Dude……sweet.

(source)

Sigh, I want to go bowling.

What’s a single girl to do on Valentine’s Day weekend?

Eat a ridiculous amount of sweets of course.

The madness started on Friday night.

I made mushroom pizza for dinner

It wasn’t huge or anything (that’s what she said) but it was enough to put me to sleep soon after. I woke up at 9pm and wanted to do something but wasn’t in the mood to drink or spend a lot of cash. Enter Amelie’s French Bakery. Amelie’s is a wonderful yep-you guessed it- french bakery and coffee-house here in Charlotte. Not only is that concept itself fabulous but it’s also open 24 hours so that itself makes it one of my favorite spots to go to. Seeing something open 24 hours in this city that isn’t named Waffle House is quite rare. I went there and ordered a Chai Latte and a salted caramel brownie.

I’ve never had one before and it was good but I think it would’ve been better if it was warmed up a bit. The Chai was one of the best I’ve ever had and it was nice to relax with some sweet stuff and a hot beverage while catching up on blogs. I felt like such a hipster but hipster sans fedora.

On Saturday, I was driving through downtown Fort Mill. When I heard Fort Mill had a downtown, I was surprised to hear since I’ve never heard anything going on there. I stumbled upon Krystal’s Eat’s & Sweets

When I saw the name Eats & Sweets, I was instantly intrigued since I like eats and I like sweets. I was in the mood for a drink so I went in and found a cozy, local establishment. Krystal’s has breakfast and lunch items that are the eats and then delectable goodies such as truffles, cupcakes, cakes, cookies, etc that complete the sweets end of the name.

When I walked in I saw Oreo and peanut butter truffles, rice krispie treats and chocolate covered strawberries along with trays of cookies and cupcakes behind the counter. I grabbed a hot tea (various Celestial Seasonings bags) for only $1.25 and decided I should try some truffles since I like to support local establishments and didn’t want to be cheap and only buy a drink. And then I grabbed a rice krispie treat because you know…..supporting local business! The truffles were absolutely amazing and pretty cheap—3 for $2. My bill came to just over three bones, can’t beat that!

The rice krispie treat sucked–it was hard as a rock (that’s what she said again–cmon too good to pass up) but the truffles were out of this world! I even liked the peanut butter ones and if you know, you know am not a huge pb fan.

Another thing adding to the sweet factor? A cute Valentine’s Day package from my sister.

Fannie May’s—my favorite!!!

Some Nutella–since I’ve never owned a jar I’m looking forward to experimenting with it. I love the note on the container…..

Seriously, how sweet of a package is that?

I made some cupcakes for my assistant and a thank you for all the hard work she does.

The frosting ended up in here

Frosting is my kryptonite so it was absolutely necessary that it went in the trash instead of lurking in my fridge because one of these days I will come home stressed from work, grab a spoon and go to town on that can.

 I had other things to do after that, like fixing my bed…again.

This bed is really starting to get on my last nerve. Even Lincoln doesn’t want to jump on the bed, he knows something is up and that it’s faulty.

And since it’s Valentine’s Day and all, I serenaded my bed with a little Al Green

Seriously, can you please stay together shitty Ikea bed??

So I think it’s sturdy for now but I guess we will see how long that lasts. I am not wanting to fix this on a weekly basis.

Afterwards, I went to Panera to get some lunch and free wi-fi. I always order the same thing at Panera but switched it up today–I got the french onion soup and mediterranean veggie sandwich since it’s meatless Monday and all.

I really enjoyed this combo! The sandwich was fresh and fantastic with a good amount of basil and feta. If you have both of those, you win my heart. I really enjoyed the french onion soup as well, instead of having the entire cup covered with a piece of bread and cheese, it was covered with bits of cheese and croutons.

I went to the gym afterwards and a very productive workout. I did 45 minutes on the Precor AMT then did lower body sets (leg press, seated leg curls, hip adduction/abduction, leg extension)

Then I came home and hung out with my Valentine

It was such a gorgeous day out—65 and sunny, just like spring! It was nice to have the windows open and get some fresh air in the house, it reminded me that spring is near. I don’t mind spring at all–if it was 65 and sunny year round I would be happy girl but when it gets into the 80’s and 90’s is when I get irritable.

I made baked spaghetti for dinner.

I started off cooking spinach and leftover mushrooms from yesterday in extra virgin olive oil with garlic, oregano and red pepper flakes

I cooked four servings os thin spaghetti earlier today and microwaved that with vodka sauce for a few minutes in the microwave

Added half a can of tomatoes and chopped parsleyand 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella to the spinach and mushrooms

The only measuring cup I had, was not trying to be cute with the hearts...

Why hello colors of the Italian flag!

Added the spaghetti to the spinach mix

Then transfer into a casserole dish

Top with more mozzarella cheese (about 1/3 cup) and   bake for 15 minutes at 400 degrees

This was enough for dinner tonight plus three other meals this week and it freezes well-holla.

