I'm organizing a cookie exchange at work. After finalizing all the plans, I got this from my friend, Michelle.
The most awesome cookie order ever:
"I would like to place a an order of 3 dozen cookies please. I would like them to be gingerbread houses with each cookie detailing a window, door, and each individual shingle on the roof outlined in frosting. I'd also l like the houses to be decorated for christmas, with lights and wreath detailing. In addition like a minimum of 4-5 colors used on each cookie. Oh and some realistic-like snow on the roof. If possible, in the window I'd like a "scene from grandma's house" possible with a christmas tree and grand piano showing through the window. The star on top of the Christmas tree should be a Swarovski crystal. I will send you a check for $30.00. Thanks a million."
Sure, I'll get right on that :)
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Monday, December 6, 2010
Meal Plan Monday: 12/6
Welcome to December's first Meal Plan Monday! Woohoo! Today is also my fabulous friend, Rachel's 30th birthday and the first day of Shana's 12 Days of Christmas giveaways on her blog, Fumbling Towards Normalcy. Go check it out for rules and entries and you might get a very special present.
On to Meal Plan Monday:
Monday: South Beach Chicken Capri (chicken, ricotta cheese, mozzarella) and broccoli
On to Meal Plan Monday:
Monday: South Beach Chicken Capri (chicken, ricotta cheese, mozzarella) and broccoli
Tuesday: Chili - never made it last week.
Wednesday: South Beach Steak au Poivre and veggies Dan has requested burgers and veggie fries. I guess they're a hit! We'll do Steak au Poivre another week.
Thursday: Mushroom Crockpot Chicken
Friday: Leftovers or improvise
I'm trying out a couple of recipes from the South Beach Diet Cookbook, which a friend let me borrow, and throwing in a few standbys. I'm still doing Phase 1. I've done really well with South Beach with only a few cheats sprinkled in. Pants are starting to loosen up, but I'm not to where I want to be to go on to Phase 2 just yet.
I need to take my weekends into account as well. For the most part, I've been fine with leftovers. This past weekend, we went to Cheesecake Factory on Saturday and I had a steak and shrimp dish with veggies instead of their amazing mashed potatoes. Last night, my dad and Dan and I went to Native New Yorker after my dad and I went to the Rams/Cardinals game, and I had a steak salad, but snuck a couple of Dan's fries. Over all, I've done better on this diet than I ever have before, and I hope that the results are coming soon. My blood pressure was down a bit on Thursday, so hopefully it continues that direction.
Here's your linky for MPM:
These are the people in your neighborhood...
Living in an apartment oftentimes means living around some serious characters. There are a lot of nice families in our complex, and there are some people I give the serious side-eye to. I was thinking this morning about the interesting people we've lived near in our almost 3-years here, and thought I'd share.
At the old building (before we moved due to lack of AC), we had some really fun people. We had the 19 and 23-year-old lesbians from Alabama. They were super sweet, and helped me out a few times with Paisley when she was really little and I couldn't get home at lunch. Neither of them had more than an 8th grade education, and they had some serious attitude and probably some substance addiction issues, but they'd have given you the shirt off their backs. Very sweet girls. They moved back to Alabama for an opportunity at Wal-Mart. I miss them.
Also in the old building was a man we called Billy the Pimp. He was an older black guy who seemed to be living with an older white woman above us. He drove a Cadillac and wore the kind of suits and hats you'd find marked "Pimp" at a costume store. He'd disappear for months at a time and then reappear. Billy bounced around between sales jobs, so he was always trying to sell us whatever he was currently selling, everything from Nissans to life insurance. He once told me that Paisley's tail was curly because she was friendly. This was said as she was barking ferociously at him. Not to mention the fact that she's part pug, which I told him multiple times. Billy the Pimp still lives with the doughy white lady and always gives a smile and a nod when he sees us.
Our new building has some interesting people, too. For example, our neighbors above and on the opposite side of the stair way. They seem nice, but are frequently arguing as they come and go. I know you're not supposed to judge books by covers and all that, but neither seems to take pride in how they dress. The girl appears to work in an office, and her pants are always wrinkled and just a bit too short. I just always want to fix them. I try to at least take pride in how I look when I go to work, and even if I'm not 100% happy with an outfit, it's pressed and clean and I look presentable. Not to mention, they have a pit bull (a disallowed breed for our complex, and most complexes for that matter) that they walk around off-leash. He seems nice enough, but with all the stereotypes about pits, it just seems stupid to me to let an aggressive-breed dog walk around unleashed. It's just asking for trouble.
