What I Ate Wednesday – 1/30/13

I totally forgot it was Wednesday this morning. Which is not good, considering we have a Dept meeting every Wednesday morning at 8:30. This week has flown by so fast that I was still on Tuesday. So I drank my shake in the car while i sped on the way to work.

We haven’t been making our kale protein shakes lately because it’s so cold outside. But thank goodness for heated seats. Best invention ever, in my opinion!!
And I totally see myself using them during the summer too.

For lunch, I made the most incredible wrap!! I started with a Trader Joe’s Habanero tortilla. Two hard-boiled eggs, avocado (which just makes everything better), spinach, and sriracha sauce.
 

Yum!!!!!!!
 

It rained so hard today that it flooded this little creek next to my building. I’d had plans to run errands at lunch but quickly changed my mind. There was no way I was getting out in that mess. I decided we could stretch our low supply of diapers out one more day.

There’s still candy left over from Christmas so I couldn’t resist indulging in a little afternoon snack.

It was left over night at our house. Everyone ate something different. There was one bowl of soup left and one piece of meat loaf left.
 

Which one do you think I had??

We’ve had a running monopoly game going all week. Fun family time.

 

Weekend Recap: Ice Storm and Warm Weather

We woke up to an ice storm on Friday morning.  The freezing rain produced icy conditions which prevented us from leaving the house.  Schools were closed and with my hill of a driveway, there was no way I could get to work  (Yay!!)

Doesn’t the 4Runner look mean with icicles hanging off it?

So we stayed in our pajamas most of the day!!  The kids had fun playing with play doh ….  (why does that stuff have to make such a MESS!?!)

While I made a crockpot of White Chicken Chili for dinner.

My recipe is adapted from a local restaurant.  But I apparently can’t ever leave an original recipe alone.  All my recipes look like this …  marked up.

And the end result ….  YUM!!!

I also took the day off as an opportunity to get in a really good treadmill workout while watching The Biggest Loser.

 

Hubby made me eggs for breakfast ….

Breakfast

The temperature rose quickly and melted all the ice so we were no longer stuck inside.  Which was great since we had plans to go out for my Aunt’s birthday.

We went to Aubrey’s, which is a great local restaurant.  In fact, the same people own Aubrey’s that own Sunspot, which is another one of my favorites.  So when I saw Salmon BLT on the menu, I sure hoped it was exactly like the one at Sunspot.  If you’ll remember, Hubby and I ate there on New Years Eve before our concert.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t the same.  While the salmon was tasty, I was disappointed in the bread.  If I pay $12 for a sandwich at a restaurant, I expect it to not be on the same bread I can buy at the grocery store.

But the sweet potato fries were really good.  (That’s something they don’t have at the Sunspot)!

The kids had fun, and we discovered how much my daughter LOVES honey mustard.  She was dipping fries in honey mustard and sucking it off.  LOL  She may as well have just drank it from the ramekin.

To celebrate my Aunt’s birthday, I made Magic Cookie Bars.

Nothing special about them, really.  I just went through a cookbook til I found a recipe with ingredients I had on hand.

Butter, graham crackers, sweetened condensed milk, chocolate chips and peanut butter chips.  That’s all.  Nothing healthy about it.

My kids were so good to play together all weekend.  Makes for a happy Mommy!!  🙂

I’ll leave you with a picture of my lunch on Sunday.

Egg Wrap.  Kinda like an egg salad but without the mayo!  YUM!!

Sunday was a super lazy day.  But that’s how I like them!!

What a wonderful, unexpected 3-day weekend.  I could seriously get used to those!  Back to the grind on Monday.  😦

Best Body Bootcamp Recap – Week 3

Well, the third week of Boot Camp is over.  Unfortunately, I wasn’t as diligent this week with my workouts.  I only did 1 of the 3 Strength workouts.  But I did do all of the cardio, plus some.  I don’t really have a good excuse, other than all my workout stuff is in the basement and it’s really cold in the basement.  Thankfully my treadmill is not down there or else I probably wouldn’t have done the cardio portions either.  🙂

Here’s my weekly recap:

Monday – 1/21

Strength workout

Tuesday – 1/22

Cardio interval with core workout

Wednesday – 1/23

100 burpee workout

Thursday – 1/24

rest day

Friday – 1/25

Friday we were stuck inside because of the ice storm.  So I jumped on the treadmill for a 45 minute cardio interval.  I alternated speed and incline every 5 minutes while watching The Biggest Loser on the DVR.

