Happy Friday, everyone!! The weekend is here once more and now there are less than 13 days until Thanksgiving – at least for those readers from the U.S. 🙂 As I continue to watch my ClustrMap grow, I am amazed by the variety of readers from around the world that have found my little blog. I would just like to say thank you and welcome to everyone once again – my readers are what keep me motivated!
After getting up early for a morning workout, I am now planning on being a couch potato for the rest of the day. Unfortunately, I’ve been severely lacking in the sleep department this week, so a nap is definitely on the agenda as well. I need to make sure I get my energy back for the 5k this weekend!
Since our last “chat,” I was lucky enough receive a very special box in the mail.
Thanks to Larabar and Megan’s Munchies, I too will now be able to try out the JamFrakas bars and see what all the JamRuckus is about 😉 (Sorry, I couldn’t help it). I’ve seen positive and negative reviews, so I’m very intrigued and can’t wait to give ’em a go.
I’ve also had the pleasure of eating two “new” – in the sense that they’ve never appeared on the blog before – meal combinations in a row, both of which I enjoyed immensely! For lunch yesterday, I made a very quick and easy plate of food that satisfied my need for protein and savory tastes.
Mm Mm Mm!! On the right we have a delicious Quorn cutlet – which I’ve featured on the blog before but haven’t eaten in a while because they were hiding in the back of my freezer! Those little turkeys meat-free soy based products!!
What’s “new” about the cutlet was that I topped it with the deliciousness that is Annie’s Smokey Maple BBQ Sauce and melted reduced-fat Mexican cheese. All I gotta say is “Wow!”
It had such an intense flavor and I especially enjoyed eating that extra BBQ sauce with a spoon 
Annie’s is amazing and the maple infused sauce is the best!
On the side, I had fresh spinach greens topped with roughly 1/2 cup of whipped cottage cheese. A delicious way to get in some extra protein and fiber.
There’s nothing quite like the satisfaction one gets after eating a well-rounded meal such as this one. And the best part was that it took THREE MINUTES to make at the most!
Then came dinner. I had a package of Tofu Shirataki noodles – the angel hair version – that needed to get used up, so I looked through my Hungry Girl cookbook to find a good recipe, since she has several dedicated just to this product. I decided to go with the Fettucine Hungry Girlfredo since it had Laughing Cow listed as one of the ingredients. What can go wrong when you can use Laughing Cow?
Just as the recipe said, I dried off the noodles as best as I could and then microwaved them alone for one minute. Then I cut them up into smaller pieces to make it easier when it came time to eat. I didn’t follow the recipe exactly – I used a Laughing Cow wedge and 1/3 cup whipped cottage cheese as my “alfredo sauce” and omitted the sour cream and parmesan. I mixed it all up and then put the concoction back in the microwave for another minute. When it came out, I added a dash of garlic salt and sprinkled on some pepper, and dinner was served in less than FIVE MINUTES.
If you can’t already tell from the picture, this is a very creamy dish! The flavor from the cheeses helped knock out any anxiety I had about the “sliminess” of the tofu noodles. Once you add enough variety, it’s very hard to tell the difference between these noodles and regular pasta (in my opinion). I really enjoyed this dish and found it even more gratifying that the entire plate tasted and felt indulgent but was actually less than 150 calories. I mean, talk about volume eating! I served up some almond buttered toast on the side and a rice pudding with granola for dessert. My tummy said, “Thank you!”
I am really looking forward to this weekend. Saturday’s plans include the new James Bond movie and Sunday’s plans include the 5k race and possibly a trip to a winery with Bobby 🙂 Plus a fun dinner. I’m going to take plenty of pictures and will have a full recap on Monday morning.
Hope you all enjoy your weekends, too! What are your plans?
Wow – what a bunch of good eats + photos.
You’re totally right about Laughing Cow (!)
I can’t believe that dish was only about 150 calories. Isn’t it insane when you volume eat? I love it!
