Winds gusting are disgusting...

Hello beautiful people. I hope your day is going well. It's excruciatingly UGLY here in Ohio again today. The sort of day that makes me want to curl up in bed with a magazine, a cup of coffee and Oliver kitty and never leave my house. But alas I had to go to work and make some sweet-sweet cash to pay for all those lovely bills that insist on appearing in my mailbox every month. Being a grown up isn't as much fun as I thought it would be as a kid. If only I could go back in time!!!

Then again, that might be a BAD idea. HA!

Breakfast today was the always delectable oatmeal mix.

• 1/2 cup old fashioned oats
• 1 banana, sliced
• 1 tbs unsweetened cocoa
• dash cinnamon
• splenda to taste
• dash salt
• a sprinkle of chia seeds
• 2 tbs sugar free apricot preserves

Oatmeal, you COMPLETE ME!

Lunch today was just as delicious. I had a wrap made with a low carb La Tortilla brand tortilla, roast beef, sweet butter lettuce, spicy mustard and spray butter.


I also had some green beans on the side with spray butter,which I shared with Ann. One bag is WAY TOO MUCH for one person. I mean I love green beans but NO WAY can I eat a whole bag.


At lunch Ann and I parted ways again. IT WAS TRAGIC AND MY HEART ACHED because we could not spend it together. However, the unavoidable CRAPPY SNOW is around the corner and I NEED to get all of my Christmas shopping done before it hits! I am NOT a fan of having to go out and about just to go shopping when the roads are slick! I HATE SNOW!

What I do NOT hate it that I accomplished a lot of my Christmas shopping today. The list is dwindling away. I can now see the end of my deal finding, crowd diving, hurry-hurry, find this, find that, get a good deal mission! ALMOST DONE! YAY!

My afternoon snack was a blueberry Chobani. Yep, I love this one too! Creamy, full of good flavor and I just love how the fruit is on the bottom of all of these flavored cups! Another winning 10 out of 10!


After work we decided to take the back roads to the gym instead of the highway. The weather here is CRAZY today. The winds are gusting at 60 mph. and it's been raining/snowing for most of the afternoon. The wind is really crazy. For a while I thought (hoped) that we may lose power at the office. No such luck though. HA! If anyone is familiar with the rush hour traffic on 77 in the Akron area, you know WHY we decided to not partake in the insanity! We lost roughly 10 minutes or so by avoiding the highways. Not bad. My car was being smacked around the entire time though. I hated every moment of the drive! I NEED TO MOVE TO ARIZONA!

Now on to the workout....

Elliptical
30 min., weight loss setting, level 2, 338 calories
Bike
15 min., random setting, level 5, 102 calories
Treadmill
5 min., cool-down at 3.2 speed
Crunches with 8lb ball
x20
x20

When I got home I found Nick in the very familiar comforter wrapped burrito position on the couch again. His nose is red, raw and runny, his eyes are watering and he looks like misery's best friend "agony". Tissues are scattered about, the TV is on mute and all the lights are dim. This can't be good! He didn't make it in to work again today either. I picked him up some medicine at lunch. I made him take some right away. Lets hope it helps!! :(

I also came home to this lovely bar and coupon from Bear Naked. I've heard good things and I can't wait to try this granola bar. Thanks Bear Naked! ;)


I decided to keep dinner simple tonight. Chicken Fajitas sounded good! I sliced up some yellow onions, green onions, green peppers and tossed them in a pan with salt, pepper & fajita seasoning. I cooked them on medium heat for about 10 minutes until tender and set them aside. I then added sliced chicken breasts into the same pan and cooked them for about 10 more minutes. I tossed the veggies back in with the chicken to heat them through. DONE! Dinner in less than 30 minutes.

I made a nice wrap using a wheat Flat Out. I also added tomatoes and avocados and fat free shredded american cheese to the mix. I had the wrap with a small side salad topped with the rest of the tomatoes and avocado slices. YUM!


Alright folks, that it. Have a goodnight.

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!!

Coconuts and spice, and everything nice.

