Sunday, February 28, 2010

The slurping horse

I've been twirling and whirling around all day like a productive tornado. Getting things done left and right with the simplest of ease. My sassy little arms and diligent hands were wielding my magic all over the place. I woke up early, tossed in a load of laundry, brewed a cup of espresso, fed the cat and started prepping breakfast.

BREAKFAST (meal #1) at 9:00am.

I decided to dabble with savory oats today. I kept reading about the HYPE in BlogLand and I could resist the murmurs no longer. I cooked the oats as usual with the following ingredients.
  • 1/2 cup old fashioned oats
  • 1 cup unsweetened Almond Breeze
  • Salt & pepper
  • Dash red pepper flakes
  • 1/8 cup shredded cheese stirred right in
I also cooked 3 egg whites and two Morning Star Farms breakfast sausage links in a pan which I coated lightly with Pam.

All combined in a tasty bowl and drizzled with both Sriracha and low calorie syrup.


DELICIOUS! I loved the flavor combination of savory, spicy and sweet. I would totally have this again!

After breakfast I did another load of laundry, made the bed, read some blogs and started playing around in the kitchen. I decided to finally give kale chips a try. Another favorite in BlogLand and apparently extremely easy to make. I seasoned the kale with salt, pepper, Pam and Spray Butter. I avoid oil at all costs if possible. I tossed them on a cookie sheet and into a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes. I tried just one to make sure they were tasty. I can assure you that they were very good!

Next on the "to do" list was tropical tofu. Tofu and kale chips just sounded like a delicious combo to have at lunch today. I cut the light & firm tofu into cubes and tossed them in spray butter, pink salt, black pepper, shredded coconut flakes, sugar free syrup and a bit of wheat bran. I also added some pineapple chunks to the mix. I baked them at 400 degrees for 30 minutes until everything got nice and golden. Lunch was ready and smelled delicious. I packed it all up and drove to Mama & Papa Babushka's house earlier than usual. I was helping them with their taxes today. Yeah, I'm cool like that!

LUNCH (meal #2) at 1:15pm.

I'm such an AMAZING DAUGHTER. I had their taxes done in no time and then it was time to eat. I devoured my packed lunch of perfection. It was SO, so good. Sadly, the kale chips got a little less crunchy after spending too much time in my tupperware. Note to self. Next time only make them if you plan to eat them as soon as they come out of the oven. The tropical tofu with coconut and pineapple was amazing though. I enjoyed this treat with a toasted English muffin on the side.


After we feasted we played a few rounds of Parcheesi and Yahtzee. We're so ridiculous. There's not a SINGLE game out there that we can manage to play like civilized people. We get competitive, loud, and go from laughter to screaming in the blink of an eye. HA! Good times!!

I was sipping on some coffee when Ann started telling me to shut up. I guess I drink my coffee too loudly? Not even 5 minutes later my Papa told me that I slurp my coffee like a horse. First of all, HILARIOUS! Secondly, what does that even mean? Do horses drink coffee? Do they drink ANYTHING from a cup or glass that would cause slurpage? Do they do it LOUDLY? I WAS DYING!


SNACK (meal #3) at 4:00pm.

I stole a massive orange from my Mama's stash. I needed a fruit fix. Oranges are so good right now! Go get some!


After my highly amusing visit, I drove to the pharmacy to pick up a prescription and hustled home. SO MUCH LEFT TO DO! I put my productive mask back on and started cleaning the entire house. A good two hours had passed by the time I was done. What can I say. You know I love a clean house! ;)

DINNER (meal #4) at 8:00pm.

Mama sent fried chicken and rice with peas for Nick so I was on my own tonight. I decided to make a healthy burrito. Here's what went into my deliciously wrapped feast.
  • Sauteed a red bell pepper and purple onion cooked in Pam
  • 28 grams of Morning Star Farms grounds
  • 1/4 cup fat free refried beans
  • 1 tbs taco seasoning
  • 2 slices fat free American cheese
I stuffed what I could into a whole grain and flax FlatOut and seared it in a pan until nice and golden. I tossed the rest of the sauteed peppers and onions on top, topped it with hot salsa, fat free sour cream and a drizzle of green hot sauce. It was absolutely delicious!


