I guess working for the past week and a half put me into a routine and now I’m thrown off since I really have nothing to do. But that will change tomorrow…..for two days at least. My friend got me a two day gig doing some data entry at an office right near my house so that will get me out of the house for a bit. I pondered riding my bike over there but then I got images of Jim Halpert riding his bike to The Office resulting in a very sweaty (rawr) Jim.
I think I will take the car instead because I’m sure no one wants to see me in spandex. And you sure as hell can’t pay even me to look at myself in spandex. So yes, the car will be the best option for now.
Today, I’ve been keeping busy with lots and lots of tv thanks to the Boca Raton Public Library!
Check out all those titles! I went in there yesterday morning and they have pretty much every show known to man. I like to think of myself as a TV buff but there were tons of shows I’ve never heard of. And they have Alias and Lost, my need for everything JJ Abrams is now complete.
I decided to give veggie products a chance again after my “beefless tip” mishap on Friday night.
Morningstar has never steered me in the wrong direction and I thank them for that. I usually get their black bean burgers but have heard wonderful things about the Tomato & Basil Pizza Burgers. I cooked one patty on the stovetop along with some zucchini stripe then places over a bed of rice and my new favorite hummus.
I found a mustache while making dinner.
Dinner was sausage and peppers and while cutting the peppers, I noticed a few in mustache form ala Mr. Pringles. Nothing wrong with that for I am all for the mustache….on a man that is. I’m Italian so I don’t need any help in that department. And for you other mustache lovers out there, check out some famous mustaches, I love that they have a few of the characters from the Muppets on there. But I gave up the pepper and started to cook instead. I threw the peppers in a pan and let cook with some olive oil, salt and pepper.
Took the peppers out, let the sausage cook then added the peppers back in.
I added a jar of sauce to the sausage and pepper mixture and let simmer. I wasn’t a huge fan of this sauce, I found it to be bland. To compensate, I added some minced garlic, oregano and basil in an attempt to give it some kind of kick to the tastebuds.
Threw on top of some spaghetti and voila, dinner was done.
Great meal and there was a lot leftover for more meals this week! I usually only cook sausage to make meatballs so this was a simple and quick alternative to that (and less messy of course because rolling out greasy sausage in your hands is not clean kitchen friendly)
Since we supposedly have a hurricane coming later this week, I wanted to get a bike ride in since I wasn’t sure if I would be able to later this week. I say supposedly because they hype it up so much down here and most of the time it ends up turning or downgrades to a lower category hurricane. When Hurricane Andrew hit, we really weren’t affected too much but Hurricane Wilma did a lot of damage to our house. Thank God FEMA had finally gotten their act together for that one.
Oh yeah, the bike ride. I felt like Forrest frickin Gump tonight! Except that I was biking and I’m not slow (unless I haven’t had any coffee). I wasn’t planning on a long ride but ended up going for almost an hour through both sketchy and nice parts of Boca (yes, Boca Raton has a few sketchy areas)
And sadly, yes, I sang that all day long yesterday since it was another meatless day. I was craving carbs all day long. I almost went downstairs on my break to get a “snack” of french fries because the idea of them seemed great but then I started to remember this trying-to-eat-healthy thing I’m trying out. And I had dinner plans but they were canceled in the afternoon and I had absolutely no contingency plan of making anything at home and almost opted for a bag of chips for dinner-wtf is going on with me??
For breakfast, I made a quick breakfast sandwich at work. The idea was to make an egg mc-muffin knock off but I forgot the eggs, kinda important component huh?
So, instead I settled for a Morningstar Mc-Muffin with Morningstar Veggie Sausage, cheese and ketchup on a whole wheat english muffin. Tasty but didn’t fill me up. Thankfully, I had two cups of coffee right after that since something major was going to happen……
The two most boring hours of my life.
I looked at my calendar and remembered we had a two-hour training session on financial statements and cash flow. Oh, just what a girl wants to learn on a Wednesday morning. Mind you, even though I work in banking, I am not a numbers person. I hate numbers and often get dyslexic with them so I have to triple check my work most of the time which is frustrating as is. That being said, learning how to understand tax returns and balance sheets was not high on my priority list. That’s what the other people on my team are there for-to help me! I tell them if they help me, I will cook for them or bake them goodies. This seems to work so why stop a fool-proof thing? To make it worst, I felt like there should have been a two drink minimum with the presentation. These guys were trying to make common stock and accounts receivable seem like a fun thing? Um, no. Sorry, not in my world.
However, I had to keep myself occupied and look like I was talking notes so I budgeted for my next paycheck, went through my “To Do’s” for the day but that was done within 10 minutes. So I started to look around the room since there were a lot of new faces in there of people who I don’t work with too often but in the same department as me. And I noticed a couple of doppelgängers!
One guy looked like a younger, beginning stages of balding Ed Burns. And no ring. Hello!
So that helped pass time a bit but I was itching to get out of there. Especially since I had my phone and kept seeing responses to yesterday’s post about pets sleeping in bed with you. It seems like more of you than not are all for letting the dogs in the bed but it seemed like the ones who don’t let them sleep in the bed are bigger. Lincoln is only eight lbs and doesn’t take up a lot of space but I can’t imagine sharing a bed with a big dog! The worst is that Lincoln is a male. So he falls asleep then leaves me in the middle night…..but he always comes back in the morning before I wake, thinking I won’t notice or anything. That little scammer.