Great Harvest Rosemary Garlic bread

And apparently, I need to get my booty up to Boston–it’s the top city for single women-go Boston, it’s your birthday! Pittsburgh is also on the list which is positive since that’s one of the front-runners for cities I am going to next.

What’s your kryptonite?
Any creative ideas of what to do with Nutella? Recipe wise, not kinky wise…..

Green+Googling+Gaffigan=Great

Maybe my company isn’t that bad of a place.

Seeing they gave me a pretty sweet bonus and all.

That’s right, I’m raising the frickin roof (and well aware no one has used that term seriously since the early 2000’s) I changed roles late last year and thought my yearly bonus would be in jeopardy because of that but I guess not since my old manager decided to give me the bonus. Thanks boss!

I still can’t believe it. They put out a notice saying they were having  quick touch base meetings with everyone individually and automatically, the number one thing that went through my head was “I wonder if we’re getting laid off?” then I started doing the math in my head about how much severance I would get (it would be a pretty sweet severance given my length of time with the company) When I stepped into the meeting, they handed me a sheet of paper and there it was–the number. They told me I did a wonderful job last year and that I will be seeing the bonus in my paycheck shortly. I probably won’t see a good deal of the bonus due to 401K, taxes, etc. but who cares—it’s a bonus! And a bonus that I worked my ass off for this past year so I am going to enjoy it. Who am I kidding–I am going to put some into my travel savings account, put some aside to get my hair did and buy some pajama jeans!  I just had to share since it was a complete surprise to me and just what I neede given my attitude towards work lately.

There’s going to be a couple of meatless Monday options up in this piece…..

 I was craving something warm and carbalicious the other night.I cooked spinach and mushrooms in extra virgin olive oil, oregano and red pepper flakes and cooked a couple servings of penne while that was cooking.

I added both together then added shredded mozzarella cheese and mixed

I transferred to a baking dish then since the penne wasn’t enough carbs for me, I topped with torn up pieces of Great Harvest Rosemary Garlic bread then poured a little extra virgin olive oil on it and let back at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.

Success  with that meal. Next time I make it, I think clam sauce or some kind of seafood would be a nice addition!

When I got home from work tonight, I seriously had no idea what to make for dinner. So when that happens, I do what any rational person does: I take almost every item out of the fridge, place on the counter and stare until something comes to mind.

Don’t laugh, it works.

I thought of a  black bean quesadillas but was too lazy to reach up to get the can opener. Add baking chicken tonight for Lincoln as treats because I was too lazy to drive to Target to the list of things I do because I am lazy. I can’t help it.

So no go on the quesadillas. But I guess I wasn’t too lazy because I mustered up the energy to whip up stuffed mushrooms and kale chips.

I started with cream cheese and parsley. I microwaved it for about 30 seconds to soften up then mixed together.

Added black pepper and mozzarella cheese to the mix

I took some extra virgin olive oil and let the  mushroom caps swim around

Then stuff!

I also prepared a sheet of kale chips, brushed with extra virgin olive oil and Spike seasoning then let the shrooms and kale cook at 350 for 13-15 minutes

I love meals that taste great. I love meals that taste great that don’t require utensils even more! A great end to meatless Monday!

Something amusing: I was looking at my site stats and one person found my blog by googling “bj jokes” and another found it by searching “Bj’s”. Immediately, I found this funny since I have the sense of humor of a 14-year-old boy. Then it made me think of this old school jam (um, disclaimer, please do not click on this at work, if easily offended, a prude, holy roller, etc.)

Which of course I sang “Put it in my bin” last week  when one of co-workers asked me where he should put some files for me to the tune of that song. I can’t help it–why must I turn everything into a song??

While on youtube, I had to search for this skit, one of my favorite comedy bits:

I love the Gaffigan.

And my other favorite Gaffigan bit

My ex boyfriend and I used to think of outrageously gross Hot Pocket creations and try to top each other. I thought Fish n Chips Hot Pocket with malt vinegar dipping sauce would always be a winner but I still haven’t seen it happen yet. I shall write them one of these days.

What’s the nastiest Hot Pocket creation you can think of or what would your dream Hot Pocket consist of?

What’s the most random phrase that someone entered to get to your blog?

If you want to show off your dog, head to Carrots N Cake and submit a picture of your four legged friend to be featured on Blog Dogs!

The Week That Was

Packing, moving, working, stressing, living-oi! It has been a pretty hectic week with all of that going on. Tomorrow is the big day for my move, I got my keys earlier this week but all the furniture and endless number of boxes are being hauled over there tomorrow. I feel like all I have been doing is packing, bubble wrapping, taping, cleaning, making sure I have everything and tossing stuff I don’t need.

