Marvelous Monday Photo Dump

It’s a chilly, tired, relatively wordless Marvelous Monday.

Friday Night

It was our anniversary dinner and we ate. We ate A LOT! More details to come soon 🙂

Oooooh happy anniversary to us!

Saturday

Saturday morning coffee, twitter, and blogs. It was lovely.

My company did some painting at an elementary school on Friday. I now need to get my nails done.

My cousin had been wanting to cook me a birthday dinner and it finally happened.. 2 months later 😉 Well worth the wait!

My fabulous belated birthday dinner from my cousin.. roast chicken, asparagus, couscous, western fries (Nathan insisted we bring them!), and an artichoke.. or 2.

I brought dessert!

Mexican Chocolate Biscotti = huge success!

Sunday

Farmers’ market Sunday. My favorite wrap and coffee in our little parking spot “nook.”

Favorite breakfast from the farmers’ market.. Sweet fire chili portabello mushrooms, roasted red peppers, rice & peas, egg, feta, & salsa.

Burning off the last few days..

Unbelievable how off the machines are on calorie count!

..and then eating it up again 😉

Friday night leftovers = Sunday lunch. Duck pizza, fried brussels, eggplant fries, and kale salad.

I think it’s time to box up the dress, but I couldn’t pass up on putting it on at least once more.

I wish I could wear it all the time! Is that weird..?

Food for Thought

What fun stuff did you do over the weekend?

National Peanut Butter Day {Giveaway!}

Today might just be my most favorite day of the year; National Peanut Butter Day. There’s nothing I love more than opening a fresh jar of peanut butter and, of course, grabbing a spoon for that very first bite. Ok, maybe first few bites.. thanks, Mom 😉

There actually was a time that I sent my mom this picture. She totally understood and I’m sure her response was something along the lines of “mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!” So you see, peanut butter has always had a special place in my heart. And not only is it delicious, it’s also quite good for you!

In honor of National Peanut Butter Day, I have not only compiled a list of peanut butter delicious recipes from my blog for your quick browsing pleasure, but I also have a very special giveaway! First things first.

Peanut Butter Recipes

• Hail Merry Peanut Butter Coconut Banana Bites
• Healthy Banana Peanut Butter Cups*
• Peanut Chili Baked Tofu*
• Tilapia Stir-Fry with Chili Peanut Sauce*
• Peanut Butter Cup Protein Shake*

And don’t forget to top all of your oatmeal with a deliciously large scoop of peanut butter for maximum dining pleasure! You know I added a little extra to my breakfast this morning.. it’s only right.

*These recipes use peanut flour, but that can be substituted with peanut butter.

And now for the giveaway! Peanut Butter & Co. was kind enough to send me a few samples to review [practically a dream come true!] and offer one lucky reader the chance to win 3 jars! It was a tough choice, but in the end, I went for White Chocolate Wonderful, Mighty Maple, and Old Fashioned Smooth. These proved to be fantastic choices!

I started out trying the White Chocolate Wonderful, which happens to be very appropriately named; it was absolutely wonderful! Next I tried the Mighty Maple, and while I didn’t think it would be able to get better than the White Chocolate Wonderful, it did! Holy moly, this one is so good! Finally, the Old Fashioned Smooth; full of peanuty flavor as the only two ingredients are peanuts and salt. I love that! And now I’m offering one of you the chance to try all of these fantastic flavors!

Peanut Butter & Co. Giveaway

How to Enter

You have up to 5 chances to enter! Be sure to leave separate comments for each entry. Entries will be accepted through Thursday, January 31st, 11:59 pm EST. A winner will be chosen on Friday, February 1st.

1. Leave a comment telling me which flavor you’re most excited to try. (Mandatory)

2. Follow @PeanutButterCo and @BarrAndTable on Twitter and leave a comment telling me. (Optional)

3. Like Peanut Butter & Co. and Barr & Table on Facebook and leave a comment telling me. (Optional)

4. Follow Peanut Butter & Co. and Barr & Table on Pinterest and leave a separate comment telling me. (Optional)

5. Tweet “I entered to win some @PeanutButterCo from @BarrAndTable and you can too! http://wp.me/p2mo7x-g2” and leave a separate comment with a link to your tweet. (Optional)

*Giveaway is only open to U.S. residents. Winner has 48 hours to contact me and claim prize, otherwise a new winner will be chosen.

Happy National Peanut Butter Day! Eat up! 😉

Boxes and Jewels: A KIND Winner & Another Giveaway!

I just can’t stop! Giveaways are my favorite.. I love being able to share things with you that I enjoy, whether food or otherwise. And this week’s giveaway is an otherwise.. but first, to announce my KIND Bar Snack & Give Back giveaway.

The lucky winner of the Bobbi Brown Eat Pretty Powerful box is… FireRunner2379!

FireRunner2379 says :
I would choose Grace Potter benefiting the Alzheimer’s Association, I’ve had a few family members stricken with this awful disease.

