Saturday, January 29, 2011

Glamorous

 

That’s me, Glossy Glossy! After my run this morning!

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I’m not gonna post any, “Oh I just ran and I make running look so glamorous” type of pics.

Me + Running = as far away as you can get from glamorous!

I look bad.

But, I felt great because of this the oh so yummy coffee in my hand. I wish Circle K would read this and decide to sponsor me for something in return for all the love I'm givin them! I'd settle for a free coffee every once in a while. Today's flavor: hazelnut with caramel macchiato creamer. Yum!

I got up early, but still managed to get to the runner’s group at 6:39. 9 minutes too late, the runner’s are punctual people. So I started getting ready and two other runners were heading my way. We introduced each other and they took pity on me and let me tag along for the first 4 miles of their long run. I more than likely slowed them down, but I managed to run a nice 10 minute pace with them.

We somehow managed to chat and I learned that Deb was a nurse with 3 girls and one 26-year old boy. She did not look like she should be having a 26-year old. Tom was a recruiter for engineering positions and told me I should be running more than 7 miles if I was planning on running the half-marathon in March.

So they plotted and schemed and took me on an 8+ mile path and drumroll please…

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A great run, in great weather with great, motivating runners!

Thanks Deb and Tom for pushing me a little farther along!

It was a great route, too. The canals and farms in sunny weather were great!

Although, that last .37 was tough – my hips are still a little sore but at least I didn’t get that random pain that I was getting before!

The rest of the day involved a great breakfast. A biscotti may or may not have made an appearance – you be the judge.

I love eggs after runs, what about you guys?

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Breakfast was followed by a trip to Barnes and a great dinner.

Tomorrow: REST!

Hope everyone’s having a great weekend!

Many Blessings!

Friday, January 28, 2011

Friday: Random Conv?

 

Workout: 30 minute hills workout on treadmill.

I ran today and I felt so much better. Yayyyy! Plus, I have my long run scheduled for tomorrow – 7 miles. I don’t think I’ve run that long in ages. Probably the last time I was training for a half over 2 years ago. Really, where does the time go?

So yes, I’m still trying to figure out how to setup my Blog and themes for my posts. I don’t think the Bestest Week Ever ones are going that well, I keep forgetting to start my draft on Saturday and am left scrounging around for ideas on Friday. No bueno.

I didn’t really feel like doing that today, so instead, I may start a new theme: the most random conversation I’ve had during the week.

Today’s topic: mean girls.

I went to eat with my girlfriends (non-meanies) from work and had a blast. Yay for girlfriends! I asked if a co-worker was pregnant, to which my friend quickly replied “yes”. Turns out they had gone to a work event and the following conversation ensued, paraphrased of course occurred:

Friend: No thanks, I don’t really feel like dessert today.

Mean Girl: Why? Is it because you’re trying to loose weight? You know, if you’re trying to loose the weight you’re carrying around your mid-section cutting back is not the way to do it.

Friend: ???

Mean Girl: Yea, I mean I know I have weight around my waist, but that’s ok cause I’m pregnant. To loose it you have to kick up your cardio…

Friend: ???

Seriously, how would you reply to this other than WTF?

???

To clarify, my friend is in NO WAY overweight. Even if she was, which she is NOT, what right does a co-worker have to comment on someone’s weight like that?

I am so glad that I really don’t have to deal with many “Mean Girls”. I don’t know if my psyche would be able to handle it if I did, but I would hope that I’d at least have enough sense to defend myself when needed and ignore them the rest of the time.

Know any mean girls or stories of any of any mean girls? What’s the best way to handle: confront or ignore?

Off to rest before my long run tomorrow, I may try to make it to the group run but will go solo if I wake up too late.

Many Blessings!

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Picture This

 

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Me in my finest mom-hair typing this message on my pc after watching this!

 

Last night, Richard made me watch Chris’ story on American Idol. Needless to say, I got a little teary-eyed. My heart goes out to him and Juliana’s mom. I gotta say that it does give me some hope to know that there are good people like them in this world.

I however did not feel like a good person this morning because of this:

Workout: None :(

I had a weird’s night sleep and Brielle woke up around midnight. She went back to sleep and I got up around 5, ready to hit that treadmill. Unfortunately, she had other plans.

She didn’t fall back asleep until 6:15 and by that time, it was too late for any type of workout. Needless to say, I was Miss Cranky Pants!

The entire day, I was cranky until I saw this video, then I just felt horrible. I let an entire beautiful day pass me me by just because I missed my morning run. Boo me!

I know I have goals, but I have to learn that one missed workout is okay in the grand scheme of things. I just have to make the most of it when I do get the chance to workout. Let’s just hope I can remember this the next time it happens.