The fridge is officially empty except for a cooler with essentials I refuse to throw away—-spray butter, sweet tea vodka, Wholly Guacamole, frozen pineapple and pizza dough. My power is being turned off tomorrow which is worrying me a bit–will it be turned off at midnight or just some random time tomorrow? My bed has been broken down so I am sleeping on the couch but little did I know that is where Lincoln runs off to in the middle of the night. Also, I did not know that an eight and a half pound dog could stretch to ridiculous lengths and crush me in the middle of the night. I woke up this morning smelling Frito’s but none were there, it was just his paw in my face. Anyone else notice their dogs paws smell like Frito’s? Seriously, smell them-they do. A dude mentioned that to me once and I thought he was nuts but he was right……and I hate admitting I am wrong about something.

So, tonight is the last night in my apartment. I’ve lived here three years, which is a record in my book. I haven’t lived anywhere this long except for the house I grew up in in Florida so this was major for me. I move around a lot whether it be to different apartments, cities, etc. so I guess I’m like a gypsy. This apartment holds a lot of memories for me—-rough times for me with personal and family issues, a few boys here and there…..from ex-convicts to ghanja toting boy with a normal one or two thrown in there, friends who are still in my life and some that are not and oh yeah, the whole being a dog momma thing.

 I just can’t believe I stayed in one place this long–I love this apartment so much but the quality of people has just gone downhill. I heard that our complex isn’t even doing credit or background checks like they were doing when I moved in and it is more of a college, white trash and Russian mafia mix now which I am really not digging seeing that I am, sigh, 30 yrs old. I am so excited to move to my new neighborhood since it is closer to the city and within walking distance to bars, restaurants and eeeeeeek—four coffee places!

Wow, I guess I had a lot to get out—-if you’re still ready this, thanks for not clicking away 🙂

Let’s talk food! I’ve been eating out waaaaaaaay more than usual this week due to moving, not having food, throwing stuff out and such. My waistline and my wallet are not happy about this so I am excited to get into my new place and buy some groceries and get to cooking again! I now present the random goodness (and not so much) that I had this week.

Trader Joe’s Whole Wheat Pizza Dough topped with TJ’s Spinach and Artichoke Dip with sautéed spinach and roasted tomato

6 inch Chicken Tender Sub with White America, tomato, banana peppers and Chipotle Mayo from Harris Teeter

Cucumbers with Trader Joe’s Kalamata Olive Hummus

Sausage, egg and cheese wrap from Just Fresh

Baked chicken pieces with ranch and tabasco dipping sauce and an Arnold Whole Wheat Sandwich Thin topped with honey. This was the worst meal of the week, in my opinion, however Lincoln was on it like white on rice.

Amy’s Breakfast Burrito

Cookies N Cream and Plain Fro Yo topped with Fruity Pebbles, Strawberries, Mango and gummy bears. Random yet fabulous

Huevos Wrap from Just Fresh

Chicken Finger Salad from Chick-Fil-A with Fat Free Honey Mustard—-anyone dress up like a cow today for a free meal? I tried to sweet talk my way into a meal since I was wearing a black top with white polka dots but they weren’t having that.

It’s weird how so much has gone on in this apartment yet I remember the first meal I had—chicken pesto pizza from Fresh Market, the memory is a funny thing I tell you. I can’t remember where one of my six pairs of scissors is but I remember a meal three years ago.

Turtle Brownie Bar from Hearth Strings Foods. I emailed them last week to see if they have nutrional values for their bars and granola and sadly they don’t, boo.

So, that’s it. I won’t even begin to talk about what a hellacious week at work this has been but when I blog next (hopefully tomorrow if Time Warner is on time?) I will be in my new pad!

Stay cool everyone—it’s stifling out!

Goals, Tacos and Goodies

April Goal Evaluation

*Track my food every day online along with tracking my activity for the day. Result? 20 days out of 30. I was on vacation for five days just slacked the other ten.

*Work out at least 4 times a week (I will schedule what my workouts will be in advance so I can’t cancel out because I don’t want to). Result? Slacked on this big time, I averaged three workouts a wk and did not like having planned workouts at all. I’m more of a free spirit so I will not be planning out in the future but will be thinking about what I would like to do and when I can do it

*When I get a craving at night or on the weekend, I will give at least 20 minutes to think about the craving and if it’s something I really want. Result? Success! If I was wanting something salty or sweet, I would talk a walk with Lincoln, drink water or pop a Werther’s Original in my mouth

*Sign up for another 5K ! Result? Success–signed up to the do the Great Harvest Bread 5K on May 22nd

*Keep a positive attitude at work. Result? Success! As much as I complained on here, I tried to keep positive at work and did a great job. I think I only cried a few times at work the entire month (which is great seeing I used to cry every day there!)

All in all, I think April was a pretty good month but I definitely need to stay on the ball with tracking my food and working out. I did my measurements this morning and here are those results:

Lost 2 lbs
1” lost in bust
2” lost in waist
.5” lost in hips
1” lost in thighs

Another sleepless night. I really need to cut down on my caffeine intake but that is going to a major adjustment for me so I will have to bring it down slowly. Do I really need three cups of coffee a day? No. Do I want it? Yes. But then again, I would like to sleep for over six hours just one evening so a cutting I will do!

