Just call me Snots

Seriously.

This nonsense with my sinuses has to stop immediately. All day Tuesday I was blowing my nose, if not blowing my nose, I was sneezing multiple sneezes in a row. If not that, I was wiping my eyes since they were releasing  tears every other minute. If not that, I was walking around with no tissue in hand and it felt like the floodgates opened in my nose. Which resulted in me running into a door because I was trying to walk with my head pointed towards the ceiling until I could get to tissue.

That being said, you can just call me Snots McGee.

Don’t worry I don’t have a little Mississippi leg hound in me.

So what does a girl named Snots McGee eat?

Nothing too exciting unfortunately.

Lunch was soup because cmon, who doesn’t love soup when they’re sick?

I’m still perplexed why I bought this one. I am not a fan of chicken and dumplings. I blame it on working at Cracker Barrel for four years.

It was quite delicious especially with some crushed up Ritz crackers mixed in. I could have had two more bowls if I had it on hand. Maybe I am a chicken and dumplings fan after all? Or maybe Campbells Chunky just knows what they’re doing?

Speaking of which, how freakishly pretty is Matt Hasselback’s mom? Elisabeth is like her mini me, which is kinda creepy since he married someone who looks exactly like his momma.

(source)

The theme for dinner was Let’s-see-how-many-veggies-I-can-fit-in-a-meal

I had a salad with baby spinach, cucumber, mushrooms, sweet peppers, red onions, carrots, kalamata olives and tomato

I was going to have a baked potato on the side but decided to jazz it up and topped it with broccoli and cheese

Then I added a Laughing Cow wedge to the mix since there is no such thing as too much cheese. This was one of the best baked potatoes ever! The only thing that would have made it more tasty was if I had Velveeta cheese.

God help me if I ever become lactose intolerant.

Since I’m feeling a bit blah, hopefully these links will keep you entertained,

*I am so loving Taco Bell’s snarky side

(source)

*Beware Green Bay fans, Suffering a Super Bowl loss can impact heart health. Just sayin, my money is on Pittsburgh!

*Speaking of the Superbowl-anyone see PETA’s banned Superbowl ad??

And of course, some Linky Linx

Do you say “Bless You”? I got some bless you’s at the beginning of the day but by the end of the day, the bless you’s were non-existent. I don’t blame them though, I stop saying bless you after five or six sneezes of the day. You should know you are blessed by now. Plus in my old job, I could never say “Bless you” to anyone because Stinky would get pissed if someone said “Bless You” before he did. Seriously. This was a 50 something year old man, such a bab. He actually got laid off the other week. I guess our company finally saw how useless he was and how much he was scamming the system.

Meatless Monday Round 1

More like Meatless Sunday and Monday. Last night, I whipped out my new William Sonoma Soup cookbook I got for Christmas and picked something I’ve never made before…..black bean soup! Are you shocked? I know you all haven’t seen my eating any beans at all in the past few days so why not? And yes, I know at the rate I am going I am going to morph into a black bean at any moment but I am willing to take a chance. I like to think of it as making up for lost years. My parents never made us eat beans while growing up and they still don’t eat beans to this day. Whenever we go out for Mexican food, they always order double rice instead of getting a side of refried beans (I still don’t know how some don’t like this, hello, it’s smothered in cheeeeeese!). But me, I love the frijoles. Black, white, garbanzo, dark kidney, chili, I’m equal opportunity to it all. I wanted to start doing Meatless Monday again so I could vary up my routine a bit from the usual chicken, pork or beef. One of my goals for 2011 is to cut down on my meat intake so this goes hand in hand with it.

Back to the soup, I can’t post the recipe for obvious reasons but I will show via pictures.

I felt like I was making chili but without tomato paste and less tomato. The recipe called for two cans of black beans and I used two and a half to beef it up a little more and cut down on the chicken broth by four cups.

 Instead of making the soup, then ladling the black beans into a food processor or blender, I put them in the magic bullet before making the soup to give them a soupy consistency.

I was skeptical about the recipe at first since it called for chipotle peppers in adobe sauce and I am not the biggest fan of the smokier flavored pepper but wanted to give it a shot. If you like chipotle, you will love this recipe as it seemed to highlight that flavor the most (besides the black beans, duh)

Even with cutting down on the chicken broth, this still made four huge portions as it was called for in the book. It was a perfect meal for a cold night and I’m stoked to have learned yet another soup to make. I didn’t think it was too spicy since the chipotle peppers are more a slow, smokey hotness but it had my eyes watering a bit. I put a dollop of sour cream in it and topped with green onions for a little more zing. I can’t wait to nosh on this throughout the week and even put a container in the freezer for some enjoyment later on. I don’t mind leftovers as all but three is my normal max number of times I can eat leftovers of one thing in a week.

