Before I give you all of the juicy details about the giveaway, I just wanted to let you know about the changes I’ll be making regarding the blog. Coming back to Sacramento and getting my grades made me realize that I needed to re-prioritize some things in my life. I’ll be spending more time this semester focusing on school and opportunities for the summer. In order to do this I’ll need to cut back on my blogging. I’m not going to stop blogging altogether, but I am going to cut back my posting to 2-3 times per week. Because of this change, I’ll also be posting a little differently. I won’t be posting all my daily eats anymore. Instead I’ll be focusing on posting fun new recipes or meals, great restaurants, new product reviews, and exciting events – I think this will be a really positive change as well as an opportunity to make my posts more interesting and more thoughtful.

I hope that you’ll join me as I embark on this new schedule and style of blogging!

Now for the great stuff!

When I got back to Sacramento last weekend, I had a number of packages waiting for me, including one provided by Progresso through MyBlogSpark!

In honor of the New Year Progresso is holding a “Souper You Debut” contest from January 4th until March 15th for the chance to win a full makeover in New York City! Click on the link above to see the full details and to learn how to enter!

I was lucky to receive one of the Progresso Souper You Debut Gift Packs which included 15 cans of soup, a soup mug, and a jump rope that counts the number of jumps for you.

I think this is a great aid to kick-starting those New Year’s resolutions!

Soup is one of my favorite foods in the winter. It’s quick and easy to prepare, it keeps me satisfied for a long time, and it keeps me warm on colder days. Progresso has a huge variety of soups including some vegetarian options. Many of their soups have 100 calories or less per serving (take note – a can of Progresso soup typically contains two servings). A can of soup along with some crackers or bread is the perfect size meal for me.

Earlier this week, I had a can of the Progresso Light Chicken Vegetable Rotini Soup.

This is a great take on chicken noodle soup with the added veggies! The rotini was really thick and delicious and the carrots and other vegetables were nice and soft. The soup had a lot of broth, which tasted pretty good. Overall, I really like this soup – especially the rotini and extra dose of vegetables!

Today I had a can of the Progresso Reduced Sodium Garden Vegetable Soup for lunch along with a serving of oyster crackers.

The soup contained a wide array of vegetables including white potatoes, green beans, tomatoes, corn, carrots, celery, and onions as well as kidney beans. I’m not a huge fan of beans, but combined with all the other vegetables and the broth, I didn’t mind them, and I appreciate the extra oomph they add to the soup.

You can win one of these Progresso Souper You Debut Gift Packs provided  by Progresso through MyBlogSpark:

• To enter,  leave a comment on this post telling me why you want to win the Progresso Souper You Debut Gift Pack.
• Limit one entry per person.
• The giveaway will end Friday, January 22, 2010 at 12pm noon (Pacific Time).
• The winner will be drawn at random (using random.org) and announced Saturday, January 23, 2010!

Get your entry in and feel free to tell your friends – who doesn’t love free soup!

*The information, products, and giveaway in this post were provided from Progresso through MyBlogSpark.*

I went for a 6.5 mile run this morning, finishing in 56:20. I was definitely pushing myself to finish all the miles in under 9 mins, and I did it, I averaged about an 8:40 mile.

When I got back I had an apple and a Kashi TLC Pumpkin Spice Flax Granola Bar for brunch before a study session.  During said study session I ate an unpictured Cutie.

My afternoon snacks included two tangerines and some Annie’s Cheddar Bunnies, and a serving of Honey Whole Wheat Pretzel Sticks.

For dinner, I made soup using everything but the kitchen sink. It contained 1/4 can chickpeas, 1/2 cup dry rice, 1/2 can diced tomatoes, diced onion, 4 carrots (6 oz), 1 tsp. olive oil, 2 tsp. garlic powder, 1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper, 1 tsp salt, and 3 1/2 cups water.

I combined the olive oil, onions, carrots, and seasonings in a pot and sauteed them together for a few minutes, then I added everything else to the pot. Once it was boiling I reduced the heat to low and let it cook for 60 minutes.

I divided the soup into two servings and ate a serving with some Annie’s Cheddar Bunnies, and a glass of red wine.

Unfortunately this wine just didn’t taste quite the same as it did on Sunday, so I only drank a little bit before pouring it out. I also saved the Annie’s Cheddar Bunnies for about an hour and a half after dinner, because I was super full from the soup.

My dessert this evening was a serving of Soy Creamy Vanilla with an Xagave Double Chocolate Bitter Brownie and 1/2 oz walnuts.

I’m also sipping on a Steaz Iced Tea – so refreshing!

I’m going to be eating soup for the next 3 days between the leftovers from tonight and the rest of the container of butternut squash soup from last night. I love soup when the weather is chilly so I really don’t mind. I was also very happy to use up some of the carrots in my soup today!

Tomorrow is my property final! Wish me luck!

What is/was your favorite thing about exam week(s) (hey a positive outlook can’t hurt)?

My favorite thing this year has been the extra time to workout, I’ve been very happy to be able to get to the gym or get a workout in almost every day! Nothing like sweating to beat the stress!