Saturday – 1/26

A repeat of yesterday with the same treadmill workout and finished out the same episode of the Biggest Loser.  I’m really into it this season.  This is actually the first season I’ve ever really watched.  Sure, I had seen bits and pieces before.  And honestly what turned me off before was Jillian.  I couldn’t stand listening to her yell at people.  But this time it’s a little different.  I’m watching with a different goal in mind.  I do like Bob, though.  And I like this new trainer, Dolvett.  And this season, I really like that they brought the kids in to tackle the childhood obesity epidemic.  If you’re not watching, you should check it out.

Sunday – 1/27

Another treadmill workout.  But this time, I mixed it up.  Here’s how it went:

Minutes 0 -5:  Walk 4.3mph on 8% incline

Minutes 5-10:  Run 6.5mph on 1.5% incline

50 air squats, 50 walking lunges

Minutes 10-15: Walk 4.3mph on 9% incline

Minutes 15-20: Run 6.5mph on 1.5% incline

25 push ups, 25 sit ups, 1 minute plank

Minutes 20-25: Walk 4.3mph on 10% incline

Minutes 25-30: Run 6.5mph on 1.5% incline

1 minute wall sit, 1 minute plank, stretch

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This coming week, I am going to try to stick to Tina’s prescribed workouts exactly as written.  If it’s cold in the basement, I’ll put on a sweatshirt.  No excuses.

In addition to the workout schedule, Tina also has you choose two goals for the week.  My 2 goals were to drink 64oz of water and take my vitamins daily (that’s one goal) and also to make sure to do my nightly routine every night, which includes taking my contacts out and washing my face, among other things.  I’ve gotten in a bad habit of falling asleep on the couch and then just crawling into bed without taking off my makeup or taking out my contacts.  (Yes, I know how bad it is to sleep in contacts.  In fact, I got a corneal abrasion several months ago because I was sleeping in my contacts.)  So I need this extra motivation to help me form a good habit at bedtime.  Or maybe if I win the $1,000 in the end I could use it towards Lasik so that I don’t have to worry with the contacts at all.  🙂

Weekly Photo Challenge: Love

From WordPress:   Love. Can you believe we’ve never done this theme? I won’t give you any hints here. Amaze us with your own interpretation of LOVE. In a new post specifically created for this challenge, share a picture which means LOVE to you!

Love …

Outside a building in Asheville, NC

The theme is love ….. How could I not include photos of my hubby and kids??

My 3 loves …. at a wedding.

Another building in Asheville, NC

I think Asheville is a very romantic city ….  I can’t wait to go back!!  🙂

New to The Daily Post? Whether you’re a beginner or a professional, you’re invited to get involved in our Weekly Photo Challenge to help you meet your blogging goals and give you another way to take part in Post a Day / Post a Week. Everyone is welcome to participate, even if your blog isn’t about photography.

Here’s how it works:

1. Each week, we’ll provide a theme for creative inspiration. You take photographs based on your interpretation of the theme, and post them on your blog (a new post!) anytime before the following Friday when the next photo theme will be announced.

2. To make it easy for others to check out your photos, title your blog post “Weekly Photo Challenge: (theme of the week)” and be sure to use the “postaday″ tag.

3. Subscribe to The Daily Post so that you don’t miss out on weekly challenge announcements. Sign up via the email subscription link in the sidebar or RSS.

Friday Fun – Pizza, Friends and Live Music

I’m a week late in posting this.  But better late than never, right??  Well, last Friday night my favorite band, The Delta Saints, was playing at Barley’s.  I had been looking forward to this night for two months!!!

