Back to reality

As Sunday evening comes to an end I find myself reminiscing over this lovely Holiday Season. I gaze upon the empty wall where my Christmas tree stood just a few days ago and already I feel a deep void. I'm now left with only a cold, brutal and gloomy winter season. No more Christmas. No more New Years. No more Vacation. It's officially over. Work and my normal schedule starts again tomorrow and there's nothing I can do about it. Except cry, whine, kick, groan and moan. WHAAAAA! WHAAAAA! WHAAAAA!

Alright, I feel a bit better. This is the part of winter that I hate the most. It's the coldest, darkest, snowiest and most miserable stretch of three months EVER!

Moving on. Enough complaining! Breakfast today was a bit different. I wasn't craving oatmeal or eggs so I decided to have yogurt.

I made a yogurt mess with Weight Watchers Boston cream pie yogurt, banana and a small handful of pomegranate granola. I also had a toasted English muffin with fat free peach jam on one side and Trader Joe's pumpkin butter on the other. It was all delicious!


After breakfast I worked on some laundry and hung out with the Mr. before getting ready to visit Mama and Papa for lunch. I decided to take a delicious salad from home to have for lunch. The original plan was to cook up some Shrimp which I had taken out of the freezer to thaw in the morning. However, once they thawed out something about them just seemed "off" and "not fresh" so SADLY I had to toss them out. Instead I grabbed a Morning Star Farms black bean burger which I crumpled on top of the following...

• Baby Spinach
• Sweet Butter Lettuce
• Black Beans
• Fat Free Mozarella Cheese
• English Muffin (toasted and crumbled for "croutons")
• Spray Butter
• Red pepper flakes
• Black pepper

I love this combo. Lunch was VERY good. After my salad we played some Yahtzee, chatted and enjoyed a nice cup of coffee. I also brought over the leftover brownies that I made on Friday for everyone to enjoy. I thought it best to get them out of the house so they weren't there to tempt me. That and Nick isn't into sweets and they would've just gone to waist. I can't even lie, I had one. It went unphotographed though. What can I say, IT HAPPENED SO FAST! Maybe going back to work next week isn't such a bad thing. I need to get back into the swing of my regular schedule of meals and workouts and stop with the excuses and the mini splurges. Now don't get me wrong, I have NOT been feasting on cake, frosting, fried chicken or drippy cheesy fries. However, I have not been eating as clean as I usually do, drinking enough water or working out 5x a week. BAH! I think I only worked out 3x in the last 9 and the last time I made it to the gym was on Tuesday! I FEEL LIKE A SLUG!


Also, I CLEARLY did NOT update you on my weigh in this Friday. Why not? Because I decided to skip the weigh in this week. I figured that I only do this once a year and I deserve to have a good time, splurge and relax a bit and not stress myself out about it. I will weigh myself next Friday and if I lose 1.9 pounds I will still count it towards my mini end of year goal of 35 pounds lost. I know it will be the 8th when I weigh myself which is obviously not the end of the year but that's okay. Let's just say I'm "IMPROVISING"! ;)

Dinner was simple tonight. My Mama sent breaded chicken and butter rice for Nick to have for dinner and I was craving sweet potato fries. I put a batch of fries in the oven and tossed in a Chicken Sausage as well. CATASTROPHE hit when I plated up my food. I REALIZED I WAS OUT OF KETCHUP. OMG! I WAS SO SAD! Instead I dipped the fries in fat free maple syrup and I dipped the sausage into Sriracha sauce. It turned out okay. Disaster averted!


For a DELICIOUS snack later I enjoyed a scrumptious 18Rabbits granola bar. I received a sample of their new flavor (Belle Bananas Foster) to try.

HOLY YUM! This bar made me want to swoon and sing with delight. It was absolutely delicious! I've said it before and I will say it again, this brand is super tasty and I have yet to be disappointed. Find it, buy it and eat it immediately! I give this bar a 10 out of 10. As with all the other bars I've had the pleasure of trying, it was rich, moist, chewy, bursting with flavor with a great texture. Excellent!! Thanks for the sample 18Rabbits!

I think Nick and I will play some games before heading to bed. Speaking of bed, I better make sure to get to sleep early tonight. The alarm is set for tomorrow whether I'm ready or not. It's time to get back to reality, bright and early.

Have a great night!

Oh the torture!

I wrote a little poem. Would you like to hear it? Well here it goes.

