Cha-Cha-Cha Changes

Hola!

I’m feeling quite perky today. So far- it IS only 8:00 in the morning. The day is young. And it’s a stupid Tuesday. There are many things that are bound to happen within the next 16 hours.

Luckily, I’m well-rested. So bring it on. I can roll with the punches.

Even when I get coffee grounds all up in my pot of coffee.

Brewing coffee should not be this difficult.

But I dealt with it and tried again. And didn’t even complain when there was a shakeup in my breakfast routine.Toast?!?! I’m a wild child… for real…

Or because I’m out of milk and assume coffee creamer would not be the best dairy to mix with oatmeal… not to say it wasn’t considered.

Insert shrug here.

I used to never buy milk. Like ever. And found it really annoying when it was necessary for a recipe and I was forced to go out and buy a little carton of it. Weird- because now I’m lost if it’s not around on a daily basis. Seriously- how else do you expect me to make oatmeal? Geez…

Oh how times have changed… my parents would be so proud.

Changes are good a lot of the time. Although sometimes, when they include a friend getting promoted and moving to New York, they can be sad. I went out for happy hour last night to toast his success and wish him luck.

Fried food? Happy! Wine? Happy! Friend moving? Sad…

But alas, that’s life.

And now I have a place to stay when I visit NYC. So… yay?

Before I leave, since it’s Tuesday of all days, I feel the need to leave you with words of advice.

Yes, I can be deep at times.

If your Tuesday goes anything like mine sometimes do, just remember this…

Don’t get angry and bottle it in. Throw it TO THE GROUND!

Getting Three For One

Good morning.

My extended weekend sadly came to an end. It was fun while it lasted.  Mostly because I had way more down time than originally anticipated. Not a bad thing. My couch is very comfy.

Confirmed this yet again Saturday night. After dinner out with the girls Saturday night, I made it home just in time for Saturday Night Live. It was being hosted by Jesse Eisenberg and I was making a point of watching it. I have a little crush. I’m aware he’s super short, but if he’s cool with it, I’ll be cool with it… Heeeey Jesse…

Super excited for the show. Fell asleep about halfway through it. Fail.

But I woke up with a bang. And did No More Trouble Zones with Jillian for my strength training (according to plan). Followed up by 15 minutes on the elliptical and a 2-mile jog. The cardio wasn’t according to plan, but I felt like doing it. See above paragraphs for the reasoning (#notmuchgoingon).

Now let’s go back to that discussion about the Mexican dinner I had with the girls:Did I mention this came after a bowl of soup as well? And free chips and salsa?

*It needs to be mentioned here that I don’t always take part in the free chips and salsa. But oh man… whatever is in that salsa should be illegal.

Needless to say, I came home with leftovers.

And because I’m a recessionista (which sounds so much nicer than “cheap”, don’t you think?), I took a page from Megan @ Braise the Roof and did a leftover remix.

My entire Sunday has a mexican spin to it.

Like lunch:Sure, the leftover enchilada is straight-up ugly.

Oh wow. Looking at it again, it really doesn’t look appetizing at all.

Don’t judge a book by its cover, people. It was perfect just the way it was. Until I inhaled it.

Dinner required a little more creativity. All that was left was a ton of fried rice and a good portion of the black beans. So I broke out a wrap, added some cheese, and called it a burrito.Almost as good as the night it was served.

Three meals out of one. Thank you, Salsa 17.

Now if only I still had leftover frozen margarita…

Seriously. It would be appreciated this week. Chicago is being prepared for a little thing called a blizzard this week. And the tequila would double as a way to keep me warm.

Seems to be we were feeling left out with all the crazy weather going on in the northeast that we demanded to be in on it. Good times.

That probably means I should hit the grocery store. For eggs. Some frozen food. Wine.

You know… The essentials.

Getting Nutty

Happy weekend!

I actually slept until 8:30 today.  For those of you who read regularly, this is unheard of!  But appreciated nonetheless.