SNACK (meal #5) at 10:00pm.

I knew it was late but I was craving something sweet. I made a small bowl of healthy pumpkin pie pudding. It was the usual mix and you can find the recipe ***HERE*** on my recipes page.


Nick is passed out next to me as we speak. I think he's got the right idea. I'm feeling tired tonight. It's nearing midnight and I think it's time to finally call it a day.

Another new and exciting Monday is almost upon us. Can you STAND THE EXCITEMENT? I can. HA!

XOXOXO
Ildie

Saturday, February 27, 2010

A Little Wild!!

Hello lovelies. Happy Saturday.

Today has been such a fun day! GLORIOUS! I woke up at 8:00 and stumbled around the house in a hazy fog. The smell of my chocolate chip cookie flavored espresso slapped me right out of it though. I managed to scrape enough grounds out of the bag for one last cup and now it's all gone. NOOOO! I must find it again! I came across it while digging around at HomeGoods. I've never seen the brand anywhere else. Sigh!


I woke up hungry and remedied the situation with a tasty oatmeal concoction.

BREAKFAST (meal #1) at 8:30.
  • 1/2 cup old fashioned oats
  • 1/4 wheat bran
  • 1 tbs flax
  • 1 tbs unsweetened dark cocoa
  • 1 1/2 cup water
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • Splenda to taste
  • 1/2 frozen blueberries


I frolicked and lollygagged in my BlogLand while enjoying my steamy bowl and then it was off to the gym. I had an amazing workout today!

Treadmill warmup
6 min., 3.0 speed and 2.0 incline
Leg Extension
90lb x 15 (3 sets)
Outer Thigh Machine
75lb x 15 (3 sets)
Inner Thigh Machine
65lb x 15 (3 sets)
Seated Leg Curl
90lb x 15 (2 sets)
80lb x 15
Hack Squat
50lb x 15 (3 sets)
Reclined Leg Press
180lb x 15 (3 sets)
Stiff Legged Deadlift
45lb x 15 (3 sets)
Elliptical Cross Trainer
30 minutes, 2.61 miles, 366 calories burned

I did two ten minute sessions of the following...

min. 1 (level 5)
min. 2 (level 6)
min. 3 (level 7)
min. 4 (level 8)
min. 5 (level 9)
min. 6 (level 10)
min. 7 (level 11)
min. 8 (level 12)
min. 9 (level 13)
min. 10 (level 14)

And then I did level 8 for the last 10 minutes. WHOOPED MY BUTT!!! ;)

When I came home refueled with pure liquid protein perfection.

SNACK (meal #2) at 12:15pm.
  • 1 cup unsweetened vanilla Almond Breeze
  • 1 scoop chocolate whey protein
  • 1 tbs sugar free chocolate Torani syrup
  • 1/2 cup ice cubes
  • 1/2 cup frozen bananas and pineapple mix


What does this combo equal? DELICIOUSNESS! YEAH!

After my smoothie I changed and then proceeded to spend my kidneys at the grocery store down the street. BLEK!

I came home, restocked my fridge, cabinets and pantry and fixed myself a quick lunch. I basically loaded a plate with all the flavors I was craving. Sweet, savory and tart/sour.

LUNCH (meal #3) at 3:30pm.

I toasted an English muffin and smeared pumpkin butter on one half and superfruit jam on the other. SO GOOD! I was also craving eggs so I made a scramble with 4 egg whites, chopped spinach, pink salt, red pepper flakes, black pepper and drizzle of Sriracha. For dessert I sliced up a gigantic navel orange.


The rest of the afternoon got a LITTLE WILD. I'll just apologize ahead of time for what happens next. It went a little something like this.

