Happy December everyone! I hope you are off to a wonderful holiday-filled month

First I would like to thank all of you for keeping up with my blog. Since I started working– I’ve found it really hard to fit blogging into my schedule! Gone are the leisurely days of 12 hours per week of class (if even that) and lounging on the couch! I’m currently working full time, taking classes for the GMAT and trying to fit in my social life, kabbalah, family & any and all things in between! Who would have thought ‘the real world’ could be so time consuming So things have been a bit crazy busy lately– crazy yes– but in a good way!!

Anyways– lets back track to last week! I had to work AM shifts the Friday after Thanksgiving- continuing to the following Wednesday (HELLO 5 AM!), so dad and I tried to make Thanksgiving weekend as fun as possible!

What did we do you ask? Well Friday night– as I hinted at in my previous post– we hit up Turner Fisheries for some good eats—

Of course I was boring…

Last week was DEFINITELY non interesting in terms of eats…here are more usual suspects…

Yogurt messes with Vitamuffins

At least I used a new flavor yogurt– this is AWESOME by the way ! This flavor boasts raisins and mini apple chunks with a cinnamony flavor

On Saturday night of Thanksgiving weekend, dad and I went to see the NUTCRACKER!!! I have been going almost every year since I was young! I just love it so so sooo much!!!!

Here I am before the show..

You are all too sweet on complimenting my outfits because I don’t really consider myself one of those people who thinks of myself as ’stylish’… but thank you

I snuck a pick inside the theater!!

The ballet got out around 10 pm! Dad and I were famished– we hit up our place for a late night din

Of course I had the usual crustaceans (I’m getting embarrassed to admit this!!). For my entree I had seared jumbo scallops with asparagus

and roasted baby beets

and of course the dessert buffet

From the top: Pumpkin pie (SO GOOD!), vanilla ice cream with REAL hot fudge topping (no whimpy syrup!), chocolate cupcake and the star was the chocolate pecan bourbon pie! This plate was CLEANED!

Last week was pretty busy with work! I even had to work 1 1/2 shifts one day because someone called out! I have to say– I really enjoy my job! Since I work at the front desk I get to ’schmooze’ with the guests, upgrade people who are nice, send champagne and wine, reccommend restaurants– I have a blast

I will however, say that come Saturday night– I was ready to have a night out! Me & one of my girlfriends hit up Abe & Louie’s for eats (yes I know I was there last week too– it’s my friends fav place in the city!) .

You will be happy to know that I ordered salmon for dinner along with asparagus and a JUMBO baked sweet tater that I split with my friend. Afterwards we hit up a few lounges but it was sooo cold/snowy/rainy out so we decided to ditch our ‘dinner & drinks’ night in order to take refuge at the beloved dessert buffet. It was perfect as always.

After realizing that last week I ate 5 lobsters and about 20+ shrimp….I have come to the conclusion that I am just about COMPLETELY boring and routine when it comes to my meals and where I go to eat. I’m not sure if this is a good thing or bad thing– but I would say that I do limit myself. As a person who would like to consider herself  ’spontaneous’ I definitely do not prove to be so in the things that I eat and the places I go for a meal. This is definitely something I would like to work on… yet I always fear that I will order/eat something I simply hate…

Case in point…

Yeah this TJ’s entree was my attempt to ‘eat something different’ for dinner– it was not good. VERDICT: skimpy portion, weird flavors— it went down the garbage disposal after 2 bites.

I don’t know if I think it’s necessarily ‘bad’ to eat the same things and go to the same places all the time– but like I said it’s limiting.

In Kabbalah it states that ‘If you constantly go to the same places, surround yourself with the same people, do the same things– nothing really ever changes.’

I feel that this is soo true!!! So often I have complained how ‘bored’ I can be with things that are going on in my life. Don’t get me wrong– I LOVE my life and the people in it! But I think that I am wayyyy too comfortable in my routine and the places that I frequent. My major goal for the next few months is to expand my horizons in terms of foods that I eat, places I go, people I surround myself with and things that I do in general!

My question for you: Do you feel you have a certain ‘routine’? What aspect of your life does it play into the most?

That’s all everyone Have a wonderful evening!!!! I hope to be able to blog more often– my work schedule isn’t too crazy this week so hopefully I can squeeze in another post of two this week Thanks again!!

Jaime

Whew!  Today was a big day.  I turned in my two weeks notice at the swim club.  I was terrified.  But, I suppose it went well.  I told the board first.  I went in saying that it was because of a new opportunity – which is true.  They just don’t need to know why I searched for the new opportunity.  :)  They were all very supportive and understood why I would be leaving.  So was the head coach – he kept apologizing.  I think he understands why I’m doing it.  I’m leaving on pretty good terms – he said he would give a good recommendation and he wants to remain “friends”.  The board was very supportive too.  They said I could always come back if the other team turns out to be a dud.  I’ll be there until Christmas.  We’ll see what happens in the next two weeks.  (I hope everyone’s nice about it)

Other than that – I had another simple breakfast – toast and eggs.  Lunch was another Lean Cuisine.  Boring, boring, boring.

I was able to get to the gym.  45 minutes on the elliptical and 15 minutes upper body strength training.  I was able to watch Ellen during the cardio.  I made it go super fast.

After club, it was time for dinner.  Dan cooked up some Trader Joe’s frozen penne arrabbiata.  It’s a frozen meal that cooks up in about 10 minutes.  Perfect for a weeknight.

He added some frozen cooked shrimp for a little protein.  I added a little low-fat ricotta to make it a little creamier.

Dessert was another skinny cow.  Overall, it was a good day.  Off to watch the Packer game and Monday night TV.  Tomorrow should be interesting – they keep upping the potential snow totals.  I think it’s up to 7″ – 12″ now.  Yikes!  And it’s going to be coooooold.  It doesn’t look like I’m going to go to class tomorrow night.  Hopefully they’ll just cancel school so I don’t feel *that* bad about it.  Good thing I gave my presentation last week!  :)

Stay warm!  Go Pack!