I’m so glad we just had our last full week of work for the year. In my office, most people will be out for a good part of next week.  Not only will it be a short week, but a laid back one. Merry Christmas to me! 

Yesterday I skipped my morning workout, but still got cardio in after work.  2 miles on the tread and 25 minutes on the elliptical.  I rushed through it because I had an appointment at Mon’s.  We were cleaning makeup brushes (weird, yes, but she just got this new cleaner that’s *amazing* and I’m notorious for, um, hardly ever washing them). 

Another wild Friday night in my part of the world, yes?

If it makes up for being lame, we watched Donnie Darko. If I start freaking out around Easter, or whenever a rabbit crosses my path, you’ll know why.

Cleaning makeup brushes and Donnie Darko.  Two things that have never been combined in the same sentence.

Let’s talk about something else.  Like nuts.Look what I got with the gift certificate I won from Retta? I received a gift certificate from Oh Nuts! to order whatever I wanted. So I got a pound of almonds, a pound of walnuts, and some malted milk balls that were opened at work almost as quickly as the box was and didn’t survive by the time pictures were taken.  Oops.

Soooo excited!  Thanks, Retta! 

Speaking of nuts, I’ve got one more post from last week’s baking extravaganza.

I know.  Still going… can you believe how much stuff we made???We’re all aware of Bakerella and her cake balls.

I didn’t follow any real recipe on that one, but gotta give her props for the idea.  Start with cake.  Then destroy it.Add icing into the bowl/pot and combine.  Keep adding icing until it is easily workable to roll into balls.  Then chill.  I don’t have pics of this because I forgot.  But you can make the balls as big or as small as you’d like. 

As Mon and I were rolling balls, we enjoyed making Schwetty Balls references.Come on.  Someone had to do it.

After your balls have chilled (he he he), it’s time for dipping them.Now you may understand why I’m grinning like an idiot with a tear or two in my eyes.  Balls jokes are fun.

We had a few things to cover our balls with after dipping it in chocolate or vanilla almond bark.Leftover toasted coconut (told you I had a plan!), sprinkles, and toffee.  I liked the taste of the toffee the most- but just a heads up, you make a mess when you try to get it to stick to your balls…

Let them chill again and then enjoy…Too big to put in your mouth all at once.

Ahem. 

This is also the general idea I went with to get rid of all the extra peppermint Oreos from the peppermint bark I made.Most people use chocolate ganache or cream cheese when they make Oreo Truffles.  I just went with leftover icing from the cake balls I made.

This may have been because I wasn’t sure how the cream cheese and peppermint would taste together.  Or because I was too cheap to buy cream cheese solely for the truffles.  You decide.

Same concept.  Roll the balls.  Chill.  Dip.  Enjoy.If you have leftover melted almond bark (which I did), you can also dip things other than your balls.We’re all about being resourceful up in here.

And THAT, my friends, is the end of my baking adventure.

My apron isn’t retired, but it’s not moving for a while.

Time to get up and moving.  I’ve got a few things to take care of before heading to the city to hang out with Miss Megan tonight.  Later!

I Don’t Just Bake

We all learned a little somethin’ somethin’ yesterday with the whole bread-in-the-cookie-jar thing, huh?  I learned it from a friend when I was still a mini-version of myself.  It seemed strange to me that she’d come to class with a tupperware container full of cookies and a piece of bread. 

Little did I know you could keep brown sugar soft with the same concept!  Sweet!

Of course I googled it, too- just to verify (justify?) my reasoning- and yes, the moisture in the bread gets sucked out into the air and then absorbed by the cookies. Something about equilibrium.  So it sounds like the tip is legit.

I’m giving myself you a break today from the constant cookie talk.

Because soon you’re going to think all I ever do is bake.

That’s only partially true.

I bake things other than dessert at least.I’ve been holding on to the last of the sweet potatoes my parents sent me home with.  There’s only one more after this.  Does this mean I’ll actually have to start buying them again?!?!  Oh the horror!I’m not exactly participating in Kacy and Lisa‘s Salad Challenge, but geez… I might as well be!  Salads are making an appearance at more than just lunch these days.

