You may have noticed the Pancake Queen gave her royal spatula a break (haha, I totally just typed breakfast!) yesterday, although I’ll have you know, Pancake Sunday was still rightfully celebrated…which I’ll get to that in just a minute…
But FIRST, check it out…my Banana S’mores Pancakes are being featured on the Fox News website!
I mentioned the other day that BB was out of town last weekend for work, but what I didn’t say is that he’s actually been gone for two whole weeks. Although he still has a few weeks more of travel, he was able to come home this past weekend and we had all day Saturday and half of Sunday together!
Throughout the weekend, we continued on with our Netflix Scrubs marathon (no matter how many times I watch that show, it will NEVER get old!). Then on Saturday night, we rented 21 Jumpstreet from Redbox and I’ll tell you right now, it’s the funniest movie I’ve seen in a while…I’m talking those silent laughs you get because you can catch your breath kind of funny! We checked out the online trailers of Ted and both thought it looked pretty entertaining so yesterday we went to an early matinee showing…unfortunately, I think they showed all the funny parts in the trailer! 🙁
As for this weekend’s eats, I think it was the perfect balance of eating in and eating out…especially when the eating out involves Southern style homecookin’!
For lunch on Saturday, we went to a little BBQ joint we’ve both been eyeing for months called Mel’Rose BBQ
I ordered the pulled pork plate with fried green tomatoes (my first in YEARS), cucumber salad, and cornbread while BB went with the BBQ ribs, fried okra, coleslaw, and cornbread.
You KNOW it’s good Southern fare when the entire plate is full of brown! 😉
To balance out all the fried stuff, I whipped up a simple dinner of grilled shrimp and scallops with a wild rice mix along with a quick side salad.
His
Hers
I used a combination of spices and this marinadefor the scallops but the shrimp didn’t need a thing. Fyi, cooking shrimp IN the shell is 100x better than cooking shrimp OUT of the shell…it stays so plump and is FULL of flavor!
On Sunday morning, we got up early and headed out to try another new place for breakfast called G’s Pancake House.
Any ideas what we ordered? 😉
I went with the strawberry topped buttermilk pancakes (with a side of creamy peanut butter) and BB ordered the pecan pancakes with a massive side of bacon!
Both were fantastic! The strawberry topping on my pancakes wasn’t overly sweet and you should have seen the size of the pecan pieces in BB’s short stack…we will DEFINITELY be going back!
Just before he headed back out Sunday afternoon, I made a little throw-togher lunch which actually turned out to be quite tasty!
Mexican chicken salad for him
Half a cooked chicken breast, chopped and mixed with 1/2 a mashed avocado, a large spoonful of plain Greek yogurt, and spices topped with chunky salsa.
And a Mexican inspired salad for me
Spinach, wild rice mix, 1/4 avocado, tomatoes, and a dollop of sour cream…there may or may not have been some dipping into the last of my tub of chili lime hummus too! 😉
I was actually pretty impressed with the flavors in both these plates…especially since it took me all of about 10 minutes to throw them together!
After lunch, we said our goodbyes and he headed off…back to the Cruciferous Modeling Academy…where he’ll be for another few weeks.
What? Where do you think he got the name Broccoli Babe? 😉
I’m taking it back to my Sesame Street days with this post…oh yeah, it’s Friday and I’m a sucker for alliteration so allow me to welcome you to…
Fun with F’s Friday!
Looks like I have FOUR giveaway winners to announce this afternoon, but before I do that, I saw this survey onLindsay’s blogand could NOT resist borrowing it…I mean, c’mon who doesn’t love a good survey…man, I wish there was an “F” word for that!
Fun + Survey =
Furvey?
Anywho! Onto the FUN!
1. What did you eat for breakfast this morning?
Ok, so I totally intended to have a bowl of yogurt topped with a crumbled Banana Walnut Nerdy Birdy Cookie that I’ve been hoarding saving since last Saturday’s trip to the farmer’s market…
But then it found it’s way into my coffee and well…
OHHHH MY LAWWWWD!