*Edit: I just had an amazing time. My voice is absolutely hoarse. I was planning on posting a full recap tomorrow right before my first final but I am positively beat and thinking there’s no reason to rush things so I’ll just post what I prewrote now and fill in the rest of the deets sometime after lunch tomorrow. G’night!*

“Now that I’ve blogged, I’ve really done everything I could besides write this paper, so I’ll work on that.”

I’m such a liar; what I really meant was that I’d done everything except go and check my mail and pick up the closet key I’ll need for when I’m booted out of the dorm for winter. And because the campus convenience is in the mailroom, what I really needed was some liquid warmth.

Ginger Snappish Tea

Since they always have decaf and not always this tea, I thought I’d opt for it instead. I liked it more when I had it Friday but I think that’s because I sweetened it with NuNatural’s packets which are better but I think gone from my stash. Of course, tea required some tea cookies. I’ve never had a Biscoff because I think someone very entertaining on the blogosphere has eaten them all but I do have these:

Trader Joe's Oatmeal Cranberry White Chocolate Fudge Cookies

I hate it when I like a store bought cookie better than my own. Then again, I don’t douse mine with white chocolate fudge. Maybe that’s my problem? I’d like to see this Trader Joe; I can’t imagine him being in good shape if he’s around all his incredible food all day long. I worked on the paper a bit until I realized cookies were not the foundation of a good diet and had a more nutritious snack. Look what I found:

Almost Empty Butter Toffee Peanut Butter Jar

Is there anything more joyous and depressing than an almost empty jar? Well I suppose one that’s made by this Michigan based company 1500 miles away is a tad bit more saddening But I tried to look just at the positive memories and joy this has and was about to bring me.

Pumpkin Oats With Butter Toffee Peanut Butter, A Crumbled Vegan Pumpkin Molasses Cookie, And Peanut Butter Chips

Also the last vegan pumpkin molasses cookie; what a momentous bowl. I threw on 1/2 a tablespoon of peanut butter chips because you have to have peanut butter on top, right? And I don’t make enough excuses to use up those things I think I must have looked silly in the bathroom cleaning out my jar after this but I wanted to save the jar for decor, haha. There was more work blog reading work where I rethought 1/2 of my thesis and some of the work I’d done. Don’t think. Just write. For dinner I had plans to eat it up with Adam at the dining hall but I had cancelled those in the morning so that I could keep working and then go out after dinner.

Snobby Joe, Roasted Vegetables In Curry Sauce

Have I discovered the magic way to make lentils in a microwave? Sadly, no. I asked the mother to cook up a big batch before I left Sunday and she did. Now I have a bowl I can scoop, heat, and serve. It had been wayyyy too long since snobby joes, so this meal was perfect. For a side I heated up 1/2 a sweet potato with some dining hall veggies and added Seeds Of Change simmer sauce. This meal was so saucy and vegrific–fantastic! And that’s where I was until 7:30 when I stepped out for a time-honored Brown tradition. What is it, you ask? I’ll leave that hanging. But there was a perdricem in piro involved

I did it! After all the Green Monster talk among my healthy blogger friends I finally decided to take the plunge. By recommendation from Kasey I used the following blend:

3 cups spinach
1 cup almond milk
1 spoonful of almond butter
1 frozen banana

And I kid you not, it was delicious! I mean, I love all of the ingredients separately, but I never thought I could incorporate spinach into something as sweet as this. Taking my first gulp itty-bitty sip I was prepared for the worse. In my head I was saying “You can do it. You can do it!” By the end I was saying “Yuuummm”. Completely the opposite of what I expected. I recommend a Green Monster to anyone. However not before a run. Sooo what happened was I made my Green Monster before my run because I wanted it was ready to throw down when I got home. I took my sip, which led to drinking half of it. Then I went for a 6 mile run and it hit me, stomach cramps. Need I say more?  Do take the Green Monster challenge if you haven’t already. Don’t do it before working out. So forgive me for the abundantly green photo shoot, but for dinner I continued the trend, pea soup! I love you Trader Joe’s.

Yes, dinner was from a can tonight. Totally unlike me!! What can I say, its been a hectic day and I really feel guilty taking the time to cook (but obviously not to blog!) I had my food science final this morning. It went great. Now I’m literally cramming for my other two finals tomorrow. Here’s the real kicker: my computer was taken over by viruses yesterday. So I’m currently using my roommates computer while mine is in the shop. Somehow I feel as if I’m among the destitute without a computer. What am I going to do with myself? I have to write notes..on paper? What?! You feel my pain I’m sure. So here I go.. time to study without my lecture power points, without being able to cut and paste study notes. I have a pen and paper. This is as good as it gets.

Happy Monday!

Have you taken the Green Monster challenge?

What was the worst time you were ever without a computer? (or other type of technology for that matter)

Good evening!!  It’s not quite 8 o’clock but I’m ready for bed.  To recap…

This afternoon I snacked a bit.

  After work I headed to the gym and did a one hour Body Flow class (a mix of yoga, tai chi, and pilates) and then did 30 minutes on the stationary bike.  I enjoy the Body Flow format, but I don’t like the room at this gym.  It’s next to the basketball courts.    Imagine trying to do savasana and then hearing someone body slam another person into the wall.

I tried doing bird pose (resting your knees on your elbows and lifting your feet from the floor), but my shoulder couldn’t handle it.  Then, I tried showing the husband and I REALLY messed it up. UGH!

Once I got home from the gym I immediately set to making dinner.  I took last night’s pasta, added the last of the leftover ham, and a splash of merlot.

On the side was a salad I put together at the grocery store on Sunday.

Very satisfying!!  But, I was really just killing time until dessert.

Two oatmeal chocolate chip cookies microwaved to gooeyness and topped with fat  free vanilla ice cream.

It was super yummy!! 

Now, I’m sitting at home, catching up on the Dollhouse and icing my knee.  They’ve both been killing me.  Part of the reason I haven’t run in a week.   And yes, that is a bag of frozen brown rice I have on my knee. LOL

ANY SUGGESTIONS FOR HOW TO CARE FOR MY POOR KNEES?

P.S. Angela at Oh She Glows had some great tips for making healthy choices over the holidays.

