Productive Critter...

I'm a walking coma patient today. A daydreaming, tired and drained zombie with no ambition. I'm not even sure how I managed to get anything done today. Oddly though, I was quite the productive little critter today. Go figure! Maybe the thought of being done with it all and rotting on the couch is what kept me going. Couch paradise was my fiery fuel!

I slept like POOP last night. Not sure if it was the beers I had with dinner or just an unexplainable and annoying circumstance. I'm guessing the two are related though.
Okay, let's pick back up where we left off last night. Before we left the house, I gave Nick his presents. He LOVED the game I got for him. ;)


Then we were off to the bar to meet his dad, stepmom, brother and his brothers girlfriend. We got there right on time and were met by Spongebob and Sam Adams Boston Lager. Deliciously satisfying!


I ordered the blackened chicken salad for dinner with fat free ranch dressing and a side of mango habanero sauce. That stuff was HOT. My mouth was on fire. It burned so good. I ate every last delicious morsel.


After dinner we enjoyed some more beer and hung out with his family for a few more hours.


We didn't get home until 11:30. We were both beat and went straight to bed. Sadly I was already awake by 3:30 and couldn't fall back asleep until 5:00. WHAT THE HECK!? I managed to get maybe 2 more hours of sleep (sort of) and finally gave up at about 7:00.

BREAKFAST (meal #1) at 8:00am.

I enjoyed my egg white omelet so much the other day that I decided to have another this morning. I stuffed it with fresh spinach, tomato pieces and fat free American cheese. I had it with a Thomas's bagel thin and two Morning Star Farms sausage links. Perfection!


I also had a cup of French press coffee which went unphotographed. It was a mix of fudge brownie and vanilla biscotti flavored coffee. It was SO good!

I met Ann at the gym for legs, glutes and cardio day at 10:30. I had a great workout. My thick little thighs were BURNING. HA!

WORKOUT!

Treadmill Warmup
5 minutes at 3.2 speed
Outer Thigh Machine
75lb x 20 (3 sets)
Inner Thigh Machine
65lb x 15 (3 sets)
Leg Extensions
90lb x 15 (3 sets)
Seated Leg Curl
90lb x 15
80lb x 15 (2 sets)
Hack Squat
50lb x 15 (3 sets)
Leg Press
190lb x 15 (3 sets)
Stiff Legged Deadlift
45lb x 15 (3 sets)
Elliptical Cross Trainer
30 minutes, 2.6 miles, 2 minute intervals at levels 6-8

Total workout took 1:29 minutes.

Max Heart rate = 177

Average Heart rate = 156

Total Calories Burned = 751

SNACK (meal #2) at 12:30pm.

After the gym we went straight to Mama and Papa Babushka's house. I had a super quick and bland protein shake with 1 scoop of peanut butter chocolate whey protein powder and water. Mama didn't have any Almond Breeze at the house. Tragic. It was just so-so but at least I got my protein in to feed my tired little muscles.


LUNCH (meal #3) at 1:00pm.

Mama baked some deliciously tender and juicy chicken breasts and made a massive salad to go with them.


Here is my portion, topped with red pepper flakes, Sriracha and spray butter. It was delicious but oddly left me a bit hungry?


We hung out for a few hours chatting, arguing, getting sassy and lippy with each other in typical crazy family fashion. We were discussing their trip back to Hungary at the end of April. Yes! I'm jealous! I never travel anywhere. Not even out of Ohio. I'M SO LAME! I'm very excited for them though! This trip is LONG overdue and I'm so glad they're finally doing it!

When I got home I started work on a HUGE pile of laundry. Ohhh, my favorite!!! I also started prepping dinner early. I was still fantasizing about getting to sit down and doing NOTHING. I was feeling super drained at this point.

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

I busted out the trusty food processor to help make prep work easier.


I haven't made black bean burgers in a long time and I couldn't stop thinking about them. Here's what went into the mix.

• 1 can black beans, drained
• 1/2 can chick peas, drained
• 4 tbs cornmeal
• 1 whole egg
• 1 cup oatmeal
• 1/2 tbs chopped garlic
• 1 small onion
• 2 tbs corn
• cumin
• salt + pepper
• cayenne
• hot chili powder

This was enough for 5 patties.


I cooked them in a frying pan sprayed with Pam for 5 -7 minutes on each side. Easy peasy. I had mine with an Ezekiel bun, fat free american cheese, spinach leaves, onion slices, sharp mustard and low card ketchup. OMG so good!!!


I also made a huge batch of carrot and parsnip fries. I seasoned them with black pepper, garlic powder, cinnamon, sea salt and spray butter and popped them into a 400 degree oven for roughly 30-35 minutes. I flipped them once and they turned out perfect!


AHH I enjoyed the heck out of this dinner. And guess what? I have NOTHING left to do tonight. Couch paradise here I come. I'm going to bond with some pillows, a blanket, my Mr. and my remote for a few hours and hopefully get some sleep later tonight.

Be back tomorrow!
XOXOXO
Ildie

Shine on baby!