For tonight’s dinner, I was inspired by Ashley at the Edible Perspective. I would have never thought about the egg & hummus combo, but I like it! I made egg salad with eggs, hummus, green onions and cilantro. Then topped that off with some bacon. Yum, bacon! For a side, I made spaghetti squash in the microwave and sautéed it with some butter and garlic.

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I love getting ideas from blogs and I love that my hubby is adventuresome and willing to try them with me :)

So I’m off to make the most of the rest of this day, which will include lots of hugs and kisses to all my bebes!

Many Blessings!

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

It’s the little things: mint!

 

Workout: 25 minutes full-body weights workout

 

I wish I had a friend who worked at Olive Garden so I could get a box of those chocolate mints every time I go. I love me some chocolate mints!

I was instantly intrigued when I caught sight of this little box as I was grocery shopping one day. I was hooked as soon as I got my first taste.

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Sadly, there were a couple of weeks where I couldn’t find these anywhere. Until, I found the value pack at Sam’s. Woo-hoo!!!

If you haven’t tried these and you like chocolate mint, you must! Whoever invented the choco+mint combo was a GENIUS in my book!

For dinner tonight I made rotini tossed with butternut squash, bacon, purple onions and sage with some chicken stock to blend all the flavors together.

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I got the idea from one of the blogs I follow, but I honestly can’t remember which one and am too tired to search for it – sorry! It’s probably better that I don’t mention it anyways, cause I didn’t really like it.

In all fairness, though, I didn’t follow the blog’s recipe. I have a spinach + bacon + chicken stock recipe that I used and I just substituted the squash. Plus, I added too much sage which overpowered everything. I’m not used to cooking with fresh herbs, I guess. I have no clue what goes with what. Oh well, better luck next time.

In keeping with the mint spirit, I decided to try a little oatmeal experiment for my late-night snack!

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I know the pictures are bad, I’ve been messing with the camera and something’s off. I need to go read the manual!

Anywhoo, I scored some dark-chocolate cocoa and some mint extract and decided to try it out on some oatmeal.

Mint-choco goodness minus all the guilt!

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Aren’t my fuzzy pictures great?

I thought the Silk milk was going to be sweet enough, but I probably should have added a little bit of sugar to make it even taste more decadent!

Also, I think it tastes better chilled so I’ll have to plan ahead next time I make it.

Off to sleepy-land cause I have a hot date with my treadmill in the AM!

Many Blessigs!

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Party at 4 AM

 

That’s right, we had a party at 4 AM. Well, not so much a party. More like quiet time as me and my bebe just looked at each other. Then she’d wiggle and say something, then she would just look again. Then, she finally went back to sleep around 5:45. An hour after I was supposed to wake up and do my insanity video.

So, what was I to do? I got up, got ready and jumped on my treadmill. I’m so glad we have one of those! I was able to get 3 miles in, get ready in 20 minutes and only about 10 minutes late to work. I left late yesterday, so I guess it evens out. I felt so much better throughout the day, although people kept telling me how tired I looked. Oh well, I got my run in :)

I prepped tonight’s dinner yesterday. I barely found out about this recipe about a year ago and I keep forgetting to make it more often. It’s so friggin easy!

Shrimp Ramen Salad

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For the salad I used:

  • 1/2 cabbage, shredded
  • 2 cups frozen green beans
  • 1 carrot, shredded
  • 1/2 cup green onions, shredded
  • 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped (optional)
  • 2 cups frozen shrimp
  • 2 packets ramen noodles
  • 2 T sesame seeds

For the dressing:

  • 1/2 cup canola oil
  • 1/2 cup rice vinegar
  • 1 t sesame oil
  • 3 t sugar
  1. Mix the dressing and add it to a container with the cabbage and frozen veggies. Mix them together and store in the fridge overnight.
  2. About an hour before you’re ready for dinner, crumple up the ramen noodles and add them to the rest of the veggies. You can also add the seasoning packets that come with the ramen noodles for some extra flavor!
  3. Add the thawed shrimp, green onions, carrots, cilantro and stir.
  4. Add sesame seeds and toss everything together.
  5. Enjoy :)

I love no cook meals that you can make with any veggies you may have in your fridge. I actually forgot to add the sesame seeds, bummer! I’ll make up for it tomorrow at lunchtime. Yum yum :)

I am off to lounge and do nothing else for the rest of the night.

I am tired!

Many Blessings!

Monday, January 24, 2011

Clear out that fridge!

Workout: 10 minutes jump-rope, 30 minutes Full-body weights :)


I'm liking the whole grocery shopping during the week a whole lot, it's so nice not having to cram it during the weekend. I don't think I planned very well, though so I was like a scavenger in my own kitchen last night.

