Girl, am I hungry!

Mini Microwave Triple Chocolate Cake


PER SERVING (entire recipe): 123 calories, 1g fat, 201mg sodium, 28g carbs, 0.75g fiber, 12g sugars, 2g protein -- POINTS® value 2*

Ingredients:
2 tbsp. Pillsbury Moist Supreme Reduced Sugar Cake Mix, Devil's Food
2 tbsp. Cool Whip Free, thawed
1 tbsp. fat-free vanilla yogurt
1 tbsp. Hershey's Lite chocolate syrup, divided

Directions:
Stir together the whipped topping and half of the syrup, and then place mixture in the freezer to firm up while you prep the rest of your dessert. Next, in a very small microwave-safe dish (like a ramekin), combine cake mix and yogurt. (Don't worry if it seems like a small amount. Your cake will puff up -- we promise!) Stir until smooth and blended. Microwave for 1 minute, and then allow to cool for 5 minutes. Once cake has cooled, remove chocolate topping from freezer, and spoon it over your cake. Finally, drizzle the remaining chocolate syrup on top. Enjoy!

MAKES 1 SERVING

Sounds yummo huh?! This is from today's Hungry Girl newsletter. I love how Hungry Girl adds the WW points!
These little cakes remind me of making individual No Pudge brownies, but I can't stand No Pudge. Ack. The instructions were easy to make individual brownies, but they tasted fake. So this Hungry Girl recipe might be a nice replacement. It also can take the place of pricey Warm Delight Mini dessert bowls. Sounds good to me! I can't wait to try it. Mmmmm.


FREEBIE ALERT!


On Feb. 28 and 29, as part of a national sampling event, McDonald's customers will be offered a free McSkillet burrito with the purchase of a medium or large drink. This is only during breakfast hours. Guess we missed today, but there's always tomorrow right?

Another freebie found at Passwird.com:

Get a free 6-Month Professional Photographer Subscription. I'm not good enough at photography to enjoy this magazine, but there are some who are...*wink*wink*.

There seems to be no cc required which is always a plus in my book. Passwird says....For more than 100 years, Professional Photographer, the official magazine of Professional Photographers of America, has helped readers advance careers in the photographic industry. Here is the link to the free subscription information: PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER

I live for freebies! If you ever run across some, please share with meeeeeee!

Try it Tuesday.....Keebler Town house Flip Sides

Just a quick Try it Tuesday here. These Keebler Town house Flip Sides are not what I hoped they would be. If you like Pretzels, you will like these since I only taste the pretzel. Is there cracker with it? Coulda fooled me. But then again, the website says this:

New Town House Flipsides combine the versatility of a cracker
with the taste of a pretzel.

So I guess they are expected to taste only like pretzel. I suppose they might be good/useful if you want to spread cheese on them for an appetizer or something. But, I can get a bag of pretzels for a buck, so I won't buy these again. I didn't taste the cheese flavored one though. Perhaps those are better. Anyone have a review on that one? Let me know.

Just in case you're interested, here is the nutritionals for the Flip Sides (non-cheese):





Since it's almost Easter.....


Does anyone have a favorite Easter candy that they look forward to?




Mine is:



My sisters is:
Yes, my sister is on a sugar high during Easter! She's super skinny, so she can eat all the Peeps she wants as long as she brushes her teeth right?

So what is your favorite Easter candy?

Don't worry, I haven't forgotten that comes first. I have a wee bit 'o Irish in me so I could never forget. I just wish I could find that pot of gold. It would really come in handy about now :)

Sweet Apothecary Find

I love a deal :)

I haven't had much money lately to spend on anything frivolous, but yesterday I had to go to Hobby Lobby for some church things. Of course when I saw the sign that said, "80% off", I had to check out those aisles! They were packed full of home decor, but my eye spotted this pretty apothecary jar. Guess the price? Only $3.60!I pay more for a burger at BK. The regular price was $17.99. I had to scoop it up. There were none like it. It looks so cute on my kitchen counter. Even the candy hearts were on sale for only 50 cents a bag :)

Now what to put in it when the candies are scarfed down? Any ideas? I'd like to keep it in the kitchen, but I can be persuaded to move it to the living room mantle. :)

Try it Tuesday....Tava Sparkling Beverage

Pepsi, you ROCK!

