Hope everyone had a nice weekend. Mine was a mixed bag. First the positive... the weather was beautiful here, I went to the Farmer's Market, got to spent a lot of time outside, had an unexpected extra bit of work thrown my way which came with some much needed $, and last night was lovely, ate a terrific dinner sitting on the patio watching the birds on the feeder and the sunset.
Breakfast: Now for the negative. Woke up to a mess and had to call my... you guessed it... plumbers. I know... AGAIN... don't ask. Anyway... I didn't want to get into anything too in-depth or messy for breakfast. I didn't know if they'd need to shut off any water while working so I just had a protein shake. One of my favorites...
Shelly's Key Lime Pie Protein Shake8 oz. Vanilla Soy Milk (you can use ANY milk or milk/water combo. I'm a soy girl)
1 Tablespoon Sugar Free Torani Syrup (I use SF Vanilla)
1 teaspoon Sugar Free Lime Jello Powder, dry
1 scoop Vanilla Protein Powder
3-4 Ice Cubes
Add liquid, ice, then powders and blend on high. Top with an optional squirt of Sugar Free Land of Lakes Whipped Cream.
Lunch: The plumbing drama was short thankfully and they were out of here pretty quickly. Fingers, toes, legs, eyes crossed I never see them again. I had finished all my house and garden chores and so I packed up my super cool bento box and head to the park for lunch and a walk.
Pink Box (top left): CheesestickGreen Box (top right): Shelly's Strawberry Fluff Stuff
Blue Box (bottom left): Cucumbers and Baby Carrots for hummus dipping
Orange Box (bottom right): Hummus with Olive Tapenade (storebought in deli/olive bar or make it)
I ran errands all afternoon then caught Jane Eyre at the discount theater in town. I had such high hopes for it but it was disappointing... lack of romance, lots of missing story which lead to a lack of full character development. Save your money. Read the book and then watch this adaptation it's waaaaay better.
Dinner: Ate this delicious vegetarian feast (it was a meatless day) sitting on the patio.
Shelly's Grilled Eggplant Stacks
1-2 Eggplants, sliced (12 rounds)
6 slices Fresh Mozzarella
6 leaves Fresh Basil
6 Tablespoons Marinara Sauce (I used my fav: Rao's, jarred)
Grill eggplant (I brush with a minuscule amount of olive oil) on BBQ or indoor grill till softened and you have nice grill marks.
Place 6 slices on a foil lined baking sheet (easy clean-up), place slice of cheese, leave of basil and 1 Tablespoon of sauce on top on each. Top with slice of grilled eggplant. Bake in oven at 350 for 15 minutes till bubbly and gooey.
Shelly's Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms4 Portobello Mushrooms, stalk removed
1/2 cup Ricotta Cheese
2 Tablespoons Pesto Sauce (storebought or homemade)
1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
a few twists of Black Pepper
4 Tablespoons Marinara Sauce
4 teaspoons Parmesan, grated
Grill mushrooms (I brush with a minuscule amount of olive oil) on the BBQ or indoor grill till softened and you have nice grill marks. Place 4 on a foil lined baking sheet (easy clean-up). Set aside. Mix ricotta, pesto, salt & pepper together till well combined.
Divide equally between mushrooms and spread to cover evenly. Spoon 1 Tablespoon of sauce on top of each. Sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake in oven at 350 for 15 minutes till bubbly and gooey. Snacks: Too much coffee as usual and a Fuji apple sliced and dipped in Strawberry Protein Yogurt Dip that I ate while watching the finale of the Real Housewives of Orange County (shameful, guilty pleasure.)
Shelly's Strawberry Protein Yogurt Dip3 oz. Greek Yogurt (I used 2% Fage, plain)
1 Tablespoon Sugar Free Torani Syrup (SF Vanilla or Strawberry)
2 Tablespoons (or more) Strawberry or Vanilla Protein Powder
Sprinkle of Chopped Peanuts
Mix yogurt, syrup and protein together till well combined. Sprinkle nuts on top. Great for dipping slice apple or eating on its own for breakfast. Great topped with CLICK'n Granola too.
Hope you had a fun, relaxing and tasty weekend too. Oh before I go I wanted to remind you of a couple of things...
*Please still cast your VOTE each day for the Obesity Action Coalition to win the Vivint contest. They are up against some stiff competition/great groups so every vote, each day counts. We want to keep them in the Top 20. Here's the 411 on how to vote.
*If you know someone who is researching weight loss surgery don't forget to tell them about the Online Q&A Session on June 13th.
* If you haven't already entered to win this week's giveaway prize, be sure to get in on that. Click here to enter. Every week this month I'll be giving away something fun. Thanks for helping me celebrate these last 5 years!
Ummm... yeah, that's it, I think ;)
