Fitness Fridays

I have decided to relate my posts on Fridays about fitness. I know it's not Friday yet, but I will be at the beach tomorrow beginning a few days of vacation and will probably not be blogging much. I thought I'd start Fitness Friday a day early!

This morning I created a new circuit. Obviously there are a MILLION ways that you can do circuits, but that's the fun part about them----they can always be different. Below is the one I did this morning. I hope you try it out...just don't curse my name while doing it... ;)

*10 minute warm-up*
then...
15 bicep curls
15 hammer curls
15 tricep extensions
15 tricep dips on bench
15 jumping jack squats
15 over head press
60 sec. plank (ouch)
20 pushups
15 jumping jack squats
15 dead lifts with barbell
15 barbell wide rows
3-5 minute intense bike (or other cardio like elliptical or treadmill)
30 crunches
15 front raises
15 side raises
15 burpees (I can't do these yet b/c of my leg issue, so I did jumping jacks instead)
2 sets of 15 reps, chest press
15 lunges PER leg (total 30)
15 dumbbell back flys
15 jumping jack squats
15 kneeling one arm row PER arm (total 30)
30 crunches (owwww)

REPEAT 1-2 MORE TIMES FOR A TOTAL OF 2-3 SETS!

*One circuit takes about 20 minutes. If you can do two or three of these you are doing GREAT! I did three of these this morning and man was I sweating. It's great ab work, too! Good luck!

**If you are unsure of what of these exercises are, check this out.

Creamy Tofu and Lentil Curry dish

The hubs was out of town for work last night, yet I still wanted to make something for dinner. We are heading to the beach (Pawleys Island, SC) tomorrow, so I have been wanting to clean out the fridge. I hate wasting food and always try to eat all of the things that would go bad while we're out of town. In the fridge I had, tofu, fresh and organic sugar snap peas and lentils. Hmmm...what to make with this? A tofu/lentil dish!

*Warning: I am aware that this doesn't look very appetizing...may not even sound appetizing, but I promise--it is delish! This dish is STOCKED full of fabulous nutrients for your body. Lentils are a very good source of cholesterol lowering fiber. They also are of special benefit in managing blood-sugar disorders since their high fiber content prevents blood sugar levels from rising rapidly after a meal. They are high in iron and folic acid.

Go make this and be healthy...treat your body right.

Ingredients:

1 small onion
1 garlic clove
1 t. ginger
1 package of trader joe's lentils
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 package firm tofu
1/2 cup light coconut milk
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon curry powder
bag of sugar snap peas (or whatever green veggie you'd like)
brown rice (if desired)

Directions:

Thinly slice onion and mince garlic. In a 2-quart heavy saucepan cook onion and garlic in 1 tablespoon oil over moderate heat, stirring, until golden. Add ginger and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add lentils and gently heat, uncovered, on low.

Gently press tofu between paper towels to remove excess moisture. While lentils are warming, cut tofu into 1/2-inch cubes. In a small heavy skillet heat remaining tablespoon oil over moderate heat until hot but not smoking and cook cumin, stirring, until a shade darker, about 1 minute. Add curry powder and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 15 to 30 seconds. Add split peas to tofu. Cook the peas for about 10 minutes. Pour coconut milk into tofu/pea mixture and simmer for about 5 minutes. Add lentils to tofu mixture and gently stir. Let curry stand, covered, 5 minutes to allow flavors to develop.

Serve curry over brown rice.

Enjoy!

Birthday fun

Today is Zeus' 3rd birthday! This morning I took the pups to their favorite place...Three Dog Bakery. They got some treats and I got Zeus a little birthday present, along with a "brownie" for Zeus' special birthday treat.

Yum!

Zeus was sooo tini-tiny when we first brought him home. I can't believe that he is three now...the time has flown. Zeus is such a sweet dog. He is soooo cuddly and always up for snuggles. He has a big heart and only wants to please. His favorite things to do are SLEEP/snuggle, lay in the sun, play soccer and EAT. Some of his favorite treats are apples, peanut butter and carrots....and of course, he'll go ga-ga for some bacon or eggs if Dad makes them for him. We have two spoiled pugs on our hands! Happy Birthday, Zeus...we love you!!! (Yes, we are those crazy dog lovers...) ;)

*I am making a tofu-curry dish tonight...stay tunned for the recipe tomorrow!