There was a certain spring in my step today. Get it? "Spring"! It was 60+ degrees and the sun was shinning all over my smiling face. AHHHHHH! Sweet ray therapy! Shine on baby, shine on! I blissfully pranced and dilly dallied around all day without a coat and loved every single second of it.

I'm clearly in a better place today. Work is less crazy and I feel this calm peace around me right now.

The always fabulous, brilliant (clearly smart, she gave me an award....) and gorgeous Karin from Give Me Bananas gave me an award. Thanks lady! ;)


The rules:

• Thank & link to the person who gave this to you.
• Copy the logo and place on your blog.
• Tell SIX outrageous lies about yourself and ONE outrageous truth.
• Nominate seven “Creative Writers” who you know will come up with some great lies.
• Post links to the seven nominees and let them know you nominated them.

OH how fun! Can you guess which of the below is true? HA!

1. I'm involved with the Hungarian Mafia.
2. I once ate a pound of tree bark to be one with nature.
3. I have a severe fear of earthworms.
4. My full name is Ildikoshococo.
5. I once did a tightrope tango in the nude for charity.
6. I can roll my R's like a roaring kitten. ROAR!
7. My goal in life is to become a crazy cat lady.

HAHAHA! That was great! Thanks Karin! Okay, moving on to FOOD!

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

The usual hip hoppin bowl of oats. Eat your oats ladies. Make your Mama proud!

• 1/2 cup old fashioned oats
• 1/4 cup wheat bran
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

I microwaved this as usual and then topped it with...

• 1 tbs flax
• 2 tbs sugar free apricot preserves (Smucker's)
• 1 tbs Better N' Peanut Butter
• dash of cinnamony love

I inhaled this like nobodies business. Whiles gawking at the beautiful sun through my office (prison) window.

Today was so much less hectic at work. I was actually able to take several bathroom, water, stretch and bloggie brakes. Ahhhhhh!

LUNCH (meal #2) at 12:30pm.

Another epic wrap. A few simple and clean ingredients make the best wraps I swear.

• 1 whole wheat and flax FatOut
• 1 wedge light Laughing Cow Cheese (swiss)
• Baby spinach
• Red bell pepper

Rolled into perfection and devoured with 2 crunchy carrots for an extra veggie kick.


We hit the mall on our break today. Me? At the mall? Willingly? I know! WEIRD! I hate malls! However, I was on the hunt for the perfect Birthday card for Nick and another little "cheesy" present. I found them both! YAY! He's all done!

Somehow, in the process of wrapping Nick up, I also "accidentally" picked myself up some new hair clips, a funky hair bow, a pair of earrings and a necklace. It happened so fast. I HAVE NO CONTROL I SWEAR!!


Oh, and check these out. They look like little Babushka Ladies! I gave one to Ann. I LOVE EM! HA!


SNACK (meal #3) at 3:45pm.

I had my snack a bit earlier than usual today. I tried that off brand banana cream pie yogurt I picked up the other day, sprinkled with pomegranate and flax granola. It was pretty good. I wish it had more protein though. This baby only packs 5g.


I left work at 4:30 today instead of 5:00 because I NEEDED to get a workout in and I also NEEDED to be at Nick's Mama's house by 8:00 for the family Birthday "gift giving" celebration. His Birthday isn't until tomorrow (the 12th) but they decided to get together tonight instead. I refuse to give my presents to him tonight though! NOPE! He has to SUFFER AND WAIT. MUWAHAHAHAHA!

WORKOUT!

Since falling madly in love with my Polar heart rate monitor watch, I've decided to once again REVAMP the workouts a bit. I've been doing the same thing for over a month now and I'm ready to switch it up a tad. I've decided to do the following. NO MORE HOUR LONG CARDIO SESSIONS 2x a week. NO NEED!! According to my sexy pink watch, I burn just as much OR MORE doing both weights and cardio together. Who knew? I'm also going to work my arms and shoulders 2x a week. I want to tone them up and it's not happening quickly enough for my liking. :)

Mon - Biceps, Triceps, Shoulders + 30 min. cardio.
Tues - Chest, Back + 30 min cardio.
Wed - Biceps, Triceps, Shoulders + 30 min. cardio.
Thurs - 45 min. cardio + 15 min. abs
Fri - OFF
Sat - Legs, Glutes + 30 min. cardio
Sun - 15-20 min. of abs at home

So anyways, that's the new plan. We'll see how she goes. Here is what I did today.

Elliptical Cross Trainer
45 minutes, 3.9 miles

min 1-2 (level 5)

min 3-4 (level 6)

min 5-6 (level 7)

min 7-8 (level 8)

min 9-10 (level 9)

min 11-12 (level 10)

min 13-14 (level 11)

min 15-16 (level 12)

min 17-18 (level 13)

min 19-20 (level 5)

min 21-22 (level 6)

min 23-24 (level 7)

min 25-26 (level 8)

min 27-28 (level 9)

min 29-30 (level 10)

min 31-32 (level 11)

min 33-34 (level 12)

min 35-36 (level 13)

min 37-38 (level 8)

min 39-40 (level 9)

min 42-42 (level 10)

min 43-45 (level 5)

Ab workout

Crunches x20 (3 sets)

Situps x20 (3 sets)

Leg Raise crunches x20 (2 sets)

Torso Twist crunches X20 (2 sets)

Crunches x50

Total Calories Burned - 597
Max heart rate - 177
Average heart rate - 149

Total time - 1:05

SNACK (meal #4) at 6:30pm.