The guy directly above us is the Vanilla Ice Ice Agent. For real. He's an I.C.E. agent. He drives an unmarked car and every once in a while we see him leaving in full agent gear with rifles and everything. He never says anything to us, just stands on his balcony smoking cigarettes and glaring at everyone. Before the I.C.E. agent, we had a meth head who would threaten to harm herself and lock herself in her apartment, resulting in us calling the police multiple times. it's ironic that a cop now lives in her old place. Needless to say, Vanilla Ice Ice Agent is a much better neighbor.
My current favorite is the Professor. I don't know his actual name, but he's a sweet older guy who calls Clover "Killer" and Paisley "the mean one." He leaves at the same time every day in a slight variation of pretty much the same outfit. I've decided he's a Professor because he looks like one. One day, out of the blue, he came to our apartment with his little TV and asked Dan to help him with his cable set up. When he saw our 47" screen TV, he went and bought one the same day. Before then, I'm not sure he'd really spoken to either of us. Last week, I got the great surprise that he seems to have a mail-order bride. Yes, I know, I'm stereo-typing, but you'd think so, too, so don't judge me. He was beaming as he introduced me to her, and all of a sudden he's all cheery and he even decorated for Christmas, which he definitely didn't do last year. Whoever she is, she turned him into a less Scroogey guy just in time for the holidays.
So, those are the people in our neighborhood. Despite most of them being perfectly nice and harmless, I'm so anxious to begin house-shopping and get the fudge out of there in March. I know that living in a house doesn't guarantee us that our neighbors won't be wackadoos, but I'm ready for new ones.
Do you have any interesting apartment neighbors?
At the old building (before we moved due to lack of AC), we had some really fun people. We had the 19 and 23-year-old lesbians from Alabama. They were super sweet, and helped me out a few times with Paisley when she was really little and I couldn't get home at lunch. Neither of them had more than an 8th grade education, and they had some serious attitude and probably some substance addiction issues, but they'd have given you the shirt off their backs. Very sweet girls. They moved back to Alabama for an opportunity at Wal-Mart. I miss them.
Also in the old building was a man we called Billy the Pimp. He was an older black guy who seemed to be living with an older white woman above us. He drove a Cadillac and wore the kind of suits and hats you'd find marked "Pimp" at a costume store. He'd disappear for months at a time and then reappear. Billy bounced around between sales jobs, so he was always trying to sell us whatever he was currently selling, everything from Nissans to life insurance. He once told me that Paisley's tail was curly because she was friendly. This was said as she was barking ferociously at him. Not to mention the fact that she's part pug, which I told him multiple times. Billy the Pimp still lives with the doughy white lady and always gives a smile and a nod when he sees us.
Our new building has some interesting people, too. For example, our neighbors above and on the opposite side of the stair way. They seem nice, but are frequently arguing as they come and go. I know you're not supposed to judge books by covers and all that, but neither seems to take pride in how they dress. The girl appears to work in an office, and her pants are always wrinkled and just a bit too short. I just always want to fix them. I try to at least take pride in how I look when I go to work, and even if I'm not 100% happy with an outfit, it's pressed and clean and I look presentable. Not to mention, they have a pit bull (a disallowed breed for our complex, and most complexes for that matter) that they walk around off-leash. He seems nice enough, but with all the stereotypes about pits, it just seems stupid to me to let an aggressive-breed dog walk around unleashed. It's just asking for trouble.
The guy directly above us is the Vanilla Ice Ice Agent. For real. He's an I.C.E. agent. He drives an unmarked car and every once in a while we see him leaving in full agent gear with rifles and everything. He never says anything to us, just stands on his balcony smoking cigarettes and glaring at everyone. Before the I.C.E. agent, we had a meth head who would threaten to harm herself and lock herself in her apartment, resulting in us calling the police multiple times. it's ironic that a cop now lives in her old place. Needless to say, Vanilla Ice Ice Agent is a much better neighbor.
My current favorite is the Professor. I don't know his actual name, but he's a sweet older guy who calls Clover "Killer" and Paisley "the mean one." He leaves at the same time every day in a slight variation of pretty much the same outfit. I've decided he's a Professor because he looks like one. One day, out of the blue, he came to our apartment with his little TV and asked Dan to help him with his cable set up. When he saw our 47" screen TV, he went and bought one the same day. Before then, I'm not sure he'd really spoken to either of us. Last week, I got the great surprise that he seems to have a mail-order bride. Yes, I know, I'm stereo-typing, but you'd think so, too, so don't judge me. He was beaming as he introduced me to her, and all of a sudden he's all cheery and he even decorated for Christmas, which he definitely didn't do last year. Whoever she is, she turned him into a less Scroogey guy just in time for the holidays.
