All or Nothing Mondays

Oh Mondays. I am starting to feel that this day of the week can either go one of two ways….

Absolutely dreadful or just splendid.

Last week….absolutely dreadful!

This week….just splendid.

There seems to be no in-between for my Mondays so all I can do is cross my fingers and hope for the best.

I am going to start off this week’s posting with a Product Review.

Last week, Nature’s Path graciously sent me an array of some of their new and most popular products to sample.

Of course, I was beyond thrilled, as I am a huge fan of this company. In the past, I have purchased their granola and recently discovered my love of their Flax cereal lines. (Review here of the cereal I use everyday!)

Today, I tried the Organic Chewy Granola Bars- Flax Plus Pumpkin

Ingredients: Organic tapioca syrup, organic rolled oats, organic brown rice flour, organic evaporated cane juice, organic pumpkin seeds, organic invert cane syrup, organic flax seed, organic soy oil, organic acacia gum, sea salt, organic spice, organic molasses, organic rice bran extract.

Nutrition Facts: Calories 160
Total Fat- 4.5g
Sat. fat- 0.5g
Sodium- 90mg
Carbohydrates- 27g
Fiber- 3g
Sugars- 11g
Protein- 3g

My thoughts: The first thing I noticed about this bar was it’s size. The bar was a nice size and quite substantial in breadth. Nothing upsets me more than paying $2 or more for a dinky little granola bar that can be eaten in two bites.

When I took the first bite, I was extremely delighted. The texture was chewy and the taste was sweet. It reminded me so much of the actual granola. I was very impressed at how similar these bars come to in tasting just like the granola actually. These would be a great option to add to yogurt if you are on the go or are looking for a quick granola fix. I also loved the abundant pumpkin seeds throughout the bar. It gave a nice crunch in contrast with the chewy oats.

Overall, the Chewy Flax Plus Pumpkin Granola Bars are delicious and nutritious! I’m always a little nervous about trying a new bar, but I am happy to admit that I would definitely buy these again. The only thing I can think to improve this bar would be a higher protein and or fiber count. Because of that, I don’t think this would keep me fully satisfied as a meal replacement but it’s a wonderful snack option. If you’re a fan of the Nature’s Path Granola, I highly recommend trying these granola bars!

Work flew by today. These busy days are becoming quite frequent which I don’t necessarily mind; however, I’m getting a little upset about having to work through lunch. I hate having to shove down something quickly in between meetings, but, hey, you do what you must.

When I got home, I quickly got ready to Shred with my sexy hubby. Yes, he is quite sexy I must add. For the past few days, Toly has been a just a tad observant of his teeny tiny weight gain in the past year. Although this natural enhancement of the mid-twenties “beer belly” for men is entirely normal and not at all a big deal (he still looks fantastic!) he still admitted that he doesn’t want it to become an increasing pattern and would like to be more aggressive with defining certain parts of the body. Duly noted and I totally respect and support his desire to work on some definition. I figured the Shred workouts were an excellent way to tone up when you only have a short amount of time to invest. We’re still on Level 1, but after tonight, I think he’s ready to take it to the next level.

Oh and yes, Sammy likes to Shred with us. I tried to take the picture of him laying on the ground underneat Toly as he did pushups, but ofcourse he moved as soon as I grabbed the camera!

After shredding, I started on dinner which was a cinch because I had prepped everything yesterday.

On the menu: Spinach and Feta Turkey Burgers
Yucca “Fries”
Watermelon

I served the burgers on grilled Cibatta with basil hummus, and cucumber sauce.

The yucca was new for me. I just love a new vegetable in my life and I must say, this one was quite good. Not my favorite for a veggie fry, I think I prefer the butternut squash or sweet potato fry a little more, but yucca is a close contender.

Toly had perogis with his burger. I use to make him perogis often, but I don't think I have made them in ages. He has been asking for them for a few weeks, so I thought he would enjoy them with his burger tonight as a change from the standard potato.

Well, this week must go by quickly because I am already so anxious for the weekend. Seriously, this is going to be one incredible weekend, mainly because we will be celebrating our one year anniversary on Sunday. I booked us a couples message at one of the most elegant and elaborate spas around. The Hotel Hershey is top of the line, and we are headed to to spa for a day of tanning on the cabana, drinking fruity drinks in the pool, and ending it with a pure relaxation message. Pure Heaven! We have a lot of other great things planned this weekend too, so Friday, please please please come soon! :)

Hope you all had a great start of the week.