Beware the Snack Ninja!

I had a relatively laid back day, yesterday, all things considered. The husband had to work so it was just me and the boys on a practically chilly day. So what do we do on practically chilly summer days? We bake! And 3ft couldn't have been more delighted when I told him lets bake a snack for you to take to school next week. Especially when we decided to bake:

Snowy Brownies.


They are easy to make and 3ft loved helping me measure and stir with the whisk. He also loved the finished product. So much so that 3ft and I had this conversation yesterday:

"Can I take two brownies for snack tomorrow at school?" 3ft asked, his face full of innocence.

"No, you can have one brownie and some peanut butter crackers."

"What if someone steals my peanut butter crackers?"

"Who would do that?"

He smiled slyly, "A Snack Ninja!"

I snickered. "A Snack Ninja? Really?"

"You never know, it could happen. And then all my crackers would be gone and I'd still be hungry."

"Why wouldn't the Snack Ninja steal the brownie and leave the crackers?"

He looked at me like I was slow and stupid. "Duh. Snack Ninja's don't like brownies, everyone knows that. They just like to steal peanut butter crackers! Just think of how hungry I'll be if they steal all my crackers."

"Well, then I guess you'll just have to use your ninja skills to fight them off. Either that or you'll starve to death. Only one brownie for you buddy."

"What if beating up the Snack Ninja takes all my energy and I'm still hungry after I eat my peanut butter crackers?"

The depths that child will stoop to try and get two brownies instead of one.

I was feeling particularly industrious cooking-wise yesterday and had been craving Stroganoff for some time. It's not something I want very often. It's definitely a "have to be in the mood for" dish. But I was in the mood for it and I'd bought 20oz of fresh mushrooms at Costco on Saturday and figured what better way to use them than in:

Mushroom Stroganoff.


Every once in awhile I also get a craving for a vegetarian dish, much to my family's dismay. But they like sauce, mushrooms, and noodles so I figured it was a win. So I didn't throw any meat into it and just used extra mushrooms (the whole 20oz of them). It turned out pretty delicious!

It's funny, on Facebook I usually post what I'm cooking or baking. Because I put both the snowy brownies up and mentioned that I made Stroganoff I got a lot of people asking me how can I lose weight when I make such delicious food? To which I replied: I use creative substitution, pick healthier ingredients, and stick to portion control. (I desperately wanted to eat the whole batch of brownies yesterday w/ 3ft's help... but we stuck to just the one serving.) Healthy living isn't about giving up everything that you love and that tastes good. It's about moderation and finding ways to make your favorite foods healthier.

--Previous Day Tracking --

Exercise - Day Off.

Healthy Lifestyle - Day 83

Only Water - Day 78

Total Pounds Lost - 31.1

Meals:
Breakfast - bowl of FiberOne Raisin Bran w/ homemade Almond Milk
Lunch - Cajun Chicken Sandwich using avocado instead of mayo, carrot sticks, and a snowy brownie
Mid-Afternoon Snack - Handful of chocolate covered almonds and 1/2 peanut butter banana sandwich
Dinner - Mushroom Stroganoff and broccoli

Total Day Calories - 1130