.com on the radio where I live…. you should check it out…they work with people that have that 🙂
Congratulations! That is so amazing!
I’m a new reader, actually just started today, but went back at least 30 pages to read old posts. I love it, and am so glad to contribute to your 1,000,000 views! I can see why everyone reads it, it’s refreshing, interesting, and inspiring!
Congrats Julie! I am kind of a new reader to your blog but your positive attitude and motivation keeps me coming back for more! 🙂
Congratulations Julie! I am a faithful 3x a day reader and I think I speak for everyone when I say I absolutely love your blog! I find your insight and thoughts about eating well and healthy living very motivating and inspiring to me. Your blog also cracks me up at least once a day! It feels so good to know that there are other women going through the same things as I am. The blog community is so positive and helpful, I don’t know what I would do without it! You were actually the first person to comment on my blog so I thank you very much for that!
Congrats on 1 million page views!! I love your blog!! You are always so happy and upbeat!! 🙂 You’re right, this community is so supportive and we’re always there for one another.
Wow congratulations girlie! That is great!
I love the looks of that salad so much! Black and bean and corn salsas are the best!
Congratulations girl! I started reading your blog a few months ago, and I love how you write – I literally wrote my first post today, and I’m so nervous about it! I can only dream that I’ll reach a million views 🙂
You are inspirational, and make a healthy lifestyle seem really accesible and fun – something that EVERYONE can aspire to and achieve, not just a select few marathon runners and gym bunnies. You have such a great attitude, and it’s contagious – more often than not I finish reading your posts with a smile on my face 🙂
thank you so much! 😀
YAY! Julie, that’s so exciting! People keep reading it because you’re inspiring, positive and fun – keep it up, girl! 🙂
Wow, that’s awesome, especially since you haven’t been blogging for too too long. Way to go!
I am SO happy I found your blog 😀 happy 1 million views! That’s awesome, you rock!! I can tell you blog out of love and passion, and that’s the best way to do it. You’re such a beautiful and inspiring person. Thank you for blogging 😀
Lunch looks amazing – that salsa does too! 🙂 Enjoy your day!
Wow, that is a pretty big accomplishment! Congratulations!
Julie, I’ve been reading your blog daily for 5 or so months and I love it! I’m only 16 but your healthy lifestyle and outlook on life have really inspired me. I’m coming out of my silent reader shell to tell you that you’re an amazing blogger and to keep it up! 🙂
Congrats on the milestone! What a biggie!
And I’m glad to have been here to support you and share a friendship with you over this time. You are such a wonderful person and I can’t wait to keep reading. And hopefully seeing you again next summer. 🙂
you’re the best, tina! thanks so much for all of your love from the beginning!
CONGRATS JULIE 🙂 I’m not surprised at all! Your blog is fantastic and I look forward to reading it every day!
Congratulations! I love reading your blog and I silently thank you whenever I take my lab Lucy out on a stress-free walk due to your advice on harnesses.
Congratulations, Julie! That’s fantastic! I’m only at the 3 month mark with my blog and the idea of reaching one million views seems almost impossible! haha 🙂
I am a 43 years old and I love your blog too! I have tried to maintain a healthy lifestyle over the years and it has made a big impact on my kids. They are all very athletic healthy eaters…congrats on the million mark! Your blog is fantastic!
thanks marty! your kids are so lucky to have a parent who is interested in health and can teach them about healthy living from a young age!
Thank you for writing your blog, from the bottom of my heart! I look forward to reading every post. You are such a doll–thanks for sharing your wonderful attitude & outlook with us everyday! xoxo
thank you, melissa!!
congrats!!! i absolutely love your blog 🙂
Congrats on your blog achievement! I came across your blog recently and now check it daily! 🙂
Awesome! Awesome! Keep it going girl!
Way to go 🙂
It’s hard to believe you ever only had 8 readers. I was hooked from the start.
Keep it up!!!
Oh and salsa on salads is great! No wonder the words are so similar 😉 Haha
lol – i never thought of that! 😀
Awesome! It happened so fast!
I remember our o2 days and you talking about starting a blog–we all encouraged you bc we knew youd have an amazing blog–and you do!
you’ve been one of my best supports from the beginning! i love ya, lisa!
hey i love your blog! but did you change your blogroll? i think i used to be on there, but now i’m not. you’re on mine 🙂
i put it on a new page (“favs”) & may have accidentally deleted it when I reformatted the links! let me know your blog, and i’ll put you back on!
Congratulations! I only found your blog recently, but I love it. It’s in my top two and I only found it about 2 weeks ago!
Thank you for putting in the effort to entertain us all! 🙂
Congrats and we need to do a blog meet up for lunch in Orlando sometime.
YAY! Congratulations! I heart your blog! You always have such great stories to share!
P.s. You were one of the first not-my-mom people to comment on my blog! Thank you! It always feels so nice knowing that other people read what you write.
Hey! I found your blog through HEAB’s. You have such a lovely voice and some totally bomb recipes. Consider me hooked!
Yay!!! Congrats on the milestone!!!
Love it! Also love that you use salsa as a salad dressing- I do that all the time and think it’s amazing
Congrats on the milestone! I’ve been hooked since day one. It’s nice to get a variation of recipes, food ideas, amusing relationship stories, cute pics, and of course a daily dose of Sadie. I can’t believe you barely just started; I look forward to reading your blog every day!
congrats!! I’m one of the “silent readers” – I just found it a couple of weeks ago and have started going back through your old posts. you’re so inspiring, and Sadie reminds me a lot of my dog Jackson. thanks!!
I look forward to reading your blog everyday to see what you’re up to and eating.
Keep it up and take care of that foot
Congrats!! I love your blog. It has been such an inspiration to me, you have no idea! I look forward to reading it every day! Keep it up! 🙂
Not a big poster but big reader and wanted to say congrats!
Woohoo! Just keep on going. It is a joy to read! xo Mama
1,000,000 hits! Holy cow, girl! Keep on plugging on because I love reading your daily blurbs. Also so happy to hear the heel is feeling a big better 🙂
Awww thanks, but you wouldn’t have us readers if you weren’t such a talented blogger. And congratulations!
That’s cause you’re so darn cute Julie. 🙂
Julie, I found your journal on oxygen and have read your blog ever since the veryyyyy beginning! Keep doing what you do 🙂
That’s so amazing, congrats!!
I am very encouraged to know you didn’t have a ton of followers at first because I’ve recently started my blog and often get a little discouraged that hardly anyone comments on my posts. It is nice to know you were once in the same boat!
Congrats to you!! That is certainly a milestone to be celebrated. May I ask how many hits you get per day/week? =]
WOOHOOO! You best have a celebration planned.
Keep up the great work!!
Congrats Julie! That’s so exciting!! I absolutely love your blog 🙂
congrats! Thats quite the milestone. Well-deserved 🙂
Hi Julie,
Congrats on the milestone, I am from Canada and found your blog on a link from someone elses blog. I really enjoy reading and seeing all the yummy healthy foods you make. Keep up the great work!
Very good journey and experience!
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