Good thing my salads are pretty hearty.  They’re definitely enough to eat for dinner- promise.

And I don’t just bake. I also workout.

Sometimes even longer than usual. Which was fine by me. Along with my morning Shred, the treadmill was also utilized.  For a total of 5.5 miles.  Because I really liked the intervals on Saturday, it was a 3-mile run (walk .1 miles), 1.5-mile run (walk) and 1-mile run routine. Nothing crazy, but still longer than most my runs during the week.  I wasn’t able to keep exact track, but the pace was around 8:40 (if you trust my math skills). 

Eventually I’ll address my slacking off on the average speed of my runs compared to what they have been. But that will not be dealt with this week.  Instead, I will continue to focus on and enjoy how wonderful it is to use a gym that has been practically empty.  It’s almost eerie.  Almost.

Considering no one has to be dropkicked to use the treadmill, I’ll call it a win and not ask questions.

Also, I don’t just bake.  I observe random things.Like a computer chair in the middle of a practically empty parking garage.  I saw it when walking to my car and still don’t get it. It reminds me  of when people put lawn chairs in empty spots on the side of the road to save someone a spot.

Clearly there’s plenty of room for everyone.

Whatcha doin’ there, random chair?

Things like this keep me up at night.

Anyhoo… What else do I regularly do?

Oh… complain about the weather.  It’s flippin’ cold up in here.

Some days I worry about my fingers freezing off.  And that’s with gloves on and in my car half way to work.

Half of you probably are experiencing the same thing.  So I won’t go into detail (this time), but will, however, freely complain about how I walk in from where it’s not even 10 degrees to an office that is a balmy 85.  It’s not a very funny joke, Mr. Building Management. 

It makes me feel like this:Dane Cook’s wool sweater skit on SNL is one of my favorites. For some reason or another, a roommate had this episode taped and I’ve watched the whole thing through at least 20 times.

Not a joke.

I tried to find the skit on youtube, but couldn’t.  So if you’re bored, do yourself a favor and do some googling for “Dane Cook Wool Sweater”.  If you find it, you won’t be disappointed. 

Time to sweat my butt off get to work. Happy Hump Day!

Lunch Club- Special Suburban Edition

Yesterday was another packed day- because we fit Lunch Club in, even with all the Mother’s Day activities going on.  And since it was my pick, I decided to mix it up and find a good place in the ‘burbs to go to.  I picked Javier’s in downtown Arlington Heights.  Mexican was on the mind (seriously- you can never eat enough chips and salsa).

We got there a little late- they got caught up trying to get out of the city.  And Cathryn told me that she won’t give me nearly as much crap for the next time I’m late meeting up with them in north Chicago from now on… Win for me!  he he he…

Either way, we were feeling the need for drinky drinks:Jaime and I chose margaritas.  I was happy with my 12 oz ‘rita.  She was VERY happy with her 16 oz drink.  Cathryn and Scott went the beer route.  Still quite acceptable.I had a really hard time picking out what to eat.  So I went the combo route and got a chicken enchilada and a pork burrito.I was a huge fan of the enchilada.  The burrito was ok, but I would have preferred more enchilada…

Cathryn got the fish tacos.  I for one have never had them, but she swears by them.

Jaime got the chimichanga special.  I was a little jealous of the guac she had on her plate… no lies…Scott went the nacho route.  Holy yum! With a side of sour cream.  And we all dug in like this:Just kidding.  We thought about it, though… I am not kidding when I say that.Javier’s gets a thumbs up!  I was a little nervous- how pissed would they have been if I had dragged them all the way out to the ‘burbs for crappy food?  Whew!

What’s your favorite Mexican dish?  I’d have to go with the chicken enchiladas or quesadillas… more cheese please!

