Something New Every Day

Oh hey there.

Um… so…

Well this is awkward.

I’m usually not this quiet.

I like to talk. A lot.

But sometimes, I just have weeks where I keep to myself more than usual. Let’s call it a “live and learn” week.

Because I’m also a firm believer you learn something new every day of your life.

Well. Maybe I’ll just share with you a few things I’ve learned in the past week…

1. Swedish chocolate is amazing and can solve most problems. I haven’t pinpointed it exactly, but it must be something in the processing (or lack of) of the chocolate. Mon had brought some back for me when she got back from a business trip. It’s been decided I will require candy every time she gets back from trips like this.

Yes. Like a child would.

2. There has been a new development in half marathon training. I crossed over to the other side.

Past the treadmills. Past the ellipticals. Past the locker rooms.

To the weight machines.

This, my friends, is actually a big deal. Turns out, at 5:30 in the morning, it’s less crowded and not nearly as intimidating.

My arms still hate me for this realization.

3. When on a date in the middle of the week, remember sushi does not do a great job of soaking up all of zee vino.

4. When it’s a rest day (conveniently after said date), cross your fingers you won’t wake up at your normal time to hit the gym (5:15) with a song in your head (Flo Rida’s “Wild One”) that will not allow you to go back to sleep for another hour and a half.

Sadness.

5. Grocery shopping before work is something that should happen ALL of the time. People are in generally good moods. They’ve all had coffee and it’s before the 8 hours of their dreams and soul being crushed. Why did it take so long to realize this?

6. I need to be better about communicating how important my friends are. I know I made a lil’ shout out on the last post to my girlies near and far, but maybe I should actually say it in real life. That way, I won’t turn into an emotional puddle when people tell me they’re moving and scare the living crap out of them.

Just a thought.

7. Snooki is pregnant. I learned that is something that scares the crap out of ME.

And THAT is something new every day. Yay!

What have YOU learned recently?

What I’ve Been Up To

I’m so glad some of you were interested in trying the scotcheroos!  Seriously- you will not be disappointed.

And a couple of you asked if you can substitute something for the corn syrup. Well… I’ve never tried it. But a google search let me in on the secret- yes, you can sub a combo of sugar and water. Not surprising…

Speaking of google searches, someone found my blog by google searching “is there an actual city called crazy town?”. Well Mr. Unknown, I do not know the answer to that. But if there is, I am definitely an interested party. I may be moving there sooner than later…

Anyway, the lack of my regular routine has also resulted in lack of regular posting. The non-routine thing has me all in a tizzy with all these sudden rest days. And a bit of a bad mood. Thanks, leg. I guess as much as I’d love to be, there will never be a day where I can truly consider myself “spontaneous”. Lame. 

What does this mean?  Well… I had a few moments where I sorta looked like this dude.

And then I cleaned. Thanks to a crazy roommate from back in the day, I don’t like having dishes in the sink. Like at all. If they start to build up (as in more than 2 bowls are sitting there), I get all anxious she’s going to storm through the door and yell at me.

Clearly I’m scarred for life. And like to think of myself as Cinderella.

Any good roommate stories? I’ll have to ponder a while to figure out my best one…

I also grocery shopped. And- ahem- stopped by the mall. Retail therapy… ya know?

My thought process is that if I eat all the groceries I bought…… maybe I’ll also enjoy my apparel purchases a little more? 

This made me happy, but soon I looked like that dude again.

So yeah. Not too much going on here.

And I can’t escape how I really feel… grrrr.

Don’t get me wrong- it’s nice to have some rest time. But I’d rather be getting myself ready for this silly little half marathon thing I’ve got going on in about 10 days. Actually enjoy the rest time- after the race. Instead of just sitting around restless and anxious now. Meh.

Because I’ve got limitations on being able to properly prepare, I’ve at least made some rules. Mostly to keep myself from getting any more sluggish than I already am at the moment. (Does anyone else notice when you’ve got way too much downtime that you just get more and more lazy? Or is that just me?)