Our friends Kara and Remington  joined us for some pizza and beer before the music started.

Their pizza is so good.  Definitely one of the best in town.  Hubby and I split the Greek.

And split a pitcher of the Sam Adams Winter Lager.  YUM!!

The band didn’t start til almost 11:15pm.  Which is really late for this old timer.  Good thing I drank a Red Bull before dinner!!  🙂

I absolutely adore their music.  His voice, their sound, the lyrics, the harmonica, the bass, the drums.  So much talent in one band.  I seriously can’t get enough.

And live?  They ROCK!!  If I could quit my job, follow them around and become a groupie, I totally would.

If anyone is keeping track, this makes the fourth show we’ve seen of theirs.  We were introduced to them in Feb, 2012 when they opened for The Dirty Guv’nahs.  Then they did a free concert in Market Square in October when they opened for The Black Cadillacs.  It was there they told us about the CD release party at Exit/In in Nashville, so we had to go.  And finally, back in Knoxville at Barley’s.  I’m not sure when I’ll see them again.  Looks like all of the Spring tour dates are in Europe.  Hmmmm…. wonder how I can work that out!?!  🙂

Their latest album, Death Letter Jubilee, was just realeased.  (Of course, I’ve had my copy since Nov 30th when I purchased it at the CD release party in Nashville.  It hasn’t left my CD player since.  Actually, that’s not true.  There was a week or two there that I swapped it out for the previous album, Bird Called Angola.  But I have seriously been blasting the Saints religiously for the last 2 months).

I’m not sure I even have a favorite song anymore.  I love them all.

Especially the title track, Death Letter Jubilee.  Check out their new music video HERE.

They played for a good 2+ hours.  We didn’t get home til after 2 o’clock in the morning.  And I was totally wired.

If they come to a city near you, I highly recommend you go see them now.  Do it soon while they are still playing in small venues.  These guys are going to be huge.

Question of the Day:  What band have you seen the most?  And if you could be a groupie, who would you follow around??

Last Things Thursday – 1/24/13

1. Last food you ate:

Fish tacos.  Whole wheat tortillas, broiled tilapia, broccoli slaw, cheese, salsa and jalapenos.  YUM!!

(Totally should have taken a picture of those!!!)

2. Last beverage you drank:

Water.  And lots of it!

3. Last workout:

Yesterday’s 100 burpee workout.

4. Last thing you pinned:

This is awesome.  Especially considering I had a Tall Vanilla Spice Latte (skinny) this morning.

5. Last text message you sent:

Hubby was at the grocery store today.  Asked me to guess how much he spent.  My response:  “$99 no beer or $114 with beer.”  He said “With, of course.”  The total was $117.  So I was within $3.  I asked him what I got for being so close.  He didn’t respond.

6. Last blog you visited:

My Elf friend, Claire, in the UK:  http://flakeandcake.wordpress.com/

7. Last place you visited:

Besides work, I went to Trader Joe’s yesterday.

8. Last show you watched:

Big Bang Theory, of course.  🙂

9. Last thing you baked:

Bite Size Apple Pies.  So easy and everyone loved them!!

source:  bettercookies.wordpress.com

10. Last photo you Instagrammed:

A sunset, of course.  In fact, every night this week there’s been an amazing display of color in the sky.

What I Ate Wednesday – 1/23/13

It’s Wednesday again.  Do you know what that means???  You get to see what I ate today!!!  🙂

I have to admit, after all the stress I’ve been under this past week, I haven’t been eating very much.For breakfast, I made an omelette.  But I didn’t eat it.  😦   It looks so yummy, but I just didn’t have the appetite for it.

For a late morning snack, I ate a Granny Smith apple and took some vitamins.

(I’m loving that new C Spray that came in my Bulu Box).  And I just bought that Ginkgo yesterday and plan to start taking it every day.  I’m hoping it helps sharpen my brain and my memorizing abilities.  (You know, since those babies sucked all my brain cells dry and I’m going to need them for studying)!

