Sometimes a title can’t say it all

Today felt like the LONGEST day ever because I think I officially have a case of vacationitis!  I am totally ready to be on a warm beach, soaking in some Vitamin D……Ahhh, 3 days togo and of course a ton to do!  The Husband has been rockin’ his todo list around the house.  I had to share with you all the update on our garage ~ he finished ALOT of it this weekend.

Our Garage A.K.A The Husband’s Workshop ~ BEFORE:

And AFTER!!! He has it almost finished, just a few more trims and touch up on the top.  He worked his bootie off to have this done before we go ~ doesn’t he do awesome work???

He had me snap those in our freezing 38 degree temps this morning to share.  I wanted something warm for breakfast when we came inside so I finally decided to open my box of Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Pancake mix I’ve had forever.  Normally I’d make my own, but, somehow ended up with an extra box after I hosted The Great Pumpkin Giveaway ~ oops! 😉

Stats!

E-Z Prep!  I used FF milk, 3 egg whites and 1 Tbsp butter to lighten it up a bit.

Topped with a little whipped butter, PURE maple syrup, banana and unsweetened organic coconut snowballs (it was so cold, the coconut froze too :D)

The batter is pretty runny but they totally fluff up when you cook them.  These pancakes are super delish – like a moist pumpkin muffin.   Next time I’d add some ground flax seed, walnuts and possibly coconut extract too.

This little pumpkin wanted in on the action since today was the last day for their appearance :(  I am so sad we had to compost The Pumpkin family since we can’t leave them while we cruise the Caribbean.

Mid morning I had the last of my TJ’s Spicy Hummus with a lite (ONE POINT!) TJ’s String cheese and Kashi Original 7-grain crackers.  This is still by far my FAVORITE snack at the moment of course!

 

Lunch was a NEW recipe I whipped up yesterday that I will be sharing this week as well.

Butter Bean Sausage & Kale Soup

I used Jennie-O’s Spicy Lean Hot Italian Sausage and it really made the flavor of this soup ~ it’s AWESOME and just 4 Weight Watcher Points per 1 1/2 cups – yahoo!

When I got home I was surprise to see a package waiting for me on the door step from the folks at Healthy Choice.  They sent me a little Thank You package for taking time to talk to them at BlogHERFood09.  Thanks HC ~ it was great talking to you all and I am glad to see you all are creating a line of Natural Products with ingredients I can recognize.  Fun!

FUN MAIL #2 I was completely PUMPED about ~ The Latest Edition of Cooking Light Magazine (Thanks, Time, Inc!)!  This is by far one of my FAVORITE mags because they have such AMAZING pictures that make me drool and well, I LOVE all of their recipes and make them often 🙂

Check out some of the cool features in the November issue ~ you all seriously will want to pick this up if you plan on cooking for Turkey day.  So many great things….where to start.

10 Tips for Your Easiest Thanksgiving Dinner Ever (p. 66) – The perfect holiday meal takes a lot of preparation and hard work. Cooking Light offers tips to make the day easier and the food delicious. Tips include:
*  Make sides on the stovetop to save time and oven space.
*  Cook the stuffing separate from the turkey. Baking it inside often causes the turkey to overcook.
*  If you can, splurge on a fresh turkey instead of frozen. They are juicer and have better texture.

New Uses For Thanksgiving Leftovers (p. 74) – If you find yourself with too many Thanksgiving leftovers, try these fun and unique uses for traditional ingredients: Cranberry Sauce and Jalapeno Corn Muffins, Potato Pancakes with Green Onion and Swiss, and Turkey Wontons.

The Holiday Cookbook (p. 119) – Cooking Light offers recipes for every type of holiday gathering: Starters, drinks, main courses, sides, extras and desserts.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner in Los Angeles (p. 48) – Recreate some LA-inspired meals with fresh ingredients and international flavors. Recipes include: Banana-Agave Smoothie, Carne Asada Taco with Avocado Pico de Gallo, and Spaghetti with Caramelized Onion and Radicchio.  I am all over that smoothie and those tacos!!!

The Best Thanksgiving Wines (p.54) – Confused over which wines you should serve with your Thanksgiving feast? Cooking Light offers four great options: Beaujolais, Riesling, Chianti and Shiraz.

Ok, I’ll stop and get onto dinner.  It’s an AWESOME issue ~ perusing it B4 dinner may not have been a good idea :)  Continuing with my veggie cravings, I whipped up a quick Veggie/Sausage Pasta Toss.

   

* Whole Wheat Farfalle ~ Butterfly Pasta!!!, prepared and stirred in at the end.

* Trader Joe’s Apple Chicken Sausage (made with PURE Maple Syrup!), sliced, cooked, set aside then added at the end.

All sautéed together:

* 3 garlic cloves, minced

* 1 red onion, chopped

* Red, orange and yellow bell peppers, chopped

* Asparagus

* Mrs. Dash Sun Dried Tomato Basil Seasoning

* Pink Sea Salt & Freshly Ground Black Pepper

* A few pinches of crushed red pepper flakes

Really simple, easy and delish!

That’s all I have for tonight ~ see, how can you pick a title for all of that?!

I promise the two soup recipes will appear soon ~ one tomorrow (while we are getting our massages!!!) and one on Wednesday, while I am getting my hair done.  :D  Yeah – 3 days and counting!

Must…..go……. pack!

Nite all!