Happy Monday!

It is a dreary, cold Monday here in MN. What is it like where you are? 

Allan and I had a fantastic weekend filled with clean food, the outdoors, and some much needed relaxation.

I spent Friday afternoon grocery shopping at Trader Joe's and Whole Foods. I picked up some much needed essentials and some fun and new items to try, including Maca and Chia Seeds.

On Friday night we sat outside and ate shrimp cocktail. I made the cocktail sauce recipe from Tosca's Eat-Clean Diet Cookbook. It was really easy to throw together and was very tasty. Next time I make it, I will ensure that have Tobasco sauce on hand (instead of using Frank's) and will probably add a bit more horseradish for a little more zip.

Then we made clean pizzas. We used some leftover pizza sauce that I had frozen and Allan tried the Trader Joe's pizza crust that I picked up and I had my pizza on an english muffin - I just love eating pizza this way! Allan liked the Trader Joe's pizza crust and thought that it was a great change of pace. I tried a slice and thought that it tasted really good. Overall, the Trader Joe's crust is a good value, at a little over $1.00 per 12-inch crust; but it was a little bit of a struggle to roll out to fit the pizza pan. Next time I will let it sit out for a bit longer and let it get to room temperature.

Allan has decided to start commuting downtown to work... heck it's only 5.3 miles! So, on Saturday we took the Fuji in to Penn Cycle for some new tires. While there, Allan and I decided to check out some new bikes. We really weren't looking for anything new, Allan is refurbishing a Fuji bike that his dad gave him and when I feel like riding, I can use Allan's sister's old bike. Low and behold I walked away with a new bike! It is a Trek Lime Light that was used as a demo bike. I am so excited to have a bike of my very own!!! Tomorrow I will have Allan take a pic of me on my new bike and post it here.

On Saturday afternoon, I was really excited to try making Kale Chips from Dani Spies. Unfortunately, they did not turn out as well as I had liked. The "chips" burnt easily and they smelled a bit funny. Oh well. Sometimes things just don't turn out the way that you would like. I always like Dani's recipes and was sad that I did not like this one. Oh well, if you check out her site, there are few new items, like the Peanut Butter Performance Pancakes, that look amazing!

We decided to brake in our new bikes and took a nice ride down to Minnehaha Falls... about an 8 mile ride roundtrip. What fun! For supper we tried a new type of Amy's Veggie Burger, Texas, which has a BBQ flavor. Both Allan and I really liked them and would have them again.

On Sunday, we went to Bed Bath and Beyond to use our 20% off coupons before they expired. I picked up a new Simple Human paper towel holder, 2 new Calphalon hard anodized omelet pans (a great deal at $49.99 for the 10" and 12" set), and a Kitchen Aid Food Processor. I will post a pic of the new Food Processor tomorrow with the bike pic. I know that I originally said that I wanted the Cuisinart model, but when I saw both models in the store next to one another, I changed my mind. Also, I was able to snag a never been used, straight out of the box "display" model for a deep discount. The Food Processor is very cool and I will give you more specifics when I post the pic.

While at Bed Bath and Beyond I peeped a very cool new stainless steel dishrack by Simply Human that I know have my eye on. If I would've had one more 20% off coupon, it would be sitting on my counter right now!

Being that I had a brand new toy to use I decided to make the Donut Holes from Ani's Raw Food Kitchen Cookbook. 

They are VERY good!!! I will take a pic and post it tonight! They kind of remind me of Lara bars.

While my batch of Chocolate Banana Protein Muffins were cooking, I made Raw Pumpkin Pudding from Gone Raw. I did not have any raw pumpkin or squash, so I used canned pumpkin - I know that it is not raw. But it was very tasty. I had a bowl after supper with chia seeds soaked in it. VERY GOOD!!! Thanks, Abbie at Foods That Fit for the suggestion. 

For supper I made meatballs from Tosca's Eat-Clean Diet Family and Kids Book with Muir Glenn Cabernet Marinara sauce and Ancient Harvest Quinoa Noodles. This was a great combination!!! I really liked the Ancient Harvest Quinoa Noodles - these noodles really reminded me of white starchy noodles that I haven't had in years. The texture was spot on and they tasted so good! Also, the meatballs were super easy to make. I baked a double batch and froze the remaining meatballs to use sometime in the future when I am pressed for time. Just pop them in the sauce to thaw and you are ready to go! What an easy and delicious meal!