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?

New Obsessions

The word “obsession” has become horrifically overused. Don’t you agree?

“Like OMGZ GUYZ, I’m like SO OBSESSED with filtered water I just can’t stand it anymore!”

Cool down.

It’s water. You’re supposed to be drinking it anyway. So really, it’s more of an obligation than obsession. The only difference being that it’s filtered, which really isn’t all that unusual in this day and age (like how I sounded 80 right there?). So uh… take a breath. It’s not that exciting. Neither are highlighters, saltines, or any song by Taylor Swift.

The first two things listed there are true examples of things people have said they’re like totally obsessed with that I find highly unlikely and a little sad if it is actually true. The last one just being a jab at Taylor Swift.

I really don’t like her music. And don’t think  you should either.

Anyway, clearly my standards are high when it comes to what I would deem what qualifies as an actual obsession to be truly thrilled and excitable about.

That being said, here are three new ones I have. You be the judge if I’m being a hypocrite or not.

I probably am. But hey… it’s my blog and I do what I want.

1. Cookie butter.Did you know that diets high in fiber are found to be associated with a healthy heart? Thanks Special K! And notice how I keep all my important things in this particular pantry- cookie butter, cereal, and vodka (on the shelf below).

Yeah. It sounds weird. Maybe even a little gross. But as I was passing by the shelf of new items, it called out to me.

No really, there was a big sign.

So I picked it up, not really understanding what it was, but mostly because it said “cookie” on the front. I’m a sucker for such things.

It’s been opened no less than 10 times in the past 2 days. Mostly to dip pretzels. Once or twice to dip a finger. Obviously this is something I’m only allowed to buy maybe twice a year. And also do not let me know if you have it in the house when I come to visit. Thanks in advance.

2. This stupid push up pyramid challenge thing Kelly got me started with.

My arms are so weak, guys. Like obnoxiously so. But I’m totally dedicated to working my way up the ladder and back down at least every 2-3 days. Usually while watching tv. It’s also making me crazy sore in the core area because it turns out girly push ups really don’t do anything. Who knew I’d be living such a lie for so long?

Wish me luck on keeping this up. Maybe I’ll let you get in on some tix to the GUN SHOW. Holla’.

3. Remember my thing for Vince Vaughn? How we sometimes have breakfast dates and such?

Well. Vince is married. And has a kid. I hate to admit it, but maybe it’s time to throw in the towel on that dream.

But don’t worry. Another dreamlover has caught my eye. He’s handsome. He’s funny. And, most importantly, he’s single.Oh hey there Jason Segel. You cold? Come join me on the couch, why don’t ya?

I look forward to where this relationship will take us and cannot wait to enjoy regular cups o’ coffee with you.

Now if any one of you still want to get me a Christmas gift, he would be a GREAT one to pick up for me…

Just sayin’.

So yeah. My three new obsessions. Like OMG GUYZ AREN’T THEY AWESOMEEEEEEEE?

Oh yeah… the winner of my White Castle Giveaway?

Congrats goes to Krissie!

Hey girl- just email me your info and I’ll get the fun stuff on it’s way! 

And there you have it. Excuse me as I go to celebrate Ugly Sweater Day at work. Tis the season…

Important Things

Hey kids!

I’m about to peace out and go play in rush hour traffic hit the road for St. Louis.

Yes, you guessed right, I’m hitting up my 3rd wedding there this year.

My life would be so much easier if all my friends just moved to Chicago. For real.

Luckily, I’ve gotten used to the 5(ish) hour drive. And have learned a few important things after the multiple road trips to and from good ol’ Missouri.

I’ve packed a peanut butter sandwich that will hopefully help to avoid an Arby’s curly fry situation. They are not allowed until we’re on the way back home when I’m in yoga pants and not having to slip into a cocktail dress, my friends!

And my iPod is pretty well loaded up for when I hit Central Illinois (aka Country Music Central- ew). So we should be all good in the entertainment area.

I also find it important to get in one last workout. No matter how big or small.

This morning’s consisted of 3 circuits from No More Trouble Zones by Jillian.

Only 3 because they’re the ones I like the most and that’s all the time I had. Sleeping in was important. And I wasn’t going to ruin part of the fun of having a day off.

Plus, I was coming off an hour deep tissue massage from the night before.

That massage is another reason I slept so freakin’ well last night.

Completely and utterly relaxing. Not to mention necessary. It almost seemed appropriate to apologize every time she found another knot in my back.

What can I say? I play hard…

There’s a possibility this could become an addiction. And expensive one. Yikes.