So, those are the people in our neighborhood. Despite most of them being perfectly nice and harmless, I'm so anxious to begin house-shopping and get the fudge out of there in March. I know that living in a house doesn't guarantee us that our neighbors won't be wackadoos, but I'm ready for new ones.
Do you have any interesting apartment neighbors?
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Little stream
Day 11: Something people seem to compliment you the most on
If there is one thing I get the most compliments on - and always have - it's my name. Brooke. Say it with me: "Brooke." Sounds nice, huh? It even looks pretty, if I may brag just a little bit. I love that it's always suited me and is timeless. It was just as appropriate for me at 4 years of age as it is at 29. I love that you can't tell from my name how old I am, the way people would be able to make a pretty good stab at my sister Megan's age. As it's ranked at #52 in the U.S., it's nicely uncommon while not being out there in a way that would make people go, "say whaaaat?" I usually hear "that's a pretty name," or "you don't hear that often." When Dan and I have children, we hope to choose names similar in that way. I can't imagine having any other name, I think it suits me just perfectly.
Having the name Brooke puts me in a pretty elite group of awesome people. I'm among Miss USA (Brooke Angus), actresses (Brooke Burns and Brooke Shields - of course), models (Brooke Burke), Olympic athletes (Brooke Abel and Brooke Shaw), a wealthy philanthropist/socialite/novelist centurian (Brooke Astor), former NFL cheerleaders (Brooke Emerson and Brooke Wicker), and even someone who's famous for trying to be famous (Brooke Hogan). Not a bad league to be in, eh?
How do you feel about your name? Do you like it? Do you looooove it? If not, what would you change it to?
If there is one thing I get the most compliments on - and always have - it's my name. Brooke. Say it with me: "Brooke." Sounds nice, huh? It even looks pretty, if I may brag just a little bit. I love that it's always suited me and is timeless. It was just as appropriate for me at 4 years of age as it is at 29. I love that you can't tell from my name how old I am, the way people would be able to make a pretty good stab at my sister Megan's age. As it's ranked at #52 in the U.S., it's nicely uncommon while not being out there in a way that would make people go, "say whaaaat?" I usually hear "that's a pretty name," or "you don't hear that often." When Dan and I have children, we hope to choose names similar in that way. I can't imagine having any other name, I think it suits me just perfectly.
Having the name Brooke puts me in a pretty elite group of awesome people. I'm among Miss USA (Brooke Angus), actresses (Brooke Burns and Brooke Shields - of course), models (Brooke Burke), Olympic athletes (Brooke Abel and Brooke Shaw), a wealthy philanthropist/socialite/novelist centurian (Brooke Astor), former NFL cheerleaders (Brooke Emerson and Brooke Wicker), and even someone who's famous for trying to be famous (Brooke Hogan). Not a bad league to be in, eh?
How do you feel about your name? Do you like it? Do you looooove it? If not, what would you change it to?
Monday, November 29, 2010
Thanksgiving Weekend
Our Thanksgiving week started out mellow. An easy week at work, nothing too stressful. Only 2 and basically a half days to get through until a day of feasting and family. And then, Clover struck. I took her to get her rabies and parvo shots on Tuesday. On Wednesday morning, little girl was throwing up and when she came out of her crate, it was at a slow walk. Not at all like Clover. And her face was puffy, which was actually pretty cute. Basically, she was having an allergic reaction. So after a dose of Benadryl, it was back to the vet we went, for a steroid shot and a few hours of observation. It was oh so reminiscent of Paisley's horrible illness last year, almost exactly a year to the day. I'm so thankful for our amazing vet clinic. All the vets and techs are so helpful and comforting, and I never worry about our dogs when in their care.
After it was determined that Clover was in the clear, it was dog park time. And not just any dog park time. Dog park photo shoot time. A Knottie friend of mine is building her pet photography portfolio and so I took advantage of her services to get some cute shots of The Girls. Paisley and Clover ran and played for a solid hour while she just snap, snap, snapped away. She got about 140 pictures, and posted 30 on Facebook. Here are a few of our favorites of Paisley...
After it was determined that Clover was in the clear, it was dog park time. And not just any dog park time. Dog park photo shoot time. A Knottie friend of mine is building her pet photography portfolio and so I took advantage of her services to get some cute shots of The Girls. Paisley and Clover ran and played for a solid hour while she just snap, snap, snapped away. She got about 140 pictures, and posted 30 on Facebook. Here are a few of our favorites of Paisley...
And of Clover...