And today was more meatless fun. I’ve tried to do the whole veggie thing in the past and didn’t succeed because I wasn’t prepared but was this time around. I hate some Chobani greek yogurt for breakfast and snacked on hummus and veggies in the afternoon. Lunch was leftover enchiladas

Being Monday and the first full week I’ve worked in forever and just wasn’t feeling the whole work vibe today….or doing anything for that matter. I ate lunch at my desk while catching up on world events celebrity gossip then took a 20 minute stroll just to get some blood flowing. Luckily, it was cold out and not a lot of people who were outside but the ones who were out there I would try to out walk out, without them know of course because I’m sneaky sneaky like that. I cut into Starbucks in the way back in to say hi since I haven’t been there in four days. Yes, you read right, I haven’t been to Starbucks in four days. One of my resolutions is to cut down on  the money I spend on coffee. I am not going to go cold turkey on the Buckies but really don’t need to be spending extra cash when I can bring my own every now and then. My baristas were excited to see me an asked where I’ve been so I told them the whole resolution thing and I don’t think they approved. So for that, they got me a grande pike with peppermint stat because they are cool like that. I love my baristas but I love free coffee even better!

After lunch, I was useless. I think I did ok with looking like I was busy or doing something work related but in reality, I was paying bills,  budgeting, finishing up what my goals are for the year (a little behind on that one). I got alot done in the morning but just felt unmotivated in the afternoon. No matter what I did, time seemed to creep by very slowly and was counting down the minutes until I could get out of there. For dinner, I had a fresh pack of Nasoya cubed tofu in the fridge and wrapped in paper towels last night and pressed a plate on top of it to get all the liquid out. I’ve tone sesame tofu, tofu tacos and bbq tofu but wanted to mix it up with a different sauce to try. Then I remember my Cloister Honey Arbol Pepper honey marinade!

I haven’t tried this yet but recalled the Cloister Honey dude telling me it would be great to cook on shrimp or scallops and figured it would be equally as great on chicken or beef so tofu cook this stuff couldn’t be bad. The hard task was mixing it up in the jar since all the pepper flakes were at the top and it was tough! Then I remembered it is honey and kinda difficult to mix up.

I spooned some on the tofu and let sit for a few minutes while I began chopping up mushrooms and broccoli and got some brown rice cooking. When I make stir fry I like to add some garlic, red pepper flakes, ginger, black pepper and salt but only added garlic and pepper this time since I didn’t want to take away from the flavor of the honey marinade.

Scrumptious! I topped with green onions and once I did, I remembered that I had chopped red peppers in the fridge that I was going to cook as well. I hate when that happens! Of course this was eaten with chopsticks to make it seem somewhat authentic plus that slows me down from scarfing the whole bowl down.

The rest of the night involves me, the couch, a dog and a man.

But which man?

Nights like this I miss my DVR.

PS-I emailed Groupon today along with the picture of the Groupon with Groupon misspelled. Subject line? Misspelling of Groupon on a Groupon–eek!

Quick and Easy

Sunday was a great day. I thought it was going to be a day of rest but it turned out to be anything but. I always intend for Sundays to be relaxing but truth is I would rather stay busy on Sunday then do everything on Saturday. I’ve noticed more people are out on Saturday and on Sundays I run most of my errands in the morning when the churchies are busy so I am in and out.

I woke up and made a breakfast burrito with the works so I would stay full while out and about. In it: Refried Black Beans, One egg, shredded cheese, onions, jalapenos sour cream, avocado and salsa.

Wow, now that I look at it, that’s a lot of add in’s for not even chugging down a cup of coffee at the time. Go me!

My first stop of the day was K-Mart in South Carolina. The SC border is only 7 minutes away from Charlotte so it’s not a huge deal to go over there but it’s a nice little drive with cheaper gas prices and taxes. Some may hate on K-Mart but I love it and prefer it over Wal-Mart. I needed some new winter accessories and many people don’t know but they have an awesome selection. Plus, all the winter accessories were 40% off today so I picked up two hats, a scarf and gloves –all for $15!

