Mighty Green Goddess

Another Monday (also known as "lack of fun day") is upon us. Joy of all joys I do declare! The 3rd annual Puppy Bowl last night was jam packed with incredible, exhilarating and exciting non stop action. Dogs RULED the house. I think I counted 8!! Here are just a few of the highlights from our lovely evening.

• An overly excited dog peeing all over someones jeans.
• Dog vomit that mysteriously appeared out of thin air.
• A group dare to consume soft "chalk-like" puppy treats. 3 people participated.
• Shots of a mysterious clear liquid that smelled like rubbing alcohol.
• A tower of Miller High Life cans, the champagne of beers of course.
• A TON of naughty food and sweets.
• Early contractions (mild) by a friend who is going to POP at any moment. We all freaked out but she assured us that all was well and the baby was NOT going to surprise us tonight. WHEW!
• And of course, Puppy Bowls Kitty Halftime show (GO CATS!).

Seriously, who thinks of this stuff? HA! Such a BAD/BRILLIANT idea to have a party based on something so awful (yet cute and compelling). I love our friends!

I would like to clarify that I was NOT involved in any of the ongoing shenanigans last night. I was a little angel all night and had no beer, no mystery shots, no sweets or snacks, and for sure no puppy treats. I snacked on the Amazing Grass chocolate super food bar that I took with me and on some raw veggies off of the veggie platter.

Alright, enough about last night, let's talk about "lack of fun day" now.

BREAKFAST! (meal#1) at 9:15am.

• 1/2 cup old fashioned oats
• 1/4 wheat bran
• 1 tbs ground flax
• 1 1/2 cup water
• 1 tbs unsweetened cocoa
• Splenda to taste
• 5 drops of chocolate fudge brownie Capella Flavor Drops
• PB2

Enjoyed in my office with the door shut and my space heater cranked on FULL BLAST! When I walked into the office this morning the temperature was set to 60. Is this some sort of cruel mass torture? Come on people.... GIVE US HEAT!

LUNCH (meal #2) at 12:15pm.

I was craving one thing and one thing only, SALAD!

• Baby spinach leaves
• Cherry tomatoes
• Black beans
• Fat free cottage cheese
• Drizzle of spray butter

Not a lot of ingredients or pizzazz but in my opinion it tasted perfect. I also enjoyed a sad little bruised banana.


On our break today we hit up the grocery store (we can't stay away I tell you) to pick up some of my beloved multi grain & flax FlatOut. The grocery store by my house doesn't carry it and I HAVE TO HAVE IT! I also found the honey wheat variety to try. So uhm, yeah... That was lunch..... Yep, sure was exciting aye? WEEEEEEEE!!!!!

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

I didn't have yogurt all weekend and my body was screaming for it. Naturally I had to oblige.

• 4oz cup of plain 0% Oikos
• Fuji apple slices
• Cinnamon
• 1 packet Splenda
• Small kiwi
• Sprinkle of Back to Nature, chocolate delight granola

I'm not sure why but I woke up seriously sore today with pretty intense DOMS. However, as always, I put those aches and pains aside and went straight to the gym after work. We are expecting yet another titillating and exciting winter storm tomorrow so I wanted to make sure to get a good workout in tonight. Tomorrow may not happen. I HATE WINTER!

WORKOUT!

Advanced Chest Press (plate loaded)
30lb x 15 (3 sets)

Lat Pulldown with V-Bar (cable)
70lb x 15
60lb x 15
60lb x 15

Seated Chest Press (plate loaded)
60lb x 13
50lb x 15
50lb x 15

High Row (plate loaded)
90lb x 15 (3 sets)