I was all out salad stuff and I didn't want to have to buy anything for lunch tomorrow, so I looked around, found the unlikeliest of ingredients and rolled them up into wrap. Without further adieu, I present, the green giant wrap:


It's hard to believe it tasted so good, but the flavors really complimented each other. Plus, I got to use some of the cabbage that's been sitting in my fridge for more than a week. I hate buying cabbage because as hard as I try to find the smallest one,  I never use it fast enough.

  • Spinach tortilla wrap
  • 1 serving turkey pastrami
  • 3/4 cabbage
  • 1/4 avocado
  • mustard
  • cilantro
It was scrumptiously delicious and oh so filling :)

I forgot to post these last week, my friend at work got them for my little one.


Aren't they the cutest??? Brielle really likes those 2 am parties, let me tell ya!

The prep work last night was oh so wonderful because by the time I got home, dinner was almost done. Compliments of ol'faithuful:















This things been chugging along probably for 25+ years. Richard's Mom used to make dinners for them in this same pot when they were little. Do they know how to make Crock Pots or what?

It lucked yummy, but when I tasted it the wild rice seemed to be a little crunchy so I had to set it on high. Look at that bubble action! Go Crock Pot Go!















After another hour and a half dinner was served!
















I originally wanted a creamy, frothy type soup like the one we had at the International Bakery. I added way too many veggies for that, but I'm not complaining. Richard even volunteered that it was "pretty good" without me having to ask him. I say, the Crock Pot gets a gold star!

Here are the ingredients:

  • 4 chicken thighs
  • 3/4 cup wild rice
  • 1 onion chopped
  • 2/3 cup celery, chopped
  • 1 carrot
  • 1 cup shredded cabbage
  • 1 large potato, cubed
  • 1 can cream of mushroom soup
  • 1/2 cup of half-n-half
  • 1 1/2 c milk
I set it on low for 8 hours, but it needed that extra hour and a half on high to fully cook the wild rice. The next time I make this, I'll probably soak the rice over night.


Many Blessings, I'm off to sleepy-land!!!!

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Birthdays & Celebrations

 

Today was a day of rest, as it should be :)

We took the doggies on a 2 mile walk then got ready and headed out to celebrate my parents 38th wedding anniversary.

 

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They are the cutest couple and can you believe they only knew each other for one week before they married?

38 years later, they still bicker and it’s hilarious to watch.

I’m blessed to have them in my life :)

Richard’s birthday was also last week so we decided to do a group celebration and headed over to Pot Au Feu. It was great. So good, I didn’t even have time to snap pictures.

We did have some leftovers and the doggies wanted in on the action.

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We didn’t have dessert at the restaurant, but I probably had a tad too much sugar today thanks to an attack of the ciocolatti biscottis!

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I swear, the second biscotti creeped up on me and I never stood a chance. Now it’s time to get up, dust myself off and set up my plan for next week. So here it is:

Day Goal Calories Workout
Monday 1700 Weights
Tuesday 2000 Insanity video
Wednesday 1800 Speed treadmill run
Thursday 2000 Weights
Friday 1800 Tempo run
Saturday 2000 Long run: 7 miles
Sunday 2000 Rest

The rest of the night will involve football, laundry, some prep-work for tomorrow’s stew and watching Brielle bounce, bounce and bounce her little booty.

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I can watch her forever and never get bored!

Many Blessings!

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Ciocolatti?

Ha ha, I totally missed to mention how the title tied in to the previous post!

I had a ciocolatti biscotti this morning and it was Magnificent. I took a picture, but am too lazy to get up and get my camera so you'll just have to imagine it in all it's glory :)

It may make an appearance tomorrow, though - so watch out for it :)

Many Blessings!

Ciocolatti - nuf said!

Today was grrrreat!!!

Brielle slept through the night, which really means she slept til 4:30ish but I'll take what I can get.

I was going to try and make it to a group run that meets around 6:30 in the am, but I slept in a little later. I got up around 7 and was out the door by 7:15. Off to run 6 miles in great weather. I planned ahead and chose a good route cause by mile 2, I ran into this:

and felt a million times better. I'm so glad I'm a quick leaerner!

I think I may need to go there more often as a payback for all they've given me!

The hour went by in a flash, although I got a little tired around mile 6 but I was just so happy to be out there. I'm thinking of running a half-marathon in March, but I haven't signed up yet. I'm just going to keep increasing mileage each week and see how that goes. The Hubby might also run with me. He's a good runner, but he's never ran a long distance race - partly because he gets bored with long runs. I told him he could always run it at my pace and he'd for sure finish. We'll see what he decides

I got some new running shoes, but I still get the leg-to-hip pain from time to time. I just don't know if there's something wrong with my stride or if I just need to stretch more. Any ideas all you experience runners?

Have a great Sunday & Many Blessings!