I saw cottage cheese on your salad… I can’t get myself to like it for some reason… do you like it with things? Or is it better than on its own?
Weekend plans: finding some burlap for some books I need to make, getting a nice long run in and going to a poetry reading/night of music tomorrow. Woo!
laughing cow is definitely the best. and if i remember correctly a pretty amazing person introduced you to it, no? haha
i need to find those tofu noodles because dinner looks so good!
going to a winery sounds so fun–i love wine but never drink anything decent here at school. Just another reason I’m excited to go home for thanksgiving break (so soon!)
have a fun weekend!
Glad you got some JamFrakas, can’t wait for you to review them, your reviews are always awesome!!
That lunch AND dinner look yummy!! I love your usage of the Annie’s BBQ sauce, I finally bought some the other day thanks to you!!
I can’t wait for the James Bond movie, you MUST give us a thumbs up/down for it!
Weekend plans: Going to oxford to get crazy with my BFFs, I’m pretty excited 🙂
Good luck in your 5k! You’re gunna do great 🙂
Your girlfredo looks so creamy! I really need to try whipped cottage cheese, but I can’t find it! I guess I would whip it myself. I also need to try that BBQ sauce. Can’t wait to hear what you think of the bars. Reviews have been so mixed. I wonder what kids would actually think of them?
Rose ~ It took me a while to like cottage cheese. I like it best by itself or when topped with something such as spinach or peanut butter. I don’t really like mixing something in because the flavor can get funky, so I prefer to leave the toppings on top or just have nothing at all! Have fun at your poetry reading/music night!
Sarah ~ Oh yes, a very amazing person introduced me to Laughing Cow 😉
Jenny ~ I will definitely give you a review of both the bars and a movie – you must give me a review of the BBQ sauce! Have fun at Oxford!
Megan ~ Whipped cottage cheese is definitely elusive. Friendship is the only brand I know that makes it, so if you check out their website, you might find a location near you. And I’m curious as to what kids would think of the JamFrakas bars, too!
I need to find those noodles. I have the hungry girl cookbook, but have yet to find these noodles that they use so much.
Good luck in your race tomorrow. Your winery trip sounds fun, my hubby and I love wine tastings and we are making our own wine this year (which won’t be ready for drinking until next year!)
I LOVE Shiritaki noodles! Have you tried Hungry Girl’s Cold Peanut noodles using them? So.Good!
That’s for posting the cluster map link, too! 🙂
YUM! That dinner looks great! As does lunch – must try.
Love the cornball Jamruckus joke. I LOVE YOUR SENSE OF HUMOR!
Box o’ Larabars! Hooray!
Weekend plans – baking up some new recipes for the blog, a birthday celebration for a friend and hopefully some good food!
Have a fantastic Friday!
Sooooo excited that Thanksgiving is coming up so soon!! Hooray!!
“JamRuckus” = that’s a knee-slapper, Jenn!! 😀
I love the Hungry-Girl site/daily emails!! The recipes are fun too, which you already know 🙂
Enjoy your über-fun weekend!! My weekend will be filled with personal-training sessions, writing 2 MORE papers, studying for ANOTHER exam…
Hmmm, I gotta find me some of those noodles. I wonder if anyone sells them around here.
sounds like a great weekend planned! good luck in the 5k – cant wait to hear how you do! I need to find this “whipped cottage cheese” – have not seen it anywhere around me! I will check the website you listed…
Good luck on the 5K!
seeing this makes me wish i could find whipped cottage cheese over here! maybe tucson will have some for me 😀
i’m intrigued by that quorn thing… it looks glorious smothered in bbq sauce!
hooray for the larabar samples! i’m anxiously awaiting mine!
and that super fast laughing cow fredo?!? AMAZING! and 150 cals? i’ve totally gotta make some of that.
sounds like you have an awesome weekend ahead of you! i’ve got a massage and dinner at a friend’s house tonight, 5 k in the morning, bday celebration tomorrow night and dinner party sunday night. whew! i’ve got a ton of hw too :/
hope you have a very happy friday!
