tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9512974439321979992024-02-07T15:53:08.982-08:00Secrets of a ChocoholicCooking. Running. Eating. Living. <br>
And Chocolate... Gotta Have Chocolate.Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772686677670787444noreply@blogger.comBlogger56125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-951297443932197999.post-39826568801569447362012-06-12T16:54:00.000-07:002012-06-12T16:54:14.473-07:00Soooo this is probably gonna be odd....<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Soooo HELLO.... its been ohhh let's see.... almost 3 years since I've posted ANYTHING on here and I'm pretty sure none of you are still reading at this point. (And if you are.... sorry for the no doubt slightly boring time) I just came back across my blog from oh so long ago the other day and missed it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Obviously its been way too long to even bother catching you up to speed (once again... that's IF there is anyone still out there in blog land concerned with my ramblings) however... to make a long story short I'm working full time at an organic pizza restaurant that I love. Yes, some people will frown upon this and say "Hey you're 26, you have a Bachelors degree... maybe its time for something more challenging aka socially acceptable" blah blah... sure, you're probably right but at least I'm one of few people who get to wake up in the morning happy to go to work. I love it. I serve food that I would actually eat and would encourage others to eat because it's local, fresh, organic and tastes bomb. I work with awesome people. My bosses are very flexible with my schedule each week. I make good money that gets the bills paid. So for now... it works.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I'm also going on a little over a year with the man of my dreams. Jimmy makes me feel the luckiest girl in the world everyday. I moved in with him in April (BIG step for the queen of anxiety) and I love love love it. Waking up next to him every morning and going to bed with him every night is a little slice of heaven. Barf, I know. I could go on and on but he is the most caring, sweet person with the biggest heart in the entire world. My apple red commercial size KitchenAid standing mixer that does all the hard work for me and has always been in my dreams became a reality because of this man's strong belief in my baking. When I unwrapped it I couldnt believe my eyes and I'll always remember what he said.... "Babe, I'm giving this to you in hopes that you will look at this as the first step to making your bakery dream come true" Yeah... I'm pretty gd lucky.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">SO... the main reason I happened to feel a little pang of sadness about my long lost blog when I realized that I've been doing so much baking and running lately and have no where to keep all of that useless information organized. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Yes, I have a recipe box chock full of my scribbles and most of them are covered in flour, cookie dough, and probably wine from the actual act of baking with the recipe card being just a tad too close to the baker... but I miss having a reason to capture the beauty of a perfectly piped buttercream frosting on camera and put it somewhere where I can look back and remember not just the recipe, but how it appeared.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I don't remember how HTML works and I haven't thought about font colors, web page backgrounds, and yada yada since the last time I was on here but ya know what??? Its whatever. Time to wing it. With that being said... whether you're out there or not.... today was a pretty phenom day. Day off of work.. started it off with a sub par 3 mile run because my legs were aching from a 5.5 mile run and a whole lotta barbell lunges at the gym the day before. Woof. Got home and played with the dog, debating what to make for lunch which ended up being Artichoke Gratinata.. a recipe from the Italian queen herself Giada DeLaurentiis. Make it. NOW. So easy and if you like a giant bowl of vegetables as your meal this won't let you down. Inhaled my lunch, ran a few errands (important things you know... Starbucks for my wake up call aka blonde roast, bank, grocery store yada yada) Then I got home and I created a beautiful work of cupcake art for a coworker's belated birthday and right about now its time to share it...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Butterscotch has always been a favorite of mine ever since I started eating my Grandma's amazing butterscotch chip cookies. They're beyond fantastical. With big butterscotch chips and a soft chewy cookie dough... Totally droolworthy. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">The only thing better than butterscotch has got to be anything that involves sea salt and caramel together. Trader Joe's dark chocolate caramel with black sea salt??? I'd eat one of those bars PER DAY if it was socially acceptable. Hence why these were the perfect idea for worksi tomorrow... my friend Taylor is gonna feel like he died and went to heaven. I mean... just sayin. And I, of course, had wine nearby to aid in my cupcake baking. And too much wine usually results in this:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Two glasses in... that SkinnyGirl wine got the girl feelin fiiiiine.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>Butterscotch Cupcakes with Sea Salt Caramel Frosting:</strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">2-1/3 cups flour</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">2-1/2 tsp. baking powder</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">1/2 tsp. salt</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">1 cup butter, softened</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">1 cup sugar</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">3 eggs, room temperature</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">2 tsp. vanilla</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">2/3 cup almond milk</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">3/4 cup butterscotch chips, roughly chopped</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place paper baking cups in approximately 24 muffin cups (I say approx because my batter NEVER makes enough for the normal 24 cupcakes... usually more like 18-20)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">2. In medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder and salt.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">3. In large bowl... or standing mixer... beat butter on medium speed about 30 seconds or so. Gradually add sugar, 1/4 cup at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping the bowl down occasionally. Add eggs, one at a time then beat in vanilla.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">4. On low speed, alternate adding flour and milk, beginning and ending with flour. Add flour 1/3 of the mixture at a time and milk 1/2 at a time until blended. Stir in butterscotch chips.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">5. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups filling about 2/3 of the way.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">6. Bake 20-25 minutes (mine took about 21 minutes exactly) or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pans 5 minutes then remove and cool completely on a wire rack.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>Caramel Frosting:</strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">1/2 cup butter</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">1 cup packed brown sugar</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">1/4 cup almond milk</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">3 cups powdered sugar</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">1. In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">2. Stir in the brown sugar with a whisk and bring to a boil stirring constantly.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">3. Add the milk and return to boiling. Once boiling, remove from heat.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">4. Allow to sit and cool for 30 minutes then gradually add the powdered sugar and stir. Frost cupcakes as much as desired and sprinkle with course sea salt. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">5. Restrain your inner cupcake monster and try not to demolish all at once. Key word: try.</span> </span></div>
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<br />Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772686677670787444noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-951297443932197999.post-61459677370929945562009-12-20T18:32:00.000-08:002009-12-20T19:11:21.135-08:00Movie Marathon....with a side of Velour<span style="font-size:130%;">So I'm currently on movie #3 of the night... started with Sweet Home Alabama, moved onto The Family Stone (such a good Christmas movie! and Dermot Mulroney is pretty easy on the eyes, ladies.. if you didn't already know) and I'm ending it with The Devil Wears Prada. Oh yeah... a night chock full of chick flicks, which I can rarely stand watching. But tonight consisted of nothing but guilty pleasure movies, comfy velour pants, all while sitting smack dab next to the Christmas tree. Is there anything better?<br /><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">My morning was pretty productive though... I woke up and had Sunday breakfast with the family. On the menu, thanks to my bright idea.... pumpkin pancakes. Holyyyy yum. I had 1-1/2 and was wayyy too full to finish but they were amazing... my whole family loved them.</span><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGvqiw6vFTd2zyVpjHmxEOUWpH8nWBtVLT37qQDfTYTiT932Vcgb0Zy5bCyXx5lpWaObgeyqRvQ4NAqusco2a4yVKqZeEKRbnJaEa7YOflK3ZaWfJbvn8kAkweZtgbbxvQauD2wIjl4h23/s1600-h/DSC04673.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417514381723324690" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGvqiw6vFTd2zyVpjHmxEOUWpH8nWBtVLT37qQDfTYTiT932Vcgb0Zy5bCyXx5lpWaObgeyqRvQ4NAqusco2a4yVKqZeEKRbnJaEa7YOflK3ZaWfJbvn8kAkweZtgbbxvQauD2wIjl4h23/s320/DSC04673.JPG" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;"> Then it was time to crack down on gift wrapping. Our tree is perfection but it's missing some presents underneath so my little brother and I got all of our goodies wrapped and ready to go. Can't believe Christmas is practically here!!! I wish time would slowww down just a tad. I always feel like the Christmas season comes and goes in the blink of an eye. *sigh* </span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">After doing some laundry and getting changed into workout clothes I was ready to hit the gym... not before making myself a much needed snack because my stomach was literally yelling at me.<br /></span><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVjeh0iFlfTLjRVe6o3Tq25NgjmYBcJAWcrXz4cFudW1H1bKMs-H_rqE582ntRAHDY47J6Xg5GA2nG5Dvl2WGqZA34IqdVJ5hpehwQ8d6z6v-ubRpQsF62T_MoS1FqQwg77kDh9gNnF014/s1600-h/DSC04676.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417514178388896098" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVjeh0iFlfTLjRVe6o3Tq25NgjmYBcJAWcrXz4cFudW1H1bKMs-H_rqE582ntRAHDY47J6Xg5GA2nG5Dvl2WGqZA34IqdVJ5hpehwQ8d6z6v-ubRpQsF62T_MoS1FqQwg77kDh9gNnF014/s320/DSC04676.JPG" border="0" /></a>Mulitgrain Arnolds Thin with Teddie PB & cinnamon</div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;">I got to the gym and ran a so-so 2 miles... my shins were really tight even after lots of stretching and walking breaks so I decided once I hit the two miles that it was time to stop. So I did a good 20 minutes of strength training and finished up on the elliptical while watching the Pats game... not a bad Sunday ;) </span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;">Next was a very necessary grocery store trip... I reallyy needed to restock my bar collection. Usually I have a wide variety at my house to choose from in the morning but lately I've just been stopping whenever I have an extra second before work to grab one just in case I need it.</span><br /></div><div align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOK3naBJDn9QRddIN81PmL6Ef9aQnxB-pruGWkgYK9n-LS1t5Ts9ECtz-VQ_dPngiBcGMQzGkywDhi4M09gObHvUyGETD50XKEsBbYXJmSGViNjRxABhAwmoEzORAD-jJJ4ptdwbolcMRf/s1600-h/DSC04677.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417514013267921026" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOK3naBJDn9QRddIN81PmL6Ef9aQnxB-pruGWkgYK9n-LS1t5Ts9ECtz-VQ_dPngiBcGMQzGkywDhi4M09gObHvUyGETD50XKEsBbYXJmSGViNjRxABhAwmoEzORAD-jJJ4ptdwbolcMRf/s320/DSC04677.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">I wanted to go for a few Balance bars because the flavors sounded out of this world good (Mocha Chip? Cookie Dough???? Ummm, yes please) but wasn't too happy with the ingredients list.</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Do any of you eat these bars?</span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></strong></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;"> I want to give them a try anyway and see how I like them but would like an opinion or two on these puppies beforehand... Which flavors are best? Which aren't so great??</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;">Anyway.... picked up a few other essentials since I was already there:</span><br /></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUpvLkqwTA2KjqdWNDlDnmeYCzewvgblzdE-5Xc3S1wMXKhF_I5e2yBWIuUYWldTDcfHkaADz-sO4ig8vM9RR3IqPR7UOgGtFZGSO25FR2UFFfL9u23myrrzrKn49RDBxVdUtxH2Rs3sJy/s1600-h/DSC04678.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417513844370423826" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUpvLkqwTA2KjqdWNDlDnmeYCzewvgblzdE-5Xc3S1wMXKhF_I5e2yBWIuUYWldTDcfHkaADz-sO4ig8vM9RR3IqPR7UOgGtFZGSO25FR2UFFfL9u23myrrzrKn49RDBxVdUtxH2Rs3sJy/s320/DSC04678.JPG" border="0" /></a> Nature's Promise Oat Bran pretzels, Red Pepper Hummus, Honeycrisps, Bananas, MorningStar grilled chicken patties, Kashi Warm Cinnamon cereal, and Chobanis galore</div><div align="left"><br /><br />I wanted to dig right into the pretzels and hummus in a whirlwind of hungry-ness but instead opted to take a shower because I was staaaankin with sweat (I'm wicked attractive, obviously) hahahaaa... and then made myself a cup of what was left from my vegetarian chili I made earlier this week with a side of a Hodgson Mill corn muffin & my beloved cranberry juice...<br /></div><div align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOndLEIE-S1sZuiTJNp0Zy-r9uGerh0D97PeUr8PIq8e6kNiwqwSViNDA5qCTpaWWGC5G_6SSL9hz9ZHAYSg52Gwq_33AjYmyzoWYwK-PtAYhwut2npDPQQCz7FFE47QZzudV5YN17W3Dl/s1600-h/DSC04680.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417513663049565122" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOndLEIE-S1sZuiTJNp0Zy-r9uGerh0D97PeUr8PIq8e6kNiwqwSViNDA5qCTpaWWGC5G_6SSL9hz9ZHAYSg52Gwq_33AjYmyzoWYwK-PtAYhwut2npDPQQCz7FFE47QZzudV5YN17W3Dl/s320/DSC04680.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">I couldn't kick my craving for pretzels and hummus so I busted them out when my belly started growling in the middle of my movie marathon and enjoyed them thoroughly... Some carrots found their way into my little hummus snack session too. Absolutelyyy delish.</span><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZw1ttWSAt3q856GjC0RPlzt8aHOck7RPYmNIqHry5J9GoDKM9V2MQJ5PhkN_DYfYbc0RqiBJ3v4pI9tJpcFHlbEoTU0I5cHuKFXtOQMCORScfDRhnoOYIJPVgFjOZgzZ6ONmbpz0s6UT0/s1600-h/DSC04688.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417513486961884242" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZw1ttWSAt3q856GjC0RPlzt8aHOck7RPYmNIqHry5J9GoDKM9V2MQJ5PhkN_DYfYbc0RqiBJ3v4pI9tJpcFHlbEoTU0I5cHuKFXtOQMCORScfDRhnoOYIJPVgFjOZgzZ6ONmbpz0s6UT0/s320/DSC04688.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">And this was the gorgeous sight outside my kitchen window that I caught while munching on my snack today. Connecticut, I love you :)</span><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxk2dHDi_U6o92VrJM1hDGF3I8e6OyKDzrfMvIUO8pV_oLoYzjRcsPHc8NmfbcvQSigXfItSEhQ4hzovoejtEyTjcjW-upXcqytFARIilZBXdolPVHsK02La7_wjJ6ktZeopiFSjZaIbjF/s1600-h/DSC04685.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417513222118147394" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxk2dHDi_U6o92VrJM1hDGF3I8e6OyKDzrfMvIUO8pV_oLoYzjRcsPHc8NmfbcvQSigXfItSEhQ4hzovoejtEyTjcjW-upXcqytFARIilZBXdolPVHsK02La7_wjJ6ktZeopiFSjZaIbjF/s320/DSC04685.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">By the time dinner rolled around I had no idea what to make until I spotted a lonely sweet potato in my kitchen just begging to be chopped into rounds and put in the oven. Ask and you shall receive my little orange friend ;) </span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />AND I tried out my new MorningStar chicken patties on an Arnolds Thin with baby spinach, lots of organic ketchup and Annie's Lite Honey Mustard for dipping purposes, of course... sooo ridiculously good as always. I could live off of sweet potatoes I'm pretty sure.