After lunch, we went back to my place.  Someone needed to taste the trial run of the wedding cake, right?    Thank goodness they liked it!  And Scott got that much more excited when I said there’d be THREE layers- not just the one.  Oh yeah… we’re serious about our sugar around here. 

I sent half the cake with Jaime and Scott to take with them to their family get togethers they were heading to.  I sent some home with Cathryn.  I saved some for a coworker who always likes to hear about my latest baking ventures.  I ate another piece.  And took the rest over to Mon to give to her and her neighbors.  Now I’m officially cake free!  After the wedding cake baking in a couple weeks, I’m gonna have to chill out on it for a while.  No need to give all my friends diabetes… I can see that being a strain on our friendship.

After they left, I did the whole lay on my couch and be useless for a while.  I tried to go workout, but it didn’t go so well.  I blame fatigue and tequila.  So I retreated back to my apartment.  And watched Betty White on SNL on my computer.  Um yeah… I think she’s my hero.  Did anyone catch it?  I don’t think I’ll be eating muffins any time soon…

Have a good beginning of the week!  My goal of the day is to not be sleeping at my desk by the afternoon…

After much discussion…

… it turns out we all hate geese.  They’re mean.  Enough said.  I’m glad to know I’m not the only one out there. 

AND, now we all have one more thing in common other than our obsessive foodie and fitness ways.    So if someone says, “whatever- it’s not like you really know that Amy girl, you guys just like to talk about running and stuff.”  You can say, “yes I do too know her, and we talk about more than just that.  I know she hates geese.  And loves Vince Vaughn.”  So there ya go!

Luckily, my Friday went rather quickly.  As in super speedy fast.  Thank goodness.  I was crazy busy, doing my little marketing thing with a smile on my face all day.    Ok, that’s an exaggeration, but I was happy about being busy.

I made yesterday a mandatory rest day again.  I hate that I feel the need to do this- my race is next weekend!  I want to be completely ready for it!  That being said, I’d rather struggle a little time-wise than struggle by having to limp the last couple of miles because I continued to aggravate the issue.  Because last time I did that, I ended up running through the pain until I literally could not walk right one morning.  Don’t judge me for my foolish ways.  I’m a stubborn chica.  And somewhat delusional when it comes to my invincibility.

However (after all that), I do have a test run planned for today.  I woke up feeling pretty good, so I’m gonna have another go at it and see what happens.  There are no set plans of how far I’m going to run.  I’m just saying that I am.

When I got home, I tried out Low’s egg souffle that she so kindly posted (check hers out- because it’s so much prettier than mine turned out!).  If she hadn’t of posted it, I would have probably emailed her or bugged her daily saying, “Hey!  I need that in my life!!!!”.  So thanks, Low!    I didn’t have spinach (like she used), so I sauteed mushrooms instead with my Trader Joe’s 21 Season Salute that I picked up (another good unplanned purchase at my beloved TJ’s).  When I threw it all together in my little ramekin, I was a little skeptical.  Ok, alot- it looked gross.  I won’t lie.  But I popped it in the oven and said, “screw it, might as well see what happens.”  After I did that, I poured myself some of this awesome TJ wine:In case this meal was an epic fail, at least I’d be on my way to happy town!  It’s nice there…But it wasn’t a fail.  It was actually awesomeness.  Yes, awesomeness.  Because I did all the mixing in the ramekin I used to bake it in, it doesn’t look so great- but that was me being too lazy to transfer it into something else. Of course, I was a bit impatient and burned the top of my mouth in the first bite, but I’ll let that slide.  I see endless possibilities with this one… I’m pretty sure my lame “veggie scrambles” will soon be thrown into these yummy meals instead.  Sooooo good!  Did I get my point across?  No?  It was fantastic! 

What wasn’t fantastic?  I had a “goodie bag” on my door from the management company wishing me a Happy St. Patrick’s Day.  Yes, that’s cute.  I know.  But really… it’s always gross.  I’d prefer just a nice card?  With some well wishes?  Or, as much as I pay in rent, spring for some good stuff. 