Friday, January 21, 2011

Bestest Week Ever Round 4

Okay, so maybe it wasn't the bestest week ever but hopefully the weekend will be. I didn't have time to compile my favorite sites this week, sorry. I did however find an interesting topic.

As some of you may know, I'm a computer programmer. I love the feeling I get when I'm able to resolve an issue or automate a process for a user. It's like I get to play with a puzzle all day long.

One of the other things I love about it, is that I don't really have to dress up. I wear jeans and tennis shoes on most days of the week. In fact, I work at a University and I would venture to say most people would think I look like a student. Probably an older student, but a student none the less. Everything is very laid back, and I look at it as one of the perks.

I used to dress more professionally when I worked in another department that dealt with the customers, faculty & students. Although there wasn't a real dress code, everyone dressed up more. In some ways I kind of liked it, specially when it was a cute outfit. It just seemed to add an extra bouncy bounce to your step.

What I didn't like about it was the shoes. Heels scare me and I did not want to be walking across campus with those things on.

In my book: comfort > style

However, when I read articles like How Women Get Promotions, it kind of makes me rethink my work attire. It basically says that girly girls at work tend to get the promotions. Looking back at my job history, I would say that it mostly holds true. In fact, when I worked at Exxon it seemed like everyone they hired was at least semi-good looking. It was interesting walking down hallways at that place!

This has me wondering, is dressing up and being more "girly" at work really an advantage? Is it worth it? Would I stand out too much if I started dressing up? Specially since I work in a dungeon and I hardly deal with any of the customers? I'd also say about 80% of my office mates dress the same way that I currently do.

What do you guys think? Does work attire really matter? Do girly girls get the promotions?

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Catching up, or trying to!

 

It literally feels like I lost a day somewhere.  Who knows where it went?

I had a million+1 things to do, and I think I got 2, maybe 3 done. I guess that’s how it goes sometimes.

On to a quick meal, that was surprisingly good.

I had planned on making tacos yesterday out of brown rice and beans, but the taco spice mix was nowhere in sight.

I was pressed for time, and I found this lovely packet!

I combined:

  • 1 cup cooked brown rice
  • 2 cups pinto beas
  • 1 can tomato sauce
  • 1 packet mild chilli seasoning mix

I cooked it for about 10 minutes and then topped it with some cream and cheese.

Again, it was surprisingly good.

I only wish I had sautéed some onions & green peppers and this meal would have been an A+.

I had a weird night with Brielle last night. She got up an hour after I put her down, which usually never happens. Then she woke up at 4:45 am all happy and ready to play, play, play. I had planned on running at 5 so that went out the window.

After about an hour of her looking around, waving her little arms she finally went to sleep. So I really needed the run and I hopped on the treadmill and was able to squeak in a 2.5 mile run. I’ll take what I can get at this point :)

I’m planning on another weights workout in the am, but let’s see if I have another play date with my bebe at 4am. Let’s hope not :)

Yay, hooray for Friday!

My my my how things change!

 

So this weekend was AWESOME in my book!

I got to hang out with the family!

I got to spend time with some girlfriends!

I went to the International Bakery 2 out of 3 days :)

I made really yummy soup!

I got to read. Almost done with Colonel Roosevelt’s book and let me tell ya, he was kind of a bad-ass on the whole adventure-front.

I got to run and lift weights!

I tried on my motivational jeans and saw a marked improvement on the way they fit. There’s still a muffin top, but now it’s a smaller one that I could camouflage if I really wanted to!

I was riding high, people. Oh so high.

I even got up yesterday and did another weights work out.

Then came work. Boo!

Work is actually okay for me on most days. Yesterday was not most days, however. Yesterday I messed up.

I’m not a doctor or anything, I’m a computer programmer so my messups aren’t really that bad, but I still don’t like to mess up and it takes me forever to get over it!

A day later and I still feel terrible about it.

It was a careless mistake on my part, but I have to learn from it and move on. It’s so hard to do that though!

It’s much easier to come home, pull out the pb & the chocolate chips and go to town. Not that I would do that, or anything.

Ok, maybe I did. I didn’t go to town though. I had a spoonful of PB and some magical choco chips. I knew I was doing it out of emotions, but I still did it.

The only saving grace was that I left it at that and didn’t go back for more.

How do you guys handle emotional eating? When you know you’re doing it for all the wrong reasons but nothing in the world could pry that bag o’ choco-goodness from my grubby little hands?

I’m doing much better today, though.  I took a rest day but I’m already looking forward to tomorrow’s run to get it all out of my system. I can’t wait :)

Off to make dinner :)

Many Blessings!

Uno, Dos, Tres, Catorze

I wish I could say that Monday's morning run was awesome, and that jamming to some Bono powered me through. Sadly, it did not.

That was the worst run that I've had in ages!