We finally got out of the meeting then back to work but it was around lunch time and was already hours behind on work so I worked and scarfed down lunch at the same time–leftover whole wheat spaghetti with mushrooms, onion and parsley.
I could have had two more servings of that if it was up to me but soon it was done…….and then on the hunt yet again searching for carbs. I knocked out a bunch of shit in the afternoon since I’m off on Friday since that’s root canal day and have a ton to do today so I feel a little more at ease. But then when I was making a call to a customer, I got this song in my head since dude’s name was Rico.
Whatever happened to Gerardo?? And did he ever cut that dreadful hair off? Bad hair or not, I used to think he was such a hottie. I like how the You Tube caption says “One of his greatest hits from the 90’s”, he had more than this one? Maybe on the latin music world? On another note, I wish I could roll my r’s…..
When I got home, I still had no idea what I was going to have for dinner. I was in the mood for pad thai but didn’t want to drive to the ethnic area of town in rush hour traffic so I ended up at Zen Asian Fusion. I live near this place but never bothered to stop in since the prices seemed a bit high from the looks of its decor but once I checked out the menu it wasn’t that bad. I ordered Garlic Eggplant and Tofu with brown rice.
The meal was delicious but not as garlic-y as I would have liked it to be. Mind you, I’m Italian and garlic runs in my blood but the sauce was smooth and tangy. Plus the portion was huge so I have leftovers for this week. Carb craving =success! And can I just give some clicks to myself? I usually opt for some fried fest of chicken like sweet and sour chicken or general tso’s chicken when getting Chinese food so not ordering that is major.
Day 3-Your views on drugs and alcohol
My name is Tiffany and I’m a drinker.
I didn’t drink too much in high school due to working, playing sports, volunteering and partaking in various clubs. I was too busy to drink! But when I went to college, all hell went loose, appropriately so b.c I went to one of the biggest party, drinking schools out there—WVU!
Just another typical Thursday night out on the town. The bars had ladies night specials and this bar had free wine and champagne until 11P so we would hoard as many as we could and then go to town!
The year I dressed as a pimp for Halloween, some alcohol may have been involved….
Leila and I looking like ladies at the Panhellenic dinner. I believe we were there for the free booze though.
Hooray for hayride! Yes, I’m carrying a 2 liter of soda but there was major Captain Morgan action going on it.
Sitting pretty in Jamaica. Jamaica spring break deserves an entire post of it’s own…..if only I could remember it!
After college, I still drank a good bit but definitely not as much as my college days. As the years passed on, I kinda lost a taste for it. Maybe I had my fill of it and just didn’t want it anymore? But as always, it came back to me and I started drinking again frequently when I lived in Arizona and when I moved to Charlotte. This time period is when I gained a large amount of weight so go figure. Plus the fact that I crave bad food when I’m drunk doesn’t help, neither does it that Phoenix had a number of 24 hour drive through mexican places all ending in ‘berto–Alberto’s, Humberto’s, Filiberto’s, etc. I thought there were more but that’s all I can think of. Leila??
When I decided to start taking care of myself better my alcohol consumption went down…..alot. Almost to practically nothing but I would still drink every now and then but wasn’t a weekend warrior anymore.
Bonging a Natty Light since I’m classy like that.
I have nights that I still have fun, like this one, dancing with random old men at the bar but I just can’t imagine drinking as much as I did 10 years ago. My body seriously hates me for all the damage I’ve done to it via the hooch but you know what? I had some great time, some wonderful memories that I may or may not remember 100% correctly and wouldn’t trade my drinking life back there for anything. Best. Time. Of. My. Life. Now, I prefer to have a beer or three or a couple of glasses of wine and call it night. I like going to bars but not obnoxiously loud ones since my hearing is horrible in my right ear and in normal situations, it’s difficult to hear you (if I am ever with you, I will try to be on your right hand side so I can hear you better). So liquor, I like it, just not as much as I used to.
As for drugs, if you like the ghang-rock on. I am not a huge fan of it but if you partake, do your thing.
The coke, heroin, x, meth? Not so much a supporter of. Especially since one of my friends from childhood had a brain aneurysm from a bad Ecstasy pill.
Do you drink?
Are any of your co-workers doppelgängers? Have you ever been told you look like famous and if so, who?Not me, I’m unique looking like that!
What a day! I think I am on some kind of high from being off tomorrow so I have been running around non stop!
I mentioned last night how Lincoln was being a bad baby…barking his balls off (ironically he doesn’t have the boys anymore), not listening to me, etc. Well his behavior did a complete 180 and he was finally my sweet baby that I am used to.
I said I wasn’t going to have ice cream but I lied and cracked open a single portion of Skinny Cow Dulce De Leche-only 150 calories, we like that.
Holy crap-this was amazing. It was decadent with lots of caramel and perfect for my sweet tooth that always wants a lil something something. It’s Lincoln approved as well!
I went to bed at a decent hour and slept in until 630A so I could catch the late bus, which ended up working out because the bus I normally take never even showed up. Which the ride up was a crowded one since we had the amount of two busses of people in one. Side note, I really hate when people sit in the aisle seat so no one sits in the window and they can have the row to themselves. They are always the first ones I go to when I want to sit b/c I? Am obnoxious like that.