Congratulations and a huge thanks to the wonderful people of KIND for hosting a delicious and purposeful giveaway! And don’t forget, you can still purchase one of the three Snack & Give Back boxes to help these great causes.

One of these giveaways is not like the others…

This may be a bit of an unconventional giveaway for my blog but it’s definitely a fun one! If you follow me on Instagram or Twitter, you may have seen a couple weeks ago I posted this picture:

Check out those super fun earrings! I’ve recently decided to be a grown up and actually change my earrings on a normal basis rather than leave in the same little earrings everyday. It’s been quite a revelation!

It just so happens that I know the jeweler that made these earrings and when I asked if she would do a giveaway, she didn’t hesitate to say yes! Thanks, mom! 😉

Just My Imagination is a one-woman jewelry-making operation that focuses on a minimalist approach. Recently added to the collection of wire-wrapped semi-precious stone earrings, pendants, and bracelets, are hammered metal earrings and wire-wrapped rings.

Each piece is one-of-a-kind and can be purchased for a limited time online or in person at craft shows across the East Coast. And if you’re the lucky one, you could win a pair of the hammered metal earrings above!

The winner will get a choice of the single hoop, double hoop, or triple hoop. And because they’re all handmade, you can choose whether you want 14K gold-filled or sterling silver, or even a combination of the metals (that’s what I have!).

How to Enter

You have up to 5 chances to enter! Be sure to leave separate comments for each entry. Entries will be accepted through Tuesday, December 18th, 11:59 pm EST. A winner will be chosen on Wednesday, December 19th.

1. Leave a comment telling me which earrings you would choose. (Mandatory)

2. Follow @JMIJewelry and @BarrAndTable on Twitter and leave a comment telling me. (Optional)

3. Like Just My Imagination and Barr & Table on Facebook and leave a comment telling me. (Optional)

4. Follow Barr & Table on Pinterest and leave a separate comment telling me. (Optional)

5. Tweet “I entered to win a pair of @JMIJewelry handmade hammered metal earrings from @BarrAndTable! http://wp.me/p2mo7x-dC #Giveaway #Jewels” and leave a separate comment with a link to your tweet. (Optional)

*Winner has 48 hours to contact me and claim prize, otherwise a new winner will be chosen.

Foodie Friday: Garlic-Chipotle Love and a Popchips Giveaway!

If you haven’t already gathered from my last couple posts, FitBloggin’ was awesome! Part of what made it so awesome were all of the amazing sponsors.

One of my favorite sponsors of the weekend was popchips. Not only were the chips delicious (and kept us full all weekend), but the people were awesome too. Popchip rockstars, anyone? 😉
Skip to the giveaway!

With Mary, Kate, and Jami

They were there introducing the new line of tortilla chips and I can vouch for each of the flavors; amazing! The chips are light and airy, like the traditional popchips, but have the corn flavor, so you don’t miss a regular fried tortilla chip at all. When they asked if I was interested in doing a giveaway, how could I say no?!

Popchips teamed up with award-winning Chef Aaron Sanchez who created four recipes to pair with each of the flavors of the tortilla popchips and beer. The first recipe on the list caught my eye — Grilled Chicken Cemitas and Garlic-Chipotle Love with salsa tortilla popchips and Goose Island 312.

Just so happens, we have some Goose Island 312 in the fridge right now and who can turn down some garlic-chipotle love? Not us! I put my own spin on this recipe and am so happy to share it with you as it got rave reviews from my biggest critic (the fiancé, naturally)!

Fiesta Citrus Chicken and Garlic-Chipotle Love

Serves 2

Ingredients

Chicken
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
McCormick salt-free fiesta citrus seasoning [some more FitBloggin’ swag!]
Salt
1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 roma tomato, diced
1 100-calorie packet Wholly Guacamole

Garlic-Chipotle Love Sauce
8 garlic cloves
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 large chipotle in adobo, chopped
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/2 tsp salt

Directions
Preheat oven to 375°F. Peel garlic and put the garlic cloves and coconut oil into an aluminum foil packet and place in the oven.

Season the chicken breast liberally with the fiesta citrus seasoning and a pinch of salt and let sit for about 5 minutes. Heat a pan over medium heat and drizzle with EVOO. Once the pan is preheated, place the chicken in the pan. At this point you should have a nice sizzle, but you don’t want the oil splattering; if it is, turn the heat down.

Cook the chicken on the first size for about 5 minutes or until it has a nice crust and then flip. Turn the heat down to medium-low after flipping to ensure that the chicken cooks all the way through the center.

As the chicken is finishing, remove the garlic from the oven. If you have a mortar and pestle, that would be the best to use. If not, you can just simply chop everything very fine. Mash the garlic, chipotle in adobo, lemon juice, and salt into a paste. I added about 1 tbsp of water to thin it out a bit.

