TGIF and a Barney Butter Give-Away!

Aloha everyone! I hope you’re enjoying your weekends thus far. I’m going to the Brooklyn Botanical Garden later today with a friend to experience some serious orchid action. The sky is sunny, the temperature is at a comfortable 60 degrees, and my camera is salivating in anticipation of all the flower action I’m about to capture with it.

As for yesterday, I started the day off with a yogurt mess for breakfast:

The Mess:

1/3 Cup Chobani Plain Yogurt

1/2 Cup Frozen and Thawed Blueberries

1/2 Cup Sliced Strawberries

2 TBS Ground Flaxseeds

1 TBS Chunky Peanut Butter

1 TSP Black Cherry Preserves

1/4 Cup Raisin Cinnamon Granola

While on my way back from dropping Mina off at school, I popped into Gourmet Garage to pick up some coffee. While doing so, I also impulsively bought some Chobani Champions yogurt. I enjoyed the honeynana flavor for a mid-morning snack, complete with dried cranberries and golden raisins for toppings:

Though it doesn’t provide as much protein as the “adult” varieties of Chobani, it still tided me over until lunch. It was also a delicious flavor! Much better than that Gogurt nonsense marketed to kids.

Lunch was a tuna sandwich (I mixed 1 TBS fresh, chopped dill, 1 chopped pickle, 1 TBS Canola Mayonnaise, 1 Small Can of Bumblee Tuna in Water), on whole wheat bread (toasted), with goat cheese and spinach leaves. I also enjoyed an additional pickle and cameo apple on the side:

Still hungry less than an hour later, I had a very small cup of raisin cinnamon granola and soymilk:

This little cup of goodness fueled me through an afternoon which included a 3 mile walk through Central Park and a high-energy playdate. At around 4:30PM I enjoyed this Lara bar:

Since I had such a late snack, I wasn’t really feeling a super-large dinner. So I just had a delectable baked sweet potato. Cut in half, it looked like a pair of socks or boots:

Boots that were fit to lick, that is. I topped one “boot” with coconut butter and cinnamon, the other with Blue Diamond Honey Almond Butter. Both boots were drizzled with agave nectar. This dinner was more like a dessert:

I also had a scoop of Amazing Grass Green Superfood for a little more green power to my day.

Just because dinner was like dessert doesn’t mean I skipped dessert altogether. I mean, how could I considering that Easter candy was 75% off at Duane Reade. I stocked up on two $2 bags of Reese’s Peanut Butter Eggs. I had two for dessert:

I also had one more shortly before bed time, because it’s a free country. Peanut Butter Eggs are my favorite seasonal candy, and quite frankly…I’m proud of myself for stopping at three. I’m reading a great book on neuro-plasticity currently called, “The Brain That Changes Itself.” At one point, the author discusses how there are dopamine triggers in the brain that activate the “pleasure centers.” I’m pretty sure there’s an entire region of my prefrontal cortex reserved for peanut butter and chocolate.

Even though I absolutely adore peanut butter…I have an equal amount of love for almond butter. One of my favorite varieties is Barney Butter. In fact, I love it so much that I’ve been corresponding with its founder Jennifer Barney, and she’s agreed to let me host a giveaway! One lucky reader will receive two jars of Barney Butter (1 Jar Smooth and 1 Jar Crunchy) when they do the following:

1.) If you have a Facebook account, become a fan of Barney Butter.

2.) Leave a link on your blog to this give-away, leave me an additional comment telling me you’ve done so.

3.) If you don’t have a Facebook account or blog, leave me a comment stating your favorite recipe/way to eat almond butter.

I will randomly select a winner next Friday, the 16th! Best of luck!

Calorie total for friday:

2115

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