</span><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimXcUfAVRBN3r8CFEGm6ksUbTcDg_Xn2u1RpwOBe_ZDT6zg-LBH9BtL7Utya4HUf0sEZIE6G91jNaQri1KuD-2g9BeG0vmbefetxRd8fX7jgtL-NEIQP-OgFzokHdYYJN8aRjjYq7h5lCA/s1600-h/DSC04690.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417513011249081586" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimXcUfAVRBN3r8CFEGm6ksUbTcDg_Xn2u1RpwOBe_ZDT6zg-LBH9BtL7Utya4HUf0sEZIE6G91jNaQri1KuD-2g9BeG0vmbefetxRd8fX7jgtL-NEIQP-OgFzokHdYYJN8aRjjYq7h5lCA/s320/DSC04690.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Anddd right now, because I have the worst sweet tooth known to man, I'm enjoying two little delectables beside the tree...</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"></span><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIm9n8IfenlCkbL6dhmka0gsrnVBvZtqVefzV55pmiGpVG8fVabv8bUEFb9IqyaRuFxJkWJ9xYvtNPMFUJFruqhYr26lf7-RSL9lQevVLZACQMnCH3ETJnJOtqmFjMeUM6VaEFsbXC4s4d/s1600-h/DSC04691.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417512853819141154" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIm9n8IfenlCkbL6dhmka0gsrnVBvZtqVefzV55pmiGpVG8fVabv8bUEFb9IqyaRuFxJkWJ9xYvtNPMFUJFruqhYr26lf7-RSL9lQevVLZACQMnCH3ETJnJOtqmFjMeUM6VaEFsbXC4s4d/s320/DSC04691.JPG" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />Time to finish watching Meryl Streep wreck havoc on Anne Hathaway's sanity....lovely. And then off to bed so I can be 100% for the double I'm working tomorrow. ohhhh boy.... Sweet Dreams Dolls</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>What's your favorite Christmas movie???</strong></span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /> </div></div></div><br /></div>Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772686677670787444noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-951297443932197999.post-37771424234508979062009-12-19T18:41:00.000-08:002009-12-19T19:35:45.137-08:00Tis the Season :)<span style="font-size:130%;">Hello, hello lovebugs! How is your weekend so far? I got to enjoy my first day off all week today.. I've been going nonstop at work with minimal extra time left over for anything besides sleeping so I can get up and do it alll over again. It's physically exhausting and my body has been feeling the effects.</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />I've been lacking on my gym trips because of it which I absolutely hate with a passion. Unlike those who despise going to the gym & working out, I<strong> have</strong> to in order to feel well physically. I start to feel soooo just....EW if I don't haha. Not sure if that makes sense??? But I'll feel more exhausted if I go a few days without getting my blood pumping at the gym. I finally had a chance to get a good 3 mile run in today but boy, was it difficult! My feet felt heavy, my shins were wicked tight, and I was much more tired than usual...</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">OH not to mention I got in a tiny, tiny fender bender on the way home from lunch with my girlfriend today following the gym... YAY. Thankfully, the cop was a doll and let me off easy even as I said "Ohhh I was SO stupid for not looking!" he was quick to assure me "Noooo, no! It happens all the time at this spot. People make mistakes." I flashed a smile and bam!... verbal warning. I love being a girl ;) HA!</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Anywayyyy... I think the lack of posting and capturing my daily eats with my camera has affected my habits in that area too. I've been more lenient that I usually am. A little more pizza at work... mucho glasses of wine after hours with my coworkers & beer drinking with my girlfriends... it all adds up to where I'm at now. Ugh.. haha. Luckily I think it was just a little phase but I'm definitely going to be making the extra effort to keep on top of my eating & working out regardless of how crazy my work schedule is.. (Hey, there's <strong>always</strong> time for a 20 minute yoga session, right? I miss Dawnelle anyway...)</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Just to sum up what's been happening besides working my little life away day after day... I've been baking like a crazy person:</span><br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglzF7jdysTaHC1cUEEl3QVid_r1XUgYHzSbVScmtdPBl1flP8SWntfYpDKe8CcMNQTqY7JVtdO0omXvsGlU7VQXMSWlL_dFkAeqrWAlLybaeBIUzGR7nxWij3nfXia0r8j1UDqHjF_piGC/s1600-h/DSC04573.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417149832764198530" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglzF7jdysTaHC1cUEEl3QVid_r1XUgYHzSbVScmtdPBl1flP8SWntfYpDKe8CcMNQTqY7JVtdO0omXvsGlU7VQXMSWlL_dFkAeqrWAlLybaeBIUzGR7nxWij3nfXia0r8j1UDqHjF_piGC/s320/DSC04573.JPG" border="0" /></a> Blueberry Buckle with Streusel Topping for Work</div><div align="center"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIe5SJtzJsjA_Liqx1swUlYIJHg5z-50x8Dl_HfgHYuRRSyiXWKhV04TPSuynjh63fQZoJ-FUfNj0i0mYhbjOd9dI0QnDgZ6itNbVyN_qABfSJlQk8HGUcZ81MMuWbgwp4tLbGcFuCRYgJ/s1600-h/DSC04576.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417149477448323346" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIe5SJtzJsjA_Liqx1swUlYIJHg5z-50x8Dl_HfgHYuRRSyiXWKhV04TPSuynjh63fQZoJ-FUfNj0i0mYhbjOd9dI0QnDgZ6itNbVyN_qABfSJlQk8HGUcZ81MMuWbgwp4tLbGcFuCRYgJ/s320/DSC04576.JPG" border="0" /></a> Flourless Chocolate Cake with Ganache Topping for a dinner party I went to<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaJiiA147NhNbZ-zheNrFoQjuWBafeJrZeYlwm6dDYcNFYjZq1lPqQAxy0ebzocArB0D1EhKL4TbHDi5g-0Zom7HBAwcg3YqIkPkJ2zkNryxlhX3AyOS29zz5gNvy3m3vyUgnsb1aKUNJM/s1600-h/DSC04665.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417148785304265618" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaJiiA147NhNbZ-zheNrFoQjuWBafeJrZeYlwm6dDYcNFYjZq1lPqQAxy0ebzocArB0D1EhKL4TbHDi5g-0Zom7HBAwcg3YqIkPkJ2zkNryxlhX3AyOS29zz5gNvy3m3vyUgnsb1aKUNJM/s320/DSC04665.JPG" border="0" /></a> Getting in the holiday spirit with Iced Sugar Christmas cookies :)</div><div><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;">My eats have mostly consisted of the regular (minus a cookie or two here and there... uhhhh what?) Hey, whatever. Oatmeal on the reg are still occuring for most breakfasts and I love love love it :) I've been drinking absurd amounts of holiday tea, snacking on Clif & Luna bars especially at work when I don't have time for a real meal, eating my weight in sushi... NO lie I'm totally serious about this... I think I have an addiction, roasted veggies, cereal, and organic salads at work...</span><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSt2_57bT4Z2w-0Iy1yEw8aUyKGmvlT8a-oqddqEt3hlbXmwE69X5mhFAnNGEMrWchaDiGEjU2CyU7VfW_tGoS_HJeEH_rbr460ymNxCGNxw0ImS0dOqOoq7sJBgLKnpVf2O42NpSdoFcQ/s1600-h/DSC04655.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417148539567652850" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSt2_57bT4Z2w-0Iy1yEw8aUyKGmvlT8a-oqddqEt3hlbXmwE69X5mhFAnNGEMrWchaDiGEjU2CyU7VfW_tGoS_HJeEH_rbr460ymNxCGNxw0ImS0dOqOoq7sJBgLKnpVf2O42NpSdoFcQ/s320/DSC04655.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKH1psStQJ7jT5kGpLz1udNcsuhApAWgyb_FrJB9KJKzMCgOpnSHe1n0hXxBKICcMy8FbKWvFkyesP2RXU-4LL7G_NMo_Wse1W-nGyClqfEscDTk5ktXn3SRc-UAEKpeWsxFg6ZfqBD23M/s1600-h/DSC04666.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417148323172979234" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKH1psStQJ7jT5kGpLz1udNcsuhApAWgyb_FrJB9KJKzMCgOpnSHe1n0hXxBKICcMy8FbKWvFkyesP2RXU-4LL7G_NMo_Wse1W-nGyClqfEscDTk5ktXn3SRc-UAEKpeWsxFg6ZfqBD23M/s320/DSC04666.JPG" border="0" /></a> Multigrain Arnolds Thin with Teddie PB, Honeycrisp slices, & cinnamon<br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDdrbToUOb4S8BFrr0jOK3_5mDH_yWVyotoJH5r7X1irxWhQrDj91Ec01IWN5psNr6IYyioRiqfRf09K_tyvus_UxaHLDPAeF4gTk1vt5OLtP0yWLsm1HgTttlnfwjzkmpw5n7fIGVwuhV/s1600-h/DSC04657.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417148109738686066" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDdrbToUOb4S8BFrr0jOK3_5mDH_yWVyotoJH5r7X1irxWhQrDj91Ec01IWN5psNr6IYyioRiqfRf09K_tyvus_UxaHLDPAeF4gTk1vt5OLtP0yWLsm1HgTttlnfwjzkmpw5n7fIGVwuhV/s320/DSC04657.JPG" border="0" /></a> My new fav flavor for the Christmas season<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY7qWsYm51G2JZnsq8xFMvQfGYN1TLXVOx9dTjlE0XjuekUFmqABE3qt9DtPPwe_VrmoqH8yVfF_qEHZHYfVWZ2jvg_OpfOmyLNynCWJNiJV9avWIp1WgEtg1zrhW8qgw8Avlv_8NS-aVQ/s1600-h/DSC04658.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417147892146670754" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY7qWsYm51G2JZnsq8xFMvQfGYN1TLXVOx9dTjlE0XjuekUFmqABE3qt9DtPPwe_VrmoqH8yVfF_qEHZHYfVWZ2jvg_OpfOmyLNynCWJNiJV9avWIp1WgEtg1zrhW8qgw8Avlv_8NS-aVQ/s320/DSC04658.JPG" border="0" /></a> Salmon Avocado Roll<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Ca27_jjNO0bvwCPkyp4PW-i6bMaNhaTNUg1Qw7VrpohJHmrnoVERYs7iWk_fUtxFaSRqLFXkexdVC9HKBVk6xdyTxKMYd_tgkt7ahQS694awNFg3Pr2_NXaoh5ZW3uPXM4LeuEh5v6LN/s1600-h/DSC04659.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417147648593621250" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Ca27_jjNO0bvwCPkyp4PW-i6bMaNhaTNUg1Qw7VrpohJHmrnoVERYs7iWk_fUtxFaSRqLFXkexdVC9HKBVk6xdyTxKMYd_tgkt7ahQS694awNFg3Pr2_NXaoh5ZW3uPXM4LeuEh5v6LN/s320/DSC04659.JPG" border="0" /></a> Miso soup from the store...not half bad, actually! And definitely a quick & easy go-to lunch<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC92v0SRTW9lfOXk_64mdahiNVhcvDalijxw77rMuCmDsa-fAf-M-HRlVusrkvra9S6kTTKP0o462Gah6XZhQcuCKYKe9WVgZIbXA1ojmaifzCHKeJDeFhJFTbrpUkogWxQKIebxQBWQtu/s1600-h/DSC04662.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417147426523261922" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC92v0SRTW9lfOXk_64mdahiNVhcvDalijxw77rMuCmDsa-fAf-M-HRlVusrkvra9S6kTTKP0o462Gah6XZhQcuCKYKe9WVgZIbXA1ojmaifzCHKeJDeFhJFTbrpUkogWxQKIebxQBWQtu/s320/DSC04662.JPG" border="0" /></a> Godiva Hot Chocolate has been a God send this past week<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRjoEo6GtkLyUKu4mVoRMpitpWc85SApgri0i3VDDr4Mnhgw4m6dhHcCDNygc6urswkJp4opFuwnyaL-Wp0sc1v2JbVoQsyicyHGGETJ-iZTQPCbmW_llmCDPakaiB3SiqJDwoUcfReSrU/s1600-h/DSC04663.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417147256210392562" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRjoEo6GtkLyUKu4mVoRMpitpWc85SApgri0i3VDDr4Mnhgw4m6dhHcCDNygc6urswkJp4opFuwnyaL-Wp0sc1v2JbVoQsyicyHGGETJ-iZTQPCbmW_llmCDPakaiB3SiqJDwoUcfReSrU/s320/DSC04663.JPG" border="0" /></a> Holyyyy yum :) so festive in my special Xmas mug<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZwaL7rS-ItD-a1EvgittYtx3pEPZ67LcNYLjO-alnHkxJUH2PMk69f4iPfRURFDPxS-z7HQqkkyHEgxm28wfz6QZmAT7wq1B2Nd5QJSxfQxxUlWRHfR7AwInqgL92lWAQAeLreEeqdG9P/s1600-h/DSC04669.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417147062999558562" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZwaL7rS-ItD-a1EvgittYtx3pEPZ67LcNYLjO-alnHkxJUH2PMk69f4iPfRURFDPxS-z7HQqkkyHEgxm28wfz6QZmAT7wq1B2Nd5QJSxfQxxUlWRHfR7AwInqgL92lWAQAeLreEeqdG9P/s320/DSC04669.JPG" border="0" /></a> Kashi Go Lean & Smart Start = phenom combo in the A.M. let me tell ya<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6zC_Rs-kGT4MZ0onJdhkspyTW2vSDhfUqdPItyUZp5FCY3g671Wi0Dt0XpI8SATqUtVBS7-QRQOnMW4jNnSd0vxbyLAoPboKGHKAw5zFkkCkockrxuySmHZXXOGxTKLU3hRGY7kc8dZSx/s1600-h/DSC04670.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417146730382046770" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6zC_Rs-kGT4MZ0onJdhkspyTW2vSDhfUqdPItyUZp5FCY3g671Wi0Dt0XpI8SATqUtVBS7-QRQOnMW4jNnSd0vxbyLAoPboKGHKAw5zFkkCkockrxuySmHZXXOGxTKLU3hRGY7kc8dZSx/s320/DSC04670.JPG" border="0" /></a> Vanilla Chobani with cinnamon, a little PB, and Kashi</div><div><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;">Hope you darlings are all really excited for the holidays coming up! I can't believe Christmas is basically here. I attempted to finish up my shopping at the mall after work yesterday and it was a bad choice... after driving around and around to search for a sub par parking space I waited in endless lines to buy presents, dealt with rude employees & even worse shoppers... Thankfully I'm just about done minus a few last minute purchases!</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;">My brother was smart and did ALL of his Christmas shopping online, never having to step foot in a crowded store or wait in a single line. I'm starting to wish I had done the same!</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>What are your family traditions for the holiday season??</strong></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />In my family we celebrate Xmas morning opening presents around our tree & always make cinnamon buns for breakfast then head to my Gramma's for MORE presents & Christmas dinner. I'm really excited because this year we're doing a big Christmas Eve dinner at my house with my whole family which I'm sure will be absolutelyyyy delicious :)</span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><br /></div>Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772686677670787444noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-951297443932197999.post-49104054285630798822009-12-10T12:11:00.000-08:002009-12-10T12:54:17.370-08:00Jiggity-jig Hee-haw Hee-haw<span style="font-size:130%;">Thursday already?? This week is flying by per usual... I feel like it was just summer last week and there's already snow on the ground and Christmas is 2 weeks away! I'm soo excited that it's the holiday season once again. I'm definitely putting "baking Christmas cookies" on my to-do list for today... along with blaring Dominic the Donkey while doing so...</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Today's been a much needed day of relaxation since it's my day off. Yesterday was pretty lame at work due to the first snowstorm of the season. It was easily one of the most boring days ever ugh and it just seemed to drag on and on and on until I finally got cut at 530 and was released into the bar (yay!) </span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">After having a Cabin Fevah with my friend from work we were both reallyy hungry and so, per usual, we headed over across the plaza to Feng for sushi... I got the most amazing Panko Tuna ever. I swear.. I will dream about this for days and days.</span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvB9OGmMcic_8bmdLa5KuyP79C_POlqnj4jO-38MasiQHNcKUMA_PY9YS-ls-v2p7cDf2GPuX_yrV1x-rrveoM1vQwpfKJBWx9nW33ep26i-O0uDDgwJVqdDfSJIR9QxLrMsBjYYTyieQH/s1600-h/dec10-03.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413703093832786562" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvB9OGmMcic_8bmdLa5KuyP79C_POlqnj4jO-38MasiQHNcKUMA_PY9YS-ls-v2p7cDf2GPuX_yrV1x-rrveoM1vQwpfKJBWx9nW33ep26i-O0uDDgwJVqdDfSJIR9QxLrMsBjYYTyieQH/s320/dec10-03.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;"> I had two Mich Ultras and was ready for BED and woke up this morning with tons of energy, ready for the gym where I ran a quick 3 miles, did a 20 minute workout on the elliptical, and did 15 or 20 mins of strength training... Followed by one of these bad boys:<br /></span><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRvXpG2JMsoxK8OC8OmI2UbEOjPTsDkH4LPvklv78WZ9jIPLzJxillKVEor5fxKqt20EQa8-EKFNXq98yrWiI-7gV6z6yTI2UT7d00RN0qaMUojJlZIPsdSQDUyeCTzcnRyb1gefKIQIFp/s1600-h/dec10-01.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413702979483727074" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRvXpG2JMsoxK8OC8OmI2UbEOjPTsDkH4LPvklv78WZ9jIPLzJxillKVEor5fxKqt20EQa8-EKFNXq98yrWiI-7gV6z6yTI2UT7d00RN0qaMUojJlZIPsdSQDUyeCTzcnRyb1gefKIQIFp/s320/dec10-01.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;"> I couldn't figure out what I wanted for lunch and knowing we had ZERO yummy lunch food in the fridge at home I made a stop at Stop & Shop and loaded up on the salad bar... Minus dressing because all they had was the fake gross stuff. Instead I waited til I got home and drizzled a little Annie's Lite Honey Mustard on top (of course)<br /></span><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxZycEBz77DIbnftJtSd8c2wDtaqPSFB4R84UKdgaXm7tcD0ZkfZl8az1OWeO5R6KfG9uEx9rKPK1GW7U5elwDMl8GhEAPDAYsNibWkkC8Ng35GXQP3yQm9lxvBeWNYBK_haiTLLWt30Fy/s1600-h/dec10-02.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413702868611009874" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxZycEBz77DIbnftJtSd8c2wDtaqPSFB4R84UKdgaXm7tcD0ZkfZl8az1OWeO5R6KfG9uEx9rKPK1GW7U5elwDMl8GhEAPDAYsNibWkkC8Ng35GXQP3yQm9lxvBeWNYBK_haiTLLWt30Fy/s320/dec10-02.jpg" border="0" /></a> Baby spinach, lettuce mix, mushrooms, black olives, shredded carrots, chicken, chick peas, & a sprinkle of feta... along with a hefty scoop of melon & strawberries</div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;">The rest of the day is looking pretty nice and consisting of laundry, baking, cleaning ....and/or skipping out on ALL those things and spending some high quality time in my sweatpants and watching Wife Swap ummmm, what??? We'll see where the day takes me...