After the dog park, we hung out at home and waited for Dan, who had a long night at work. We hung out, enjoying being off for the holiday. On Thursday morning, we headed to Tucson for Thanksgiving dinner with my family. It was a wonderfully relaxing day with my parents and a family friend. We ate, we drank, we played Wii. We were thankful for good company, our health, and our family. At the end of the evening, Dan had to head home to work on Friday. I'm so thankful for my husband, who works so hard for us and always selflessly put me first.
I spent the rest of the weekend with fabulous people: my parents, my dear friend Rachel, Mrs. ESPN's adorable girls, and our friend Scott and his kids. I'm so thankful that we have so many wonderful people in our lives. I got a fabulous Black Friday deal on some wine glasses, picked out the bridesmaid dress (I think) for Rachel's wedding, and helped my mom with her yard sale. All in all, another wonderful weekend. It went by way too quickly, but it was packed full of great moments.
Speaking of Mrs. ESPN, tomorrow is her birthday, so... Happy Birthday!! Have a wonderful day! Thank you for being an awesome friend.
How was your Thanksgiving weekend?
Meal Plan Monday: 11/29
I can't believe December is almost here! It's crazy how quickly this whole year has gone by. I'll come back later to do a weekend post covering Thanksgiving, a doggie photo shoot, and a little Christmas shopping, but for now, here's Meal Plan Monday:
Monday: Lemon pepper chicken and asparagus
Tuesday: Italian burgers (Dan looooved them!) with brocolli and cucumber "fries" (Dan's idea - he's so awesome and supportive)
Wednesday: Turkey chili
Thursday: Beef fajitas with black beans
Friday: Leftovers - probably chili
So here's the linky - spread the word! (And no spammers, please. That's just not cool. If you link, spammers, I'll shoot you with flame throwers.)
Monday: Lemon pepper chicken and asparagus
Tuesday: Italian burgers (Dan looooved them!) with brocolli and cucumber "fries" (Dan's idea - he's so awesome and supportive)
Wednesday: Turkey chili
Thursday: Beef fajitas with black beans
Friday: Leftovers - probably chili
So here's the linky - spread the word! (And no spammers, please. That's just not cool. If you link, spammers, I'll shoot you with flame throwers.)
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Dropping dead weight
I'm luckily not in a situation currently where this applies to me, but I can elaborate on the couple of experiences I have had with dropping "dead weight"...
Day 10: Someone you need to let go, or wish you didn't know.
We've all had them - that friend that becomes a frenemy and then maybe just becomes toxic. Unfortunately, they don't always realize that's how you see them. That's when difficult conversations have to be had. I've had to have that "conversation" twice in my life. I say "conversation" (with little air quote fingers) because it was more like an email from me explaining I didn't want to be friends anymore. This may not be the method everyone would prefer, but it works for my in my favorite ripping-off-a-bandaid kind of way. It's not fun, and it's not easy, but in both cases, I felt it had to be done.
The first was a college friend. We'd been very close our junior year, then drifted a wee bit after she graduated (I did two more years due to changing majors and schools), and then we became coworkers at my first job. We liked working together and we were fine and I thought we were tight. And then she got engaged. And she asked our whole crew from college to be her bridesmaids... except for me. She was insensitive - in my opinion - about it. She'd ask me what I thought about bridesmaid dress designs, wedding plans, and bridal party gifts. She never had a conversation about why I'd been excluded. For the record, I didn't feel I deserved to be a bridesmaid, just that I thought it was hurtful that I was the only one left out. It just showed me that our friendship clearly didn't mean to her what it meant to me. Later in her planning, she excluded only one of her fiance's five siblings (his sister who didn't end up attending the wedding at all, she was so hurt) and I noticed a pattern of thoughtlessness. I ended the friendship just under a year after her wedding. It just had become more hurtful than mutually beneficial and I was ready to cut ties.
Recently, I mentioned that I needed to sever myself from another friend, and I did in August. We had been coworkers at the job before my current one and kept in touch since we both left the company. She was supportive while I was planning my wedding, and it was also during that time that she was pregnant with her son. However, there was always something that bothered me about her and that was the way she was so jealous and hateful in the way she spoke of her step-children, as well as controlling of her husband. She would complain to me endlessly about her fights with her husband, mostly involving her step-son and how she wanted the kid (who was 15 when they married) out of her home. She fully intended to kick her step-son out of their house when he was 18, without any regard for her husband's wishes or where the kid would go. Basically, she wanted to have her little family with her husband and their son, and her step-kids could disappear into thin air for all she cared. Anything else her husband did that wasn't exactly how she wanted resulted in a fight, sometimes leading to them not speaking for days. I tried to respectfully tell her when I thought she was being ridiculous but it was met with, "well, you don't know. Dan doesn't have kids, he doesn't have an ex wife."