I started off with two 10ish minute miles, which were okay.

Then, the right leg-hip joint started hurting at random times when my foot hit the ground. Oh no!

Then, the bottom of my right foot started hurting at random times. Oh no no!

Then, I started to get that feeling. You know, "that" feeling. The one that has you pondering, "Who cares? I'm sure they'll let you use their bathroom. Plus you'll never see them again." Yes, that awful feeling. I was two miles away from home, so I started weighing my options. Luckily, I can't stress that enough, there was a Circle K about .2 miles from my turnaround point and I made a beeline for it. Pronto, stat!

I felt so much better afterward, words cannot express this enough. However, I started getting a side-stitch around mile 4 and that last mile just plain kicked my booty!

Then I realized I needed new shoes cause that pain in my foot & waist wasn't going away.

Then I realized, I'm just old!

The only thing I can take from this run is :

  1. Plan your routes carefully!
  2. Just be glad you got out there and finished!

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Not your regular meat & potatoes!

 

Is it potatos or potatoes? Yay for spell checker, it seems I got my answer.

Boo for baby meltdowns! Baby Brielle had one a couple of hours ago. She missed her 2pm nap and was a cranky pants by 3:30. I managed to get her to nap, but she woke up CRYING her little heart out. I knew she was tired, and it took me about 10 minutes (or eternity) before she calmed down. Then she took an hour and a half nap and all is good at our casa now.

I hate baby meltdowns, I feel so powerless. This time going into the bathroom and rocking her in front of the mirror seemed to work. Anyone know any good tips to calm them down?

After she was sleeping, I started dinner. If you google “ground beef sweet potatoes cream” you’ll get some good looking scalloped potatoes recipes. However, I didn’t feel like using the oven tonight since I was a-hungry and I felt like some soup.

I’m so glad I did!

I even got a “really good” reaction from my Hubby.

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  • 2 sweet potatoes
  • 1 onion
  • 2 stalks celery
  • 5 small garlic cloves
  • 1 lb ground beef – the leanest you can get
  • 3 – 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 2 c Whole wheat rotini
  1. Cook the sweet potatoes in the microwave and then peel the skins off after they’re cool.
  2. Finely chop the onions and celery and stir fry in the pot with some of the chicken broth.
  3. Add the ground beef and cook until done. I kept adding chicken broth as needed.
  4. Add the sweet potatoes and use a potato masher to break them up.
  5. Keep adding chicken broth as needed.
  6. Add the heavy cream
  7. Add salt & pepper to taste
  8. Add the cooked whole wheat rotini and stir
  9. ENJOY :)

This was really good and I’m looking forward to the leftovers. I was going to make it with brown rice, but was too impatient so the pasta worked out just right.

To add to my veggie count, I cooked the asparagus in the microwave and had it on the side with some whole-wheat bread.

Off to enjoy the Golden Globes!

Please don’t tell me shoulder pads are making a comeback! Are they? Noooo!

Battle of the Heartthrob QBs

 

Last week sometime Richard was asking my football picks, and I was going for the Jets. Mainly because I wanted a Brady vs. Sanchez matchup. Girl got her wish and is enjoying at this very second :) Hubba hubba!

Today started out totally different than yesterday. Brielle was up at 7 so it gave me no time to workout before hand. Fighting the guilt, I told myself to just run a mile and then lift weights with her in the same room.  I’m glad we have a treadmill, cause I was able to get that mile in plus a 9:20ish mile in as well. I’m trying to work on my speed and I would love to be able to run at a 9:30 comfy pace. Right now my comfy pace is 10-minute miles, so please let me know if you have any tips on getting that down.

I felt so much better afterwards and enjoyed making little faces at my bebe while I did the FitSugar full-body workout.

I haven’t gone grocery shopping and don’t have any plans to go until Monday or Tuesday, so I didn’t know what to make for breakfast since I only have two eggs left. Enter the Banana Scramble of my dreams!

I changed up the recipe just a bit, but it was so much fun and I already have so many different ideas for this type of breakfast. Can you tell the doggies were intrigued?

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  • 2/3 rolled oats
  • 2 small bananas
  • dash of vanilla
  • dash of half-n-half
  • dash of shredded coconut
  • peanut butter (optional)
  • bacon (optional but recommended)

I mashed the banana and added in the rolled oats, banana, vanilla and half-n-half. Then I mixed it and added it to a hot pan with some melted butter. I pressed it down and let it cook on both sides about 3 minutes each side.

I then toasted some whole-wheat bread and made two types of sammies. One I just topped the banana scramble with bacon. The other I spread peanut butter, then the scramble then some chocolate chips.

The results:

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Oh my gosh, this was AWESOME!

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Apparently, the doggies thought so too!

I already have so many variations to play with here!