 This past summer I was given the opportunity to do a lot more cooking – one of the few benefits of my newly acquired unemployment status.  However, a chef I am not.  Using cookbooks and websites for recipes, various ingredients, and pots & pans I have since cooked semi-gourmet meals almost nightly for me and my wife.  Sometimes I will post my triumphs on Facebook or Twitter, and many have asked me to share these recipes.  Rather than upload each one to Facebook, or start another blog dedicated to just that (which I almost did yesterday) I decided to create The Crabby Gourmet category right here on Crabapple.

Anyway, last night I made a recipe from our Williams-Sonoma Essentials of Slow Cooking book, Spanish Chicken with Olives & Tomatoes.  I really like the cook books from Williams-Sonoma.  We’ve made quite a few of the recipes, and most (almost all) are quite good.  I especially like the slow cooking book because the prep for each recipe is usually fairly fast and simple, and once you’re done you can forget about it for 3-4 hours, or more.  This will come in especially handy when I finally return to working…fingers crossed. 

Ingredients
3 lb chicken legs and thighs (about 12 pieces total)
Salt & freshly ground pepper
2 cups hearty red wine
2 shallots, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
6 peppercorns
3-4 sprigs of fresh thyme
3 tomatoes seeded & chopped
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 cup brined black or green olives, pitted and coarsely chopped

I had most ingredients on hand, but needed to get the chicken, shallots, tomatoes, and olives.  On my way to Trader Joe’s I stopped into the new Brooklyn Wine Exchange as a tasting was in progress.  I tasted three wines including a 2007 Petit Paris Bergerac which is a bold and peppery red.  Even though I had plenty of reds at home to use for the recipe, I thought this one would be just as good or better than any of them.  So I bought it.  It was $11.  Beat that!

My attempt to buy the remaining items at Trader Joe’s was a big mistake.  Normally I go there during the day on a Monday, Tuesday, etc.  On a Sunday at 3:00 PM the entire neighborhood is inside shopping.  I walked right out.  The Met is a dingier local grocery store, but they usually have everything I need.  And it’s fairly cheap.  I started the meal as soon as I got home.

Directions
Season the chicken all over with salt & pepper and set aside

In a small saucepan combine the wine, shallots, garlic, peppercorns, & thyme.  Bring to a boil over high heat and cook, stirring frequently, until reduced to about 1/2 cup, about 20 minutes.
The slow cooker I have, a nice All-Clad we received as a wedding gift has a removable inner pot that can be placed directly on the stove top.  Rather than use a separate pan for this part I just used this.  Worked perfectly.  In fact, the aroma of the combination of the wine, herbs, and spices was quite nice as it filled our apartment.

Next the recipe lets you use one of two slow cooking methods – stove top in a Dutch Oven, or in the Slow Cooker.  I went with the latter.  (e-mail me if you would like the Dutch Oven instructions)
Place the chicken in a slow cooker.  Add the reduced wine mixture (I already had it in there) and the chopped tomatoes.  Cover and cook until the chicken is very tender and opaque throughout, 1-1 1/2 hours on the high-heat setting, or 3 hours on the low-heat setting.
Since it was already past 5:00 when I got started I went with the high setting, and actually cooked it for closer to two hours as I felt at 1 1/2 hours the skin of the chicken still looked a little too undercooked.

Transfer the chicken to a platter.  Set a fine-mesh sieve (strainer) over a small bowl and strain the cooking juices.  You should have about 1 cup.  Whisk in the tomato paste.

Pour the juices into a large frying pan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  In a small bowl, combine the butter and flour.  Using your fingers or a fork, mix until a crumbly paste forms.  Add the butter mixture to the pan and cook, whisking constantly, until a thick sauce forms, 7-10 minutes.  Season to taste with salt & pepper, and stir in the olives.  Add the chicken, turn to coat with the sauce, and cook over medium-low heat until warmed through, about 5-minutes.
At this point I used the large frying pan as was called for, but in hindsight I could have just used the slow cooker insert again.  Live & learn.  I also found that once you strain the cooking juices you’ve removed the tomatoes.  This would not work for me.  I wanted those tomatoes!  So, I bent the rules and added the tomato, shallot, garlic, and peppercorn remains back into the sauce. 

Serve at once.
I did.

The meal was quite good.  It’s a really easy recipe, and makes enough for probably 3-4 people – between two of us we had plenty left over.  I highly recommend using the Bergerac wine as opposed to something lighter like a Pinot Noir or a Cabernet Sauvignon which most people seem to have on hand.  A dry Merlot could work, as would a hearty Cotes du Rhone.

So, do we like The Crabby Gourmet?  Cooking has become a real enjoyable hobby of mine, so I’m happy to write about it, but only if you’ll read about it.  Let me know.

~Sam

Here’s another fabulous flowchart to help in those tough times when your brain is fighting your stomach and your wallet is fighting your bank account. How often have you been rushing to get home only to be “frozen” in the supermarket trying to decide what to grab in order to satiate the growling within? No longer will this be an issue. Keep in mind that for many of these it represents the brand and not necessarily the exact product. Case in point….most any Banquet meal will effectively “cleanse” your system, not just their Meat Loaf Meal. Or feel free to substitute your favorite flavor of Mrs. Smith’s pie in place of apple.

If you still need a little help at the supermarket there is a app for that. GroceryWiz will help you make lists of the items you need and print out a nice little list.

You may also enjoy our other flowcharts:
Fast Food Edition
Chain Restaurant Edition
Cereal Edition

Don’t forget to enter our Christmas Giveaway with over $250 in free swag.

(click image to view full size)

Gah it is cold out!  In the 20s this morning!!!  Very cold temps + Monday does not equal a happy Heather.  I just want to stay snuggled in my bed with Sissy, but we’ve got to work!

It is also purple Monday.  The Raven’s play the Packers tonight and it should be even colder in Green Bay.

We may have to turn on the heat this evening for the first time this season.

I obviously needed warm gingerbread coffee and something warm for breakfast.