I headed over to the mall after that so I could go to Rainbow. Even though one of the last times I went there, I was called Snowflake since I was the only white girl in the place, I still love it. They have cute, fashionable clothing for cheap and I need some new digs for my trip to NYC in two weeks. I got two tops, two pairs of earrings and two pairs of sunglasses for $40! Afterwards I picked up a few Christmas gifts for my family and I only have one more left to buy and then I am done! I also need to pick out an outfit for Lincoln and I’s Christmas card.

Last years photo

Two years ago (my favorite one)

Lincoln’s costumer this year is way cute and I am hoping that we get one good photo (as cute as he is in photos, he’s way cuter in person)

I got home exhausted from all of my good deals I found and Lincoln was extra crackheadish so we went for a 30 minute walk in hopes that it would tire him out. And you know what? It didn’t. Even though it was in the 50’s, sunny and I was bundled up, I was freezing by the time we got back. I wanted something quick and easy for lunch and went with the classic combo of soup and a sandwich. I made a ham and provolone sandwich on whole wheat with mustard, baby spinach and tomato with a bowl of Campbell’s Chicken Noodle Soup. Sometimes you just can’t beat the classics.

The rest of the afternoon was filled with cleaning up my iTunes library, cleaning the kitchen and bathroom and doing laundry. When I went to get my second load of laundry there was a guy with a ladder in thereso I told him I would come back later but he said it wasn’t a problem to move it. The weird thing is that it was deva ju. I felt like I’ve seen him before somewhere and had been in that exact situation before. When I got my laundry then went back inside I was lighting a candle and I remembered, it was just like a dream I had…..back in college. WTF? I barely remember if I turned off my curling iron in the morning but can remember a dream I had 10 years ago to the T? What’s that all about? Then I starting thinking more about it—what if the “dream” I had in college was really a flash forward ala Lost?? Does that even happen? Am I a psychic? And if so, why wasn’t it something more remarkable than getting my laundry out? Or maybe it’s just that I miss Lost a lot. I need to buy the complete set asap.

Along with cleaning and busy work, I did an upper body workout in the afternoon

Kettlebell-20 lbs

Upright Deltoid Rows (13 reps, 2 sets)

Bentover Row (13 reps, 2 sets)

Halos (13 reps, 2 sets)

Shrugs (13 reps, 2 sets)

Lateral Bench Press (13 reps, 3 sets)

Dumbbell Raise (13 reps, 2 sets)

Dumbbell-15 lbs

Curls (13 reps, 2 sets)

Tricep Extensions (13 reps, 2 sets)

Shoulder Press (13 reps, 2 sets)

Front Lateral Raise (13 reps, 2 sets)

Reverse Fly (13 reps, 2 sets)

Resistance Band

Curls (13 reps, 2 sets)

Tricep Kickbacks (13 reps, 2 sets)

Side Lateral Raise (13 reps, 2 sets)

Front Lateral Raise (13 reps, 2 sets)

Shoulder Press (13 reps, 2 sets)

I am happy to say I am no longer using the 10 lb dumbbell I used to use since it’s not a huge challenge to me. Plus the resistance bands have been working great and been trying to incorporate them more into my workout and look up other exercises I can do with them.

Dinner was another quick and easy one. I had chicken defrosting in the fridge but it wasn’t fully defrosted and I didn’t feel like working hard. I nuked a piece of frozen lasagne I had and I think it’s one of the last ones that I made a few months back. With about one minute to go while heating up, I added some extra sauce and sprinkled a little more mozzarella cheese on top so it wouldn’t be too dry.

On the side, I reheated the Italian Veggie Soup I picked up at Berrybrook Farm on Saturday.

 Looks good right? It was bad. It was full of different veggies such as broccoli, onion, squash, artichoke, celery, red peppers and carrots but the flavor was off. I couldn’t even put my finger on what spice that was unappetizing to me. It wasn’t the traditional Italian ones like oregano, garlic, parsley or basil but something I’ve never before and I was not a fan. I tried to finish as much as I could but couldn’t do it. You really have to make some funkalicious soup for me not to dig it.

After that, the tv was playing but I really wasn’t paying attention to the show that was on. Then I started to watch and it intrigued me but I had no clue what show it was and one of the guys on the show looked so familiar but I couldn’t place him. And that drove me crazy. One of the co-stars of that episode was Rico’s wife on Six Feet Under so I went to IMDB and looked her up then looked up her history. The show? Cold Case. So I went to that episode and found out who the guy was that I thought looked familiar.

