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it’s a weekly thang {weigh-in wednesday}

it’s that time of week where we drop the pants and throw the shirt to the side. no! i am not talking about a soap scene with your significant other! it’s time to see how much weight we’ve shed.
did you do okay?
did you stick to your plan?
i sure know i have except for a few itty bitty bites of P’s mac ‘n cheese and maybe a bite or two of an oreo mcflurry. i have had a few moments where i was done mentally and to the point physically where i felt i could not consume another bite of chicken or yogurt. i have realized in the past week that we as a family do not consume that much meat, we tend to get our protein from beans. after my second spin class i came out wanting a bean & cheese burrito but instead i went home and ate a chicken breast. boring, but it’s working. let’s see my numbers.

again, if you want to get into the action, copy the the weigh-in wednesday button and link-up!

my starting weight: 170 today’s weight: 164total weight loss for week one: 6 poundspounds away from goal #1: 24pounds away from goal #2: 34
i am super happy with the results. with doing spin two days this past week that stopped weight loss for the next day, which is expected. at this rate i will be at my goal weight in about two months but i expect to hit a potential plateau. but, i should definitely lose my goal weight by my birthday.
if you don’t link up, i would still love to hear about your weight loss journey!

make sure to enter the $50 spa week gift card giveaway HERE.

balsamic roasted brussels & cauliflower

i have never been a real veggie fan but when they’re roasted vs. steamed i can consume a lot! i love when the natural sugars come out and caramelize the veggies, add in some balsamic vinegar and you get a punch of flavor with extra sweetness. i cannot wait until i can add in walnuts or heaven forbid some bacon because let’s be honest, brussel sprouts are so much better with bacon. But, then again, what isn’t better with bacon? this recipe isn’t from the 17-day diet cookbook, it just follows the guidelines. great for an afternoon snack or paired alongside lean protein.

here’s what you need:

1 head of cauliflower, trimmed and cut into bit sized pieces

1/2 pound of brussel sprouts, trimmed and cut in half

3 TB balsamic vinegar

2 garlic cloves, finely minced

1 TB flax seed oil (EVOO will work fine, too)

salt & pepper to taste

Here’s how:

preheat the oven to 350 degrees. in a medium sized pot bring water to a boil. once the water is boiling add the cauliflower florets and blanche them. this usually take 2 minutes at the most, you are not cooking them all the way through just softening them enough to speed the cooking process and to absorb the vinegar.

remove the cauliflower from the pot with a mesh strainer and place in bowl. next, blanche the sprouts for two minutes.

remove the sprouts with a mesh strainer and add into the bowl with the cauliflower. drizzle the veggies with vinegar, oil, garlic, salt and pepper. toss to coat.

transfer to a baking sheet and bake at 350 for 20 minutes, remove from oven and toss. return to the oven for an additional 10-12 minutes.

remove from the oven, place in container and enjoy immediately or place in the refrigerator.

so yummy! if you want to make them extra delicious add in some cooked bacon pieces and walnuts! this dish is great anytime of year but even better as a side to your Thanksgiving dinner!

eggplant parm {17-day diet recipe}

okay, let me first start off by saying this was by far the best recipe / meal we have eaten on this diet. jim even went as far as stating it was the best eggplant parm he has ever had and that’s coming from a new jersey boy. it was simple, relatively quick and curbed by cheese craving! here’s what you need:

ingredients:

1 eggplant – i used a Japanese eggplant because i don’t like the regular variety.

1/2 cup reduced fat parm

4 egg whites or 1/4 cup liquid egg whites

garlic powder to taste

pepper to taste

reduced fat marinara sauce – i used prego light smart

vegetable spray

here’s how:

preheat oven to 400 degrees. peel the eggplant and cut into 1/4 inch slices. in two dishes place parm and egg whites. dip the eggplant into the egg whites and then dredged in the parm. spray a baking sheet with vegetable spray and place slices evenly on baking sheet and then sprinkle with garlic powder and pepper.

bake the slices at 400 degrees for 20 minutes and then flip them over and bake an additional 10 minutes. i wanted my slices crispy so just judge your eggplant.

remove from the oven. stack a few slices and add 1-2 tablespoons of marinara on top. sprinkle with reduced fat mozzarella, if desired, and place back into the oven for a few minutes.

i am not even kidding you that you will not miss the bread crumbs and fried yumminess. i ate the extras just as eggplant parm chips. to.die.for! and i am not even an eggplant lover. i paired the eggplant with roasted zucchini and tomatoes.

you do not need to be on this diet to enjoy this light meal.

don’t forget to enter to the Trop50 giveaway below for a $50 spa & wellness gift card that can be used almost anywhere!

tropicana Trop50 True Resolutions and $50 spa & wellness gift card giveaway

if you’ve been reading my blog over the past week you know how serious i am about sticking to my secret motivation. this was the first year that i did not make a resolution list, rather, a goal of losing weight and keeping it off. i have a lot to look forward to this year with my 30th birthday ahead that i do not want to be laying poolside in vegas with a flabby tummy and cottage cheesed thighs. we all know that we are the ones that control our fate so let’s just be honest with ourselves! Trop50 is taking a twist on the typical resolutions list and making 2012 a true resolutions where you can play along and possibly win!

