Asparagus Appetizer and Asics

Last night, we went to a St. Patrick’s Day bonfire at our friend’s place. I wanted to bring a green appetizer to go with the theme, and decided on an appetizer that my friend/co-worker had made for us at our St. Pat’s Day themed meeting at work last Wednesday.

She made asparagus wrapped in ham and cream cheese. I whipped them up for the party last night and I left the party with an empty platter in hand. They were a hit. They are healthy, easy and very tasty.

1. First, bring a pot of water to a boil.

2. Next, rinse the asparagus. Then, snap off the bottoms that are hard and great to eat. Tip: place one hand at the middle of the stalk, the other hand at the bottom and bend until the end snaps off. Discard the end piece and keep the top. Where it snaps off naturally is generally a good indicator of the good versus the bad.

3. Place the asparagus in the boiling water and boil for 3 minutes. Remove from hot water and place immediately into an ice bath to shock the asparagus and stop the cooking process.

4. Combine 1 room temperature 8-ounce block of reduced fat cream cheese, 1 teaspoon mustard, and 1/2 teaspoon of Worcestershire in a bowl. Use a hand mixer to combine until creamy.

5.  Place thinly sliced deli ham on cutting board and cut to appropriate size (about 4×4 inches). Smear cream cheese mixture on ham. Place asparagus on top, and roll. The cream cheese makes the wrap stick together so no tooth picks are necessary to hold it together.

Pretty right?

 We had such a great time last night at our friend’s place. We played yard games, ate some awesome corned-beef hash and sat around the bonfire. It was the perfect way to end St. Patty’s Day.

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This morning started off with a big cup of coffee, coupon cutting with the hubby (out Sunday morning routine), and a bowl of nasty looking  satisfying oat-less oatmeal. In the mix today was egg whites, almond milk, ground flaxseed, chocolate protein powder, cinnamon, and banana. I topped it off with some peanut butter and called it a breakfast.

After breakfast we were off and running to get errands crossed off our list. We first headed to Target and Costco to stock up on groceries, then headed to Marathon Sports which is a store that specializes in running and walking. Dana and I both needed new running shoes and have heard really great things about this place, so we decided to check it out ourselves.

The staff was incredibly helpful and efficient. The store was bonkers today but staff kept everyone happy including both of us who both walked out with new shoes!

I decided to stick with the same Asics I was wearing before, but bought the newest version; Asics Gel-Kayano 18 (my last ones were 17). I was really happy with my last pair so I figure why mess with a good thing. I put them on my feet and they fit like they were made for me; comfortable and supportive. Sold.

I can see why they are voted one of the best running stores in America. I would highly recommend them to anyone. Plus, they were founded in 1985, which was a pretty special year. 🙂

Lunch today was very random. It started with sugar snap peas which I dove into on the car-ride home.

Then a cara-cara orange which OMG was so perfectly sweet and juicy. MMMMmm…I could probably eat 4 of them.

Next, I moved onto a small bowl of Special K Blueberry cereal.

Lastly, a small bowl of  Multi-Grain Peanut Butter Cheerios. Heavenly. Have you tried these yet? You really should.

Amidst our errand running we also stopped at two different Menards. We needed to get tiles for our bathroom in the basement which will begin construction very soon! Considering I made it through not one, but two Menards trips, I figured I deserved a Caramel Light Frappuccino from Starbuck’s. Perfectly sweet and expensive, as always.

I have a healthy dinner planned for dinner tonight. I will get you the details tomorrow! Hope you are having a productive yet relaxing Sunday.

Continue Reading Asparagus Appetizer and Asics

Jam-Packed Fun

Yay for Hump Day! We are half way through the work week! Alright, I hope you aren’t sick of this yet because I am almost done filling you in on the California trip.

Day #3: Sunday morning began with an awesome breakfast on the beach at The Beachcomber Cafe which is located on the same beach that we walked on the previous day, Crystal Cove. Brandon had made reservations for us a couple of days in advance because it is such a popular place. Even with reservations we still had to wait about 10 minutes, which was obviously no big deal. We are on the beach after all, so nothing is a big deal and we had a beautiful ocean view to gaze at while we waited.

It was a little chilly oceanside this morning, but we were  nice and cozy inside the restaurant. The restaurant is fairly open, but they do have a screen up to keep out some unwanted birdies and block a little bit of the wind. They also had heat lamps and even blankets! We all ordered coffee right away as we waited for our food.

Brandon, Will, and Dana

And then this piece of heaven was delivered to me. Macadamia nut pancakes with coconut syrup. I was a happy camper.