It fueled me through our walk with the doggies and church afterwards. I always tend to stay with the same breakfasts because I know I won’t be hungry an hour later. This one, will definitely make the regular rotation – believe me :)

After we got home, we were going to put the Christmas stuff away, which called for a quick lunch.

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A roast-beef, muenster cheese corn tortilla wrap!

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A papaya appearance made it in as well. The coconut extract really added some tropical punch to the smoothie.

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Too bad it couldn’t do anything about that mom-hair!

Oh well!

Many Blessings!

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Who would've guessed?

Well, yesterday's post conveniently failed to mention that I did not work out on Friday morning as I had planned. I felt terrible about all day, and I just wanted to pretend it ever happened. That I had never said I was going to run 20 minutes ad lift weights. I felt like a failure, big time.

Fast forward to last night, I was just sitting there thinking what would make me feel better at the end of tomorrow? What type of person did I want to be tomorrow?

Well, among other things, I want to be the type of person that runs, works out, eats healthy and sets an example for her little bebe. How would I get there, though? Well I could take it one day at a time, I thought.

I started visualizing a perfect Saturday, my Papa is really into the power of visualization and I guess he's onto something there! I thought I'd get up, run 4 miles and be ready to go by the time baby Brielle woke up.

You see, one of the new-mommy guilt trips for me is thinking that I have to spend all my extra free time with her. I feel guilty when I'm away and not working, basically. So it kinda mighta have become an excuse!

But, if I run before she wakes up then I don't have to feel any of the guilt and I'll probably be a lot happier Mommy, too!

Well, guess what? I got up and ran 4 miles :) Woo-hoo! It probably helped that she slept through the night, but still, I felt great afterward. I ran and got ready before she even woke up and it made me feel great all day.

I made some egg, spinach & bacon on whole-wheat tortillas and enjoyed my cup o'joe sans the biscotti. It was tough, but I got through it and focused on the coffee as my treat!

Then we got ready, dropped off my car since it needed new tires and headed out to do some light errands. We also went to the International Bakery (I'm obsessed, I know) for lunch. They had the best muffelatta sandwich and creamy chicken soup that I've had in years! Makes me want to look up some recipes right now!

After we got home I snacked on some edamame & papaya. Warning: there will be many related papaya posts because Hubby doesn't like it and I bought way too much!



For Dinner, I made use of the eggplant leftovers and made a salad with romaine, spinach, eggplant carrots & roast beef.


I made my own honey mustard dressing which was great. Here is the recipe:
  • 1 T rice vinegar
  • 1 T honey
  • 1 T canola oil
  • 1 T mustard
  • 1 t Dijon mustard
It was yummy!
 
After cleaning out my fridge earlier in the day, I decided to use that ricotta cheese in a yummy, chocolatey way!


I basically just combined the following ingredients in my Bullet blender and enjoyed.

  • 1/4 ricotta cheese
  • 1 T cocoa
  • 1 T sugar
  • dash of cream
  • 1/4 t cherry vanilla extract.

The flavors really blended well, but it may have been a little dry and probably would have been better chilled. I think next time I may blend it with some bananas or actual cherries. Yum!

Hope you're having a wonderful weekend and here's to the power of positive thinking!

Friday, January 14, 2011

Bestest Week Ever Round 3

A fast week, this one was (said in my best Yoda voice - which is the best impersonation you'll ever hear!)

The best part about this Friday is, my Hubby's home and it's a 3-day weekend. Woo-hoo!!!

It's been an interesting week on the web so let's get this party started:

  1. For starters, I decided I want to visit here. I have no idea where this is, I assume somewhere in Greece, but I want to go!!!
  2. This video is hilarious! We should all learn a little something from Jango:
  3. Dog Prays Before Breakfast Dog Prays Before Breakfast
  4. I need to decorate the top of my kitchen cabinets. They've been empty for 2 years, so I started looking for some neat ideas. I came across this site that has some really good design ideas if you're interested in that sort of thing.
  5. On a similar note, I want this pantry.
  6. We all know Google is awesome, right? Well, here are 100+ tricks that google can make your life easier! I learned you can use it as a calculator and get a quick definition by using the define: command!
  7. I also found out that I probably wouldn't survive out in the wild. I have a lot of things to learn before I dare venture out into the wilderness. I probably don't know half of the 50 Things Everyone Should Know list!
  8. I guess you get what you pay for, right? That's the lesson of the week after I tried that FitTV yoga show, but it was free. I'm tempted to try the 15-day YogaGlow trial, but don't know how much I'd like it. Anyone try one of these only yoga tools?
  9. Logic ain't all that it's cracked up to be! That's what I'm gonna tell my Hubby the next time he gets me for making an irrational decision! The only thing is, I'm such a sucker for the restraint bias! I have a very weak restraint threshold and I really need to work on that :) Goodbye candied cinnamon pecans, I'm going to have to pry your recipe from my mind :)
  10.  As I'm sure you've heard about the controversial article, "Are Chinese Mothers Superior?", I'd thought I'd share the link. Now that I'm a mom, it definitely makes me think about the type that I want to be. I'm not an extremes person, so I can't say that I'll be a Chinese mother type. Plus, I'm married to Therapist Sarge so he's as much as a Chinese mom as Brielle will need. Gotta love my therapist sarge.
So that's it for tonight folks, off to play with my bebe!!