Me: Hey Nick, let's drink.... It's the weekend, let's enjoy it.
Nick: Okay....
Me: Want to do a shot?
Nick: Sure, (we pour two shots of Sailor Jerry's rum and down them..YUK!)...
Me: Wine sounds good... ( I crack open a bottle Riesling and start sipping it...)

Nick: Ohhh, I have some Red Stripe in the fridge! (he dives right in...)
Me: Let's watch Dexter, cuddle, snack (I made a bowl of pretzels and hot wasabi peas) and hang out in our pajamas all afternoon while enjoying our cocktails of choice.

Nick: Sounds good. Want another shot of rum?
Me: Why yes polite Sir., thanks for asking. (OH MY!!!)

So uhm yeah, THAT'S how our ENTIRE afternoon was spent (starting at like 5:00). And you know what? I HAD THE BEST TIME EVER! ;) We chased each other around the house. Had tickle sessions. WRASTLING sessions. A push up contest, WHICH I LOST! Declarations of love for each other followed by massive amounts of SASS talk and threats of unnecessary bodily harm (in a comical way). I love my crazy man!

In the midst of all of this insanity, we somehow managed to finish season two of Dexter. LOVED IT! Seriously. If you're not familiar with the show, GET HIP! It's simply amazing, brilliantly written and perfectly casted. I'M IN LOVE WITH A SERIAL KILLER! Well wait, let me clarify. I am in love with my adorable Nick AND a made up fictional serial killer character on the best damn TV show ever! Except for House MD. of course! Nick doesn't mind. He understands my "television needs" and desires. :)

DINNER (meal #5) at 9:30.

The only thing that sounded good tonight was something that required NO COOKING or preparation of any kind. What does this mean? LEFTOVER CHILI FROM THE FREEZER OF COURSE! I'm so glad I made extra the other day. I had no desires at all for cooking tonight. I'm too consumed with cuddling, silliness, lovey dovey talk, wine, Dexter and lazyness. I guess you can say I'm taking the night off from the usual.

HA! (wine's a talking)..... Loving this weekend!!!!). I topped my bowl with shredded fat free cheddar cheese and fat free sour cream.


SO TASTY!!!!! AHHH!

GOODNIGHT EVERYONE! YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAH!!!
XOXOXO

Ildie

Friday, February 26, 2010

Tickled pink I am

Sweet Friday you're finally here. I want to wrap my loving arms around you and hold you tight until the end of times. I've missed you so much! I waited patiently for you all week. I wept, I whined and I kicked like a little baby. All that drama is behind us now. You are here, with me, where you belong. Tonight is ours baby! Let us celebrate RIGHT with a toast.


HOLD IT! Let's back up a bit first and start at the beginning shall we?

BREAKFAST (meal #1) at 9:30.

My tasty oats were beckoning me all morning but I found it hard to leave my desk long enough to make them. I finally caved at 9:30 because I was STARVING!
  • 1/2 cup old fashioned oats
  • 1/4 wheat bran
  • 1 tbs flax
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • dash pumpkin pie spice
  • pinch salt
  • Splenda to taste
  • 1 tbs sugar free cherry preserves
  • 2 tbs PB2


While consuming this deliciousness, I reflected over my weight loss journey to date. I had another stellar morning with a 1.9 pound loss since last Friday. This officially puts me over 45 pounds total. 45.4 to be exact. INSANE RIGHT? TICKLED PINK I AM, I AM!

How are my others goals going? Well lets check in shall we?
  • Drinking a gallon - I suck. This is still not happening. I will try harder next week.
  • One coffee a day - Doing good...
  • Less starchy carbs - Doing great. Sometimes I barely have any. I never though I would be able to say that. And get this.... I hardly miss it. :-o
  • New Recipes - I owned this in the last week. I made a bunch of delicious new things for the first time and loved them all.
  • More ab workouts - FAILED. I did manage to get one day in though which is better than nothing.
  • 3.5 hours of Cardio a week - GOT IT DONE! And yes, I hated every breathless minute of it.
  • Project Tackle Tosca - FAILED! But this is a new week. I will cook something out of her amazing cookbook this week for sure!
Uhm yeah, I think that about covers the bulk of it. Let me know if I left something out. ;)

LUNCH (meal #2) at 12:45pm.