I had a Kashi Go Lean Crunch!, Strawberry and Yoplait Greek Yogurt Parfait for breakfast
The Yoplait Greek Yogurt is growing on me. I really like that it’s not too sweet nor sour and 12g of protein. My coffee buddy who I usually go to Starbucks with finally got back from his two wk trip in Hawaii and we have been meaning to catch up. We finally got to today and it was wonderful. He has a snarky sense of humor and has as much frustration with our work as I do. It was great to catch him up on all things—how I’m overloaded, Stinkalicious, Hawaii (which I asked him if he saw any Lost tours but had no clue) and such.
This morning was busy but nothing out of control. I got to take a 20 minute lunch break (woo hoo!) to stroll over to the library and get some cd’s and books for the wknd. I brought lunch—Farfalle Pesto Chicken Pasta with sautéed mushrooms, onions and zucchini.
I need to make more pesto-ASAP.
This afternoon was pretty much making sure everything was in order for tomorrow. Word got around at some banks that I will be out of the office for ONE day and everyone was freaking out. That made me feel good. I hate that I work my butt off and am efficient but the other people on my team don’t roll that way. What can I say, I’m competitive and want to be the best. I took a 20 minute break with one of my co-workers and we walked one mile, which was great to get out and get some fresh air.
I had no clue what to have for dinner so just threw some random stuff together. I broke into my Morningstar Grilllers Prime. I love Morningstar products but never tried this kind before so I was exciting!
I had half of a sweet potato and half pita with my Trader Joe’s Edamame Hummus that I love so.
Told you it was a random meal. I slathered some BBQ sauce on the patties and for the most part liked them. I liked the texture since it wasn’t rubber like and the taste was decent. I don’t know if I am crazy about it like their black bean patties but a good quick fix.
After that, I was on a mission…..and kinda wishing someone could cure my lonely condition. I am going to a wedding with a girlfriend of mine the first weekend of June (Hello Irish-Italian wedding with open bar!) and need a dress. I went to Ross which I love because it’s so cheap yet has in fashion stuff. I found not one but TWO dresses for the wedding.
The contenders
Dress One–I absolutely love the pink and black color combo
Dress Two-love purple because it is the color of royalty and just felt classy in this dress.
I couldn’t decide so I got both (two dresses for $34?? Yes please)
But now the important question:Dress One or Two??
Please let me know what you think, be honest (and keep in mind I didn’t have my gut sucking undies on 🙂 lol)
I stopped at the Dollar Tree afterwards to pick up some random stuff then off to the big event of the night-Harris Teeter. Right now, they have Double Coupons up to $1.98, which is a super happy time for me being the frugalista I am!
I got all of this:
*Mission Tortillas
*Real Simple Magazine
*Wholly Guacamole
*Two Cans of Mighty Dog food
*Beggin Strips
*Pedigree Good Bites
*Vanilla Frappaccino Four Pack
*Athenos Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
*Dove deodorant
*McCormick’s Cinnamon and Red Pepper Flakes
*Excedrin Migraine
*California Pizza Kitchen Personal Size Pizza
For $21!!!! I love my coupons so much 🙂
And Lincoln got a new baby to play with, he only has 38 babies so he needs some more. He was a bit excited!
The high is still going and I’m just excited I don’t have to get up early. If I can sleep in until 730A I will be happy but we shall see. Happy almost Friday!
I’m not going to Indiana. I’m still not feeling well and decided an 18 hour drive by myself while sick would not be a good thing. Plus I am going to DC next Thursday for the wknd and have been planning that for months and didn’t want to miss out on that as well. Sad thing is, this is not an April Fools joke.
I woke up late today and didn’t even time to make coffee—-eeeeeeek! I stopped at the Bucks before catching the bus, thank god for Starbucks at the shopping center where my bus stop is.
I got into work and changed my calendar. I love changing my wall calendar at work because I get a new picture on there. Am I the only person who gets excited by this??
Lovely!
I had the creamiest, dreamiest bowl of oats and greek yogurt for breakfast. Included oats, dallop of Trader Joe’s Greek Yogurt, unsweetened coconut, flax and a banana.
BEST
COMBO
EVER!
There was a guy talking to the lady who sits in my cube behind me at work and was sooooo loud. I thought his voice sounded familiar then I finally figured it out. He sounded like Bruce from Family Guy!!!
When I put two and two together I kept doing impersonations…..umm to myself like “Oh noooooo!” and “Hey how y’all doing?” Love Family Guy.
I got my ass handed to me at work due to it being the first day after quarter end. Luckily, I am still taking tomorrow off to rest up and the stock market is closed so no work will be coming my way.
For lunch, I had another big salad with baby spinach, broccoli slaw, cucumbers, shredded cheese and black beans with T Marzetti’s Honey Balsamic dressing (my new fave!)
I eat lunch at my desk 99% of the time(which sucks) but something new I’ve been trying is changing my Pandora station when eating. I typically listen to a house station or rock during the day but while eating lunch, I slow it down a bit. Today I listened to my Sublime station and I noticed myself eating slower.
With the salad I also had Progresso No MSG Added Roasted Garlic Chicken
I was really happy with this soup. I’m not a fan of the brothy soups but am trying to eat them more since they tend to be better than the creamy soups. And I didn’t even have to add salt or pepper which I normally do so thumbs up!
I saw this ad on the bus ride home….. Smoked Butt…hehe. I am so easily amused.
I wanted something easy for dinner so I went with my old standby of nachos. Too bad I don’t have any jalapenos, onions or greek yogurt at home so they were quite boring nachos. Only Baked Scoops, Morningstar veggie crumbles and cheese…. but nachos nonetheless!