Anthony Starke just in case you are curious.

How did I know him? He tried to sexually manipulate Kelly Taylor on 90210 in the Halloween episode way back ago. I remember when that episode first aired. And now I feel old.

I really hate admitting that I spent over 20 minutes of my life looking this information up. And for you married folks who want to vicariously live through your single friends, sometimes our lives aren’t as exhilarating as you think it is.

On a final note, alcohol infused whipped cream?? It’s so on! This could make my morning coffee a lot more interesting……

Baby I Got Your Money, Don’t You Worry

That’s what I wish my company was saying to me but it isn’t so. I woke up this morning to see if the remainder of my paycheck they owed me was in my account and negatron. Now I’m mad. So I have to contact my HR rep, who is in Washington state and see what’s going on with it or what account it will be going into since I have four different accounts that my direct deposit goes into. I’m trying not to freak out since there’s nothing I can really do about it but I just hate this feeling of not being able to do anything due to lack of funds.

So I sit here at Panera since I needed to clear my head and not have Linx right by my side being needy and wanting me to be needy. I love him to death but sometimes it’s all about him when everyone should know it’s all about me. I took today off since I had some extra days to burn through and needed a mental break from training. We are starting to get our own portfolios this week and I am not 100% confident that I know what I’m doing but I’ve talked with others on my team and neither are they so safety in numbers right? 

 When I got to Panera, I noticed a few interesting things

*I’m the only one without an SUV here. Seriously.

*I’m the only brunette

*I’m the only woman over 30 without a child (elderly women excluded)

*Panera is now posting the calorie contents on their menu for both drinks and food. But then, maybe they have been doing this for a while? I just think this is awesome and more places should do this. I am not a huge fan of Panera because I don’t think the food is really that unique but I love their free Wi Fi and coffee.

*I had a free espresso drink waiting for me on My Panera rewards card. I just signed up for the card last time, ordered a coffee then had this waiting for me so you should sign up for it if you’re looking for free goodies!

*The Pumpkin Spiced Latte I got is better than Starbucks. Very rarely do I say that anything is better than Starbucks

I went to Zada Jane’s yesterday for brunch with some friends. It felt so wonderful to sleep in yesterday and wake up to sunlight. I know this hour change is going to mess with me big time but light mornings are a good thing in my book. Zada Jane’s is a funky restaurant in Plaza Midwood section of town that is best known for their brunch. I’ve been wanting to check it out ever since I moved here so I was excited I was going to get to experience their brunch. They have a huge outdoor seating area along with corn hole boards that you can play while you wait. While waiting for everyone, we sat outside and the hostess told us we could sit out there which I didn’t mind because I love the cold weather but no one else was up for. They don’t take reservations so if you have a big party, it could be a little difficult to get a table in a timely manner. It’s an eclectic and colorful restaurant with knick knacks and art by local artists hanging on the yellow walls. I had the view of this piece of work and loved it. I couldn’t stop staring at all the funkadelic colors

When I go to brunch, I get flustered. Eggs Benedict is always my first choice and if they don’t have that, I look to pancakes and french toast. But sometimes an egg dish will catch my eye and this time it did, especially since the egg dish included sweet potato hash.

I got the Booker T’s East Side Hasher-a bed of sweet potato hash browns topped with two Happy Eggs, frittata style with your choice of local Grateful Growers pork sausage, turkey sausage, or soysage,then covered with melted cheddar cheese and green onions – choice of toast or TLC biscuit

Sounds amazing eh? Look at me being all Canadian!

Um, yeah. Amazing doesn’t even describe this heart attack on a plate. The bottom layer was the sweet potatoes which had a hint of cinnamon, then the sausage topped with eggs, cheese and green onions. I just stared at this when they brought it to me because I wasn’t sure on how to conquer this bad boy but I just started from the right and kept on going. The biscuit was fabu as well and they had a mixed berry jam and apple butter at the table in squirt bottles, which I found charming. I can’t wait to go back here again and try one of their savory/sweet dishes for breakfast. I also loved their coffee, strong and they don’t have matching coffee cups so you can get a funky cup from their collection or bring your own. I walked around for a little after brunch but sadly, none of the shops were open yet being Sunday in the South. I got home and Lincoln was shaking and freezing so it was time to put on his hoodie and get him warm. We went for a 30 minute walk so I could buckle my pants again and breathe. He was prancing around with his WVU hoodie and everyone who we passed said how adorable he was in his sweater. Big pimpin Lincoln!