It's Monday yet again. How did that happen? Even more scary, it's November 9th and we're only 18 days away from Thanksgiving and only 46 days away from my beloved Christmas. HOW THE HECK DID THAT HAPPEN? Wasn't it just July? Like a puff of magic, this year is almost over. IN-SANE!

Before you know it, March will be upon us again and I'll be turning 33. Um yeah, that sort of freaks me out... Thanks for asking. HA! The big 3-3. UH OHHHH! Good thing three is my lucky number. How knows, maybe it will be my BEST YEAR EVER!

On to breakfast. I enjoyed another scrumptious bowl of what I've lovingly named paradise oats. Not AS good as yesterdays because I didn't have milk and it was microwaved instead of cooked on the stove. However, still delicious!

• 1/2 cup oats
• 1 cup water
• dash salt
• Splenda to taste
• dash nutmeg
• half of a sliced banana

I microwave the above ingredients until the oats absorbed all the water (about 1.5 min) and then I added the rest of the banana and the coconut flakes. Oh this stuff smells SO good. I sprinkled some cinnamon on top when I walked back to my office (yes, I keep cinnamon IN my office) to jazz it up a bit more. It was good and filling. OATMEAL IS KING!


For lunch I enjoyed another wrap with a super juicy apple on the side. The wrap I had for lunch yesterday was super delicious. Today's was a bit more bland. I forgot to pack Hummus this morning! Such a SAD tragedy!!! It was still tasty but Hummus would have made it perfect.


For a mini break today I ran to CVS with Ann so she could pick up a few things. I had no intentions of buying anything. So of COURSE, I bought something. I bought this!


I've been complaining about hair color boredom to Ann for a while now. And of course instead of WAITING for someone to color it professionally, WHICH I PROMISED MYSELF I WOULD DO NEXT TIME, I just purchased it myself! So typical.... I've colored my hair more times than I care to admit. I'm addicted! It's been about 5 months since the last time and I'm shocked I managed to wait this long. I told Ann that she would have to help me with it next Saturday after the gym. I've got too much hair to do it myself. I could do it, I just don't want to! HA! THANKS ANN!

My afternoon snack was the very delicious Pomegranate Chobani. Why I do declare, it was incredibly delicious!

Even Calendar Cat wanted some. BAD KITTIE!

I loved the seeds and all the fruit on the bottom.

YUM. This gets a 9.5 out of 10 rating. I would definitely buy it again IF I can find it!

After work it was off to the gym for the usual Monday Cardio Session. It went pretty well. Both the bike and the treadmill are getting a bit easier. Perhaps it's time to up the speeds or the levels? Just not sure yet. Maybe it's too soon? ONLY TIME WILL TELL! I still get out of breath on both but not like I used to. I used to wheeze and cough with my mouth hanging wide open like some sort of a freak. I am not an attractive person when I work out, that's for sure!! HA! It has gotten a LOT better though!

Treadmill
40 minutes - 3.2 speed, 2.11 miles
Crunches with 8lb ball
x20
x20
x20
Crunches (regular)
x20
x20
Crunches with 10lb ball
x20
x20
x20
Bike
10 minutes - level 5 - Random uphill setting, 3.8 miles

We wrapped it up at about 6:30 and I took my happy butt home for some rest and relaxation.

I was greeted by a box from Naturally More. Awe yeah! I love peanut butter. I'll be digging into this lovely jar of joy in no time! Thanks Naturally More!!


I thought it would be a good night to have something spicy for dinner. I decided to make coconut curry chicken and vegetables with arborio rice.

I cooked 1 cup of rice with 2 cups water. While that was simmering away I threw the following into my wok.