For lunch, it was yogurt.  I just LOVE these new Kroger Greek Lites.  It only comes in a few flavors, though.  But at only 90 calories, 16 grams of protein and only 6 grams of sugar, it’s my new favorite snack.  Not too many places where you can find that much protein for so few calories.

Just ignore the fact that the expiration date was a week ago.  That’s the “sell by” date, not the “eat by” date, right??  Well, it still tasted good and I haven’t keeled over yet so I think we’re all good.  🙂

I ate it at my desk becuase I spent my lunch hour at Trader Joe’s.  Post coming soon on my favorite TJ’s products!!  🙂

So when I got home, we snacked on chips and salsa.

That salsa is very smoky and spicy.  My 2-year old stood there and dipped about 100 chips in the salsa.  At one point her eyes were even watering but she still kept dipping.  Definitely my kid!  🙂

And I wish I’d taken a video of her doing burpees.  Yes, my 2-year old did burpees with me tonight.  It’s so cold outside and I wasn’t in the mood for any workout where I had to think at all.  So I just decided to do 100 burpees.  I didn’t time myself, but I wish I had.  I stopped and rested at a few intervals, though if the clock had been ticking, I might not have.  Maybe I’ll try it again in a few days with a timer.  I’ll post the results.

Anyway, dinner was easy.  I simply heated up leftovers.  Last night I made the pizza meat loaf again.  It’s sooooo yummy.

As a side note, my phone’s camera has started taking some HORRIBLE photos.  Most of them were a green hue til I had to turn the flash off.  But the color still isn’t right.  I think it’s time for a new phone.  😦

After a couple old episodes of The Big Bang Theory with hubby on the couch, I needed a late night snack.

.

Oooohhhhh  yeaaaaaaahhhhhhh …..  CRUNCHY Cookie Butter!  I saw it at the TJ’s and couldn’t resist trying the crunchy version.

I still prefer the Biscoff spread over the Cookie Butter if given a choice, but I still love the cookie butter.  YUM.

So that concludes my eats for the day.

Questions for YOU:  Do you take Ginkgo or any other vitamins on a daily basis?  Do you ever eat yogurt past its expiration??  And have you ever done a 100-burpee workout??

Weekly Photo Challenge: Beyond

From WordPress:  Do you have a photo which invites the viewer to look beyond? Are there hidden depths in the background? Is the focal point just a framing for the rest of the picture? If it’s not clear why we should look beyond, tell us! Lead us through the story in your photo.

In a new post specifically created for this challenge, share a picture which means BEYOND to you!

When I think ‘Beyond’, my mind immediately went to the top of a mountain.  This past year, I was on top of a few different mountains.

From the top of Mt. Mitchell in North Carolina

Mt. Mitchell, North Carolina  Visited October, 2012

Another view from Mt. Mitchell

 

From the top of Lookout Mountain in Chattanooga, TN

Lookout Mountain.  Chattanooga, TN  Visited September, 2012

Looking down from the top of the trolley on Lookout Mountain in Chattanooga, TN

 

From the top of Brasstown Bald, the highest point in GA

Brasstown Bald, near Helen, GA.  Visited in May, 2012 after our trip to Helen.

Another view from the top of Brasstown Bald

 

New to The Daily Post? Whether you’re a beginner or a professional, you’re invited to get involved in our Weekly Photo Challenge to help you meet your blogging goals and give you another way to take part in Post a Day / Post a Week. Everyone is welcome to participate, even if your blog isn’t about photography.

Here’s how it works:

1. Each week, we’ll provide a theme for creative inspiration. You take photographs based on your interpretation of the theme, and post them on your blog (a new post!) anytime before the following Friday when the next photo theme will be announced.

2. To make it easy for others to check out your photos, title your blog post “Weekly Photo Challenge: (theme of the week)” and be sure to use the “postaday″ tag.

3. Subscribe to The Daily Post so that you don’t miss out on weekly challenge announcements. Sign up via the email subscription link in the sidebar or RSS.

