I am so excited for this weekend! It’s seemed so far away when I got invited by the Beef Council and Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner Living Well weekend at The Wit Hotel in Chicago. When I was first invited I thought it was going to be this big event with tons of people – um, turns out only 20 bloggers were invited, and I am the only one from Chicago.
I am most interested to meet Brenda of A Farmgirl’s Dabbles. You know the lasagna soup I’ve made 50 times by now? While I got the recipe from Suzie, Brenda is the originator of the soup, so I gotta give that gal some props on that soup. I think Louise is already on batch 10 – her husband now requests it!
So I probably won’t blog until Monday and you’ll see my weekend recap. I hope to put some stuff on Facebook and I definitely will be updating Instagram – follow me if you like (biz319)!
You all know how I like granola – it’s like crack to me and I usually don’t keep it around because I can’t keep my hands off of it. But I’ve been under calories lately – my goal on days I work out is to hit 1800-2100 calories, but a few days this week I was around 1300.
The problem is that I have to take a shot of insulin every time I eat something, so I don’t usually snack in between meals. But I have to change that if i want to reach my calorie goals.
You guys. This may be my new favorite granola. It has banana and peanut butter in it – how bad could that be?! I used the base of my Almond Granola Crack recipe and added some more good stuff.
Peanut Butter and Banana Granola
Ingredients:
- 4 cups oats
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/2 cup milk (I use whatever milk I have on hand – this was 2%)
- 1 cup peanuts
- 1/2 cup slivered almonds
- 3 tablespoons poppy seeds
- 1/4 cup peanut butter
- 1 banana
In a microwave safe bowl, put the peanut butter, butter and banana together and nuke it for 1 minute. With a whisk, whisk this mixture together, breaking up the banana as you whisk.
In a large bowl, mix everything together, making sure all the oats are coated – it’s going to be very wet, don’t worry. Press down on a Pam sprayed cookie sheet, so that the granola is about 1/2 an inch thick. Bake for 30 minutes at 325 degrees. If you want clusters like me, don’t stir at all. Cool completely and break into pieces.
So when it first cooled it was nice and crunchy – I love crunchy granola. However, by the morning, it was chewy – still delicious, but I missed the crunch. So when I got home last night I heated the oven to 350 and baked it for 10 more minutes, and this morning it’s super crunchy.
So my plan is to eat some granola in the morning before I leave for work – 1/2 a cup adds about 250 calories to my day, and its filling!
Later in the morning, I had my “second” breakfast. I scrambled 1 egg with 6 ounces of leftover mashed potatoes and 3/4 cup baby spinach, then topped it with 3 ounces of the leftover roast – I am getting my $$ worth out of that $8 roast – I think this is the fourth meal I’ve used it. Oh, and a half an ounce of cheese was added too!
Yesterday was legs/calves on the workout schedule. I like to start out on the Stairmaster to loosen them up before working out. I ended up doing 56 floors in 15 minutes!
With the Stairmaster and the leg workout, it was a nice 45 minute workout. Not sure if you can see the sweat dripping down my neck?
Lunch was more . . . black bean and barley chili! I’ve frozen the rest for later. This time I had cucumber “dippers” for my chili.
I had a Chobani around 4. I really like the mango one – ha, love how my insulin pen is in the background!
It was overcast and rainy most of the day, until it was time to leave for work, then it was gorgeous!
I had ground beef to use up (next time Carrie I’ll make your Philly Cheesesteak!) and since Tony had a burger for lunch I threw out tacos, fully expecting him to nix the idea, but he liked it! I was half way through making dinner when all of a sudden my blood sugar dropped – I was sweating profusely and I just need to eat – like NOW!
So I took this one crappy picture of dinner – I had forgotten my good camera at home so all of the days pics are from my iPhone.
I restrained myself for eating more because I still feel the effects of low blood sugar for a good 15-20 minutes, but I just have to wait it out. After dinner it was 112.
I had to show Roz a couple of flower pictures – she takes so many beautiful ones! These are in planters outside my gym.
Stats for the Day:
- 1825 calories (including wine – it was kind of like my Friday night since I have the day off of work today)
- 174 carbs, 77 protein, 59 fat, 20 fiber
- Calorie Count B grade – not enough carbs, high in sodium and cholesterol
- 45 minute Stairmaster/legs strength at lunch
Alright, I have to pack my bags for Chicago! I am taking the train downtown, and if its not raining, will walk the 1 mile to the hotel. Cocktails and appetizers start in the lounge at 4! So excited!
I hope you have a wonderful weekend – I’ll recap on Monday!! Hugs.
Hope the weekend was absolutely fabulous! I’m still making recipes that I got from you on your blog. And they are still some of our very favorites!