Next stop was the Farmer’s Market. This was my second trip to heaven of the day. Not only did they have an abundance of fresh produce, they also had so many great samples out! Not that I really needed more food at this point, but this was such a great opportunity for me to try a few new things. I tried persimmons and pommelos for the first time,  and sampled a cara cara orange, fresh raspberry, and really great flavored balsamic vinegar. They also had a bunch of veggies of course, bread from a local bakery, and more.

They had a handful of food trucks parked there which are becoming so popular! We didn’t get the whole food truck experience this time but we were at least able to walk by them and see what they look like. I know Dana has eaten at a food truck here in MN, but I haven’t yet, so it was fun for me to see them.

After the farmer’s market, we headed to Balboa Island which is a sweet little town in Newport beach. We walked the sidewalks and saw some very interesting homes. Each home had so much personality. One house could have a completely modern look, where the next has a Tuscan look, and then the next a standard all-American looking home with a white picket fence. I loved seeing all of these homes and seeing all of the beautiful landscaping in their “yards.”

We sat by the beach for a while and soaked up the feeling of the warm sun on our skin. I miss that feeling! It’s been since October or so since I’ve felt the wonderful warm sun like that.

Across the way from us is what I believe to be the actual “island.” You can take a ferry over to the other side where they have a ferris wheel, restaurants, a large beach and more. We decided not to do that this time.

We had another island to get to. Fashion Island! Fashion Island is an outdoor mall in Orange County which offers a variety of designer stores and specialty boutiques. We did a lot of window shopping and people watching. I didn’t end up buying anything while I was there, and I realized while I was there that I am really not very fashionable. I have always known that I am not a “fashionista”, but it really hit me as I was looking at the clothing designs in these shops, not liking anything I saw, and knowing that these were considered fashionable items, how much I was lacking in the style department. Oh well! I guess everyone will have to accept me for who I am, sweatpants and all. 🙂

On our way to fashion island, we made a pit-stop at a local cafe for a quick bite to eat. I was in serious need of veggies, so I decided on the cobb salad piled high with lettuce, sprouts, tomato, cucumber, egg, and turkey and ham.

It was healthy and fresh, and helped me replenish my vegetable status for the day. After we walked around the shops for a while, I was exhausted, and really wanted to just go back to Brandon’s and relax. Considering I was the lead decision maker this weekend (kidding), we headed back home to relax. Dana and I packed up our stuff, and showered and then the men got to making dinner a few hours later.

For dinner, we decided just to make fajitas at home. I was getting a little tired of eating out at restaurants and I think everyone else was too. It was a good executive decision. Take a look at Chef Dana in action. He cooks, he cleans, I am one lucky woman!

In no time, these healthy delicious fajitas were ready to enjoy.

We spent the rest of the evening watching the Oscar’s and hanging out. It was pretty neat watching the Oscar’s knowing that we were so close to the action, and because we had seen some of the outside setup on Friday when we were in Hollywood! Alas, it was time to head to the airport for our red-eye flight. We were hoping to spot some celebrities heading home after the Oscar’s, but we had no such luck. I was however able to do some quick exercises while we waited for our flight. I looked like a fool, but I did lunges, tricep dips, and even threw a few burpees in there. I was “that” girl at the airport. Like I said, like me for who I am, sweatpants and lunges at the airport, and all. 😉

We were kind of tired and I was completely slap happy at this point. Two flights, and one layover including one almost missed plane, and we were home.

Thanks for letting me relive my California trip with you all! I had such a great time as you can tell. We had a jam packed trip full of great food, friends, and wonderful sights. Dalynn, once again thank you for hanging out with us and letting us stay with you Friday, and Brandon thank you for being so great to us and showing us around! I hope to see you both again soon!

Can’t wait for our next Vaca! Back to reality for now and back to getting my diet and exercise routine on track again!

Have a great day!

Continue Reading Jam-Packed Fun

Prada, Gucci, and Larry King

Good morning! Wow, each time I am away from home and come back from being away I remember just how much I love my bed! It hugged me tight last night and didn’t let go until the morning. I was so tired and still kind of am. It usually takes me a couple of nights of sleep to recover from vacation.

Continuing on from yesterday’s post which would bring us to Day #2 in California. Considering we went to bed at 9:30 pm Friday night, we were both wide awake at 6:15 Saturday morning. We took advantage of being up early and got ready to head out for the day. We said our goodbye’s to Dalynn and goodbye to Hollywood and headed out toward Rodeo Drive.