From my perspective, her life was just chaos, and most of it was caused by her over-reacting. I did like her, and I liked hanging out with her, so for a while I justified it with "sometimes nice people do shitty things," but then I realized that the things she was doing reflected an ugliness inside her. At some point, I just grew exhausted. So I wrote her an email one day and - very successfully restraining myself and my true opinions - told her that I didn't think we should communicate anymore. It's been one of the best decisions I've made. My weeks are much less drama filled (she literally fought with her husband weekly) and I don't constantly feel like I'm biting my tongue.
It's not easy letting a friend go, and I'm thankful that the friends I currently have in my life are true and wonderful friends. I prefer quality over quantity when it comes to friendships, and it's lead to me having meaningful and long-lasting relationships in my life.
Day 10: Someone you need to let go, or wish you didn't know.
We've all had them - that friend that becomes a frenemy and then maybe just becomes toxic. Unfortunately, they don't always realize that's how you see them. That's when difficult conversations have to be had. I've had to have that "conversation" twice in my life. I say "conversation" (with little air quote fingers) because it was more like an email from me explaining I didn't want to be friends anymore. This may not be the method everyone would prefer, but it works for my in my favorite ripping-off-a-bandaid kind of way. It's not fun, and it's not easy, but in both cases, I felt it had to be done.
The first was a college friend. We'd been very close our junior year, then drifted a wee bit after she graduated (I did two more years due to changing majors and schools), and then we became coworkers at my first job. We liked working together and we were fine and I thought we were tight. And then she got engaged. And she asked our whole crew from college to be her bridesmaids... except for me. She was insensitive - in my opinion - about it. She'd ask me what I thought about bridesmaid dress designs, wedding plans, and bridal party gifts. She never had a conversation about why I'd been excluded. For the record, I didn't feel I deserved to be a bridesmaid, just that I thought it was hurtful that I was the only one left out. It just showed me that our friendship clearly didn't mean to her what it meant to me. Later in her planning, she excluded only one of her fiance's five siblings (his sister who didn't end up attending the wedding at all, she was so hurt) and I noticed a pattern of thoughtlessness. I ended the friendship just under a year after her wedding. It just had become more hurtful than mutually beneficial and I was ready to cut ties.
Recently, I mentioned that I needed to sever myself from another friend, and I did in August. We had been coworkers at the job before my current one and kept in touch since we both left the company. She was supportive while I was planning my wedding, and it was also during that time that she was pregnant with her son. However, there was always something that bothered me about her and that was the way she was so jealous and hateful in the way she spoke of her step-children, as well as controlling of her husband. She would complain to me endlessly about her fights with her husband, mostly involving her step-son and how she wanted the kid (who was 15 when they married) out of her home. She fully intended to kick her step-son out of their house when he was 18, without any regard for her husband's wishes or where the kid would go. Basically, she wanted to have her little family with her husband and their son, and her step-kids could disappear into thin air for all she cared. Anything else her husband did that wasn't exactly how she wanted resulted in a fight, sometimes leading to them not speaking for days. I tried to respectfully tell her when I thought she was being ridiculous but it was met with, "well, you don't know. Dan doesn't have kids, he doesn't have an ex wife."
From my perspective, her life was just chaos, and most of it was caused by her over-reacting. I did like her, and I liked hanging out with her, so for a while I justified it with "sometimes nice people do shitty things," but then I realized that the things she was doing reflected an ugliness inside her. At some point, I just grew exhausted. So I wrote her an email one day and - very successfully restraining myself and my true opinions - told her that I didn't think we should communicate anymore. It's been one of the best decisions I've made. My weeks are much less drama filled (she literally fought with her husband weekly) and I don't constantly feel like I'm biting my tongue.
It's not easy letting a friend go, and I'm thankful that the friends I currently have in my life are true and wonderful friends. I prefer quality over quantity when it comes to friendships, and it's lead to me having meaningful and long-lasting relationships in my life.
Monday, November 22, 2010
A big ol' whopping hybrid of a post
This weekend was long. And short. It was a little of everything, kind of like this post is going to be. We went to Tucson on Saturday to help my parents. Their gas line was leaking, so we went down so Dan could replace it. We got up bright and early and got there by 8:30am. Dan and my dad had to dig the trench for the piping, so that took a good 5 or so hours. Then they had to measure and buy the pipe (2.5 hours) and then lay it all in the ground. Dan is obviously a certified pipe fitter, so he knows exactly what he's doing. It was kinda fun to watch him work. There's a lot involved in making sure that gas line piping is safe, and I have a lot more respect for how hard he works. We weren't done until just after 10 and then drove back home. Long day.