No wine. Lots of veggies (um… duh?). And don’t forget the protein!The ice melted funny.

I put asparagus and broccoli with the eggs, so we’re just gonna say that’s what cancels out the cream cheese spread on the bread, mmmk?

Because I had the time, and didn’t want to stop the baking extravaganza with scotcheroos, there was also some more honey oat quick bread thrown together. With walnuts added in- a must do.

Like mentioned, there hasn’t been a lot of action on the workout front (other than random situps here and there, some pushups, swearing, maybe throwing a few things, etc etc). Tonight I will be hitting the gym to see what’s going on with the whole situation with that weird feeling I’ve got in the left leggie. As in, I’m going to hit the elliptical for a bit to get in some decent cardio while loosening up and then see how the treadmill goes.

It’s not a muscle thing. That I know. I also know it will take all of 20 seconds on the treadmill to figure where I stand on it (puns!).

Wish me luck.

Or give me some advice if you have it.

Either/or.

Crazy Train

Is it a coincidence that Ozzy’s “Crazy Train” was playing when I started my car thing morning?

I think not.

I’m not one to be overly nutty about weather forecasts, but when being bombarded with news of one of the worst storms Chicago has seen in however many years, one tends to become somewhat concerned. And feels the need to prepare to “hunker down” for such an event.

Because Mon is no good with large groups of frantic people and grocery stores (they give her anxiety), you can imagine the combination of the two would drive her batty. So I escorted her to Target and Trader Joe’s. It was more for the safety of others than anything else. And I needed cereal.One would like to think this was an overdramatization.

It sort of was. Mostly because we purposely avoided the rush hour crowd and went later. Good because we missed the crowd.  Bad because of this:Sure, I needed things because I knew I wouldn’t be able to get to the store the next couple of days. But people were running around like the apocalypse is coming.

Come on guys, that’s not until at least 2012.  Let’s get serious. You really should put back a gallon of milk for someone else. I think the other four gallons you have in your cart will keep your family nourished through the couple of snow days we’re looking at… promise.

Granted, I had 3 boxes of cereal in my cart. That looked like semi-hoarding activity, but in my defense (which I also stated to the cashier to make myself feel better), the sale was ending this week. And I just really like Special K.

Maybe milk lady and I should hang out and have a breakfast party for everyone.

Before our end of days grocery run, I did manage to get my 4-mile run in. Since I did all my runs in the morning last week, I was feeling SUPER sluggish when I started my first mile after work. Gross.

It got better. But the first 6 or 7 minutes were full of doubts. Luckily, after two miles, I hit my stride. Mile 4 was a breeze. I set the treadmill at 8:27 and progressively picked up the pace until I had hit the 8:00 pace and finished out. Good enough for me and after a 5-minute walk for a cool down, it was time to go. Someone was using the hideously noisy treadmill next to me and I was ready to remove myself from that situation.

Final stats? 4 miles at 8:37. Not much slower than my 6-mile run on Friday, so that’s sort of a bum, but I’m just going to chalk it up to mornings being speedier and evenings being slower.

That’s my excuse today, anyway. Tune it to see what I come up with next time. 

Tuesday is here and of course on Tuesday comes the bad weather.  Coincidence?  No.

I just walked into work this morning, but cross your fingers for me about tomorrow.  Really hoping for a snow day…

Spinach Madness

Hey kids! One day of work down, four to go.  Is it crazy that I totally forgot we have a holiday weekend coming up?  I probably forgot because I don’t have plans to get out of town.  What can I say?  I’m a bum.

I’m glad you all like the cinnamon roll pancakes.  There’s no way I could eat them on a regular basis, but were good for the end of a long weekend.  And for those of you who ask, there was no way I was going to stop at just one.  I had two.  And a half.  Did I mention they were delicious?

Clearly, Sunday’s eats were pretty out of the ordinary for me- selection and timing-wise.  So I was happy to be back on a regular schedule yesterday (yes, I’m like an old woman).