On our way we stopped at a Farmer’s Market area to search for a place to eat breakfast. We ended up going to a little Bakery and Cafe called Du-par’s, which originated in Vegas and has been around for a while. I believe it is still in Vegas, but LA now has one as well. It has an old school feel; the waitresses even wear the old-fashioned bonnet type hats, and they make coffee from a large, old brass- colored coffee maker.

The menu was simple and classic. I settled for two eggs over easy and hash browns. The meal also came with whole wheat toast and  their homemade jam. We tried both strawberry and raspberry and both were delicious. We also drank a couple cups of joe on the side.

After breakfast we continued on our way to Rodeo Drive. We parked our hot mustang at a meter and started walking the ritzy sidewalks. We got there fairly early so it was nice and quiet and peaceful while we were there. We passed Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Cartier, Christian Dior, Dolce & Gabbana, Fendi, Harry Winston, Jimmy Choo, Prada, and more. I bought something at each and every store. 🙂 Ha. I couldn’t hardly even afford to look through the windows of these stores much less step foot in them and buy something. I would have felt like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman and there is no question about that (especially in my athletic apparel that I was sporting that morning).

As we were walking along the sidewalks, we had our one and only celebrity sighting of the whole trip. I walked past a man and did a double take. I smiled at him, he smiled back. It wasn’t until I passed him that I realized it was Larry King. I got my celebrity spotting that I was hoping for! I was pretty jazzed up about it too. I’m a little bit of a dork like that.

We wrapped up at Rodeo Drive and headed to Newport Beach to meet up with my friend (since middle school), Brandon, who is going to grad school at University of California, Irvine. His parents live in Newport Beach and we stayed at their home for the rest of the trip. They have a gorgeous place and were so accommodating and gracious.

We got to their house around noon and then waited for our other high school friend, Will, to arrive, before we headed to the beach. Brandon drove us over to Crystal Cove in Newport Beach and we walked barefoot in the sand under the warm sun. It was so serene and beautiful and I loved every second of our walk.

Brandon managed to get stung by a bee in the process of the walk which was really funny to me at the time (sorry Brandon). The bee got him in the bottom of the foot but that didn’t stop him. We kept on truckin’!

After the walk we headed back home to get cleaned up and grab some lunch/snacks: homemade guacamole, fresh strawberries, veggie chips, etc.

A few hours later we were heading out towards Laguna Beach to a bar called the Rooftop which overlooks the ocean and has a great view of the sunset. It was very pretty! We stayed there only for a little while before heading out to dinner in Newport Beach at the Bear Flag Fish Company. They are very well-known for their fish tacos and I can understand why!

You step in to the joint and the place is packed. In the front there is a closed glass deli case filled with about 10 different fresh fish filets. You chose your fish and place your order at the front. In about 20 minutes or so they make your fish of choice into a grilled blackened fish taco. I chose the Opah and was extremely happy with my decision. Seriously, check this out.

Fresh grilled opah, cabbage, jalapeno, cilantro, tomato, some really good cream sauce, and a squirt of lime juice over the top. I also ordered a side of black beans because I like black beans. These tacos were incredible! I would recommend this place to everyone! The prices were very reasonable too considering the amount of food you got and the freshness of the fish and ingredients.

Dana ordered a grilled artichoke as an appetizer which was also very good. I snagged a couple bites of that green goodness. I want to make artichokes on the grill at home!

After dinner we decided just to head home and relax on their outdoor patio. We called it an early night again and hit the hay around 10:00 pm! Once again, wild and crazy! One more day to share with you and then you will be all caught up!

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A little off-subject food news to share with you. I cooked with Tempeh for the first time last night! I will be talking more about it later but wanted to give you a sneak peek! Pasta with Tempeh marinara. It was GOOD!

 

Happy Tuesday everyone!

Anyone have any fun celebrity sighting experiences to share?

Continue Reading Prada, Gucci, and Larry King

Roll Out the Red Carpet

Hello friends! How was everyone’s weekend? We just got in after our red eye flight home from California. It is cold here! I was hoping it would magically turn warm while I was gone and we would jump right into Spring. A girl can dream. Anyway, I have lots to update you with so I figure I will have to do this in stages otherwise it will be too overwhelming for me. Here we go!

Friday morning we flew (on first class!) into Los Angeles, California with one layover in Dallas. The flights were smooth, I read some of my book, Women’s Health Magazine, watched an episode of Whitney, and ate pretty good food! We ate breakfast and lunch on the plane. Carb city for breakfast. Out of this schmorgousboard of food I ate the bagel and the berries, and saved the banana for a mid-morning snack.