Jingle, jingle jangle, holiday hop
All the lunatics like to shop
At the last minute, yall beware
Make no eye contact, NEVER stare
Running with carts and rabid eyes
Watch your back, I tell no lies
They'll knock you over without regret
This is a warning, not a threat
Finish your shopping before it's too late
Make a list, there's no time to wait
Time's a tic-tockin, good luck to you all
Whatever you do, DON'T GO to the Mall!!

:)

Okay, enough with the silliness. Lets talk about breakfast. It was nice, simple and quick this morning. I had a toasted english muffin with spray butter, 4 egg whites seasoned with salt and pepper and a banana, sliced and smeared with some of my pumpkin bite mix (trying to use it all up, I hate wasting food). Of course this was enjoyed with a delicious cup of caramel drizzle flavored coffee. YUM!


After breakfast I did some blog reading, cleaned the house up a bit, packed a salad to take with me for lunch and also loaded the car up with the presents I wrapped yesterday. I was due at my Mama's by 1:00 and I wanted to take the presents over there now so I would have less to haul on Thursday. We get together with the folks on Christmas Eve every year for the annual CHRISTMAS PRESENT TEARING EXTRAVAGANZA! OHHH, I can't wait! :)

When I arrived, my Papa helped me take the presents inside. His little eyes were wild with excitement. HA! They had me beat though. Their presents were already wrapped all pretty and neatly stacked under the tree. OH THE TORTURE!

Lunch was delicious. It was a salad with sweet butter lettuce, green onions, chick peas, black bean burger, spray butter, red pepper flakes and black pepper. YUM.


I also brought over the last of my pumpkin mixture. Like I said before, I hate wasting food and I would've never been able to finish this all on my own. I made four little servings of the pudding and covered them with crumbled animal crackers, fat free whip and cinnamon. Not bad... Not bad... My Mama said it was a bit bitter and I agree. I never noticed because I was usually adding just a bit of it to something else. I think I may have used too much vanilla. It was still good though.


When I got home I found Nick in the basement working on yet another project. He was wiring a light down there to also work with the switch at the top of the stairs. SWEET! I hate my scary, dark, ugly basement. Having more light down there helps a lot! ;)

His brother Dan called earlier and it looks like we'll be having company later. The very last episode of the Rally Race is on this evening and the boys are incapable of controlling their excitement. I'm glad Dan is coming over. I can't get into it like he does and Nick likes to discuss the race in great detail every time it's on. Shhhhh, don't tell him but I never know what he's talking about. HA! ;)

For dinner I only had to worry about myself. My Mama sent home some of her famous bean soup for Nick. I love the stuff but no way can I indulge in such decadence!! Instead I decided to have an odd mix of this and that for dinner. I wasn't super hungry. I had a toasted Ezekiel 4:9 sprouted whole grain bun with fat free strawberry preserves and pumpkin butter.


I also cut up a huge apple. Gotta get my fruit intake in for the day!!


Odd mix I know, but it was yummy.

For a bit of a treat later I had a cup of sugar cookie tea. I liked it but it wasn't exactly what I was expecting. I actually thought that it tasted better once it cooled off just a bit.


I enjoyed the tea with a Cheeky Cherry Chocolate granola bar from 18Rabbits. Uhm, holy WOW. This bar is ridiculously delicious! I WANT MORE! I don't even think they sell this brand around here. I will have to research, locate and stock up if I can find it. LOVE IT! This gets a 10 out of 10. And let me reiterate again, this brand is SO YUMMY! Go get some!


Alright, our guest is here so I must bid you goodnight and go pretend that I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Rally Racing. Don't get me wrong, it's not bad, but I FAR from love it. ;)

Season spirits sprinkled with sickness

I would like to start today off with a little poem to get you into the SPIRIT of the season. I wrote it about two years ago and I think it's very fitting.

Santa's Bake Shop...

Candy coated confections and lollypops
Sugary smothered treats and gooey gumdrops
Chocolate syrup fountains drip-dripping, oh my
Caramel scented truffle trees bloom near by
The air is full of laughter as I skip
Beside the honey river, my hands I dip
In its rich currants, so smooth and sweet
Magic sprinkled pastries I begin to eat
Decadent coco lava dripping on my chin
Such joy filling my taste buds should be a sin
Ribbons of candy dance about like ruffled lace
Melting into golden wrappers with delicate grace
Fluffy marshmallow rain drops land at my feet
I begin swirl-a-swirling in this decadent treat
Peppermint candy cane arches begin to sprout
Creme covered cupcake mountains all about
I'm feeling all giddy, Fa, la, la, la laa I sing
My sugar mustache shines as I climb a twizler swing
Yummy gummy rope that tastes just like raspberry
Maybe it's cherry, who cares, I'm so MERRY!
Flying back and forth on my super sugar high
I'll never leave this place, where do I apply?

