November 26th, 2008: Lunch and Dinner

Posted on November 26, 2008 by Andrea

Guys I’m busting out this post because I am worn. out.

My run this morning was glorious and I over dressed! :o I was burning up in my jacket, serves me right for not checking the temp before I left. I had no idea it was going to be this warm, like we’re in the 40s. Craziness!

I wasn’t going to run the 3.4 miler again because I was going to give myself a break knowing I was going to run it tomorrow morning. I’m running along and I sort of zoned out because I was thinking about Christmas and plans and what we’re doing and blah blah blah. Next thing I know, I’m on the second loop of the run to extend the run. I ended up doing the 3.4 miler anyway. I guess my body had different plans than my brain. :p

I drank down my CS and was back out with Rocks. When we got back home I showered and then I did the Wii Yoga. It yelled at me for being away so long but whatevs Wii. I did about 15 minutes. Then I was starving so I had an apple.

November 26th, 2008: Morning

Posted on November 26, 2008 by Andrea

light snack

Hi guys! While we watched some TV yesterday, we each had two fortune cookies and a glass of Italian orange and mango soda. Yum! I was full but wanted something a little sweet and this hit the spot. It wasn’t long after that I headed up to bed to read. I read for about an hour and a half, by 10:30 I was out like a light. Oooo it felt so nice to sleep. :p

We got new phones yesterday, house phones. As much as I love cordless phones, we burn through them quickly. Maybe they are only made to last a few years but we do need new phones every 3 years or so. It took us a while to find phones because I was being picky. We have those phones where there is a base phone and then you can put satellite phones elsewhere in the house. The last set we had only had two phones. That meant no phone in the office and no phone in the bedroom. I can’t stand this! Also, they didn’t sync up with each other. If you had numbers stored on one phone, it was only on that phone, it didn’t transfer automatically to the other phones. Dumb. Plus you couldn’t turn off the ringers. They started dieing on us a few months back, only lasting for about 1/2 an hour before needing to be recharged.

November 25th, 2008: Lunch and Dinner

Posted on November 25, 2008 by Andrea

Yum yum!

Hi guys! It wasn’t long after posting the morning entry that I headed out into the cold. I was talking to Scott about my run and where I should go to add the distance. He mentioned backtracking a little which would take me past the house. I kiboshed that idea right away. I don’t want to run past the house, that would make it too easy to stop if I wanted to. I’m not giving myself that kind of opportunity. I finally figured out where I could make the extra loop, I just had to do one segment twice.

I did that today on my run. And man was I wishing I had an iPod or something to listen to, I was in a music kind of mood. The run started off typical, rough for the first 20 minutes then I found my pace and got in a groove. I had on my standard winter outfit and even had to put the hood up. The wind was a little chilly on my neck. I was running and came upon some guy walking a dog and whistling. I ran past him and then cut in front of him at which point he decided to whistle louder. Wha? I don’t know if he was whistling for me or what but it was a little creepy so I boogied on quickly.

TT: Simmering stock on the stove with veggie trimmings

Posted on November 25, 2008 by Andrea

Use those ends

This is it! The big week and there’s only two more sleeps till Thanksgiving. I hope you are ready to tell Thanksgiving who’s boss!

Remember when we talked about freezing the veggie trimmings? Now is a great time to put those veggie end pieces to good use! I honestly can’t think of another day when such copious amounts of stock are used and needed than on Thanksgiving day. Some goes on the turkey, some is used for casseroles, mashed potatoes, and stuffing. You name it and the probability of it needing stock is probably high.

I don’t know about you, but I love using stocks and broths to add flavor to things. As much as I love them, I still think the flavor intensity could stand to be kicked up a bit. I love things with big bang flavor, I am not a subtly girl. And I’m talking store bought stock here, because I’m sure your homemade version has plenty of flavor.

November 25th, 2008: Morning

Posted on November 25, 2008 by Andrea

much needed

Whoa guys but I am pooped! Up front, I had a glass and a half of red wine last night upon returning home from SF class. Let me explain. Last night Scott and I tested for our third degree brown belt (last test before black). I was stressing this test like no other. I knew everything save for one thing that gave me trouble. That’s what was worrying me. I could not wait to get Monday over and done with. I knew it was going to be a long day because I had PT in the morning and then the test that night. Since there were a group of us testing all for different levels, it took a while. By the time we were done it was 10pm, class is normally over by 9pm.

Both of us passed our test and except for the part that I knew was going to give me trouble, I feel really good about my test and like I knocked it out of the water. Scott and I always celebrate a test with something to drink because it is something worth celebrating. And since yesterday was such a long day and I was stressing hardcore, I needed to relax. Hello red wine.

