Souper Package and Giveaway

When I walked in to my apartment after work today, Ryan informed me that I had one heck of a heavy package waiting for me.

I opened it to find about a billion different kinds of Progresso soup… all with less than 100 calories per serving.

Yay for Packages!

Sadie was also souper excited about this package and made a mess of helped me sort through the packaging.

Sadie Wanted In

Ryan immediately went to work building a beeramid soupamid of all the cans of soup.

Soupamid

(I can’t wait to try the Manhattan clam chowder!)

I also received a Progresso soup mug and a jump rope that keeps track of jumps and calories burned. The soup and fun gifts were sent to me as part of Progresso’s “Souper You Debut” contest.

Here’s some information about the contest from Progresso:

January 4 through March 15, visit www.Progresso.com/SouperYou to enter the Progresso “Souper You Debut” contest for the chance to win a full makeover in New York City. Three grand prize winners will be awarded a trip for two to New York City from May 21st-23. The prize includes roundtrip airfare, a two-night stay in a NYC hotel, a full makeover, a $1,000 wardrobe shopping spree and personal consultation at a New York department store.

To enter:

• Go to www.Progresso.com/SouperYou to learn more and enter the contest
• Submit your essay (200 characters or less) telling Progresso why you love Progresso Light or 100 Calorie Soups and why you would like a makeover
• In addition, please submit a photo of yourself that visually reinforces the theme of your essay

Once you enter, you’ll have the chance for your photo and/or an excerpt from your essay to appear on www.Progresso.com/SouperYou, so be sure to check back frequently! Once the 10 finalists are announced, you can visit www.Progresso.com/SouperYou from March 29 through April 12 to vote for your favorite.

In addition, throughout the duration of the contest you can visit www.Progresso.com/SouperYou to download a coupon for $1 off any three varieties of Progresso Soup.

Souper Giveaway

Progresso has also offered to giveaway two cans of soup, a Progresso soup mug and the calorie/jump-counting jump rope to one of you faaaabulous readers! To enter, simply comment on this post telling me what kind of soup is your favorite. Easy peasy.

I will randomly select a winner using Random.org’s random integer generator, and will announce the lucky winner tomorrow night.

Dog Park Fun

Since Sadie was a little too enthusiastic about the bubble wrap in the soup package, Ryan and I knew she needed some extra exercise tonight, so we leashed her up for a trip to the dog park.

"Best Ball Everrrr!"

Dog Park Smiles

Sadie was quite the daddy’s girl today and played several rounds of fetch with Ryan.

The Stand Off

"C'mon, Dad... Throw it!

Gotcha!

Though the ball-throwing was quite intense, another dog was the real source of excitement at the park today…

Wolf Dog

Yes, that would be a wolf dog. The wolf dog’s owner said she’s 80 percent wolf. She had yellow eyes and even started howling when a fire truck went by and the sirens were blaring. (I wonder if she is a member of the Quileute tribe??? Twilight nerd alert. ;))

Mongolian Beef Dinner

Eventually our bellies told us it was time to head home for dinner. While Ryan did the dishes, I got to work making Mongolian beef using a recipe I tore out of the December 2009 issue of Cooking Light.

Mongolian Beef a la Cooking Light

Mongolian Beef Recipe

(Mama, I finally got to use that hoisin sauce I stole from you! :D)

The sauce was really easy to make and the entire dinner came together in less than 20 minutes.

Beefy!

We topped steamed fresh broccoli with the beef mixture and it was deeeeelish!

My Bowl

Ryan said he thought this recipe would be great with shrimp as well and I totally agree. I see Mongolian shrimp in our future!

Dessert

Do I even have to say what I had for dessert tonight?

JELLO MOUSSE CUP! Yes, the love affair continues…

Even Sadie is affected:

Dessert

Thank You for Your Love

Thank you all for your wonderful comments about my new blog design (courtesy of The Blog Fairy). I’m so glad you are smitten with it, just like I am! 🙂 Emily did a wonderful job and was so open to my thoughts and suggestions. If you’re ever in the market for a blog makeover, I highly recommend Miss Emily!

G’night everyone! See ya mañana!

‘Cakes, Exchanges & Grilled Cheese

Post-workout I was a little hungry again!

For Christmas I gave Ryan this Canterbury Naturals apple cinnamon pancake mix (the boy loves his ‘cakes) and we decided today was a good day to give ’em a go.  

Cinnamon Apple Pancake Mix

Fluffy Pancakes

Pancakes are so tasty. The only thing better for breakfast might just be a Belgian waffle (with chocolate chips, banana slices and whipped cream, of course 😉 ). We both gave these two thumbs up!