I heated up a 1/4 cup Kashi 7 Grain Nuggets and a big handful of Shredded Wheat with milk in the micro and then topped it with Kashi Go Lean Crunch, TJs Fruit and Fiber Medley, banana, Oikos and flax.

I love these cereals warmed up with milk.  Delicious!

Take some time today to remember the attacks on Pearl Harbor.  I think it is odd that Goggle does not have a theme in honor today.

Let’s get this Monday started!

Yesterday I reached my first of my goals. 145 lbs. Yes, I’m very happy. That’s 7 lbs down in 4 weeks. The blog started back on Oct. 22, that’s 7 weeks ago, but it wasn’t until Nov. 6th that I changed strategies after reading a book by Dr. Christine Northrup and began focusing on protein instead of just counting calories.  My next goal is 140lbs. and I do hope to get there by New Year’s Eve. I haven’t been that weight since Dec. 2007.

Today’s recap:

Bfst: designer whey 100 cal + 18 grams of P, plus almond milk 40 cal + 1 grams of P.

Lunch: big lunch, one serving container of green giant frozen brocooli w/cheese , 40 cal, 2 grams of P by the way, I love www.thedailyplate.com as a resource for calorie counts. also, Polenta 2 servings (140 cal + 4 grams of P) with tomato sauce and one medallion of mozzarella (left over from yesterday when I od’d on mozzarella – my skin is paying the price today), pan fried just in olive oil spray. and then 6 homemade butternut squash ravioli’s frozen from back in september. I’m going to guestimate those at 250 cal plus 1 gram of protein. stash green ice tea with sun crystals (5 cal)

dinner: miss hungry gluten free spaghetti 40 cal + 2 grams of P, plus  1/2 can of Thai lite coconut milk 157 calories (more than i thought) + red curry paste + 11 japanese scallops from trader joe’s 180 calories + 33 grams of P, + bean sprouts + sugar snap peas. yummy. plus one small glass of white wine. 70 calories. also, water.

Totals as of 10:13 pm: 1022 calories (is that really possible?????).  and 61 grams of P. i can’t believe I hit both goal totals today without even thinking about it until now! that’s very exciting.

It’s interesting how memory can be at times so deceiving and at others so accurate. I opened two wines this weekend which I had previously tasted, with several months elapsing between then and now. For one reason or another, both of those wines stuck out in my mind. This post is all about the accurate memory.

I found the Louis Verge Morgon Les Pierres Fines 2007 at Trader Joe’s some time back and was pretty excited that I found a Morgon for well under $10. Unfortunately, that first tasting did not leave me with a strong impression of the wine. But I didn’t take any tasting notes that time, and I wanted to see if my memory was accurate or not. So, I picked up another bottle and tried again.

On the second try, I smelled blueberry, white pepper, and cassis on the nose, with smoke and very mild fruit (blueberry) in the mouth. The Pierres Fines is characteristic of the so-called cru beaujolais in that it is a lighter wine, but displays some moderate tannin for a little oomph. Fresh in the glass, the wine had an unpleasant bitter, vegetal flavor. But after about 10 minutes aerating, those rough edges mellowed and the wine fell into a nice consistency of light smoke, very light berry, and some tannin.

Overall, my memory was accurate in that I remember not being enamored of this wine. But, it’s a nice lighter, Old World, anti-fruit bomb. I think the tannin and bitter edges keep it a bit rough, but for such a low price, I’m sure I’ll buy it again and enjoy it as more of a weeknight wine.

i’m one step away from becoming the 40 year old virgin.  technically not in the age part or the actual virgin part, but as for the rest of it, i’m there.  i’m actually right there.  i just watched the movie so i know.  i’m also not collecting  bad action figures, but my version is craft making so that pretty much does it.  i’m watching a jame van der beek christmas movie on lifetime so i think that must be the same thing, but in the stereotypical girl with two cats, no job kind of way.   actually this movie seems to be on the hallmark channel so that might be better or worse.  i’m not exactly sure whch one it is, but i’m sure this one i’m watching makes me older, crankier and basically almost housebound. 

i don’t even like james van der beek because he is scarily (and i mean almost a complete dead ringer ringer) like my high school boyfriend.  the guilt associated with that (no, i wouldn’t let him come to my college as a transfer from his and so he sort of lost it and dropped out of college for a long while, but dear lord) makes it almost impossible to watch this trashy movie.  but i will perservere because if i’m going to be the 40 year old virgin, i might as well start giving it a go now so i have some years of practice before i get there.  also, for the record, i do not have a hairy chest like steve carell.  if i did, i think i’d have a lot more problems than what i’m dealing with now so i shouldn’t take the non-furry chest thing for granted. 

seriously, james van der beek really can’t act.  this is traumatizing.  oh, god.  all my fond memories of “dawson’s creek” are going to hell in a handbasket.  although i’m not quite sure how something goes to hell IN a handbasket.  it sounds like it wouldn’t work and would quite possibly be too small.  overthinking?  yes, please.  i was team pacey anyhow and now i realize how legitimate that was.

well, apparently i’m ready for the senior citizen/old crotchety woman center.  along with this movie, i’ve seen ads for…walmart (like 80), metamucil, activia (gotta get regular people!), several joint medications, chia garfield/chia spongebob (nota  joke) a medication for bone density because i didn’t know it, but my bones are shriveling up WHILE I SIT HERE, hefty bags and about 10 for eharmony.  i’m watching the old hypochondriac network for dried up old single prunes that are stopped up.  shoot me in the face. 

it’s a good thing i’m running out of trader joe’s.  otherwise after this depressing night i probably wouldn’t leave the house.  i’d just watch the hallmark channel and sometimes the lifetime channel and order constipation and joint remedies from walmart and die couchbound with my 86 million cats.  the big question is whether the hallmark channel or the lifetime channel will be on in the background when the firemen break through my door…

so i tried going back to the dessert area (duh) but something that could be construed as not toooo bad.  so i tried the lemon sorbet.  now in this case, the lemon sorbet can’t be accused of being too sweet.  shiza.  it’s really good, but it has a little bite to it.  i like it with a bite so i really liked it.  however…i think it might have burned my tongue.  i know that sounds relatively insane (at this point you should expect that), but i swear my tongue is a little numb (and it has warmed up) and maybe…burned.  i have no idea what to make of this situation.  but i still liked it.  so basically i’m saying i like things that burn me.  well, that would explain my last job to perfection. 

overall score: 8.6

i’m totally going to try it again to see if it burns me again.  i’d say i had about 20 spoonfuls – not like huge spoonfuls, but the smaller spoon size.  and for the record, the movie with dawson wasn’t that bad.  i mean, it was bad, but it was sort of good bad.  not great bad…you know what i’m talking about, don’t pretend you don’t.