And I had a new jar of salsa to break into—Trader Joe’s Organic Tomatillo and Roasted Yellow Chili Salsa
I liked this. I grabbed it yesterday without really looking at it because I was in a hurry and feeling crappy. I typically don’t dig the smoky salsa’s but this was different, it was smoky with spice but not over the top smokiness.
I took an hour and a half nap and then had a Skinny Cow Chocolate Truffle .
I had so much to do before my trip next wknd and hope I feel better this wknd to get some of it done. I need a new bowl for work, I am getting sick of looking at the blue one. I need to get an oil change. I need to sit down this wknd and make my April goals in order!!
Hi all-I have been totally MIA for the past few days due to A) it being gorgeous outside and B) too much to do so this is the catch up posts of all catch up posts. But I do have lots of pictures of food so redeeming myself there!
Starting off with Friday, I had the greenest green monster I have ever had!
I got to work and was covering my desk + another person’s so needed a Starbucks stat……and I went venti this time which I never really do anymore.
Since I am a nice co-worker (and don’t want my butt to get any bigger) I brought in Dove chocolates and set them in the break room
I went back into the break room five minutes later to make my breakfast and they were gone. The people live their Dove!
I made a bowl of Chobani blueberry greek yogurt, sliced peaches, unsweeted coconut and flax—it was delicious!
The morning went smoothly without too many issues
Lunch was Annie’s Shells and Cheese with broccoli florets
And then the craziness started and lasted all afternoon. I did pack along a salad to have along with the shells but didn’t have a minute to get over to the break room to prep it. Nothing too horrible but just a lot going on and was happy when 5 o’clock hit!
I was riding along on the bus home and you could hear my stomach growling and the salad was just sitting next to me so I broke it out. I want to apologize to other bus riders who had to smell my salad with tuna salad and vinegar. But there were only four other people on the bus and I was starving!!!
I took Lincoln for a long walk and by the time we got back, I was mentally wiped clean. I couldn’t think after the craziness that occured at work and wanted something easy for dinner so I fried up some frozen pierogies and grilled mushrooms and onions on the side.
Oh pierogies, I will never quit you
I settled down and finally got a chance to watch this past wk’s episode of Lost which was all about Richard.
I soon had someone watching me
What an episode!! I may have to watch it again today because it answered so many questions.
Lincoln started inching himself towards me so he could beg for food
Ha, he looks drunk here
I was in bed by 1030 on Friday night because I am lame but I did get a nice eight and a half hours of sleep which is unheard of for me!
I tried out my Sticky Bun Coffee I got on sale at Bi-Lo on Saturday morning
And we all know about BFD but what about DFB? I feasted on mashed potatoes with avocado and greek yogurt for breakfast
I was tempted to add some garlic, salsa and lime juice to make guacamole potatoes because it just sounds magical.
Lincoln was due for a check up and we spent a half hour at the vet getting his shots so he can be a healthy boy!
I came home to a nice surprise—my Crazy Richard’s peanut butter I won from
I had to break into this right away because…..well….no specific reason other than I just wanted to!
I made a Morningstar Chicken Pattie with Frank’s Red Hot topped with cheese on a Thomas Whole Wheat Bagel Thin and tomato with a sliced banana topped with Crazy Richard’s Creamy Peanut Butter.
The verdict? AMAZING! It was super creamy which I am a total fan of and not too thick (I am just starting to like peanut butter again because it’s thickness turned me off). I will definitely start using this kind and can’t wait to try the chunky)
Lincoln wasn’t feeling so hot due to his shots so he sat with me while I caught up on some reading
Soon after, I decided to take on the mall since JCP was having a great sale. I don’t like going to the mall because it just seems like madness each time I go and too many people. If I do ever go, it’s right when it opens in the morning and I go in and get out stat. I got two tops at JCP then went to Steinmart and got two more tops(those are for work though so nothing too saucy).
WVU was playing at 7 so I got on my gear and headed to a bar a few blocks away from my place to watch. It was $2 Corona’s and yeah, pretty much stayed with those all night. I was alone so just sat and the bar and needed nourishment. Confession…..I absolutely love bar food. I know I shouldn’t but I do and could eat it every day if I could.
I got a cheeseburger with french fried potato chips
So I know it doesn’t look like much but this was one of the BEST cheeseburgers I’ve ever had. I can’t describe why, it was just amazing. I stayed there the rest of the night, made new friends and watched WVU beat Kentucky to move onto the Final Four!!!
What has two thumbs and a sister who lives in Indianapolis? THIS GIRL!
Pending I can get Friday or Monday off of work, I will be making a beautiful nine hour drive to Indianapolis next wknd. I really don’t want to drive but refuse to pay $500+ for a plane ticket. I don’t have tickets but think it would be fun to hang there with all the basketball madness going on. Plus my sister went to Butler so a little bit of a rivalry there which makes it even more fun!
Anyways, after too many Corona’s I made it home and once again, famished. I made nachos, which is just fabulous drunk food. But I wasn’t too drunk that I couldn’t take a picture 🙂 They had Morningstar veggie crumbles, cheese, avocado, jalapenos with greek yogurt and salsa on the side.
And I devoured every last bit!