After my little grocery shopping adventure on Sunday, I found myself stocked with chicken.  I only buy meat when it’s on sale.  I’m cheap like that.  It’s also a reason why most people think I’m a vegetarian- it usually has to be a pretty good sale for me to partake.  Then I just buy extra and freeze it.  That’s why I had some around for baked BBQ chicken over the weekend.  And also why I had chicken around to make this dish:Honey glazed chicken on a bed of spinach with sweet potatoes.

Remember how I complained that I had too much spinach to know what to do with last week?  I not only finished that, I bought more because I found another sale.  You don’t pass up a large bag of spinach for a dollar.  It’s not allowed.

I’ll be seeking therapy for this compulsive spinach shopping when it starts to give my skin a greenish tint.  I’ll know then that I’ve pushed my limits.

The glaze was just a mix of balsamic vinegar (a new favorite of mine) and honey.  I read online that the honey glazes could burn easily, so I started the chicken out on it’s own and started basting it every 5 minutes.  The “sweet” chicken worked really well with the sweet potatoes.  Satisfaction.

Good grief, I’ve got a sweet tooth as of late.  This is just embarrassing.

Is there anything at the grocery store you’ll only buy if it’s on sale? 

This week, I’m back to the schedule of gym after work.  I have to be at work at 7:30 in the morning every other week.  And you can go ahead and try to get me up earlier than 5:15 AM.  But, in that case, you better have a death wish.  It’s not happening.

So I fought the masses for my spot on the treadmill.  Grr.  I need to start properly planning and get back outside.  The weather has finally died down- so I have no clue why I’m being such a sissy about it. Either way, I had 4 miles to do according to my training plan.  Yes- I’m officially in training for the Hot Chocolate 15k in November.  I was so wrapped up in everything else going on all weekend, I forgot to mention my 5-mile run on Saturday was the official “start”.  But quite frankly, it really doesn’t matter- there are only a few changes to what my regular workout schedule consists of right now.  Last night I did 4.1 at an 8:17 pace. 

Tonight I have my first night of intervals.  I’m not looking forward to it.  Sure- I’m only running 2 miles.  No biggie, right?  I mean- last night I did 4.  But they HAVE to be faster than my comfort zone. HAVE to be.  Otherwise they don’t mean much. Talk about pressure…

I just need a good kick in the butt.  Feel free to do so in the comment section below.  Thanks.

Let’s cross our fingers that my kitchen light will finally be taken care of today.  Since it was a “non-emergency”, they said it’d be something to take care of first thing Monday morning.  That was fine.  But I’m still waiting… it’s Tuesday.  And the sunlight only sticks around for so long.  It’s starting to get rough to cooking by the tiny light of my stove.  *Sigh*

Ok, time for work.  Cause a girl’s gotta get paid. 

Sugar and Butter

That’s the bulk of what was in the cart when Mon and I went grocery shopping last night.Looking directly at this picture will most likely cause food coma.  Probably should have posted that warning before I showed you the picture, but better late than never, right? 

After seeing my work with Jaime’s wedding cake, and Annie’s birthday cake, Mon has asked me to make a little somethin’ somethin’  for the upcoming baby shower she’s throwing.  I was more than happy to oblige being as how I love all things that end in sweet sugar bliss.  So expect to see me rolling up the sleeves and getting to work over the next few days. 

Excited?  Me too.

Along with the workout of carrying multiple bags of sugar and flour up three flights of stairs to my apartment, I did get in a morning run yesterday.  I like random numbers at times, and this morning was no different.  4.6 miles at 8:36.  Not that my workout is changing a whole lot in the near, but my “official” training for the Hot Chocolate 15k starts this weekend.  It scares me that I’m training for something in November.  Is winter really that close already?  Balls…

Because I have no real desire to post another picture of a salad that looks eerily similar to the night before’s creation, I won’t.  But it was definitely my lunch.  Dinner was a stretch to the back of the pantry.  I think I’m constantly trying to clean it out.  But my obsession with grocery shopping stunts my progress in that department.  I actually like grocery shopping.  I think it’s sort of therapuetic for me.  I hate the mall.  Shopping for clothes sucks.  But grocery shopping?  Love it.  What about you?  Love or hate the grocery store?Yeah- that’s some serious Campbell’s potato soup I’ve got there.  And I decided to throw asparagus in for good measure.  Because my pee hasn’t smelled funny for a while. 