Good evening!!  I hope you had a great weekend!  I had a pretty quiet one.  Church, baking, and Christmas tree shopping.

Last night I tried a Trader Joes meal, Take-Out Thali.

In the box were three pouches that had the following in them:

• Aloo Matar
• Yellow Dal
• Basmati Rice

You microwave them for about 2 minutes. 

I didn’t really like this very much, but I think a lot of it had to do with the fact that our microwave is on the fritz and it’s hard to get stuff hot.  Still…I just don’t think I’m into Indian much.  At least I tried it.

I didn’t really eat breakfast today since I was in a rush to get to church.  I did have a 1/4 ham and cheese sandwich, a small rice krispy treat, and a piece of brownie which I picked up at the Fellowship session after church.

The first part of lunch was some chicken noodle soup I ate while helping out with the Christmas tree sales.  The second part was a bean and rice burrito with hot sauce on top.

Yes, that is a John Deere plate.

I also bought OUR tree today.  I’ll take a picture once it’s decorated.  Dinner was mini pasta with diced tomatoes, garlic, pine nuts, and andouille sausage.  (That’s a dessert plate, BTW.)

After dinner I started my baking extravaganza.  I have been CRAVING a chocolate chip cookie so I made some chocolate chip oatmeal cookies.  My go-to mix is Betty Crocker.

I had two with a mug of milk.  The plate and mug made me feel Christmas-y.  Most of them went in tupperware for work tomorrow.  The rest went in the freezer (and the husband’s mouth).

I may have eaten another cookie that escaped the camera’s eye.

I also made some sugar cookies from this recipe.

They didn’t work out too well for making shapes.  They expanded too much. 

The rest will just be circles.  They taste yummy!!  I’m not a big sugar cookie person so I think all of these will go to work.  I just felt like baking.

So…that’s how my Sunday went.  I hope yours was fantastic!! Have a good night.

I ran the Jingle Bells 5k this morning with my little brother and a family friend, Gary. :]

We had so much fun and I PR’ed! I ran it in 25:46!!

-Overall, I was 133 to finish, out of 638.

-I finished 9th in my age bracket (20-24), of which there were 84 runners.

Gary has been running for years (he’s in his 50’s) and he’s a CHAMP! He finished in 29:50!! Brandon finished just moments behind I did, at 26:48!!

It was so freezing cold this morning! I woke up, threw on my clothes and headed out. I had an hour drive to my brothers house, where Gary came and picked us up, and another 15 minutes or so to downtown Portland.

(Not my photo. I was way too friggin cold to even begin to use my camera!)

Here’s a photo of my brother after we’d gotten back! :] Aren’t the shirts sweet?

“May All Your Miles Be Merry!”

After saying good bye to Gary and letting my brother go to study for his finals, I headed to Trader Joes! We don’t have one in my area, so it was fun to pick up a few treats and old faves.

Trek Mix Bars
two boxes of Wise Crackers
an awesome Thank You ($1!!) card for the Physical Therapists I interned for this term …

Crunchy Almond Butter
Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Pretzels (these are a gift for someone) :]
and that little Clif bar was some swag from the post-race festivities
Tea Tree Tingle body wash

This stuff smells so, so amazing. Excited to use it! My brother recommended it to me. He shops there with dedication! Look at all of his bags!

I also stopped at Target on the way home and scooped up the cutest tunic and some panties. Ooolala :]

I didn’t eat much after the race, just drank a lot! The little Clif bar and half of a doughnut wore off by the time I was home. My tummy was rumbling for REAL food.

I whipped up some frozen green beans and cauliflower with fresh onion and bell pepper in a sautee with turkey and a little melted cheddar cheese!

Yum!

I had one of these for dessert.

I have just been cleaning and relaxing so far this afternoon! I need a nap, but I think I want to go out .. grab dinner with some friends and a movie. :] Too good of a day to waste. Share the joy!

Have a great Monday! [:

I have noticed that I’m fairly obsessed with egg nog.  I’ve written 5 blogs that are entirely or at least mostly about egg nog!

It’s funny, I am always looking for good, non-alcoholic, egg nog.  And because I’m picky, I’d prefer that it was low cal and didn’t contain the dreaded corn syrup.

My husband is an enabler and just picked up my first container of C.F. Burger Light Egg Nog of this holiday season.  I forgot how much I like this stuff.   Last year I tried 8 different egg nogs and, after rereading last year’s blogs, I realized that this came in as my #2 choice.  And it was #2 because it had corn syrup and copious amounts of sugar.

It’s funny that I had forgotten that my favorite nog last season was Horizon organic nog.  I’ll have to pick that up again.  I’ve noticed that sometimes companies change recipes so I’ll be curious to see if Horizon is the same this year.

Last year I tried:

• Giant Eagle Egg Nog
• Dean’s Ultimate Egg Nog
• Dean’s Golden Custard Nog
• Horizon Organic Egg Nog
• Dairyman’s Holiday Nog
• C.F. Burger Light Nog
• Silk Soymilk Nog
• Trader Joe’s Light Egg Nog
• Trader Joe’s Egg Nog

So far this year, I’ve tried:

• Dairyman’s Holiday Nog
• Silk Soymilk Nog
• C.F. Burger Light Nog

They’ll all good in their own way, but maybe I’ll give making my own nog another go.  Or maybe I’ll find my Smith’s Dairy holiday nog.  That was my old favorite, but I couldn’t find it last year.

Cookied out? Impossible, but I sure know how to try. Last night I made a vegan version of my Carrot Cake Cookies for Ashley’s fundraiser.