 

December Bulu Box Review and B.A.M.M. Winner

I realize I am REALLY late in reviewing this one.  But, better late than never, right???

This December box came in the middle of the holiday madness.  I think I was cleaning the house, getting ready for company to come over and shoved the “mail pile” in a closet to hide it.  Well, I forgot about it.  So a couple weeks later, it was like Christmas all over again.

Especially when I opened it up to find that I had won the monthly BAMM prize!!!!!  So exciting!!

So ….  what all do we have in here?

Sun Warrior Protein Mix – Vanilla flavor:  I really enjoyed this.  It’s smooth and creamy.  It’s plant-based and dairy free.

SafSlim Belly Fat Supplement:  The consistency is gel-like, but not as thick as Gu.  The berry cream fusion flavor was actually quite yummy.  If it works, I may need to buy more!  🙂

Herbal Papaya Tea:  This was the only thing I didn’t try.  The flavor I received was mint.  And I can tell you right now – I am not a fan of mint tea.  I know that’s weird.  But to me, I don’t want it to taste like I’m drinking tea and brushing my teeth at the same time.

Vitamin C Spray by Marzsprays:  It’s a megadose of Vitamin C that you spray directly in your mouth.  I was hesitant to try this, concerned about how it would taste.  But it’s actually good.  It leaves a nice after taste.  And who doesn’t need a little extra Vitamin C this time of year?!?

Vibrant Health Vibrant Cleanse:  It’s a powder that can make either a hot or cold drink.  I drank mine hot, though I would have also liked to have tried it cold.  I liked this.  I’ve always been wary of anything with a “detox” label.  But this tasted good.  I would buy more of this!

But of course, my favorite thing in the Box was my winning ticket!!!!

They shipped me the Breville Control Grip Immersion Blender right away.

I can’t wait to use it.  I’m thinking soup first.  The possibilities are endless.

Thank you, Bulu Box!!!

If you haven’t tried Bulu Box yet, it’s only $10 for a monthly subscription.  (Which includes shipping!!)  Why not check it out.

The Voices in My Head

I don’t know why I listen to them.  Or why I let them get me down.

(Just to be clear, the voices I’m referring to are those of self-doubt, self-loathing and self-deprecation. I’m not actually crazy.)

It was these voices that caused me to make a rash decision this weekend and withdraw from my classes.

“You can’t do this.”

But I hate failing at something before it’s even started.

“You don’t deserve this.”

I spent the whole weekend in a major funk.  It started on Friday night when I stayed up all night after a concert.  I was obviously sleep deprived.  I crawled in a hole that I had created for myself.  Once I was down, it was really hard getting back up.

“You’re not good enough.”

All of these tiny little voices keep repeating in my head.

“You are not strong enough.”

I’ve actually been through a lot the last 3 years with my dad passing away, taking care of his estate, then having a baby born 16 weeks early and spending four and a half months driving back and forth from the NICU to home to work. I look back and wonder how I made it through. Other people would comment that I was handling it so well.   What choice did I have?  When you’re in the middle of a crisis, you just power through.
But now I completely understand how Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome happens.  It’s not til after the dust has settled, or after the fog has lifted that you are able to look back at the event with open eyes.  That’s when the magnitude of the situation hits you.  It’s like a delayed reaction.

So why do I listen to these little voices??  Why do I let them get me down??

I am strong.

I do deserve this.

And I know I can do it!!

That’s not to say it won’t be hard.  And I know it’s going to take a lot of time.  But I’m prepared.  I’m ready for the fight.

So today I emailed my professor and called the school.  I asked them to reverse the withdrawal; that I’d had a moment of weakness and fully regretted the rash decision, and could they please put me back in the classes.

Good news!!  I’m back in.

And I do need to add — none of this would have been possible without my wonderful husband to support me.  He was actually the one who signed me up for the classes in the first place.  And he’s the one who convinced me that I can do it.   <—- so I can blame him when I actually fail, right?!?  I’m kidding.

I’m ready.  Bring it.