I was all set to go to the gym yesterday morning. Bathing suit laid out, gym bag packed, granola bar in purse. The only problem? I woke up an hour and fifteen minutes later than I intended! My alarm did go off at six, but my “just one more minute” turned into a lot more. But not to worry, I decided to make today a rest day and I’ll just work out on Wednesday. 😀
I had my old camera with me today – it isn’t until I download my pictures that I realize how much I LOVE my new camera! I am sure you can tell which pictures were taken with Old Blue and my Nikon!
Breakfast was a breakfast burrito and a Vanilla Chobani – 8 points.
Tony had an appointment near my office and picked me up for lunch. We were the first customers, so even after driving to the restaurant, eating and getting back to my office, I was only gone 40 minutes! I knew I was getting a salad ahead of time, but do you know what was on their special menu? Giardienera sliders with pepper jack cheese and tater tots! My mouth is watering just typing that sentence!
But I stuck to my plan – and maybe had 3 of Tony’s tots! I got the julienne salad, brought my own Paul Newman’s dressing – lunch comes in at 9 points.
What I originally had on my lunch menu today (but will never pass up lunch with Tony!) is Sweet Potato and Black Bean Chili. I adapted this recipe from an Eating Well recipe. I’ve been putting my recipes into eTools, then copying them and pasting them here. The only problem is that there are scripts that keep trying to run when I paste them here that drive me insane – I think I wrote the same paragraph 5 times in yesterday’s post but the script kept stopping it and when I would hit save, I’d lose all the pictures and words.
So I am going back to making printer friendly versions on Google Docs.
Sweet Potato and Black Bean Chili (recipe and printer friendly version here)
I forgot to tell you that two of my co-workers are doing WW and I am making them soup all week, and get this – they are paying me to do it! Their contribution to Soup Week here on My Bizzy Kitchen paid for 1/3 of my groceries for the week!
My one co-worker said “I love sweet potatoes and this is going on my dinner menu next week – best chili ever and two snaps around the world!” My other co-worker was under the weather, but upon reading such a rave review, ate it and loved it and gave me two thumbs up! I was nice and gave my chili to my boss – she is a Lean Cuisine junky so she loved it too 😀
The original recipe didn’t call for a canned chipotle pepper, but the first taste was a tad too sweet for me, but once I added the pepper, it was the perfect balance of sweet and heat. First soup of the week = success! On tap tomorrow. . . chicken and spinach soup with pesto. 😀
I randomly get sent Cuisine at Home, and most times there are just a couple recipes that I would like to try. The cover picture stopped me in my tracks. Again, I bizzified the recipe, removing the damn onions, and using regular Italian sausage instead of turkey Italian sausage.
Lightened Bolognese (recipe and printer friendly version here)
and my plate on a bed of baby spinach – 1 cup chopped baby spinach, 1 cup cooked pasta, 3/4 cup sauce and a slice of garlic bread – 14 PointsPlus.
I was skeptical about using ground turkey breast instead of beef, but since I added the Italian sausage it still had a meaty taste. Yum!
Stats for Monday:
- 31 points (only 12 flex points left – too much wine over the weekend!)
- no exercise – rest day
- average blood sugar: 98 😀
Do you guys remember these things?
The package says it grows 600%! It’s been in water since Saturday – can’t wait to see how big it gets! (and yes, I am like a five year old at times!)
And today . . . I am off to the gym! Have a great day 😀
p.s. Check out Nicole’s post about Weight Watchers new Program. Anyone who has questions about this program should read this post – she’s a registered dietitian and breaks down the program so its easy to understand. Thanks Nicole! 😀
p.s.s. Don’t forget to submit your healthy recipes for a chance to win one of two AUTOGRAPHED copies of Rocco DiSpirito’s new cookbook – Now Eat This! You have until Friday, January 14 to enter. 😀
This chili recipe looks fantastic! Thanks for sharing!
I’m making chili tonight, with ground turkey, red kidney beans and butternut squash. LOVE chili on a cold winter night. Hope you had a great workout!!!
I could seriously eat sweet potato and black bean chili every day. It’s that delicious to me. Last week I had some leftover and I took it up a notch. I added in some ground turkey then tossed it all into a skillet and topped it with corn bread. I baked it off and it was heaven in my mouth. I almost bitch slapped my dad when he told me he ate the last of it for lunch one day. The nerve.
Ha – you never cease to crack me up Ty! 😀
Love the grow items. We used to get a 3-liter soda bottle and use it to grow our thingie in. So FUN. That chili looks awesome, but I don’t think I can get my weirdo brother to eat it. 🙂
One of these days I HAVE to make one of your chili recipes(I know I’ve been saying that a while now). Especially now that you are getting paid to make them. Now there’s real proof they’re good 😉
That looks like such a cuddly water pet. Now all you need is a herd of sea monkeys! The chili sounds fantastic. My men don’t like sweet potatos (the idiots), but they might just have to suck it up and eat it, or make their own damn food.
I love soups/stwes/chilis!! The sweet potato chili looks really great, and I can’t wait to see the chicken and spinach soup with pesto!
Mmmm…..sweet potatoes and chili…what an amazing combo! I can’t wait to see how big that thing grows!