This morning I was looking forward to a big breakfest….well, a super huge hungover big breakfast: scrambles eggs with mushrooms, cheese and avocado and a Thomas Whole Wheat Bagel Thin with TJ’s Superfruit Spread
Nom Nom
It’s supposed to be absolutely miserable out today which I am excited about because
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I hate Mondays b/c I never mentally wake up until 1P or 2P. And by that time, I am usually rolling down to Starbucks to get my free refill so it all works out. I have officially become one of those people when they see, they start making my drink. I don’t know if that’s good or bad but I pretty much feel like my coffee is saying this to me
They also had free samples of their new Dark Cherry Mocha. OMG. Amazing flavor. I normally hate cherry and chocolate together but this was rich and decadent. I don’t know how people drink these heavy drinks every day but to me they are an indulgence and more of a treat or dessert. If you haven’t tried it, I definitely suggest it. Tomorrow is Free Pastry Day at Starbucks, click here for the coupon (free with purchase).
Since I was sleepwalking through my morning, I was in a pretty foul mood and just didn’t want to talk to anyone. I may have snarled or growled at a few people also (I never claimed to be a morning person) but I went over to one of my co-workers cubes to wish him a happy birthday and on the way there I had to remind myseld that I need to choose to be happy. I have to remind myself that it is my choice to attempt to be happy and keep a positive attitude or sulk and be negative. So from that minute forward, I put a smile back on my face and tried to be happy and not sulk anymore. Pretty weird, I was catching up on some blog reading this afternoon and read this on Granola + Pancakes……clicks for positive thoughts!
Part of my bad mood was that I am not feeling too hot today. I didn’t sleep well and my throat is bothering me so I hope I’m not catching whatever bug that is going around. I enjoyed a nice cup of Trader Joe’s Pomegranate White Tea at work
I’ve had this box for awhile but only drink tea when I am not feeling well or when my throat hurts. I really need to change that and incorporate it more into my fluids. I am trying to steer clear of whatever bug is going around but some people at work just seem to be nasty and not like to wash their hands after going to the bathroom and such—YUCK! Personally I love the feeling of washing my hands with hot water….not scalding or lukewarm but just hot water. It feels so good to me. Am I weird? Possibly but weird and healthy 🙂
My appetite wasn’t raging for once and I enjoyed a small cup of greek yogurt with fresh strawberries and granola
Today wasn’t too bad of a day work-wise just lots of catching up from the craziness of last wk. I had to deal with some dramatic traders and now absolutely love when people say “I had to jump through hoops to get this done, etc.” I would like to actually see that. And not just any kind of hoop, I want hoops on fire.
I almost forgot about the super great green monster I had this morning. I used raspberry Kefir since it was nearing the expiration date and was so thick I almost needed a spoon but sucked it up and used a straw (pun intended). I added some sunny delight, fresh strawberries, soy milk and one scoop of vanilla whey protein.
For lunch, I had the farfalle pasta with spinach and artichokes that I made last night. I absolutely love the combination of garlic, red pepper flakes and olive oil. I don’t even use pasta sauce anymore and this is my go to.
I was reading about Meatless Monday on Eat Clean Life Green today and decided to keep going meatless today since I haven’t had any meat thus far. She had some great meatless recipes and I think I am going to start incorporaing this on Mondays. I made buffalo chicken pizza for dinner with Morningstar “Chik Patties” tossed in Budweiser Wing Sauce with Trader Joe’s Greek Style Feta Dressing as the sauce. I had a little bit of shredded mozzarella left so I killed that. I don’t like too much sauce on my pizza so only used a couple of tablespoons of the dressing.
Of course I can’t have a normal shaped pizza
This was my first time trying the Feta Dressing and I can’t wait to try it again! It had a smooth, feta flavor but nothing too overpowering. It would be great on a greek salad, on chicken or greek style pizza—-the possibilities are endless!
And I wanted to apologize to everyone for “Who Let The Dogs Out”. It’s been in my head all day…….singing in the shower, singing it to Lincoln, singing it at the bustop, singing it in my cubicle, singing it while making dinner. It’s never been this out of control but whoever did let the dogs out, I officially want them to meet their demise.
if you want a funny video, check this out. These people are horrible and third guy from the left’s dancing skills are mad crazy yo!
I really, really, really hate when people say this. “Do you have a quick second?” is even worse but still, what kind of world do we live in that a minute isn’t quick enough? I don’t want to be lied to, if you need me just ask if I have a few very long minutes. I will respond a little more enthusiastically I’m sure.
Ugh, Tuesday. It’s good to see you again . You have no feeling but I still suffer through you each wk. On the flip side- I woke up to David Muir-hello beautiful man!
I love sleeping in and getting to catch some of GMA before I catch the late bus into work. The only thing that sucks is that the late bus is always full (can you blame people for wanting to sleep in?) so I have to go all the way to the back of the bus and get crammed in the last row. Makes me think of this
I forgot my Fit & Fresh cup at work so regular coffee and no GM today but tomorrow it’s on! When I went to Earthfare this wknd, big packages of baby spinach were on sale for $1.99 so I stocked up. Those puppies are usually $3.79 so when I see it for cheap, I horde all that I can.
I grabbed an iced coffee from Starbucks with cream and 2 pumps of sugar free cinnamon dolce-so refreshing!
I had a granola bar since breakfast wouldn’t be until later. I like taking the late bus because I can sleep in (duh!), have a little to eat in the AM along with my coffee and be fine until 10A or 11A when I have my real breakfast. When I go into work earlier, I am famished and end up breakfasting it up around 8A and then hungry again at 10A.