For breakfast I had half a container of Trader Joe’s Apricot-Mango Greek Yogurt, frozen blueberries, Trader Joe’s Blueberry Flax and Coconut Granola.

Along with a Venti Iced Coffee with skim milk and two splendas

And Starbucks is having a Frappuccino Happy Hour May 7-16th?? What What!!!

BRING
IT
ON

I haven’t had a Frappuccino in forever but I think it will be a sweet treat and an afternoon pick me up.

I wasn’t too busy this morning so caught up on my news and saw this story.How could someone go on a stabbing spree at Target? Target is absolutely one of the happiest places in the world (especially since they merged with Starbucks) and I can’t imagine anyone that deranged to do that there. Maybe because when you go into Target for aluminum foil and come out $150 later with clearance clothes, accessories and makeup …which always seems to happen to me. But still, I am not that crazed enough stabbing innocent people. Oh society, what happened?

I went to the hippies today and got some awesome deals—-organic spring mix, tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers, apple, okra, potatoes and peppers.

All for under 10 bones too. Love the hippies 🙂

And look at this pepper-it is so beautiful and fresh I don’t want to eat it. But will……

Lunch was leftover lasagna.

I am a fan of any meal that I can freeze a month ago and then take it out, pop it in the microwave for five minutes and voila-a filling and tasty lunch!

I went to the library to get some reads because nothing is intriguing me these days. This book looked interesting-Holly’s Inbox

From Publishers Weekly
Holly Denham, the lead of this epistolary novel (and yes, the name of the author), is an overwhelmed receptionist at a major British bank. The reader’s access to Holly’s frantic life is via her e-mail inbox—the entirety of the novel, in fact, is e-mail messages sent by, among others, her gay best friend (a chick lit necessity), her brassy co-workers (another requirement), her meddling mother (check, again) and, of course, her would-be paramour (ditto). The plot runs along very traditional lines, and in the end overreaches for a happy ending, but this overlong novel’s saving graces are its fast pacing and very funny writing. Some of the best exchanges are between Holly and her grandmother, who sends e-mails that just read TESTING and signs her up for annoyingly spammy Web services. Despite the limitations inherent in an e-epistolary novel, the book is populated by vibrant, endearing characters, and Denham manages to juggle a dozen story lines at once. The ending’s contrived, but feel-good, which, in these gloomy times, might be enough to do the trick. (June)

Should be a good read!

And look how thick it is (that’s what she said)

 This shall keep me occupied for awhile…well until I get My Fair Lazy  (and the parental are in town this wknd so I think I will make them buy it for me lol)

I saw Scott Stapp lookalike a little before I left work and  he said “Hi”. We like that!! And I smiled and batted my eyelashes and said “Hey”. And I didn’t shimmy! Finally, I didn’t look like a herb in front of him. But maybe he is wondering why I didn’t shimmy and that I am not longer attracted to him. Anywho, I realized that he always does the no teeth smile so I really don’t know what his dental situation is. I think he has nice teeth but let’s just hope he is not like

Eek!

I had a surprise for me when I got home…….my package o’ goodies I won over at Savor and Stretch!

Jenna hosted an awesome contest for a whole bunch of stuff including:

Thank you Jenna for the wonderful package—I can’t wait to try all these goodies!!! 🙂

I wanted to use my produce right away and had frozen tuna defrosting in the fridge today and decided on Fish Tacos for dinner.

I cut into little pieces and let marinate in lemon juice for 20 minutes

I cut up the tomato, peppers and onion. Does anyone else find chopping therapeutic? I think it helps me  de-stress.

T is for Tiffany

I warmed up a tbsp of butter and then threw the tuna on the stovetop along with some garlic at the end.

The toppings

While the tuna was warming up, I threw some cilantro, jalapenos and lemon juice in the food processor to top the tacos with

Voila!

Fabulosity. I love the zing of the cilantro and jalapeno and of course, the freshness of the meal. I even had some tuna leftover to use for my lunch tomorrow!

I hung out with Lincoln then watched some tv and decided to get out for a run/walk. I covered almost 4 miles and had a pretty decent calorie burn…about 700 cals altogether (this picture is just on the way back since I took a water break at the pavilion)

I just wasn’t feeling it and really had to push myself. Again, the lungs were just not wanting to have me run so I walked a fair amount. I had a big water bottle with me and kept trying to hydrate but just not diggin the warm weather running so this may be a little issue since it’s going to be warm out for the next six months. Hmmmm.

My legs were jello my the time I got home and in excruciating pain. What could make me feel better? A green monster!! I made mine with Chocolate Almond Milk, Spinach, Vanilla Protein Powder and 2 tbsp Crazy Richards Creamy Peanut Butter.