Mmmm, that chili looks good, Biz! I never thought to put sweet potatoes in my chili. Don’t suppose you ship? 😉
And the grow creatures? They are fun! We loved the turtle one that my kids got.
Your chili looks good, I also made chili yesterday 🙂
I have a ‘grow a new mother in law’, wish it was so easy LOL!!
Mmm, but isn’t wine the best way to spend those flex points?!
oh that chili looks soo good!
what do you plan on doing with the octopus once it’s big?
I have no idea – I was just kind of curious to see how big it would get!
A weekday lunch with the man is such a special treat!! And tots are awesome- I haven’t had them in ages. Beautiful soup. I want to try that recipe. I can’t get enough of spice mixed with black beans.
Mmmm, that chili looks awesome! Thanks for sharing the recipe!
That chili looks good. It is such soup/chili weather, isn’t it?
That chili is right up my alley, thanks for sharing it.
My son told me to copy and paste recipes into “note pad” to remove any script that will cause a problem in wordpress, then copy and paste it from note pad into my post or you can copy and paste the recipe from the original site then click on the copy as plain text button on the tool bar in wordpress and paste your recipe there. It seems to work for me. I am not tech savvy so I hope this makes sense.
Thanks Tami! Glad to know I am not the only non-tech savvy blogger out there! 😀
When I was in college, I had to turn up my alarm clock and leave it across the room so that I had to get up to push the snooze button. Even then, I still let it go for 15 mins before I got up!
I just bought a package of those capsules that grow into little sponge animals for my daughter. She’s just as excited as you are about it! 😀
I totally forgot about those!
I would like some of that chili right now! Yum!
There is a guy here that I know who is a great cook and has started selling his soups to friends – he does a Facebook alert as to what flavors are available, and people just leave him messages saying what they want and how much. Between seeing what he’s doing and now you, I have to say that I think homemade soup is the next frozen yogurt! Very cool that your co-workers are paying you for your talents. 🙂
Paid to make soup! How great is that??
I linked Nicole’s post to my blog post today too…it was really nice to read her opinion, as I value it so much!
man I love your eats! 🙂 YUM!
does your new water pet have a name? lol 🙂
Love the sweet potato and black bean chili!
I buy the “magic grow” toys for my grandson. Recently I got him the shark. My son [a single dad] put it in a big glass of water to watch it grow. In the middle of the night he heard an “explosion”. The water glass had burst after the shark had been in it for two days! So I bought another one, and they filled the bathtub, left it in there, taking it out only to bath and refill the tub. It got to about 18-inches long! Needles to say… my grandson was thrilled!
That’s hilarious! When Hannah was little, we once bought a tiny foot and it grew to be the size of my foot! 😀
That soup sounds wonderful! I loooove that your coworkers are 1) doing WW (mine are too and it’s so helpful!) and 2) that they’re paying you to make soups! That’s awesome! 🙂 I can’t wait to see more of the recipes!
Thanks for the link back — I’m glad you enjoyed the post 🙂
The chili sounds yummy! It took me a long time to like sweet potatoes, but now I love them! 🙂
The “grow” toy is soooo cool! I’ll have to look for one for the toddler; I think he’d love it… And, yes, me, too! But it’s nice to have an excuse! 🙂
I have been a soup making fool. Must be all this damn snow we’re getting. Did you see the recipe for the smoky ham and bean soup over at Tami’s Nutmeg Notebook? I think that’s next on my agenda.
I’ll make a deal with you, if your sister doesn’t respond to the fact that she’s won the DVD, I’ll send it to you… how about that?
I’ll have to check out Tami’s recipe – I must have missed that one.
Deal! 😀
I have had such a hankering for Bolognese, which is odd since we never eat it. This recipe will be perfect to satisfy the craving. Hope to make it this weekend. Thanks!
I’d be happy to pitch in for that soup! It looks great! Maybe you’ve found a new job!
What is on that breakfast burrito? That looks wonderful!
It’s a salsa from a Mexican restaurant Tony and I went to over the weekend – they had it in like ketchup bottles, and I asked if they sold it – its very similar to my baja fresh salsa – but a lot spicier!
My salsa recipe can be found here:
http://mybizzykitchen.com/2010/05/23/beautiful-saturday-except-for/
You have some very lucky co-workers this week! YUM!!! And breakfast looks amazing as always!
Can’t wait to see how your growing animal turns out…we just had a frog and a duck growing in our bathroom for a few weeks. My girls would grow them, watch them shrink, and grow them again!
Your co-workers are so lucky!! I bet everyone who reads your blog would gladly fork over big bucks for a ‘Bizness’ lunch! You could be the next Paula Deen!
I love sweet potatoes but they sure are unattractive! And tater tots are the best
I wish I lived closer. I would pitch in for soup week too! I need to give that chili recipe a try. I’ve been thinking about having some.
I saw an alarm clock that might be just the thing for you: it has wheels and rolls around so you have to get up and chase it to turn it off. 🙂
I seriously LOVE black bean and sweet potato chili. I may just have to go buy the ingredients to make it tonight now!
Have a great day, Biz! 🙂