I decided to give Oikos Honey another chance since I bought five for $5 the other day. I gave it another chance more so for that fact alone because I am super frugal and hate wasting food. I paired it up with strawberries, flax, unsweetened coconut and granola.
Oh Oikos—you redeemed yourself! This was great and not a fail like last Friday when I tried it or TJ’s European Style Chocolate yogurt yesterday.
WOW. I was pleasantly surprised. I normally don’t like the crisp snacks but these were amazing!! The taste was fresh and light. It was a perfect snack to get me through to lunch. I will be trying these again and with stats like that, you can’t go wrong. Thanks Brothers!!!
I was super busy at work which was great! It makes the day go by faster and in general, I just work better with deadlines and have a number of things to do before I leave. Before I knew it, it was lunch time and I got to dig into my tofu pad thai leftovers from Sunday night. I was so excited for this (yes I get excited about food, I can’t help it!) It was fabulous !
And right after that—I found a picture of me from the 5K on Saturday!
Soon it was time to go home but for once, a success of a day! Nothing extraordinary happened but I wasn’t depressed at work for once. So yay for not being sad at work! Now if I only had co-workers who liked to go to lunch or happy hour …..
I was reading Whole Body Love the other day and learned that Kashi is made by Kelloggs, which I never knew. I decided to look further into this and didn’t know some of these organic brands were owned by big parent corporate companies…click here for a beautiful flow chart. Some examples are—
Odwalla (Coca Cola)
Naked Juice (Pepsi)
Boca Foods (Kraft)
Morningstar (Kellogg)
And more—just check out all under the Heinz umbrella!
I was craving mexican for dinner (shocker) and got yet another bag of avocados at Trader Joe’s so it was on like donkey kong! I decided to try something other than quesadillas or nachos which are my two staples. Thank god I don’t know how to make flautas-that would be the death of me!
I went with a taco salad made with baby spinach, black beans, Morningstar Veggie Crumbles, avocado, shredded cheese, jalapenos, tomato and onion with a side of Mexi Cream dressing (salsa and greek yogurt)
Good Lord this was some good stuff and filling! The warmer is gets the more I crave salads 24/7 !
I did a 30 minute kettlebell session along with some planks, pushups and crunches. Nothing too strenuous but it felt good to work on strength training again since running has been my main focus point the past two months. My calves are still hurting from the run on Saturday. I was talking with a co-worker who has done some races here in Charlotte and she said they always incorporate those damn hills into the races-grrrr.
Lincoln and I took a 20 minute walk and I did some cleaning while waiting for Lost. I think it’s great this season but I zone in and out when it’s on Tuesday nights so usually re-watch during the wknd. In the past, I used to go onto the message boards online and read what everyone’s theories were for the episode that aired (have I mentioned that I am a dork!?) but haven’t really done that this season. I think it’s because it’s the last and I will have all the time in the world to do that.
I have a lovely plate of hummus and wasa crisps to accompany me with Lost tonight
Want to win some Krema and Crazy Richards Peanut Butter?? Click here–you got until Friday to enter!
I have some personal drama going on right now and some things I need to figure out , so I’m hoping that doesn’t keep me awake tonight and I can get a good night’s sleep.
After my wonderful oats experience this morning, I went to the matinée of Alice in Wonderland 3D. I packed some snacks for the movie since I refuse to pay $11 for popcorn that is insanely large and a soda.
Sliced yellow apple and homemade granola bar I made the other night.
I kinda thought the granola bar looked like the state of Indiana, which is cool since I’m originally from there!
The movie was at 1125, we got there a little early and the theater was 75% full at that point. Charlotte is full of churchies so I thought it would be safe to say it wouldn’t be busy but I guess the people wer praising Walt Disney today.
Thanks for the blurry vision, blackberry. This was my first 3D experience and I loved it! The movie was good-the graphics and colors were absolutely amazing and I would go for that. Helena Bonham Carter was great and I would definitely recommend it. I want to see more 3D movies now!
We stopped at Harris Teeter on the way back (I know, what’s new) and got the sub of the day–roast beef on wheat for $2.99 I love their deals! Got it with dijon, lettuce, tomato, onion and banana peppers. I almost went for the cheese but decided not to splurge.
I had an admirer while I was eating my sandwich and decided to get him a little piece of roast beef but he had to work for it
Now—for the culture clash. I am Polish, Italian and Croatian and decided to make two meals today both representing my heritage. First, the country representing the largest portion of my heritage-Poland. I made Stephanie’s Pierogi’s. I’m half Polish however we didn’t eat them much when I was younger and have grown to love them within the past few years. I’ll buy Mrs. T’s or Cheemo frozen brand but thought would be fun to make on my own and embrace my Polish roots 🙂
The cheese. Yeah, I could eat this entire bowl by itself and be happy, just saying.
The cheese, sauteed onions and potatoes melting in unison
And after taking an electronic mixer to it
Pierogi’s in the making!
One of the last batches (I filled a huge tupperware container to freeze so I can have in the future)
Mine turned out monster pierogi’s. It was time-consuming and like Stephanie warned, a great way to work the arms but I had a good time making it. I had my Pandora station on my beach mix so it was very peaceful with Bob Marley, Jack Johnson, etc.
Thanks Stephanie for the great and easy recipe, I look forward to having some later this wk!