Yesterday was a pretty perfect day. The dogs, who were tired from 14 hours of constant playing at my parents' house, slept until 8:30. Eight. THIRTY. Glorious. I got up and hung out with them while Dan slept in. Then we went to Applebee's where I got fabulous South Beach diet happy fajitas. We went shopping at the mall, and I got my sister crossed off the to-buy-for list. I absolutely hate shopping after Thanksgiving, so I'm trying to get what I can done now. I actually took a day off in December to finish, if need be. You won't find me shopping on Black Friday. Anyway, we also did our grocery shopping - tons of veggies, lean proteins, and low fat dairy stuff for me. Life on the South Beach diet so far is good. All the proteins keep me feeling pretty full. I'm sure I'll miss my brown rice, and Dan's fries yesterday looked soooo good, but I'll get through it.
Last night was my first official South Beach dinner. When we got home I made delicious Italian burgers with zucchini and squash "fries." I used extra lean beef that I seasoned with garlic powder, black pepper, Italian seasoning, and minced onion. Just before they were done, I topped them with non-fat mozzarella cheese. I steamed the zucchini and squash about half way, then sprinkled them with a touch of salt and broiled them the rest of the way. I have to say, they were pretty darn good, and I'm kinda stoked to have the leftovers for lunch today. I also used up my over-ripe bananas by baking my coworkers a couple loaves of banana bread. I did taste a tiny bit just to make sure I didn't serve them anything disgusting, and it was pretty good for my first try, if I do say so myself.
By the way, I'm not turning this into a nutrition blog by any means. I'm the last person qualified to do that. But healthy cooking and recipe ideas are always great to share, which is the whole idea of...
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Meal Plan Monday!!
Monday: Crock pot chicken with asparagus. I thought I'd have to get rid of my cream of mushroom soup recipe, but I read the can and the soup is lot in fat as well as carbs, so I can eat it. Hurray!
Tuesday: Beef fajitas and black beans
Wednesday: 15 bean soup. My mom gave me all the fixings (I just have to add Canadian bacon). I'll probably freeze most of it in bowl size portions that we can use for lunches or quick dinners.
Thursday: Thanksgiving!! Yay!
I've got extra veggies to take to my parents' house for the weekend, so that I'll be able to keep up the good habits. I will indulge in a little bit of mashed potatoes and stuffing, but my goal is to limit myself to only one small portion of each. Starting a new way of life around the holidays will definitely be a challenge, but it'll be worth it, and if I surround myself with good choices, hopefully I won't feel like I'm missing out on much.
What are you cooking in your castle this week? Linky below...
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And now, a couple of giveaways!!
As you know, I have a massive Cookie Girl crush on Bridget at Bake at 350. I pretty much taught myself to do cookies with the help of her blog's tutorials, recipes, and instructions. Her blog turned 3 and she's celebrating with an amazing giveaway: a bright red Kitchenaid mixer! So go enter. Do it now! Happy Birthday, Bake at 350!!
Also, Mom-Nom.com is having a whole hot mess of giveaways. She's got great stuff for gifts for you or someone on your list. This lady is hilarious - both on her blog and on the Twitter. Definitely go enter any and all of her giveaways and get some Christmas shopping taken care of.
Yesterday was a pretty perfect day. The dogs, who were tired from 14 hours of constant playing at my parents' house, slept until 8:30. Eight. THIRTY. Glorious. I got up and hung out with them while Dan slept in. Then we went to Applebee's where I got fabulous South Beach diet happy fajitas. We went shopping at the mall, and I got my sister crossed off the to-buy-for list. I absolutely hate shopping after Thanksgiving, so I'm trying to get what I can done now. I actually took a day off in December to finish, if need be. You won't find me shopping on Black Friday. Anyway, we also did our grocery shopping - tons of veggies, lean proteins, and low fat dairy stuff for me. Life on the South Beach diet so far is good. All the proteins keep me feeling pretty full. I'm sure I'll miss my brown rice, and Dan's fries yesterday looked soooo good, but I'll get through it.
Last night was my first official South Beach dinner. When we got home I made delicious Italian burgers with zucchini and squash "fries." I used extra lean beef that I seasoned with garlic powder, black pepper, Italian seasoning, and minced onion. Just before they were done, I topped them with non-fat mozzarella cheese. I steamed the zucchini and squash about half way, then sprinkled them with a touch of salt and broiled them the rest of the way. I have to say, they were pretty darn good, and I'm kinda stoked to have the leftovers for lunch today. I also used up my over-ripe bananas by baking my coworkers a couple loaves of banana bread. I did taste a tiny bit just to make sure I didn't serve them anything disgusting, and it was pretty good for my first try, if I do say so myself.