JamRuckus – haha love it! I’ve tried the strawberry and the peanut butter one and I didn’t hate it, they were okay.
My weekend is wide open right now, next weekend I’ll be really busy so maybe it’s a good thing I don’t have any plans! Good luck with the 5K!
I really want to see the James Bond Movie!
And, yes, HG is the bomb. So happy she introduced me to those tofu shirataki noodles!
I have never even heard of those new Larabars….INTERESTING!
Shirtaki? Nooooooooo. 😀 Good luck in the 5k.
Everyone is getting packages today!!!! lol…I hope I get one:) HAPPY FRIDAY!!!!
I did buy something similar to Tofu Shirataki noodles, but they were this other Asian brand. I have yet to try them, but I am glad the noodles turned out for you. =)
Is it weird i love looking at other people’s plates?
I have a sushi date with my boy tonight, but before I have to walk the dog to petco to get his nails trimmed- which means i will be all scratched up and furry for the walk home. The lady literally groans when she sees us walk through the door. its embarrassing.
Kelly Turner
http://www.groundedfitness.com
Ow! Tell me how the Bond movie is! I can’t wait to see it. Good luck in the 5K too! I am excited to see your reviews on the bars- the other reviews haven’t been too positive (which is a bummer!)
I love that alfredo recipe! It totally hits my craving for the creamy stuff…
I’ve wanted to find those shirataki noodles for forever. I’m deeply saddened yet completely unsurprised that I haven’t yet seen them anywhere. Boohoo. I really want to eat an alfredo-y pasta-y dish for 150 calories!
All of your meals look incredible. Aside from the “pasta”, I also want to get my hands on some quorn cutlets right about now. But if not then maybe I’ll just slather some good ol chicken w bbq and mozza. Mmm.
And woohoo for Jamfrakas! We’ll see if THOSE ever come to Canada.
This weekend I’m working, studying, writing essays and celebrating a friend’s birthday! Hopefully some of that school work stuff with actually get done haha. Enjoy YOUR fun-filled weekend! 😀
oh……these are creative eats really~~~ so yummy and so low cal!
Hope you like these jamflakes… ^_^
OHHH! COuld you tell me where you get whipped cottage cheese, and who makes it?!
JamFrakas sound really good…those are new to me. I’m looking forward to your review!
Oh, I’m happy to see someone try that hungry girl alfredo! i have some shitake noodles in the fridge that i should use; i’ll def look into that!
and yay for megan’s munchies and their JamRuckus giveaway! I can’t wait to see what you think!!!
Oh yeah, and your quorn cutlet? even though i don’t like bbq sauce, i totally want to eat that…you make everything look great!!!
have a great weekend!!!!
I’ve never tried those Tofu Shiraki but now that you’ve vouched for them I just might have to 😉 And your lunch looks sooo yummy!
what an awesome dinner 🙂
Hooray for the Larabar surprise!! 🙂
Fabulous eats, girly! I’ve tried the tofu noodles before, but I don’t think I blotted them good enough … they were supa watery and I ended up tossing them out! 🙁
Good luck tomorrow! I’ll be sending good vibes your way!!
WOW WHat a post bender!! Lara surprise… great food and awesome pics. I hope you have a great weekend!
zesty
you are SO LUCKY. I want that special box!!
LOL – jamruckus – I love it!
That hungry girlfredo looks fantastic – and I have been nervous about trying those noodles, but this seems like such a delicious recipe, a good one to take the leap on 🙂
I have the best commenters ever! Seriously, I get so much joy reading what all of you have to say 🙂 Thank you!
seeleelive ~ I found the whipped cottage cheese at my Whole Foods, but it’s not in many stores. The brand is Friendship: http://www.friendshipdairies.com/products/summary_cottage_cheese.php
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