I made a few substitutions of my own—first I used Morningstar Veggie Crumbles instead of sausage since I had that on hand.
I browned the crumbles and added the sliced turkey pepperoni
The veggies on the stovetop
Both the meat and veggies with the sauce (only used half a jar since I don’t like too much sauce)
Hot outta the oven!
A nice big piece for dinner
And a side of collard greens with balsamic.
I’ve never made collard greens before or tried them. One of my co-workers had some leftovers a few wks back and she let me taste it and I loved it. Here’s to another new thing in 2010!
The Bubble Up Pizza Casserole was fantastic!! Danica has too many good recipe’s on her site—thanks girl for posting!
As always, my shadow was waiting for a piece of food to drop
And you can never go wrong with Ghirardelli for dessert
I need to go back there! This is from last May when I went to visit my sister (on the right, she lives a little north of San Fran)
So the two countries went head to head today but who will be the winner?
Poland?
Or Italy?
Danica’s Bubble Up Pizza Casserole was damn tasty but haven’t had a chance to heat the pierogi’s and have them properly with sauerkraut and kielbasa this wk.
If anyone knows of any good Croatian food, please let me know….I would love to try!
It’s 10P as I type this and I feel like it should be midnight. Such a long day filled with lots of running around!
If anyone out there likes Panda Express, they are giving away FREE Honey Walnut Shrimp on Wednesday 3.10, click here for the coupon—no purchase necessary! I normally don’t go there but a little greasy Chinese food is just what a girl wants and needs sometimes.
Bowling was a bust last night. There was a 13 yr old beating me and when it was my turn to go up and I was swinging my arm back, I accidentally released the ball backwards. Thank God it didn’t hit anyone or damage anything! Needless to say, it was a bit embarrassing!
I slept in until 9A, which is super late for me. I wake up early during the work wk and try to wake up no later than two hours after my normal wake up time during the wknd.
I made coffee and a big wknd breakfast.
I don’t what I envisioned in my head but this turned out to be half a baked potato,Morningstar Italian Veggie Sausage, scrambled egg and egg white, cheese, onion, parsley topped with Sriracha and ketchup with an english muffin topped with Trader Joe’s superfruit spread.
And the errands came to a start!
First stop was Petsmart to get Lincoln a new dog tag
I love the varsity letter print—it’s so cute!! They had an adoption fair going on for the dogs and I almost walked over to check them out but didn’t want a repeat of this
Then I went to Dick’s Sporting Goods to get some new running shoes
How hot our these?? Nike Air Max Run Lite
I hit up the supermarket after to get some stuff for two new recipes I am trying out tomorrow!
Black bean quesadillas were for lunch
The filling (Black beans, cheese, onion, parsley and jalapeno)
Made on my favorite–Trader Joe’s Habanero Lime Tortillas with a side of greek yogurt and salsa.
a fresh yellow apple on the side
I love being able to take my time and my meals during the wknd instead of having to heat leftovers at the office. One of these days when I win the lottery that will all change!
Still haven’t gotten enough from all the giveaways I listed the other day? Go to Kate’s site for a chance to win some chia seeds!
It was 60 degrees and sunny today so I went on the greenway near my place and ran/walk for an hour (about 3.5 miles)
Conclusions to while running
*I don’t like running in hot weather or when it’s sunny out
* I don’t mind running when it’s overcast and grey but feel like I run better when I run at night
*I do better when I run, sing and throw gangsigns simultaneously
*I hate running on the greenway for the following reasons
Too many kids
Too many families taking up the entire pathway who then stop on said pathway to look at a duck
Some people don’t understand the phrase “Coming up behind you”
I listen to rap when I run…..and explicit. I sing along and some people just don’t like when I sing along to Eminem’s “Shake That” ex. “Said he wants a slut, hope you don’t mind. Heard you was freaky from a friend of mine”
I really want to run but my body didn’t want to. I wasn’t hungover from last night since I only had two beers but really had to push myself and could only do a few minutes at a time then walk and then repeat.
I came home and made this beauty
Best Green Monster EVA!!!!! I made it with the following
*Dallop of greek yogurt
*Silk Soymilk
*Chocolate Whey
*Frozen banana
*Almond Butter
*Baby Spinach
I think it was the combination of almond butter, banana and greek yogurt but this was the most wonderful one I have met yet. So rich and creamy!
I limped over to the bubble bath and soaked for a good while. I was in soooo much pain! I whimpered and read my book and was so relaxed. So relaxed when I got out, I was watching tv and crashed for two hours. I love having nothing to do sometimes!
My legs were hurting so bad that I was going to make dinner but decided to take out so I wouldn’t have to stand and cook so I drove to Harris Teeter for yummies. I drove along the route that I ran the other night and was amazed that I actually ran that. I kept thinking to myself , “Wow, I am awesome” ala Ron Burgundy
And yes, I am a big deal 🙂
I decided on a salad from their wonderful salad bar
And Hawaiian Sushi, which I had never tried. Sushi topped with two fabulous A’s—almonds and avocados?? Yes please!
I enjoyed this while watching Bruno.
Bad idea. Especially the beginning with the scenes of him and his lova. For those who have seen it, I need not explain more.
After dinner snack was some kisses….unfortunately the candy and not the real kind
One of my neighbors came over and just hung out and caught up on stuff going on since we haven’t talked in awhile. Now, just hanging in for the evening and I am contemplating taking yet another bubble just to ease my pain. I am going to feel sweet tomorrow!!