Oh and that collage? Courtesy of Picasa, which I just learned about from this post on Hollaback Health. How did I not know about this program before?? You can make collages, retouch pictures, etc. I use IrfanView on the regular for all my pictures but am going to start using Picasa!

I snuck in a little strength training session afterwards

Kettlebell-20 lbs

Upright Deltoid Rows (13 reps, 2 sets)

Straight Leg Deadlifts (20 reps, 2 sets)

Side Bends (20 reps, 2 sets)

Halos (13 reps, 3 sets)

Shrugs (13 reps, 3 sets)

Lateral Bench Press (13 reps, 2 sets)

Dumbbell-15 lbs

Reverse Fly  (13 reps, 2 sets)

Front Lateral Raise (13 reps, 2 sets)

Shoulder press (13 reps, 3 sets)

Curls (13 reps, 3 sets)

Tricep Extensions (13 reps, 2 set)

And today, I hurt. I usually have no problem with the Deltoid Rows but for some reason, the were the most difficult. Afterwards, Lincoln and I went to Freedom Park and walked around for an hour. I took him on the some of the woody trails that I’ve never been on and it was absolutely gorgeous outside—50 and sunny. Some people who were passed had on gloves, hats and all bundled up which perplexed me a bit. It’s 50 degrees and you’re moving around?? Divas. Another thing that annoyed me is rude dog owners. It’s natural that dogs want to say hi to each other but when you’re pulling your dog away and acting snobby, that’s just wrong. There’s an unwritten code that if you have a dog, you have to be nice to other dog owners while the dogs sniff each others junk. Which leads me to another annoying item—Lincoln cockblocking me. I had a couple of guys stop to pet Lincoln (or try to) and he got all skiddish and wouldn’t let them pet him. Yet when a girl comes over, he just sits there and bats his eyes. Really Lincoln? Maybe he doesn’t want a daddy but this is not helping me game.

On my quest not to spend too much money, I had a ham and sliced chicken sandwich and tomato soup for lunch

What is about tomato soup that just hits the spot? If anyone has a good tomato soup recipe–hook me up!

I had a Groupon for Icehouse, which I visited for the first time this summer. Thank God for Groupon and allowing you to get multiples ones and spend on liquor along with food! I grabbed one of my girlfriends and we were on our way to have some drinks and chow down. I couldn’t decide on anything since it all looked good. I was going to go with a burger but didn’t want something that huge then thought about the Southwest BLT but I could make that at home and finally settle on the wings. I got a dozen—half hot chile garlic and half honey bbq with a side of fries. Oh, fries, I wish I could quit you but I never will. The wings were delish and after downing the plate of fries, I took quite a number home with me.

As for today, I think it will be spent relaxing, cleaning and running errands. Exciting right? At least I’m not at work. Perhaps I’ll get to curl up with this book? I heard about this book from Melissa Nibbles and was intrigued right after reading her post. 

I am guilty of buying food and letting it go to waste, especially produce and meats. I am trying not to buy so much at one time anymore because then I feel pressured to use it all up in a set amount of time. I can’t wait to read what this guy has to say.

Well, aren’t I a chatty Kathy today? And who the hell thought of that? Why Kathy? So many questions…… The kids are still screaming at Panera which means it’s time for me to exit–happy Monday everyone!!

PS-Check Fashion Meets Foods Sahale Snacks Giveaway!!

I Deserve It

 So, it’s October. And I somehow forgot what happens to me every October: I get sick. For the past four or five years, I’ve either had strep, bronchitis, the flu, swine flu (last year which was so much fun) and this year who knows. I’ve had a terrible headache since Monday and just felt bleh. Today was no exception so let’s hope this is a quick, passing thing so I can be on my A game next week.

Even though I was feeling crappy, my appetite was still in check this morning. I had a little extra time to get ready since I was dropping Lincoln off to get groomed and go to doggie daycare. I toyed with the idea of making an omelet but that hasn’t turned out well the past few times I’ve attempted. All the scrambled eggs you’ve been seeing lately? Yeah, originally were to be omelets but the pan gods had other plans. I went with making a scrambled egg wrap with mushrooms, green onions with  a Laughing Cow Sun Dried Tomato wedge on a whole wheat wrap.