I was still a prisoner at my desk. Only taking bathroom breaks and refilling the water to keep the brain and fast moving fingers hydrated and agile. (Gallon mission underway!!)

I had another tasty salad today. Simple ingredients make a better salad in my opinion.
  • Romaine
  • Cherry tomatoes
  • Red and green belle peppers
  • 1/2 Avocado
  • Sprinkle of sweet curry sunflower seeds
  • Drizzle of Spray Butter


DELICIOUS! I kept working while I ate and worked right through break time again. No matter. It was Friday and the end was near. I was going like a MAD MACHINE all day. Getting things done left and right! I was in a zone.

SNACK (meal #3) at 4:15pm.

I refueled my MACHINE self with a tasty yogurt mess. A blend of Oikos, a sliced banana and a sprinkle of cocoa mole sunflower seeds make everything better.


I powered through the last hour at work and got the hot heck out of there at 5:00 on the dot.

THIS IS THE BEST PART OF FRIDAY! It's from this very moment that you're the furthest away from Monday morning. HA! Vicious cycle!

When I got home I did the unthinkable and made an espresso. YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT! I had two cups today instead of my usual one. Oh I'm so WILD and OUT OF CONTROL!


I enjoyed my steamy, sweet beverage wrapped in a blanket while watching It's Always Sunny Philadelphia. I LOVE the show! Nick and I are watching all the seasons on NetFlix. HILARIOUS!

DINNER (meal #4) at 8:30pm.

I haven't had pasta in for EVER. I needed to remedy this ridiculous situation immediately. Yeah, that's right, I was going to indulge in starchy carbs tonight. I picked this package of Spinach & Chives pasta up at Trader Joe's months ago and decided to finally make it.


I cooked the pasta as directed and tossed my portion with sauteed broccoli, leftover chicken breast from last night, spray butter, cottage cheese, frozen peas, cherry tomatoes, red pepper flakes and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese.


I fell into a sweet carby trance with each delicious bite. It turned out incredibly delicious! I decided to crack open this bottle of Sauvignon Blanc to enjoy with dinner. YUM YUM!

Time to dive into a few blood thirsty episodes of Dexter. It's getting so good. We're almost done with season two. I love this show so much.

I'll leave you with a little quote....

Thursday, February 25, 2010

A green fix

I've decided to cloan myself. I have a master plan, you see. My other self can go off to work and I can stay at home and play all day. I can frolic in my pajamas until noon. I can spend all day cooking, writing, drawing, shopping, eating, napping and exercising at my leisure. Best of all, I'll be able to blog all the live long day. I like this plan. Where do I sign up?!

Today was another super busy day at work. Just one more day left. (I think I can.... I think I can.... I think I can make it without completely losing my mind....) ;)

BREAKFAST (meal #1) at 9:30am.

I tried a new oatmeal addition today. I found a can of sugar free, fat free, low calorie apple pie filling at the store last week. Naturally I had to pick one up to try.

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, Apple Pie Oatmeal.
  • 1/2 cup old fashioned oats
  • 1/4 wheat bran
  • 1 tbs flax
  • 240g apple pie filling (1/2 cup I think)
  • 1/2 cups water
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • dash apple pie spice
  • pinch salt
  • Splenda to taste


It was tasty. Didn't knock my socks off like I was hoping it would but it was good! The smell alone is worth it. Smelled just like a warm apple pie!

After breakfast I got sucked into a black hole of emails. It was nearing 1:00pm before I was able to crawl out of it long enough to eat.

LUNCH (meal #2) at 1:00pm.