Special Treat weekend

It was off to Raleigh, NC for the hubs and I this past Friday. Good friends were getting married in Downtown Raleigh on Saturday evening. My husband's parents live in Raleigh so we had the pleasure of staying with them. Friday night we had reservations to celebrate our anniversary at Second Empire in Downtown Raleigh. Hands down, this restaurant is AMAZING. Everything from the complimentary, warm, fresh, homemade bread to the chocolate souffle we had for dessert...it was all perfect and mouth watering delicious!!!!!! Such a special treat for us since we never go out for fancy dinners. :)

We started off with freshly baked bread brought promptly to the table. I only had one roll, but I could have had five. They were SO fresh and tasted as if we were in Paris at a french bakery. Another "special treat", a light and refreshing bottle of Pinot Grigio with the meal.

For a first course, we shared the Pan-Fried Georgia Quail. This quail was served with grilled corn & scallion pancakes, smoked cabbage slaw, apple & pear chutney, arugula, molasses & ginger reduction. It.was.awesome.

For our entrees, the hubs had the "Off the Hook" Ocean Catch which was Key West Grouper. The Grouper was served with sauteed herb polenta rectangle, roasted summer tomato ragout, haricot vert & celery root, Swiss chard, grilled lime & poblano vinaigrette.

I had the 330 Jumbo Lump Crab Cake. This was served with garlicky kale & grilled onions, cannellini bean ragout, sun-dried tomatoes, spicy cucumber & cabbage salad, in a sweet curry jus. This was to die for. The crab cake had no fillers of mayo and bread crumbs which is an A++++ in my book! I was so happy with this dish! The hubs was jealous of my entree...no fear, we shared. :)

For dessert we shared an out of this world chocolate souffle. It was moist, flavorful, and just out of this world. We also had decaf coffee with our dessert.

Just as we were feeling as if we were going to POP from fullness, our waitress brought by another dessert as a Happy Anniversary from the restaurant. It was a beautiful scoop of icecream...duh, of course we had to eat it---somehow icecream just fills in the cracks of your stomach. ;) Everything is made in house and this icecream was crazy good. When they first brought it out, I told Daniel that I could not eat one more bite...well, that was a lie. I helped with the icecream and I'm glad I did because it was holy.cow.good.

The chef also signed a menu and gave it to us. He said "Taste with your eyes!" They are huge on presentation...and of course, quality of food. So fun, I got to meet the Chef as well!

We left feeling fat, happy and FULL. :)

On Saturday we attended a lovely wedding of two good friends. We had a blast and the bride looked stunning and glowing. I love weddings! On Sunday we had lunch with family before heading back home. Such a great, special treat kind of weekend!

(Holding up the #2 for anniversary #2. We frame these so that we can see how we age every year add memories on our walls)

How does your garden grow?

Although owning your own home is a lot of work and A LOT of money...it is worth it (well today I'm saying it's worth it--tomorrow might be different, haha). The hubs and I love having a large yard...especially during beautiful weather. We tend to find ourselves outside more than inside working in our yard when the weather is nice. I love this!

Since buying our home last year we have done TONS of work to our yard. In short (go here for more details), we put grass in last year, and this year we just finished making new beds and putting in all new plants. My husband has a true talent for yard work/landscaping, so this is his baby. He has done a GREAT job! Here are some before/after pictures.

Before:

After:

I wasn't planning on doing a vegetable garden this year because we still have lots of to-do's in the yard, but it kind of just happened. My Mom gave me a tomato plant that already has a few baby tomatoes on it (woohoo!), my Mom also gave me a mint plant, our neighbors gave us two basil plants and we just bought a pepper plant. My little veggie garden. :) Everything is doing great and flurishing!!!! We had all of the plants since they were tini-tiny and now look how big they are! It is exciting. I am looking forward to a fresh and delicious BLT this summer...a tomato sandwich or tomato pie---right from the garden. Can't wait...have I mentioned how much I LOVE summer???!

Basil:

Tomatoes:

Mint:

Everything plus the pepper:

Do you have a veggie garden? If so, what's in it?!

NEW BLOG DESIGN!

Hello lovely blog readers! How do you like my new blog design???!! Fabulous K Creative designed this and I am LOVING it. Kelly did an awesome job. I took the pictures that you see, but my best friend, Jenny with Sweet and Sunny Images, edited them. They look awesome as well!!!! So happy to have this up. I hope you enjoy!

p.s.- Anyone/everyone can comment now, so please do so!