Pepsi has come out with a new sparkling beverage they call, Tava. Will you marry me Tava? Ok, that's a bit extreme. But I really really like this stuff! You might not like me doing 2 drinks in a row for Try it Tuesday, but I just had to!

I bought a bottle of Black Cherry Citrus flavored Tava at Target today. They were on sale. I paid a buck for a 16.9 ounce bottle. It's not really sparkling water in my opinion. It's soda. 0 calories, 0 sugar. The only difference in this pop from regular diet pop is that it has some vitamins. I know diet pop isn't considered good for you, but if they want to add a little bit of vitamins to it, then okey dokey. I'll take it.

The Black Cherry Citrus is the only flavor that I bought, but it's super yummy. I get so sick of the same old stand-by's that I drink. It's nice to add a bit of a change. I wouldn't say it's very "citrus-y" though. Not in my opinion. But I'd buy a case of this stuff regardless. They have 2 other flavors that I could see....Tropical Berry Blend and Passionfruit Lime. The cherry sounded most appealing to me at the time.

If you get a chance to try this, "sparkling beverage", go for it! You won't be sorry with the Black Cherry Citrus. Mmmm.

*Edit: I forgot to mention that Tava is caffeine free...whoopee!
*Edit again! (Wed, Feb. 20): I found the Tropical Berry Blend flavor at the grocery store tonight, so I thought I'd try that one too. Mmmm. It reminds me of the Lifesavers candies that came in all berry flavors....you know the old one that had grape in it (not the 5 flavors). I can't remember the name of the Lifesavers roll, but it was from when I was a kid. Gee..think I'm dating myself here. Lol. Anyway, the Berry was tasty, yet I still like the Black Cherry Citrus best so far. PLUS, there doesn't seem to be a deposit on these, so we save some moola there. But that doesn't mean we can't still recycle the bottle ya know :)

Oh, and did I forget to mention that I haven't noticed an after-taste? These drinks have me hooked! Gooooo try it!

Edit again....I just can't get enough of this stuff! (Sat. Feb 23): I have tried them all now. The Passionfruit Lime is tasty and a bit sweet. I like all the flavors, but my favorite is the Cherry. I love that it doesn't taste like diet yet has all the flavor of regular soda. Mmmmm.

Freebie

If you are a fan of Hungry Girl, then you already know about this freebie. If you have no idea what Hungry Girl is, then you should check it out! Use the link on the right side of my page. Sign up for the newsletter and get lots of advice on healthy, yet yummy foods (WW points inculded!).

The freebie today is for Yoplait kids yogurt. Mmm. Here's the link. Yoplait

It's just a form to fill out and then you will receive a coupon in 4-6 weeks.

Also, Wal-mart occassionally has free samples of products here

One more....try a sample of Chex turtle mix here ....you will have to sign up for the Betty Crocker newsletter. I like Betty, so it's not a problem for me, but if you don't like that part, you can always cancel your subscription easily.

If you like freebies and samples, check out this website: Start Sampling

To a tee...

These sentiments are exactly how I feel about Pres. Hinckley and his passing. I didn't really feel much sadness because I was so happy that he was reunited with his beloved wife. He was a great man and we can all be good examples as he was. We can just... "try a little harder to be a little better."

Another Rootin' Tootin' post!

This is funny. I cut and pasted from a website with strange new products. Don't ask me how I stumbled upon it...I wasn't looking for flatulence products...really!
But, with all the fiber I eat, I might have to invest in these! Kidding of course. Watch the video....funny.

A company called The Pond Inc. is now selling a product called "Subtle Butt", billed as a fart neutralizer, to eliminate smelly flatulence.

It's an activated carbon fabric pad, measuring 3.25" x 3.25" square, and adheres to the inside of your underwear with two self-adhesive strips.

As the wind breaks, Subtle Butt filters the flatulence, absorbing and neutralizing its odor. Now you can eat as many burritos you want and still have a social life.

Available in a five pack, they retail for $9.95 per pack here...garmentguard

Try it Tuesday...Sobe Life Water

I'm sick this week, so I probably shouldn't even be blogging. But it's not like I'm leaving germs on the keyboard for the rest of the family to get since it doesn't really matter. Everyone is sick in our household. Fevers, throwing up, diarrhea, congestion. Yuck. I'm on the mend because I feel better than yesterday, but still feel the need to cuddle under the covers, spend time in the bathroom, take ibuprofen and blow my nose. Little Miss Ava is better too. Her fever is much lower than the 102 that she had last night. Poor Molly is the worst with a 104 temp and throwing up. Ugh. Atleast we don't have any pressing obligations right now. We can all hunker down and get better.