Advanced Inclined Chest Press (plate loaded)
30lb x 15
30lb x 15
20lb x 15

Row Machine (cable)
60lb x 15
50lb x 15
50lb x 15

Elliptical Cross Trainer, 20 minutes, 244 calories, 1.72 miles
1-2 min, (level 5)
3-4 min, (level 6)
5-6 min, (level 7)
7-8 min, (level 8)
9-10 min, (level 9)
11-12 min, (level 10)
13-14 min, (level 11)
15-16 min, (level 12)
17-18 min, (level 11)
19-20 min, (level 10)

Oh the aches and pains were screaming at me by the time I was done. SO SORE! I only did 20 minutes on the Elliptical instead of the usual 30. WE WERE TRICKED! The clock in the cardio room was set 20 minutes ahead. Thinking that we were running WAY late, Ann and I thought it best to only do 20 minutes on the ellipticals. As soon as I grabbed my purse out of the locker I noticed the correct time on my phone. BAH! Oh well, I was tired, sweaty, sore and ready to go home anyway.

I made a quick and delicious shake as soon as I walked in the door. I look forward to these frosty treats all day long!

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

• 1 cup unsweetened vanilla Almond Breeze
• 1/2 cup frozen pineapple
• 1/2 small banana
• 1 scoop (30 grams) vanilla whey protein powder
• 5 drops orange creamsickle Capella Flavor Drops
• 2 cups spinach
• couple pieces of ice

Mighty Green Goddess, I shall worship you until the end of times. I bow to thees luxurious deliciousness! This is my absolute favorite combo YET! Something about this mix just blended beautifully together. Just look at that color. So pretty and fresh!

After my heavenly Goddess fuel, I soaked in a steaming (almost painfully hot) bath for a good 30 minutes. I also stretched afterwards for about 10 minutes. Hopefully I'll feel better by tomorrow.

DINNER (meal #5) at 9:00pm.

I didn't want anything too fussy for dinner so I decided to make a quick veggie burrito. Into a large pan went the following.

• 1 large red onion, sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced
• 1 green bell pepper, sliced
• Spray butter
• Trader Joe's spicy taco seasoning mix

While the veggies were cooking away I heated up a serving of Morning Star Farms grounds which I also seasoned with taco seasoning.

When the veggies and grounds were done I sprayed a frying pan with Pam and layered the following.

• Honey Wheat Flat Out
• Cooked and sauteed veggies
• Morning Star Farms grounds
• A bit more sauteed veggies
• 1 slice of provolone cheese

I toasted the wrap on each side for a few minutes. Just long enough to melt the cheese. I topped the toasty wrap with pineapple salsa and jalapenos.


It was so incredibly easy and delicious! The sweetness from the salsa and the heat from the taco seasoning and jalapenos was perfect! I seriously enjoyed this!

Well lovelies, that's all she wrote. Time to go cuddle with the Mr.

Enjoy the rest of your Monday and STAY WARM and cozy tonight.

XO
Ildie

Pups and Bowls

Hello my lovelies. Today has been such a busy day. I woke up, stared at the thick frozen blanket outside (in disgust) and did a little sun dance in my pajamas. It worked, I swear. The sun came out about 30 minutes later. HA-HA!

I warmed up with a nice espresso. I used macadamia coffee this morning and flavored it with sugar free Torani chocolate syrup, a splash of unsweetened vanilla Almond Breeze and sugar free creamer. Of course I sprinkled cinnamon on top. I think cinnamon is slowly but surely turning into one of my favorite spices.


While sipping my coffee I perused blog land. Ahh, I do love my Sunday mornings. So relaxing! A bit later my tummy started grumbling so I decided to make a nice bowl of oats for breakfast.

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

Custard Coconut Oats. I thought of this all morning and I couldn't wait to try it.

• 1/2 cup old fashioned oats
• 1/4 cup wheat bran
• 1 cup unsweetened vanilla Almond Breeze
• 1/2 cup water
• Splenda to taste
• Tons of cinnamon
• 2 egg whites, whipped
• 5 drops orange creamsickle flavored Capella Flavor Drops
• 1 tbs sugar free coconut flavored sugar free Torani syrup
• Sprinkle of coconut flakes

Creamy, fluffy and delicious. Warmed me through to the core.

