I’m So Exciiited, I’m So Exciiited (+ Giveaway)

Is it any shocker that today’s lunch included carrot slices?

Carrot + Cuc + Tomato

Since I had a carrot the size of a toddler chillin’ in my fridge, I knew I better start eating that bad boy since it will likely take me five years to get through the whole thing.

I enjoyed the sliced carrot with cucumber and grape tomatoes alongside a fakie-bacon and cheese sandwich, made with two Morningstar Farms veggie bacon strips.

Fakie Bacon

For a lil’ sweetness, I also included a cup o’ Motts natural apple sauce which brought me back to childhood.

Mott's Natural Apple Sauce

The Full Spread

Speaking of childhood, I was am a huge fan of Saved by the Bell and read in a magazine this morning that today is Jessie Spano‘s birthday and she is now 38 years old.

Jessie Spano

This clearly must be false. She is only 28. Time does not fly that fast!

Anyway, happy birthday Jessie! I’m so excited, I’m so excited, I’m so… scared for you. 😉 (Seriously, who gets that loony on caffeine pills?)

Chocolate Indulgence Giveaway Winner

The winner of the Chocolate Indulgence Giveaway is…

Fallon: “I love putting chocolate chips on top of my self-serve yogurt, like Yogurtland!”

Congrats, Fallon. Please email me (pbfingers@gmail.com) with your mailing address so I may pass it along to the folks at Stonyfield!

Gourmet Nutrition Book Giveaway

A giveaway two days in a row? What is this?

When Jessica, the wonderful woman behind the new blog Give Away One Thing A Day, contacted me about hosting a giveaway on my blog I was immediately intrigued by the unique concept behind her blog. Jessica started her blog in an effort to bring more positivity into her life and focus on doing something good for others.

When someone wins a giveaway offered through Jessica, they are asked to “pay it forward” by giving away an item of their own and sharing their story with Jessica. (Just FYI, you do not have to have a blog to enter this giveaway. If you win, you may giveaway something to someone you know and simply tell Jessica about it.)

Jessica is offering one reader a copy of Gourmet Nutrition, a cookbook for “the Fit Food Lover.”

Gourmet Nutrition Cookbook

According to the book’s website, “We’ve taken the healthiest ingredients and whipped them into nearly 300 pages of delicious culinary creations that you can serve with confidence to the most discerning foodie – or the most nitpicky nutritionist.  We’ve included detailed cooking instructions and ideas for improvisation.  And we’ve even photographed every recipe in beautiful color to show you just how appetizing healthy food can be.”

To enter this giveaway, simply comment on this post below.

Jessica will randomly select a winner tomorrow, so be sure to check her blog to see if you won! I will also post a link to Jessica’s announcement of the winner once Jessica has randomly selected someone.

Good luck you foodie lovers, you!

Keep Calm and Win a Print

Today’s lunch was a no-brainer.

Leftover chicken taco meat  = Chicken taco salad

Chicken Taco Salad

Today’s taco salad included:

• Ground chicken with taco seasoning
• Crumbled hard shell tacos
• Kerry & Loni’s Bean-Tastico Salsa
• Shredded iceberg lettuce
• Cucumbers
• Grape tomatoes
• Cucumber

Thursday Lunch

On the side, I enjoyed a ramekin full of fresh cantaloupe.

"Will you marry me?" "Yes, but we cant-aloupe!"

Quite the colorful and tasty spread!

Amish Friendship Bread Update

I brought about ¾ of a loaf of Amish Friendship bread to work today (the recipe I made last night yields two loaves) and within an hour, this is what remained:

The Remains

The highly addictive nature of this bread has led me to believe one thing, which I tweeted about earlier today:

Tweet, Tweet

I seriously couldn’t stop eating this stuff. Thank goodness it’s G-O-N-E.

I’m pretty sure that consuming more than half of a loaf of this bread within a 15-hour timeframe is not on most soon-to-be brides’ list of “things to do.” 😉

Phenomenal Giveaway!!!

As I hinted about yesterday, I have one heck of an awesome giveaway for you guys today!!!

I fell in love with an adorable print I saw on Tina’s blog back in January that proclaimed “Keep Calm and Love Pugs.” I thought it was so cute and also served as a good reminder to keep calm in life and cherish the little things that bring you joy.

When I saw another “Keep Calm” print show up on Caitlin’s blog last week, I was reminded of the print and immediately headed to the artist’s store (The Lobster Pot) on Etsy.com to browse the prints and purchase one for our apartment.

I contacted Barb, the artist, to see whether or not she could make me specialized print in honor of my slight obsession with Sadie. I requested a “Keep Calm and Love Vizslas” print and was excited when Barb emailed me back saying she could easily make me one!

When Barb saw that I had a blog of my own, I got an email from her saying she’d love to offer a giveaway on the ol’ blog.

Now you guys have a chance to win a Keep Calm print of your choice!

To enter this giveaway, simply comment on this post telling me what you’d want your “Keep Calm” print to say.

I will randomly select a winner tomorrow afternoon.

Good luck! 😀

A Giveaway Sadie Wants to Win

I know you’re here for the giveaway, but please humor me and pretend to salivate at my lunch. 😉

Today’s mid-day meal was one heck of an odd combination.

Over the weekend I made Ryan a grilled cheese and refried bean sandwich that he affectionately dubbed a “ghetto grilled cheese.” It was quite an unusual combination, but he also said it was quite tasty. That’s all that matters, right?

Since my first attempt at a refried bean sandwich was a success, I used the protein-packed lil’ suckers in another sandwich for myself this afternoon.

I bring you a veggie bacon and refried bean sandwich!