Anyway, on to the review. I really like Sobe Lean, so I thought I'd try their Sobe Life Water. Since I'm sick, it might make a difference on the taste, but for now I say, "ICK". I decided to try the Orange Tangerine (I love orange flavored anything...usually that is). Is it me or does this stuff taste like medicine?

The bottle says it has herbal content of acerola extract and rosehips. Hmm. I have rosehips in my garden, but never thought of plucking them and adding them to my water. Lol. Anyway, the different flavors all have different herbs to promote different health benefits. The Orange Tangerine is to "shield" your life. Whatever. I'm assuming it's because of the Vitamin C.

Here are the other flavors:

Pomagranate Cherry...to challenge your life
Passionfruit Citrus...to energize your life
Strawberry Kiwi...to calm your life
Blackberry Grape...to enlighten your life

I wish I had tried the blackberry grape or the pomagranate cherry. They sound tastier. Here are the nutritionals:


Serving Size: 8 oz
Servings per container: 2.5
Calories: 40
Calories per bottle: 100
Fat: 0
Sodium: 35 mg.
Carbs: 10 g
Sugar: 10 g (per bottle: 24 g)
Protein: 0

I don't know why they think they have to say that there are 2.5 servings in a bottle. Since when is anyone going to drink it, put it away for a day or so and then go back and drink it again?! They are just trying to trick us into thinking it's low in calories. Duh.

This stuff uses real sugar and not an artificial one. The whole bottle has 250% the daily value for Vitamin C, so I like that part. But the ingredients list these first....filtered water, sugar, natural flavor, citric acid (that's the vitamin C) and so on. I'm not a big fan of the sugar content. It could be worse though. But since it tastes like cough syrup to me, I might not buy it again. I might try another flavor, but it doesn't excite me, especially since it's 100 calories for the whole bottle. I'll stick to my Nestle or Fruit 2-O water and just take my vitamins.

Like I said, I was sick this week, so has anyone else tried this stuff and enjoyed it? Are my taste buds wacko because of my sickies? Let me know if you liked Sobe Life Water :)

PS..is anyone else having trouble getting thier spell check to work?

Free is free!

Remember when I did the Try it Tuesday with Flat Earth Crisps? Wanna try them for free? It's a coupon for a full size bag! Just go to the Flat Earth website. It's that easy. I don't know how long this promotion lasts, so you might want to hurry.

Here is another one: Want a family package of photo's developed from Walgreens for free? It consists of one 8x10, two 5x7's and four 4x6's. It's normally $4.99, but enter coupon VALENTINE and it's free :) Just download your picture into the Walgreens website. Again, I have no idea how long it lasts, so act quickly if you are interested.

Everyone who knows me, knows that I love freebies. Maybe I'll scour the web once in awhile and compile a list of freebies. Fun!

Enjoy your Flat Earth yummies and free pics :)

Winter Photo Op

I took these photos early in the morning just out my back door awhile back. I love the way the moon shows in the 2nd one. The pink sky was so beautiful that the photos don't do it justice. My Grandma B always said that a pink sky at sundown meant the next day would be sunny. She has always been right that I can tell. This day turned out to be a nice day instead of a normal dreary Michigan day. It's taking shots like these that remind me of the beauty that Heavenly Father has provided for us to lift our spirits and have an appreciation for the world around us.

Sappy, I know :)

Look at this Megan!

Wow. I stumbled across this photo recently. Megan looks youthful and super sweet. I look, well, weird. That hair! What was I thinking? And the look on my face? I just look like a dork. Too bad we didn't have digital cameras back then because that photo is a definite do-over for me! This was taken in about 1990 or 1991 I'd say in Hart, Michigan at the church which used to be an old funeral home. Just after we moved, they built a nice new church. I was Megan's YW advisor along with Judy S. who is now in my Ward. Those were the days. I'll never forget those girls. What a fun bunch :) I think you were a beehive back then Megan.