</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;">Hope you darlings are having a lovely week so far and especially hope you're getting all of your holiday shopping done! I've only been able to cross ONE person off my list so far so I've got some work to do still. </span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /><strong>Are you a last minute shopper for the holidays or do you plan ahead and get everything done before the crazies come out on Xmas Eve??</strong></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><br /></div></div>Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772686677670787444noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-951297443932197999.post-55552333805440602592009-12-08T06:35:00.001-08:002009-12-08T06:42:10.827-08:00It's December Already!?<span style="font-size:130%;">Hello strangers! :) I'm very sorry I ducked out on you lovelies for a while there... my life has just been a whirlwind of craziness. I literally haven't had a moment to gather my thoughts (and especially zero thoughts about snapping pictures of my foodage) for the past ohhh, month?? But I think I'm finally getting everything together...</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">My stress level has been through the roof and I just recently have made some very big changes that have required even MORE time from me than I have.....</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">I'm going to keep most of the facts to myself because they're personal but I can assure you it's nothing too serious. I'm getting myself back on track as best I can and keeping my head up because there's zero time in my life for anything else. But I'm wicked excited to get back into the groove of things (as long as everything else can be maintained!) and I know I've missed sooo much that has been going on with everybody but I hope you're all getting in the <span style="color:#ff0000;">Christmas </span><span style="color:#009900;">spirit</span>!!!! :) </span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />Christmas is my <strong>absolute</strong> favorite... the music, decorating the tree, SNOW (which we got plenty of this weekend), family time, the smells... baking, evergreen, the fire... ahhh I could go on forever. I wish Christmastime never had to end... and I'm pretty sure we're getting our tree picked out today which I'm super happy about!</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>What's your favorite thing about Christmas??</strong></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong><br /></strong></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>What are you putting on your wish-list this year??</strong></span>Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772686677670787444noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-951297443932197999.post-61298434942115938262009-11-18T08:00:00.000-08:002009-11-18T08:27:39.157-08:00Over the Hump...day<span style="font-size:130%;">As you can see, I'm still <em>trying</em> to find a balance between work & play & fitting in some writing here and there! I'm still reading all of yours though, of course... so I can stay caught up at least... And thank you lovelies for all the comments on the last post... it was so sweet to see that you missed my ramblings :) haha... Oh and, of course, I have next to nothing to show for the few days I went absent but there was plenty of eats to be had...</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">This past weekend was fun.. I worked alot = made alot = spent....some. Not alot but definitely some. (<strong>Hey, it was hard earned</strong>!) And I've been keeping my word from last time and making sure my increased hours at work aren't affecting my gym time. I'm not using "have to work a double" as an excuse anymore because usually, although I'm up and out the door early in the a.m., I'm still out of work around 8 or 9ish which leaves me enough time to at least get a run in afterwards...</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />And that's what happened last night. I worked my looong double, and headed out to the gym around 9 and got a quick 2.6 mile run/warm-up walk in... only requiring my overtired legs to work for 30 mins. I felt much better after going and was able to sleep easy last night because of it.... My muscles allll the way up the back of my legs and to my butt are hating me for it this morning though.</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />Too much work. <strong>Not enough stretch-time</strong>! Ugh... yoga will be in my schedule today, for sure.</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">The rest of the past events have been pretty uneventful actually. Just the usual workdays, followed by fun with the co-workers and some of my lovely home girlfriends, a glass of wine here & there, and attempting to get enough sleep each night! I slept a full 12 hours (from 830pm-830am) Monday night!!!!!</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />I drove down to work (nearly falling asleep at the wheel mind you...and it was 4pm) and even a Venti Americano couldn't keep me going. Luckily the restaurant was dead that night and I practically begged to be able to go home ...seeing as how there was obviously NO need for four people to handle the work that could be done by two (or even one at this point) Soooo I raced home, fell into bed and didnt wake up until the next morning when my alarm was screaming at me to get up and get my lazybones to work a double.... Fortunately the 12 hour rest period made me feel like a million bucks and I was practically buzzzing the entire day :) LOVE how a good night's sleep makes you feel completely rejuvenated....</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Eat wise.... there was much, but not much of it was documented...ooooops. I did go out a fair share with friends and such to eat. Yesterdays lunch was with two of my lovelyy friends from work on my hour long break during a double... we went to a local bar/restaurant near work for French Onion & Wild Mushroom soup (uhhh-mazing) & Sauteed Maine crabcakes with a Red Pepper remoulade ahhhh....</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Hibachi consisting of chicken & salmon for me was also devoured over the weekend gahhh, I forgot how good (& entertaining) a hibachi dinner is...</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />On the homecooked side... I discovered this while at Stop & Shop and was feeling a little frigid that day so it was the perfect remedy. Just heat and serve.</span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeP05aB3i59rH4vtxX5qnJ5t-nXIJ4g0GgQY1VTQHsLBw7MD_E6j_mWtMFCDn4O0_M_T3RJRdUTAHEQ_LCvH4vWqItjE3UcKaL1r_4tnmuJdFNUgeEerli6bXiltKhJ731d9wap4r0NuVj/s1600/DSC04559.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405475009238328818" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeP05aB3i59rH4vtxX5qnJ5t-nXIJ4g0GgQY1VTQHsLBw7MD_E6j_mWtMFCDn4O0_M_T3RJRdUTAHEQ_LCvH4vWqItjE3UcKaL1r_4tnmuJdFNUgeEerli6bXiltKhJ731d9wap4r0NuVj/s320/DSC04559.JPG" /></a> <span style="font-size:130%;">Celebrated Cookie Friday like any good bloggie would do with a little oatmeal raisin purchase... These were slightly disappointing... I only say slightly because I thought they would be BIG cookies and they were little bitty bebes. The taste however is awesome!</span><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrxShaduqxzP4Q5GvAutn5WckEon6jpn0wieuxUfr_3-tfLyXzBU5wi_Iez7il9QpTd5EeakfcBs1mcVAg_juJYmpKbAtgBKalz2K6fFAb8JBKPPvD7CTEHWyx7tQmGbtZaIKlsh_14CIP/s1600/DSC04560.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405474834417497762" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrxShaduqxzP4Q5GvAutn5WckEon6jpn0wieuxUfr_3-tfLyXzBU5wi_Iez7il9QpTd5EeakfcBs1mcVAg_juJYmpKbAtgBKalz2K6fFAb8JBKPPvD7CTEHWyx7tQmGbtZaIKlsh_14CIP/s320/DSC04560.JPG" /></a> <span style="font-size:130%;">Oats of course were had as much as possible... I've been switching between oats & cereal with yogurt for most morning depending what I'm craving. Eating because so much better when I actually know what my body wants and I'm not just grabbing the nearest thing for breakfast. Some mornings I want eggs, some times I only want coffee first thing, sometimes my body says NAY to breakfast... whatever it says, I like the fact I can hear it and listen to it.<br /></span><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6N_8PJoNeNJMQegwCFDy5Ji03ZI8YmWZ_cNJjt0qLO7uA4OyDfrQc3psXoDajkC4iMSeFk8X_RvxEvcOOgqySbcF7TlmnuFe_OR-CjAVVt1LtV3soVWstPusaJkuiWyiDM03Tvo-Y-yUD/s1600/DSC04562.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405474704702641874" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6N_8PJoNeNJMQegwCFDy5Ji03ZI8YmWZ_cNJjt0qLO7uA4OyDfrQc3psXoDajkC4iMSeFk8X_RvxEvcOOgqySbcF7TlmnuFe_OR-CjAVVt1LtV3soVWstPusaJkuiWyiDM03Tvo-Y-yUD/s320/DSC04562.JPG" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Granola bars, per usual... I had two Odwallas over the weekend. I'm obsessed with the Strawb-Pom flavor!!! I don't know what it is but it's delish! I tried the Banana Nut before leaving work when I was falling asleep whilest standing and talking to tables.... seriously, I was that useless... I couldn't even remember the specials 2 seconds after hearing them. Gooddd God....</span><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7a1V4yq-S3xcnXu3h66jLkPZDJHWpiB5hXF5As6gmxCL4FcyTRUsir6_nY4WiRjNCHXfuLjLunlu4GsGE8SPY1Zgmq6ymfs50jhgSRDdbvkc9SfmgcOuJYYQL3zH6wJFATFhCIs4MDv6A/s1600/DSC04563.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405474596834977218" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7a1V4yq-S3xcnXu3h66jLkPZDJHWpiB5hXF5As6gmxCL4FcyTRUsir6_nY4WiRjNCHXfuLjLunlu4GsGE8SPY1Zgmq6ymfs50jhgSRDdbvkc9SfmgcOuJYYQL3zH6wJFATFhCIs4MDv6A/s320/DSC04563.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">More soup! In the form of MamaBear's homemade tarragon-turkey soup.... soooo yummy and ALSO consumed the day I came home early. Amazing the only thing my exhausted self could do that day was take pictures of food. Oyy!</span><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk6gva6XctnFBpMhvOMjRnNg5-Z-M9wDR_-jpj0AByqU2tKvdNYBFXzIPiI116X374bzMwmi0kxerxHpYT3WnEfCJuvVJAx26y34bZQVPVdXP1ehPbOM81iEujZt4dW-osE43L3oLtleTS/s1600/DSC04564.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405474494296071682" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk6gva6XctnFBpMhvOMjRnNg5-Z-M9wDR_-jpj0AByqU2tKvdNYBFXzIPiI116X374bzMwmi0kxerxHpYT3WnEfCJuvVJAx26y34bZQVPVdXP1ehPbOM81iEujZt4dW-osE43L3oLtleTS/s320/DSC04564.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Long overdue yogurt messes yum yummmm... in the morning light :) It's always nice to switch it up once in a while... I love me some oats but I need some new varieties.... <strong>What are some of your best breakfast oat flavors/combos???</strong> I want to try out some new ones to spice it up a bit!</span><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdbgejStqcQi3qQw3I4mlByii5y3xTP153tgnvQqfoIFMOzZ6njQxKOYypomt243NjpifO7YW_zBPZJydq5ZChdL66BkKfe0NGBtOHyyU_DfFXuIek3IsCS-EbKgs2rYwFVgtqDS6P_0Fx/s1600/DSC04566.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405474381995101202" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdbgejStqcQi3qQw3I4mlByii5y3xTP153tgnvQqfoIFMOzZ6njQxKOYypomt243NjpifO7YW_zBPZJydq5ZChdL66BkKfe0NGBtOHyyU_DfFXuIek3IsCS-EbKgs2rYwFVgtqDS6P_0Fx/s320/DSC04566.JPG" /></a> </div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">The rest of the day will be filled with errands seeing as how it's my day off.... I love the feeling when you first wake up in bed and realize you don't have work that day. Is there anything better? Although I always seem to jolt out of sleep thinking "I'm late!!!!" almost every morning which puts a bit of a damper on it... So the plan is:</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">~Gym time + yoga session with Dawnelle....the girl gives my abs a run for their money</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">~Bake Thanksgiving inspired cookies for work! <strong>Any ideas???</strong></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">~Shopping - just a tad, for something I've already picked out online :)</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">~Sushi tonight!</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Did you know theres...ONE WEEK TIL THANKSGIVING!!!!!!</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Speaking of which... what's your favorite Turkey Day fixing on the dinner table???</span></strong></div><div align="center"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></strong></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">I think mine would be my Mom's twice baked potatoes... they're so creamy and melt in your mouth amazing. I cant wait to reunite with them...</span><br /></div></div></div></div></div>Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772686677670787444noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-951297443932197999.post-61125247427941425152009-11-13T06:44:00.000-08:002009-11-13T07:44:21.874-08:00Back on Track<span style="font-size:130%;">Ummmm I definitely went M.I.A. alll week this week... but don't worry, I have been slacking horribly with the picture taking sooo, you haven't missed much! I've been working like a crazy person (doubles galore at the restaurant), I went out to eat alot this week so because I was surrounded by friends, good convos, & of course, good drinks... it slipped my mind to whip out my camera and snap pictures but I can assure you, I ate some wicked good foodage... and I can safely say my running this week has been....eh. </span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />I definitely don't agree with it. It's lame. <strong>BUT</strong>....I enjoyed myself alll week with lovely people and (besides drinks) I never went anywhere close to overboard with my choices. I ate good, balanced meals but unfortunately, at times, was soo busy I didn't even have time to eat what I would consider full meals... <strong>ENTER</strong>: <em>Clif bars, an orchard size amount of apples, Chobani w. cereal, and several salads from work...</em></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">OH...and the rest of the week was spent remaining <strong>obsessed</strong> with Lady GaGa.... and am now in the process of buying tickets to see her in January (well worth the $200+ right??) Ohhh boy...</span><br /><br /><p align="center"><object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ACm9yECwSso&hl=en_US&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ACm9yECwSso&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object></p><p align="center"></p><p align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;">I won't even <strong>try</strong> to recap each day since the last time I posted was Monday and my mind can't even handle attempting to remember every little detail but I worked everyday minus Wednesday which I originally wasn't even scheduled for but they needed help so when Lauren at work asked if she could cover it I of course said YES... which at first seemed awesome, until I used the idea of no work the next day as a reason to drink a 6-pack of Shocktops to my dome at a bonfire with my coworkers. Ummmmm, pooor form..... </span></p><p align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;">Holy Hangover Batman! Blahhh... and also enjoyed a glass of organic Bonterra wine (or tres!) at a birthday dinner at this amazing Hibachi & Sushi restaurant that just opened in the same plaza as work. <a href="http://www.fengrestaurant.com/index2.html">Feng</a> is phenom. End of story.</span> </p><p align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;">I had the Glazed Chilean Sea Bass entree with orzo and had the Tomyum Clam Soup as an appetizer... both were out of this woooorld good! The soup was a tad spicy (lots of ginger in there) but it was a party of goodies in the bowl: peas, cilantro, oyster mushrooms, peapods, big meaty pieces of clam, and a veryyy yummy broth. My sea bass was amazing and the orzo was cooked perfectly... moist and perfect! <strong>Ew..moist.. that word is so weird. </strong></span></p><p align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;">I also joined my brother and nephew for Thursday night musica & staffer pizza at work last night which was fun and as always, delicious. But it may be time by the end of this week to do a little more grocery shopping and get back to cooking at home... my oats this morning were long overdue since I haven't had a good relaxing breakfast more than once this week... I'm usually grabbing coffee & a Clif bar on the way to work (Poor form once again) </span></p><p align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;">I'm also going to be getting back on track with running. The road race is coming up soon and my ankle has had plenty of rest time since my gym trips have been short and sweet (and/or nonexistent...yikes) sooo minus the epic sized heels I've been sporting to dinners out, they should be feeling pretty good for my long run planned for today!