I ate one decent-sized pancake before we headed off to the mall to do some more Christmas exchanges.

After popping in one store, I remembered the Starbucks gift card I received for Christmas chillin’ in my wallet! Instant smile. 😀

Ryan ordered a chai tea latte while I opted for a light mocha frappuccino.

Ryan’s drink came first and when I told him to smile with his yummy drink, the following picture was the result:

Super Suave (or Creepy? 😉 )

Foxy fiance, huh? 😀

When my yummy drink came I was in frappuccino heaven. I think the mocha flavor is my fav.

Lovin' My Mocha Light Frappuccino

After hittin’ up another shop or two, we headed to the grocery store to pick up some food for the weekend before making a lunch fit for a wet and chilly day.

A hot grilled cheese sandwich and a cup of Maryland crab soup was the perfect meal.

Afternoon Lunch

Grilled Cheese

Maryland Crab Soup

Yummers.

Now I’m off to my friend Laurel’s apartment to watch some movies and be lazy. Ryan and I have plans to make a first attempt at gnocci tonight. I hope it’s tasty!  

Enjoy the rest of your first day of 2010!

Seafoodie Feast

In keeping with my promise to avoid the grocery store this week, dinner came in the form of a can and two boxes of frozen food from the freezer!

Is your mouth watering yet?

Our seafoodie dinner included:

• Campbell’s Healthy Request New England Clam Chowder
• Bantry Bay Mussels
• Green Giant Immunity Vegetable Mix

Mussels

This was our first time trying Bantry Bay frozen mussels and they were g-o-o-d!

Mussels in a Garlic Butter Sauce

Immunity Blend Veggies

Broccoli, Peppers and Carrots

The veggies were okay. Ryan was a big fan, but I like the Healthy Vision blend of the Green Giant veggies better.

Creamy Clam Chowder

Soup Talk

New England clam chowder (the creamy kind, not the tomato-based chowder) is my absolute favorite soup. Ryan is a broccoli cheese soup lover.

What’s your favorite kind of soup?

Though clam chowder is my fav, I also have a soft spot for my mom’s homemade chicken noodle soup. It’s beyond delicious.

Wanna know just how delicious her homemade chicken noodle soup is? Then come along on this little journey back to the spring of 2003, won’t you?

My family was in the process of moving from Illinois to Florida because my dad was offered an amazing job opportunity. Though my senior year of high school was over, I was still extremely upset about moving away from my friends and high school boyfriend and refused to pack up my room. (Yes, I was a brat.) I sat in my room amid my unpacked belongings and sobbed and sobbed. My mom called me down for breakfast and I refused to eat (Wow, I really am a brat). Several hours later she told me lunch was ready but I refused to come downstairs.

Then my mom honed in on her amazing mother-knowledge and brought up a tray loaded with the day’s lunch. She had made her homemade chicken noodle soup. I’ll never forget the soft knock on my door. “Honey, I thought you might want some soup. I’m just going to leave a little tray out here for you.”

Chicken Noodle Soup

Initially my approach was to remain firm. I would stay in my room pouting and wallowing in my sorrow.

Then the smell hit me. Hoooooly deliciousness. I had to have a bite. I opened my door just a crack to look at the soup and make sure no one was around. I took a slurp. Wow. It was phenomenal. I moved the tray into my room and polished off the bowl of soup before putting the tray back outside my door.

Then I heard it: laughter. Apparently this was quite funny to my family. Apparently my inability to remain strong and resist homemade chicken noodle soup is humorous. I then felt stupid for letting my taste buds get the best of me.

I continued to refuse to pack up my room and so when all of the boxes from our old house were unloaded into our new house, and my sister’s were neatly labeled “desk supplies,” “clothes,” “bathroom supplies,” my boxes were a mess and were simply labeled “Julie’s Junk” by the movers.

It took my sister about a week to unpack everything. It took me the entire summer.

Sick Boy Soup

Poor Ryan stayed home from work today with a nasty cough, drippin’ nose and exhausted body. He spent the majority of the day sleeping with faithful Sadie by his side. I’m sure she was thrilled to have a cuddle buddy all day!

Little Sadie Girl

Soup for a Sick Boy

When I got home from work, I grabbed my grocery list and Ryan and I picked up some fresh veggies and goods for the week.

My Grocery List

We bought everything necessary for homemade chicken soup. At the first sign of sickness, I always crave a bowl of the good stuff. Tonight Ryan and I made a bubblin’ pot of soup full of vitamin-rich veggies to soothe his sickness.