Anyway, it’s about time I fill up my coffee and do the most important thing for any road trip.

Actually get on the road. On time.

Have a good Friday everyone!

Oh yeah, I also got my hair did. And have not cleaned my bathroom mirror…

Sorta. My friend Jaime got her license to do hair years go. So she’ll occasionally give me a bang trim in the bathroom at work. This time I just requested a little more than a trim.

Yay or nay? I’ve got about 9 hours before this wedding I’m attending and you need to tell me if I should keep them or sweep to the side.

I mentioned I love you guys because you’re honest, right?

Laters!

Bound to Happen Eventually

Helllooooo weekend!

Thank goodness you’re here. After all the ”whomp whomp” stories you gave me yesterday, it really does seem like we’ve been ready for this weekend to finally get here. Am I right?

Heck yes I’m right. I’m always right.

After getting HEATED in traffic (seriously, why does a 40-minute drive take 80 minutes once a week?), I destressed with some Jillian Michaels No More Trouble Zones. Pretty sure she’s my new outlet for such things.

My new roomie walked in on the workout.

It was bound to happen.

But not as awkward as you would think.

Or at least for her. I still felt weird doing my sumo squats in front of others. Hopefully it will pass because she sat and watched the workout video as I did it. And ate three hot dogs while doing so. Amazing.

To take the edge off of feeling awkward, I decided to just have wine with dinner.

Whatever. I wanted wine anyway. That was just my justification. If I really needed one.

Dinner actually took some effort because I am a little tired of my 10-minute fallbacks of salad or omelets. Clearly I am in a rut.

Because pizza Friday hasn’t happened in a while, I decided why not?A moldy jar of marinara almost stopped me dead in my tracks on that one. Thank goodness I’m a bit of a pantry hoarder and there was an extra jar laying around. Without the fuzz. Sick.

Anyway, it was fun playing “how many toppings can I get on top of this slice of beer bread pizza dough?”Turns out it’s a lot! Mushrooms, onions, black olives, artichoke hearts and a little cheddar cheese.

It was inhaled during another first for me- we watched Legends of the Fall. Yes, you read correctly. It was my first time fully watching that movie- and it was more because the roommate urged me to. You can pull your jaw off the ground now. I’m aware. It’s shameful. But I was bound to get around to watching it eventually, right?

The movie was ok. I mean, it made me feel horribly depressed- which I think was the point… 

But did no one else think Susannah was a little selfish for never being happy and feeling the need to get with all three brothers? I mean geez… all three? Excessive.

I can’t even get one decent date. And she’s all over an entire family.

Not cool, Susannah.

At least I now have something to dwell on as I head out the door for a run. So that’s something…

How To Deal With Tuesday Rage

I won’t lie- the first day back from having 5 days off was rough.

How is it that I was super busy, which should make time fly, but it was the slowest day ever?

I blame Tuesdays. They suck.

Add another 25 minutes to my normal commute time?

This girl was NOT a happy camper. Straight-up hateful, if we’re being honest.

The roomie had asked if I was interested in going for a walk later on because it was relatively nice and I told her I’d be down for it as I got some weight training out of the way. I mostly wanted to do strength training first because it had been ages. But it was also very important that I got at least a half hour of alone time to cool off from my Tuesday rage.

It was in her best interest. My poor friend Annie, who called me on the way home, was not so lucky. I still feel bad (and will apologize again!). Pretty sure I really brought her down. Such a Debbie Downer. Whoomp whoomp…

Anyway, I dusted off my copy of No More Trouble Zones by Jillian Michaels and gave it a go. Cautiously- only doing 5 of the 8 circuits. I haven’t broken that one out for a few months (ahem), and even my other Jillian dvds hadn’t been in use since I moved 2 weeks ago.

Who am I???

After sweating it out a little bit, and killing my quads, I was ready for a walk around the neighborhood.

We checked out a new street (new to us) of bars and restaurants. And then my roomie got pooped on by a bird. Again. This time on the leg. 

Nature really does hate her.

Once we got back (and some of us showered off- gross!), I figured the only way to end the craptastic (literally) day was to fall back on a comfort food.

Mama needed pasta. Badly.Finally found a way to use those artichokes while I was at it. They’ve been sitting around for a while. Plans to make a chicken artichoke dip fell through. Oopsies.

Because I’m a girl who participates in monotonous eating during most of the week, my refrigerator wasn’t quite prepared for the random surge of the desire to cook.