Vegan Carrot Cake Cookies

How annoying is it when you can smell but not eat cookies? Because these smelled awesome. I was a bit unnerved when they didn’t puff up like usual but I figured this must be the result of using a flax egg instead of the real thing. They’re still moist and soft as ever so I’m happy with them and hope the bidder really likes them, too! Since fiber wasn’t filling me up, I decided why bother? And just went for some cookies.

Trader Joe Oatmeal Cranberry White Chocolate Fudge Dunkers, Sugar Cookie Sleigh Ride Tea

At first I was a tad disappointed with these cookies(except for the white chocolate fudge coating, which couldn’t possibly disappoint). Then I tried dunking it and it was perfect. So soft and most–delicious. Now if only I had Trader Joe’s secret recipe… Afterwards I made some cookies for the house. I tried using an anise cookie recipe from last year substituting 1/4 cup milk with 1/4 cup beet juice for coloration.

Italian Anise Cookies

Well the coloration was a big success; would you ever look at these and think they’re all natural between the pinkness and nonpareils? Unfortunately, we all agreed the flavor was off. Either there wasn’t enough sugar, or something was wrong with the alcohol or baking powder. I’ll have to try these again because they were much better last year. After all this cookie madness, I was happy to sit down to some real food(that I didn’t have to cook/bake).

Cod With Soyaki Sauce, Asparagus, Acorn Squash With Red Thai Curry Sauce

Those Trader Joe sauces really can go with anything Over dinner, I was thinking how small our asparagus spears are and how they must be out of season and not so good. Then my mom mentioned how she picks out the tiny ones because she likes how they cook more. Really? I think they feel so much punier. Any asparagus-driven opinions out there? While we were eating, the storm outside took shape.

Snow

Finally! We had a dusting a few weeks ago but this was the majority of snow we’ve gotten this year; it’s been terribly unseasonal for New England and I’m happy that winter is starting to show. I had a sampling of desserts to enjoy the snow and tivo.

Italian Anise Cookie, Advent Calender Chocolate, Orange Milk Chocolate Slice

This is when we decided the cookies were off. Thankfully chocolate makes anything bearable, right? Chocolate oranges are definitely one of my favorite fruit; can I buy a chocolate orange tree? Do they make it in juice for? These questions need to be asked. Afterwards I got back in the kitchen if you can believe it.

Oh Nuts! Raw Cashews

Oh Nuts! sent some delicious, raw, natural products of theirs my way. The first I opened were these cashews and the first thing I noticed was how HUGE they are! Thanks, Oh Nuts! There’s no lack of nuts with you guys I decided to try a recipe online to make my own maple roasted cashews. First I roasted them for 15 minutes, then coated them with 1/4cup maple syrup, a touch of sea salt, and 1 tablespoon Organic Smart Balance Vegan Butter, and toasted them for another 12 minutes.

Maple Roasted Cashews

I don’t think anything smells more wintery than roasted nuts These were so simple and yet the ones at Whole Foods at the bulk bins cost twice as much. Really? This is definitely a DIY project. These deserved a bowl of oats.

Pumpkin Oatmeal With Mighty Maple And Maple Roasted Cashews

The cashews were awesome, but I think they need a sprinkling of turbinado sugar right when they come out of the oven next time to enhance the sweetness just a tad. Clearly, I’m a maple freak

I woke up at 7:30 this morning; I really think having an 8-hour sleep session no more and no less, is just the right balance for energy and hope I can keep it up. It looked amazing out in my backyard:

More Snow

And now I’m expecting it to always look like this when I’m home. Got that, mother nature? I decided after blogreading I wanted to give Mama Pea’s cinnamon rolls a try. Yeast is always fun to play with.

Warm Yeast

But soon enough it looked like this:

Dough In Trash

This recipe was just not working out for me. 2 cups of flour? I think I was on my 3rd by the time I gave up, with dough stuck all over my hands. Oh well, I’ll just have to look for another cinnamon roll recipe that works for me. Meanwhile, I remembered we had bakery vegan cinnamon raisin rolls in the freezer so my breakfast didn’t have to change much.

Vegan Cinnamon Raisin Roll With Organic Smart Balance And Brown Sugar, And Smart Balance Peanut Butter

Eggnog Greek Yogurt

I topped the roll 1/2 with vegan smart balance and brown sugar, and the other half with smart balance peanut butter because I thought it was “cute” how both were smart balance. Seriously, you would have thought I had been sipping the apple brandy(which for some reason is on the island in our kitchen) the way I was amused by that. I think that’s the first time I’ve topped one of those vegan rolls with something also vegan! The yogurt… was not vegan but equally delicious

So far I have stayed out of the kitchen and been working on my 15 page Epic Poetry essay since breakfast; this thing is turning into a piece of epic poetry itself and I’ll probably have to ask for an extension on it as I ignore my other 3 papers due the following week. I’ve also caught up on Days and SNL; who couldn’t have seen the Tiger Woods and White House Crashers being parodied? Hopefully more work will happen

One of the reasons I love this time of year is Trader Joe’s holiday products. There’s always an impressive selection of cookies, cakes and chocolates. I’m not sure whether these macaroons will be a holiday-only dessert, but I sincerely hope not. They’re definitely in the running as a freezer staple.

When I read about these in the holiday flyer, I was initially disappointed there were only two flavors (vanilla + vanilla cream filling and chocolate + chocolate ganache filling). Now that I’ve tasted them, I’m even more bummed that there aren’t more flavors. They’re good enough to deserve a product extension.

First, this box of a dozen is a pretty good value, at $4.99/dozen (macaroons are usually at least $1 each at patisseries). Second, they’re just as tasty as what you’d buy at the patisserie, if not better. Even though I was initially worried that they’d lose their crisipiness in the defrosting process, you’d never know they came from the freezer. The cookie portion of the sandwich is crunchy on the outside, chewy on the inside (it’s a combination of egg whites and ground almonds, so it eats like a meringue).