Breakfast was the usual ooey gooey hot mess of goodness.

• 1/2 cup old fashioned oats
• 1 cup water
• dash cinnamon
• dash salt
• 1 banana, sliced
• splenda to taste
• 2 tbs boysenberry preserves

I enjoyed this with a cup of coffee and an entire bottle of water. I CAN DO THIS GALLON ON WATER A DAY THING DANG IT! Once again I had a very productive morning at work and I got a lot of things done. I think the end of the year deadlines are pushing me to get things done and off of my desk faster than usual. I would hate to come back from my lovely 11 day break to piles of insanity! I'm on vacation from the 24th - 3rd. YEAH! OHHHHH I CAN'T WAIT! I'm just GIDDY with anticipation!! I'll just apologize now because my giddy level WILL intensify with each passing day. This is fact! :)

Lunch was awesome and super simple to throw together. I had a nice little salad with the following.

• Spring mix lettuce
• Cherry tomatoes
• Red bell pepper slices
• Morning Star Farms Black Bean Burger, crumbled
• Spray butter "dressing"

SO GOOOOOOOOD! I had to resist the urge to lick my plate clean! It got me super full too but not to that GROSS full level. Win-win! Tasty, good for you and filling!

At lunch Ann and I parted ways and I went shopping on my own. We wept a little and hugged a bit before we parted. Lunches spent apart TEAR at our souls I tell ya! HA. Just kidding. I had to get rid of her for a day so I could actually get some Christmas shopping done FOR her! Sort of hard to do when we spend every single lunch break together. Yes... We are IN FACT inseparable! DEAL WITH IT! This will be us when we are older. HAHAHAHA!!


I got her a LOT of nice things at great prices and I have yet to even reach half of our Christmas spending limit. Yeah, that's right, I'm an AMAZING, deal finding, thrifty little machine of a shopper! Hey Ann, only 17 more days until you can RIP into your packages. Can you handle it? I THINK NOT!

My afternoon snack was a VERY delicious peach Chobani yogurt cup. I STILL have like 4 more varieties left from my lovely package of samples that I received over a month ago form these fantastic folks. I better get on with eating them before they go bad because that would be a disaster!! So far my very favorite flavor has been the pineapple, HOWEVER, this is my second favorite! It was so fresh and peachy without being overly sweet or "fake" tasting. It was excellent. This gets a 10 out of 10!


After work it was off to the gym! We had a GREAT session of cardio today. I still can't get on any of the machines or handle any free weights. My arm needs more time to heal.

Elliptical
30 min., uphill challenge, 346 calories
Bike
15 min., random setting, Level 5, 5.2 miles, 100 calories
Treadmill
10 min., 3.2 speed,0.52 miles

And.....
5-10 minute stretching session (THIS FELT SO GOOD!)

When I got home I found poor Nick curled up on the couch in a comforter like a burrito. He actually left work an hour and a half early today because he's getting sick. He was already feeling it yesterday and was up most of the night because of it. Of course the lack of sleep only made the symptoms that much worse for him at work today. Poor guy looked so tired and miserable. :(

I let him sleep on the couch for a bit and took a nice little bubble bath to warm up. Then I started on dinner. I was craving roasted veggies. I cleaned up some brussel sprouts, mushrooms and carrots and tossed them on a cookie sheet. I sprayed them with Pam and seasoned them up with salt and pepper. I baked them at 425 for 40 minutes.


Nick had his with some pan seared smoked hot sausage. I had mine with a black bean burger from Morning Star Farms on an english muffin with a slice of fat free cheese, tomatoes and lettuce. I realize that this is my second black bean burger today but I don't care! I LOVE THESE THINGS!


For a bit of a snack later I decided to try one of the bars I received yesterday from 18Rabbits. Oh my damn!!! It was super YUMMY people. I had the Funky Figs and Cherries (LOVE the name) variety and knew that I would love it as soon as I opened the package. It was moist, dense, rich, bursting with figs, cherries, walnuts, hazelnuts, coconut, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, maple syrup and honey (& probably some other stuff I forgot).