I didn’t realize green fortune cookies were an Irish tradition?  Quirky (the fortune said “Happy St. Patrick’s Day”, btw- really original).  That’s fine.  At least I got some chocolate coins!  Right?  Perfect for dessert!  Uh… I opened one and wondered what the hell it was.  I still don’t know.  I smelled it.  I felt it.  I tried to break it.  I even went as far as to lick it (thinking maybe it’s a sweet tart or something).  Still no clue.

Thanks guys.  Try again.  Maybe spring for some real or at least semi-real chocolate next time?  Or something that won’t sit inside of me for 25 years because my stomach can’t figure out how to digest it?  Thanks!

One quick thing before I leave- has anyone heard about Betty White hosting Saturday Night Live?  How freakin’ awesome!  LOVE her!  And who doesn’t love The Golden Girls?

Oh weekend… how I love thee!  And I have so much to do… so I better get moving.

The Best Men’s Toast

This is the speech the best men did for Annie and Steve’s wedding… They put it on youtube for everyone, so I can’t help but post it.  LOVES IT! 

Annie’s Perfect Day

Last Saturday was the big day.  I think it’s safe to say we’ve all been waiting for it.  Of course Annie and Steve were excited.  But I know us bridesmaids were excited.  We’ve been planning and getting ready for this event for well over a year!  Saturday morning I woke up pretty early in my hotel room (the pillows kind of sucked), and jumped right into all the prep work I had to do.  The pedicure, shower, hair drying, hair curling, hair fixing, makeup, packing up all my prep stuff to continue even more work at Annie’s old house, etc.  It’s quite time consuming.  But I did find the movie Clueless on TBS to keep me entertained as I was getting ready (surprisingly, there’s not much to watch on a Saturday morning).  As if! 

After everyone was done getting ready, we took pictures and jumped into the party bus that would take us to the church.  Annie was doing well- I kind of expected a few tears here and there (she’s a big fan of crying- happy or sad).  But she was very calm and had planned everything so well that everything surprisingly ran smoothly (it hardly ever does from my experience).  We got to the church ten minutes before the ceremony.  It was hot.  Very hot.  And I’m pretty sure Annie and Steve paid extra to have them turn the AC down the night before to get it to a somewhat comfortable temperature.  Apparently the church thought leaving it at 70 would be comfortable for everyone packed into a tiny church in the middle of July.  I’m aware Jesus didn’t have AC, but if he did, he wouldn’t have been impressed, either.

Adam had texted me that morning to see what time they should get there.  I told him at least 20 minutes early because of the size of the church vs. the size of the wedding.  Steph sat with my while I got my pedi that morning and said I should probably tell them earlier.  So I did.  After I walked down the aisle to my spot, I turned around just in time to see them walk in.  Sounds about right… 

The wedding was perfect.  Annie got a little choked up during the vows, but us bridesmaids got a good view of Steve giving her comforting little smiles and telling her to breath.  It was kind of adorable.  I’m not a big crier at weddings, but if I were, that’s what would have done me in.  But I had a plan.  Jaime told me she heard if you feel like you’re going to cry to clench your butt a few times to get your mind off of it.  Odd.  But I probably would have tried it.

It took all of five minutes to get the champagne open on bus on the way to the reception.  We got there just in time for cocktail hour.  Good thing I had stuff with me- they carded me at the bar.  That never happens.  Firstly because there’s no way I look 21, and secondly, I was in the wedding party.  I’ve never seen a member of the party get carded before.  A couple of the other bridesmaids had left their purses with their husbands.  I offered to get them a drink before their husband got there.  Flashback to when I had to buy beer for my brother… (I swear mom, I only did it a couple times)

One of my favorite parts of the night was the toast by the best men (he had two).  Before we walked in, I asked my partner Peter (one of the best men) if he was ready for the toast.  He said sure and that he and brad were just going to wing it.  Annie told me a while ago that group of friends had made a tradition of making videos for the groom- but it’s alot of work and they had been told this year it might not happen because of scheduling.  What a lie.  Peter and Brad opened with how Steve had asked them to be best men by letter and played the video- a parody of Andy Samberg and T-Pain’s “On a Boat” video.  It was fantastic!  You could tell how much work they put into it.  I’m not sure what I liked more- the lyrics or the video of them in tuxes rapping on rooftops in Chicago.  Either way, hats off to them!

