Bowl of Tropical

What’s been missing from my recent posts? 

Oh right…coffeeeeeeeee!  The number of trees I’ve killed by walking over to Starbucks for take-out lately is mildly embarrassing.  You’d think after my eight billionth visit I’d remember my travel mug, but nooooo.  I suck.  Sorry trees!

Up above there we have yesterday’s breakfast.  I mixed the new crack yogurt (Liberte Med pineapple) with the old crack yogurt (Liberte Med coconut) and topped it with super ripe Ataulfo mango and fresh blackberries.  I die.

After catching up at work and taking the pupper for a walk to the park I came back for a bowl of that super yummy quinoa salad.  I should have made a double batch…it’s that tasty.  Quinoa is already on next week’s grocery list.

After work I just couldn’t decide what to have for dinner, so I started grabbing convenience foods from the fridge and before I knew it I had a pretty decent meal.  Bacon, egg on toast, fresh tomatoes…and avocado on toast with light Laughing Cow and Dijon.

In the end I folded the avocado and toast together with a slice of bacon…oh.my.yum.  Who knew avocado and bacon went together??  Not me!

The evening project (aside from finally tackling some contract work I “should” have done on Monday) was putting together Heidi’s Rhubarb Pie Things…

I can’t say I’ve ever baked with rhubarb before and the taste test I did last night tells me I really ought to do it more often.  Stay tuned…serving these to the girls during Game One of the Stanley Cup Finals tonight (aka: Game One of the Canucks Bringing the Cup Home).

Go Canucks Go!!!

If it looks like Summer…

…it must be Summer then, right?  *no jinxies!*

The sunny weather has been upon us a fair bit this last week or so and as such I’ve been trading my hot oatmeal and never ending cup of coffee for cooler eats and drinks.

Tiff and I used up an expiring Groupon for the new frozen yogurt bar in town…Qoola.  So glad Victoria got in on this new hot trend. 

At first bite I wasn’t too sure about their “original” flavour, but by the bottom of the cup I was pretty taken with the tangy yogurt mixed with fresh fruit, coconut and a bit of chocolate for good measure. :)

I’ll try the vanilla next time.  Cuz you know there will be a next time.

Due to an overzealous purchase of yummy mangoes I had a few that were looking to be used up pretty damn quick.  What to do with almost overripe fruit?

Smoothies of course!!  Mango, banana, coconut, vanilla and almond milk.  Oh my yum!

A fizzy blast from the past!

Taking it to a grown up level. :)  Mixed with soda water, fresh blackberries, and a lime slice.  Sip that in the sun and tell me it isn’t fun!

Ripple chips scream Summer (which is weird because in our family they also scream Christmas) and Ranch flavour reminds me of the several hundred bags of Cool Ranch Doritos I consumed as a teenager. 

These are better.  But just as dangerous.

And hands down the most consumed beverage of the season thus far…iced coffee.  This one is homemade but my weekly spending dollars have most certainly found their way to Starbucks and McD’s as well. 

Tomorrow I make iced tea.  I may just float away before Summer actually arrives. 

Greek Lovah

Yesterday I saw some Twitter action regarding the arrival of Liberte Greek yogurt in VANILLA on the market, so I decided I’d better trot on out to Sobey’s to see if we had it yet.

Indeed we do!

What’s the big deal about Greek yogurt?

Um, 0% fat!!  Wicked high protein content!!  And thick like buttah!  Well, maybe not buttah but at least as thick as real, full fat sour cream.  Without all of the junk in there!  150 cals per 175g serving…but not full of fake sugars or gross fruit sweeteners like other no fat yogurts.  I can’t even look at a tub of that nasty, runny stuff anymore!

Mixed a serving with 1/2 sliced banana and a rounded 1/4 cup of granola…

Tasty!!

One complaint:  the price!  This tub was almost $6!!  At that price this won’t be a staple in my fridge.  It’s ridiculous.  Especially since the Svelt Liberte is a larger container and was on sale for $3.95.  Might not be as thick and protein packed but it’s still organic and deeeelish for a better dealio.

Love the protein content though.  This definitely held me over significantly better than the regular 2% yogurt I enjoyed yesterday.