This was seriously one of the best granolas I've ever had. I loved how moist and chewy it was!! This gets an 11+ out 10. :)

Well, I'm going to check on Nick now. Poor guy. Goodnight everyone!!

Scared without even knowing it!

This morning started out as any other regular day. I rolled out of bed way later then I should have. And get this, my toilet seat broke and snapped in two and PINCHED my ass.... That woke me right up! UGH! I couldn't help but laugh though! I have the worst luck sometimes.


I got dressed, prettied up, packed up breakfast, lunch, a snack and my gym bag and was out the door. Guess what I saw falling. THE WHITE DEATH that some people lovingly call "snow"! UGH! Disgusting!!! At least it was the pretty kind of snow. The ONLY kind I can somewhat handle! Small little frozen flakes gliding gently and slowly. Dancing in the breeze. However pretty they may be though, I still only like snow in ONE place... A snow globe! HA!


So off to work I went, on the usual highway route doing the usual speeds and was at work in less then 15 minutes. In a sleep deprived daze I read some emails, sorted through some paper work and then decided to go have breakfast with a nice big cup of caffeine crack. I get back to my desk and an email pops up. It's from a coworker and the subject line just said "Driving". OH SNAP! It said that he saw several accidents and cars that slid off the road on the way to work this morning due to icy spots. I immediately became nauseated! I did 60-65 all the way to work on BALD crappy tires because I had no idea there were slick spots everywhere. About an hour later Nick sends me an instant message asking me how my drive was? We take the same highway to work and he hit slick spots as soon as he got on and could barely control his car. He turned around and went back home to put his winter tires on and didn't even make it in to work today! He has a brand new all wheel drive Mitsubishi! WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON HERE LOL? It's a freaking miracle I made it in to work without sliding I tell you. A MIRACLE! I should have been FREAKING OUT and SCARED while driving and I didn't even know it. EEEEEEK!

Moving on..... Breakfast was delicious!

• 1/2 cup oats
• 1 cup coffee (I needed more crack)
• 1/2 scoop chocolate protein powder (stirred in at the end)
• 1 banana, sliced
• dash cinnamon
• dash pumpkin pie spice
• splenda to taste
• a little sprinkle of chai seeds

The coffee tasted so good too. Probably because I was not only tired, but FREEZING! I hate the office on Monday mornings. It takes hours for the building to warm up!


By the way, the arm is feeling "okay". It's sore and swollen but by no means as tender as it was last night when I DESPERATELY TRIED TO SLEEP but couldn't!! It was a long night for sure, which is why I'm so exhausted today.

Lunch consisted of a turkey wrap with spring mix lettuce, tomatoes and spicy brown mustard.


On the side I had a golden delicious apple, the rest of the tomato and some red pepper slices. Good stuff!


On our break today I ran to Home Depot to buy the obviously MUCH needed new toilet seat. HA! Yeah, it wasn't a very exciting lunch. :)

For my afternoon snack I enjoyed some red grapes and raw almonds. I love this combo!


The gym session today was not what it should have been but I gave it my best. My arm prohibited me from doing the usual back exercises so we hopped on the ellipticals instead and did a VIGOROUS 30 minute uphill session. Man!! That thing had me sweating and breathing hard in no time. It was a good workout though and I burned 330 calories. YEAH!

When I got home Nick immediately installed the new toilet seat. YAY! I took a nice, long and relaxing bath. I think it just made me more sleepy though. I checked the mail after my bath and look what was waiting for me.... YAY! The lovely people at 18Rabbits sent me four granola bars to sample. They look and sound delicious! I can't want to try them.


I was still feeling a bit chilled so I made a quick cup of snickerdoodle coffee with cream, fat free whip and a dash of cinnamon. Mm, it warmed me right up.


I wasn't up for cooking tonight so I grabbed the last of the leftover chili from last week out of the freezer. They tasted just as good as they did last week. YUM! I topped my bowl with some fat free cheddar cheese and a scoop of plain Oikos yogurt.


I also enjoyed a serving of chips on the side. I received some coupons from the lovely people at Food Should Taste Good about two weeks ago and I finally picked up a few bags to try. Tonight I tried The Works variety.


I liked them. They were crunchy, flavorful and tasted really good with the chili. I give them a VERY solid 8 out 10!

Now I'm going to cuddle with the Mr. and this little furry fellow.

Goodnight!