I’m sure that I’ve done this before, but I mixed a teaspoon of Better N Peanut Butter with 1/4 cup of sugar free pancake syrup and poured it over my pumpkin waffle sammie – game changer!  Just that subtle peanuty taste was perfect with the pumpkin waffle – and I got some flak for putting Everything But The Bagel Seasoning over top, but it’s the perfect sweet and savory combo – don’t knock it until you try it šŸ˜€

I found this Better N Peanut Butter at Trader Joe’s – on the bottom shelf of all the nut butters.  It’s delicious and 3 points for 2 tablespoons.

The Biz and Jenn show was back on the air yesterday!  So nice to catch up on our walk – it was gorgeous too – a bit hot (even though our apps only said 71 – in the sun it was warm) and we decided to walk to the lake front.

You can never have too many pictures of clouds in my book. 

We both realize we don’t take advantage of all that Chicago has to offer – you kind of forget about it, because it’s just the town you work in.  I never did hang out on the River Walk after work – if it’s still open in October (#dryseptember) I’ll have to do that.

Long time readers know my love affair with Brenda’s Lasagna Soup – but yesterday’s has to be the fastest soup yet!!   Over the weekend I cooked up my noodles and chicken sausage.  Yesterday before work I put in my blender:  28 ounce can fire roasted tomatoes, 1 tablespoon garlic, 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, 1 cup beef broth (I was out of chicken) and a pinch of crushed red pepper.  I let her rip, and then poured the soup mixture into two mason jars – one for lunch yesterday and one for lunch today.  The base of the soup is zero points.  My chicken sausage link was 2 points, the Trader Joe’s mozzarella cheese is 1 point (although word on the street is that you can have 1.5 ounces for 1 point – I need to confirm that).  Before heating up, I throw everything in the bowl, including chopped spinach, microwave for a couple minutes and lunch was served.

I don’t know what it is about this soup I love so much, but it makes me happy every time I eat it.  I love how customizable it is – you can switch out the type of pasta, the protein, make meatballs – I’ve even used cheese ravioli in the soup – the possibilities are endless!  My only recommendation is to store the noodles and the soup separately and only marry the two when you heat it up.  I think the first time I made it I went the next day to heat some up, and the noodles had soaked up ALL of the tomato sauce.  I still ate it though!

My train snack?  A honeycrisp apple and a tablespoon of Better N Peanut Butter.  Yum.

I didn’t get home until 7:15, but had lots to do last night.  It was treats day in my office and I wanted to make more vanilla bean scones.  Jacob was so happy until I told him they were going to work.  The second batch I made for them is gone already.  

I defrosted a pork chop last night, not really knowing what the end dish would be, but knew I would use my Code 3 Spices 5-0 rub – I love this one because its flavorful spicy.  Just wish I could figure out how not to smoke my house out when I cook in my cast iron skillet!

I had an ear of corn I needed to use up and literally 10 fresh green beans that were in my fridge, so this succotash topped my delicious pork chop.  So good!  

After I cooked the pork chop for 3 minutes a side over medium high heat, I reduced the heat to low, added 1/2 teaspoon grapeseed oil and cooked the corn and green beans for about 3 minutes – they got charred and picked up all the flavors of the seasoning on the pork.  

I have to give a shout out to my long time blog friend Kym!  Even though she knows I am doing dry September, she sent me these adorable Halloween tea towels – “I’m just here for the Booos!”  Love it – thank you so much for thinking of me!!

And I have to say congrats to my new friend that I met at my friend Tia’s husbands birthday party.  She had her husband have gone through NINE IVF treatments, which resulted in six pregnancies and sadly, six miscarriages.  Her best friend agreed to be a surrogate, and yesterday, on her late father Scott’s birthday, their daughter Scottie Elizabeth Mae was born.

When I met her at Tia’s party, she asked me what Biz stood for and I said “Elizabeth, but my late husband was the only one that would call me that (among other names!) but he would call me Elizabeth Mae.”  She stopped in her tracks and said, how do you spell Mae, and when I told her she said “that’s going to be part of our daughters name!”  So weird!

You can follow her journey on Instagram – I know she’s been praying and hoping for this day for six long years.  Just remember that when she blows curfew when she’s 16! šŸ˜€

Happy Thursday friends – make it a great day!