Contest Winner & Cookies

Thanks to everyone that participated in my Progresso giveaway!! Don't forget they have tons of great coupons and recipe ideas on the site.

The winner of my contest is Mikey from Randomly Mikey. Love her random eats, cute little boy and cool masks. Thanks again everyone for entering and I hope to have another giveaway soon :)

Now on to more important things like these yumma delicious cookies I just finished making from the fabulous cookbook Xagave sent me. I hope they don't mind me sharing the recipe.

PUMPKIN CHOCOLATE CHIP WHOLE GRAIN COOKIES
all the goodness going into the bowl....
I was excited to use my measuring cup from Progresso (thanks Progresso)!!
So I was lazy and my stomach was hurting from eating to many of these suckers. Taking a pic was so much easier than typing it all out :).

I did have to modify. I used 2 whole eggs and 2 eggs with Ener-G egg replacer, cut the Xagave by a 1/4 cup, nixed the nutmeg for pumpkin pie spice, and used a mixture of 2 cups spelt flour and 1 1/2 cup brown rice flour. I also used a small ice cream scoop to place o baking sheet so I got about 40 cookies. I say bake for about 16 to 17 min. if you like them extra soft and melty.

Here they are rising in the oven...

(I could tell they were going to be yummy)

This half the batter I used some raisins, oats and walnuts....
This half I used a whole bag (280s) of semi-sweet chocolate chips....
Both batches were amazing but I wouldn't even bother with the raisins!!! The chocolate chips are what make these babies!!!!!

Thanks again Xagave for allowing me to sample your product and for that amazing cook book!!

I will now leave you with my lunch from today that I never wanted to end....
Salad of...

• spinach
  
• tomatoes
• cucumber
• raw mushrooms
• roasted red pepper hummus
• Newman's Own sesame ginger dressing
• left over coconut oil roasted veggies (broc, cauli, onion, cabbage)

Half an acorn squash. One side with organic ketchup, the other with stevia, cinnamon and pb. My taste buds couldn't make up their mind :). Ever have that problem???

I think you can guess what I had for lunch dessert...... :0

CONFESSION OF THE DAY: Recently I have come to learn that it is better for my diet and my sanity not to keep things in the house that are harmful to my eating habits. I used to just try and avoid them and buy them for the little one and the man but none of us need them and I do much better without them around. ***Reason I gave almost all the cookies away today and plan on giving the rest away tonight :)

My Birthday Never Ends

Hey beautifuls!!! Don't forget today is the last day to enter my Progresso giveaway. Its super simple and there are 4 separate ways to win :).

I am back for a quick recap of by Birthweek celebration (which ended Saturday). Again, I just want to say that it was amazing and I want to share a few pics of some of my gifts and some from the activities on Saturday night.

I shall start with some gifts....

(shoes from my momma along with another pair and a blazer, I am also wearing the shoes in the pics below)

(a few gift cards to VS)

(amazing cookbook by one of the best bloggers ever and a mojito muddler for my fav drink)

(tall fleece pants from Old Navy, freaking love these!)

....I could go on and on about how gifts aren't really that important but come on, who doesn't love a good gift and why would I lie? hehe

Now pics of my peeps. My bestie and her sister in from Las Vegas before heading out...
We ate sushi first...


Then ate cake with chopsticks....

(until they brought plates and then charged us $20 for it!!!)

Then we headed to downtown Nashville for so good ole fashioned booty shaken just like the old days :)...

(Yes, that's a Jägermeister light flashing on my dress)

Oh my, what an amazing night filled with great memories! I love my friends <3. href="http://peanutbutteroats.blogspot.com/2009/06/recipes.html">recipe page soon so check back often :). Believe it or not between all this partying I have managed to whip up some yummy recipes.

DON'T FORGET TO ENTER MY CONTEST ENDING TONIGHT AT MIDNIGHT!!!

