My review of Frigo® Cheese Heads® Light Brand Cheese

Hello, hello!!

Happy Monday, my friends!

So, I was recently contacted by Saputo Cheese USA Inc. with an opportunity to try their new Frigo® Cheese Heads® Light Brand Cheese and, since I love cheese, it totally seemed like a no-brainer!

We can go through some serious cheese sticks in our house, that’s for sure. They are perfect portable snacks any time of the day or additions to a healthy lunch.

Saputo Cheese USA Inc. sent me some coupons to purchase their product and, for agreeing to try and review the cheese sticks, they also sent along this totally awesome blender bottle and these really cool Blender Bottle GoStak™ containers. Um, seriously, where have THOSE been all my life?!?!?!

So, armed with coupon, off to the grocery store I went!

Now, I definitely should add that they sent me a KILLER coupon! It was for $6 off a package!! Um, the only problem was, my grocery stores don’t carry $6 packages of cheese sticks!  The closest I could get was $5.29 (um, still a great deal!). 😦  Oh well. I grabbed a small package and went on my merry way.

Hey, it’s cheese, after all. I still wanted to eat it even if I couldn’t use the coupon!

Let me tell you something. I am in LOVE with these cheese sticks. Seriously.

And, they’re only 50 calories a stick!

Um, hello?! A light, healthy snack with only 50 calories that also boasts 7 grams of belly-filling protein?

My momma didn’t raise no fool.

(I may have died a little there from my poor grammar choices in that sentence.)

And, if you’re not the biggest mozzarella fan, they have other options!

Pepper Jack!!!!

 

Swirls!!

I’m definitely going back to the store and grabbing the pepper jack kind. Like, probably on my way home today. Because, you know, you can never have too many cheese sticks.

Pfft. Who am I kidding? I have to stop because I plowed through that whole bag already and I need to restock. I’ll probably buy one of each kind. Don’t judge me. I’m hungry.

Talk to me: What’s your favorite way to eat a cheese stick – do you peel or do you chomp? 

I’m definitely a chomper. I’m usually too hungry to have time to peel. 😉

DISCLAIMER: While Saputo Cheese USA Inc provided me the coupons, blender bottle and stackable cups for trying their product, all opinions are my own. And my opinion is that I love cheese. 🙂 If you would like to learn more about  Frigo® Cheese Heads® products, feel free to visit their website at http://www.frigocheeseheads.com/.

– jennifer

Stuffed Potatoes with Roasted Veggies

Hello, hello!

Can you believe it’ll be a whole new year in just 2 days!?!

I have BIG plans and goals for 2014. BIG!

I can’t wait to share them with you!

Okay, honestly, it’s not like I’m going to wait long. Tomorrow’s the day!

Can you wait until tomorrow?

I’m not sure I can – I’m so excited and PUMPED about them!

I’d share them today but I have something tastier to share with you. 🙂

Remember that little “gift to myself” I bought when I was out doing last minute Christmas shopping?

Well, I have been totally LOVING it.

And, *sneak preview alert*, it’s helped shape part of my plans for 2014. 🙂

There are some really delicious recipes in this book!

OH! That reminds me! This book came with 2 trial issues of Clean Eating Magazine! Hang on a second – I have to run the card out to the mailbox so I can take advantage!! BRB!

Okay. I’m back. Thanks for waiting. Phew! So glad I remembered to do that!

Anyhow, I found a recipe in there for stuffed potatoes with roasted veggies.

Um, yeah. So TOTALLY making that.

And I did!

With a few small tweaks, of course. Because, you know, that’s how I roll.

Actually, one was because my grocery store was lacking.

The other  two were by choice.

The recipe calls for Yukon Gold potatoes.

I love Yukon Gold potatoes. LOVE. Alas, my grocery store did not have any. 😦

So, I used Russets. A fair substitute but the cooking time/process changes a little. I set my crockpot to high per the recipe and, while the veggies cooked perfectly, the potatoes did not finish. I had to microwave them for about 9 minutes afterwards. Which is fine. Frustrating, but fine. So, just be aware of that if you use Russets instead of Yukon Golds.

