It’s National PB & J Day!

The most loved childhood favorite definitely deserve its own day! Who doesn’t love a good peanut butter and jelly sandwich?! If you are anything like our household, you go through peanut butter and jelly (and honey) almost as fast as you go through toilet paper (especially with 3 females in the house!).

I recently shared that I buy Peanut Butter & Co.’s Smooth Operator. It’s 100% peanuts and has no hydrogenated fats. I just received my 6-jar pack the other day from Amazon. They have a great deal called Subscribe and Save. This allows you to have the item shipped to you on a scheduled interval, receive a discount on the item, and also get free shipping.

As far as jelly/jam, I try to stock up on Whole Food’s brand, 365, fruit spread. If I run out before I get back to Orlando, I’ll buy Polaner All Fruit or Cascadian Farms fruit spreads. All three of these contain no added sugar or high fructose corn syrup.

So celebrate the best match-up ever and enjoy a great PB & J sandwich for lunch today!

Publix Healthy Value Meal – Shrimp and Avocado Rice Bowl

Here is another flat abs meal from Fitness magazine. I did a few substitutions from the original recipe. Scott prefers fish, so I used cod, and I had snap peas from my mom’s garden that I used in place of the edamame. I also used whole wheat Israeli couscous instead of brown rice because I wanted to try something new. I was a little uncertain of the eggs, but they added a richness to the couscous and fish. This was well-liked by my husband, and so I knew that this was a keeper after his compliment! With the mix of complex carbs, good fat, and lean protien, this is a filling meal.

Shrimp and Avocado Rice Bowl

Prep time- 10 min.

Cook time- 10 min.

Ingredients
16 medium cleaned, shelled, tail-on shrimp (about 3/4 pound), thawed if frozen*
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 1/2 teaspoons honey
Small pinch cayenne pepper
2 eggs, lightly beaten (I used 1 whole egg and one egg white to cut down on the fat and calories)*
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 cup shelled edamame, steamed
2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds
1 1/4 cups short-grain brown rice, cooked according to package directions
1 ripe avocado, sliced*

*All these items are on sale this week at Publix.

Directions
1. Preheat the broiler. In a medium ovenproof pan, toss the shrimp with 1 teaspoon each of the sesame oil and the honey. Add the cayenne.
2. Lay the shrimp flat. Broil for 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
3. Heat a small nonstick skillet over medium heat and add the remaining teaspoon of sesame oil. Pour in the eggs. Cook undisturbed until set, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook until just set on the second side, 1 more minute. Transfer to a board and cut into strips.
4. In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce and rice wine vinegar with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon honey.
5. Fold the edamame and sesame seeds into the rice. Serve the rice in bowls topped with the egg strips, shrimp, and avocado. Place the soy-vinegar mixture in a small bowl and use at the table for drizzling.

Nutrition facts per serving: 483 calories, 30g protein, 56g carbohydrate, 16g fat (2.8g saturated), 6g fiber

Opening Day for Baseball

Since Scott pitched in high school and college, baseball season is of utmost importance to him. Today is the beginning of the season (the very loooooong season!), and we always welcome it by having some ballpark fare. As you know, ballpark food definitely does not fall under the category of healthy and nutritious eats. But, there are alternatives to the standard favorites. I love a good burger, and while I love red meat, I actually prefer turkey burgers. I love to top my grilled turkey burger with pesto, caramelized onions, and a bit of mozzarella cheese. Here is my recipe. Don’t skip the zucchini- it keeps the lean meat moist. You can always replace the zucchini with yellow squash or carrots.

Pesto Turkey Burgers (4 burgers)
1 lb lean ground turkey

1 small zucchini, grated

1/2 cup oats

1 egg white

Sea salt & pepper


2 tsp Italian seasoning

4 Tablespoons Pesto

1 cup caramelized onions

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese


1. Mix turkey, egg, zucchini, oats, Italian seasoning, and a dash of salt and pepper in a bowl. Form into burger patties.
2. Grill over medium heat for about 5-6 minutes for the first side. Flip burgers and grill another 5-6 minutes.
3. Top each burger with pesto, onions, and then the cheese.
Let cheese melt and make sure meat has an internal temp. of 160. (Love my meat thermometer!!)
4. Place buns on indirect heat at the same time you top the burgers. Serve with your favorite toppings.