I also made sure to keep chugging my water throughout the flights. It is so easy to get dehydrated on flights and I almost always feel pretty nasty after a flight. I always bring my big CamelBak water bottle and just fill it up once I get past security (since you can’t have more than 3 oz of liquids). It works well and helps me keep track of how much water I am drinking. Plus, it saves me from having to spend $2 or whatever it is for bottled water and more eco-friendly too.

A few hours later it was time for lunch which began with warmed mixed nuts. Num! My favorites were the pistachios for sure.

Next the main course which was a grilled chicken salad which had some type of sauce on it that tasted like salsa but I’m not 100% sure what it was. Anyway, mixed greens with grilled chicken, jicama, tomato, black beans, corn, and blue cheese crumbles. Yup, on the airplane. American Airlines did a good job! On the side was tortilla strips to go on the salad which I vetoed, and Stacy’s pita chips with Tribe hummus. It just kept getting better and better; so healthified!

A tiny bit of a torturous moment was after lunch, there was a waft of a scent of warm cookies that floated by us. We both looked at eachother and said “ah man, cookies.” We did not give in even though they smelt wonderful. That was temptation #1 of the trip.

When we arrived to LAX airport we headed to pick up our rental car from Avis. We didn’t know what car we would be getting, we just knew it would be small because that is what we requested. We get to the front desk and the clerk says, “would you guys be okay with a Mustang?” Really? Haha. Was not expecting that but, why not!

And there she is. The silver bullet (not to be confused with Coors Light). Once we found the 405 we headed out towards Hollywood area. It was beautiful outside when we arrived; about 65° at the airport, and as we headed towards Hollywood the temp crept all the way up to 86°! It was a crazy temperature change. We headed to Griffith Park which overlooks the city and gives you a great view of the Hollywood sign. They also had a visitor’s center which was perty.

I was loving the feeling of sun on my skin. I could have laid down right on that sidewalk and taken a nap. Besides the warmth of the sun, it was also so nice to see green everywhere! Back home in Minnesota it is pretty gray and dull right now. I soaked up the views and we headed out to meet up with our friend, Dalynn who lives in Hollywood. She lives just a couple of minutes away from the Kodak theater and we stayed at her apartment the first night.

I am so upset I didn’t get a picture of Dalynn for this post! I couldn’t believe it! We met up and headed to a bar to relax for a bit with a couple of her friends. On our way to the bar we walked down the street to the area where the Oscar’s were going to be taking place two days from then (last night). Although most of it was blocked off it was still neat to see the area where all the stars would be and to imagine them filing in on the red carpet in their Prada, Gucci, what have you.

I was imagining Brad Pitt and George Clooney looking so studly in their Armani suits smiling for the millions of fans. Very neat!

For dinner this first night we headed to a Mexican restaurant called Loteria Grill. I ordered the Burrito Calabacitas which is made up of zucchini and roasted corn succotash, salsa verde, onion, cilantro, queso fresco, and beans and rice.

Oh geez, good thing I was hungry! That thing was mammoth-sized! Dana had shrimp tacos and Dalynn had the Chilaquiles. Everyone loved their food. After dinner we kicked around what we wanted to do. Dana and I were exhausted from our 3:30 am wake-up call that morning and were hardly functioning at this point so we actually decided to call it an early night and were sleeping by 9:30 pm. Yup, in Hollywood. We are pretty crazy aren’t we?! I mean really, we need to settle down because we are getting ridiculous. 😉 I was so happy to sleep. I wanted to be well-rested so I could be fully re-energized for the next days ahead!

So there you have it. Day Numero Uno. It was awesome! Dalynn, it was so great to see you and thank you again for letting us stay at your place! Hope you can make it back to MN in the near future.

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Random off subject note: We did not make it into Grandma’s Half Marathon lottery. We are pretty disappointed but there is nothing we can do about it so we are thinking it happened for a reason and it wasn’t meant to be. However, we WILL still be running the Minneapolis Half Marathon in the beginning of June so we are very pumped for that! Now we just need Spring to roll around so we can really kick training into high gear! Yeeahh!

So happy to be back. California day two, coming up next! We may have spotted a celebrity btw! Be sure to check in later gators.

Continue Reading Roll Out the Red Carpet

And We’re Off

“I hopped off the plane at LAX, with a dream and my cardigan…”  We are officially California bound baby and yes I just quoted Miley Cyrus! So what? I am pumped. I’m still hoping to can spot some celebs, but more than anything I am just very excited to get away and see some friends.