CONFESSION OF THE DAY: I was totally against the whole Twilight thing, even waited for it to come out on DVD to watch it and then google pics of Robert (teehee). Never thought he was cute but after seeing the movie I think something possessed me. Anyone with me here? Something about that movie just makes him hot!!! I think its the build up of the sexual tension. I love the fact that there is nothing dirty going on in the first one. I hope the new stays the same :)

Who's excited for New Moon??? Anyone camping out to see it tonight or tomorrow??

My Best Week Ever

So if you read my last post you know that I don't celebrate my Birthday but my Birthweek :). If you don't already do this its a must next time around! I have to say this has been the most amazing week I think I have ever had. Let me fill you in on some the festivities that started on Wednesday morning with my sweet sweet friend HEABS. First we hit up a free boot camp class at Lululemon. Here's us posing with the instructor...
Next we hit up Whole Foods where we had a run in with Keithey Poo (aka Keith Urban)...

Doesn't he look thrilled?

Then we sat down flustered with shaking and tried to eat our Hugh Jass (aka Huge Ass)....
we also tried to talk but still stunned from our run in we kept forgetting what we were saying :). After lunch Heather gave me the most awesomest massage ever!! Seriously Heabs, you are the best!! Amazing!! I love you!!

Then I went off to shop all greased up from my massage. I was every shops worst nightmare and thought for sure I would slid right in to that size 4!! haha Who was I kidding :).

On my actual Birthday (Thursday) I had another lunch date with a dear friend I met through blogging (seriously what would I do without you ladies?). Darling Kim had me over for a home cooked lunch and a play date with our kiddos. She cooked an amazing lunch for me! Here is just some of the yumminess...

(Roasted cauliflower and brussel sprouts, grilled chicken, butternut squash fries, salad)

My personal favorite part, lemon cake...

(we got excited and cut into it before Happy Birthday)

My slice...
When I got home from a fab lunch with Kim (thank you Kim!!) the man was already at home slaving away on dinner and dessert for me. He made grilled lamb chops with peaches and roasted veggies for dinner...
Dessert was a cookie topped brownie...
Honey thanks so much! I love you :)

My BFF Jenny also stopped by and brought me a homemade brownies...
Love her!

Then Gary Allan's daughter personally delivered our tickets to her fathers concert :) (she is my nieces best friend). This my favorite Gary Allan song and this one. You might have heard this one.

So we headed out for the concert. Making a stop at the world famous Tootsie's for a drink first...

(Being goofy)

Then we walked to the Ryman for the concert. Its a beautiful intimate venue...

Gary on stage..
Gary singing with Jack Ingram...
Jack sitting by us...
After the show with Gary Allan in his tour bus...
My niece and I after the show...
OK I will stop smothering you with pics now and all the good times I have had so far this week. But the week is not over and tonight is my BIG and final Birthday bash in down town Nashville. Check back for more Birthday fun :)!!!!!

P.S. Don't forget about my generous Progresso giveaway. You have until Thursday.

CONFESSION OF THE DAY: I don't care what anyone says but having GOOD friends really makes life better. I have always had "friends" but in the last year or so I feel like I have made real friends. Friends who reciprocate the friendship. All thanks to my blog :) I am forever grateful for all of you!! Life is not complete without good friends!

Catching Up & A Contest

Hey guys! I have been pretty busy since my last post. Last week was my mom's birthday which meant I got to bake up a storm :). She requested red velvet cake and red velvet cake she got....

Thick ass frosting

My beautiful mother

I used this recipe and I also used a similar one as found on the page for the frosting except I used 1 and 1/2 sticks butter and 3 bricks of cream cheese. The frosting was the best part :0 :).

I also got cook up a storm with the little one. I present you with a cheeseburger, french fries, and tatar tots...

....

....
Come on.....you didn't think I was serious did you?? hehe

I have also been LOVING the Make Up For Ever HD Primer I got and talked about in my last post. I love how it smooths out my skin and I swear my makeup doesn't budge all day....
This week is my birthweek (yes, I am milking it) and I am so excited for the events to come that I have barley slept all week. The next few days (including today) are going to be very eventful! Today is going to be a busy day with a dear friend (pretty sure you all know her :)), tomorrow is MY BIRTHDAY and it is also going to be filled with fun. I have lunch with another great friend I met through blogging (Love you all seriously!!) and then my husband and I have backstage tickets to the Gary Allen concert. Also, Saturday night I have having a birthday bash in downtown Nashville.