As in, I found an awesome recipe for lemon, artichoke, and pasta, but didn’t have the “fresh” ingredients they asked for. Like none of them. Unfortunately, the thrifty girl in me doesn’t roll that way. I keep my staples consistently handy and that’s about it. Even the lemon was from a bottle. Don’t judge.

The recipe was not followed exactly. When it comes to cooking, eyeballing it all is more my style (ahem- definitely used more black olives than the original recipe). Makes me feel more legit. Like I belong on the Food Network or something. Especially since I lack the fresh ingredients.

Did it turn out? Thankfully, yes. Yes it did. Thank goodness I had that lemon flavoring around (leftover from a night involving vodka cocktails, I believe). It was a real burst of flavor. Which is sometimes not the case when olive oil is the main base of the “sauce”. Or at least that’s my opinion.

Parmesan really topped it off- another very important ingredient that I wouldn’t make the dish without. Again, something fresh I didn’t have on hand- but luckily there was a backup in the refrigerator. Thanks Kraft.

This will be made again. Fresh ingredients or no- it made my tummy happy. My rage became a little less severe.

And it saved my Tuesday from being a complete disaster.

So you know it’s a big deal. Word.

Friday Night Cupcakes

It seems I have been on somewhat of a baking hiatus.

Let’s blame the Vegas vacation, half marathon training, and overall crazy busy schedule as of late.

No worries- Friday night I recognized the severity of this problem and took efforts to fix it.A sweet friend of mine, Danielle, had no idea a surprise birthday party was being thrown in her honor over the weekend. I already had plans before the invite came through and couldn’t make it. So I did the next best thing and sent some love through cupcakes.

I had no idea what to make, but did know I wanted to use the peanut butter M&M’s I had picked up on a whim from Target’s Valentine’s Day clearance. Finally, I settled on brownies. My only issue was finding a recipe to use. There were SO MANY good ones to choose from. But because I was lacking unsweetened chocolate, it took time before I found this one that didn’t require any.

Can you believe I have every other kind of chocolate except for unsweetened? Unheard of!

Because I used milk chocolate, white chocolate, and M&M’s, the brownies were loaded with sweet. So the icing needed to counterbalance it just a little.

See how much thought I put into such things? Baking is taken seriously around these parts…

Who else would I go to but Paula Deen to help a girl out? Butter was being used and she is the queen of such things.  Aaaahhhh her cream cheese frosting… I lightened it up a little by subbing in some milk for a little of the butter. This is usually how I do it because I prefer the butter cream to be a little less heavy. 

And it’s much easier to mix this way.  Just a dab on top did the trick.

We tested two of them just to be sure.The cupcakes go lovely with a dry white wine.

Not that I would know or anything…

Danielle informed me that she even had one for breakfast yesterday after the party.

I approved. One thing great about birthday weekends- anything goes. 

All the sugar from my baking adventures is probably what helped to propel me through yesterday’s workout. Not sure if anyone noticed but myself, but the strength training was horribly lacking. The Shred was popped into the dvd player with a little apprehension. It had been at least 3 weeks. It wasn’t going to be pleasant.

The workout itself wasn’t awful. But as I sit here and type this today, my thighs are burning.

Sorry Jillian… I’ll never ignore you for this long again.

I also did a little elliptical work to get the blood pumping and spent some time as the “cell phone talker” as I walked on the treadmill.  Multi-tasking!

*If it happens when no one else is in the workout room, it doesn’t count as rude. That’s my rule. 

Question of the day… how did everyone sleep last night? Well? Or did Daylight Savings get the best of ya?

I definitely did not go to bed until about 30 to 40 minute later than usual. Not much you can do when you’re just not that tired!

Just So Wild

G’Morning!

I could not be more well-rested.  After several crazy weekends of running around and road trips, I took this last weekend off to stay put and have a couple low key nights with friends.  Each night ended up with me falling asleep easily by midnight.  Only to wake up around 3:00 on my couch (groggy and confused) and having to drag myself to a more proper place for sleep.

I’m just so wild.

I was efficient with my downtime, no worries.  Caught up on emails, cleaned, ran errands… you know- responsible stuff. 

And I made stew.

Yes.  Wild.Last time I was home, my mom sent up more goods from the garden (remember- I lived on a farm). This included canned tomato juice. It’s usually used for some crazy good chili, but I’m low on ground beef and have plenty of other things around- it was time to switch it up.