Actually, it’s because I decided to try out asparagus from the freezer section.  And have had the worst time getting through the bag.  Most frozen veggies I don’t mind.  But asparagus?  It’s soft and no good.  I’ll pass next time.

And now that I’m aware I’ve possibly ruined your appetite… I apologize.  And wish you a happy Thursday!  Peace out…

Slow down and enjoy the rest day…

Work has been steadily busy the last week, so I feel like this week is flying by!  No complaints… but isn’t it funny how we mostly seem to wish the week away to get to the weekend?  Then wonder where the time went?  Just a thought.

I need to slow down and enjoy my coffee tea today. 

I kept my eye on the weather all day yesterday.  Originally, it was supposed to be raining all afternoon.  But God seems to know and respect my training schedule, and postponed the rain until later in the night (perfect sleeping weather, btw).  It was another steady 8:30-paced run on my favorite trail.  Ok really, I just need to find myself a new trail.  On the “to-do” list this weekend… 

I didn’t monitor my pace at all during- as to not obsess and psych myself out.  I know I’m slower than I was a few months ago.  Maybe some of it is nervousness.  As of late, it seems I hit that five-mile mark and my body says, “back up, bitch” and starts to crumble.  I won’t be doing that until next week, but it’s still in the back of my mind.  I can’t believe it’s already been six months since I got my first injury???  That’s an entire half a year of running… nonrunning… running… nonrunning.  Stressful to say the least.

I’m not going to baby my leg forever, though.  Someone needs to be taught who’s boss.  And that’s ME.  Maybe it was the 8:30 pace, but those three miles were almost too easy.  I’m ready for more!

And because I decided yesterday that I was a bad ass, I decided a little tread and shred was necessary.  Whats up, Level 2?  Cheer squats and a v-fly?  Please…

Ok, actually that move still sucks, but don’t bring me down.

Maybe I felt so crazy because I had a stellar dinner.It’s that “old fashioned” protein we discussed in the last post.    I was grocery shopping last night and couldn’t resist when I passed the deli counter.  I honestly don’t remember the last time I bought deli… so it was a good way to mix things up!  Turkey/spinach/mushroom wrap with zucchini and yellow squash?  Yes please!

Speaking of, thanks for all the comments!  I know that eating habits and lifestyle can be a touchy subject.  We’re all set it our own ways.  Personally, I eat meat maybe three or four times on average during the week.  It works for me.  And I know I get my protein elsewhere (the point was made that there are small amounts in a lot of the things you eat- which is true and something to consider if you’re concerned about your intake).  Some people need it at every meal.  And that’s fine.  That’s even how I grew up.  I just eat differently now.  As long as you find the balance that works for you.  That’s the important part!

And the grocery shopping… what a trip.  This is not the “healthy balance” I just mentioned… ha!  I got a random coupon to Dominick’s (the Safeway brand store around here) for $10 off if I spend $50.  “Perfect,” I thought, “I’ll stock up on the necessary stuff for Jaime’s wedding cake and get some randoms I need”. 

So what did my cart look like?

Asparagus… salad mix… zucchini… squash… mushrooms… oatmeal… 2 lbs of butter… 2 large bags of powdered sugar… large carton of heavy whipping cream… 5 lbs of sugar…

I probably blew the guy’s mind.  But maybe not.  Either way.  I was laughing.  As he swiped the butter, I wanted to be like, “yeah- I’m feeding dessert to about 100 people next week- don’t judge.”  Then I realized I don’t really care that much…

Here’s to a good Thursday!  It’s actually a rest day for me, so I’m spending the night cleaning and such.  Well… maybe just the “and such” part.  We’ll see how ambitious I get.