• 1 can lite coconut milk
• 1 tbs curry
• 1 tsp cayenne
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• dash nutmeg
• dash salt
• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken cut into bite size pieces
• 1/4 cup frozen peas
• 1 cup broccoli florets
• 1 small can bamboo shoots
• 1 can baby corn

I cooked all of these together until the chicken was done and the veggies were nice and tender. Somehow I managed to finish the rice and the chicken mixture at the same time. Amazing AND rare!! It all smelled SO GOOD! The arborio rice was amazing. It may be my official second favorite after jasmine rice. It was sweet and tender and moist. The coconut curry was ridiculous. Spicy, aromatic and bursting with flavor. I poured the sweet, jam packed and juicy mixture over the rice and devoured it. Seriously, it was so good!


And with that, I wish you all a lovely night. Enjoy what's left of it. :)

Big Ball of Happy!

Today has been a good day I declare! A good day indeed.

A. I am NOT getting sick. Sore throat has disappeared!
B. I lost another 2.1 pounds. Grand total now being 25.1. YES!!!
C. It's actually SUNNY here today and 60 degrees. IN-SANE!
D. It's Friday!

You add all of these lovely ingredients together and you get a big ball of happy!

To celebrate this blissful and euphoric feeling, I enjoyed a nice bowl of oats for breakfast with the usual cup of coffee.

• 1/2 cup oats
• 1 cup water
• pinch salt
• splenda to taste
• 6 dried apricots, cut into small pieces
• 1 banana, sliced
• dash cinnamon
• dash pumpkin pie spice

Oh man, I like the addition of the apricots. They smelled so good! I enjoyed this very much! I HEART Oatmeal!


My lunch was equally delicious! I had a lovely salad. I always love a good salad!

• Sweet Butter lettuce
• chick peas
• cherry tomatoes
• green peppers
• Melba bagel crisps
• red pepper flakes
• salt and pepper to taste
• spray butter

GOOD!

For our break today I ran with Ann to her car dealership to pick up some "special Volkswagen approved" blend of antifreeze. The check engine light is on YET AGAIN on that cursed little car of hers and Nick plans to change her thermostat tomorrow while we're at the gym. Apparently coolant MAY be needed. I don't know... I don't speak car! On the way back to work we stopped in The Nervous Dog coffee shop. They were rated #1 in the area and I had to see what all the fuss was about. I loved the place. Cute, quaint, little and adorable! The coffee was also delicious! I got a lite skim chocolate chip mint latte. MMMMM!


For my afternoon snack (drum roll please...) I had the very HIGHLY anticipated pineapple flavored Chobani. TA DAAAAAA!!!!!!!


Uhm, it was out of this world delicious! Which just made me sad! I only had one to enjoy and they don't sell this flavor anywhere around here ! I can "sometimes" find strawberry at scary Marc's if I'm lucky! SIGH! It was rich, creamy and decadent! Full of actual pineapple bits and real fruit infused goodness! I give it a 12 out of 10. Just look at this creamy goodness. So photogenic I tell you! OW OW!


I can't wait to try the other flavors!

After work Ann and I ran to the grocery store together to get some shopping done. I love shopping for food. It's when I feel the most creative (except for when I'm actually cooking)! I love roaming and thinking of new ideas, new meals, new things to try for the first time! YEAH! (I'm a nerd!!!)

When I got home I was greeted by a lovely package from POM Wonderful! Oh, how exciting! I've been dying to try their products! I received a whole box of these adorable little bottles to sample. Thanks POM! I can't wait to try them!


After unpacking all of the groceries I decided (because sometimes I get uncontrollable urges) to empty half of the cabinets in my kitchen and reorganize them ALL. I NEED MORE ROOM for my goodies! I've been wanting to do this for a long time now. Nick and I were going crazy. Moving everything, throwing a bunch junk out, trying to come up with a better "kitchen flow" if you will. Man, it felt so GOOD when I was done. Ch-ch-check it out!


I guess I should have taken before pictures to give you a better visual for WHY the after is so much more exciting. HA!

After our uncontrollable organization spree, it was time for dinner. It was 9:00 by the time we finished and we were both starving! Oh man, Taco night was upon us again! YES! The usual pics are below. The healthy version recipe is posted **here** if you are interested.

We devoured our bowls of goodness and now it's time to relax! What a lovely day indeed! Enjoy your Friday night everyone!