Needless to say, said cookie never made it to the rendezvous with my bowl of yogurt.
So instead, I stirred in some coconut flour, a bit of vanilla stevia and then topped it with quinoa and walnut pieces…and in all honesty, the toppings were only added to look pretty for you! 😉
I’ve slowly been making my way down the list of Tuesday Trainer workouts…so far these have been my favorites:
FYI, it helps if you grunt! 😉
Click on the pics for a link back to the workouts if you wanna sweat like me! 😉
4. How many calories do you eat a day?
I used to have no idea…I would eat anything I wanted whenever I wanted it…like peanut butter by the spoonful, but all those calories have to go somewhere and while I’m not a Nazi calorie counter, I do like using the My Fitness Pal app to keep track of my food and fitness…
I depending on the amount and type of exercise I do, I typically eat anywhere from 1400-1600 calories a day.
I think logging in everyday helps keeps me on track with my goals better and guess what…
It’s working! 😀
5. What are your favorite healthy snacks?
Oh how convenient…seeTHIS postfor everything from fruits and veggies, to bars, to random things I pull out of the fridge!
6. What do you usually eat for lunch?
Anything! When I’m working the night shift, my “lunch” is technically my breakfast since it’s the first thing I eat after waking up, so I usually stick to oats, yogurt, or other breakfasty food, but lately?
Lately I’ve been in love obsessed…
With Flat Out Wraps…specifically the Italian and Sun-dried tomato flavors…so soft and doughy and PERFECTLY seasoned!
Oh man, I’m making my mouth water!
7. What is your favorite body part to strength train?
Triceps and calves…but mainly just because I like seeing them POP!
BAM!
8. What is your least favorite body part to strength train?
Abs…unless it’s worked into a routine I’m doing or a class I’m taking, I rarely EVER devote time solely on my abs, rather I just keep myself in check and make sure my abs are in during all my training. I mean, why waste time isolating, when you can work your core during each and every move you do?
9. What are your “bad food” cravings?
I don’t really think of food as good vs bad…I mean yes, there is healthful and less healthful but if you label a food as “bad” and try to eliminate it from your diet, your going to end in failure…in the form of an empty cookie jar and a sore tummy.
That being said, I do believe in moderation, but I do NOT believe in constant temptation so there are a few things I chose not to have laying around the house…
10. Do you take vitamins or supplements?
I used to take my daily gummies, but then after a few months I thought I should switch to a more mature version and find a tablet…you know, like a grown up…yeah, that lasted about two weeks…
I really should get more gummies!
11. How often do you eat out?
It depends. I just can’t justify eating out on my own when I know that I could grab virtually anything out of the fridge and make a meal out of it,
Case.in.point
Salad beast
Chobani and a breakfast cookie (are we noticing a theme here??)
Humongo green smoothie
Quinoa salad topped with zucchini, oranges, blueberries and a sweet balsamic dressing
Or cottage cheese, cereal, and blueberries out of the container…because I’m lazy…and because Tiger doesn’t judge! 😉
But when BB’s over on the weekends, it’s a bit different. There for a little while I was in a bit of a cooking rut and we ate out a LOT more, but now I’d say we average about once in a weekend.
12. Do you eat fast food?
Only if you make me…please don’t make me! 🙁
13. Who is your biggest supporter?
Each and every day! He understands how much it means to me to be fit and live a healthy lifestyle…he knows the difference between when I need to be coddled and when I just need someone to tell me to stop making excuses and get my booty to the gym!
14. Do you have a gym membership?’
Yes, after nearly TWO years of professing my love of at-home workouts and my reasons for NOT needing a gym, I finally caved. But I’ll tell you right now, even though I’m pretty good at motivating myself, it’s so much different when you’re with other people…
Common thoughts at they gym:
“If you drop this weight, you WILL look like a retard!”