The real clincher was the filling. The vanilla cream is lightly sweet and fragrant; the chocolate ganache, the perfect balance of bitter and sweet. (Try the chocolate macaroon before it’s completely defrosted if you prefer a chewy center.) I was so impressed that even I texted a girlfriend, a fellow macaroon fiend, to stock up on these before other Trader Joe’s cutomers get their hands on them.

Today I spent my entire day in our apartment, in my PJ’s… being really lazy. I read my book (The Hours), watched a movie with Loren (Funny People- very good) and just did a whole lotta nothing. I rarely do this, but it was so gray/ rainy/ cold out today that I had no motivation to get out of my PJs. So I didn’t. And it felt great!

Lots of lounging means less hunger and a need for less food, so we didn’t eat very much today- just two meals. Breakfast was a wrap with scrambled eggs/ egg whites, feta cheese, and avocado. With lots of hot sauce! And some earl gray tea.

I love breakfast burritos- there is nothing better!

I also had 2 clementines. Almost done with half of a giant box!

I snacked on some light TJ’s popcorn while we watched the movie.

Around 7, I started to feel hungry again. I saw some TJ’s turkey meatballs in the freezer that I have been wanting to try. Loren had the idea of cooking up some mushrooms with the meatballs and making a meal of it. We didn’t have marinara sauce, so I just cooked everything in olive oil, tomato paste, and a little bit of red wine (after nuking the meatballs in the microwave for a few minutes).

We also had a salad with EVOO and balsamic vinegar on the side. Loren poured me a little bit of wine but I wasn’t in the mood- didn’t drink it.

We melted a bit of cheese on top of the meatball/ mushroom mix. It was really good!

And I grabbed a slice of Ezekial toast to go with. Tasted like a meatball sub!

After dinner, I snuck a mini Reeses leftover from Halloween.

I would bet good $$ that I will consume another clementine or two before bed.  I love them!

I am spending the night in, taking it easy. Last night was a going out/ drinking night so tonight will just be me, my book, my kitties, and a mug of tea. I hope tomorrow will be a more active day!

mushy brain, mushy trader joe’s cheese enchiladas, mushy everything.  basically, i think i’ve gone into full bore …blahs.  i won’t say outright depression, but i’m skimming the border of it.  going from talking to a hundred people a day (literally) to talking to six (max, including two cats) can really cause some weirdness. 

i’m toying with making a rather insane decision…that if i don’t have a new job or path two months to the day i was laid off, that i am going too move back to the insane state of alaska.  not to shoot sarah palin or anything (she seems to have done that herself) but to have every day inundated with insane family members (including three chickens that my adorable stepmom adopted last summer).  i can’t figure out what else to do so for some reason that seems perfectly logical.  after a horrifying interview for a job i wanted and then turning down a job i didn’t want, i can’t tell if i’m making good decisions or bad.  should i have taken the job i didn’t want and be grateful for it?  oh, i don’t know!  i might actually be paralyzed by indecision. 

unfortunately, running home isn’t quite as easy for me as it might be for other people.  in my case it means a three day drive followed by a four day ferry ride with my cats in my car.  in the winter it might be a five day ferry ride.  that would be quite interesting.  quite.  i mean if you can imagine something more ridiculous than taking a ferry in the middle of january that stops at different islands in alaska in freezing conditions with two pissed off cats in the car …oh, dear.  it’d mean good blogging though.  there’s not much else to do on a ferry (ever) besides sit and read and the people on the alaskan ferry system are absolutely awesome in their total and complete insanity. 

oh dear.  back to the relative safety of a trader joe’s review.  this is from the vaunted tj’s frozen section …a section that i normally love so much i want to hug it until it explodes in my freezer.  i tried the frozen cheese enchiladas.  first, i thought i had gotten chicken enchiladas so i was really pissed for the first few bites thinking they had totally weirdly skimped on chicken.  then i grabbed the top to check on it and …well, i got cheese.  #dumbass.   no reason for a chicken to be found in this particular meal.    i will say, it is cheesy, but not super cheesy.  also, there’s something weird with the sauce.  it’s good, but it’s not great.  it could use work on being more …enchilada-ish. it’s more hot for a little bit – it’s missing that enchilada sauce flavor.   and the tortillas are completely mushy.  it seems like they used corn tortillas so they get props for that (healthier, etc) but not if they are so …mushy.  sorry, tried to come up with another appropriate word to be all witty and cool with the writing, but failed.  soggy is the closest, but they aren’t really “soggy” as much as they are mushy. 

so that’s the deal. i’m going back to contemplating a major move and exactly how insane that would be.  i think i’m bummed also because i over-napped.  one should never overnap. 

overall score.  7.0

I shop quite often at Trader Joe’s and I always seem to pick up a few bottles of wine. Oh who am I kidding? I’m usually walking out with a box worth. On my last trip I saw a bottle of Fife Max Cuvee California 2006, which ordinarily wouldn’t really be something that would jump out at me. However, the TJ’s people, on one of their smart little shelf cards, had labeled it petite sirah. I looked at the label again and didn’t see a particular varietal mentioned. So, I looked at the back label and discovered the Max Cuvee is a blend of zinfandel, petite sirah, syrah, grenache, and carignane. It was selling for under $10 (I think I paid $7.99), so I decided to give it a whirl.

Leather dominates this wine. It was the first and strongest aroma I detected, quickly followed by black raspberry and fig. In the mouth, the leather overpowered the fruit flavors, which had no lasting qualities and imparted no complexity. The tannins were too strong for the flavors and resulted in an unappealing imbalance. (Supposedly the suggested retail is $22.99, which is just crazy.)

Jason over at Jason’s Wine Blog recently reviewed the Fife Zinfandel and found that offering to be similarly lacking in complexity, though it appears more balanced and enjoyable than the Max Cuvee.

In the end, the Fife Max Cuvee is certainly not the wine to go to if you’re looking for something smooth and balanced. But, I think it would be a decent choice for someone really, really smitten with leather and tannins who is looking for an everyday wine, or something to go with BBQ in the summer.

