Monthly Archives: January 2012

Oatmeal M & M Chocolate Chip Cookies

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I woke up Saturday morning and I knew I had to bake something. I wasn’t sure exactly what but the baking urge was on my mind. I flipped through a gazillion cookbooks and couldn’t find exactly what I wanted so I ended up searching the web. I decided on a classic oatmeal chocolate chip cookie. I jazzed it up with red, white, and pink m & m’s and I used mini chocolate chips because that’s what I had on hand. Also I used Justin’s trick with the butter: half salted and half unsalted. My final product came out after 9 minutes of baking with a texture somewhere between soft and chewy.

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I saved a couple for Justin but knew I didn’t need to keep three dozen cookies at our place so I packaged them up as a house warming gift with a Le Creuset Casserole dish. ( Thanks mom for the cute gift suggestion.)

What do you like to give for house warming gifts?

Sweet and a bit salty Chex Mix

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This weekend was full but every moment was lots of fun!

We had family dinner on Friday night and afterwards we headed back home where I ended up falling asleep early. Saturday morning I followed my usual routine and headed to Weight Watchers after I woke up. The woman who weighed me gave me a smile and said “You are so close I know you will reach this next week.” I looked at my weight record and realized I was 0.2 away from a 30 pound loss. I joked with her and asked if I could run to the bathroom and then hop on the scale again. But alas, I am hoping to knock that 0.2 off next week.

Then I ran to meet my school gals at Barnes and Noble to listen to an author and discussion on childhood bullying. I highly suggest you check out Jonathan Friesen’s website. He is truly inspiring and everyone could learn something from him.

After that I headed to People’s Organic for a quick brunch. (really yummy biscuits)

I ran around the Galleria for a bit and then headed over to Rojo to meet a friend for lunch. Another great restaurant and they have great sangria!

When I got home I decided to take my mom’s Chex mix/ Party Mix and tweak it.

Here’s what I came up with:

Preheat oven to 300
Take a stick of salted butter and put it in a large casserole dish. Stick it in the oven and leave it there till it has melted. Once it melts pull the dish out of the oven and add 3 teaspoons of vanilla extract and a 1/2 cup of cinnamon sugar. Mix all of this really well and then add 1/2 a box of Rice Chex, 1/2 a box of Captain Crunch, 1/2 a bag of pretzels, and half a box of Honey Teddy Grahams. Stir carefully and try to not have everything end up on the floor. Place in the oven for 20 minutes. Pull out and dump in another bowl and stir around then put it back in the oven for 20 minutes. Do this one more time ( i hope this makes sense…. Three 20 minute increments) and then turn the oven off and let the Chex Mix cool in the oven.1 to 2 hours later pull the Chex Mix out of the oven and mix in some mini marshmallows (I did 1/2 a bag). Serve ina cute bowl and enjoy!

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Last night we went to Acme with friends. We had a great dinner and got to see Natasha Leggero (judge from Last Comic Standing) perform. What a great deal- dinner and the comedy show for $30!

I could keep typing but I think it best to end and I will update you more this coming wek.

Keep Smiling :) and Stay warm Minnesotans!

Erica

What’s in your pantry?

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If you asked me a year ago today what was in my pantry you would find a lot of chips, cookies, and candy. Today it’s a little bit of a different story. I don’t deprive myself of those foods but I limit how often I eat them. Instead I try to go for foods that have more fiber or I try and combine fruit or veggies with a protein. Here are some of my favorite staples in my pantry:

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1. Fiber Full Fruit Leather- These are from Trader Joes. They are great to throw in your bag and have on hand for a snack. Plus they are only 1 point!

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2. Angie’s Kettle Corn- A great snack to have on hand for when you are having a sweet craving. A serving is 2 1/2 cups and it’s just 3 points.

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3. Fiber One Blueberry Muffins- I eat these muffins for breakfast three times a week. A box makes 12 muffins which I could never finish in a week. I end up wrapping each muffin in foil and putting them in a ziplock bag in the freezer. I bring them to school with me and eat them while my kids are having snack. One muffin is 3 points.

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4. Triscuit Minis- I love crackers But I find that serving sizes never satisfy my craving. A serving of these minis is 28 crackers. If I pair this with a laughing cow wedge it’s a perfect snack or part of my lunch. A serving is 3 points.

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5. Quaker Chewy Dipps Peanut Butter- I have a massive sweet tooth. I was very happy when I found these granola bars. I think they taste like a candy bar. One bar is 4 points.

What’s in your pantry?

Sharing is caring!

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Sharing is caring! I say these three words to my kids at school a gazillion times a day. (Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t) I must tell you what I love lately.

1. Pinterest- what an obsession….I have created so many boards and have found so many great recipes and ideas for school!

2. Biggest Loser- I know it’s not realistic to drop more than three pounds in a week. What I love…. The inspirational stories and the great inspirational quotes I get out of it.

3. Skinny Taste- I cannot wait to start making recipes from this site! Everything looks so yummy! Plus she has done the hard work and figured out how many weight watcher points everything is. What recipe should I try first? ( sooo….. many great choices)

4.I Got This- The title to Jennifer Hudson’s new book! It comes out tomorrow! I am so excited to start reading this! She has gone through some tough times and has shown how determination, drive, and staying positive can help you climb to the top.

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