Try it Tuesday....Breyer's Triple Chocolate TWIX Ice Cream

Yes, I know...fattening right? It is. It's funny that Breyer's says that their Triple Chocolate Twix ice cream is "light". Har, har. There are 7 grams of fat in 1/2 cup. It's 4 Weight Wathers points per 1/2 cup. I guess that's not too bad, but considering I can get other ice cream for 1 or 2 pts per cup, I'd say that I probably won't buy the Twix kind for myself again. I'm not saying it's not tasty. I'm a huge chocolate lover as anyone can tell you. This ice cream was yummy, but not as good as my favorite Edy's Loaded choc.peanut butter.

The Twix description goes something like this....Light chocolate ice cream, mixed with caramel, fudge, Twix pieces and cookie bits. Hmm. I guess if I ate more than the 1/2 cup, I would've tasted all of those things. I really don't recall eating any caramel at all. I also don't recall eating the Twix pieces. I do, however, recall eating the fudge swirl and the little round cookie bits. Someone else who has tried this should let me know if there are actually any Twix pieces in it. If you would like to see a review of this ice cream, here is a link to Expo tv's site Twix video

Now....on to another ice cream product.
It was requested from Jillian's friend that I try Nestle's Peanut Butter Fudge Drumstick. So of course, not one to turn down a challenge....I tried one. Oh, I tried it alright. For 9 Weight Watcher's points! Can you say, "ouch"? It was truly yummy though. It was just what I expected right down to the fudgi-ness at the end of the cone. I love Drumsticks no matter what flavor they are. I expected the ice cream to taste a bit more peanut buttery though. But it didn't matter. It was delish. Hey, speaking of Drumsticks...did you know that the Nestle Drumstick is a division of Edys/Dryers? I had no idea. Edy's also makes Haagen-Dazs and Skinny Cow! I loooove Skinny Cow.

That's it for this week. I think I'm running out of things to try! Any ideas would be appreciated ya know :)

Oh, and I've added a picture of Mr. B eating a Pringles Pizza flavored Stix from last weeks try it post, so you can see how skinny those little suckers are. This week, I've eaten 2-3 packages of them. The more I eat them, the more I like them. Again, I just wish the price were lower because I'm cheap ;)

The New Prophet....President Thomas. S. Monson

From the LDS Newsroom:
Thomas S. Monson is the new president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, it was announced today at a news conference in the Church Office Building. President Monson, 80, succeeds President Gordon B. Hinckley, who died 27 January.

The new world leader of the Church has called to serve with him in the First Presidency, the top governing body of the 13-million-member faith, President Henry B. Eyring, 74, first counselor, and President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, 67, second counselor.

President Boyd K. Packer, 83, is the new president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. The vacancy in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles will be filled later.

My thoughts:
I'm really very moved and filled with happiness that our new prophet is someone whom I already admire and love. President Monson is only 80 years old. That might be the youngest prophet we have had in a very long time. My Dad is also 80 years old although I can't see our new prophet in my mind as being in a similar role as my own father. I still see President Monson in a more grandfatherly role. That's ok. My own father must be young looking for his 80 years!


It was nice to hear President Monson answering questions at the news conference today. He says he loves the color yellow. He loves it because it gives other colors their light. He says it's the quickest color to fade. He says he wants to find out why that is. I thought it was interesting that he puts such thought to a color. President Monson spoke of the color yellow today only about 1/2 hour ago. Don't ask me why, but I thought I had to research yellow right away. This is the very first thing that I found coming from a lady who specializes in gem stones:

*People who are blind to other colors can usually see yellow.

*Yellow is full of creative and intellectual energy.

*Yellow symbolizes wisdom.

*Yellow means joy and happiness.

*People of high intellect favor yellow.

*Yellow daffodils are a symbol of unrequited love


My own thoughts on the color yellow? Well, yellow is the color of sunshine. It represents warmth and light in my opinion. It's the "Jesus wants me for a sunbeam" type of yellow. President Monson got it right to love the color yellow. It represents in a way, the light of Christ. We are all yellow sunbeams that can set an example everywhere we go.
If people who are blind to other colors can possibly see yellow better, maybe it's because of people like President Monson who go around glowing with the light of Christ. Some people are just waiting for us to show them the way. It's our duty to share the gospel with them. We can be those little sunbeams that Jesus wants us to be right?