By the way, I'm not turning this into a nutrition blog by any means. I'm the last person qualified to do that. But healthy cooking and recipe ideas are always great to share, which is the whole idea of...
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Meal Plan Monday!!
Monday: Crock pot chicken with asparagus. I thought I'd have to get rid of my cream of mushroom soup recipe, but I read the can and the soup is lot in fat as well as carbs, so I can eat it. Hurray!
Tuesday: Beef fajitas and black beans
Wednesday: 15 bean soup. My mom gave me all the fixings (I just have to add Canadian bacon). I'll probably freeze most of it in bowl size portions that we can use for lunches or quick dinners.
Thursday: Thanksgiving!! Yay!
I've got extra veggies to take to my parents' house for the weekend, so that I'll be able to keep up the good habits. I will indulge in a little bit of mashed potatoes and stuffing, but my goal is to limit myself to only one small portion of each. Starting a new way of life around the holidays will definitely be a challenge, but it'll be worth it, and if I surround myself with good choices, hopefully I won't feel like I'm missing out on much.
What are you cooking in your castle this week? Linky below...
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And now, a couple of giveaways!!
As you know, I have a massive Cookie Girl crush on Bridget at Bake at 350. I pretty much taught myself to do cookies with the help of her blog's tutorials, recipes, and instructions. Her blog turned 3 and she's celebrating with an amazing giveaway: a bright red Kitchenaid mixer! So go enter. Do it now! Happy Birthday, Bake at 350!!
Also, Mom-Nom.com is having a whole hot mess of giveaways. She's got great stuff for gifts for you or someone on your list. This lady is hilarious - both on her blog and on the Twitter. Definitely go enter any and all of her giveaways and get some Christmas shopping taken care of.
Friday, November 19, 2010
Silly Sal
Day 09: Someone you didn't want to let go, but just drifted
My freshman year of high school was an awesome time. I'd narrowly survived middle school, and high school was all about new beginnings: I started competitive (not synchronized) swimming, went to a new school (obviously), and met new friends. The awesome thing about my high school is that I'd gone to elementary with many people in my class since I'd been in magnet schools from kindergarten to 4th grade. So I had new friends and old friends that were new again.
One of the truly new friends was Sally. Sally was awesome! She was fun and silly, and we had similar personalities. She was also funky, creative, and out-going, which at that point in my life, I really wasn't. She introduced me to a lot of new people, and was also friends with people from my elementary school. We rode the bus to and from school together and had English together our freshman year. I remember us both melting into fits of giggles over the words "me thinks" and "fickle" while reading Romeo & Juliet. Why we thought that was so funny, I don't know, but we did.
Sally always had the most fun parties. Her birthday was in May, which was perfect for an outdoor Saturday night party in her parents' backyard. They were always costume parties - she'd split the invitees up by grade or alphabet and assign categories for costume theme. One year I had to be a Disney character, another year I was a hippie and wore my mom's wedding dress. It was at one of her parties where I first bonded with my very good friend, Rachel.
Basically, hanging out with Sally was just fun. We were always good friends in high school. We hung with the same crowd both in and outside of school. It's not like we were joined at the hip or anything, but we got along really well and spent quite a bit of time together. On Friday or Saturday nights, we'd always all get together at our hangout, Coffee Etc. and just chill.
When we graduated, I went away to Northern Arizona University and she stayed in Tucson to go to the University of Arizona. Since most of our group of friends went to NAU, she came and visited a few times, and we'd always meet up with her whenever we visited.
But like many friends do, we drifted apart. It sucks, because she is still awesome, but now she lives in Texas. I see her on Facebook (she just had a baby girl) and stuff, but I haven't actually seen her in person in probably 5 years, and even that was a brief run-in at a bar in Tucson. I wish we'd both made more effort to stay in better touch, but I know that sometimes that's just what happens to friendships. I'm hopeful that someday down the road, when she visits her family, timing will work out and we'll be able to get together, and I hope it's just as fun and silly as it was 14 years ago (oh my gosh, 14 yeeeears!) when we first met.
My freshman year of high school was an awesome time. I'd narrowly survived middle school, and high school was all about new beginnings: I started competitive (not synchronized) swimming, went to a new school (obviously), and met new friends. The awesome thing about my high school is that I'd gone to elementary with many people in my class since I'd been in magnet schools from kindergarten to 4th grade. So I had new friends and old friends that were new again.