</span></p><p align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;">Okay..soo foodage... there was a lot of it, most went unpictured, but here's some of the eats from the week:</span></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcT45mWebaft1bEdC2ZdvGj4qtVx711ME2cFB8X8qRi0xHfjG7barJ_lvKf2YiPgCNT9YDUs5nc2Cq1qL0JCVtRKSwIuhMX-qvxXENFXb1JsTm8okL7BPDjCa3oWxoHOLsI_8JS7wpDclm/s1600-h/DSC04545.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403608346888912978" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcT45mWebaft1bEdC2ZdvGj4qtVx711ME2cFB8X8qRi0xHfjG7barJ_lvKf2YiPgCNT9YDUs5nc2Cq1qL0JCVtRKSwIuhMX-qvxXENFXb1JsTm8okL7BPDjCa3oWxoHOLsI_8JS7wpDclm/s320/DSC04545.JPG" /> <p align="center"></a></p>MorningStar Mushrooms Lovers burger in WW wrap with avocado, lettuce, & tomato<br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN9bTc0764wSYD2WMC0TDakHbdjShpm9QDT3pirsR3e0oz3RwxzF0lfN5E9SsyDBapk_b4oll5FD5lz4fb5QhDZVhUmXjB1dHBAs9tHdCLuEuRNbDFNcHUIfNODWWdsyNc86ZT3p4Sqw7B/s1600-h/DSC04547.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403608182228347634" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN9bTc0764wSYD2WMC0TDakHbdjShpm9QDT3pirsR3e0oz3RwxzF0lfN5E9SsyDBapk_b4oll5FD5lz4fb5QhDZVhUmXjB1dHBAs9tHdCLuEuRNbDFNcHUIfNODWWdsyNc86ZT3p4Sqw7B/s320/DSC04547.JPG" /></a> Amy's Organic Cream of Tomato Soup<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMyEG4yZ6gJQVybtA6eHs8d-gJPx0rDmPEN1hUA7_apwbW9XXWRGoHhjFjpkMN4g-W2uBDKb0BytdCQmlHSyhlPmkuCCLEO_aDewNX0uaJ6zo3Ou6ryJ71geiIjDH8FBET8tiJURMRPwYP/s1600-h/DSC04548.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403608082469971986" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMyEG4yZ6gJQVybtA6eHs8d-gJPx0rDmPEN1hUA7_apwbW9XXWRGoHhjFjpkMN4g-W2uBDKb0BytdCQmlHSyhlPmkuCCLEO_aDewNX0uaJ6zo3Ou6ryJ71geiIjDH8FBET8tiJURMRPwYP/s320/DSC04548.JPG" /></a><br />All together for lunchtime<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFUr1TRJUHPeq49R06ywqDglf4foldBfq4qlL9nFaSoRzaEpgVvtuRiz324fR3S7VzMBg-Gj51Q3n21qMFLPB0ofnc2xji_82TVdByvcFhWSAdLBKwwfsU8kIYBlJY8eULCSbzUPJuV8uR/s1600-h/DSC04549.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403607971444653266" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFUr1TRJUHPeq49R06ywqDglf4foldBfq4qlL9nFaSoRzaEpgVvtuRiz324fR3S7VzMBg-Gj51Q3n21qMFLPB0ofnc2xji_82TVdByvcFhWSAdLBKwwfsU8kIYBlJY8eULCSbzUPJuV8uR/s320/DSC04549.JPG" /></a> My Mom's Tarragon Turkey and Barley soup<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSghO1TQOuQgjIs2hMwulCJF88G948IEUgMfiC6Ch7Yy0lVzECdgbPqjAA79qckgxqtn33m8blVbko91JfwtCyShUaUpifs9n1BsXfKWqmLSXAAOgS8Q41g-CSYyw0aWohyphenhyphenqiCp6uIsImT/s1600-h/DSC04550.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403607594976958818" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSghO1TQOuQgjIs2hMwulCJF88G948IEUgMfiC6Ch7Yy0lVzECdgbPqjAA79qckgxqtn33m8blVbko91JfwtCyShUaUpifs9n1BsXfKWqmLSXAAOgS8Q41g-CSYyw0aWohyphenhyphenqiCp6uIsImT/s320/DSC04550.JPG" /></a> Ohhh Hello empty Teddie, I have a brill idea!<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0uzvP2mBkqashKns8df18wFRKDGoWvCSFq-epZLCvsNs1R4V8jbXyf_daS48Db9zmvsB666OTE7Dqw7xbRSI-NQZl-xRA4OSygPRlp3cyyhTrgMOg6bFKTqS-6i51hJPRHL8ld78gMi_2/s1600-h/DSC04551.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403606771402898082" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0uzvP2mBkqashKns8df18wFRKDGoWvCSFq-epZLCvsNs1R4V8jbXyf_daS48Db9zmvsB666OTE7Dqw7xbRSI-NQZl-xRA4OSygPRlp3cyyhTrgMOg6bFKTqS-6i51hJPRHL8ld78gMi_2/s320/DSC04551.JPG" /></a> Delectable per usual<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizVpbp_l_-3A4yW6JKHX3KDjIKTGHY5J8IEXaF3D-Po7U97M0l52jcW774IEKpjraIDLVMpKWCLEddcf6LCtGfixPNRYMpfSxI5hBqRARLTWg5cGuMey75qDoMamkB1QY8PfEOWnZJi3qG/s1600-h/DSC04554.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403606328379111826" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizVpbp_l_-3A4yW6JKHX3KDjIKTGHY5J8IEXaF3D-Po7U97M0l52jcW774IEKpjraIDLVMpKWCLEddcf6LCtGfixPNRYMpfSxI5hBqRARLTWg5cGuMey75qDoMamkB1QY8PfEOWnZJi3qG/s320/DSC04554.JPG" /></a> Hated every minute of it...<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYvHxsTrHtvJg12plyehycs12SeXAvsvrPcsqVvrUY4D6WK8YzbnOx7-L_8IQb_z9vUjN2STrZjNGcJky0zLYJvAQ2Oq4sOPhPKEmNEpfIAbxkggcllToNblR6y_tWi7DvdDsbmhQzszSX/s1600-h/DSC04555.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403603625427484050" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYvHxsTrHtvJg12plyehycs12SeXAvsvrPcsqVvrUY4D6WK8YzbnOx7-L_8IQb_z9vUjN2STrZjNGcJky0zLYJvAQ2Oq4sOPhPKEmNEpfIAbxkggcllToNblR6y_tWi7DvdDsbmhQzszSX/s320/DSC04555.JPG" /></a> 1 egg, 1 egg white scrambled with All Natural cheddar on 9-grain...</div><div>with lots of organic ketchup...<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMD0QuFwBIRzH6H0MJr3bqpGIF_4nEsns0EAd581APsSn6ZzCLjw6M5bFdclbjIHM-G-dZcKByLwiYc1NQTmZMP47SZhZUo-3shCxpnlPymIp8I9cuWBP1OQg2h2CW_WUxOXjY2qozq5GM/s1600-h/DSC04556.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403601346660451346" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMD0QuFwBIRzH6H0MJr3bqpGIF_4nEsns0EAd581APsSn6ZzCLjw6M5bFdclbjIHM-G-dZcKByLwiYc1NQTmZMP47SZhZUo-3shCxpnlPymIp8I9cuWBP1OQg2h2CW_WUxOXjY2qozq5GM/s320/DSC04556.JPG" /></a>Typical picture of my work/gym bag before leaving in the a.m....</div><div>Honeycrisp, Clif bar, and a wrap...</div><div>With a side of really cute & warm yellow scarf & running shoes :)<br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpvn6F73DfKyg4zxy-V3XFdPsgtuKgKCq0AJ1sHeXBvblGO_SWFaB3VV18DmjPNH2D3xO3pReu_sQVgo-uge22GFHWsWjMZ-iUlOhQPAv2wnR_HGa7cWIa3XJgbNRnPGFV9dbXzWMlkxUG/s1600-h/DSC04557.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403599723597211874" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpvn6F73DfKyg4zxy-V3XFdPsgtuKgKCq0AJ1sHeXBvblGO_SWFaB3VV18DmjPNH2D3xO3pReu_sQVgo-uge22GFHWsWjMZ-iUlOhQPAv2wnR_HGa7cWIa3XJgbNRnPGFV9dbXzWMlkxUG/s320/DSC04557.JPG" /></a> Long overdue oats with 1 cup water, 1/2 cup oats, 1 naner, 1 tbsp PB, crushed grahams, lots of cinnamon...</div><div><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;">Today is my day off *Thank youuuu Lord!* and it will be spent doing the things I couldnt do most of the week because I had <strong>zero energy or extra time</strong>... including GYM first and foremost, tons of laundry, maybe a little clothes shopping & definitely some food shopping (we're out of coffee in this house and it's about to cause a tantrum... for some of us), picking up my paycheck!, and some much needed yoga & good eats will be had! </span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;">Hope you're all as happy as me that this week is coming to an end...phew! Happy Friday lovepies!!!!! :)</span><br /><br /></div><div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772686677670787444noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-951297443932197999.post-34326911983854880352009-11-07T18:21:00.000-08:002009-11-09T07:16:32.188-08:00Reunited & It Feels Sooo Good!<span style="font-size:130%;">Good Morning Muffins :) Hope you all had an<strong> exciting</strong> weekend (especially those of you who went to FoodBuzz!! I'm extreeeemely jealous) So it's Monday once again.. oyyy. It came so fast. I'm doing okay accepting that fact because I had plenty of time this weekend to relax for a change which I don't feel like I get the time to do very often. </span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">I also got to reunite last night (Sunday) for a dinner date with one of my best friends & roommate of 3 years during college! That was definitely the highlight of my weekend... Alyssa & I became friends during school and just clicked. We have the same sense of humor and can be, at times, children...which we do much more often when we're together (<strong>lucky for our waiter</strong>) But we've both progressed past the time of power-houring at 8pm to pregame for the bar, get overdressed, go to the bar to consume even MORE beer, and then order pizza very late night only to wake up with a booze & food hangover, vow to never do it again, and then proceed to reenact the night a few days later. Ehhhh.... yes, luckily, <strong>I can safely say we've progressed far past this</strong>. </span><br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiko3vwMpIjxDdpSJpdjs-i1rjNPYvZ7kCY-YdXfoIiF8LTjDN3Q2nxH8WDlepKFlARYXHB5jj95IFRvZil0Dt7vT86UhmZC3Ypidqd8Gf2vfU28l276OfOid8cDMHb12N_aDGdsO-ceFp/s1600-h/me+and+murm.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402113082846258098" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiko3vwMpIjxDdpSJpdjs-i1rjNPYvZ7kCY-YdXfoIiF8LTjDN3Q2nxH8WDlepKFlARYXHB5jj95IFRvZil0Dt7vT86UhmZC3Ypidqd8Gf2vfU28l276OfOid8cDMHb12N_aDGdsO-ceFp/s320/me+and+murm.jpg" /></a> Alys & I during my last semester at school</div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;">So when she told me she was coming home for the night I was beyond excited :) :) We made plans to go to my place of employment for dinner:<br /><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Reason #1</strong>-the pizza portion of the meal is free. </span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Reason #2</strong>-Alys is quite the daredevil when it comes to eating hot & spicey things and she's obsessed with our hot sauce which you can buy whole bottles of in house and she HAD to do it.... </span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Reason #3</strong>-GOOD, quality local brewed beer on tap. That'll do.</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"> <span style="font-size:130%;">We had such a great time catching up, laughing, talking about old times at school, and eating some phenom food & drink! I slacked, per usual, and didn't take pictures. Apologies but I was too busy chatting with my daaaahling</span> <span style="font-size:130%;">:) But I started with the Goat cheese organic salad (which you've seen countless times since I eat it every chance I get while at work) followed by a pizza that Alyssa & I split...</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />I got my 1/2 with no tomato sauce, mozz, parm & herbs, free-range chicken, roasted red peppers and lots and lots of mushrooms...</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;">Alys ordered her 1/2 with our homemade tomato sauce, olives, Roma tomatoes, & roasted red pepers... then obvi dumped her entire pizza with Amigo hot sauce. Gotta love her.</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;">I also had 2 (we'll say two... but it was 3-oooops) Blue Point Toasted Lagers on draft. Sooo delicious... and since my beloved Magic Hat was unavailable, this has to do and you'll hear no complaints from me on that! ;)</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;">Since Alys had never had dessert there, I ordered us a 1/2 dessert (since we were basically full to the brim) and asked for 1/2 a brownie sundae with the Graham Central Station ice cream. Holyyy Bajeeeez, I could go on forever about this ice cream. It's BOMB ahhh! And, of course, because we have such great employees, my "half" dessert came out with a whole brownie, 2 scoops of the graham, and a tower of maple syrup sweetened whipped cream (Thanks Evelynnn you're my girl! ;) haha) we couldn't even finish half of it but IT. WAS. UH-MAZING.</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;">Such a fun time with my biotch who I've missed sooo much :) And we're planning on getting together before I head into work tonight for a coffee or something along those lines. Yayyyy!!!! More time with the Lysssybear :)</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;">Nowww...I suppose it's time to backtrack. Bear with me, I had a pretty uneventful and relaxing weekend which you would think would make it easier to recap my eats & acts but... it's not. Plain and simple. Apparently I'm still a scatterbrain.... hense why I've downed about 5 glasses of this already today..</span></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic-c9cj1f6-g8tm27e6jVcUNDVKLciLZAIp9YgYKN-oWVThhLcb-yniKkkDPvpp8ESOmaIzCMycmEA6xGBYAF8mHcN7UaOZDr_gB5e2CsQHzWGSzPLtkeTu0k02nKB5xfljv8Acfez-7ng/s1600-h/DSC04542.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402112399796725746" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic-c9cj1f6-g8tm27e6jVcUNDVKLciLZAIp9YgYKN-oWVThhLcb-yniKkkDPvpp8ESOmaIzCMycmEA6xGBYAF8mHcN7UaOZDr_gB5e2CsQHzWGSzPLtkeTu0k02nKB5xfljv8Acfez-7ng/s320/DSC04542.JPG" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;"> And seriously needed THIS more than ever this morning...</span><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIsJelCzLPbOiAG642sQtGAt9r0vpt4fEOiHqyS0ib6kQmgNHoaAgJS_7N60wZXHDbb8a5LiugHNT58700v-XGH-91t6GRRTnOZWYQ-Oz_F_Hm8R7erzUOgSaK9zLioLvLjBAfYpvL5bQL/s1600-h/DSC04543.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402112279705848802" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIsJelCzLPbOiAG642sQtGAt9r0vpt4fEOiHqyS0ib6kQmgNHoaAgJS_7N60wZXHDbb8a5LiugHNT58700v-XGH-91t6GRRTnOZWYQ-Oz_F_Hm8R7erzUOgSaK9zLioLvLjBAfYpvL5bQL/s320/DSC04543.JPG" /></a>1 cup water, 1/2 cup oats, 1 small naner, 1 tbsp. Teddie PB, 1 tbsp. chopped almonds, lots and lots of cinnamon...<br /><br /><br /><div align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;">Saturday morning I woke up and made oats ASAP along with making my regular coffee with the LAST of the coffee grounds (Breathe Allison. Don't Panic)</span><br /></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguwpc2Wl9UH6xdDry84Uq59YTScN_gPW4EBTTMvam-Qh34kSPZxdWrFQLJI0UoKA7uN2TapPUyV3ZcEBiM9gnW9xOaB36pbxgNosa4oZO8q2xQnJLVoL7kAiBmRGkjzrSHC_mf_-TVkTIV/s1600-h/DSC04514.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402112050648450290" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguwpc2Wl9UH6xdDry84Uq59YTScN_gPW4EBTTMvam-Qh34kSPZxdWrFQLJI0UoKA7uN2TapPUyV3ZcEBiM9gnW9xOaB36pbxgNosa4oZO8q2xQnJLVoL7kAiBmRGkjzrSHC_mf_-TVkTIV/s320/DSC04514.JPG" /></a> Oats with 1 tbsp Teddie PB, chopped naner, and 1 crushed graham cracker board<br /></div><div align="left"><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">I headed to the gym soon after breakfast to get a quick workout in before I had to head off to my Grandma's house with brother & nephew to see some of the family coming up from Maryland to visit for the weekend.</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;">I did <em>35 minutes on the treadmill</em>... 10 minute warm up followed by 3 sets of speed intervals for 5 minutes each, did a quick cooldown and got in about 15 minutes of leg & ab work before having to race outta there in order to get back to my house, shower, get ready, AND eat lunch before brother got there!</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;">I whipped up the quickest lunch I could come up with while in the kitchen, which actually turned out to be pretty delish!</span><br /></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimRwpu-5-WpGOmTpEofAZI_0HUw8dxR9pnioL7R53S1N-yungt9hKStCLdI5OFdGtcBcUI_6UXtFJGSL4fWf-_xFORWup56R58i0aG6FHYoU4qYgmbxDBZEY5mTzNpzh7HPbrOsCwS9tsU/s1600-h/DSC04516.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402111901176685650" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimRwpu-5-WpGOmTpEofAZI_0HUw8dxR9pnioL7R53S1N-yungt9hKStCLdI5OFdGtcBcUI_6UXtFJGSL4fWf-_xFORWup56R58i0aG6FHYoU4qYgmbxDBZEY5mTzNpzh7HPbrOsCwS9tsU/s320/DSC04516.JPG" /></a> WW wrap, peppercorn turkey, lettuce, dijon mustard, & chopped avocado</div><div align="center"> </div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center">Along with a piece of perfection; yummy Honeycrisp<br /></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN8J2KHakRfVsO1QD5omNAsusWVaAW6dbu-pjLel05fUDT05tLgDiaM-b0XySBm1-zDkqikLAOF36hLB8b5Q4Sx5yPrvTC2KX4xItEhHD8235jim7gPNmmxA6IrbwfzuQjENGIZ0L-aHwO/s1600-h/DSC04518.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402111805308139458" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN8J2KHakRfVsO1QD5omNAsusWVaAW6dbu-pjLel05fUDT05tLgDiaM-b0XySBm1-zDkqikLAOF36hLB8b5Q4Sx5yPrvTC2KX4xItEhHD8235jim7gPNmmxA6IrbwfzuQjENGIZ0L-aHwO/s320/DSC04518.JPG" /></a> All wrapped up and ready to roll!<br /><div align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWF22VCYTMr8stkY59uPDzrmTGsKBxLIQrbn7dJa4y2-5xKDdgBsaVIqgq70U7Pkb5Q9ukwLz-Ium264ml-P5lH-sZn0WbWuQ8WiMoGDsrdspPf9sE0XLuAwxwOWQ0sgm2g72zGaF8fzk4/s1600-h/DSC04520.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402111689895053938" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWF22VCYTMr8stkY59uPDzrmTGsKBxLIQrbn7dJa4y2-5xKDdgBsaVIqgq70U7Pkb5Q9ukwLz-Ium264ml-P5lH-sZn0WbWuQ8WiMoGDsrdspPf9sE0XLuAwxwOWQ0sgm2g72zGaF8fzk4/s320/DSC04520.JPG" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;"> So I ate lunch on the go while in the car and brother & I made the half hour drive to my Grandma's house... My aunt, uncle, and two of my cousins had yet to see Baby Jakey so the rest of the afternoon was spent ooooh-ing and ahhhh-ing at every little thing he did :) They just couldn't stop taking pictures and each wanting to hold him and talking about how adorable he was. It was nice to catch up with the fam (my younger cousin Amy just started college.. Whaat!?) and discuss what everyone had been doing lately... </span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;">A few hours after my lunch my stomach was getting cranky again so my Grandma made me a cinnamon raisin mini bagel with some peanut butter (along with a cup of coffee because I was turning into a zombie before everyone's eyes - oops) and then brother and I had to leave so he could make it to band practice on time...