Saucy Mama!

I don't know about you, but I'm the kind of person who never wins anything. Well, my never streak just ended! I was the lucky winner of a Saucy Mama giveaway from a local Richmond blog: One Couple's Kitchen.

Here I am opening up the box...

I won a 3 pack of Saucy Mama products. So exciting! They are:

Saucy Mama Pacific Rim Ginger Dressing

Saucy Mama Tarragon Lemon Mustard

Saucy Mama Sweet Heat Marinade

I am looking forward to trying this recipe as well as creating new recipes with these sauces.


Have you ever won anything? If so, what was it?!

Curried Udon Noodles with Chicken

Although we would typically do something fancy or go out to eat for our Anniversary, a Monday night called for cooking at home. We had steaks for Father's Day on Sunday, so I was thinking something more on the lines of chicken for Monday's dinner. The hubs and I are celebrating our anniversary this Friday here in Raleigh and are pretty excited about it. My husband worked here in college and has been raving about it since the day I met him, yet I have never been. We are FINALLY going and are pretty darn excited about it. So that will be our "special treat" dinner!

Back to the matter at hand. I bought udon noodles a couple months ago, but still had them in the pantry. I have never cooked with udon noodles, but gave it a whirl last night. The recipe took a little more time that I had expected, but it was yummy. I added chicken in which I had marinate for a few hours with soy sauce and garlic, and also added mushrooms and peanuts to the recipe. Those are the main changes that I did. Thai dinner it was! Click here for the recipe.

On the side we had a spinach salad with toasted almonds and craisins. For dessert we had peanut butter/chocolate icecream (yum) with a side of my latest obsession: date bars. Holy yum.

Little slideshow for our Anniversary :)

Happy 2nd Year Anniversary! on PhotoPeach

Happy 2nd Anniversary!

Daniel,

Happy 2nd Anniversary! It seems like just yesterday I was getting ready to walk down the isle to you. So much has happened in the past two years and it all has made us stronger and closer than ever before. We bought a house and survived the remodeling adventures, we also both went through layoff's and came out better than ever because of them. We have learned that life ain't easy, but together we can get through it.

You are my best friend. You make me laugh every.single.day. You are my biggest cheerleader. You are my problem solver. You are so much to me and more.

I love that you are such a big family man. Your family is so important to you as is important to me. I love that you tell your family that you love them, and do this often. I love that you like to joke and are always making others laugh. I love that you love our furbabies, Zeus and Zoey. You are one day going to be an incredible father. I love how you always put me first. I love how we can laugh about the stupidest things so much that is brings us to tears. I love how you work hard to support our family. I could go on and on and on, but most of all...I love how you love me and I love you SO much.

Happy 2nd Anniversary...here's to many, many more!

**Stay tuned for something special on the blog that I will post later tonight!**

5 Ingredient No Bake Date Bars

I love dates. My Mom makes an amazing date cake and my Grandmother makes yummy date cookies. Now folks, I have the perfect and fairly healthy date bar recipe. I had a bar last night for dessert and it was so moist, filling and bursting with flavor. I think I may love dates as much as chocolate...this is a good thing! I have a feeling I will be making this recipe very often...soooo yummy!!!!! I got the recipe from this blog and she got it from here. This recipe calls for coconut oil. I have never used coconut oil before, but found it at a nearby health food store-Good Foods Grocery.

Crust:

1.5 cups whole raw almonds
1.5 cups regular oats
1/2 t. salt
10 Medjool dates, pitted and roughly chopped
1/4 cup coconut oil

Date Filling:

25 Medjool dates, pitted and roughly chopped (about 2.5 cups)
1/2 cup water

Directions:

-Line a square pan (I used 8in x 8in) with two pieces of parchment paper going opposite ways.
-In a food processor (or a blender), process the almonds, salt, and oats until a fine crumble forms.
-Now add in the 10 dates and process until crumbly again.
-Melt the coconut oil and add to the mixture (mine was at room temp. and I just stirred it up and it was fine) and process until sticky.
-Set aside 3/4 cup of the mixture for later!
-Press the rest of the mixture very firmly and evenly into the pan.

-Grab your 25 chopped dates and water and process in the food processor (or blender) until a paste forms. You will have to stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl often.
-Scoop out the date mixture onto the crust and gently spread with the back of a wet spatula until even.