Aww, Kate I wish you were going to be there too. 🙂

First things first, a little recap from yesterday. I could not quite capture the deliciousness of this salad but I will still share the photo to give you some idea of what into my belly at lunch.

I wasn’t quite sure of how this would turn out because I was literally just tossing items into the mix that I had on hand that I thought might blend well together in a salad.

In the mix:

  • raw kale
  • chopped walnuts
  • feta cheese
  • two clementines, peeled and segmented
  • Craisins
  • balsamic vinegar

At first bite I still wasn’t sure what I thought of it, but I kept mixing and kept eating and eventually came to the realization that I really enjoyed this mix. It’s packed full of superfoods and vitamins too! For lunch I also ate a banana, apple, and carrots. Crazy veggie intake I know. I like to really fill up on them before a vacation because I don’t know what my intake will be like while I am away.

For dinner, I wanted to try and use up some of our perishable items in the fridge. I steamed a whole lot of broccoli, topped it with cheddar cheese, salt, and pepper, and threw an egg on top with some mustard, and called it a dinner. I’m so sorry you have to witness yet another runny egg. I have been in such a kick with this egg bit. It’s probably getting old but it is just so tasty and such an easy way to get some protein into a meal.

Here’s a couple of not very attractive photos.

K, seriously ugly photos but seriously delicious. If I haven’t convinced you to try runny eggs over veggies, I will. I won’t give up on it.

Alright, I am out! I will do my best to keep you updated on the trip but can’t make any promises! Either way I will catch you up at some point. Happy Friday everyone!

Continue Reading And We’re Off

Fat Tuesday? It sure was.

Happy Hump Day!

How ironic that I ended up having a complete bottomless pit stomach yesterday on Fat Tuesday. Huh, funny. I didn’t snap photos of all of my food yesterday because quite frankly I would have had to glue the camera to my hand. My day started off with a nice patriotic looking bowl of fruit and greek yogurt.

Btw if you are wondering, I typically buy FAGE (pronounced Fa-yeh) Total 0% all natural non fat greek strained yogurt.

Quick Nutrition Facts (Per 1 cup):

  • 130 calories
  • 0 g fat
  • 85 mg sodium
  • 9 g carbohydrate
  • 9 g sugar
  • 23 whopping grams of protein!
  • 25% daily value of calcium

It’s obvious I really enjoy my yogurt sweetened with a little honey and mixed with a ton of fruit, but it can also be used as a substitute for sour cream, mayonnaise, cream cheese, etc. We have been going through it pretty quickly around our house.

I worked until 1:00 yesterday so I had packed some snacks to tide me over until I got home for lunch. I packed a string cheese, apple, carrots, sugar snap peas, and a banana. I ripped through those snacks like it was no ones business and also had an Archer Farm’s fruit strip on the car ride home. I was going to go to the gym and then eat when I got home but I couldn’t make it. I needed MORE FOOOOOODD! I was like a tornado whipping through the kitchen. I immediately sliced off a piece of bread and slathered it in pb and J. I scarfed that down then headed to the pantry for a few handfuls of Special K blueberry cereal. I wanted more but decided I needed to cool it for a bit, especially if I was planning to get any sort of a workout in.

My intentions were to go for a run on the treadmill. I started running but noticed a little pain in the outside of my left knee cap. I tried to keep running thinking I was just warming up and it would go away, but it didn’t. I turned my run into a 45 minute walk and then cranked out some abs and planks. I hope the pain goes away soon. I think it will.

Anyway…back to the snacks again. I wanted to share with you this new hummus that we bought (new to me at least). It is Cedar’s Artichoke Kalamata Hommus. Oh wow, I can’t begin to describe how good this stuff is but I’ll try. It is creamy and slightly salty with a hint of olive flavor and tiny specks of artichoke. Perfect to dip crackers, veggies, or pita chips. If you ever see this stuff in your grocery store, give it a go.

Now, where was I going with this post? Oh yes, dinner last night! My long-time friend, Kalley came over for dinner last night. We’ve been friends since the 8th grade. Back in the day we passed notes, gossiped about our biggest crushes, and danced and sang to N’sync and Britney Spears. Hmm, come to think of it, not much has changed. 😉 Except now we are passing texts, talking about husbands and real significant boyfriends, and still dancing and singing to JT (although I still have love for Britney too).

Homecoming 2001 (Me, Jules, and Kalley)
Ellen's Wedding 2010

It had been way too long since we had gotten together so we decided to hang out in our comfies and make dinner together. On the menu was veggie fajitas, guacamole and a whole lot of catching up!