Many Blessingsf

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Ohh that Oprah!

 

Mr. Richard should be back tomorrow and I can’t wait! I sure do miss my Hubby when he’s away!  Specially now, I have a new found respect for single mothers and those that are married to someone in the military ‘cause it’s tough keeping everything going!

I was supposed to run today, but I chose not to. That’s right I chose not to because I don’t think I’m fully committed to loosing the weight right now. I caught an Oprah show that kinda put things in a new light. If I really want to loose the weight, then I’ll have to go through some discomfort. Whether it be laying off the second cup o’joe that I’ve been hitting up almost everyday, or making myself get up and get a workout on!

It’s my choice, in the end and I need to start making the right choices!

So on to some eats for the day. Breakfast was leftover whole-wheat blueberry pancakes that I made for my parents last night. They were so good, I didn’t even need syrup. Instead I topped it with this AWESOME sunflower seed butter. Sweet & salty doesn’t get better than this my friends! It’s even better with a banana on the side!

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For lunch I had 1/2 torta that my Papa made for me. It’s basically a really thinly-sliced chicken fried steak on this extra-scrumptious white bread.

 

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My Mama and I were on our own for dinner tonight and had no real plan for what to make. I decided to try this box of Kashmir spinach that I got on an impulse buy at SunHarvest. Plus, I had some whole-grain Naan bread that I couldn’t wait to try.

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There’s my faithful companion, always by my side if there’s food involved. My parents refer to him as “Pancho, the fastest mouth in the West! He’s been known to inhale tortillas, chile rellenos and tamales! Watch out!

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I also grilled some eggplant on the George Foreman grill and it was delicious. I could have probably eaten that entire eggplant by myself, if I really tried. I think it’s my new favorite veggie!

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All in all, a yummy day’s eats.

The plan for tomorrow’s workout is a 20min run + a weights workout.

Many blessings!

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Temptation in a Bottle

 

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Yes, folks – that is my temptation in a bottle. I did it to myself, too. I don’t have handfuls or anything, but they’re so darn good it’s hard to keep going back!

I think all the sugar has thrown me all off, I need to get my bearings straight. I keep thinking it’s Tuesday for some reason.

Today was supposed to be a fitness snapshot post, but I woke up late. There was still enough time for a workout, but I thought I’d switch it up and do a yoga video that I recorded on FitTV. I wish I hadn’t. It was 30 minutes wasted, in my opinion. I felt like I accomplished nothing. I should have done weights. Oh well, hopefully tomorrow I’ll get a great cardio workout done. I better not sleep in!!!

See ya tomorrow!

Many Blessings!

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

It’s the little things!

 

I think Tuesdays are the perfect day of the week to commemorate the little things that make this life great. Today’s edition comes courtesy of my Mami, the best house guest EVER!!!

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Not only does she take care of my little Munchkincita when I’m away at work, but she also manages to take care of me after I come home :)

 

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My Mami’s version of Chicken Soup is mega chunky and very brothy. I love it! The cilantro on top gives it so much flavor, can I have seconds??? Like, right now???

All in all, a good day :)

The workout included a 35-minute stint on treadmill with 3.5 total miles. I walked minutes 30-32, but then ended up strong which is so empowering! I know, I’m a slow-poke!

Here’s a graph-version of the workout, mainly for my convenience. Tomorrow I’m going to put up a hill workout and these graphs make it so much more convenient to follow for me.

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The nutrition part was all good, up until I had unlimited access to those candied pecans! It wasn’t too bad, but I can tell you I definitely didn’t come in under 1800! Probably more like 2100, but tomorrow is another day and hopefully a better one on that front.

Now it’s time for some mimis, sweet dreams and many blessings!

Cynthia

Monday, January 10, 2011

The Giving Potato

When life gives you potatoes, rejoice and be happy!


Yes, it's a Monday and I got potatoes today! This morning however was all lemons.

Today started out with a lemon bang, turns out Hubby is away on business and we said our goodbyes, I got in my car and turned it on. It started, but something was off. Then the check engine light came on, and I said "Oh noooo!" After a 5 minute "discussion" about what car should be taken to the airport, I drove away in my Mami's car only to get to work and turn right back around. We decided that there was enough time to drop off the car at the dealership and then take him to the airport. We even had a little bit of time to head to McDonald's and have breakfast. It was nice, but by the time I got to work I was left asking, "Is it bedtime yet?"