One of the truly new friends was Sally. Sally was awesome! She was fun and silly, and we had similar personalities. She was also funky, creative, and out-going, which at that point in my life, I really wasn't. She introduced me to a lot of new people, and was also friends with people from my elementary school. We rode the bus to and from school together and had English together our freshman year. I remember us both melting into fits of giggles over the words "me thinks" and "fickle" while reading Romeo & Juliet. Why we thought that was so funny, I don't know, but we did.
Sally always had the most fun parties. Her birthday was in May, which was perfect for an outdoor Saturday night party in her parents' backyard. They were always costume parties - she'd split the invitees up by grade or alphabet and assign categories for costume theme. One year I had to be a Disney character, another year I was a hippie and wore my mom's wedding dress. It was at one of her parties where I first bonded with my very good friend, Rachel.
Basically, hanging out with Sally was just fun. We were always good friends in high school. We hung with the same crowd both in and outside of school. It's not like we were joined at the hip or anything, but we got along really well and spent quite a bit of time together. On Friday or Saturday nights, we'd always all get together at our hangout, Coffee Etc. and just chill.
When we graduated, I went away to Northern Arizona University and she stayed in Tucson to go to the University of Arizona. Since most of our group of friends went to NAU, she came and visited a few times, and we'd always meet up with her whenever we visited.
But like many friends do, we drifted apart. It sucks, because she is still awesome, but now she lives in Texas. I see her on Facebook (she just had a baby girl) and stuff, but I haven't actually seen her in person in probably 5 years, and even that was a brief run-in at a bar in Tucson. I wish we'd both made more effort to stay in better touch, but I know that sometimes that's just what happens to friendships. I'm hopeful that someday down the road, when she visits her family, timing will work out and we'll be able to get together, and I hope it's just as fun and silly as it was 14 years ago (oh my gosh, 14 yeeeears!) when we first met.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
My New Plan
I have a confession. A couple, actually, I guess. First, I've got some high blood pressure. Major suck. I could have passed it off as a fluke, but I know I can't because (second confession ahead) I've also gained enough weight to warrant a new pants size since going off hormonal birth control in April. Major suck.
I felt embarrassed enough about the weight gain as it was - having to buy a bigger pants size is never fun. Even though I had a stress-free jeans shopping experience before Baltimore (which, yay for that!) it still broke my heart to have to buy the next size up. I have guilt - I know that I don't make the healthiest choices and I indulge too often, despite the fact that I cook most of our dinners and, through leftovers, our lunches. It seems like it would be easier to lose 10 pounds than buy new pants, right? But I haven't lost weight easily in the last 2 and a half years. Even with 12 weeks of boot camp before the wedding and another 4 weeks this past July, I've continued to gain. And it's embarrassing. I feel icky and disappointed.
The good thing that will come out of this high blood pressure thing is that this is the kick in the pants from someone other than myself that I need to do something about the current state of my waistline. I literally have to do something or I'll risk my health, and I can't do that. My doctor said even a 10-15 pound drop would make a difference in my blood pressure. So that's my first goal. I'm not big with daunting goals, so I'll start with 15 and then add 10 as needed. I don't even want to say what my overall goal is for fear of failing, so we're not going there.
Any thoughts and good vibes you can send my way are much appreciated. My doctor recommended the South Beach diet plan as my new way of life, so any recipes you can send my way are welcome. Meal Plan Mondays will now come with linkys, so spread the word so we can all share in good meal ideas.
I felt embarrassed enough about the weight gain as it was - having to buy a bigger pants size is never fun. Even though I had a stress-free jeans shopping experience before Baltimore (which, yay for that!) it still broke my heart to have to buy the next size up. I have guilt - I know that I don't make the healthiest choices and I indulge too often, despite the fact that I cook most of our dinners and, through leftovers, our lunches. It seems like it would be easier to lose 10 pounds than buy new pants, right? But I haven't lost weight easily in the last 2 and a half years. Even with 12 weeks of boot camp before the wedding and another 4 weeks this past July, I've continued to gain. And it's embarrassing. I feel icky and disappointed.
The good thing that will come out of this high blood pressure thing is that this is the kick in the pants from someone other than myself that I need to do something about the current state of my waistline. I literally have to do something or I'll risk my health, and I can't do that. My doctor said even a 10-15 pound drop would make a difference in my blood pressure. So that's my first goal. I'm not big with daunting goals, so I'll start with 15 and then add 10 as needed. I don't even want to say what my overall goal is for fear of failing, so we're not going there.
Any thoughts and good vibes you can send my way are much appreciated. My doctor recommended the South Beach diet plan as my new way of life, so any recipes you can send my way are welcome. Meal Plan Mondays will now come with linkys, so spread the word so we can all share in good meal ideas.
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