Fajitas:

  • bell peppers
  • onions
  • corn
  • pinto beans
  • fajita seasoning (chili powder, cumin, black pepper, salt, paprika, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder)
  • whole wheat tortillas
Kalley’s Guacamole:
  • avocados
  • red onion
  • lime juice
  • lemon juice
  • cilantro
  • salt and pepper

It was SO great catching up! Also, thanks for the books! I started reading Firefly Lane last night. Thanks for coming over Kal!

After Kalley left, Dana and I had our last dessert before lent and it was a good one. Coldstone ice cream (cake batter ice cream with brownies and other goodies) and a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup.

No.more.sweets.

Just noticed the time. I still need to finish getting ready for work!I am out! Happy day!

Continue Reading Fat Tuesday? It sure was.

Laugh a Little

Is it seriously Sunday? Where did this weekend go? Holy cannoli!

My morning started off with a light and healthy breakfast: blueberries, blackberries, and yogurt in my cute new mug.

I wanted to keep breakfast light because I was meeting up with my good friends, Kate and Heidi for lunch in just a couple of hours. We met in Mankato and as always, it was so great to see them and catch up. I didn’t snap a photo of my lunch but I had a cup of chili, a dinner roll, and a side salad with raspberry viniagrette. On the hour drive with Kate, we listened to the 90’s station, danced to the Macarena, and giggled like little girls.

Photo: Me, Kate, and Heidi this summer at Chino Latino’s for “Mel’s Night Out”—such a blast!


While I was a away at lunch, Dana had been busy cleaning and painting! We bought a decorative ladder shelf from Target on Friday and the wall that we want it up against needed a fresh paint job. We decided to make the wall an accent wall with some leftover paint we had. Dana surprised me when I got home and had the wall all painted already! Now we just need to let it dry and we can attach the ladder to the wall and start filling the shelves! I am pretty psyched about it. I will be sure to snap a photo of it once it’s finished!

Today was also a day of errands, laundry, and I am hoping a little rest and relaxation tonight. I am feeling very sluggish this afternoon. I need to think about meals for the week as well. I have a guest coming over for dinner on Tuesday night and want to make something extra delicious for her! 😉 As for dinner tonight, I have absolutely nothing planned and it will most likely be a do your own thing, night.

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Back track to last night, and you will find Dana and I amidst a date night!

We went to see a comedy show by the guys from KFAN radio. I don’t really listen to KFAN but Dana does, so we thought we would give it a go plus tickets were only $10 a piece.I was just hoping they weren’t going to say a lot of KFAN jokes that were only funny to those who listen to the show. I figured no matter what we would get a few chuckles out of it. I was pretty excited anyway.

We tried snapping a photo together before we left for the show but were clearly having some issues with the lighting hence Dana’s half lit face.

Clearly, very excited. Excited enough to walk like an Egyptian.

So, what did we think? We really liked it! They had six “comedians” in the line-up. Some of them were more funny than others, but that’s to be expected. I definitely laughed a lot which felt so good! We had a few people at our table however who must not have had ANY sense of humor because they didn’t crack a smile the whole show. Now come on, laugh a little, it’s good for the soul! At least we thought it was a great way to spend our Saturday night.

Alright, I’m off to hang with the boys and help with house stuff. Catch ya soon!

Continue Reading Laugh a Little

Lovey Dovey

Good morning! A quick recap from yesterday….

The verdict on the pb banana wrap with turkey bacon? It tastes better without the bacon. I have a feeling a lot of people out there would argue with me and say that EVERYTHING tastes better with bacon, but I would have to disagree. It was fun to give it a shot but I’ll stick with the B.L.A.T. option if I want to get my bacon fix.

After work I hit the gym for a 30 minute elliptical run followed by back and bicep strength training.

  • 3×10 bicep curls
  • 3×10 push-ups
  • 3×10 (back) flies—I’m going to be honest I don’t know if that’s the right termage, but I’m going to go with it.
  • I ended with a 1-minute plank
I am extremely tired today so I called it quits after that and headed home in the SNOW! It’s actually snowing here in Minnesota…finally. I didn’t mind un-MinneSNOWta myself but it is kind of pretty around here with the white fluff on the ground.
This isn’t my backyard but it’s a pretty photo, right?!
Dinner was an old go-to dinner for us that we actually haven’t “gone-to” in a while.
Kitchen Sink Hash. We basically throw whatever vegetables we have on hand in a pan with some garlic powder, salt, and pepper. We saute the vegetables until tender, in the meantime cooking an egg over-easy. Plate up the vegetables, then place the egg, and a little shredded cheese on top. Lastly poke the egg yolk (and quick take a picture) as it disperses over the vegetables. OH yea so good!