Thanks Pam! So nice of you to stop by and say hello!
Congrats! Looking forward to hearing about your beef adventures!
Cory!! Glad you stopped by – I’ll have to see if you’ve been to Mastro’s Steakhouse – I hadn’t even heard of it before this event!
You know Biz, I gotta hand it to you. I have never seen a food blogger take a food porn shot with the hood of her car as a backdrop. ::giggling::
Pretty awesomez.
Ha – that’s what I call my “professional photographer” shot – hee hee!
Have a great time Biz!
Have a great trip! Safe travels, Biz.
I like that there is no oil in your granola – it is like crack for me too. I can’t wait to read about your weekend fun and getting to meet other bloggers. 🙂
It was so fun – I wasn’t intimidated at all – only one woman (who I won’t mention) had “airs” about her, but everyone else was super friendly.
Have a supertime – can’t wait to read all about it.
And I better get to following you on instagram so I can see all you pics!!
Hope you found me on Instagram Kim! 😀
Hi Vat. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the flower pics (and the shout out)!. The raindrops on the petals look so pretty, and I love the purple ones on the ground in the second shot! Have a FANTASTIC weekend!!! I know you will and look forward to the recap!
We’re having tacos tonight cos today is National Taco Day! Yay! It’s also National Vodka Day but I’m not a vodka drinker so I’ll just have to sub a Corona Light (or 2) in it’s place. lol
Hope you have a fabulous weekend in Chicago! Can’t wait to see the fun pics!! 😀
I’d take National Taco Day over National Vodka Day anytime!!
Have a great weekend. Can’t wait to hear all about it. Hope you get to the roof at The Wit, I have been dying to get up there.
Yep, we are having cocktails and breakfast on the roof!
Haha…….”so what’s the beef??” Hope you have a fun time and come back with lots of recipes!! Lasagna soup turned out wonderful and husband is happy. Beef Burgandy Pepper Roast yummy….turned it into Italian beef sandwiches….oh gosh the meat was so tender, “melt in the mouth type tender” if meat can do that.
Must try that granola sometime. Looking forward to Monday’s recap and what you learned.
Have a great time in Chicago!
Have a great weekend. We will be in Chicago on Tuesday!!
Randi – next week – I thought it was the week of October 15 – I’ll “talk” to you on Facebook this weekend!
I’ve actually never tried granola (weird huh!) but it looks really good. So does the rest of your food! 😀
I am on a PB & banana kick so this granola has good timing. Does the cook temp. time you posted make the crunchy kind or will I need to recook it like you did the next day? I noticed you put poppy seeds in it. You have been using them quite a bit. Did you get them in bulk and trying to use them up or just in a poppy seed phase? 🙂 I get scared for you when I hear how your sugar drops so low. Have fun on your weekend!
I haven’t figured that out yet Kym – next time I’ll cook for 40 minutes and see if the crunch stays – I’ll let you know!
My store sells poppy seeds in plastic containers – two cups worth only costs me like $1.23. I read/heard that poppy seeds go rancid quickly, so I store them in the door of my freezer – works like a charm. I puffy heart poppy seeds – luckily my office doesn’t do drug testing – ha!
KYM!!! I LOVE MY HALLOWEEN SNOWMAN!! Can’t wait to put it on the blog tomorrow – hugs!!
Hope you have a great time at the beef event – enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!!!
Yum, that granola looks delicious! I hope you have a GREAT weekend!! 🙂
BIZ!! I hate Bananas, you think I could leave it out?? I would tweak yours w/ Against all Grains’s recipe, the nut based one, that one doesn’t spike Bs sugars (you know we fight a similar but very different battle as he is not on insulin) Help a girl out morphing these two recipes together? We love your granola, but his blood sugar doesn’t, so I made the other and his blood sugar was good. it is sweetened w/ honey and no oats. I suck at morphing recipes. I am thinking if I can keep the ‘wet’ ingredient measurments similar it may work? whatcha think? wonder how nutella would do, it isn’t as thick as PB and sweeter, so I could cut back on the honey too? I need to brainstorm this, B and E both LOVE crunchy chunks of granola……
have an awesome weekend! 🙂
I should have said we leave out the dried fruit/choc chips too, so basically it is nuts, and unsweetened coconut shreds that are flavored and dried…..
I’ll have to figure it out Peggy, but I think between the two of us, we’ll find one that works! Hugs!
Have a great weekend in the big city! Sounds like so much fun:) Can’t wait to hear all about it!
That granola does look amazing. I can’t wait to try it! I have become hooked on the Chobani flips – key lime flavor with graham crumbs and white chocolate chips. So good and tangy.
Oh, and to be one of your tastebuds this weekend…beef beef beef! Have an awesome weekend, Biz!