Oh and I also make more honey oatmeal bread.  It’s officially an obsession.Into my massive crock pot went one freakishly large sweet potato, 2 cans of black beans, approximately a cup of corn (I just poured it until satisfied), 2ish cups of mushrooms (dumped until satisfied) and half of a yellow onion. I also threw in some jalapeno chicken sausage from Trader Joe’s on a whim. Best decision ever.

Interesting fact- red onions do not make me cry. I barely cut into a yellow onion and tears are streaming down my face during a “my eyyyyyeeeessss!!!” moment.  How irritating.

Also thrown in was garlic salt, red chili pepper flakes, pepper, a little paprika and parsley. All should be tossed in according to your taste. Because I like spicy, you can be assured I used a heavy hand with each one…

Clearly I don’t follow recipes when cooking.I just sat with my feet propped up on the couch as it cooked away for 4 hours.  Ahhhh…. gotta love the crock pot.

I think my crock pot needs a manly man’s name. That way, when someone calls and asks what I’m up to, I can just say, “oh you know, I’m just resting after such a long day of work. And Hank is being a dear by cooking dinner…”

Or maybe I could make him sexy and exotic?  Cristiano possibly?  Such difficult decisions… 

Actually, it’s not.  I choose Cristiano.

Anyway, it was definitely a spicy dish (probably just Cristiano trying to get me all hot and bothered). I loved it. And now there is a massive amount of stew leftover. 

I’m definitely one to freeze almost anything, so I’ll probably keep a serving or two for this week and throw the rest in the freezer.

Thanks for dinner, Cristiano.

I really did appreciate all his hard work after a long day. After Saturday’s 7-mile run, I wasn’t sure how long my “strength training” would be.

But after all my “wild” nights of falling asleep early, there was plenty of energy to go around.  Level 2 of The Shred, 20 minutes on the stairmill, and even a quick mile run was thrown in because I felt like it.

Sure, technically there was more cardio than strength, but it’s the weekend and I do what I want.

This week’s weather is looking GOOD.  I really wanted to take my long run outside on Saturday, but there’s still a massive amount of snow sticking around. And that’s not cool.  Cross your fingers that the climb to a 50-degree day over the week will take care of a lot of it so I can hit the trails over the weekend. The treadmill and I need to spend some time apart.

Have a good day, everyone!

(Oh and PS- if you want to know where I got “Cristiano” from, do yourself a favor and google search the soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo. There ya go. Happy Valentine’s Day from me.)

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.

Finding Comfort in Cheese

Since I knew Tuesday was coming, a little comfort food for last night’s dinner was necessary to fight off the onset of the Tuesday Blues.  Or at least that’s my excuse/reasoning for making a dinner with the main component being mac and cheese.

I think it’s also important to note here that I grew up making Kraft mac out of the box. After that, I went to college where my boyfriend was absolutely appalled that I would eat such an awful thing. And I upgraded to Velveeta… also in a box. (My friends were very passionate about the difference between the two.)

Did I care either way?  Not really… other that Velveeta was more expensive and left me annoyed my boyfriend wasn’t chipping in for the difference. Say what you want, but 50 cents is a big deal when you’re in college without a job. And your boyfriend likes mac and cheese.

I’m going to say I’m kidding.  And let you decide if I really am or not.

Anyway, you can imagine my surprise when I find out later on in life that it really isn’t that much more expensive or difficult to make it on my own.  With real cheese. Who woulda thunk it?

I would have no issues eating Kraft or Velveeta everyday if you were to put it in front of me.  And get why people use it- easy… cheap… kids will actually eat it…. perfect. But in a quest to keep the majority of my meals well-balanced and also continue the race to use my pasta before it goes bad (I’ve got another couple of weeks), I decided to try making my own version from scratch.

When in doubt, I often turn to Andrea for the basic recipe for cheese sauce.

What can I say? She knows her stuff. And I often don’t.

But that was the only similarity.

I went with chicken sausage and jalapenos as my mix-in. Because it can’t be said enough- the spicier the better. The red chili pepper flakes are optional- but I would obviously recommend them.Clearly, there also needs to be a little green with your dinner. Do it. Your mom will be proud. 

Your mom may not be proud of you going back to fork out more mac straight from the pot after finishing your plate.  But do it anyways- I won’t tell.

Even after my morning run yesterday, I had a little time after work to fit in some of Jillian Michael’s No More Trouble Zones. The reason it snuck into my evening was because my “strength training Sunday” was spent watching football.  And last time I checked, lifting bottles of Bud Light does not count. However, if you were lifting kegs of Bud Light, it might- you’ll have to check with Jillian on that one. I am not the expert on such things.