Unplanned Rest

I had planned to go to the trail again after work last night.  But by the time 6:00 rolled around, I was beaten down from exhaustion and the weather was looking anything but promising.  Home it was.  “I’ll just do some shred and elliptical,” I thought, “that will be fine”.

But I had to stop by the grocery store first.  I have a baking adventure (that I’ll explain in a little) that I needed stuff for.  Me and my five or six things stood in line for 15 minutes.  Behind the coupon queen herself.  Now I do coupons, but this woman took it to a whole other level.  And debated prices of various items.  Which meant checking back to the weekly ads and such.  Just my luck.  I surrendered.  No workout tonight.  There’s absolutely no energy left to burn…

So I came home and did work in the kitchen.  First, my dinner.  I didn’t really celebrate Cinco de Mayo yesterday, but that doesn’t mean I never get a craving for Mexican!  Quite the opposite, so your guess is as good as mine why I didn’t have it last night.  So I did a day late. Sorta.  Black beans, corn, a little shredded cheese, and some avocado on the side:My quesadilla hung out in the oven a little longer than it should of and got stuck to the bottom of the pan.  It was a quesadilla wreck, but it was a beautiful wreck, nonetheless.  Kinda like me. 

And now the baking story…

Turns out I’m good at baking.  Like… really good.  Good enough for my friend Jaime to ask me to bake her wedding cake for the reception they’re having for friends and family (that didn’t go to the destination wedding two weeks ago).  So yeah… I’m baking a wedding cake.  My usual thing is cupcakes, but that’s ok- I’m flexible.    The reception is in a couple weeks.  So this weekend I’m doing a test run on one of the layers.  And getting a general idea of what the idea in my head will look like in real life.

Last night was the actual baking of the cake. What, that doesn’t look delicious enough yet?  Just wait… They’re now waiting to be filled and wrapped in sugar and butter and all the glory that is buttercream frosting.  I will most likely be doing this with wine.  Because that’s how I roll.

Since the cake is still a work-in-progress, here’s a little sweetness I used to get me through the day:Oatmeal with coconut, White Chocolate Wonderful, and a little Cinnamon Pecan Special K (on the underneath).  All to go with my TJ’s green tea.  We discussed the sweetness of the WCW earlier this week, and it was just kind of “eh” in my breakfast.  Peeps were right- too sweet for oatmeal.  Oh well.  Now I know.

I’m hoping tonight after work I’ll be feeling much better!  It’s rainy, so I’m not planning the trail tonight, but probably a little Shred and Elliptical action.  I’m cool with that. 

Enjoy your Friday!

Blown Away

Almost.  That was a great concern when I hit the trail at the forest preserve after work last night.  How is it possible that the trail is a loop and I was against the wind the majority of the time?  Seriously… I feel that physics would debate this.  But it happened.

And I swallowed a bug.  No need to eat meat for the rest of the week… my protein needs have been met.

The loop is 2.8 miles.  And despite the forces of nature, I trudged through it all.  So when Mon texted me for a Tuesday Suckday drink, I happily obliged.  I needed to finish off and get rid of that bottle of wine in the refrigerator anyways…

Before the wine, I was able to cook this mean dish up:Spinach and feta wrap with zuchinni.  I picked up some wraps yesterday and am sure I’ll be making the most of them this week!  Which means I will be using them pretty much every other meal until they’re gone so they don’t go bad.  Anyways, the spinach wrap was A-mazing.  I sauteed the spinach beforehand- I sort of prefer it that way over raw when I’m given the choice.

Oh and I’m glad I’m not the only crazy who frequents the grocery store like it’s my hangout…  Being as how I cook for just myself most of the time, I find it necessary to do so if I want to eat fresh.  Because I’ve tried stocking up and only going once a week.  This ends up with me going nuts trying to cook as much as I can the first few days and then everything else going bad before I can get to it.  So lately I’ve found that buying one or two fresh things at a time and incorporating them into a few meals with other things works best.  Any other tips for the single lady in the kitchen?