Washingtonians: Today is the perfect day to deck the halls! The first snow, wet and icy, is flurrying down from the sky. College football conference championship games dominate every channel. Duke has just tipped off against St. John’s at Cameron Indoor. To sum it up, it’s cold and there’s exciting sports action on TV: stay inside and decorate your home.

I’ve learned it doesn’t take much to enliven one’s home with the spirit and smells of Christmas. In fact, you can recreate the effect of the Christmases you used to share at home with your family—10 foot trimmed trees, lighted garland wrapping the staircase, twinkling reindeer and white icicle lights outside­­—without even purchasing a tree. If you live in a small apartment, but want to feel the grandeur of Christmas, here are the 5 things you need:

1. White Twinkling Lights—1 strand from CVS
   Usually, I am not a fan of lights that sparkle; they make my eyes twitch. But, I’ve just strung one strand of lights across the top of my closets, and I can’t stop smiling. The snow falling outside my window combined with the twinkle of the lights transports me to an arctic place on the Eve of Christmas. I feel magical, not even real.
2. Small Green Wreath—real or fake
   Tack a tiny wreath to your bedroom door. You could hang the wreath at the front door of your apartment to share the spirit with the rest of the neighborhood. But, as I live in NE DC, it more saddens than enlivens me to see a wreath hung on a door behind black bars. Incongruous, no?
3. Mini Red Poinsettia–$2.99 at Trader Joe’s
   Poinsettia’s are a Christmas must. I’ve placed one to the right of my computer on my desk. It takes up no space, but fills my otherwise dull room with vibrant color. Plus, who doesn’t love the shiny, red wrapper around the plastic pot?
4. Balsam & Cedar Yankee Candle—$9.99 for a small jar that burns 25-40 hours
   I love Christmas for many reasons—time with family, chilly weather and warm sweaters, renewed appreciation for mass and community. I make no apologies that the main reason I love Christmas is for Yankee Candle’s lineup of holiday-scented candles. Mistletoe, Egg Nog, Sparkling Snow, Christmas Eve—their candles scents can put you in whatever mood you’d like to be in. Balsam & Cedar tricks you into believing a 12-foot pine tree is standing in your room. The scent is strong and intoxicating. Snow + twinkling lights + glow of candle = heavenly afternoon.
   
5. Advent Calendar—99 cents at Trader Joe’s
   This one brings me back to my childhood. Way back, because I don’t recall opening an Advent calendar in Florida, but definitely in New Hampshire back in the day when Santa was real. Anyway, I like the Advent calendar for two reasons: 1. It gives me my daily chocolate fix, and 2. It does a good job of reminding me why I have these decorations up to begin with: preparation for the birth of Jesus. So, it’s delicious and practical.

That’s it! If you don’t have room for a tree, or simply don’t want to vacuum pine needles every night, these five items are guaranteed to put you in the Christmas spirit! Sorry I don’t have pictures to share, but my camera is broken. Don’t worry, it’s on the list. Hope I’ve been good this year!

In a few weeks we will be leaving Southern California to complete our move to New Orleans.  As the time draws near I have been uncharacteristically reminiscent.  I have realized there are some things  I will actually miss about this place.  Of course I am going to miss family and friends to the point that I am pretty sure I will not be able to effectively communicate, but I will also miss a few things that are unique to So Cal.  So here is my list of 12 things that I will in fact miss about Southern California.

12. Jamba Juice – In New Orleans we have Smoothie King, which (in my opinion) is far below the deliciousness that is Jamba.

11.The Long Beach Airport – So fast, so close, so great.

10. Trader Joe’s – Oh Trader Joe’s – you and your ways.

9. Earthquakes – There not often and rarely large but they make an otherwise boring day a bit more interesting.

8. Mexican Food – It’s the closest thing to Mexico…literally.

7. Santa Monica – I always wanted to live in you.

6. Big Bear – My favorite escape.

5. The El Dorado Nature Preserve My favorite God spot…and about the only non beach nature around me.

4. My Ralph’s – You have ben the best neighborhood grocery store a guy could have ever asked for.

3. The Beach – Let me be clear, not the sand, but the beach.  Although dirty, you were always wonderful during sunsets and night-time bon fires.

2. In N Out – This needs no explanation

1. The Disneyland Resort – I will miss you most of all old friend.

There it is…Stay tuned for my list of things I will not be missing.

Today was so much better than yesterday. In all honesty, yesterday really wasn’t bad – I mean, the weather was BEAUTIFUL and the temperature reached sixty-four degrees! I don’t like naming bad days because really, a day can only be a bad one if you let it be. I’m going to devote tonight’s post to one of my favorite foods… FREEZE-DRIED STRAWBERRIES.

OM NOM NOM

I got these babies from Trader Joe’s… what can I say? They were delicious!

SOOO GOOD. <3

My only complaints were is that they stained my fingers and mouth red, plus when crushed, they turn into a powder, therefore becoming quite messy. But like seriously, THEY ARE FUCKING AMAZING. The nutritionals are pretty decent, too: they’re single served bags, but come with the full benefits of strawberries. 7 grams of fiber, 230% daily value of vitamin C (although, lyk srsly, EVERYTHING comes with vitamin C these days). They’re a bit tarter than real strawberries, but in a good way. I LOVE ‘EM.

DESICCANT PACKET OF DOOOOM.

On a side note, there’s a desiccant packet inside the bag, which is used to absorb the moisture from the strawberries. DO NOT EAT-AH THE DESI, raves the packet. DO NOT EAT ME. …’kay. xD

Anyway, today overall was a better day for me. Although… I didn’t add in the extra calories. :/ While it’s mostly out of fear, it’s partially out of confusion, because I don’t know where to add those calories in. And they mostly need to be fats, which minimizes the options. I’m comfortable in adding chocolate syrup to ice cream, a good 100 calories right there, but chocolate syrup is fat free. I really want to enjoy what I have to add in, because then ED gets less of an excuse to say they’re bad for me. I don’t want this to feel like a chore. DEE-LEM-UH!

Oy, I hope things work out. I don’t want this to be an issue. I’m going to head off now and shower, then eat yet another snack. Hope you all have a fantastic Friday night, don’t stay up too late. ;D

– Delilah

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