Bacon 'n' Beans

What's Not to Love?

On the side, I included fresh produce in the form of grape tomatoes, cucumber slices and a small bowl of summer berries.

Looks Like Christmas

Berry Good

In All Its Glory

Protein, veggies, fruit, whole grains.

Of Possible Interest

• Act I Sale on RueLaLa.com (Great deals on designer clothes and jewelry!)
• How to Get a Celebrity Workout at Home (FitSugar.com)
• What to Eat Before, During and After a Workout (FitBottomedGirls.com)
• Easy Ways to Burn Extra Calories (ThatsFit.com)

A Smile-Inducing Giveaway

When I was contacted by Smile.ly about sampling Snikiddy snacks, a line of all-natural snack foods, made with simple, wholesome and real ingredients, I jumped at the chance!

I received a bag of Snikiddy cheddar cheese fries in the mail yesterday, and meant to save them to enjoy in my lunch today. Unfortunately if you put the word “cheese” and the word “fries,” in the same sentence, my self control goes out the window.

Snikiddy Baked Cheddar Cheese Fries

This sample was enjoyed as a pre-dinner (gluten-free!) treat. 😉

Check Out the Cheesiness

I really enjoyed the intense cheese flavor of the fries and appreciated the fact that I understood every ingredient listed on the packaging (can’t say the same for Cheeto’s, unfortunately). I also loved the amount of fries included in the bag, as I often think bags of chips have portion sizes that would only satisfy an ant.

Something about the smell of these cheesey fries intrigued Sadie and she howled until I gave her two to try.

"Gimmeeeeee!"

Sadie said they were delicious, but she’s not exactly a tough critic. 😉

Now it’s your turn to enjoy the cheesy deliciousness!

Three of you will win samples of Snikiddy snacks.

To enter this giveaway, simply comment on this post, telling me about your favorite dish that includes cheese.

For an extra entry, you may tweet about this giveaway on Twitter and create a separate comment below telling me that you did so.

The winners will be randomly selected and announced tomorrow afternoon.

Good luck!!!

A Most Fitting Giveaway

As I was roasting eggplant for our dinner last night, I made sure to reserve some of the roasted vegetable for my lunch today.

Eggplant + Marinara

My mid-day meal included the eggplant in a noodle bowl  featuring Carba Nada egg fettuccine with marinara sauce and fresh spinach.

Noodle Bowl

Thursday's Lunch!

I used to eat noodle bowls several times a week… What happened? I love these guys! I think they may be making a comeback soon…

Krema & Crazy Richards Peanut Butter Giveaway

Could there be a more appropriate giveaway for this blog???

As demonstrated by the multiple peanut butter fingers of Krema peanut butter I enjoyed this morning, I am quite a fan of Krema and Crazy Richards peanut butter. Both varieties are all-natural with only one ingredient: peanuts!

Exhibit A

Sch-weet, huh?

Not only are these peanut butters good by the spoonful (or fingerful 😉 ) but I’ve also used them in smoothies, sandwiches, and peanut butter stuffed French toast with tasty results.

Now it’s your turn to enjoy your own peanut butter fingers full of this creamy goodness!

The wonderful people at Krema/Crazy Richards Peanut Butter Company have agreed to send three winners a jar of creamy peanut butter and a jar of crunchy peanut butter. Two jars! Woohoo!

To enter this giveaway, please comment telling me about your favorite way to enjoy peanut butter.

(And yes, in a Reese’s peanut butter cup is an acceptable answer. 😉 )

Using Random.org, I will randomly select three winners tomorrow afternoon.

Cocoa Oats & a Giveaway

As Ryan and I were walking to the gym this morning I was feeling laaaazy. 

I told him I wasn’t going to take my normal Friday 5:45 a.m. BodyPump class and was going to do my own strength training routine instead. After he went upstairs to do his own workout, I filled my water bottle and changed my mind. Apparently I can’t resist the ‘Pump! 

Even though BodyPump is challenging, it is perfect for those days when I’m feeling lethargic or unmotivated because once I’m in the class, I can’t leave and always stay and get a great workout. Power through! 😀 

I did take it easy on the cardio front today and skipped it altogether in favor of taking Sadie on a 40 minute  walk around the lake near our apartment. 

Can you blame me for wanting a little extra time with this face? 

Walk Me!

Breakfast 

When we returned from our walk, I let some steel cut oats simmer on the stove while taking a quick shower. 

Simmer, Baby, Simmer

Post shower, I chocolified them up by stirring in a scoop of All the Whey chocolate peanut butter cup protein powder and a tablespoon of cocoa powder. 

Oats + PP + Cocoa Powder

The result? 

Cocoa oats! 

Coco-tastic

Who doesn’t love a lil’ chocolate for breakfast? 

Monterey Pasta Company Giveaway 

If you’ve been following this blog for a while now, you are well-aware of my adoration for Monterey Pasta Company‘s ravioli. 

Love This Stuff

The pasta poofs have popped up in many of my lunches and dinners since I started this blog. Apparently the company got wind of my intense love for their product, because I received a ginormous box of their ravioli and tortellini to sample last month. 

After enjoying bowl after bowl of tasty pasta, I contacted the company again to ask if they would offer some of you free sample coupons to try a ravioli, tortellini or pasta product of your choice. 

Thankfully they said yes and send me a bunch of coupons to distribute. 

For You!

You know what that means! With a bunch of coupons on my hands, you have a great chance to win! There will be FIVE winners of this giveaway. 🙂 

To enter, simply comment on this post, telling me about your favorite pasta dish. 

The winners will be selected randomly and announced tomorrow morning.