Steve and Annie’s first dance was to a song off of the Enchanted soundtrack.  Classic Annie.  Steve really is a good sport.  I don’t think he’s so much into the whole dancing thing, but he knows how much she is and what it means to her.  So naturally it was choreographed.  Lots of spinning on Annie’s part- which was great because her dress glistened from a million places when she did it.

Dancing and socializing went on until about 11:30.  The guys had taken my key earlier between the ceremony and reception to chill out for awhile in the hotel, so we just went back there for a minute.  Then we caught the shuttle to Ameristar across the street.  I was ready to go there- even though gambling isn’t really my thing (I’m sure that makes me a huge disappointment to my mom- her and my dad LOVE the slots).  I was hoping to hit up one of the multiple bars inside Ameristar, but we mostly just stuck around the casino floor.  Adam and Jeff were big on the roulette.  We found Steph and Anna there as well.  I wandered off with them for a while and sat to watch Steph play penny slots.  Then, I was kinda bored so I pulled out a few dollars and started pushing buttons.  I was under the influence, so I wasn’t really concentrating.  But my machine started getting pretty loud and Anna came over.  I was like, “what’s going on?  what does that mean?”  “Amy!  You just won $50!”  “Oh!”

After that, I cashed out pretty quickly.  I had drank too much to play anymore without losing it all.  So we went and found the boys.  I sat with one of the girlfriends (who’s like me- more there for atmosphere and drinks than the actual gambling). 

The next day was rough.  I woke up after only a few hours of sleep.  But I knew I had to get up if I wanted to make it in time for the Embassy’s yummy breakfast.  And I wanted to catch Annie and Steve while they were down there to say goodbye before they left for their honeymoon.  Even after I showered and had been getting ready, my eyes were red.  I blame the exhaustion and allowance of smoking in public (us kids in Illinois aren’t used to that anymore).  My parents laughed at me when they came to meet up.  It’s ok.  I’m glad they don’t freak out as much about their children being hungover as they used to. 

We originally planned to walk around at the Landing since it was All Star Weekend in St. Louis and alot of things were planned to be going on in that area.  But rain was in the air and it looked like we were going to get poured on.  So we went to the mall.  My mom was looking for a new dress for a few weddings coming up, so she wanted me to help her out with that.  And as soon as we got into the parking garage, it POURED.  We made a good choice.

I revisited Central West End to take them to dinner.  And then I revisited the casino scene because, as stated earlier, my parents love it.  And we had free rooms at Harrah’s.  Over All Star Weekend, this would normally be impossible.  But my parents are there that often, they worked it out.  Sad.  I hung out for a little while.  But I was almost a zombie at that point and couldn’t keep up with my mom’s excitement over the flashing lights.  So I snuck away to the hotel room and passed out during the second Cards/Cubs game that was being played.  I woke up to catch the last inning and did a mini cheer when the Cards won.  Then I went back to sleep.

The drive back wasn’t nearly as exciting just because the weekend was completely over and I was dreading work the next day.  And we were both tired still.  As soon as someone else took over driving, I closed my eyes and rested while listening to his own version of the classic rock playing on the radio.  Only good station we found in the middle of Illinois.   I got home and didn’t unpack.  Didn’t really do anything.  I was just kind of “around” until it was time for bed.  aaahhh…. back to my own bed with my fantastic pillows (that didn’t suck) and sheets and covers.  Lovely.

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

I’m not on a boat.  But I wish I was.  Instead, I’m  still in recovery mode from last night.  So until I have the energy to talk about my all-night shenanigans, I’m going to be watching this.  It never gets old.