I need to pass out soon. Hope everyone had a great Tuesday  🙂

I leave you with Lincoln Love

Give Peas a Chance

I couldn’t sleep at all last night since it was Sunday so I’m lucky if I got four hrs of sleep. Which I normally don’t get a good nights sleep on Sunday but this time it was for a different reason…..our new favorite neighbor-Channing Tatum lookalike.

Rawr

And no, it wasn’t because of a naughty dream! Turns out he lives across from me (yes after we crossed paths yesterday I looked to see he walked, like you wouldn’t do the same) and he left his dog on his patio last night. I think he was home b/c the blinds were open and the lights were on but poor puppy was on the patio by herself (I think it’s a she) and she was wimpering for a good 20 or 25 minutes. I felt so bad. I tend to like dogs more than most people so anytime I see or hear a sad pup, my heart drops a little. Thankfully, he finally let her in but he needs to learn we don’t roll like that here.

We are all about the love.

Sigh, so yeah no sleep at all. This morning I was a walking zombie and caught the early bus since I was planning on leaving a bit early. I enjoyed one of Mari’s chocolate banana muffins that I made on Saturday on the bus.

I finally bought some oats and myself a bowl with a banana I had in the freezer then topped with coconut. Only chocolate would’ve made it tastier than it was.

 It was a big bowl of morning comfort. I guess that’s better than southern Comfort right? Speaking of which I haven’t a SoCo and lime in forever but it sounds mighty tasty.

Halle Berry and hot bf broke up? Too bad they were one of the prettiest couples I’ve ever seen

In celebration on National salad month I had a BIG salad with spinach carrots onions tomatoes feta topped with a drained can of tuna with red wine vinegar and Trader Joes Organic Hummus and a tab of ranch (me likes the dressing if you can’t tell).

This afternoon wasn’t busy at all…talk about a welcome change! I spent it looking at recipes, dog boarding places here and trying to get through my miserable headache. I really don’t want to board Lincoln but I won’t be able to watch my friends dog anymore so feel bad about asking her watch Lincoln. I’ve never boarded him before but from the sites, it looks like would have a great time. Plus a lot of the places have webcams so I would be able to check up on him. I was getting pretty emotional about it though, he is my little baby and I don’t want to see him boarded.

I was supposed to go to Power Pilates class tonight but my head just wasn’t having that. I was something salty warm and carby and  I remembered a recipe I saw a while back for spaghetti with creamy pea sauce with pancetta and decided to give it a go.  I’ve never tried any kind of pea sauce with noodles before so I was intrigued. I didn’t have a lot of pasta left so I made a single serving:

70g whole wheat spaghetti

1/4 cup half and half

1/2 cup frozen peas

3 slices of Butterball Turkey Bacon

1 tbsp butter

Salt, Pepper and Garlic

While the spaghetti was cooking, I warmed the peas up with the butter and then added the half and half

Kinda looks like an egg white and pea omelet!

I let that sit for a minute and then moved to the food processor to blend

Talk about green monster league right there!!

Actually now that I think about it, it kinda looks like the slime from You Can’t Do That on Television. Does anyone else remember that show or did I just totally date myself?

I cut up the bacon and let them cook for a few minutes, drained the pasta and then threw it all together!

And a new meal is made! Holy crap, this was great! The flavor was a hint of salty with the pea and bacon combo and rich without the whole “I feel like a cement block is sitting in my stomach” feeling . I added some extra garlic after a bite because I am Italian and need it to live.

Nightime Napping

It’s 9P as I’m starting to write this and I just woke up an hour ago from a nap. Was I planning on napping? Hell no. Did it feel good? Hell yes. Will I have trouble going to bed tonight? Another hell yes. But I just feel gooooood right now so bring it on. And there’s only one more day to go! I stayed late at work today due to a problem that should have been fixed a month ago but never was and now that it’s month end, needed to be resolved.

I had greek yogurt soup for breakfast. I put in extra frozen berries and it’s juice along with the greek yogurt and it just got a little too liquidy so I added granola on top for a cereal like effect. I didn’t like it at all and will need to watch my juice next time.

I spent the morning training an associate on our process and had time to go to the library to see if there were any books or movies I wanted to get but found nothing. The library is now closed on Fridays due to budget cuts within the county which just sucks. I used to enjoy walking over there on Friday afternoons when it was slower at work. I didn’t enjoy sketchy homeless man following me around the library with his hands down his pants (I so wish I was making that up).I did get a chance to get on the reserve list for two books I’m looking forward to reading.

Quizno’s was for lunch today b/c I had a coupon for free chips and drink with the purchase of a regular sub. I got the Ranch Turkey and Swiss and had a bag of Baked Lay’s Barbeque Chips. When is someone going to make Baked Salt N Vinegar Chips?? Waiting…..

I walked over to Harris Teeter this afternoon and picked up some spinach, bananas, oranges, kiwis, carrots and Kashi Bars.