I FLEW HOME and made a quick protein shake. No time for a blended smoothie. I was in a RUSH! I just put a cup of unsweetened vanilla Almond Breeze in my shaker cup and added a scoop of peanut butter chocolate whey protein powder. Shook it like a MAD DOG and chugged it. GO GO GO!


I took the fastest bath in history! Dried the hair, put the face on and dove head first into dinner making. I was keeping it quick and simple tonight.

DINNER (meal #5) at 7:20pm.

I decided to whip together a SUPER FAST (yet oddly delicious) Egg white omelet.

• 4 egg whites
• 1 wedge of light, swiss Laughing Cow Cheese
• 1 tomato, diced
• a bit of green bell pepper

I also enjoyed the leftover green beans from last night on the side. And naturally, I smothered everything in Sriracha because I am addicted to HEAT!


I quickly ate my dinner and then drove to the Birthday gathering. I got there right on time. AND I WAS GREETED BY A SLICE OF COCONUT CREAM PIE! OMG! (crappy picture, sorry) I had the thinest slice possible. I indulged but not too much. I also had 3 (yes 3) cups of decaf. YUM!


I was also greeted by a belated present from Nick's mom. Crazy sweet lady!


LOOK AT THIS SWEET HAT!! She made it! I AM IN LOVE WITH IT!


We hung out with his family till roughly 10:00 and then made our way home. This left me just enough time to blog for you fabulous people! Hope you enjoyed it. It was sort of a long one!! ;)

XOXOXOX
Ildie

Egg addict!

Why hello there. How's life? Full of flavor, spice, variety, excitement and lots of love I hope. Today has been a great day and a great way to end the week. It started out with a cup of coffee and then I spent about two hours cleaning. Don't you worry, I ENJOY cleaning. Ahhh, the smell of Windex and Pledge in the morning is SO delightful. :)

After cleaning I enjoyed a second cup of coffee and made this amazing egg white, green onion and tomato omelet/scramble. Not sure what to call it. All I know is that I LOVE eggs and that it was delicious. I also had a toasted Arnold Sandwich Thin on the side with a little spray butter. My taste buds and tummy were so happy. YEAH! I'm pretty sure that I'm an official egg addict. I could eat them every day. And sometimes I do too. I DOOOO!!!!


This thing was rotting next to me the whole time. SO CUTE. YET SO MEAN! It's very much a love hate relationship with me and Oliver!


After breakfast I decided to clean the bathroom. I guess the tasty food gave me more energy!!! As much as I love cleaning, I hate cleaning my tub. It's a huge, extra deep jacuzzi tub. I basically have to climb inside of it to reach all the areas that need cleaned. UGH. Wet feet + stinky soft scrub bleach = unhappy Ildie. After I finished I was happy I did it though. It was sparkling, clean and super shiny. YEAH FOR A CLEAN HOUSE! YEAH!

Then I cleaned up and got dressed to go visit my Mama and Papa. As usual I took my own food so I could be in full control of what I'm eating. I decided to have a shrimp salad. I haven't had shrimp in a while. No idea why either because I absolutely LOVE the stuff! I sauteed the shrimp in a little soy, garlic powder and cayenne. I made my salad with sweet butter lettuce, green onions, sliced tomato, black beans, Melba bagel crisps and then I tossed the shrimp on top. I also drizzled some sweet honey ginger dressing on it. MMMMMM. OMG it was SO good. ;)


After lunch we played a few COMPETITIVE rounds of Sorry and Yahtzee and enjoyed a nice cup of coffee. Do I drink too much coffee???


My visit ended at about 5:30 and then I came home to relax for a bit with Mr. Kitty and Mr. Wonderful. We had planed to go bowling later with his friends but that didn't work out. They all work at a Tattoo Shop and they ended up staying open till 8:00 instead of 6:00. Instead they decided to come over to our place after they closed the shop up. I was excited. His friend Blair has been working on a re-design for my shoulder tattoo for some time now. It curenlty consists of coral, waves and cherry blossoms. I like it but it just looks incomplete somehow. I don't plan to make it bigger (don't worry Papa). I just want to make it look a bit more put together and thought out. Blair is an amazing Tattoo artist and I trust him completely. I'm sure what ever he came up with will be brilliant!

I needed a quick and easy dinner that I could whip up quickly since I came home with leftovers from my Mama for Nick. I decided to have a black bean burger on an English muffin with a small side salad and some red grapes. I just used a couple of squirts of ranch dressing on the salad. Simple and tasty!


I was craving something sweet later so I made a nice cup of raspberry zinger tea and had that with some chocolate animal crackers. YEAH. Tasty stuff. I wasn't able to take a picture because my batteries died! Stupid un-chargeable camera! Plus our friends are here now anyways and it's time to play some Catan. So goodnight everyone. Enjoy the rest of your Sunday night.