Plate your chicken with some guacamole over top and the garlic-chipotle love sauce over that, and a sprinkling of diced tomato. I served mine over Israeli couscous with a side of coconut oil roasted brussel sprouts and broccoli and, of course, salsa tortilla popchips and a Goose Island 312.

Nutritional Stats
Per Serving

315 Calories  /  17g Fat  /  9g Carbs  /  3g Sugar  /  1g Fiber  /  31g Protein

Popchips Giveaway!

Popchips has offered to send one of my lucky readers a case of their new tortilla popchips! You have up to 4 chances to enter. Be sure to leave separate comments for each entry. Entries will be accepted through Thursday, October 4th, 11:59pm. Winners will be chosen Friday, October 5th.

1. Leave a comment telling me which flavor you’re most excited to try. (Mandatory)

2. Follow @popchips and @BarrAndTable on twitter and leave a comment telling me. (Optional)

3. Like popchips and Barr & Table on facebook and leave a comment telling me. (Optional)

4. Tweet “I entered to win a prize pack of new tortilla @popchips from @BarrAndTable! http://wp.me/p2mo7x-8Y” and leave a comment with a link to your tweet. (Optional)

*This giveaway is for U.S. residents only.

What I Ate Wednesday #15 – Goals and Giveaways!

I always love a good WIAW, especially when there’s a new theme! This month we’re setting goals and embracing healthy changes. What a great way to kick off a new month and almost a new season!

[Breakfast]
Chocolate protein Coach’s Oats topped with Earth Balance crunchy coconut peanut spread (whoaaa! Changing it up over here!), sliced banana, and cinnamon. What can I say, I just can’t get enough of it! And if you missed it, I’ve posted the recipe to this delectable way to start your day.

[Snack]
I was really, really hungry. I realized a few bites in that I didn’t snap a shot of my apple, so here ya go. A munched on apple 🙂

[Lunch]
My mango chipotle chicken salad made 3 servings, so I am happily eating it in wrap form for 3 lunches in a row. I love the little bit of sweetness you get from the mango and it’s super healthy! (Only 131 calories per 1/2 cup serving!)

[Snack]
Yogurt peanut crunch Premier Protein bar. Do you smell a giveaway?! I do! 😉 Loved this bar. It tastes great and has 30g protein! A little higher in calories than my typical protein bar, as it is created as a meal replacement, but it’s great for your high calorie-burning days!

[Dinner]
Skinny baked chicken milanese over quinoa. I love Skinnytaste recipes and this was did not disappoint. Happy to report that this one was fiancé-approved too!

[Snack]
Cottage cheese with peanut fluff. Don’t know peanut fluff? The wonderful PowerCakes introduced it to me and I’m in love. It’s the perfect topping for protein pancakes, cottage cheese, yogurt.. anything really! Just 2 tbsp peanut flour (I use Protein Plus), 1 packet stevia, & enough water to get it to whatever consistency you like.

And if you’re dying to get the peanut flour and are new to iherb.com, use the discount code ZAF482 at checkout for $5 off your first order! I get a bunch of stuff off this site.. protein powder, apple cider vinegar, agave nectar, and so much more! It’s such a great resource!

[Goals]
In August, I ran my first 5K. I was definitely pleased with my time of 26:08 at 8:26 min/mile pace, but my goal for September is to increase my pace for my next 5K. As it stands, that will be The Color Run on October 21. I’m planning on running at least once a week, unless my legs decide they can handle more, in hopes of killing my time! And now that I’ve shared, I have to get it done!

And now for the giveaway!

Premier Protein was kind enough to send me an amazing package and would like to give 5 of you wonderful readers a package of your own! Check it out!

Being that I love chocolate and peanut butter so, so much, my favorite items in this package were the Chocolate Shake (only 160 calories and 30g protein!), the Yogurt Peanut Crunch bar, and the Chocolate Peanut Butter bar. The Vanilla Shake and Double Chocolate Crunch bar was good too, but I just can’t say no to my peanut butter!

Your winnings will include:

• 6 Premier Protein bars: 2 bars in each flavor (Chocolate Peanut Butter, Double Chocolate Crunch and Yogurt Peanut Butter Crunch)
• 4 Premier Protein shakes: 2 shakes in each flavor (chocolate and vanilla)
• Premier Protein nylon bag

How to Enter

You have up to 4 chances to enter! Be sure to leave separate comments for each entry. Entries will be accepted through Sunday, September 9th, 11:59pm. Winners will be chosen Monday, September 10th.

1. Leave a comment telling me which product and flavor you’re most excited to try. (Mandatory)

2. Follow @premierprotein on twitter and leave a comment telling me. (Optional)

3. Follow me (@beermeamartini) on twitter and leave a comment telling me. (Optional)

4. Tweet “I’m entering to win a prize pack of @premierprotein shakes and bars from @beermeamartini on #BarrAndTable! http://wp.me/p2mo7x-6Z” and leave a comment with a link to your tweet. (Optional)