Afternoon snack

I didn’t have too busy of a day but was just beat by the time I got home. I took Lincoln for a 20 minute walk and then dinner was served. I had a BIG salad with spinach, red onions, mushrooms, carrots with Ken’s Lite Honey Mustard (which is amazing, it doesn’t taste “lite” at all)

But I had no tomatoes and a salad isn’t a salad in my book if it doesn’t include tomatoes.

I had leftover enchiladas that I made earlier this wk and a serving of Baked Tortilla Scoops

I swear, these get better the longer they sit. Thanks Aztecs for starting the trend. I love how the history says “There does not seem to be any reference to the term “enchilada” that dates back to the Aztecs.” Can you imagine a bunch of archaeologists finding ancient Aztec scripts and they mentioned enchiladas? That thought just amused me.

I got my Fitness magazine in the mail so I have something to read on the bus tomorrow!

And thank you Lord —Pay day is tomorrow! This is a pretty sweet paycheck for me since I had a lot of OT pay and am taking a $100 of that to spend on myself and get some new clothes. Since I have money readily available, I am sure I will find nothing. That’s the way the cookie crumbles.

***Giveaway alert—click here for a chance to a win an assortment of Honest Tea Drinks!

I found out my friend Shalon who moved away from Charlotte back in February is going to be in town this wknd and that just made my day!! I was supposed to go see her this wknd but have to go into work on Saturday for hopefully a few hours to test a new system that’s launching. Sucks that I have to go in on a Saturday but I am just trying to see $$$$ and remind myself it’s time and a half pay. We are going to have dinner and drinks tomorrow and can’t wait!

Ok so all in all, pretty lame day. Nothing really interesting happened, no fun sightings, funny quips, etc. so apologies. I leave you with the random song of the day stuck in my head.

The Green Meal

Literally dinner tonight was green. Not aqua but green-which I absolute love!

I was supposed to go out tonight but my stomach was hurting earlier today and therefore didn’t feel too social. But it’s all good because I got a lot accomplished later this evening!

I got a notice saying I had a package in the apartment complex office waiting for me and it was a Valentine’s Day package from my older sister in Indiana.

Mind you, I am 30 years old and she still sends me stuff. I love it though 🙂 Let’s check out the goodies….

Vanilla Creme Peeps—OMG! I so wanted to tear into these bad boys so bad but had some self-control (we will see how long that lasts)

 Heart shaped measuring spoons–how adorable!

She also sent me a necklace and pair of earrings she only wore once and she said they were more “me” than her-yes indeed. 🙂

I had to try on right away!!

I am in love ….with the necklace…..not myself (although I am pretty awesome!) 🙂

Snack was a Luna Cookie- Chocolate Mint

Grrr…..need to give myself a manicure before night end. Anywho, this was alot better than I expected. Not rubber-y at all as some bars are and the chocolate wasn’t too artificial. I got this bad boy on sale at Earthfare for $1 each.

As I love Mexican food +quick dishes, I made my take on this Chicken Tamale Casserole  dish.

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

• 1  cup  (4 ounces) preshredded 4-cheese Mexican blend cheese, divided—I used 3/4 cup total
• 1/3  cup  fat-free milk–I used 1/4 cup Soymilk
• 1/4  cup  egg substitute
• 1  teaspoon  ground cumin
• 1/8  teaspoon  ground red pepper
• 1  (14 3/4-ounce) can cream-style corn –thought cream corn in this sounded nasty so chose regular kernel corn
• 1  (8.5-ounce) box corn muffin mix (such as Martha White)—used 1/2 the box
• 1  (4-ounce) can chopped green chiles, drained— I used jalapenos, Im spicy like that
• Cooking spray
• 1  (10-ounce) can red enchilada sauce (such as Old El Paso)
• 2  cups  shredded cooked chicken breast
• 1/2  cup  fat-free sour cream

I cooked two chicken breasts on the stove top before hand then threw in the food processor on low. This made about three cups when the recipe called for two so I stashed one cup in the fridge for later this week.

This is the base before adding the sauce, chicken and majority of cheese. I could have just eaten it like this!

 And right out of the oven…..

 I am stoked to try this, I will definitely be having it for lunch or dinner a few times this wk!

And now the great green meal of the night. I had a zucchini sitting in my fridge that needed to be used so I decided to make zucchini cakes. I peeled the zucchini then cut it up and put it in the food processor. It made a HUGE bowl of zucchini to be used (I would have never guesses that much!)

I put on a paper towel and rung out all the liquid then mixed 1/2 breadcrumbs, 1/2 cup liquid eggs, pepper, garlic and bbq seasoning and formed into patties (three, not too shabby for one zucchini!)

I put on the stove top with a tbsp of veggie oil

 As a side, I had leftover mashed potatoes from my gnocchi last night and an avocado-hello new creation I have never tried! I mixed the avocado and taters with 2 tbsp of fat-free sour cream and voila-my new favorite thing!

All together now…..

 Green green green! And fabulous fabulous fabulous!!!! I liked the zucchini cakes because they were crispy on the outside but mushy on the inside. I will definitely make this again!