Ok guys, we’re halfway through.  So let’s put on a happy face, shall we?  Just so you know, this isn’t my happy face.  This is my “I just watched the news and traffic is a standstill in every which direction”.  Ugh.

Veggin’ Out

Ok, from yesterday’s post and wonderful comments, I think we can conclude no one likes Nicholas Cage due to the creep factor.  How is he still around?  Probably because idiots like me take a chance on his movies… fail.  We really need to stop supporting NC and his mediocre acting skills.  A movement should be started.

It felt nice to get to go to MY place after work tonight for the first time in two weeks!  Jaime said the dogs are doing great- and Hazel seems to even miss me a little!  Apparently now Hazel sits and watches the door everyday.  We’re pretending that she’s waiting for me to walk through. 

And I’m cooking in MY kitchen again.  It’s always awkward cooking in someone else’s kitchen, right?  I don’t know where anything is and I just feel like I’m stepping into someone else’s territory…  Because I was all about the chicken yesterday, I balanced out my meals today with LOTS of veggies.Spinach and mushroom sammy with broccoli.  And cottage cheese for good measure.  Not sure why that craving came about, but I just went with it.  I also put some humus on the sandwich thin.  Yeah… don’t do that.  It really wasn’t that great.  Like the cottage cheese, I don’t know where that idea came from.  I just went with it.  Even though I knew that sandwich combo was good before I messed with it.  That’s just what I get for trying to be over the top…

I’ve been seeing PB&Co brand on every other blog out there, and I could never find it!  I was intrigued.  And determined.  And then I hit a random Super Target to do a return while I was out on Sunday and hot damn if I didn’t find the last container of it on the shelf!  Swipe…It’s much sweeter than what I’m used to since it has all the additives to make the “white chocolate” part of it.  But if that’s what you’re craving, it’s goooood.  Like eat with a spoon throughout the day, right out of the container until you realize you’ve eaten more than just a serving or two. Or three.  Oops…  Probably going to add this to the list of things to have “on occasion” in the house.  Because keeping it around on a regular basis would just be craziness.  And honestly, I like my regular lineup of Trader Joe’s stuff a little better because there’s not sweet overload.

I did The Shred Level 3 last night (no surprise there, right?).  I really can’t decide what my favorite level is.  The decision becomes hard because I’m pretty sure there’s a strength circuit in each one that I absolutely despise.  That being said, I love what it’s done to my arms.  Now I just want to focus on the middle a little more…

Thanks for the supportive words about my slow return to running (again).  I’m doing a little more outdoor running tonight and just need to remember that I’ve gotta keep pushing through!  I’m hoping the run will make this Tuesday NOT suck.  And I can’t believe I start half marathon training soon!  I’m looking over a couple plans right now and am trying to figure out how to best incorporate the training into my schedule.  Long runs will probably be on Saturday- I know this for sure, considering how antisocial I am on Friday nights.  But that’s about all I’ve got right now.  Any tips you have for when you were doing half training?

And here’s the question of the day… how often do you go to the grocery store?  I feel like I’m always finding excuses to go… way more than I should.  I probably go at least two or three times a week the way it is for random things here and there.  I’m really glad this urge to shop doesn’t translate into every other aspect of my life- I truly dislike trips to the mall and try to make them as far and few between as possible (sad, right?).

Here’s hoping you don’t have a crappy Tuesday! 

Tuesday wasn’t so bad!

I won’t lie.  Yesterday could have been the best Tuesday I’ve had in quite some time.  I hate Tuesdays.  They’re awful.  And slow.  And just “ick”. 

