I told him I wasn’t going to take my normal Friday 5:45 a.m. BodyPump class and was going to do my own strength training routine instead. After he went upstairs to do his own workout, I filled my water bottle and changed my mind. Apparently I can’t resist the ‘Pump!
Even though BodyPump is challenging, it is perfect for those days when I’m feeling lethargic or unmotivated because once I’m in the class, I can’t leave and always stay and get a great workout. Power through! 😀
I did take it easy on the cardio front today and skipped it altogether in favor of taking Sadie on a 40 minute walk around the lake near our apartment.
Can you blame me for wanting a little extra time with this face?
Walk Me!
Breakfast
When we returned from our walk, I let some steel cut oats simmer on the stove while taking a quick shower.
Simmer, Baby, Simmer
Post shower, I chocolified them up by stirring in a scoop of All the Whey chocolate peanut butter cup protein powder and a tablespoon of cocoa powder.
Oats + PP + Cocoa Powder
The result?
Cocoa oats!
Coco-tastic
Who doesn’t love a lil’ chocolate for breakfast?
Monterey Pasta Company Giveaway
If you’ve been following this blog for a while now, you are well-aware of my adoration for Monterey Pasta Company‘s ravioli.
Love This Stuff
The pasta poofs have popped up in many of my lunches and dinners since I started this blog. Apparently the company got wind of my intense love for their product, because I received a ginormous box of their ravioli and tortellini to sample last month.
After enjoying bowl after bowl of tasty pasta, I contacted the company again to ask if they would offer some of you free sample coupons to try a ravioli, tortellini or pasta product of your choice.
Thankfully they said yes and send me a bunch of coupons to distribute.
For You!
You know what that means! With a bunch of coupons on my hands, you have a great chance to win! There will be FIVE winners of this giveaway. 🙂
To enter, simply comment on this post, telling me about your favorite pasta dish.
The winners will be selected randomly and announced tomorrow morning.
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I just posted pasta today! I don’t love pasta, but I do love ravioli and gnocchi. 🙂
I love pasta! My favorite is penne with sundried tomatoes, olives, pine nuts, spinach and a drizzle of olive oil.
Great giveaway, I’ve never tried this brand and just recently saw it in Target. My favorite pasta is any really – I could eat it everyday!
Yum, I love pasta! My favorite way to eat it is just plain with a little salt and butter!
Mmm I love ALL pasta… but my favorite is tortellini. A local restaurant prepares it with a cheesy alfredo sauce, sliced bananas, grapes, and scallions. YUM!! 🙂
My favorite pasta dish has to be chicken alfredo over pretty much any kind of pasta! It is not the most nutritionally sound, but it is so yummy!
I am always so impressed with your morning routine! & thanks for doing the giveaway. I love pasta way too much to choose one kind, but stuffed shells always make me particularly happy.
Hi Julie – love your blog!
My favorite would have to be gnocci…….with just a little butter and parmesan cheese. YUM!
I love whole wheat pasta mixed with mushrooms, homemade sauce, and roasted broccoli! Love all those veggies in the pasta deliciousness! 😉
I love any kind of veggie pasta dish with lots of marinara sauce! More veggies the better! 🙂
I really love this brown butter ravioli dish that I made from a Rachel Ray recipe. I haven’t made it in years but it was so easy and even my husband who was very hesitant about trying it, loved it! If I win, I will make it again!
My favorite pasta is either tortellini or ziti! Yum 🙂
I love my pasta with veggies. And I have to have sun dried tomatoes! 🙂
We like the wheat pasta in baked ziti! It is a crowd pleaser around our house, which is good for 3 young boys! Thanks for the giveaway!
Absolutely love pasta! After reading your blog for several months now you’ve inspired me to order carba nada noodles! I can only imagine how good these ravioli’s are!! I love raviolis with home made sauce and cheese!!
I love whole wheat pasta mixed with veggies like mushrooms and zucchini… and then topped with a little olive oil and seasoning- simple and sweet!
I love to include chilled cheese raviolis in my caesar salad for lunch. And of course lots of parmesan cheese!!
Question – Is Ryan a breakfast eater? Just wondered as your so faithful with eating a healthy breakfast. That’s one thing I don’t take time for. Maybe I’ll try your smoothie recipe – sounds quick & easy.
ryan is a multiple-breakfast eater. 🙂 he drinks a protein shake immediately after he wakes up & then about an hour later he has almost the same breakfast every day: oatmeal w/ a big scoop of peanut butter & a cup of strawberry greek yogurt.
i would definitely try to take time for breakfast. it starts your day off on the right foot, gets your metabolism going & helps prevent overeating later in the day – all good things! i <3 breakfast. 🙂
I love my Mom’s veggie baked ziti. It is soo delish!!
I can’t fathom getting up so early and doing Body Pump at 5:45. I can’t fathom opening my eyes at 5:45. You’re hard-core.
My favorite pasta dish is so simple and boring: spaghetti with marinara.
My favorite pasta dish goes way back to my childhood- Pastina with butter!!