Now that I think about it, I really haven’t had meat in the past two days and am fine with that. Wow. Freaky. For a girl who used to down quarter pounders that just sounds weird.

I went for a run/walk afterwards (which I did really good even though it was frickin freezing out!) for about 35 minutes. I definitely need to revamp my playlist for the wk and add some more upbeat.motivational songs. Anyone have any suggestions??

I came home and refueled with a smoothie consisting of

-1.2 cup frozen strawberries

-10 baby spinach leaves

1 cup Light Solymilk

1/2 scoop chocolate whey protein

And having it in this glass just made me smile 🙂

waiting for kick off

I have a love.hate relationship with Sunday mornings. Love them on days like today, where I have nothing to do and am ok with that. Hate them when I have a ton of things to do yet nothing really opens until 11A. Another hate is that I have basic cable because tv on Sundays just sucks. I can watch GMA until 10A or so and then it is all religious stuff or politics (I choose the latter thank you). Most of the time, I end up popping  a DVD in or going to Pandora and have a ……

Dance parties are rampant here at mi casa. It gets me excited for the day, wakes me up and Lincoln partakes as well!

I was curious about the Thomas’ Whole Wheat Bagel Thins I bought the other day, so I toasted that and topped with Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Butter and made an egg scramble with spinach, garlic and mushrooms.

The bagel thin was good…..just a slimmer version of the bagel without all the fluff but I liked it. And 6 grams of protein a serving-rock on. I wasn’t expecting that at all!

I did some laundry, dishes, cleaned my kitchen, figured out my scanner/printer (and now have pictures from way back online!), got my mail (in which I have two packages–I wonder what they are??!!) and walked to Trader Joe’s. I was craving a big salad for lunch and needed berries for my oatmeal and yogurt. I usually try to stay away from Trader Joe’s after 10A on Sundays (I love that they open at 8A since I am a morning person) because all the Stepford wives and churchies go there. And the Stepford wives usually bring their 3+ kids and do not discipline them at all. It really grinds my gears!! I am spoiled though because Trader Joe’s is maybe a three-minute walk from my place so when I move it will be a rude awakening for me!

The dressings for the salad

In the salad:

*Kidney beans

*Sprouts

*Baby Spinach

*Shredded Cheese

*Mushrooms

*Onions

*Banana Peppers

*Parsley

Holy yum! Exactly what I was craving. I also re-heat a piece of the pizza I made on Friday since it was the last piece. Salad + Pizza is always satisfying in my book!

 I plan on going to Ulta this afternoon to get some goodies with the gift card I got for Christmas. I love Ulta because you get a point for every dollar you spend and they take manufacturer’s coupons. For the SuperBowl festivities I am going to a bar to watch the game.  Be safe party people!

Dial 1-900-MIXALOT

Fridays are always my day “off” per se. Where as I track food on Livestrong.com every day, I tend not to on Fridays. I do this mostly for my mental sanity. I could be good all the time but that just isn’t my nature. I need to have a day off where I can go eat something I am craving, whether it be good or bad and simply not care, beat up myself or obsess about my meals. And what a foodie frenzy Friday it has been!

All I wanted last night was a good night’s sleep to start my Friday on a good note. But apparently that is too much to ask! I was in a peaceful slumber until a little before 4AM. My dog woke up (he has a bad yet cute habit of burrowing under the covers and sleeping right by my side–literally!) and kept jumping on and off the bed then couldn’ t decide if he wanted on or off the bed! I kept tossing and turning afterwards and just decided to give in to the day. 

I figured if I was up so early, I may as well to go to the gym. But then it was raining cats and dogs (who coined that term anyways?) and just decided to have some coffee and breakfast instead. I usually wait until 8 or 9A to eat breakfast but wanted to make something out of the ordinary for a weekday breakfast.

I put some chopped spinach on the stove top and seasoned with garlic and pepper and let cook. Then I threw in some liquid eggs and spread on a tortilla with Laughing Cow Garlic and Herb Cheese and sprinkled Tabasco sauce on top.

It was wonderful! I really only use spinach in lasagna and an occasional smoothie so I am trying to incorporate it more.

I caught the early bus and rolled into work super-duper early. I love being there before anyone else gets there because it is actually peaceful and I can catch up on my emails and work before the phone starts ringing and the emailing flying in. It turned out great though because my stinky co-worker wasn’t there! YAY-Life is good 🙂 Background: I have a stinky co-worker. I am not talking funk, I am talking bleu cheese and butt (or hot trash and baby diapers) but they stink. Really bad. And I have tried in the past to hint around but have no clue why they smell so bad and apparently it doesn’t bother anyone else on my team. When they come over to my desk, I have to take a deep breath and breathe through my mouth. It sucks. Maybe I am just really sensitive to smell? 