</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;">When I got home it was dark out but was only 5:30!!! Holyyy moly... I could have gone to sleep for the rest of the night I was so tired! So I made a cup of tea & just spent the rest of the night relaxing... read a few blogs... caught up on The Hills for the majority of the night (Ummmm Kristin really turned into a biotch, huh???)</span><br /></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi99q4OR_599wSia2lf-SWR0rcVR1Z6RltNLnOqyzncgCX53s9b5Vjkai70Pr5MjuqF3qYQWR-KI9NOfxmQG7sh31_mYj5xgCAKyVolN2M4XOWU5SSAU9HbWFzCgY_qMkgWb_WIkzlyArTq/s1600-h/DSC04527.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402111577051825602" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi99q4OR_599wSia2lf-SWR0rcVR1Z6RltNLnOqyzncgCX53s9b5Vjkai70Pr5MjuqF3qYQWR-KI9NOfxmQG7sh31_mYj5xgCAKyVolN2M4XOWU5SSAU9HbWFzCgY_qMkgWb_WIkzlyArTq/s320/DSC04527.JPG" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">This little munchkin cuddled with me for most of my Hills watching :)</span><br /><br /><div align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiee9A98QUHJaFtONlxmbOCqYB6po2bWvrWsTTNtQnpRhBnX4Pf_wPnKV_Xkw-Fsg2Z3GnQHlXS91kwanJZOZzIBi4QBtAcnoY24JVfUtr3WMMBC0C1f3lVL80gqk0JqQyAeZVDNguKwaAK/s1600-h/DSC04529.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402111460237619762" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiee9A98QUHJaFtONlxmbOCqYB6po2bWvrWsTTNtQnpRhBnX4Pf_wPnKV_Xkw-Fsg2Z3GnQHlXS91kwanJZOZzIBi4QBtAcnoY24JVfUtr3WMMBC0C1f3lVL80gqk0JqQyAeZVDNguKwaAK/s320/DSC04529.JPG" /></a>Then a few hours later it was time for dinner and I wanted something warm & easy... So soup it was! I had a can of Amy's Cream of Tomato soup (which is awesome, just FYI...give it a try) so I warmed some up...<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_nPJfDDlMUWHETsR7UHXcmq0l-mXZ2Ri0czVjTl5So0Ungx68MEseBa2kWPG6Tl3JJ3BTDm_uBeSE7pAF1KLAbTlX8tajnzAQXKcfaZpH0RBvq6XiuCXF0QZc4EgLIHUdzKI8bXnKq4Ny/s1600-h/DSC04530.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402111356793172114" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_nPJfDDlMUWHETsR7UHXcmq0l-mXZ2Ri0czVjTl5So0Ungx68MEseBa2kWPG6Tl3JJ3BTDm_uBeSE7pAF1KLAbTlX8tajnzAQXKcfaZpH0RBvq6XiuCXF0QZc4EgLIHUdzKI8bXnKq4Ny/s320/DSC04530.JPG" /></a><br />And what's tomato soup without a grilled cheese on the side? It's nothing is what it is. Pointless. HA! So I made a much yummier version to go alongside it...<br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6vO4SST0fhrgfORwAIBSut68H7B7aN3M8GdG_bPfGkYd5pib938iiFmdQHC72E-ruYMC3EzzPEZFIc7GiUmEKXjqNXaMftFk_ykkjqdQd09Ei8HRnzzacE7k4IOGpDCYieTfumhtRrNs0/s1600-h/DSC04533.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402111245903689826" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6vO4SST0fhrgfORwAIBSut68H7B7aN3M8GdG_bPfGkYd5pib938iiFmdQHC72E-ruYMC3EzzPEZFIc7GiUmEKXjqNXaMftFk_ykkjqdQd09Ei8HRnzzacE7k4IOGpDCYieTfumhtRrNs0/s320/DSC04533.JPG" /></a> Grilled Chez a la Allio - Goat cheese, sliced tomatoes, chicken (seasoned with s&p and cooked in a pan) with 9-grain bread...<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSNW7FCSrOMlwpSmtUrmDjpWV21cKnIFsiXWxeAqGohVUZx7mwjGq_MBeR21GpNc7Mf_34Ln3YDu26iJiCWMWGEiQjb-bT7WYgY32KEiNrTNACjflS5klk15_nB1qjzmAXe04TdoSX-GmX/s1600-h/DSC04534.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402111138563841730" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSNW7FCSrOMlwpSmtUrmDjpWV21cKnIFsiXWxeAqGohVUZx7mwjGq_MBeR21GpNc7Mf_34Ln3YDu26iJiCWMWGEiQjb-bT7WYgY32KEiNrTNACjflS5klk15_nB1qjzmAXe04TdoSX-GmX/s320/DSC04534.JPG" /></a> Looooved ittttt :) </div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size:130%;"><div align="left"><br />The goat cheese was soooo creamy & delicious, the tomatoes were perfectly ripe, and the chicken wasn't overpowering since the seasonings were so simple... This sandwich & soup combo was pure comfort food and warmed me up right away. It kept me full for quite a while but in the middle of a mini-Always Sunny in Philadelphia marathon I was having I needed a little dessert.</span></div><div align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJb12NgFQxwvM3HLUtYLfJ6_TMGqoL5FTXScgOoZ0CDEBsJTIRh2jMvYftBc8YYwnolvKPDO2z2gwye7P8o6S4tArhKW74Aago1IYo4VCud0FMXfzfDON8uKe5c0d-9Udb153sLzWWZjUl/s1600-h/DSC04539.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401552390984878082" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJb12NgFQxwvM3HLUtYLfJ6_TMGqoL5FTXScgOoZ0CDEBsJTIRh2jMvYftBc8YYwnolvKPDO2z2gwye7P8o6S4tArhKW74Aago1IYo4VCud0FMXfzfDON8uKe5c0d-9Udb153sLzWWZjUl/s320/DSC04539.JPG" /></a> <span style="font-size:130%;">Plain Chobani with lots of cinnamon, a teaspoon of Dark Chocolate Dreams mixed in, and a tablespoon of white chocolate chips... holy decadence in a yogy-dessert!</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;">Now the plan is to rush off to the gym... get showered up and ready to go to work... stop & have my coffee date with Alys on the way down to work.. and then serving the night away at worky :) <strong>What's your plan for this lovely Monday</strong>?</span><br /><br /></div></div><br /></div></div></div></div>Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772686677670787444noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-951297443932197999.post-74519295112646409282009-11-06T19:01:00.000-08:002009-11-07T05:20:28.421-08:00Friday Night In<span style="font-size:130%;">Tonight turned into a pretty low-key night... I'm already in yoga pants, sipping a glass of white wine, and putting on some good movies.. beginning with Kill Bill Volume 1 (such classic Quentin). And I'm <strong>loving</strong> every minute of it :) Sometimes a relaxing night at home is the perfect idea... </span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Not to say I haven't run around like a crazy person for the majority of the day, because I did... but at this point it's barely 10:30pm and I'm ready to snuggle up in bed with the Bella-Cat and get some shut eye! Not until doing a little high-quality blogging, of course ;)</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">My day started off with a delicious yogurt mess... complete with Vanilla Nature's Promise FF yogurt, 1/4 cup of Kashi Warm Cinnamon, 1/4 cup of Kashi Honey Almond Flax, lots of pumpkin pie spice, & a melted tablespoon of Teddie PB...</span><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdaMzMdl6HpyQhurV1uiXgj6aEP0V7hqY8c0w36k8BE8vwA0aV1ezI_Sexal2iVhjo57MePUSH51IQ96wAFmmUZE2Bnvx0Gx4afyRBsiujfL5k9gGjbm-kClKCF4ppCublDUX8T_Uxlacl/s1600-h/DSC04494.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401196228394368354" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdaMzMdl6HpyQhurV1uiXgj6aEP0V7hqY8c0w36k8BE8vwA0aV1ezI_Sexal2iVhjo57MePUSH51IQ96wAFmmUZE2Bnvx0Gx4afyRBsiujfL5k9gGjbm-kClKCF4ppCublDUX8T_Uxlacl/s320/DSC04494.JPG" /></a> <span style="font-size:130%;">Heaven in my favorite bowl...</span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKQG6nFUXBq_hSfoQRmnBnwacA2FSndgMzdmelh8RGgfenAhbgGhkKfIIGrT_h96KwG7xwAn27P_7fzJRwqaRhYlnJvAsjGFtRR8PgqFRbw7-jgBuybC1zjvuLH9Mi_BkBHsKLCOU4o2yP/s1600-h/DSC04495.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401196087839267378" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKQG6nFUXBq_hSfoQRmnBnwacA2FSndgMzdmelh8RGgfenAhbgGhkKfIIGrT_h96KwG7xwAn27P_7fzJRwqaRhYlnJvAsjGFtRR8PgqFRbw7-jgBuybC1zjvuLH9Mi_BkBHsKLCOU4o2yP/s320/DSC04495.JPG" /></a> <span style="font-size:130%;">All mixed up & with a couple bites of the remaining apple crisp from last night's dessert...</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><br /><div align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;">After breakfast I did an excessive amount of stretching because I've been feeling tight all over, ALL of the time. My legs constantly feel like they need a gooood loooong stretch. But once I got tothe gym I was ready to kick itttt....</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;">I did an awesome 45 minute workout chock full of alternating sprints & runs ... 30 seconds & 1 minute respectively, and felt amazing! I even upped my speed during my running sessions.. I don't know what gave me so much energy and helped me keep up a consistent pace but I was loving it. (Could have been Matthew Fox's twin weight lifting in front of methe majority of that time... who knows)</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>My total time was</strong>:</span></div><span style="font-size:130%;"><div align="center"><br /><br /><em>45 minutes / 4.0 miles / 470 cal</em></div><div align="center"><em><br /></em></div><div align="center"><em>Followed by a 20 min core strengthening yoga class from yogadownload...</em></span><em><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></em></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;">Immediately after leaving the gym I had to rush off to meet Mamabear at her office to go down to the DMV and switch my car registration over from her to me (thumbs down) </span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;">1. I hate the DMV... I hate the lines, <strong>hate </strong>waiting, and it always seems to be full of the weirdest characters, seriously. </span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;">2. This means no more Mamabear paying my monthly car insurance bill (major thumbs down) </span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;">3. I guess this means I"m officially an adult (EW)</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;">4. I was absolute staaaahvin mahvin the entire time & quickly turning into a brat...</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;">So after what seemed like <strong>an eternity</strong> of waiting in one line, switching to another, getting a ticket with a rando number on it and waiting for that numberto come up, we FINALLY left and after getting back to Ma's office, I was sooo happy when she offered to give me her apple she had brought to go with the rest of her lunch. Which I happily ate within 5 minutes of it being offered to me...</span><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJBfiK3IAWNV0S_Jca8Qsed5dSNIi-25MMXMO9CUBTIzMlm8SlcMZI8FumNyS94-VETyOYn970nzrbJTwGVxMOlUxqvqB20Wo9URR6v-bbILVOdwCxvi5_5ivRdtp2XLOS88MgiA3V3gZw/s1600-h/___apple.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401195955537135938" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJBfiK3IAWNV0S_Jca8Qsed5dSNIi-25MMXMO9CUBTIzMlm8SlcMZI8FumNyS94-VETyOYn970nzrbJTwGVxMOlUxqvqB20Wo9URR6v-bbILVOdwCxvi5_5ivRdtp2XLOS88MgiA3V3gZw/s320/___apple.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">I remembered from all the bloggies I saw this morning that the holiday cups are now out at Starbucks!!! (along with the holiday inspired lattes) soo I of course had to stop for a Grande Nonfat Gingerbread on my way home..<br /></span><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilbIUBAzo_TfC2SeMAL5B9g8o1RjYJktXRuWn8iTyKfj_zSLPFmOSirbJX3P9T5-EcMN12zPK4JiO1yc_nRLhNVW_mUzf8tF5rhvTAukbGp0m0DT2t5V1AQEQWO1703sqjY_og8lLeRNiW/s1600-h/___starbucks.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401195906206820082" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilbIUBAzo_TfC2SeMAL5B9g8o1RjYJktXRuWn8iTyKfj_zSLPFmOSirbJX3P9T5-EcMN12zPK4JiO1yc_nRLhNVW_mUzf8tF5rhvTAukbGp0m0DT2t5V1AQEQWO1703sqjY_og8lLeRNiW/s320/___starbucks.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">My belly was still <strong>yelling</strong> at me when I got home so I whipped up the most rando lunch plate ever... just a combo of a bunch of things I found in the kitchen. A "snack plate" if you will; very </span><a href="http://glidingcalm.wordpress.com/"><span style="font-size:130%;">GC</span></a><span style="font-size:130%;"> of me :)<br /></span><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja63qcWUtrVS-5cMDinwfEaNs-GmDHodF6thPxK9k-iFt8ztTSqMzVGwFvJ2bmlBKa03tQzBN0jNDonTN1-j9xC478KkYIkFOtSbj7CHR1qVs-vxdYB51wCyxgc3C449YHvvC9r55w_Gxg/s1600-h/DSC04496.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401195497020725730" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja63qcWUtrVS-5cMDinwfEaNs-GmDHodF6thPxK9k-iFt8ztTSqMzVGwFvJ2bmlBKa03tQzBN0jNDonTN1-j9xC478KkYIkFOtSbj7CHR1qVs-vxdYB51wCyxgc3C449YHvvC9r55w_Gxg/s320/DSC04496.JPG" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;">...1/4 of a sweet potato microwaved with a bit of cinnamon</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">...Baby carrots & 1/4 of a yellow bell pepper w. Annie's Honey Mustard</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">...3/4 of a can of tuna mixed w. Dijon mustard, s&p, atop a bed of lettuce</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;">Then it was time to get crackin on making a batch of cookies for Mama because she told me Grandma I would for tomorrow's family get together... My aunt & uncle (and maybe my two cousins!) are coming up from Maryland for the weekend so the fam has planned a little dinner & dessert event at Gram's house. Luckily, Mama remembered to tell me that she signed me up for the responsibility while we were growing gray hair (what?) at the DMV today... so I stopped and grabbed white chocolate & semi-sweet chocolate chips on the way home to make my Chocolate Almond Cookies....</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Mixin it up....</span><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJkUdKXC9dCQ5ZBWMqtExwyf1WL602K3CnN_Cy4IGJOg1ItdG4tDKEM2PSx73idHAlJLuKEcqpGLiVCSKW5DqDtTo79Qmkn80HDciNCbEirtOmwdS2CvhmUWW8ABAqlEAOLTiBi-rRGwVD/s1600-h/DSC04498.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401195375927658562" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJkUdKXC9dCQ5ZBWMqtExwyf1WL602K3CnN_Cy4IGJOg1ItdG4tDKEM2PSx73idHAlJLuKEcqpGLiVCSKW5DqDtTo79Qmkn80HDciNCbEirtOmwdS2CvhmUWW8ABAqlEAOLTiBi-rRGwVD/s320/DSC04498.JPG" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">I added 1 cup chopped almonds and 1-1/2 cups of a mixture of white chocolate & semi-sweet chocolate chips...<br /></span><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgenxwm3-QEqeBls816a-NAWJgFHc1c0V9qRYTAyESjFZNXj389KP6GqSjQWyokXALhETp4sFHOe4NePOvJPoNGbuqDh59-3cMbAesnVE1hbxthmfCMfQpEaiOnZKaVHdERA7Mt6UGaOHNt/s1600-h/DSC04499.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401195209381389826" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgenxwm3-QEqeBls816a-NAWJgFHc1c0V9qRYTAyESjFZNXj389KP6GqSjQWyokXALhETp4sFHOe4NePOvJPoNGbuqDh59-3cMbAesnVE1hbxthmfCMfQpEaiOnZKaVHdERA7Mt6UGaOHNt/s320/DSC04499.JPG" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">I dont know how I restrained from digging into this amaaaazing cookie dough...<br /></span><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIcrInl7jxPc44VLHeCabSTqfyh-_GppcRbHnFN8JOLA70vFIpBHVBejOif5TdSJ7-we8poqo8TQc3P2o6cdKTKmTYg0WtP8pGN5VHmU0uOJQWj79zf2_MGA1Ni9a3muxlUNdFNW7NxL4U/s1600-h/DSC04501.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401195041278776690" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIcrInl7jxPc44VLHeCabSTqfyh-_GppcRbHnFN8JOLA70vFIpBHVBejOif5TdSJ7-we8poqo8TQc3P2o6cdKTKmTYg0WtP8pGN5VHmU0uOJQWj79zf2_MGA1Ni9a3muxlUNdFNW7NxL4U/s320/DSC04501.JPG" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Popped into the oven at 350 for about 11 minutes and they are golden & perfect!</span><br /><div align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG6Dt0yIozLtDBdrRrW0f-vkNkJX_c06pB9aUsAK7Ayb3KPG2w21wYHMFCuh2RWqeeDIO8o7_Wj3iE0WNZPXDwYXsSSnuCigI1MDcML8zG0a3nq8sllszB0kF2uVefNORcekMp6snvu36w/s1600-h/DSC04502.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401194900061504898" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG6Dt0yIozLtDBdrRrW0f-vkNkJX_c06pB9aUsAK7Ayb3KPG2w21wYHMFCuh2RWqeeDIO8o7_Wj3iE0WNZPXDwYXsSSnuCigI1MDcML8zG0a3nq8sllszB0kF2uVefNORcekMp6snvu36w/s320/DSC04502.JPG" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;">This recipe is, <strong>by no means</strong>, a dieter's cookie recipe... I won't lie- <em>it's got 2 whole sticks of butter, 2 cups of sugar (a mixture of light brown & regular granulated sugar) and, as you can see, has loads of chocolate in it</em>...but I know these will get eaten and because I wasn't planning on digging in myself, I took the easy way and followed an old recipe for these I had laying around...<br /></span><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFlgAdxWXXRKVbgSY8F5hVUsBa9tVTPGmXJ9GBzi5bfYLlQZ4eni-TIEKonpXl3LJcGGMcNGESgNjyVFiW9aS2L4FgA3c1KNkLLuEPC5iaJuLaU-l-XunRY1vq7KOS-S6BXDcGZ1cvLAWO/s1600-h/DSC04503.