-Spinkle on the 3/4 cup of mixture you set aside and gently press down with fingers.
-Refrigerate until firm for at least 1 hour, preferably overnight.
-Cut and serve!
-Store in the fridge or freezer.

Give this a try and let me know what you think!

Happy Father's Day to my wonderful Dad!!!! My Dad has the biggest heart and is the hardest working man I know. He is the best role model for his children and is always there to offer us advice and support. Dad started training with me a few weeks ago at 6 am on Tuesdays and Thursdays and he is doing great! It is such a special treat to have this time with him during the weekday. Because of this he is feeling and looking great...GO DAD!! I love you! We are going to celebrate this evening with steaks, baked potatoes, green beans and a pie...all his favorite things.

Happy Father's Day to all of the father's out there! What are you doing this Father's Day?

Not being able to run= Not a happy woman

Throughout the MANY years of being active and a personal trainer I have gone out of my way to be very careful to not injure my body. I take time to warm up before exercising, stretch before and after exercising, etc. I had never been hurt from exercising until recently...

A couple months ago I tore my groin muscle. Yes, you read this correctly. Random, right? I had just come home from having a wonderful massage, got in the shower and slipped because of the oils that were on my feet. When I slipped my left leg shot out from under me and that's when the torn happened.

The first few weeks I was in a lot of pain and it was even hard to walk. Funny thing (and thank God or I would have gone NUTS), I could still use the elliptical and bike. It's the pounding of the leg with the running and fast walking that bothers me. I wanted to wait it out before seeing a doctor because I've heard that these types of injury's just take a while to repair themselves. After a few weeks, walking got much easier and I was even back in the gym doing everything I typically do...except for running. Running just KILLS it. This makes me sad, especially because I was in the best running shape I have ever been in right before this happened. Ugh.

Last week I finally decided to go see a doctor since it's been a full two months since I've been able to run with out pain. The doctor was great and did many stretches and tests. Basically because I am a trainer and have an active job, and am a very active person, he said this tear will just take a long time to heal (well-obviously, haha) because I don't rest much. He has requested that I go to a physical therapist a few times and I will start this next week. Hopefully the physical therapist will help me with some stretches and tips on how to get my running back! If it is not completely healed within 6 weeks, I will go back to the doctor for an MRI. Hopefully this will not be the case...I am 99% sure it won't because I am feeling much better! :) I will keep you all posted on this issue and update you with my running results.

-Have you every torn or strained your groin muscle? If so, any tips for me on this?
-Have you ever been hurt in a way that enables you from running?

...Ahhh...as I write this on a Saturday morning there is nothing more I would love to do right now then go for a long run....grrrrrr...telling myself to rest so that *hopefully* in another month or so I can get back into it!!!!

Peanut Butter/Banana Smoothie

Trying to make up for those bodacious brownies...

(Apparently Zoey would like a smoothie too...she didn't get any smoothie although I did give her a tiny piece from the banana I used)

I love smoothies, but don't make them too often. The hubs is the one around here that tends to make them more than me (shocker I know!). I was in a smoothie craving mood the other day, so whipped this up for lunch. After eating this, I realized I need to incorporate more smoothies in my life. So yummy, healthy, filling and tastes great in hot weather!

Make smoothies for yourself and/or for your children. Smoothies are a great breakfast or snack. I love smoothies because you can put just about anything in them from fruit to spinach and they still taste great and if you make them yourself they are healthy (just watch the sugar!). Enjoy...have a great weekend!

PB/Banana Smoothie

2 T. natural peanut butter
1 banana
1 T. chia seeds
2 scoops vanilla protein powder
3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/2 container of fat-free greek yogurt (use any flavor)
a splash of cinnamon if desired

-Blend everything together...voila!

*What is your favorite kind of smoothie?

Bodacious Big Butt Brownies

I just came up with this new title...wha'da ya think? I think I like it. ;) These brownies are heavenly...sinful...and...will well, make your butt big if you eat too many of them. There is nothing healthy about these, but have no fear, moderation is the key! However...moderation is my problem when it comes to these brownies. It's hard to control it, very hard. This is why after making them I quickly gave them to our friends who I made dinner for, and I gave them to my hubs to take up to DC while stopping by my to see my brother and sister in law.