When I got into work, one of my coworkers saw I was looking a bit rough and handed me a Venti Chai Skim Latte. She ordered one at the Bucks downstairs but they got her order wrong so she took the messed up one as well. It was fabulous. I’ve only had a chai latte once and wasn’t too impressed. But this bad boy was good…..and there was no sweetener in it but it was almost too sweet for me. That didn’t stop me from gulping it down though. You hand me a free $4 drink and I will down it no matter what it is (Jager excluded, this girl had too much of that in college)

I brought lunch with me but was really in the mood for soup. When I’m sick, my comfort food is wontons and hot and sour soup. I really don’t need wontons and wasn’t too hungry so I walked to the Chinese restaurant downstairs to pick up some soup. It was only $2.40 for a to go bowl and that means free containers for later use.

AND I got a rockin’ fortune–that never happens!

I do deserve it.  I deserve a lot. I work my butt off each week and a good person. I think this is total justification to go shopping this weekend for clothes for my new job, yes?

I wanted to share some link love with you all…..

Has anyone seen that Jillian Michaels is putting out a Kettlebell DVD? I love my kettlebell and can’t recommend it enough but if you read the LA Times article you will see all that is wrong with this. And if you check out this post on Girl Heroes, you will see even more what’s wrong with it including a clip of the dvd with bad form (and Jenn is RKC certified so she knows a little something about kettlebell form)
  
 In news of the obvious, USA Today reports that if you eat less, move more and lift weights, you can beat obesity! Can I get a duh?
 
 If you’re curious, as to 5 Greatest Cosby Sweaters of All Time are, click here The WTF? is my favorite.

By the time I got home, I was famished. I made chicken and mushroom quesadillas on a spinach wrap and quinoa salad with zucchini, mushrooms, carrots, green onion with a Laughing Cow wedge

And Lincoln? Well, Lincoln looks adorable.I wish he would lift his head up so I could take a proper picture of him while he sports his colorful scarf. He is absolutely exhausted from getting groomed then being at doggie daycare all day and I love it. He is usually right by my side and often tried to blog and leave comments so it’s a welcome break being able to type with two hands as opposed to one (while the other rubs his belly)

And he has no tail anymore 😦 His tail usually looks like a fan and I think it gave him personality but now we have to work with this little thing

He looks so cute, I think I shall go snuggle with him.

On an end note, thanks everyone for your kind words on my last post and the way I’m feeling. It felt so good to ponder the subject, write it down and put it out there. I am going to change the way things have been and I will get back to my normal self. Once again, I deserve it. It’s nice to have a self support system like you ladies (especially when some of you all know where I’m coming from) and I truly appreciate each and every comment. Hope y’all are getting your hump on!!! Cmon, I couldn’t keep it too sentimental for too long, that’s just not my style! 🙂

Wet and Warm

Oh a dirty post perhaps? Fortunately for you, the title is regarding my meals today but it could be construed as something naughty. No Penthouse forum tonight though  (I love how I act like I normally have it??) so apologies.

Let’s just start with this morning. This morning started out bad. Maybe it was from the Entourage marathon that I watched for eight hours yesterday? I wish I was making that up but I’m not. The sad thing is that it was still playing when I dozed off on the couch, things like that make me miss my DVR. I really don’t know how I live without one sometimes.

Then this morning there was an “occurrence” at Starbucks. What it comes down to is that people who don’t have coffee etiquette piss me off. The offender this morning was some random dude who I’ve never seen at my Bucks. I go in at different times throughout the day and recognize a good number of people (which kinda pathetic seeing I don’t even work there). Offense #1—standing smack dab in the middle of the creamer/sugar station. The bar with the creamer, sugar, spices, etc. can easily fit three or four people in there. But when you go right for the middle spot and expect no one else to use it but you—oh hell no! Homey don’t play that. I scooted in there and started preparing my coffee. Offense #2 I reach for the half n half that he just put down and it’s empty-not one drip left. I give him the stink eye and bring it over to the cashier and let her know we need more over at that specific bar. I go back to my drink and see the dude is using yet another half and half and puts it down. I reach for it and what do you know? Nothing comes out. At this point, I am pissed off. It’s Monday morning, raining, my eye makeup is not hiding the circles and I have a zit on my cheek that takes me back to eighth grade. I would love to go back home, get into my fleece pants and snuggle with Lincoln and watch some “Who’s the baby daddy?” talk shows. Buy no, must go to work. Thinking three times the charm……well do I even have to say if there was any in the third vat? Again, I gave him the stink eye and *may* have called him something that rhymed with mocktucker.

