Noodle soup/100 calorie ice cream sandwich

Noodle soup/100 calorie ice cream sandwich

It was cold, rainy/sleet/snowy and windy today in the Chicago-land area, so I decided to make some soup today which I am going to bring as a starter to my lunches this week. Its loosely based on a Thai Noodle soup my sister made. 5 

Quinoa flour pancakes

Quinoa flour pancakes

I still had sweetness on my brain this morning from my waffles yesterday. I froze the rest of the waffles I made yesterday for a quick breakfast to bring to work during the week, so Sundays are the days where I usually make chocolate chip 

Blender waffles

Blender waffles

Yesterday I brought freezer waffles to work and topped them with fresh strawberries and banana. It was so good I thought I would do the same thing today, but decided to saute the strawberries and banana and pour that over my waffles. This recipe is 

Healthier breaded pork chops

Healthier breaded pork chops

Another day, coming home, getting my work out clothes on and doing my elliptical for 30 minutes (with no interruptions either)! Wahoo! I knew I had pork chops, but wasn’t exactly sure how to prepare them. I thought I could do some kind of breading, 

Making choices/Awesome deluxe salad!

Making choices/Awesome deluxe salad!

I’ve been reading a few books I got from the library about people who have succeeded in weight loss and what it took to get them there. I like to hear inspiring stories of how people overcame adversity and finally got healthy and fit. One 

Breakfast cookies!

A long time ago, when my sister and I first joined Weight Watchers, (1999) we used to order these cookies called “Baker’s Breakfast Cookies”. We did so because these cookies were HUGE, and the calories were low and the fiber was high, so they were 

Chinese bbq pork crock pot recipe

Chinese bbq pork crock pot recipe

One of my favorite things to get at Big Bowl restaurant is their chinese bbq pork. It’s tender, the flavors are amazing, and its just fantastic. I was trying to find a recipe for it, and I found one on Cooking Light. Since its still 

How to Make Cinnamon swirl bread

How to Make Cinnamon swirl bread

I am by no means an expert at making bread, I’ve only made it about 5 times before in my life, but I’ve been using a recipe as a base from Pete Bakes. He uses a recipe for European Peasant Bread from a book called 

BSI secret ingredient: eggs!  Mini won ton quiche bites

BSI secret ingredient: eggs! Mini won ton quiche bites

There is a number of food bloggers who participate in a kind of cook off where each week there is a host, and they pick the secret ingredient, and you can submit a recipe for a small prize. I’ve always read from afar and never 

Chicken tortilla soup #2/Avocado salsa!

Chicken tortilla soup #2/Avocado salsa!

The first thing I did when I came home from work was check the mail box, and I was happy to see this envelope in my mailbox! Kristina from Stonyfield Farm sent me coupons to try their yogurt! I haven’t tried their Greek yogurt, so 

Susan Sarandon’s Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Susan Sarandon’s Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

So after dinner, I really wanted to have something sweet, but didn’t have much in the house to satisfy that, so I went online and googled “healthy cookies”. Is there such a thing? I read a lot of recipes, and came upon one that I 

Banana muffins/+ a new version of pasta with meatballs!

Banana muffins/+ a new version of pasta with meatballs!

These were the muffins I pictured yesterday and I promised to post the recipe today, so here it is. I used a lot of the new different kinds of flours I bought yesterday and came up with a really tasty healthy muffin! 1/2 cup all 

I love grocery shopping!

I love grocery shopping!

On Sunday I took one of my sons to get new gym shoes, because his pair from the beginning of the year were torn, and tattered and falling apart! We went to a strip mall and as we were walking back to the car, I 

My favorite Cookbook

My favorite Cookbook

This is my favorite cookbook. It was made by members of my Mom’s side of the family back in 1997. My Aunt Martha spearheaded the whole thing asking members of the family to send their favorite recipes and she retyped them, made copies, and bound 

Morning Glory Muffins

Morning Glory Muffins

Yesterday at work I decided to get a muffin at Great Harvest Bread by my office. I was trying to choose a healthy version…they had a Muffin that had cranberries, bits of carrot and it was just out of the oven. It smelled so good! 

New camera/stove top mac and cheese

New camera/stove top mac and cheese

I got a new camera for my birthday!!  A Sony Cyber shot!  A much better upgrade from my digital camera that was about 7 years old and had only 2 mega pixels!  So, I took a few pictures at work.  The flower is out front 

It’s my birthday!!!

It’s my birthday!!!

It’s my birthday today!  And as I have mentioned before I have a twin sister Beth so it’s her birthday too. (She’s ½ hour older than me!)  I always remember this card she gave me (or I gave her?) and it went like this: “We’re birds of a 

It’s my son Paul’s birthday today!!

It’s my son Paul’s birthday today!!

It’s my son Paul’s 13th birthday today!!  I can’t believe it!!  We were up earlier than usual so there was enough time to open gifts before school.  He was very happy with what he got!  So, when I was thinking about what to make for 

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!!!

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!!!

I had a busy day yesterday off from work, and didn’t really make anything fun, so I thought I would add some links to some tasty Irish foods I found! Corned beef and cabbage pizza!  Irish cream espresso creme caramel  Potato-corn-leek chowder  Brown soda bread  

POM Smoothie

POM Smoothie

I’m off work today, with a big to-do list, so I thought I would try a smoothie with my POM Wonderful pomegranate juice.  I did my grocery shopping this week at ALDI.  In their freezer section they usually have different kinds of frozen fruits, and 

Pom Wonderful Oatmeal

Pom Wonderful Oatmeal

Diana from Pom Wonderful was nice enough to send me a free case of Pom Wonderful to try.  Of course I said Yes!  My kids were very excited!  I’m pretty sure they have never had it before and all three of them loved it! Here are some 

Italian Egg Drop Soup

Italian Egg Drop Soup

Last weekend while watching the Food TV network, I saw Giada make a super simple soup.  She called it Straciatella…or Italian egg drop soup.  She literally made this in a matter of minutes, so I thought it would be a good idea to make and 

Burger and fries please!

Burger and fries please!

One of the things I am most proud of as a working Mom and wife with 3 kids, is that I never resort to fast food for meals.  Plus, why do the drive through when you can make the same thing at home except not 

One of my favorite dinners!

One of my favorite dinners!

I never get tired of this dinner.  My Mom made it growing up and I make it for my family a couple times a month.  The combo of the noodles, the sauce, its amazing.  The best part is I vary it all the time.  I 

Even my Mom's getting busy in the kitchen!!

Even my Mom's getting busy in the kitchen!!

A few weeks ago, my Mom attempted to make bread from my sister’s site.  It didn’t rise very well, the texture wasn’t right.  Turned out my mom used a little too much flour. Fast forward to today, where a few minutes ago, we got an