Enough about me on to the contest for you lovelies. A few weeks ago I was contacted by the lovely Jessica from Progresso and she gave me an offer I couldn't refuse :). I received this amazing package in the mail....
which includes a sample of Progresso panko, a carton of Progresso broth, a measuring cup, slotted spoon, soup ladle, a sheet pan for baking and a recipe booklet. Then she let me know "I also have an additional package that you can offer to giveaway to a reader on your blog."

So my fellow bloggies (readers and writers) the game is on and here is how you can enter to win. Just pick one of the following 4 or do all for extra entries....

1. Follow me on Twitter and then leave a comment below with a link showing me you have done so
2. If you have a blog link back to this contest and then leave a comment and link below letting me know you have done so.
3. Tweet or Facebook about the contest and then leave a link letting me know you have done so
   
4. Scroll to the bottom of the page and follow my blog and then leave me a comment letting me know you have done so

That's it, easy peasy. Pick one or all four. Contest will be open for a week so you have till next Wed. night at midnight to enter.

Good luck. I am off to celebrate the rest of my birthweek :)

CONFESSION OF THE DAY: When I was younger I used to save food that was in odd shapes. I remember saving a giant Ruffles potato chip that looked like a heart. I stuck it under the couch for safe keeping. I wonder what ever became of that chip???

P.S. Check out this fab giveaway from one of my favorite lady's ....http://www.thehealthyeverythingtarian.com/?p=4235

Random Ramblings

So yesterday I finally made it to Sephora to use the gift card I have had since last Christmas. Anyone else hold on to gift cards 4ever? I always get excited to dig into my shiny bag...
I am not really a fancy makeup person, more of a Wal-Mart makeup person but everyone needs a splurge once in a while right?
I picked up some Make Up For Ever Primer in #6 yellow (not sure if that was the right choice but the lady wasn't very helpful). Anyone ever used this stuff? Is it worth $32 bucks? I also snagged some NARS Bronzer in Casino, and I got a free gift since my B-day is next Thurs. :) I loved the sleek compact the bronzer came in...
In other news I have been enjoying a plethora of coconut oil roasted veggies. YOU MUST ROAST YOUR VEGGIES IN COCONUT OIL!!! Its amazing! I enjoyed them bathed in some of my leftover CURRIED BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND APPLE SOUP...
If you haven't seen it yet check out Mama's version of the soup. It looked fab.

I hit Trader Joe's about a week ago and picked me up some new goodies, all of which I really enjoyed and I think you need to check out if you haven't already. First up is the new Trader Joe's Smooth and Creamy Hummus....
This is definitely my new favorite hummus. Not to mention it only has 40 cals in 2 tbsp!!! As you can see I finished off both containers :).

Next up is this fab tea I found...
Add a little stevia and this tea, so so so good!! The stevia really brings out the Blueberry and Pomegranate flavors.

Bare with me just a few more random things from my random box. I received this great package the other day...
It couldn't have come at a better time with all this holiday baking just around the corner. I cant wait to give it a whirl and look at this fab cookbook they sent along...
I love cookbooks with lots of pics. Seriously whats a cookbook with out them?
On to today's chocolafied breakfast...

GF Hot Cereal In A Jar
Look At That Chocolaty Goodness
And Dark Chocolate Homemade Greek Yogurt

No, I don't love chocolate. Not at all.....

Finally, my random amateur pic of the little one...

Selective Colorization Using Gimp

I am rather proud of the pic but I wish I could figure out how to remove the power lines, hehe.

CONFESSION OF THE DAY: My husband and I got married in the court house. No wedding necessary and I am so glad we did it that way. No money wasted. Plus we had a huge party about 6 months later with family and friend to celebrate. It was perfect :).