November 24th, 2008: Lunch and Dinner

Posted on November 24, 2008 by Andrea

Hi guys! PT was arms today and it was rough. My shoulders just did not want to cooperate and do any work. Meh. Shoulders, triceps, and biceps are what I worked today. A little bit of ab work at the end.

After PT it was time to hit up the grocery store. Regular shopping + t-day shopping. I was actually surprised that we didn’t spend as much as I thought we were going to. Partly because I got some good deals at WF. Also, just an FYI, Libby’s pumpkin at my store was like $1.49 for the small cans and WF canned pumpkin is only 99cents. Yeah, I’m sticking with the WF canned pumpkin.

Once home and stuff was put away, it was time to get down to lunch! I was starving and bought some soup at the store. As much as I love making my own soup sometimes I only want a little bit or don’t want to take the time to make my own. It happens. ;) So I look for lighter or less sodium versions of prepared soups.

November 24th, 2008: Morning

Posted on November 24, 2008 by Andrea

Morning guys! I will tell you up front that I am so WEAK. I totally had another glass of wine last night. It was really early in the evening so I decided another glass would be fine. And it was and I was but I’m not pleased I had some.

My sleeping was a little off last night, I slept fine when I was sleeping but I got up a lot and it took me a while to fall back to sleep. Meh.

Oats

For breakfast, I decided to make some oats! I have PT this morning and then it’s off to the grocery store for t-day stuff and regular grocery shopping. I know we’re going to be gone a while so I need oat power to get me through. Very basic oats today with the addition of vanilla whey protein powder! I love my morning oats but I am starving by lunch time. I’m trying to see if the extra protein helps add in some staying power. I know the extra fiber from pumpkin does and as much as I love pumpkin oats, I don’t want them everyday. Hence, the experimenting with the whey.

November 23rd, 2008: Lunch and Dinner

Posted on November 23, 2008 by Andrea

Hi guys! I worked a little this morning and put up a new recipe. Once all that was done, it was time for me to get started on Sunday breakfast. As I was doing that, Scott woke up and made his way downstairs. By the time everything was ready, I was starved!

Mmmm

We had scrambled eggs, (2 eggs + 2 egg whites), a slice of buttered WW toast, and some turkey bacon. On top of the scrambled eggs is a bit of shredded cheddar and some salsa. Mmmm! In the middle is a fruit salad (pineapple, mango, peaches) made from frozen fruits which I thawed. On the side is a wee portion of some bread pudding I had made. I ate everything, save for one slice of the bacon. I cleared my plate and then started focusing on the fruit! Pineapple being my fave out of the bunch.

Oooo purty

Sage Sausage Biscuits

Posted on November 23, 2008 by Andrea

Right out of the oven

One of the things I love making are handheld food stuffs. Especially if it’s for a party, potluck, or just something simple to have on hand for holiday gatherings.

Another thing I love is sausage. I grew up eating all kinds and being Polish, you know you have to eat kielbasa as required by law. Back in the day on the rare occasions that I had a McDonald’s breakfast (I know, totally ew, but hey who hasn’t had one? Uh huh.) naturally it was all about the egg sandwiches right? I took off the egg and tossed it because it was icky. I only ate the muffin and sausage. That’s where it was at for me because it was all about the sausage.

I still like that combination but worked on making it a little more healthy. Yes, the dish has sausage but that doesn’t mean the dish has to be a total unhealthy fest. I worked on looking at it from a different perspective and presenting in a different form. Sage Sausage Biscuits are the result!

November 23rd, 2008: Morning

Posted on November 23, 2008 by Andrea

Hi guys!! Scott and I sat on the couch and watched a bit of TV and the start of the Pens game. Which, can I tell you, was crazy! Not even a minute into the game there was a huge fight, each team had three players sent to the box AND each team had a player thrown out of the game. Then about five minutes into the game, the goalie (and captain) did something and got injured and had to leave. :o Holy drama! I only watched the first period then I went up to bed to read for a bit. I read for about an hour and was in bed seepin’ by 11pm.

I woke up at 7am and decided to get up and get moving. I ran first thing and it was cold! But there was no wind so it was awesome running this morning. I believe it was about 15/16 degrees. Chilly! I found out my new route is only 2.5/2.6 miles. :grumpy: Damnit I will figure out a three mile route soon! I’m a little crabby because my addition is not a short one so I thought it would bump up the mileage more. Don’t you hate that?