“Man, I could totally kick her ass on that elliptical!”
“Oh look, I AM kicking her ass on the elliptical!”
“What the heck is that dude wearing? Pajamas?”
Why yes…yes he is! 😉
15. How many hours of sleep do you get a night?
Never enough!
16. Do you have a “cheat” day?
Honestly, I just don’t get why people do this…if you REALLY want a treat, then HAVE IT! Don’t wait until one specific day of the week and then end up bingeing on every last sugary fatty morsel you can get between your lips!
17. Do you drink alcohol?
Nope, not ONE bit!
I know this pic may make me LOOK like an alcoholic but honestly the moderate amount of drinking I would indulge in on the weekends is now down to little to none. Since I’ve started being more conscious of my calorie intake and focussing more on my workouts, I just don’t care to blow off all my hard work with a couple of bottles of beer.
I’d rather have a cookie! 😉
18. Do you have a workout buddy?
Honestly, I’m not quite sure I could talk someone into it!
19. What is the best thing that has changed about your life since committing to a healthy lifestyle?
My attitude.
For years I was trapped in the mentality of “dieting.” Don’t eat eggs, full fat dairy is bad, cookies are for fatties. Wait…what? You mean if I eat nothing but grapefruit and drink water all day, I’ll lose 10 pounds in a week?! Heck yeah, sign me up!
Now things are different. I know that how I eat and how I chose to be active is to make me a HEALTHIER me, not a skinny me and much to the disbelief of the cashier at the grocery store, I am NOT buying up half the produce department so that I can go on some sort of salad diet…this is me, this is what I eat, this is how I live
It’s a lifestyle…NOT a diet!
20. What’s the last healthy thing you did?
Took a shower?
All hail the Towel Queen! 😉
Now…onto some giveaway winners!
And the winners…
of the amazing Nunaturals giveaway are…
*drumroll*
…..
*continuing drumroll*
…..
*cont- Ah, I think that’s enough anticipation! 😉
Chosen by random.org in no particular order:
Congratulations ladies! Just send me a quick email with your full name and address and I’ll forward it on to my contact at NuNaturals…you’re stevia will be on it’s way ASAP!
Thank you guys for the all entries AND the incredibly tasty ideas…I’m gonna have to refer back to this post this summer for sure! 😉
Pick on thing from the “furvey” above and give your answer!
Did everyone have a good Fourth of July yesterday?
I didn’t do much, but I DID meet up with my mom and sis for a little cinema entertainment…in the form of Tatum Channing’s bare bottom!
Warning: Go to the matinee showing on this or wait until it comes out on Redbox!
I’m sorry folks, but it’s just not worth any more when you consider the ratio of Channing booty to dollars. And if you’re looking for a storyline, well, you might as well hop on over to the theater next door and check out Brave…I hear it’s pretty cute…and you can take your grandma to THAT one! 😉
Since I was a bit disappointed with the movie, I headed over to TJ Maxx for a little “retail therapy”…well, ACTUALLY, I was just going to look at purses, but wouldn’t you know five minutes after I realized they had nothing I wanted, I ended up in the home goods section…
Oops!
Really?…can you say that you are REALLY surprised by this? 😉
Nnnnnnnn-e-way…
Onto the title of this post!
So, I’ve been doing a little product reviewing lately…some on my own accord, and some from companies who flattered me by asking if they could supply me with samples.
Well, who am I to say no to THAT?!
First there was the GOOD:
GOODBelly that is!
The lovely Lindsey from GoodBelly contacted me a couple of months ago asking me about my interest in her company’s probiotic supplements. I responded quickly because I, like so many others I’ve recently discovered, have had my fair share of tummy troubles over the last year or so. If it’s not, “Oops, I forgot to take my Lactaid before I dove headfirst into that fro-yo,” then I’m usually suffering after the latest act of veggie vengence.
She explained to me the details behind GoodBelly and told me I should give their 12 day challenge a try…
One GoodBelly a day for 12 days to hopefully end with a happier tummy!