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401194774151869762" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFlgAdxWXXRKVbgSY8F5hVUsBa9tVTPGmXJ9GBzi5bfYLlQZ4eni-TIEKonpXl3LJcGGMcNGESgNjyVFiW9aS2L4FgA3c1KNkLLuEPC5iaJuLaU-l-XunRY1vq7KOS-S6BXDcGZ1cvLAWO/s320/DSC04503.JPG" /></a> <span style="font-size:130%;">The whole batch came out awesome and the 1/4 or so of the cookies that I saved to keep around the house are <strong>ALREADY GONE</strong> if you can believe it... My parents had a tad too much wine and consumed what was left of the stash haha. I also remembered after dinner that it was, indeed, Cookie Friday so I indulged in one of these babies and I can safely say... <strong>I'm not a horrible baker</strong> ;) I'm sure the rest of the family will love them tomorrow...</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">Dinner was stress-free, mostly because Mamabear aka Jillybean whipped it up herself! It was a pretty nice change of pace because I'm usually searching through the kitchen forever, sooo indecisive about what to make.. It helps when Mama lets me know she's already on it :)</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">She made a recipe she found online for <strong>Chicken Scarpiello... </strong>It's a lot like a stew of some kind. It's an easy one skillet dinner that combines chicken, veggies like bell peppers & mushrooms (my favs!), potatoes, sausage, white wine & chicken broth... I can't explain how good this dinner made the entire house smell as it was cooking. I kept wandering into the kitchen and peering into the skillet to see if it was done, only for Mama to slap my hand like I was a child and tell me to "keep your fingers outta there" <strong>Fun times</strong>.</span><br /></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWRzfT1kW4cw1o_QeehEL5WV6hlRZQKoJXCf1AN5uVobC85vx19n_AGZgCag6TCLuGwz-G9WnvrxR2ZWOj9PLy7HB3_E6fGPux6vcBDNDHnnvlV5Yv7Bq6eI7dLwbBSIh9a2m9TU7gSQkH/s1600-h/DSC04504.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401194623242429138" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWRzfT1kW4cw1o_QeehEL5WV6hlRZQKoJXCf1AN5uVobC85vx19n_AGZgCag6TCLuGwz-G9WnvrxR2ZWOj9PLy7HB3_E6fGPux6vcBDNDHnnvlV5Yv7Bq6eI7dLwbBSIh9a2m9TU7gSQkH/s320/DSC04504.JPG" /></a> <span style="font-size:130%;">The end result? Phenom! I didn't eat more than one bite or two of the sausage, but I ate my fair share of chicken, mushrooms, and the other veggies...<br /></span><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEins95jOYG_XMkuYEX1hl_XAntRLgOUWvwV6nek9tVGRoO-Xi7aH94T6FTozrJVpvsPwfgYt1VrN3nwYpnjDO5rJJte7z8Cb5RWMuQpbsX7dRPkzB5LupPRdJxMufAUxdj3m2AKhQZFSW6a/s1600-h/DSC04508.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401194435026967506" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEins95jOYG_XMkuYEX1hl_XAntRLgOUWvwV6nek9tVGRoO-Xi7aH94T6FTozrJVpvsPwfgYt1VrN3nwYpnjDO5rJJte7z8Cb5RWMuQpbsX7dRPkzB5LupPRdJxMufAUxdj3m2AKhQZFSW6a/s320/DSC04508.JPG" /></a> <span style="font-size:130%;">Yumalicioussss!</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>What's a meal that reminds you of home or your parents' cooking??</strong></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">Spaghetti & meatballs always reminds me of being home.. Sunday night was always Italian night as I was growing up and we would always have my Mom's homemade meatballs with some kind of pasta.. salad... garlic bread... & a dessert was always a necessity. Ahhh, those were the days... when I ate countless carbs & never gave it a second thought haha :)</span><br /><br /></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><em>Happy Friday!!</em></span></div><div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772686677670787444noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-951297443932197999.post-59523001304586287412009-11-05T18:26:00.000-08:002009-11-05T19:29:56.706-08:00Boundless Energy<span style="font-size:130%;">Do you ever have those days where one little thing happens during the day and sticks with you for hours afterward?? I had one of those moments today in one of the most random places from the most random person and it has kept my attitude upbeat and energetic all day from that moment on... I love random acts of kindness.. although this was more of a random act of <strong>motivation</strong>. Definitely a fan of this, also :)</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />But let's jump back to yesterday (my <strong>day off</strong>!) I love having days off from work that turn into uber-productive ones rather than the "lay around the house and do nothing with myself" days.. although those aren't too bad on occasion.</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />After my oats.. scratch that; DELICIOUS oats.. I headed off to the gym and got in a fab workout: </span><br /><div align="center"><em><span style="font-size:130%;">50 minutes treadmill / 4.1 miles / 486 cal</span></em></div><div align="center"><em><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></em></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;">I felt awesome after this one... I had more energy than I thought originally and although I had to take a few walking breaks I killed plenty of calories and was good & sweaty afterward. After the gym I stopped at the grocery store to pick up essentials for "Date Night" planned for later that night. I told my parents I would make my vegetarian chili recipe (along with all-natural corn muffins.. thanks Hodgson Mills, you're a lifesaver) so once I got home it was time to get down to cookin...</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;">Snacked on a few of these while I cooked because I didn't end up eating lunch today (oops) I didn't mean to "miss" lunch but I had a late breakfast and wasn't particularly hungry the rest of the day until I got home around 5pm and started cooking... A small handful of these cured the hungry beast that I had become...</span></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIfHBfnf5wumC3f3DwY2WPpWhqb8UtF84z7CbWx_KdQCv8XGbqOc5kGLBXYLDmQ8yu9w1z6n1TgaCCILbGCrURaL-G6wxmEOVMJj9gfVLhFjbk8Zn7TlIiCUDbIxOnxy4jPqIIydDB6lcX/s1600-h/DSC04473.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400813886617990754" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIfHBfnf5wumC3f3DwY2WPpWhqb8UtF84z7CbWx_KdQCv8XGbqOc5kGLBXYLDmQ8yu9w1z6n1TgaCCILbGCrURaL-G6wxmEOVMJj9gfVLhFjbk8Zn7TlIiCUDbIxOnxy4jPqIIydDB6lcX/s320/DSC04473.JPG" /></a> <span style="font-size:130%;">For about 20 minutes of course... but thankfully I was able to enjoy a glass of Chardonnay while the chili simmered a little while longer & it was sooo worth the wait...<br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmVBiqAO0Uu9NFgyNogBFq_FS8wdMnWqfVWVthwbx841DlZ1tp0Uu3n5MOXkJsoEyoxFa8onGKSqc-rYLghyldtUliPDVQzlvxAy0E-GEDbpSr5P8DecVkQA5B5IzFeG0Fqf9Gc45GBCE2/s1600-h/DSC04474.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400813735879399762" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmVBiqAO0Uu9NFgyNogBFq_FS8wdMnWqfVWVthwbx841DlZ1tp0Uu3n5MOXkJsoEyoxFa8onGKSqc-rYLghyldtUliPDVQzlvxAy0E-GEDbpSr5P8DecVkQA5B5IzFeG0Fqf9Gc45GBCE2/s320/DSC04474.JPG" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;"> I had a bowl with 1/4 of an avocado chopped on top..yum!</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">The recipe is simple as pie....</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></strong><br /><div align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;">Although I originally began making this chili following a specific recipe, overtime I've learned to just "wing it" and base the cook time on how it tastes, how the vegetables have softened, etc. I sometimes alter the original ingredients, depending what we have in the kitchen at the time & whether or not I'm planning on adding meat of any kind... Wednesday's chili was pretty close to the original.</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">3 cloves of garlic - minced (<em>I usually add more.. love me some garlic</em>)</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">1 large red bell pepper - diced</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">1 large white onion - diced (<em>I used 2 medium yellow onions for this batch</em>)</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">28 oz. crushed tomatoes</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">1 cup chicken broth (<em>or any other kind on hand.. I used veggie this time</em>)</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Cumin, Chili powder, Cayenne pepper (<em>I don't measure these, I just add & taste test until I get something delicious</em>)</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Salt & Pepper</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">1 small can sliced black olives</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">15 oz. red beans</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">15 oz. white beans</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Cilantro</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>1.</strong> Heat the olive oil on medium-high in a large pot then add red bell pepper & onion - sautee until soft</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>2.</strong> Add garlic & cook about 5 mins</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>3.</strong> Add crushed tomatoes, cumin, chili powder, s&p, and a dash of cayenne pepper, depending how SPICY you like it... bring to a boil</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>4.</strong> Pour in chicken broth, stir, reduce heat, cover & simmer 30 minutes</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>5.</strong> Add beans & olives & cook for another 10 minutes or so</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>6</strong>. Remove from heat, add cilantro, stir.. serve.. consume... and love everyyyy bite :)</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;">I whipped up a batch of quick & easy apple crisp for dessert using my stash from my apple picking adventure with my biotches....</span></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPh9t48LbhfdwcYst0_c0Cj_WoMSuFzJ4172M70hQiDb9MfUdi8n-JSW__Ks9c7pIjKCgDRf7q2OD5u2Ib7N45uXjaGtOChLXrFQwXJdgJjdCgMlhRlM5VGE4dExe8moVVo-WZu2mF-ZYN/s1600-h/DSC04475.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400813613841297490" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPh9t48LbhfdwcYst0_c0Cj_WoMSuFzJ4172M70hQiDb9MfUdi8n-JSW__Ks9c7pIjKCgDRf7q2OD5u2Ib7N45uXjaGtOChLXrFQwXJdgJjdCgMlhRlM5VGE4dExe8moVVo-WZu2mF-ZYN/s320/DSC04475.JPG" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;">It was a pretty basic recipe....</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">3-4 apples sliced</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">2 tsp lemon juice</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Cinnamon</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">1 tbsp white sugar</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">2 tbsp brown sugar</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">3/4 cup Quaker Oats</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">2 tbsp flour</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">1 tbsp vegetable oil</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Basically, just toss the apples with a little extra lemon juice, sprinkle with cinnamon, and place them in glass pan sprayed with nonstick baking spray...</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Mix the rest of the ingredients in a bowl until crumbly (is that the right word? haha) and then top the apples with the mixture, bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, serve warm with Vanilla Froyo... if you're me. YUM!</span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVJs_gFclfXNhLwjK7RKEkQftRSt067dCwR3eJBrJj873_eFA_eurzQWiCyP76mEEeQAS5PaoOAPDMzuQhGTr7ljtjgUeyi4GX55DCCmJ6PH7imHb8eN9zRlNoUWtSQc-TSVQLu-MjEB7S/s1600-h/DSC04476.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400813499753987202" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVJs_gFclfXNhLwjK7RKEkQftRSt067dCwR3eJBrJj873_eFA_eurzQWiCyP76mEEeQAS5PaoOAPDMzuQhGTr7ljtjgUeyi4GX55DCCmJ6PH7imHb8eN9zRlNoUWtSQc-TSVQLu-MjEB7S/s320/DSC04476.JPG" /></a> <span style="font-size:130%;">Ohhh and an extra sprinkle of cinnamon if you're feelin sauce-ay... Heyyyyy ;)</span><br /><br /><br /><div align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;">I went to sleep with a<strong> very full</strong> (but happy) food-baby and awoke absolutely craving my Vanilla Caramel tea (say what!?) I'm usually a zombie until I've "attached" my coffee IV... so this was a change, fo sho. Enjoyed my steaming cup while Facebooking... no need to lie, the picture just outted me anyway...</span><br /><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj__ozVk5KwidJQwd4BCSaKT9HiF_lxW-tF9vdNE4Vc00Y44_TdhPicdWV-k4RPbGGE5xQDQiz5sSq3PXbq7iWRLJz_cLsbjiSV_lrMaWB7croqUfOA3f2hvvIdY487BNJHck1nXYQigJH5/s1600-h/DSC04478.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400813378086969682" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj__ozVk5KwidJQwd4BCSaKT9HiF_lxW-tF9vdNE4Vc00Y44_TdhPicdWV-k4RPbGGE5xQDQiz5sSq3PXbq7iWRLJz_cLsbjiSV_lrMaWB7croqUfOA3f2hvvIdY487BNJHck1nXYQigJH5/s320/DSC04478.JPG" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">And I strayed from the oats for a day because I really wanted eggs.. no lie.. I HAD to have them. And seeing as how I just bought a bottle of organic ketchup yesterday, it seemed only fitting to try it out in my fav way possible: atop of me lovely eggies.</span><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSmFC0TTrXTjUhOw2aTePLpK5JP3kW5GVYQhVre4pABJx5oI0cM8d58ZiZMVh1JJV3fB5skmG4IM4pbzoV5Homp3OKaJHLmai-aXm6kI-JqqQVSA8HO9uMJmlZLTQGf7qcNxCzPDpiPb-v/s1600-h/DSC04479.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400813252351470434" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSmFC0TTrXTjUhOw2aTePLpK5JP3kW5GVYQhVre4pABJx5oI0cM8d58ZiZMVh1JJV3fB5skmG4IM4pbzoV5Homp3OKaJHLmai-aXm6kI-JqqQVSA8HO9uMJmlZLTQGf7qcNxCzPDpiPb-v/s320/DSC04479.JPG" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;">With a side of 9-grain toast & Raspberry All-Fruit spread...</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Delicious</strong>. And perfect pre-work fuel... I stayed full for most of the day. I packed lunch, per usual...</span></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFuyG5taMW6TlbJbjBSolg0CqGgiGEKW0ei_GYsc_y9HD6-IOQiQ5gVM1ZgjsYUu3456nzaFBj0gUDkv5_8q5sCkWn0SHVQk1dXu57Wy1y50PbdfOva9GREBGHsd7YO48S-8Z9-sgfTk1U/s1600-h/DSC04480.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400813137061514642" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFuyG5taMW6TlbJbjBSolg0CqGgiGEKW0ei_GYsc_y9HD6-IOQiQ5gVM1ZgjsYUu3456nzaFBj0gUDkv5_8q5sCkWn0SHVQk1dXu57Wy1y50PbdfOva9GREBGHsd7YO48S-8Z9-sgfTk1U/s320/DSC04480.JPG" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;">A WW wrap spread with 2 tbsp Teddie PB & banana slices, sprinkled with cinnamon...</span> </div><div><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Along with one of my beloved fruit friends...<br /></span><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz7HYB3dP1FKFBY3l5zN54NyVWPoKQWcgc0trvkBT6L2Z2GzayoglLPKwRXNMsUYxh9uynPQiViyXFk5hKUC4_ezYSPjJtwZR501O2m05RxqrAHO7iNbIbRFW93zLSahgofyr_nw1j_vUx/s1600-h/DSC04481.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400813010355255666" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz7HYB3dP1FKFBY3l5zN54NyVWPoKQWcgc0trvkBT6L2Z2GzayoglLPKwRXNMsUYxh9uynPQiViyXFk5hKUC4_ezYSPjJtwZR501O2m05RxqrAHO7iNbIbRFW93zLSahgofyr_nw1j_vUx/s320/DSC04481.JPG" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">And a Luna for my mid-morning snack...</span><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCQOIEXT2u2cRGtLTY0QM6_3EHvxOItqDu2lMxoKbeMDcqSghh3GLaIJrI9u6GKstQXcqlRVgxFZKioHY3Wj7kMAVFhhA0yUDA9wgSXpgKKk2sv-lJtIYPdWv-SwNYzg-nEpMJNGSpzsGs/s1600-h/DSC04483.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400812892710616322" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCQOIEXT2u2cRGtLTY0QM6_3EHvxOItqDu2lMxoKbeMDcqSghh3GLaIJrI9u6GKstQXcqlRVgxFZKioHY3Wj7kMAVFhhA0yUDA9wgSXpgKKk2sv-lJtIYPdWv-SwNYzg-nEpMJNGSpzsGs/s320/DSC04483.JPG" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;"> Got to work and had a mere<strong> 2 tables</strong> before being "cut" Yeah.. thanks.. after making the <strong>40 minute drive </strong>down to work this wasn't exactly making me too happy but I made the best of it and thought... </span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /><strong>"More time for running"</strong></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />Got dressed & headed to the gym..</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><em>30 minutes treadmill / 2.7 miles / 318 cal</em></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><em>30 minutes elliptical / 3.3 miles / 250 cal</em></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">Now.. this is where <span style="font-size:180%;">my happy moment</span> of the day occured... While on the treadmill, going through my intervals aka me being the sweaty beast that I tend to be switching between 1 minute sprints and 1 minute runs & blasting David Guetta into my ears... I noticed an elderly woman in front of me on the stationary bike...