I had a terrible headache as well, so it was not a good day at the office.

On a good note, I was able to get up and do my weights workout after a great nights sleep. Can't beat 6.5 hours of uninterrupted sleep I tell ya!

For lunch I had the above potato with some leftover broccoli and some nutrient-saving frozen veggies. I added some roast beef and some low-sodium chicken broth to the potato that keeps on giving. Can you believe it's from the leftovers I got on Saturday. The chicken broth was a great idea to add flavor and creaminess to the potato without having to resort to butter. All in all, a great meal.

I came home to some of my Mami's chile rellenos, they are absolutely scrumptiolicous. So good, they didn't stand a chance of me taking a picture of them. I'll have to post the recipe sometime.

I love it when my Mami stays home with me cause I get all sorts of yummy homemade meals. Oh the joy!

Here are the upcoming goals:

Day Goal Calories Fitness Workout
Monday 2000 Full Body Circuit
Tuesday 1800 40-min run
Wednesday 1800 Full Body Circuit
Thursday 2000 40-min run
Friday 1800 Yoga/pilates video
Saturday 2000 40-min run
Sunday 2000 REST REST REST

Sunday, January 9, 2011

All Sugared Out!

 

Yesterday was a wonderful day spent with family and friends, but my heart kept going out to those affected in yesterday’s tragedy.  My thoughts and prayers are with those families, as well as all of the people in our sister city, Cd. Juarez, who have to deal with this type of violence on a daily basis.

All I can do is pray for them and try not to take any time spent with my family and friends for granted!

We had a busy day and first on our agenda was the volunteer orientation at the Animal Rescue League.  We got there a little late, but we made it and it was so neat to see so many people going through the orientation with us.

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They gave us a tour of the facilities and we got see all the cats and doggies.

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This dog lives on the facility and has full-roaming privileges. He was sure pretty and I bet all the other dogs just look at him in envy!

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This was the puppy cage – so many cuties!!!

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Cats were everywhere, but apparently they have an entire trailer setup for them!

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This dog had behavioral problems so he was sectioned off, but you could tell he was a sweetie! We already filled out the paperwork and plan to go at least a couple times a month to help out where we can. They need help walking the dogs, doing laundry, washing doggie dishes and doing paperwork so if you live in the El Paso are and would like to volunteer, please contact them and sign up :)

After the orientation we were starving and went to Barnes & Noble for some grub and some joe. BNN never disappoints!

Then we headed to Cattleman’s to celebrate Richard’s upcoming birthday!

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Their website welcomes you to visit the legendary Texas Steakhouse, and they do not lie!!!

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It is truly legendary! Cattleman’s is one of those places that you must, must, must visit if you are ever in this area.

They even have a petting zoo for the kiddos and a doggie to welcome you as you make your way there.

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Apparently, this doggie has been there over 10 years. It’s his home :)

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All in all it was a great Saturday, but I probably went a little overboard on the foodie front! I’m a sucker for baked potatoes and can never say no to cheese and bacon on the side. Of course, they’re steak is incredible too!

Today was pretty busy as well. We had a family portrait at 10 so we had to get ready early to make sure we were there on time. The photographer was great, but I have no idea how he maintains that same level of energy for an entire day of shooting kids. I would need a coffee/caffeine IV drip!

Then we headed out for some grub, and that’s when things started spiraling out of sugar control!

On deck was the International Bakery with all their pastry glory.

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We opted for their savory croissants filled with turkey & cheese. Oh so good!

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Then followed it up with some scrumptious upside down pineapple cake!

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Richard had the cookie and we split the cake with some coffee. The sugar monster was rearing it’s ugly, I mean delicious little face!

We came home to lounge and I needed to roast some coffee beans in our convection oven, so I decided to also make some cinnamon pecans & cashews. I follow this recipe, but I just add as much cinnamon as I think it needs.

The only downside to these pecans is that I can’t stop eating them! Now I’m all sugared out. I didn’t have much of an appetite, but I knew I had to eat something so I had the leftover filet mignon from last night with about 1/3 of that potato. Believe or not, I still have another third left. The portions are way over control in most restaurants, but who’s complaining? Not moi!

I tried to search for some good ideas on what to do when you have had too much sugar, but came up empty. I just wish I could take something to soak up all that sugar and get it out of my body as fast as I can! Any ideas?

I’m probably going to take it easy for the rest of the night, and maybe have eggs for dinner cause maybe the protein will help with the sugar. Let’s hope it does!

Enjoy the rest of your Sunday!

Many Blessings!