When I got to work, I found out that I no longer have a portfolio—hooray! I will be acting as a consultant for the next two weeks and as support with any issues that come along. After dealing with 90+ clients for the past four years, this is a huge relief and welcome break. Now everyone else will get to take part in the mess of some of my work load and see I am really not being dramatic about some of the issues I have to deal with on a daily basis. On another note, I found out that my new position that I start in two weeks with be salaried and not over time eligible which will be a first for me. Let’s just hope I won’t be busting my hump too much compared to this place.

Having no real work to do this morning, it dragged on. I worked on a special project and even fit in two 15 minute walks in an attempt to wake up. And you know what? It didn’t work but it felt good to get out of the cube for a while.

Lunch was leftovers again of bacon and kale minestra and a chicken leg quarter with hot sauce.

What is it about soup that makes it even better the second time around? This was tasty and comforting however I got too excited about the soup and burned my tongue-thumbs down. I am loving soup with beans also which used to be a foreign idea for me. I never ate beans as a kid and when my mom would make chili, it would be bean less. Now with mine, I add beans and not only one kind-I like to mix it up with kidney and black beans with brings us to dinner.

Like many others out there, I don’t have a standard chili recipe. I am more of a free spirit and like toad stuff as I feel but it does always have the basics of onions, chili powder, beans and tomato paste. The rest is whatever I have on hand and feel like adding. I was going to make the chili yesterday but already made one soup recipe and didn’t want to overload myself. Also, I only make chili in my crockpot which takes five to six hours. I decided to take a leap of faith and make chili on the stovetop tonight when I got home from work. This time around I threw chopped onions in a large pot and let cook.  Then I cooked a couple hot sausage links without their casing on the stovetop for a few minutes and while that was cooking, drained the black and kidney beans and added tomato paste and diced tomatoes to the mix. I added chicken broth last along with chili powder, garlic, salt and pepper, brought to a boil then took it down to medium heat for 20 minutes.

Thoughts

*Once again, cheese makes everything better

*Ditto for sausage

* It tasted great but not as thick as when I make it in the crock. That being said, I would make again on the stovetop when I am looking for a quick/hearty meal on a cold night.

*Speaking of cold nights, it was 90 last week and it is going to be 44 tonight. Really?

*I think my can opener is racist. It only decided to stop working on me when opening up a can of black beans.

*Hmmmm, I think that’s it. I really don’t have much on my mind right now.

*Wow, nothing on mind? Kind of lame but it’s true, hope you all are having a beautiful night!

No kale no sale

 Hi all!

One of my fest friends from college in on Friday afternoon. We met up at my place then walked over to East Blvd Bar and Grill before taking her to the airport. I love when I see friends who I haven’t seen in a while and it feels like just yesterday you saw them. It was great catching up with her and reminiscing about our crazy times in college and I miss that. Yeah, I’ve made friends here but not like the friends I made in college who know me so well,  feel like I confide in as much, who really get me and I can be myself around. I just miss that.

They have a pretty awesome appetizer special until 6p everday with a mini appetizer menu. I was milling over the selections but knew I wouldn’t be eating later that night. I decided on the classic of chicken tenders and fried potato chips with a dijon honey mustard sauce and it was great. Sometimes you just can’t go wrong with bar food.

She got the nachos. I love when friends are down with me taking pictures of their food. And wtf, that is the small portion. I need to go back there again just for that.

Saturday, I went to Great Grapes wine festival I’ve wanted to attend this for a while and seem to miss it every year so I was excited to finally try it out. It’s a wine festival featuring North Carolina wineries along with other vendors such as food, jewelry and more. It was gorgeous when we got there but soon it was almost unbearable with the sun beating down and barely any shade near the vendors. It would have been perfect on an overcast day when it was cooler out but if I would have known it was going to be that hot out, I wouldn’t have gone. I am such a diva when it comes to hot weather and was just miserable.

 With wine, I am more of a dry wine girl and alot of the vendors where more sweet so I only found a few that I liked but it was nice to try new stuff. I thought I could handle a few sips of the sweet wines they offered but it was too sweet for me then stuck with dry’s. Had I know it was going to be so hot and more sweet wines, I would’ve stayed home but it was a good time regardless.