DVR + Discovery Fit and Health TV

Scott has been gone the last 4 days, so I only was able to get in one run. My lifesaver is my TV. While I do use DVDs, I also have a number of exercise programs recorded on our DVR. My favorite is Gilad’s Total Body Sculpt Plus. In their morning schedule, Discovery Fit and Health (channel 261 on DirecTV) has a variety of different workouts that you can record and use as needed. Also, don’t forget that you can go to the library and check out DVDs to preview, and then decide whether or not you want to purchase them. And you can buy one today, March 30th, thanks to Groupon’s eBay deal – $15 gift card for just $7!

Ebay Groupon – $15 for $7

Hooray! You can get a $15 eBay gift card today for just $7! Now you can buy a great workout DVD, clothes, or equipment to help you in your quest to stay fit and healthy! I am buying Mile Markers- The 26.2 Most Important Reasons Why Women Run, a book that is a compilation of Kristin Armstrong’s blog about women and running. This was recommended to me by my sister-in-law, and I am looking forward to reading it!

Easter Eats

When it comes to holidays, we are so quick to turn sugar cookie dough into some symbol of that special day. I have hunted and found fun ideas for healthy holiday snacks that kids can make and enjoy. I made this cute bunny snackwith Aleyah’s class last week. We used a large multigrain water cracker rather than a Ritz. You could also use a mini bagel or english muffin. This idea is actually from another mom’s blog that popped up when I googled ‘bunny snack’.

Bunny snack

Now onto the Easter basket…Okay, so the next 4 weeks is packed full for me. I had to make a trip to Wal Mart (I only go when I ABSOLUTELY have to), and while I was there I decided to do some Easter basket shopping. I came across mini Larabars (about 100 calories each) and was so excited! They are the perfect size for my kids. I also picked up some Annie’s Graham Bunnies, dried cranberries, and the fun-size M&Ms. I will also be putting in some cashews- all my kids love them.  I like to make my kids’ baskets fun but healthy too.

Bob Harper’s Bikini Body Workout – Month 3

Happy Spring Break to all of you on the Space Coast! Unfortunately, rain is in the forecast for most of the week. But no excuses allowed for not getting in a workout! Here is Shape’s third Bob Harper workout which can all be done in your living room with minimal equipment and space. A great way to use these three workouts is to mix them up. Stick with one for a month and switch to the next. Or do one for two weeks and then move onto another. You can also do 2 different workouts in a week and add a new one in the next week. Varying your workouts keeps your muscles from becoming to acclimated to the same exercises and so you are less likely to plateau in weight loss and muscle building. Whatever you choose to do, I hope you enjoy the results!

Regroup and Refocus

Losing heart is something we all experience. I’m thankful that God’s Word has refreshment for my soul so that I can refocus on the task He has called me to!

Shape Magazine – $2.99 for 1yr Subscription!

Get Shape magazine for 1 year for just $2.99! Click here and type in ‘SHAPE’ for discount code.  Already get Shape? Give it as a gift and share the motivation to be fit!

A Saturday Trip to Sam’s

I live a stone’s throw from the local Sam’s Club. When I drive by on any given Saturday, the parking lot is packed! So, chances are, you might be one of those who is taking the trip into sample heaven. We usually get there about once a week, and I have my favorite staples that I always buy. My new favorite is MaraNatha Almond butter. I can get a large jar for about $7 which is what you pay for a small jar in the grocery store. I also buy…

  • Chobani Plain Greek Yogurt
  • Egg Whites (4 small cartons in one box)
  • Egglands Best eggs
  • A bag of mini sweet peppers
  • Whole wheat sandwich bread
  • Any fruit/veggies that are a great price

Have fun strolling the aisles of your local wholesale club looking for healthy deals. But also beware of those samples that are being dished up…Dietitians say that an average “lunch” of Costco samples can add up to more than 1,000 calories — with 54 grams of fat!