But yesterday wasn’t so bad.  The UPS man brought me a fantastic shipment from iherb.com- from a gift certificate I had won from Meghann over at Inner Workings of a College Grad.  I opened the package at work and couldn’t believe how much stuff I had walked away with!  Here it is in all it’s glory- minus a box of Clif Z-bars that immediately went into my snack drawer at work.I think what makes me most excited is the fact I’ll be making homemade granola bars soon from the brown rice syrup I acquired.  Either that or the new organic chunky peanut butter that I get to try.  You know me and my peanut butter problem…   Thanks Meghann and iherb! 

The day kept speeding by.  Unusual.  But I liked it.  Then Mon called- there was a delivery for me in the management office of my apartment and she offered to get it for me.  It was a wellness kit from Celestial tea that I had won from Erin over at Erin Eats and Exercises (she is no longer blogging, which is a sad thing!).  Mon brought it over (with a bottle of red so we could catch up with what’s been going on in each other’s lives) and we cracked open the box to see what else I had been sent:I’ve got enough wellness tea to get me through at least three or four head colds and a couple rounds of the flu.  Anyone feeling shitty?  I’ll mail you a bag of tea… I’m sort of serious.  This is out of control!

Seriously, I never win anything.  So the fact that I won both of these in such a short span of time kind of blows my mind.  No complaints!

Sad thing is, I still had grocery shopping I had to do (after all this swag coming my way)… mostly to prepare for the Car Bomb Cupcakes order I received from a friend- she needed two dozen this weekend and I of course said it wouldn’t be a problem.  I’m still trying to perfect the adaption I make anyways, so the practice is good!  And it’s my official first order of cupcakes!    Not that I’m pimping out my baking skills, but I don’t mind the extra $$$.  Or the excuse to make that Bailey’s frosting… oh my word…

While I was at the store, I picked up some chicken randomly.  Which is the first time I’ve bought chicken, or “meat” in it’s raw form, for months.  I don’t buy it ever.  I’m sure I’ve said it before, but I spend most of my days eating meatless (with the exception of a frozen dinner or two here and there or when I order at a restaurant).  Why?  Because it’s generally quicker to prepare a meal without it.  It’s cheaper (the sale on chicken was $2.99 a pound- which I still think is expensive for some reason).  And I don’t really feel like my diet’s lacking without it.  Not that I don’t ever eat it- hello, this girl can take down a 1/3 lb burger like it’s nothing when I’m craving it (and there are plenty of places around here that offer carryout that can confirm this).  I just don’t buy it often.  There was probably some subconscious craving for it after seeing Kelly or Andrea blog about it yesterday.

Anyhoo, so I had no real plans of what I’d have for dinner, but got inspired when I saw the chicken on sale.  And the avocados.  A little taco seasoning, black beans, corn, and a bit of sour cream later and all the sudden I was having a mexican themed pita full of goodness.  Plus some toasted pita chips with smashed avocado to top it off.  I say smashed avocado because I thought I had some guac mix.  I was wrong.  Garlic salt did just fine as a substitute.  But it’s not really guac.  Oh well.The presentation?  Not so much.  Taste factor?  I deserve an A.  So good… 

I had quite a few leftovers, so I’m sure I’ll have quite a few Southwestern inspired meals the next couple of days.  Again- no complaints here. 

After a glass or so of some wine and a night of catching up with the lovely Mon, Tuesday ended up being quite a good day.  I guess there’s always going to be an exception… this one was it! 

This morning, I broke out the steel cut oats that were part of my iherb winnings.  I’ve been wanting to try them for a long time, but I’m a thrifty shopper (see the buying chicken comment above) and don’t want to spend more money on half the quantity when it comes to steel cut vs. old fashioned oats.  Yes, I’ll buy a pair of shoes without blinking.  But that extra $2 on oats kills me.  I don’t get it either. 

I think I failed.  My microwave is crazy and I have issues with adjusting the power as to make sure it doesn’t explode or spill all over the place.  Next time I should probably use the stove top and not cut corners.  I’d show you a picture, but they just looked sad.  And that’s no way to start your Wednesday morning.

What’s the best way any of you have made steel cut oats?  I could use the tips!

Happy Hump Day!