I was sent some VIP coupon vouchers* and off the store I went!
I decided to go with three different flavors of the GoodBelly+ I’m not really a juice drinker so I figured, if this little guy could offer me the same benefits as an 8oz glass, hey, why not?
I tried the Mango flavor first. After following the fool-proof, aka “Heather-proof ” instructions, I found the appropriate end to open and couldn’t help but smile when I realized what was underneath! 😉
All the flavors were incredibly tasty, but I have to say the Blueberry Acai was my absolute favorite…almost made me regret not going for the bigger carton of juice!
The little “shots” were super convenient…I would either have one first thing in the morning, or pop it in my lunch box and carry it to work with me for a little midday treat.
Unfortunately, after the 12 day challenge was over, I really felt no different than before. My tummy troubles are not a daily thing, but I still had a couple of episodes of unexplained bloat during and after which is what I was hoping the challenge would help with.
While there are a lot of positive reviews on their website, unfortunately it can’t work for everyone, but THAT is where the satisfaction guarantee comes in!
If you sign up here for the 12 Day Challenge, try Goodbelly and don’t see results…just mail in your UPCs and they will issue you a FULL refund! Really, what have you got to lose?
Then, there was the BAD:
I know I already mentioned in my WIAW post not to waste your money on the Good ‘n Natural bars, but I felt it was my duty to lay it all out for you guys on this.
So I was out shopping one day and found myself in the bar section…one of my favorites…right next to the peanut butter aisle and the yogurt case ;)…anywho…I saw these bars on sale 10/$10 and thought, “Hmm, wonder what these are like?”
A quick look at the nutrition facts and I was pretty convinced…all natural, mostly organic ingredients (all gluten-free AND vegan) and with TEN grams of protein per bar!
In my mind, it was the unlikely spawn of a ménage à trois of a Lara bar, a bowl of oats, and a protein shake…don’t ask, I know…I’m weird, but that’s not the point.
The point IS that NONE of these bars tasted like they should have!
The Lemon didn’t taste a thing like lemon…actually, it didn’t really have a taste at all…kinda like cardboard…you know, ’cause in my spare time, I go around licking boxes. 😉
The Peanut Butter was okay at first, but then I was knocked in the face by some kind of aftertaste that wasn’t like anything I’ve ever tasted before.
The Cranberry Almond was probably the most tolerable…though it actually tasted like raspberry…but a little fake.
The Chocolate was the WORST one! You know that undeniable smell coming from the oven when you’ve forgotten about your chocolate chip cookies in the oven? Yeah, it was like that…only 10 times worse! I couldn’t even swallow it!
In.The.Trash!
And I never throw ANYTHING away!
And finally, the UGLY:
Do not…I repeat…DO NOT buy the Tangerine CremeCRAPsicle Think Thin bar…unless you like the taste of raw tangerine peels soaked in fake sugar!
WORST SHOPPING LINE IMPULSE BUY TO DATE!
One more thing that I’d like to mention, that can’t really find a place in this breakdown is the newest to hit the shelves from So Delicious…
Almond Plus almond milk
I absolutely LOVE almond milk and even if I COULD drink regular cow’s milk without knocking back a couple of Lactaids, I wouldn’t do it!
Nothing beats the flavor of cold glass of unsweetened almond milk…especially with a cookie, muffin, or other such dunkable. 😉 So you can understand my surprise when I poured a glass of this and
1.) It came out this color:
And 2.) It didn’t taste a thing like my precious Almond Breeze! 🙁
It was watery and a little chalky/gritty tasting and I knew immediately I had to find another way to enjoy it…like I said, I rarely EVER throw things away, and besides the nutritionals totally ROCK!
My name is Heather! I'm a southern gal with a passion for food, fitness, and photography...and alliteration if you didn't notice! Here you'll find a mix of random musings, delicious recipes, and hopefully a chuckle or two! Check out my "About' tab to learn more!
