As promised…

I believe I promised y’all some recipe reviews, so here they are!

This week I made Kelsey’s Enchilada Saucy Soup.  This was almost like a pantry meal and definitely one I’ll be making again.  Check out the Bites & Bowls blog for the original recipe.  I just gathered the ingredients…

You just saute the onion and garlic, toss in the broth and sauce, thicken up a portion of it with cornstarch and then throw the beans, rotel, and corn in.  It couldn’t be easier.  I served it over rice tonight (my 4th time eating it this week!) and that was pretty tasty.

I also made a great veggie omelette this week.  It’s not a fancy recipe, but I love how filling and delicious, while still low calorie and protein-filled, an omelette can be!

This one was filled with peppers from a friend’s garden, onion, tomatoes, lettuce, and swiss cheese.  Served with a side of grapes and some hot tea.  YUM.

I also whipped up a batch of Mama Pea’s Pumpkin Protein Bars.  As usual, I gathered the ingredients…

I left out the sweetener since my protein powder is already sweetened.  I think that was a mistake.  Next time I’ll throw a little maple syrup in there.  I also got to test the automatic overload protection on my Vitamix.  I didn’t follow the instructions completely and my Vitamix had to work pretty hard.  I was pretty sure these would be inedible based on the look of the batter and, quite frankly, the taste of the batter.  Surprisingly, they were very edible when they came out of the oven, but they weren’t very pretty!

And yes, I did cut that edge off before I remembered to take a picture.  I mean… uh… I cut into the bars to show you the texture  I will definitely make these again, because they have a good nutritional profile (something like 120 calories and 18 grams of protein per bar) and were tasty, not to mention easy to make.

I’ll be on the lookout for a new recipe to try this week.  I think I may have one of Ashley’s savory buckwheat bakes in mind…

On to fitness news… did anyone notice that my October Fitness Challenge was not mentioned all month?  Well, it was not mentioned because it didn’t get done.  Every year October is a poof off month for me, full of fun, but not much else.  SOOOO… I’ve got to get back on track this month.  I did get a run in last week around the neighborhood and remembered how much I love running.  I’ll be bringing the run back!  I haven’t eaten too poorly, skipped a bunch of workouts, or become totally lazy, but I really prefer a more structured plan of eating and working out.  Enter the Cinch Challenge!

I’m doing a 10lbs in 10 weeks Cinch Challenge starting tomorrow.  I’ve rounded up a partner to help me stay accountable and we’ll be keeping track of our points (earned for healthy behaviors).  The guidelines are:

1 point daily for each of the following:

-Track your food (I use Sparkpeople.com)

-Drink 8 glasses of water

-Take a multivitamin

-Have a protein shake or bar daily

-Cardio 5x/week and Weights 2x/week

Additionally, there is a $1 fine (I’m calling it the “tip jar”) for every sweet/dessert you eat or alcoholic beverage you consume.  My partner and I haven’t decided what to do with the “tip jar” money at the end, but I’m sure we’ll think of something.  My goal is to hit 30 (of 35 possible) points each week and not have very much money in the tip jar at the end!!

Feel free to ask me about it and hold me accountable