</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">After she was done & cleaned up her bike she walked up to the front of my treadmill so I took my headphones off and she says to me "I could see you in mirror running. You have such <strong>boundless energy</strong>. Keep it up honey!"</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">After smiling & thanking the lady I <strong>couldn't stop</strong> smiling... OH and you bet I pumped up the speed for the last 5 minutes with those two words in my head. You have BOUNDLESS ENERGY I told myself.... now <strong>prove it. </strong>It felt amazing and I'm pretty sure I owe that lady another thank you for being my motivation today. </span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /><strong>What do you tell yourself to keep your motivation up during a workout??</strong></span></div><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></strong></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">I usually repeat "You're strong and fast as hell" in my head (cliche, I know but it works!) and as long as I have some good tunes in my ears, I'm able to find hidden energy and keep going ...</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;">After getting home, I stretched out for a looooong time... today required a lot of work from my ever-so-tired legs but it was well worth it. They're still feeling it right now. I'm thinking a yoga session will be my first priority tomorrow morning since I don't have work and will have plenty of time for it... my body is definitely asking for it at this point!</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;">I snacked on a few more Pita chips while pondering what to make for dinner... hence the vegetarian cookbook (Thanks to my lovely boyfriend!) </span></div><div align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkIzu7WxHt6OflV1wU1JVFWldwoYvpDM7T7_j7xQjM9PZgIuUn1r8cz6xtT2crkS6TN5JqTPgkvZlu6erY-L1hlvufFXzZJNdx6Xi6ey4AwizsUEOhI_tJ0SG6hsqLsg0l-d7vbxse9D8w/s1600-h/DSC04484.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400812754767851346" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkIzu7WxHt6OflV1wU1JVFWldwoYvpDM7T7_j7xQjM9PZgIuUn1r8cz6xtT2crkS6TN5JqTPgkvZlu6erY-L1hlvufFXzZJNdx6Xi6ey4AwizsUEOhI_tJ0SG6hsqLsg0l-d7vbxse9D8w/s320/DSC04484.JPG" /></a> <span style="font-size:130%;">Then I went searching through the vegetable options in the house which are seriously dwindling (me no like) but I did find a perfect sweet potato.... perfect for FRIES that is!</span><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh05mgLg19H5FibgUVttq9Gaa1QZRT0W42m2-vyo7UuZFweTb5talRqM3KhEHLOSPZtRgusbdC9QJAcBhk06Koz91JDGZR2eJTcWBvpaJ7wqDXff6kaRKDDqfb1pLkmrZJo_hDlA_Q1bM8/s1600-h/DSC04486.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400812647348030098" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh05mgLg19H5FibgUVttq9Gaa1QZRT0W42m2-vyo7UuZFweTb5talRqM3KhEHLOSPZtRgusbdC9QJAcBhk06Koz91JDGZR2eJTcWBvpaJ7wqDXff6kaRKDDqfb1pLkmrZJo_hDlA_Q1bM8/s320/DSC04486.JPG" /></a> <span style="font-size:130%;">Sprinkled with paprika, salt & pepper, cinnamon & a drizzle of EVOO</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Bake in a 450 degree oven for 30 minutes, turning the fries every 10 minutes or so and they came out sooo delish! Crunchy & browned on the outside, warm & soft on the inside...</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">I served them alongside my <strong>LAST </strong>MorningStar black bean burger (R.I.P).. all rolled up in a WW wrap with lettuce, red onion, FF all natural cheddar cheese, and a drizzle of medium taco sauce...</span></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW1Pz9w_wsE7fmpAdc3r1IVf_oaWi33NOMJbd42DPxZFJvCUgFmwHRJfswaaJ8-eDcPGBwR6hXlL8-SmpuZ8cKuXkGuIgCZODzzMpr_gpsU01hS4mrPTpXR5sLt-Ap_C_P4-8LU7PtxSU/s1600-h/DSC04487.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400812530291633810" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW1Pz9w_wsE7fmpAdc3r1IVf_oaWi33NOMJbd42DPxZFJvCUgFmwHRJfswaaJ8-eDcPGBwR6hXlL8-SmpuZ8cKuXkGuIgCZODzzMpr_gpsU01hS4mrPTpXR5sLt-Ap_C_P4-8LU7PtxSU/s320/DSC04487.JPG" /></a> <span style="font-size:130%;">Uhhhhh-mazing combo!</span><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7lJNWEyy05quO-AODKQ-FaF3FNocfpdgDwxtzjBgecsplZ9c_abE-TjNN8GeOaxgQ3QfsQu6BFO4Uvth9CkjPGAiYcx1HtRyiLTj-cVmP0iB0AaSUwkBADIpQkFJrtkKsDTePu1-DNHc/s1600-h/DSC04491.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400812399893684866" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7lJNWEyy05quO-AODKQ-FaF3FNocfpdgDwxtzjBgecsplZ9c_abE-TjNN8GeOaxgQ3QfsQu6BFO4Uvth9CkjPGAiYcx1HtRyiLTj-cVmP0iB0AaSUwkBADIpQkFJrtkKsDTePu1-DNHc/s320/DSC04491.JPG" /></a><br /><div><span style="font-size:130%;">Now I'm contemplating what to have for a little dessert... already stressing about having to make a dreaded trip to the DMV tomorrow (<strong>ew</strong>)... and then planning to hit the hay early tonight! </span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">What's one errand you really dislike having to do??</span></strong></div><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></strong></div></div></div></div></div><br /></div>Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772686677670787444noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-951297443932197999.post-52807038243448717172009-11-04T08:09:00.000-08:002009-11-04T09:10:11.403-08:00Where's The Beef?<div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Well, well, well... here we are.. on Wednesday (can't believe how fast this week is flying by!) and I've <strong>finally</strong> found enough time to sit down and enjoy a leisurely breakfast, a cup of steaming hot coffee, reading up on all your recent happenings, and recapping my Halloween weekend...</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">As I mentioned last time... I had two costumes that I threw together last minute...</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Friday I was Mrs. Varitek (obvi)</span></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKz1MWWnNOGAiNfDo3ew7mrwRDkmVcVbV4Y7B0rvRHVnxHzFf45G_O6DGbcD4cxgxoW9aiXYRFw__FK78XDM2cPs3n6TuaYgzSOb3fU6o31hpH-v-yAoAJ2zpoQM3DYAEo6-9S35ebar4/s1600-h/DSC04379.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400282928246901506" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKz1MWWnNOGAiNfDo3ew7mrwRDkmVcVbV4Y7B0rvRHVnxHzFf45G_O6DGbcD4cxgxoW9aiXYRFw__FK78XDM2cPs3n6TuaYgzSOb3fU6o31hpH-v-yAoAJ2zpoQM3DYAEo6-9S35ebar4/s320/DSC04379.JPG" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;"> And Saturday, my friend Sara and I put together a Christmas themed costume...</span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZhBIQ6Nzk38noXLPEqw5foOg168uAskYkH-GvrvdWTLcBovIGi8yRwug3kvcXEUyafPJhEtRP3sfmlyyBVJVc5GaIGJFrAsIp4gSROJy1vKPWJH-F6ob_aplS9mdjr-1HU8buXRpFZT8/s1600-h/DSC04399.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400282796883371218" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZhBIQ6Nzk38noXLPEqw5foOg168uAskYkH-GvrvdWTLcBovIGi8yRwug3kvcXEUyafPJhEtRP3sfmlyyBVJVc5GaIGJFrAsIp4gSROJy1vKPWJH-F6ob_aplS9mdjr-1HU8buXRpFZT8/s320/DSC04399.JPG" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">So simple! And the best part is all of our costume pieces (maybe minus the light-up Santa hats) are reuseable! I loved the sweater dresses we found & got a pair of uber-cute black zip up suede boots to match that I'm actually planning on rocking today in fact ;) Perhaps you'll see them on </span><a href="http://glidingcalm.wordpress.com/2009/11/04/boots-and-then-earrings/"><span style="font-size:130%;">Miss GC's </span></a><span style="font-size:130%;">bloggie on booties in the near future...</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Dress</strong>: H&M $25</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Belt</strong>: H&M $7</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Boots</strong>: Charlotte Russe - they had a special... buy one pair get the other for $15! So Sara & I split the total cost... $54 for TWO pairs of super cute boots :) That's a steal right there...</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Hat</strong>: The Christmas Tree Shoppes $3</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />Which brings us to a GRAND TOTAL of......</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">$62!</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Not bad in my opinion seeing as how a costume at the store would cost about this much (maybe even more) and I would have no use for it after the Halloweeny-ing season.</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />Halloween was SO fun!!! Friday night consisted of a house party at boyfriend's apt at UConn which brought a mob of people their way... about 5 dance parties, one beer ball, 10 games of beruit, and about 3 lbs of Halloween candy later... we all called it a night and honestly, I can't even remember what time it was that that happened. Oops!</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Oh and prior to making the trip up to boyfriend's I had a delicious lunch at Panera that just HAS to be shown:</span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqgoj4UkrIsiyM7wXRRT6Fenzum9TZZKI2o4qBy8fxcBvkIZ4wrfCXmy7Ty4OdPp17nZ6apBIfdI9kaN5j3mzrrLxywvKtDp0PeTZTYWJ_8xO3Bk3jUAiC0wWUs0ylpMeHBgty4p7bnVc/s1600-h/oct31+1.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400282569878185234" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqgoj4UkrIsiyM7wXRRT6Fenzum9TZZKI2o4qBy8fxcBvkIZ4wrfCXmy7Ty4OdPp17nZ6apBIfdI9kaN5j3mzrrLxywvKtDp0PeTZTYWJ_8xO3Bk3jUAiC0wWUs0ylpMeHBgty4p7bnVc/s320/oct31+1.jpg" /></a> <span style="font-size:130%;">No.. your eyes are not deceiving you... that is <strong>another</strong> bowl of the Cream of Tomato soup (I'm obsessed... ugh) Luckily, I was smart enough to end my obsession at least for a few weeks because I've gotta get some variety in my life... sheesh~</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Alongside a 1/2 Turkey on Honey Wheat sandwich... which I couldn't even finish. Could have been because I had it after the gym and I had just not worked up much of an appetite yet...</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Speaking of which, my gym workout was superb</strong>!</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><em>40 minutes run/walk - treadmill</em></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><em>20 minutes cardio - elliptical</em></span><br /><em><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></em><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Then headed home quick (not before stopping at Lombardi's for my regular Friday treat - I got a coconut macaroon which was <strong>delectable</strong>, by the way) packed up all my stuff... overpacking per usual, only to regret it when hauling about 100 lbs. of clothing & shoes to boyfriend's apt from the car... most of which he carried of course, he's sucha sweetheart :) haha...</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">But jumping back to Saturday... sorry, I'm scatterbrained today ahhh.. hence why I NEEDED this day off from work otherwise I would have gone insane...</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />But that's neither here nor there....</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Saturday morning I woke up thanking my lucky stars that I had purchased this for hangover purposes:</span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc_F0TjwqpLP3dVcKb20wpe2nEwsMR403TnjS7z3OvcIMhlIUg6SMGaIU7ApGqZ5cXaGIxxdbQAluSE1vkiex52c1TC1FM3a5W9ULC6pYeVBLx75KhvT9i0j_YqyMg7YbUKOYZ2dh-FwU/s1600-h/oct31+2.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400282516903375938" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc_F0TjwqpLP3dVcKb20wpe2nEwsMR403TnjS7z3OvcIMhlIUg6SMGaIU7ApGqZ5cXaGIxxdbQAluSE1vkiex52c1TC1FM3a5W9ULC6pYeVBLx75KhvT9i0j_YqyMg7YbUKOYZ2dh-FwU/s320/oct31+2.jpg" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;"> It did wonders...</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Once we were all able to handle food we headed off to my absolute favorite breakfast place near my old school *tear* </span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Nita's is an amazing little Polish breakfast & lunch place just 15 minutes down the road from boyfriend's and seeing as how I hadn't gone since I was still at school, it was a long overdue trip. And satisfied as always!</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />Sadly.. I left my camera in the car while we were there... (not that I would have had the patience to take pictures.. I was ready to eat a house)</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">But I started with their fresh fruit salad.. because I opted for this rather than the homefries & instead just snagged one or two from BF's plate :) It was exactly what I needed...</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /><strong>Have you ever tried coffee & fresh fruit for hangovers?</strong> </span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">It's my go-to quick breakfast when my stomach isn't feeling well aka <strong>I've had too much to drink the night before</strong>... I promise you, it'll cure it!</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Then I had the <em>veggie omlet</em>. Ummmmmmmm..... YUM; best omlet I've ever had! Chock full of my favs: mushrooms, onions, broccoli, spinach, tomato... it was <strong>UH-mazingggg! <em>Finished every little bite...</em></strong></span><br /><strong><em><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></em></strong><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">After breakfast we made a trip to the mall to put the finishing touches on our Halloween attire for night #2... where Sara and I formed our Santa's Helpers idea... came home and had basically a repeat of the first night.</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Blech... my stomach does NOT like being abused. I can't even remember the last time I was able to drink a 6-pack of beer... and I still feel like my body is recovering. I'm a Grandma... what can I say????</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Soooo Sunday I was supposed to be working at 11 a.m. Thank Goodness my friend Kari texted me Saturday asking if she could still cover the shift for me (she really wanted the hours) Ummmmm <strong>yesh please</strong>!</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">So I got to sleep in Sunday a.m. which I was overly happy about when I woke up at 1030 a.m. (this is wayyy late for this chica... I'm an early riser) and the discussion began when BF, his brother John & GF Sara, and I needed to make a plan for "breakfast" or now brunch.... It was decided sushi was the perfect cure.</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">And I was absolutely craving Lo Mein... I can't even tell you the brat I would have become if I didn't get an order of Lo Mein. When my body wants something, it gets it... so delicious veggie noodles is what I got...</span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyUpBVHXc5RcJLJ4Bk4DKBkUyQ-3Vqn6op6VvqqVrR02iKGcBLll02xUqKhApupYSQ1AQHqTBvNQEMnW7_5-Pt0d-q2mK-_LZixx0sKyVDmkubFg670zdf5Pru92Shfv5ItSXXgTdXqec/s1600-h/oct31+3.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400282470019459442" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyUpBVHXc5RcJLJ4Bk4DKBkUyQ-3Vqn6op6VvqqVrR02iKGcBLll02xUqKhApupYSQ1AQHqTBvNQEMnW7_5-Pt0d-q2mK-_LZixx0sKyVDmkubFg670zdf5Pru92Shfv5ItSXXgTdXqec/s320/oct31+3.jpg" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;"> The portion was ginormous to say the least... I barely made a dent after satisfying my craving. So I saved the rest and added some more to dinner that night and it was just as perfect.</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />Along with the sushi combo that BF & I split....</span><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKgYdUAS-9SjGEmyg9ky3d3dZop2eYaf4xyJxmcUmNxNU6nUHWtoe13Pb-dpWoEVdKLRDF_k9i9663DTNhyphenhyphenZkw4Et3fdnbsiGI7pcyzuXXW_zW1XnEj7J3eW2L67ELIFM5R9UXs7xFFG0/s1600-h/oct31+4.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400282409773660786" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKgYdUAS-9SjGEmyg9ky3d3dZop2eYaf4xyJxmcUmNxNU6nUHWtoe13Pb-dpWoEVdKLRDF_k9i9663DTNhyphenhyphenZkw4Et3fdnbsiGI7pcyzuXXW_zW1XnEj7J3eW2L67ELIFM5R9UXs7xFFG0/s320/oct31+4.jpg" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;"> Tuna roll, salmon roll, and California roll = happy belly :)</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">John & Sara got some yummy looking salads along with a couple delish rolls too... minus the avocado because Sara is allergic... not to be a downer, but I would probably be the saddest person ever if I couldn't eat avocado..... I don't even want to think about it. haha</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">So the rest of the day was spent recovering, watching football aka the Giants lose... this meant a not-so-happy BF, and consuming lots & lots of both tea & apple cider.