Full of chocolate

Anyone have advice on controlling out-of-control sweet cravings?
Because I’m starting to go overboard and although I eat generally healthy, and a few indulgences is ok… too much is too much.

Saturday night ended with a delicious slice of Michelle’s pumpkin loaf (Thank you so much!!) Moist, chocolatey and oh so delicious. Michelle, can I have the recipe?!?!

And a few of these…

Enough chocolate!!

Sunday was a little more controlled, although I was still on a chocolate fix!

I made my first breakfast cookie Saturday night, and enjoyed it on Sunday morning. After seeing these all over the blog world I knew I had to try one! Mine was made with ½ cup dry oats, ~2 tablespoons chocolate protein powder, cinnamon, a scoop of almond butter, half a mashed banana and a bit of nonfat soy milk. In the morning I sliced the other half of the banana on top and enjoyed my cookie with a hot mug of tea.

Yum!

I worked as usual, I had the other half of my favorite White Chocolate Macadamia Luna bar for a snack, and I was so excited fun lunch- my Mom sent me home with more of her amazing thick minestrone soup! Chock full of tender vegetables, chickpeas and barley, it filled me right up! I had some strawberries on the side as well.

By the time I finished work I was STARVING… so I grabbed a granny smith apple at Belmont’s which I had on the way home.

Back home, I did some school work and snacked on this-

I really liked this flavor! In was hesitant to try it because I wasn’t sure if I’d like savory cottage cheese, but it was just enough flavor.

Speaking of flavor, dinner was VERY flavorful- I made my Turkey Chili, and added a tiny bit of some home made hot sauce someone gave Nick at work. It definitely kicked it up a notch!
I also made some Hodgson Mill’s cornbread muffins to go along with it, and topped it with some shredded cheese.

Danielle and Matt tried some too, and Nick had two whole bowls! Guess it was hit!

Oh, I almost forgot to mention- After getting dinner started, I took a trip to the movie store with Danielle and Matt, and I had half a small piece of chocolate mint fudge… just because!

Today I woke up surprisingly rested- I tossed and turned for half the night last night so I was glad I didn't feel like it this morning! Let's see how soon I pass out tonight... hehe

I started off my day with a hearty bowl of oat bran however today's was not as creamy as I usually like it! I think I added too little nonfat soy milk to my 1/2 cup of oats, so I added a bit more after I melted a tsp of ghee and tossed a sliced banana in. It was still good!

The gym was alright, 35 minutes on the elliptical (listening to... Britney Spears. I know, blasphemy for a rock lover such as myself... but If You Seek Amy has been stuck in my head! So clever! hehe) and 35 minutes of arm work. I've decided to stop increasing weight in favor of getting my form down pat with the 15 pound dumbells. Slower, with perfect form. So far so good! But definitely a challenge to keep it slow!

For lunch I was VERY excited to dig into another bowl of my favorite Turkey Chili, with a cornbread muffin!

Even better than the night before, this is truly one of my favorite recipes!
For snacks, I packed the standards- a cheese stick I had after the gym, a honey flavored Chobani (officially my favorite!) and a pink lady apple (another favorite!).


Tonight I have an exciting dinner planned- Breakfast for dinner! Ok, it's actually not very inventive. But it's quick, uses food we already have and should be yummy! You'll all have to wait until tomorrow to see it though =)

And, without further ado...
Cookware.com presents...

Kitchenware Shopping Pointers for the at-Home Chef

Any at-home chef looking to raise the quality and presentation of their dishes know that certain items in their cookware sets are more indispensible than others. Yet with all of the options out there it is hard to figure out what will serve you best from food prep to cooking and baking. But weíre going to take a look at some important pointers that should hopefully be helpful, whether youíre a beginner looking to get started on their first set or an experienced vet looking to upgrade to higher quality cookware.

First you want to consider your relative budget and what you plan on cooking with the most, especially if you plan on buying individual pots and pans rather than an entire set. Smaller saucepans or skillets will work a lot best if youíre planning on sautÈing often, while larger stockpots are best for stews, pasta dishes, and slow-cooked dishes.

If youíre buying an entire set, the most important factor here is what type of material it is made out of, and you want to decide here based on your cooking needs and budget. Stainless steel works best for beginners and those who are looking toward spending less. It is also one of the most durable cookware materials as well, but is poorer at conducting heat when compared to aluminum and ceramic materials. At-home chefs who really want to take their cooking seriously might want to consider copper, which is widely considered to be the best metal for cooking purposes. Most professional chefs opt for copper due to its excellent heat conductivity and its stylish appearance. However, copper does have some drawbacks. For one thing it is extremely expensive, and also requires time and effort to maintain its appearance and durability, as copper is susceptible to scratching and isnít dishwasher safe.

Some cookware sets might come with various accessories, but some of these might be more important to you than others depending on your cooking styles and needs. For example, a vegan or vegetarian wonít have any use for grilling accessories or a meat tenderizer but might want to consider spending more on a set that comes with utility knife set, as this might help immensely with food prep.

These are just a couple of tips to consider when shopping for kitchenware. Cookware sets can be quite the investment, but the right sets and accessories can last years of happy and healthy cooking!