Wine slushee? Yes please. This was refreshing and tasty and totally worth the $5 (free tastings but $5 if you wanted a full glass of a drink)

The pretzels and crackers we ate in between tastings didn’t keep us too full so we went looking for nourishment afterwards. We went to Paco’s Taco’s, a new Mexican inspired restaurant in the South Park area. So the name seems like a Mexican place but  I was confused by the theme of it. It had a menu full of Mexican food, the decor seemed more Western Route 66 -sh and the music was random as well. Being one that loves random stuff, I enjoyed it even if I was perplexed Service was great and the manager even stopped by after to see how everything was and how we thought everything tasted and if it needed any more flavor or seasoning. I thought that was really awesome that they asked our opinion (even if they really didn’t care). I got the ceviche which was served like a parfait in a dessert cup so I found that different but it tasted fresh as well did the chips and salsa.

I woke up this morning (no hangover thankfully) and you can tell fall is definitely her! That being said, I was in a soup making mood today. I was toying with the idea of making chili but I’ve made that tons of times and decided to try a new soup recipe that I saw in a Rachael Ray Everyday issue I had sitting around from last winter. I tried the Bacon and Kale Minestra because I love bacon and wanted to try kale since I’ve never cooked with it. I see raves all over the blog world regarding kale–in stews, kale chips, etc. so I have been anxious to try it and figured this would be a flavorful and seasonal recipe to try it in. Everytime I hear the word kale, I am taken back to waitressing at Applebee’s in college where they would never let a plate leave the expo line without kale. They always used to say “No kale, no sale” and now I have that running through my head.

I also wanted to try this recipe because I am a sucker for all kinda of stews and thicker soups. I really don’t make brothy soups that much so figured it would be nice to mix it up a bit and the fact that it’s a healthy recipe made it even better! I made a few modifications—I used turkey bacon instead of regular (I had a coupon that allowed me to buy it for $.41 yesterday so I am using that up), I only used six cups of chicken stock instead of the called for eight because I mentioned, not a huge fan of the brothy soups and added black pepper to taste.

I love that the finishing garnish was grated parmesan—funky? I was like parmesan on kale and bacon soup and didn’t think it could be good but it was the perfect finishing touch! I recommend this recipe–it was easy to make and it made about six servings as opposed to the recipe which said it makes four. As always, you lie Rachael Ray. I have a love/hate relationship with her. I love her ideas but hate the cutesy names she calls things—stoups, sammies, etc. I love her personality but hate the overexaggeration that comes with it. I have  a subscription to her magazine which I absolutely love but hate that it’s only her on the cover most of the time. It’s annoying and creepy in a Oprah kind of way (don’t get me started on Oprah-I think I’m the only white woman who doesn’t love her). Anyways,  someone (not me) wrote a letter saying how they would like to see some variety on the covers and not just Rachael Ray and they actually put kids on the cover with her the next month after that so cheers for variety.

After slurping one and a half bowls down, I went to Freedom Park and walked for 35 minutes. I am going to try to start running again when it gets a little cooler. I can’t believe it’s been since April since I’ve ran and I’m looking forward to starting up again.

I found some canned pumpkin this morning and got to cooking. I was going to make muffins but didn’t have all the ingredients so I went with the pumpkin bars I made last week. I make a few modifications with this as well–I used whole wheat flour, added chocolate chips (because chocolate makes everything better) and used 1/2 apple sauce and two tbsp butter instead of half a cup of butter.

After I made these I saw Brittney’s post with her recipe for pumpkin cookies. I will be making those next time around!

This afternoon consisted one one thing: Entourage marathon. I was so happy to see it on Spike since I haven’t had HBO for a couple of years and it’s one of the shows I miss.

Dinner was a quarter chicken leg that I got on sale at Harris Teeter last night ($2 for 2 legs) along with roasted potatoes and kale chips

I love this sauce and the fact that it’s only $.92 makes it even better.

So, why didn’t I try kale chips before?? These were fabulous and were crispy just like a potato chip. I added extra virgin olive oil and oregano to mine instead of the standard salt and pepper. I will definitely be making these again!

Hope everyone had a nice weekend-how is it over already? Anyone do anything fun? My weekend was kind of laid back again which I am starting to dig. I don’t need to be going out every weekend, spending tons of money and being hungover.