Work was alright though, since Stinky wasn’t there I covered their workload and it kept me busy the entire day which helped the day go by quickly.  I perused online in between doing stuff and looked up some heart rate monitors and for my price range, think I am gonna go with the  Polar F7 Women’s Heart Rate Monitor. It’s one of the gifts to myself with my tax refund and I have wanted one for a while.

Snack was Chobani 0% Strawberry Greek Yogurt with some flax and strawberries.

Since it was still miserable outside  i.e. raining and 30 something the entire day! I mean, if it is going to be cold and nasty out, I want snow! I decided to get lunch at Showmars inside our building. I love convenience! On Fridays, they have my favorite item on special for five bones—-Gyro with Fries

 

 Also know as heaven

I would love to eat this all the time but try to limit it to once or twice a month. For a quality food served fast kind of place, awesome gyros. Now if only they had some Greek, hairy men making them, it really would be heaven (I am weird, I know)

After work I went to the grocery store (one of two this wknd) to use my coupons and hit the big sales. With my coupons here are some of the deals I got:

*Daisy Sour Cream $.10

*Tabasco Sauce $.35

*Huge Spaghetti Squash (so excited to use, never cooked with one before!) $2

*Thomas’ Whole Wheat Bagel Thins $1.20

and so on and so on……….

I had some of my Trader Joe’s Whole Wheat Pizza Dough that I had to use up so I made some pizza…..again. I can’t help it, I love it.

I grilled up some spinach, artichokes, roasted red pepper and mushrooms and threw turkey pepperoni on there and this was the beauty in which it  evolved 🙂

Seeing all these colors make me happy–and they are the colors of the Italian flag! Hey mambo….mambo italiano…….

 

 

 

I wish I would have never discovered TJ’s pizza dough, if you can’t tell I kinda like it.

I love lazy Friday nights. By the end of the week, I am either ready to go out and have some drinks or veg and tonight is the latter. I have no plans really for this wknd except go out on Sunday afternoon/night and find somewhere to watch the SuperBowl. Go Colts!

Speaking of the SuperBowl, I saw this list on-line and had to read through it!

The 10 Best Butts in the NFL

I definitely agree with Miles Austin but my second pick would be Troy Polamalu. Tom Brady has the perfect life (well except last season with the whole knee thing) so he really doesn’t need the boost of #2. And Peanut Tillman? Whoever voted for him needs to put down the crackpipe. Personally, I prefer my pancakes with syrup, not on a man. I don’t like a small waist and a big butt on a guy (because, I am cursed with that) but it’s nice to have something to gran onto and now just flat.  All in all, I dig a man with some bubble. A man red beans and rice didn’t miss! And now I have E.U.’s “Da Butt” song in my head!

Still snowed in

It is 10PM and I havent left my residence today (except to walk Lincoln and get my mail). This city is absolutely ridiculous and behind the times when it comes to snow. Everything is shut down and I keep watching the news which lists all businesses that are closed for today. I then have to remind myself that I am in a major city with an airport, businesses and other things to classify it as a city. Just annoying!

After going out in the snow, I had a feeling Lincoln was a little chilly

I put Lincoln’s turtleneck on and he loved it ….but was still all about the love 🙂

Ever since reading this post, I have been singing Lady Gaga to Lincoln…..this needs to come to an end!!! 😛

Since it was cold, icky, snowy out, I decided on some comfort food for lunch….NACHOS!

The usual suspects

Add a bowl of Chobani Greek Yogurt and salsa mixed with that—bon appetit!

We would for a nice walk in the snow after that and then it was nap time. I love being able to justify a three hour nap on a Saturday.

I woke up refreshed and cleaned my kitchen and watched some tv. It was once again, meal time.

The day of comfort food continues with homemade pizza (yet again using Trader Joe’s Whole Wheat Pizza Dough)

 Spinach, artichokes and mushrooms with some evoo, garlic, oregano and red pepper flakes cooking

 

One would think since I am part Italian, I would be able to round into a nice circle. No can do. I did think it kinda looked like a state though but couldn’t find any states it looked like. West Virginia would be a fun one to make some time though!

 The result—HUMUNGEOUS Pizza!!!

I sliced and added some nice marina dipping sauce

 For dessert, I had some Big Love

And every time I see Law and Order (the regular one not one of them million of spin offs) and Jeremy Sisto comes on, I can’t help but singing “Rolling with My Homies” in my head. From one of my most favorite movies eva, Clueless.

However my favorite quote from that movie is “Ummmm I can’t do any activities where balls fly in front of my face?” “There goes your social life!” Love it 🙂

Kinda bummed, I was supposed to see “When In Rome” with a girlfriend tomorrow afternoon but looks like it won’t be happenening due to snow. Hopefully next wknd!

At least tomorrow, I will be able to use the gym here and walk over to Trader Joe’s and Starbucks….something to look forward to!

Y’all know how much I love Chobani Greek Yogurt (seeing that I post about it every day) if you would like the chance to win an entire CASE of Chobani, click here to Stephanie’s site to enter!