The rest of the night was spent relaxing with my men, watching the Bachelor, and finishing up the laundry that I didn’t get around to last night. Also, Dana and I booked a future vacation! We have lots of fun planned in the next year. I will be sharing it all with you very soon!

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This morning I started off with a walk/run on the treadmill. It got me moving and a little sweaty. Oh, by the way…

This is my first Valentine’s Day as a married woman! Unfortunately I have to work until 7 pm tonight but that doesn’t mean we aren’t going to celebrate when I get home. Dana is going to make some sort of fresh fish for us (I had originally thought swordfish but now I am contemplating over something else like walleye or grouper), oven roasted fennel and artichoke hearts, and ice cream for dessert! I am excited to try roasted fennel. I have never cooked with it at home. I know it has a slight licorice taste which I generally don’t like, but I am thinking that roasting it might bring out a different flavor. We shall see!

Some people will say that Valentine’s Day is just a “Hallmark” holiday, and that you should tell those you love, that you love them EVERYDAY, not just on February 14th. I agree with this partially, but as a person who DOES tell the ones I love dearly that I love them (sorry this is getting confusing), I DO enjoy celebrating Valentine’s Day. It falls at a great time of year when the big holiday rush has subsided, and the winter is getting a little long. It’s a fun day to express your love even more than you normally do. And to get a little sappy too. 🙂

I am thrilled that it is my first Valentine’s Day as a married woman! I won’t get too mushy on you but I just have to say that I feel like the luckiest woman in the whole world to have Dana as my husband.

He is such a thoughtful, unselfish person, who loves me unconditionally and can put up with me even when I’m having a “crisis”.

He makes me laugh, supports me endlessly, and encourages me to follow my heart.

Telling him I love him doesn’t even begin to explain the way I feel for him. I am so happy I get to spend every single Valentine’s Day with this man forever. I love you Dana. Happy Valentine’s Day.

And Happy Valentine’s Day to all of you as well! I hope that everyone has a great day and can enjoy a little piece of love whether it’s a smile from a friend, a piece of chocolate from a coworker, or even just sitting on the couch with people you enjoy, and watching your favorite show together.

I am a pretty mushy person, but I was able to give you the amended version of my lovey-dovey rant. I LOVE LOVE! What can I say!

How do you guys feel about Valentine’s Day? Overplayed, underplayed? Just another day? The best day of the year? I would love to read your comments!

Continue Reading Lovey Dovey

Great Friends & Homemade Sushi

Man, yesterday was a great day!

When I left you yesterday, I immediately went and made myself some lunch. Homemade bread (recipe coming soon), with cinnamon pB2, bananas, and chia seeds, with a clementine on the side.

After lunch we went and picked up Moose from the groomer…

He was brushed and looks so handsome!

Then, Dana and I registered for our very FIRST HALF MARATHON! June 3rd, 2012. I was so nervous to hit submit in the registration because that means I have actually committed. It’s official, submitted, fees paid, and there’s no turning back. I am so pumped! Bring it on!

Dana’s parents came over shortly after and visited for a couple hours. It was nice to catch up with them as always.

Next, I got ready for our sushi night with friends. I prepped some of the veggies for the sushi and also made some chocolate dipped pretzels to have out for dessert. I had to decorate them with Christmas sprinkles because I didn’t have valentine sprinkles on hand, but they were still pretty and tasty! I snacked on a bunch of pretzels while I made those sweet treats.

The night was full of Asian-inspired snacks: Baked sugar snap peas (crunchy and salty, so good), edamame, and we even tried seaweed snacks. I wasn’t a fan of the seaweed at all. I know they are supposed to be extremely good for you, but I just don’t love the taste of sea and plants combined very much. At least I tried.

We ate lots of homemade sushi which turned out awesome! We stuck to California Rolls with carrots, cucumber, avocado, and crab.

It was a great, relaxing night with friends including getting my tush whooped in Scattegories (and Dana didn’t even cheat)!

Can we please, please do this more often? Love you guys.

**************

This morning began with a fruit and yogurt bowl and coffee (“the best part of waking up, is Folger’s in your cup!”).

Coupon clipping, grocery shopping, and Byerly’s salad bar for lunch while we were out and about. My salad was loaded with: edamame, peas, zucchini, beets, mushrooms, carrots, jicama, pumpkin seeds, sprouts, cheese, sunflower seeds, tofu, ground flaxseed, and light ranch dressing. Holy cow I guess I got my veggies in!