I started making these brownies when my husband and I were dating a few years ago. I think it's probably because after all of my healthy cooking, the hubs was craving a ooey-gooey treat like this. I thought he would be appreciative of this brownie combo, so decided we he needed a special treat and I came up with these...

Laura's Big Butt Brownies

Ingredients:
1 package of fudge brownie mix
1 package (10 1/2 oz.) mini marshmallows
1 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup peanut butter
1 T. butter
1 1/2 cup rice krispy cereal

Directions:

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
-Grease bottom of 13x9x2 inch pan.
-Prepare and bake brownies following package directions for original recipe.
-Remove from oven.
-Sprinkle all marshmallows over hot brownies.
-Return to oven.
-Bake 3 minutes longer or until marshmallows are slightly melted.

-Combine chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter into a saucepan.
-Cook on low heat, stirring constantly until chips are melted.
-Take off of heat, add rice cereal; mix well.
-Spread mixture over marshmallow layer.
-Refrigerate until chilled (if desired).
-If you refrigerate them, take out about an hour before eating so they are not cold...this past time I did not refrigerate them and they are fabulous! So moist...just hard to cut, but it is doable.

And my mouth is watering...looking forward to having one or two for dessert tonight!

What is your favorite sinful dessert? Please share!

Creamy Greek Lemon Chicken

Don't let the lemon scare you in this dish. It is to die for. I made a large pan of this for friends who recently had a baby, and went ahead and made the hubs and I a pan of it too. Love, love, love this dish! Just imagine...warm creamy pasta with a hint of lemon, topped with moist melt in your mouth chicken covered in a light lemon sauce. This is officially going to be my "go-to" casserole to take to others who are in need. And, of course, I will make this again for the husband and I. I would recommend making this recipe when you have a couple hours to cook. The first time making it is a little time consuming, but I promise---it is SO worth it!

(This pic was taken after the hubs and I had two huge helpings...yum!)

Greek Lemon Chicken
Serves: 6-8

Marinade (up to 12 hours!):

1 cup fruity white wine
1/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1 t. freshly grated lemon
1 t. salt
1 t. freshly ground black pepper
3 cloves garlic, crushed

6 whole large chicken breasts
3 T. olive oil
2 T. butter
2 T. flour
1/2 t. salt
2 t. mustard
1 cup fat-free milk
2 egg yolks
freshly grated peel of 1 lemon
1 t. fresh lemon juice
2 t. dried Italian herb mix (any kind you have on hand)
1 cup fat-free plain Greek yogurt
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup crumbled fat-free feta cheese
1 lb. whole wheat angel hair pasta, cooked and kept warm
1/2 cup shredded Muenster cheese

Directions:

In a bowl, combine all marinade ingredients. Pound chicken breasts slightly and place in plastic zip-lock bag. Cover with marinade. Refrigerate for up to 12 hours!

Discard marinade. Heat oil in skillet and saute chicken until tender. Slice and set aside.

In a saucepan, melt 2 T. butter; blend in flour and salt to create a roux. Add mustard and slowly add milk, stirring constantly until thick and smooth. In small bowl, mix egg yolk, lemon peel and lemon juice together. Whisk a small amount of roux into egg mixture. Then whisk egg mixture into roux and bring to a gentle boil. Remove from heat and add Italian herb mix. Once this is stirred in, stir in greek yogurt.

Add 1/4 cup butter, 3/4 cup of the egg sauce an feta cheese to cooked pasta; stir well. Place in greased 9x13-inch casserole, and top with sliced chicken breasts, remaining sauce and Muenster cheese. Broil until cheese is golden.

Blueberry BBQ Salmon

Yes, another blueberry recipe it is. I love fruit, especially when creative things are done with it. I cooked the hubs and I this blueberry bbq salmon on Friday night and it was amazing. The salmon was crunchy on the outside, yet moist on the inside...the blueberry sauce on top just made it over the top YUM. Go here to check out the recipe. I love this blog where the recipe is from...she never disappoints. The pictures are to die for too...one day I'll have pictures like that...ahh...one day.

*I served the salmon with broccolini, and rice with toasted walnuts.

Moist and delicious Blueberry Coffee Cake

Wondering what to do with all of those fresh blueberries? Blueberry Coffee cake it is. This "cake" is great for breakfast, a snack or for dessert. Recipe found here, and I actually followed it to a tee...that rarely happens! Well...actually...that was a lie...I added more blueberries, probably about 2 cups instead of 1. :) Enjoy!