There wasn’t enough time for the whole workout, but I got a solid 30 minutes in (I believe it was 5 circuits). People who have done NMTZ before will know that is a pretty solid effort as an end-of-the-day activity.

All in all, a busy Monday. Let’s hope Tuesday is just as busy (and quick!).

*Before I go- an update on Hottie McHotterson. Not married. They’re “swinging by” again next week.

Does this mean I actually have to take the time to keep my makeup looking fresh all next week?!?!  Yikes…

Kraft or Velveeta?  Which did you grow up with? And who didn’t love the sweet shapes the Kraft Mac came in???

Like A Man

Yesterday was a good day. (Go Bears!)

A Sunday Funday is already in the plans for next week’s game. And, believe it or not, I’m going to be watching it with a Green Bay fan. We may or may not start a ruckus.

After a super late Saturday night out and a 4-hour span of time dedicated to NFL playoffs, I needed a day to unplug and chillax.

But I’m back, and you would not believe what I did over the weekend.

I made steaks for the first time!

Don’t make fun of my excitement.  This is huge.  Steak is one thing I never make due to pure intimidation. And now I’m feeling pretty damn good about it.  Maybe next time I’ll finally work up the nerve to make salmon?

Anyhoo, another reason this is a big deal is that when cooking for myself, I generally don’t eat a lot of meat.  There are a few reasons for this.

1. I like quick meals.  Meat often requires more attention than I’m willing to give it. Sounds selfish. But I call it efficient.

2. There’s this thing called a “strict food budget” that I’m on.  Meat is not the cheapest thing to eat. So most of my protein come from other sources (like beans, eggs, peanut butter- all cheap things).

3. I don’t crave it often. My particular food cravings are often saved for far more exciting things.  Like brownies or loaded nachos (but not at the same time).

4. When I go out to eat, it’s that much more exciting to order things I don’t have often.

Let me give you a quick background recap.

I grew up on a farm. More specifically, a cattle farm in Missouri.

See?  Quick recap.

Anyway, this works out really well for me.  My parents are pretty awesome and don’t mind sending me home with tons of food.  Vegetables from the garden and meat from the farm are often sitting in a cooler in the back of my car as I drive back to Chicago.  Not that long ago, my dad gave me steak. Rib eye if you want to be specific.

I’m sure when my dad asked, he was surprised I actually said “sure, steak sounds good”.  I can probably count on one hand how many times I’ve had steak in the last 5 years. But surely there’s something that could be done with it, yes?

After putting it off long enough, I finally started looking around for recipes. When cooking, I don’t often use recipes. But since I’m a steak novice, it couldn’t hurt to have a little guidance. Finally, I settled on balsamic-dijon marinade from Fitness Magazine.

It seemed simple enough. I even bit the bullet and bought dijon mustard for the occasion.  That’s yet another thing not consumed often.  Clearly, I’m really outside of my comfort zone on this one.I wasn’t able to secure everything the recipe called for. Garlic powder was used vs real garlic. Lemon juice out of a bottle vs fresh lemon. Parsley instead of fresh rosemary (I know what a difference this is- I swore I owned dried rosemary but was completely wrong yet still felt the need for green).Drowwwwwnnnnnning…. probably didn’t need to double the recipe. But the regular just didn’t seem like quite enough.

Obviously I was wrong.

Out comes the grill.It was for the best that my fire alarm is still in need of batteries.  I should really get on that.

The steak cooked a little faster than originally anticipated. If we’re being completely honest, I like my steak “well done”, and that’s what this was.  BUT, I would have been fine if it had spent maybe a minute less grilling.

But since this was my first time, I consider it a serious win.Since there was a “straight from the farm” theme going, I busted out some green beans from my canned goods collection.  Beautiful.  I would have cooked this for a friend, but was horribly terrified of screwing it up. So there are leftovers for sure which will be used in wraps and salads and such at some point this week.  Maybe next time I’ll share my awesomeness.

Because I was loaded up on protein and football, the next obvious thing I needed to do was lift weights.

Enter No More Trouble Zones by Jillian Michaels. Got pumped up.  The only thing missing was a manly grunt. I figure using 5 and 8-lb weights wouldn’t require it, though. So I didn’t.

So to summarize, my Sunday was filled with steak, football and pumping iron.

Such a lady I am.

Anyone else working today? We’ll see how productive I actually am- sleeplessness has hit me pretty hard. Not sure how anyone is expected to function on less than 4.5 hours?  Good stuff.