Oh – all pasta is good but I love ravioli and carbanara
How fun!!! My favorite way to prepare pasta is angle hair or spaghetti mixed with sauteed tomatoes garlic spinach and onion…YUM
This pasta always looks amazing! It’s hard to pick my favorite but I’m gonna go with cheese tortellini with pesto sauce and lots of parm on top! mm carbs & cheese = love
I am an equal opportunity pasta lover but I can never say no to tortellini with pesto. It reminds me of dinners growing up!! Thanks for such a great give away! 🙂
i love pasta! any kind- pasta salad in my lunch, lasagna, mac & cheese, anything really! 🙂
I love all pasta, but have been particularly fond of tortellini with basil pesto lately-yummy!!!!
I love whole wheat pasta…..especially baked ziti!!
My favorite… definitely lobster ravioli. SO delicious.
I’ve been considering buying carba nada for when I go back to college, since your blog has convinced me that the products are awesome. They seem far healthier than what a dining hall has to offer! Are they only available to buy online?
yeah, unfortunately i’ve never seen it sold in stores. 🙁 netrition.com sells it for a decent price & has $5 flat-rate shipping, which is nice.
Funny—it is sold in every grocery store around me. I never realized, until reading this, that the company that makes Carba Nada (Al Dente pasta) is a local company from metro Detroit, where I live. I didn’t know how lucky I was! The prices online are pretty comparable to what they are sold for in the stores around here. Good stuff!
Fist pump!! I love sprinkling cocoa into my yogurt if I am hankering for something sweet. Keep the No Pudge mix far away:)
I love pesto/basil ravioli. I discovered just last week, sad but true.
Happy Friday bella!!
Baked butternut squash ravioli, with a butter-sage sauce! Delish!
Julie- I’ve been reading your blog for a little while now and find that you are so sweet and positive! Plus, I love your dedication to nutrition and fitness- it helps me stay motivated for my upcoming wedding!
Favorite pasta dish? I’d take a classis mac ‘n’ cheese any day!
Hubs and I have been going Greek-inspired pasta. Fresh cherry tomatoes, feta cheese, olives = summer goodness!
I am a pasta freak..have been to Italy and back in search of the best pastas in the world!! My personal favorite is gnocci in a pesto cream sauce…delish!
My favorite pasta dish lately is whole wheat angel hair topped with roasted veggies and marinara– leftovers are great for lunch too!
I absolutely LOVE pasta. Any pasta, any sauce, any toppings. CHEESE. 😀
My favorite pasta dish is butternut squash ravioli – yum!
pumpkin ravioli yummooo
Mmm I’m all over ravioli + a can of cream of mushroom soup + chicken broth. I don’t know what you call it…I call it delicious!
I love Bolognese, but I have been very interested in your ravioli posts & would love to try these! Especially the ravioli “sandwich!” 🙂 Happy Friday!
Pasta in ANY form is fabulous, but I’m quite partial to a bowl of rotini topped with red sauce, a BUNCH of roasted veggies, and, depending on my mood, some sliced chicken sausage.
Thanks so much for the giveaway! 🙂
I, too, am a pasta lover! Though it’s hard to choose a favorite, I would have to say pasta with either my dad’s famous spaghetti sauce or his pesto with fresh basil out of his garden – yum!
Since I just moved from Ohio to FLORIDA 🙂 for grad. school, I don’t have easy access to his homemade sauces anymore. I would love to try these packaged pastas – they would be great for a simple meal for someone with a crazy schedule!
Happy Friday 🙂
I love raviolis! I like them plain with a little parm chz sprinkled on top, but if I win this giveaway I’m going to try your ravioli sandwich!!
There is a restaurant near our house that is just the best for Italian food. They have a dish called Veggie Rotolo. It is a past noodle that has spinach and ricotta cheese. Oh mouthwatering.
My favorite pasta dish is my mama’s baked ziti..so good!
I loooooooove pumpkin ravioli!! The hubs has asked that I cook it every week. I’m sure there are other brands out there, but up here in Michigan I frequent Meijer, so I buy the Meijer brand and it’s de.li.shussssss. I top it with sliced chicken sausage and make a sauce out of Laughing Cow (garlic and herb) with fat free condensed milk (careful, don’t buy the sweetened!!). Adding the spicy chicken sausage to the sweet pumpkin ravioli makes a perfect combination!!!
While mac & cheese is my favorite…I just got some brie and garlic ravioli from Costco which is awesome with just a little butter…and chopped up sundried tomatoes!
My favorite pasta is usually ravioli, especially when it is stuffed with interesting ingredients! Add some marinara sauce and cheese and YUM! Love your blog, BTW 🙂
My comfort food is just plain spaghetti with marinara. Thanks for the giveaway!
My favorite pasta always involves pesto, chopped walnuts, spinach, & lots of other veggies:)
Butternut squash ravioli or Butternut squash & goat cheese lasagna are two of my favorites. Mmmmmmmmm is it too early for pasta? haha