Crustless Bacon & Broccoli Quiche

After working in the yard allllll weekend, dinner time quickly approached on Sunday evening and I had nothing planned. Getting dinner out would require showering and all of that nonsense...so...quiche it was! Luckily I had just been to Costco and bought 2 packages of eggs, I had leftover bacon from this potato salad, and had the other ingredients in the fridge. Perfect throw together meal.

Ingredients

1 onion, minced
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 cups chopped fresh broccoli
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella soy cheese (you can use regular or low-fat if you'd like)
4 eggs, well beaten
1 1/2 cups skim milk (or whatever you prefer)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon butter, melted

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Over medium-low heat melt butter in a large saucepan. Add onions, garlic and broccoli. Cook slowly, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are soft. Spoon vegetables into pie plate and sprinkle with cheese. Combine eggs and milk. Season with salt and pepper. Pour egg mixture over vegetables and cheese.

Bake in preheated oven for 50 minutes, or until center has set.

*I served this with biscuits (our fav) and a spinach salad with fresh blueberry's and peaches...have I mentioned how much I LOVE summer fruit??!!

Waffles!

It's been nice for the hubs and I to have a second weekend at HOME. If you know us, you know we are constantly on the move and seem to be gone most weekends to wedding showers, weddings, baby showers, vistiting family and friends, etc.

This morning we took our pugs to a pug meet-up that happens the first Saturday of every month. Our dogs, Zeus and Zoey, love this yet we seem to be always out of town for it. The meet up was at 9:00 am this morning, so we had a yummy breakfast then headed out the door. We typically eat cereal or oatmeal for breakfast but this morning was a special treat! We both LOVE waffles and have an amazing waffle iron for this purpose (except ours is the circular shape). We don't make them as often as we'd like, only because they are more time consuming than the typical cereal meal. If you are in the market for a waffle maker get the one we have...it is seriously the best waffle maker EVER. It is pricey, but I promise, it cooks the waffles PERFECTLY.

My Mom has a heart shaped waffle iron that still works to this day. Growing up, she would always make us heart shaped waffles on "big" days of our lives such as our birthdays and other big events. She made them not only at special times, but I seem to remember it was going to be a happy day when Mom broke out the waffle iron! Every Saturday when we were young, my Dad made chocolate chip pancakes...of course, we LOVED this, too. That's another story though for another blog post... :)

Waffle Mix
Serves 6

Ingredients

2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups milk
1/2 cup applesauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 T. cinnamon
1 T. chia seeds

Directions

Preheat waffle iron. Beat eggs in large bowl with hand beater until fluffy. Beat in flour, milk, applesauce, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, chia seeds and vanilla, just until smooth.
Spray preheated waffle iron with non-stick cooking spray. Pour mix onto hot waffle iron. Cook until golden brown. Serve hot.

*We didn't grow up putting butter on our pancakes like most people, so I have learned to think that this is disgusting (haha). Instead, we put peanut butter on our waffles for added protein. I have done this since growing up...we also always put peanut butter on our pancakes. YUM. Sometimes if I have it around, I'll put apple butter on top of the peanut butter (which I did this morning). I also cut up a few fresh strawberry's...then of course, syrup. This is def. a special treat kind of breakfast!

Make these tomorrow morning for your loved ones. :)

Do you have a breakfast recipe you loved when growing up? How do you like your waffles served?

Grilled Lamb Burgers with a Mint Yogurt Sauce

Since there are only two of us in our house, we had many leftover hamburger buns from burgers on Monday. We have been doing a good job of making sandwiches with them, but I wanted to use them for dinner. What to make? One of the ladies I train mentioned making lamb burgers...hmmmm...this is it! I did not have an exact recipe, but here is the one I made up below:

Ingredients for burgers:

1 package Ground Lamb
5 medium leaves of Fresh Mint, chopped (add more or less to your liking)
1/2 cup Fat Free Feta Cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

Put all ingredients in bowl, with fingers combine everything. Form into three burger patties. Grill.

Ingredients for Mint Yogurt Sauce:

1/2 cup fat-free plain Greek yogurt
1 t. fresh lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced
about 2 T. mint, chopped finely

Directions:

Add all ingredients together in bowl, mix, then taste to see if you want to add more of any ingredients. Done!

Grill burgers then coat top and bottom of bun with the Mint Yogurt Sauce. Delish!