The recipe calls for yellow onion. I chose to use red onion instead. I thought the flavor of the red onion would be better. I also increased the cayenne pepper to 1/2 teaspoon. It just seemed to be the right thing to do. And honestly, don’t tell the peeps at Clean Eating, but I think I was right. It was amazing!

And, I served it with a side of bacon. Because, well, it’s bacon!

Bacon. Is. Awesome.

Stuffed Potatoes with Roasted Veggies
Makes 4 servings

Olive oil cooking spray
1 green bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 red onion, cut into 8 wedges
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1 carrot, scrubbed well and thinly sliced
¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 6-ounce Yukon gold potatoes, scrubbed well
¼ cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ teaspoon each sea salt and coarsely ground black pepper
½ cup shredded low-fat sharp cheddar cheese
¼ cup crumbled low-fat bleu cheese

1. Coat a 6-qt slow cooker with cooking spray. Add bell pepper, onion, corn, carrot, cayenne, and oil; stir to combine. Using a fork, pierce potato in several spots, wrap in foil and place over top of pepper-corn mixture. Cover and cook until potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork, 3 hours on high or 6 hours on low.

2. Remove potatoes and set aside for 5 to 10 minutes. Add parsley, garlic, salt, and black pepper to pepper-corn mixture and stir to combine.

LOVE the colors in this dish!

3. In a small bowl, add cheddar and bleu cheese and toss gently until well blended. Remove potatoes from foil and cut each in half lengthwise.

4. Fluff potato flesh with a fork and top with cheese mixture and roasted veggies.

5. Om. Nom. Nom.

Nutrition per stuffed potato:
Calories 275; Fat 7g (saturated 2g, monounsatured 3g, polyunsaturated 1g); Carbs 45g (fiber 5g, sugar 5g); Protein 10.5g; Sodium 230mg

Question: What’s your favorite way to top a potato?

– jennifer

Bring the Border to you with “A Thinner Mexican Dinner”

Hi there!

Yesterday was such a great day!  I don’t normally say that about Mondays – hell, who does?! – but I really enjoyed yesterday.

The workout at Crossfit was AWESOME and I hit some PRs (I Rx’d the weight and downgraded to the blue band for the pull ups!) and I got to flip some really heavy tires!

FUN!

I FINALLY met with the Orthopedist and got the “all clear” to get back to running. O. M. G. That’s like music to my ears!

Of course, I can’t just jump right back in to my marathon training plan. Wouldn’t that be nice, though? I’ve got to get back into it slow and steady and I’m okay with that.  I’ve been staying in good shape with Crossfit so I’m confident that I’ll be back in no time!

And, then there was dinner last night.

Oh. My. Goodness.

So. Delicious.

For all intents and purposes, it’s a taco salad.

But, different.

And, so much better.

You won’t find this at Taco Bell.

A Thinner Mexican Dinner
makes 4 servings

For the meat
3/4 pound lean ground beef (90% lean or higher)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/3 cup water

For the dressing
4 medium tomatoes, diced
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons lime juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

For the salad
2 Romaine Lettuce Hearts, chopped
1/2 cup reduced-fat, shredded cheddar cheese
2 ounces baked corn tortilla chips
1 avocado, diced (I added this because avocados are YUM!)

1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook, breaking up the pieces with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink. Add the garlic and beans and cook for 2 minutes more. Add the chili powder, cayenne and water ans stir until well combined and some, but not all, of the liquid has been absorbed. Remove from heat and allow the mixture to cool slightly.

2. Mix the dressing ingredients in a bowl; set aside.

3. Divide the lettuce among dinner plates, top with the beef mixture, and sprinkle with the cheese. Spoon the dressing over each salad and crush tortilla chips on top. Add avocado, if desired.

OR

Let each person build their salad they way they want. Thing 2 put the chips on her plate and topped them with the beef and lettuce and cheese (no tomatoes for her, thankyouverymuch) and made nachos.

Do whatever makes you happy!

4. Om nom nom!

Per serving:
Calories 440; Protein 32g; Carbohydrates 43g; Fat 19g (saturated 6g); Sodium 870mg; Fiber 11g

NOTE: Calorie count provided is for the original recipe without the avocado. The total will be different if you add avocado or any other toppings.

Recipe adapted from The New Abs Diet Cookbook

Question: How do you like to top your taco salad?

– jennifer