I've dedicated the last few days to veggies. I decided to declare today FRUIT day. I made a delicious fruit sandwich of sorts for lunch. I toasted an Ezekiel sprouted whole grain bun, smeared a wedge of light Laughing Cow cheese on top and added a few slices of Fuji apple. I topped it all of with a sprinkle of Splenda and cinnamon. SO GOOD! I enjoyed the rest of the apple on the side along with a small, juicy Tanjelo.


Fruity perfection! I love apple or pear sandwiches with Laughing Cow cheese like this. If you're not hip you should try it. You're missing out.

I didn't leave the office for a break again today. I just kept working to try and get everything done. Did I? Heck no! But tomorrow is another day. Le Sigh!

SNACK (meal #3) at 4:15.

The usual creamy goodness. Plain Oikos with fresh pineapple chunks and a sprinkle of sprouted, cocoa mole sunflower seeds from Kaia Foods. DELICIOUS!


Through the magic of hustling, juggling and working at the speed of light, I was actually able to leave work on time. I went straight to the gym and got a good workout in. YUCK! Cardio day again!

WORKOUT!

Elliptical Cross Trainer, 60 minutes, 4.98 miles, 698 calories burned

I did 4 sets of this ten minute interval session.
min. 1 at level 5
min. 2 at level 6
min. 3 at level 7
min. 4 at level 8
min. 5 at level 9
min. 6 at level 10
min. 7 at level 11
min. 8 at level 12
min. 9 at level 13
min. 10 at level 14

For the last 20 minutes I did the following 5 minute intervals.

min. 41-45 at level 5
min. 46-50 at level 6
min. 51-55 at level 7
min. 56-60 at level 8

This left me feeling nauseous! SUPER. Now I love cardio even more. HA!

It was ridiculously cold out when we left the gym. There's another winter storm moving through. It was the most miserable walk to my car ever. Being covered in sweat, in the middle of winter while hiking back to your frozen car in HIGH wind gusts while it's snowing is never a good idea. I got an instant headache. :(

SNACK (meal #4) at 7:15pm.

I made a recovery smoothie as soon as I got home and curled up on the couch under the biggest comforter I could find to try and warm up. My hands felt like ice.
  • 1 cup unsweetened vanilla Almond Breeze
  • 1 scoop chocolate whey protein powder
  • 1/2 cup frozen pineapple
  • 1/2 frozen banana
  • 1/2 cup ice
  • 1 tbs sugar free chocolate Torani syrup


I still had my headache. I actually think the frozen smoothie made it worse. I warmed up with a quick bath and dove right into dinner.

DINNER (meal #5) at 9:30pm.

Of course I ended up caving and gave into my my daily veggie desires. You didn't think I would forget did you? My body was screaming for it. I needed a GREEN fix and a salad with chicken breast sounded the best. I seasoned three chicken breasts with pink salt, rosemary and black pepper. I tossed them into a covered dish with Pam and a drizzle of honey mustard dressing. I cooked them on medium heat for about 20 minutes. They came out perfectly juicy and golden.

I cut one of the breasts (4oz or so) into bite size pieces and tossed it on top of a bed of romaine, cherry tomatoes, red & green bell peppers and avocado. I topped it all with sweet curry sunflower seeds, spray butter and red pepper flakes. So good!


Nick had the largest piece of chicken for dinner with a HUGE side of cheesy parmesan pasta. He made the pasta while I was working on the chicken. It smelled amazing but I stuck to my salad and resisted. Tomorrow is weigh in morning. I can't allow distractions! My salad was delicious though so I wasn't really tempted to tell you the truth.

I'm feeling drained mentally and physically tonight. I doubt I'll be up as late as usual. My bed beckons me with its soft, comfortable fluffiness and I'm about to fall under it's dreamy spell.

Have a great night. I'll do my usual weight loss update post tomorrow. Speaking of tomorrow. It's FRIDAY! I'm SO excited. Looooooooooooooooong week is almost over!

XOXOXO!
-Ildie
 

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