The plan was to hit the gym at noon and then head straight to Mama & Papa Babushka's house for the usual Sunday luncheon. To prep for this little adventure I made a smoothie to take with me to have after my workout as well as a lunch and snack to enjoy later. It's freezing outside so I knew I could leave the smoothie in the car. No chance of it melting, that's for sure. The high today is 22. UGH!

I started to whine as soon as noon neared. I was not looking forward to having to go outside. However, I put my gym clothes on, sucked it up and ventured bravely into winter wonderland to get a good workout in. You know my motto, NO EXCUSES!

WORKOUT!

Seated Leg Curl (cable)
90lb x 15
90lb x 15
80lb x 15

Leg Press (plate loaded)
200lb x 15 (3 sets)

Hack Squat (plate loaded)
50lb x 15 (3 sets)

Leg Extensions (cable)
90lb x 15
90lb x 15
80lb x 15

Squats
x15 (3 sets)

Plie Squats (heels touching)
x15 (3 sets)

Stiff Legged Deadlifts (barbell)
45lb x 15 (3 sets)

Elliptical (30 minutes total, 2.58 miles, 370 calories burned)
1-2 (level 6)
3-4 (level 7)
5-6 (level 8)
7-8 (level 9)
9-10 (level 10)
11-12 (level 11)
13-16 (level 12)
17-18 (level 11)
19-20 (level 10)
21-22 (level 9)
23-24 (level 8)
25-30 (level 7)

My legs were close to giving out by the time I was done. WHEW! I think I pulled something in my left inner thigh. Fun. Pretty sure I did it on the Stair Glider a few days ago and it was flaring up again today. I think I'm just too short for that particular machine and my form SUCKS when I'm on it. BAH!

SNACK (meal #2) at 1:30pm.

I enjoyed my shake right after leaving the gym. As expected, it remained nice and cold in the car. Almost too cold because it was a bit frozen. :-o Here is what went into the mix.

• 1 cup unsweetened vanilla Almond Breeze
• 1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder
• 1/2 cup frozen fresh pineapple chunks
• 1/2 small banana
• 5 drops orange creamsickle Capella Flavor Drops
• Splenda to taste

The orange creamsickle flavor drops were divine. It blended so well with the frozen pineapple. I'm seriously a huge fan of Capella products and plan to order a few to try after I run out of the current collection. This flavor also gets a 10 out of 10!

LUNCH (meal #3) at 2:15pm.

Lunch with the Babushka gang was a blast. I decided to take the leftover veggies and pineapple mix from last nights dinner and tossed it on top of a bed of spinach. I knew I wouldn't be able to have a large meal since I just enjoyed my delicious and filling smoothie. It was just the right amount.


SNACK (meal #4) at 3:30pm.

I also brought an Ezekiel wheat bun, a sweet pear and a wedge of light Laughing Cow Cheese for a sweet sandwich dessert. I toasted the bun, smeared on the cheese, sprinkled on some Splenda and cinnamon and added the sliced pear. Delicious!


I got home at about 5:00 and hustled around getting ready for later. We've been invited to a friends house for the annual Puppy Bowl gathering. They all have tiny little dogs and celebrate the bowl with ridiculous enthusiasm, food and spirits. HA! We don't have a dog (just my crazy cat) and I doubt I'll drink or nibble. However, partaking in the insanity is fun none the less.

I had planned to eat before we left so I wouldn't be tempted to snack while there. However, I was not hungry at all. What to do, what to do?

DINNER (meal #5) at 7:15pm.

I took the easy way out and grabbed a pack of raw almonds and a chocolate flavored Amazing Grass green superfood bar. Maybe they'll have some veggies or fruit for me to snack on later too. One can only hope.... ;)


Alright, I'm off to see some pup action. Be back tomorrow. Have a great night!

HUGS
Ildie