Come lunchtime I was ready to dive face first into the leftover Sweet Potato, Spinach and Chicken Enchiladas.  I was hard pressed not to eat two…but I have a sushi dinner tonight and didn’t want to overdo it at lunch.

One enchilada with sliced baby cucumbers and orange peppers.

Super extra deeeelish on day two.  :)  nom!!

Now I am sitting here patiently anxiously awaiting a call or email from my bank letting me know they have finally processed my mortgage approval and matched a lower rate I sent them.  I thought my mortgage stress was over but alas I’m back to a waiting game!  It never ends!! 

Technically only 5 business days until I arrive in Victoria to do my condo hunting so I really need this gal to get back to me today!!

Crazy Cloud

haha, I noticed that Blogger now offers the “cloud” option for it’s Labels Widget so I added it to my sidebar…but holy moly would you look at that list! ha!  And I removed about 150 of them.  Guess I need to trim some more.  Can you tell that I randomly input a new label like every time I post? 

Today is a busy day as far as having a zillion little things to get done.  In addition to a couple of time-consuming work projects I’m trying to tackle I also have some personal things I’d really like to do in the next day or two.

• laundry!
• wrap and send birthday gifts
• mail birthday cards

• write and mail thank you cards

• organize blog contest entries (keep up the good work y’all!)
• flip through this cute new book I won from The Coast on Facebook yesterday

• make a smoothie featuring Vega since I couldn’t buy Amazing Meal locally yesterday (bummer)

• hit the gym for Day Two of Fitnessista’s Intro to Iron (stay tuned for complaints regarding my legs and ass!)

Prepared for all of this by making what I had hoped would be a hearty, tasty breakfast.  Um, not.so.much.

I know I’ve mixed pumpkin into my yogurt before but couldn’t remember if I liked it.  (I’m thinking no…).  Since I thawed out some pure pumpkin the other day and have a container of good plain yogurt that needs to be used I decided to try it out (again?).

Plain yogurt, pure pumpkin, drizzle real maple syrup, pumpkin pie spice…

Stirred in whole oats and chopped walnuts…

Meh.  Didn’t do it for me.  I added a big sprinkle of crushed peanut butter pretzels so I could choke it down, but I won’t be trying this again.  Not my thing!

At least the coffee was good!  Can you believe I’m still drizzling egg nog in my joe?  It lasts a loooooong time when you only use a sploosh at a time.

OK, that to-do list isn’t going to tackle itself.

The One That Lacks Activity

Oh people, I guess I’m just in a slump (it seems to be going around!) and am not being a very good bloggy motivator or inspiration right now!

I didn’t get any activity in today.  None.  Ridiculous. 

Tomorrow I vow to at the very least walk to the bloody mailbox.

It was a struggle but I did manage to at least stay on track foodwise today (although the night is young!  eeeek!).

Afternoon snack was fruit and yogurt…

Stonyfield Organic Vanilla Yogurt with 1/2 chopped banana, fresh blackberries, and a shredded clementine…

Sooooo good.  Orange and vanilla are so yum.

I did a double water challenge today too.  #waterlogged anyone?  I have been feeling totally dehydrated for weeks and just can’t seem to top up the tank!  And yesterday’s food indescretions did not help.

*Glug Glug Glug*

I managed to finish work by about 6:20 which isn’t too bad, but was late enough that I had to miss Zumba with the other girls.  Bummer.  I’m not a superfan of group classes but it seems like a lot of fun and I really want to try it out!! 

Instead I made dinner…

Bigass Mexi-salad…

With romaine, tomatoes, red onion, and avocado…dressed with salsa & a drizzle of Ranch…

Served with cheesy toast and a perfect over-easy egg…

I REALLY have to be in the mood for a fried egg and it has to be perfectly cooked.  I never order them in restaurants because I’m too picky and always afraid of runny whites, undercooked or overcooked yolks.  Tonight’s was the perfect happy medium!

By the time I finished dinner I had completely lost all of my steam (not that I really had any today) and really haven’t moved from the couch.  I think I’ll make tea, nuke my heat pack, rest my sore neck, and try to sleep early tonight.

Tomorrow is a new day, right?