The base for the soup was a box of chicken broth mixed with two cups of water and a packet of Knorr vegetable mix for tasty seasoning.

Cookin' Sick Boy Soup

Ryan added in thick pieces of chicken breast meat and let the chicken cook in the broth while I sliced and diced the veggies. Included in this soup was an onion, carrots, celery and portobello mushrooms.

Chopped Fresh Veggies

After adding the veggies to the pot, we let the soup simmer on low while I escaped to Great Clips for a haircut.

Gotta love cheap-o hair cuts! I’m not adventurous with my hairstyling at all. I’ve never dyed my hair and it’s been cut the same way for years. It’s kinda hard to mess up a half-inch trim, so I faithfully trust the Great Clips experts!

With freshly trimmed locks, I headed home to pour Ryan and myself two big bowls of homemade soup.

Big Ol' Bowl of Soup

We slurped and slurped until our bowls were empty and our bellies were warm. Yummy dinn-ah!

Unpacking and Cleaning

Remember that cleaning I said needed to happen last night? Well, I definitely neglected my duties and will be paying for it tonight.

I hate unpacking… even if it’s just from a weekend stay in St. Pete. My blue duffel haunts me until I empty it. The best unpacking experience occurs when all your clothes are dirty and you can just dump everything in the laudry basket. Not so this time since I didn’t wear 75 percent of the clothing I brought along for our weekend visit to my parent’s house. Oh well… unpacking here I come!

Last Chance

Tonight is your last chance to enter my first EVER giveaway. Just leave a comment on this post to be entered in a chance to win eight packs of Brothers-All-Natural fruit crisps!

Wedding Dress Blast from the Past

Last night Ryan and I arrived in St. Pete by 6 p.m. to meet my parents and one of my dad’s colleagues at the St. Petersburg Yacht Club to check out the facility as a potential wedding venue.

We enjoyed touring the various ballrooms before sitting in the lounge to enjoy some cocktails. Fun! The Yacht Club is definitely a gorgeous facility and we have some thinkin’ to do!

When we came home we all enjoyed several bowls of hot homemade chicken soup with sweet corn and edamame and a frozen pizza (forgot to snap a pic of my two slices… oops!).

Homemade Soup

Mom’s Wedding Dress

When I first walked in the door to my parent’s house I immediately saw my mom’s beautiful wedding gown hanging up. She brought it out of storage because my mom, sister and I are all heading out to try on dresses today! Exciting!

 After dinner my sister zipped me up in the gown and I did a lil’ fashion show in my mother’s dress. It actually fit, which was neat!

In My Mom's Wedding Dress

Modelin' the Dress

Ta Da!

My dad is convinced I need to wear this on my big day. 🙂 He’s so cute because he always talks about how perfect my mom’s dress was and how gorgeous she looked.

Unfortunately I’m not sure that the turtleneck and long sleeves are Florida-appropriate. 😉  

I’m excited to see some dresses today! YAY!

Breakfast and a Morning Run

This morning I woke up at 6 a.m. This is after going to bed at 2 a.m. My mom, sister and I always seem to stay up late talking whenever we get together! I just couldn’t seem to sleep in because I was excited for the day.

I decided to make the best of the gorgeous weather and leashed up Sadie for a fast 5-mile run. I LOVE running when the weather is cool because it doesn’t feel nearly as difficult. It’s great! I was truckin’ the whole time and Sadie was lovin’ life.

When I got home I made an awesome breakfast. I prepared a fruit, yogurt and granola parfait, topped with whipped cream.

Breakfast Parfait

I layered Yoplait cherry pie yogurt, Oikos blueberry yogurt, raspberries, blueberries, granola and Honey Nut Cheerios to make my pretty lil’ parfait. It was delish!

Photographer

After breakfast and a much-needed shower, my mom, sister, Ryan and I headed off to meet with a potential wedding photographer.   

The Ladies

Ryan and I needed two attempts to get a decent picture…

Take One

Take Two

The photographers we met with were two young girls who were very sweet but so far have only taken portrait pictures and have never shot a wedding. I love their style though because they capture moments and emotion in their images. I’m just not sure if we want to take such a huge leap of faith with photographers with no wedding experience. We’ll just haveta see!

Now we’re off for my FIRST attempt at trying on wedding dresses! I’m actually a little nervous but so excited! We have about a million different pictures torn out of magazines or printed off the internet to bring in as references. Let the madness begin!