Trop50 will be celebrating the real reasons behind New Year’s resolutions with their True Resolutions Facebook application. Fans can earn a coupon for $1 off Trop50 for themselves and 50¢ off coupons for up to 50 of their friends as well as enter a sweepstakes to win a $1000 gift card.

I love Trop50 and have been drinking it since I was pregnant with B because I couldn’t get enough of the lemonade and the no-pulp orange juice. I personally love that it has 50% less sugar and calories of traditional juice, yet it doesn’t have that yucky aftertaste that most reduced sugar juices have because it’s made with zero artificial sweeteners. huge plus in this household!

i cannot tell you enough how much i enjoy Trop50 and the variety that is available. i swear to you that there is always at least one bottle in my refrigerator! my new personal fav is the pineapple mango, i have made a mocktail out of this with green tea to give me that sweet afternoon refreshment i am always craving. a few of these a week over my usual diabetics nightmare espresso drink and i will be sitting poolside in no time!

TROPICAL CHILLER

1/2 cup Trop50 Pineapple Mango

1/2 cup iced green tea

Mix Trop50 and green tea. Serve over ice and garnish with fresh pineapple (optional). Makes 1 cup (8 ounces). To make green tea, pour 1/2 cup (4 ounces) almost boiling water over 1 tea bag and steep for 4 minutes. 1.5 ounces of rum optional

Nutrition Highlights: Each Trop50 Tropical Chiller has 3 times fewer calories and 16 grams less sugar (about 4 teaspoons!) than Lipton Iced Tea with Citrus. Additionally, our version is an excellent source of vitamin C.

Nutrition Info (8-ounce chiller): 25 calories, 0g fat, 0g saturated fat, 0g trans fat, 0mg cholesterol, 0mg sodium, 7g carbohydrates, 0g fiber, 5g sugar, 0g protein, 50% vitamin C, 212mg potassium, 1.5mg vitamin E.

Lipton Iced Green Tea with Citrus (8-ounce): 80 calories, 0g fat, 0g saturated fat, 0g trans fat, 0mg cholesterol, 70mg sodium, 21g carbohydrates, 0g fiber, 21g sugar, 0g protein.

In addition to the regular orange juice, Trop50 is available in: lemonade, raspberry lemonade, pineapple mango, pomegranate blueberry and farm stand apple.

okay, now stop lying to yourself and reveal the truth behind your new year’s resolution and receive a $1 off coupon for yourself and 50¢ off coupons for 50 of your friends. you can also enter a sweepstakes to win a $1000 gift card (there are four total!). Trop50 true resolutions sweepstakes ends on january 31, 2012. make sure you head on over to tell them about your juicy resolutions, get your coupon and enter to win!

the giveaway:

one my pb+j reader will win one $50 spa & wellness gift card

To Enter: Use the rafflecopter form. Click ‘Read More’

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I received the product mentioned above free of charge for editorial consideration, and I’m also eligible for additional incentives. However, all opinions expressed are 100% my own.

brayden’s nursery – modern zoo {gray & teal}

i am finally taking the time to post about b’s nursery. from the moment i found out i was pregnant i knew the room would be gray it just depended on if it was going to be gray/yellow or gray/aqua. once we found out he was a he, i found michael miller’s zoology fabric and knew where the inspiration was headed. it just took us until a few weeks ago to finally (semi)finish his room because of being displaced, reorganizing and the biggest furniture painting fail, ever. bless my husbands heart. since it’s the second kid, and we’re cheap we decided we would re-finish my nieces crib and changing table and then my childhood dresser. the dresser and changing table were a breeze but the crib was a huge pain in the ass. my perfectionist of a husband was not happy with the finished product so we utilized the room for diaper changes and to place all of his clothing. it’s not like the newborn is actually sleeping in there anyhow, which you cannot tell a first time mom, but being the second time i was not worried at all. my deadline for the complete room was by four months when he is actually sleeping in there and we got there at two-and-a-half months. i do have to thank my mother-in-law for saving my husbands sanity by purchasing b a new crib for christmas. i am okay with how it turned out but we still need a new closet door. i am waiting for his six-month photos to place a large canvas print in that voided space in the photo below. and, i totally dislike having two doors in this room, but opening my garage door to do laundry is way out of the question. anyhow, it’s done for now, it’s functional which is all that truly matters.

the lamp shade will change, it was in p’s nursery which doesn’t match any longer but i cannot part with it because i love it too much. we will eventually add a small tv.