Jim Gaffigan was on Law and Order tonight and Kathy Griffin on Law and Order SVU. Being that they are my two favorite comedians, I leave you with my favorite skits of theirs
It’s snowing it’s snowing! I was minding my business at work today and happened to look outside the window and there it was! I don’t know what it is about snow but in my mind, it just makes everything better.
I started out my day with yet another iced coffee Green monster with soy milk, chocolate whey and splenda
Speaking of protein powder, click here for a chance to win Sun Warrior Protein Powder!
Breakfast was oats, frozen berries, flax and TJ’s Apricot-Mango Greek Yogurt on top—I have this girl to thank for bringing this into my life-you are GENIUS!
I had on a purple sweater, purple jacket and had my purple lunchbox today…which everyone was making fun of me for since I always have a full lunch box and wait for my bus like a six-year-old. I felt like all I needed was this to complete the deal
However the bank may frown upon drinking during the day. I think it could either be a really good or really bad idea
Pro’s: Be more social, think the world of secondary loan closing is fun and sing Living on a Prayer at the top of my lungs when it comes on at my desk from Pandora.com
Con’s: Tell people what I really think about them, drink too much and puke or pass out (I wonder if I could ask my manager’s manager to hold my hair back?)
But then again, I could take a nap under my desk Costanza style
That being said—-I think I will stick with the coffee and water for now!
I went into Starbucks in our building today and I received a warm welcome from my baristas (because they are there for me and no one else). It’s nice to be missed and they thought I lost my job and would never show again. Unfortunately, work still calls because momma needs a new pair of shoes!
Lunch was fantabulous and filling—chicken cakes and spaghetti with grilled onions, shrooms , spinach and shalots. But then I brought it over to my desk to eat after heating it up, it smelled like cotton candy. Not chicken, veggies or evoo but cotton candy. Funky.
Dessert was a fruit bowl. I love fresh fruit when it’s cold out. The pineapple was so fresh and the best part
I was bored this afternoon so went out and attempted to play in the snow. By play, I mean go out and walk around. It’s lame being an adult. I would love to go make snow angels and come back to a hot chocolate (maybe with Peppermint Schnapps??) and take a nap by a fireplace. But oh yeah, this thing called work is getting in the way. I stopped at the Starbucks before venturing out and got myself a refill. I love afternoon coffee. Hell, I just love coffee. I went outside and found below
Snow falling down but not sticking. Not fun. However, the minute I come back into the office, it starts going bananas outside.
What if we lived in a world where it rained bananas? I think I would want to live in the desert since it would never rained. And what if there was a desert full of desserts? And it didn’t rain banana splits but just had them all over the place!? Sorry for the LSD-like thoughts, the coffee (and a diet coke when I came home) has kicked in! But on another note, I have never even had a banana split and think we need to change that in 2010.
But then again, I may look like this eating one
I was going to go to a networking event tonight but couldn’t get out of my parking lot and was stumped what to make for dinner. It’s cold out, I didn’t have a lot of vegetables on hand and three letters came to mind—BFD!
I threw together two eggs, 1/4 cup liquid eggwhites, chopped onions, mushroom, parsley, shredded cheese and Morningstar Veggie crumbles in the pan
The original plan was to make an omelet but I didn’t have the patience for that so random scramble it was. Note this made so much—I had enough for dinner and for breakfast tomorrow-word.
I usually make my eggs with butter or milk but today I just whisked and added salt, pepper and a garlic. A good alternative on top though would have been I Can’t Believe it’s Not Butter spray….speaking of which, click here for a chance to win a coupon for ICBINB!, two recipes and a platter, spreader and spatula from Crate and Barrel.
I picked up this spread TJ’s after work and it was frickin amazing! Very rich, thick and full of flava!
The final product
I went this long with avoiding the elephant in the room——The Bachelor Finale last night
OMG. Good stuff.
My thoughts:
*After 30 minutes, I was over the crying and the lovey dovey stuff. I don’t expect them to talk like porn stars (wait do they even talk in the “movies”??) but enough is enough. “He warms my soul”, “she makes me smile and feel complete”, “I want to spend the rest of my life with you”. We get it
*I think the makeup could have been better. I kept seeing a hint of hair on Tenley’s upper lip and it bothered me (I’m an Italian woman and I notice these things)
*Tenley was finally growing on me and then this happened
*Loved both of the gals dresses at the end
*I will go postal if I hear “On The Wings of Love” one more time
*I don’t know how I feel about Alli as the Bachelorette. Suddenly, work is ok and she doesn’t have to go back. Also, doesn’t she work for Facebook? Couldn’t she work online and not have to go back to SF all of a sudden on the show and now leave ala Ed from last season ?? I was really hoping it would be Tenley who was the Bachelorette
*I don’t think Jake is going to last long on DWTS
However I think Evan Lysacek is going to be fabulous and make it fun!!!
I was really happy with this soup. I’m not a fan of the brothy soups but am trying to eat them more since they tend to be better than the creamy soups. And I didn’t even have to add salt or pepper which I normally do so thumbs up!
The morning went smoothly without too many issues
The verdict? AMAZING! It was super creamy which I am a total fan of and not too thick (I am just starting to like peanut butter again because it’s thickness turned me off). I will definitely start using this kind and can’t wait to try the chunky)
Simply Shaka 