After lunch, we scoped out Byerly’s fresh fish selection for our Valentine’s Dinner. I think we are going to go with the swordfish. Swordfish and roasted artichoke hearts and fennel. Dessert is to be decided still but we are leaning towards warm brownie with vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt.

And now I am home, and can’t keep my paws off of chocolate. That’s all I want to do the rest of the day…veg out and eat chocolate. I’ll probably do some laundry too, and also I plan to post that bread recipe for you all too, and maybe go to the gym or for a walk on the treadmill.  We’ll see what happens! Okay, that’s it for now. Enjoy a relaxing Sunday!

Continue Reading Great Friends & Homemade Sushi

A Special Monday Treat

Well, hello there World! Yay, Monday’s over right?! You know my relationship with Mondays by now. We just don’t always get along so well. However I had something very fun to look forward to later in the evening. But first, breakfast.

This morning I went back to an old favorite, Blueberry Oatmeal. I decided to switch it up slightly and add a tablespoon of egg white in the baking process to bulk up the protein content a bit. This turned out amazingly berrylicious.

On the stove top I cooked 1/4 cup old fashioned oats, 1/4 cup almond milk, 1/4 cup water, 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed, and 1/4 cup frozen blueberries. I cooked this mixture on medium heat for about 2 minutes and then added 1 tablespoon liquid egg whites. I cooked for about 1 more minute, removed from heat and added stevia for some sweetness, along with brown sugar and 1/2 ripe banana. The result was creamy berry oats.

My lunch

Lunch was delayed slightly and cut short, but I had planned on going home for lunch therefore did not pack anything so still went home. I felt like I had to stuff my face which I HATE doing. I don’t like eating so fast because then I end up with a belly ache but knew I needed to eat enough to hold me over until after work. I started off with an Apple Cinnamon Chobani. Num! Then I had some Special K with Berries cereal, the rest of the  banana I had leftover from this morning, and a bite of peanut butter. Good, but random lunch that was lacking in the vegetable department. But I had plans for later that would make up for that.

The afternoon flew by at work and then I headed to the gym to get a quick workout in. I ran/walked 1 mile on the treadmill, then moved to the elliptical for 5 minutes, then headed to do some weights and abs. I don’t feel like I got the best workout in today. I went to a gym that I don’t usually go to so was unfamiliar with the setup of weights, and it was PACKED and wasn’t able to do everything I wanted in the amount of time I had. Oh, well. At least I did something active!

After the gym I headed out to meet a good friend, Courtney! We met at our dietetic internship in Wisconsin but she lives in the Twin Cities as well! We went through A LOT together in the internship and developed a very special bond.

We met at the Good Earth which is a wonderful restaurant that is all about natural, unprocessed foods. They get their food from local farmers and have developed a menu that I dream about. After about 6 minutes of contemplating, I decided on the vegetarian chili and tropical spinach salad and Courtney ordered the Vegetable Enchiladas.

While we waited for our dishes we grazed on some flat bread, whole grain bread and homemade hummus and gabbed away, catching up  on each others lives. Then our goodness arrived:

Vegetarian Chili: Garbanzo beans and seasonal vegetables, tomatoes and spices, topped with shredded cheddar jack cheese, blue corn chips and one of my most favorite herbs, CILANTRO! This was awesome.

And so was my salad. Tropical Spinach Salad was fresh spinach, mango, jicama, sweet red bell pepper, caramelized pecans, and served with a super tasty tahini poppyseed dressing. I ate every bite. I highly recommend Good Earth if you have one in the area. I have never eaten anything there that I didn’t absolutely love… and it’s organic!

I did snap a shot of Court’s Vegetable Enchiladas as well because I thought they looked very nummy. Thanks Court for trying to “rearrange” the dish to make it look prettier haha! In the mix was corn tortillas stuffed with zucchini, corn, tomatoes, poblano peppers, Monterey Jack cheese, and cilantro topped with their homemade enchilada sauce, brown rice,  lettuce, and black beans.

Two thumbs up Good Earth! Great as always, and even better company to enjoy the experience with. Thank you. Once dinner was over we continued to chit chat and then headed our separate ways. What a nice way to spend a Monday evening. I loved catching up and hope we can do it again soon Courtney!

Once I got home I turned out Bachelorette and that is where I am still! Oh the drama. We DVR’d The Next Great Baker Season Finale tonight and plan on watching that within the next couple days. Go Nadine! I am going to try and keep my head out of the entertainment world so I don’t find out the results before I watch the show but I have a feeling I won’t be able to avoid it.

Sleep well everyone! Good night.

Continue Reading A Special Monday Treat
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