</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />Then BF remained the angel that he is and asked me what I wanted for dinner because he wanted to cook that night. yayyyyy :) We went to Big Y and headed straight for the seafood, of course, and settled on the Coconut Panko haddock. Holyyyy Bajesus was this good!!!!!</span><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNJG359Bq25OixSGRJon3v7eN18K3d_WMmwrFYUqobbWdzS2LmJ_OhsvAq68r3JyJNNWGOjadn2Nao2lr922MDGgbSFq2R5rs3Nwqrd0ZeAPOsU7l1L9Lti8Q8hHR0TwS3-hctOCjvGqM/s1600-h/oct31+5.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400282358720423042" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNJG359Bq25OixSGRJon3v7eN18K3d_WMmwrFYUqobbWdzS2LmJ_OhsvAq68r3JyJNNWGOjadn2Nao2lr922MDGgbSFq2R5rs3Nwqrd0ZeAPOsU7l1L9Lti8Q8hHR0TwS3-hctOCjvGqM/s320/oct31+5.jpg" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;"> Don't mind the rather dark picture... I used my phone because it was on my lap and I didn't want to search for my camera!</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />This definitely doesnt do it justice.. the fish was delicious and I paired it with another scoop of my lo mein from lunch.. I could have eaten this times 3 probably. I love me some good seafood</span>!! :)</div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">We took it easy the rest of the night, relaxed, and got to bed early because BF had class the next day and I had work the next afternoon...<br /><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">Made a quick breakky in the a.m. before leaving...</span></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyT5glyp5HBvuXezMK5Q2bg8TMXIbDCiXEq3YROE4xwspptC2kCRy9XBibVaC4eClG-1BF4qHK57e5CGMg7I8TJgkT51nw34pvC_JseghbZhvxknTBYzkvGDpIObQ8o_kuFH9bBd3Bf7k/s1600-h/oct31+6.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400282308604627106" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyT5glyp5HBvuXezMK5Q2bg8TMXIbDCiXEq3YROE4xwspptC2kCRy9XBibVaC4eClG-1BF4qHK57e5CGMg7I8TJgkT51nw34pvC_JseghbZhvxknTBYzkvGDpIObQ8o_kuFH9bBd3Bf7k/s320/oct31+6.jpg" /></a> <span style="font-size:130%;">WW english muffin with a spread of smooth PB (I couldn't wait to get home to my Teddie...) and an apple on the side...</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Stopped at the gym on the way home to get in a quick workout...</strong></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><em>20 minutes treadmill - 10 min walk warmup - 10 min run</em></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><em>30 minutes elliptical</em></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><em><br /></em></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">My shins were <strong>NOT</strong> cooperating with me Monday morning which was a real downer for me because I had such false hope that they were getting better because of my awesome run a few days before this... </span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />I figure I just need to keep icing my shins after workouts, resting when I can, and maybe start wrapping my right ankle pre-workout... *sigh* let's hope that makes a difference.</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">Work was work....</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">Came home exhausted & sleep deprived and went to bed.</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">Just to get up yesterday morning and do it again, only this time I had a double! Blech...</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">Packed some snackies quick... I didn't have enough time to make lunch so I had to use my noggin when it came to time to eat...</span><br /></div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4ceCZAJMZ-SdEHJzGXM1oqToeX__Uk1-jXpvo7ROz4QbXdz9YFrPoyvwgSCFznlGOWpyvMJR13m5832BUquyVUjU7WiQlHq_TE6BmdrUB4U5z_r95YR1xnCiTC1Bo2tFuMpaM5HvEWFk/s1600-h/DSC04466.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400282017634754594" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4ceCZAJMZ-SdEHJzGXM1oqToeX__Uk1-jXpvo7ROz4QbXdz9YFrPoyvwgSCFznlGOWpyvMJR13m5832BUquyVUjU7WiQlHq_TE6BmdrUB4U5z_r95YR1xnCiTC1Bo2tFuMpaM5HvEWFk/s320/DSC04466.JPG" /></a><br />I packed my pumpkin oats in a travel mug because I was running late.. lovely between the legs shot here bahaha.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXqaIem0RPxibZOPquHwFRealaeUB9W3oeUpGVDhZOHEzNSglo77m8Iboz2BKcevTZOPjEB_pgHg3LEQD0quO3KZs8jTzcVybjPmJoQKe5VlGXZGgOAOvvznkyc5h4tpob1UiRYnfGI3o/s1600-h/DSC04469.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400281871232424178" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXqaIem0RPxibZOPquHwFRealaeUB9W3oeUpGVDhZOHEzNSglo77m8Iboz2BKcevTZOPjEB_pgHg3LEQD0quO3KZs8jTzcVybjPmJoQKe5VlGXZGgOAOvvznkyc5h4tpob1UiRYnfGI3o/s320/DSC04469.JPG" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;"> It ended up being wayyyy too ridiculously busy yesterday during lunch to even finish my oats. <span style="font-size:180%;">FAIL</span>. Plus the fact our regional manager was at the restaurant all day today meeting with my bosses sooo it was kinda looked down upon to be snacking in the corner. Honestly... I was <strong>too busy</strong> to even think about eating until 4pm when I finally had a break! I made $105 at lunch (unheard of!) which made the rush veryy worth it...</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />Apparently it was a local voting day?? So alot of the kids had the day off from school... therefore lots of families were wandering in and there were only 3 servers on, including me-self.</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">Dinner was slightly less eventful.. It wasn't too busy and I was exhausted from lunch and my lack of sleep still so after getting cut I had a nice glass of Chardonnay (much needed - I promise) with two co-workers and chatted for a bit then headed home to fall into a coma in my mem foam.</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Are you still here??? </strong></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong><br /></strong></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">Haha... finally coming up to today....</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />Woke up this morning rested, ever so comfortable... pretty much "Don't ever want to move from this bed" type comfy, and felt ten times better :) I took my time getting up and when I finally did I wanted oats in my belly after so much non-Allio style food this weekend because I was up at UConn, meals like this are sooo needed.</span><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpL00-EfRpZLoDICufwRbxRNr_lxJ_ENCfOaYLT-QL2pe4jW9rTmVM8b8GzPmEBQHZm6DeTLbel4pTH3XB-LRpH3wAleh4G7SKx0TzW-gIaDEN_ddAde26IGxeBtXZIUAES2FAHb1-hoY/s1600-h/DSC04470.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400281744769917666" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpL00-EfRpZLoDICufwRbxRNr_lxJ_ENCfOaYLT-QL2pe4jW9rTmVM8b8GzPmEBQHZm6DeTLbel4pTH3XB-LRpH3wAleh4G7SKx0TzW-gIaDEN_ddAde26IGxeBtXZIUAES2FAHb1-hoY/s320/DSC04470.JPG" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;">Apple Cinnamon Raisin oats to be exact...</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Shown in the morning light.</strong></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">What a <em>beaaaautiful </em>image.. it makes me smile :)</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">1 cup water, 1/2 cup oats, 3/4 chopped Gala apple, lots & lots of cinnamon, small handful of raisins, melted Teddie PB...mmmmmmm</span><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijHvQdGimHFPSWrYR6cUwh1GLnddZTElTnCRL2s2BmxejkfSg3DmOzxokg_GfZb5Ts9EoX4yCFJb1hZL1JlAgf7yDmmrBzbJoWuoCjbncJdibPs0qwYA-eSacb5adm9hMyzhirGUxM9XU/s1600-h/DSC04471.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400281637920093522" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijHvQdGimHFPSWrYR6cUwh1GLnddZTElTnCRL2s2BmxejkfSg3DmOzxokg_GfZb5Ts9EoX4yCFJb1hZL1JlAgf7yDmmrBzbJoWuoCjbncJdibPs0qwYA-eSacb5adm9hMyzhirGUxM9XU/s320/DSC04471.JPG" /></a> <span style="font-size:130%;">Great start to my day that's for sure!</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>The agenda for today is</strong>:<br />~<span style="font-size:180%;">Gym</span> (after icing my ankle for a bit & LOTS of stretching)</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">~<span style="font-size:180%;">Errands</span><strong> </strong>(Bank, grocery store - we have a lack of fruit in this house and it won't do for a second + ingredients for dinner)</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">~<span style="font-size:180%;">Baking </span>(I need to use my apples from the apple picking so I'm throwing together an Apple Spice Cake for dessert tonight)</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">~<span style="font-size:180%;">Cooking </span>(Wednesday nights are "Date Night' for my parents and before I started working at the restaurant, I was always home for it and we would make a big, delicious dinner... drink wine... chat & catch up which I loved doing... Now I'm usually working doubles on Weds but luckily this week they had switched me to working a double Tues so for the first time in a looong time I'll be home for Date Night.... that calls for my parents' fav recipe of mine: <strong>Veggie Chili</strong>!)</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">I originally began making the chili a looong time ago with beef (back when I still kinda enjoyed it...ehhh) and they were infatuated with it, but over time I've weened off of most meat & began replacing the beef with turkey and then most recently opted to leave out the meat completely and see if anyone noticed the difference.</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">All three versions were family approved so I'm sticking with the veggie version... I will post the recipe once it's done tonight, along with the Apple Spice cake! :) I'm pretty excited for dinner, I wont lie... chili is SUCH a comfort food for me. It's warm, filling, hearty, and full of great nutrient rich ingredients... not to mention it always reminds me of Fall & Winter when it's soo cold outside but a bowl of chili by the fire keeps me nice & toasty.</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>What's your favorite warm meal on cold days???</strong></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">Well I'm off! </span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><em>Happy Wednesday Darlings</em> :)</span></div><div> </div></div></div><br /></div>Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772686677670787444noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-951297443932197999.post-83694397644226970342009-11-02T20:24:00.001-08:002009-11-02T20:35:18.547-08:00Halloweenies<div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Hiiiii lovahs!!!</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">I'm <strong>beyond exhausted</strong> right now... I'm pretty sure I can blame the following for that:</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Lack of sleep, too many brewnanas this weekend, rocking some giant heels all night Saturday, excessive Halloween candy consumption... followed by kick-ass workouts to counteract the prior, working looong crazy hours at the restaurant, and OH, did I say lack of sleeep? My goodness, I feel like I could sleep forever.... <strong>SO, that's what I'm gonna do</strong> :)</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">But I'll leave you with a few pics from my Halloween filled weekend...</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /><strong>Night One</strong> I was Mrs. Varitek (obvi) & <strong>Night Two</strong> I was Santa's Little Helper... </span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">I'll be back (hopefully) tomorrow to recap the whole weekend.. along with some good eats! But for right now, I've gotta catch up on some ZZZZ's so I'm prepared for my double at work tomorrow gahhh!</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Love you buttonssss :)</span></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoZYrBY2BlyXLuTw-f4-dI0srSJtcfzWVpcO3PAVge4rs9RVZJEq5_6UJCNPtlP774S0wuo9xWCC95aENaHcXHobZNxwdnc33f11J1oQKNDwmf4hSYB0qFuuxQL2wet6Zv-CZpxWkTQiE/s1600-h/DSC04381.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399729600492020642" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoZYrBY2BlyXLuTw-f4-dI0srSJtcfzWVpcO3PAVge4rs9RVZJEq5_6UJCNPtlP774S0wuo9xWCC95aENaHcXHobZNxwdnc33f11J1oQKNDwmf4hSYB0qFuuxQL2wet6Zv-CZpxWkTQiE/s320/DSC04381.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBfxz5Q6LYCIMhRUtLzDmgBTWh8ErNVFluAd4FAbNXQlKamgg3ua3f2c05FrHRhUqxtb2zc9JtUACUhdhRG479eotwJqYY0qdqrVHMyE0Squv4Vll5f79SyYbcYPoG0a0PmOyEtLvEnIM/s1600-h/DSC04397.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399729388211204978" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBfxz5Q6LYCIMhRUtLzDmgBTWh8ErNVFluAd4FAbNXQlKamgg3ua3f2c05FrHRhUqxtb2zc9JtUACUhdhRG479eotwJqYY0qdqrVHMyE0Squv4Vll5f79SyYbcYPoG0a0PmOyEtLvEnIM/s320/DSC04397.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvkea17v1q3KA_D8QRvqG-GoSFGuwIQpBLf1Rl5sUMo8s5N_Rz_f2i0ivrnIuUKmVL68Pp9v5IOv0I6PGisx_9huJzTCV4Md8tWRxrNm1aAr0c89MygFA2PZ5GKJE5zKRJifcvaElSfT8/s1600-h/DSC04404.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399729267037030466" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvkea17v1q3KA_D8QRvqG-GoSFGuwIQpBLf1Rl5sUMo8s5N_Rz_f2i0ivrnIuUKmVL68Pp9v5IOv0I6PGisx_9huJzTCV4Md8tWRxrNm1aAr0c89MygFA2PZ5GKJE5zKRJifcvaElSfT8/s320/DSC04404.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh71eT69HT_bws0SVLGuF7VIV7Rx4tK_ouora7cwZ8eHh5iCEEn_sBJuDMNfeb3Oug9osT3u5MT8-KQY4aNzcTAHu8Jz5sPTPGhHHdoqz-Vwpptrp-lUfu67mYQDU0SZ-uB0rZipShJSnI/s1600-h/DSC04401.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399729138360221842" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh71eT69HT_bws0SVLGuF7VIV7Rx4tK_ouora7cwZ8eHh5iCEEn_sBJuDMNfeb3Oug9osT3u5MT8-KQY4aNzcTAHu8Jz5sPTPGhHHdoqz-Vwpptrp-lUfu67mYQDU0SZ-uB0rZipShJSnI/s320/DSC04401.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoT1-ObPJgb3ad4ubXe9SUjxSn7h_YC8kn-OXmc6zlZYUeNfLjW7M1UYot8o8efVSIdCcKX3RuXfNFw5HaBYDicnzY-lExsKojeEoycsQ5GN5i3q4fqxmHCyhj7hMnsxZSR3bjCfJEIOU/s1600-h/DSC04420.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399728947819421746" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoT1-ObPJgb3ad4ubXe9SUjxSn7h_YC8kn-OXmc6zlZYUeNfLjW7M1UYot8o8efVSIdCcKX3RuXfNFw5HaBYDicnzY-lExsKojeEoycsQ5GN5i3q4fqxmHCyhj7hMnsxZSR3bjCfJEIOU/s320/DSC04420.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIZtm85TJiobeRSsvbdYqvTTUPKTsdH0KTc0tG7E6JOQOLkjg5MoBQh4qOQb6l2EapECCK4PZta4W2JJX3K_4sxcbEgJiznRSCPOVEcXCLG0QXbN-oJUfdoOmeCuVUyc_az7gnwU1erNw/s1600-h/DSC04442.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399728783935024354" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIZtm85TJiobeRSsvbdYqvTTUPKTsdH0KTc0tG7E6JOQOLkjg5MoBQh4qOQb6l2EapECCK4PZta4W2JJX3K_4sxcbEgJiznRSCPOVEcXCLG0QXbN-oJUfdoOmeCuVUyc_az7gnwU1erNw/s320/DSC04442.JPG" /></a><br /><strong>What did you all dress up as for Halloween!?</strong></div><div><strong><br /></strong></div><div><br /> </div><div></div></div></div></div></div>Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772686677670787444noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-951297443932197999.post-46942629199182777872009-10-30T06:53:00.000-07:002009-10-30T08:11:39.605-07:00Mrs. Varitek<div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>I'm alive</strong>.. I swear... I've been all over the place and <em>crazy busy</em> the past few days but have been missing you darlings bunches. And just because I've been too busy to POST doesn't mean I'm too busy to read about all your fab lives and what's been going on! So much exciting news around the blogosphere these days!!!! :)</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /><a href="http://www.nono2yoyo.com/">Natalie</a> closing on her new house...</span><br /></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><a href="http://snackface.wordpress.com/2009/10/29/new-york-story/">Kailey</a> getting a fantastic new internship @ Food Arts magazine...</span><br /></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><a href="http://www.honeynutlo.com/2009/10/girls-night-and-new-job.html">Lo</a> getting a great new job AND possibly another at Lululemon...</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Congrats ladies</strong>! :)</span></div><br /><br /><p align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Hows everyone's Friday going? I can't even explain how happy I am that we've reached the end of another week. Phewww... work + the gym = one sore and exhausted me all week long.</span></p><p align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>My life since Tuesday has consisted of</strong>: working doubles, working lunch shifts that turned into doubles, few drinks here & there... (I enjoy a Chardonnay, what of it??) homemade sushi night with my homies, searching high & low for the missing pieces to my Halloween costume, and getting in major workouts/starting to feel more like myself in the gym :) Although my shins are <strong>still</strong> bothering me (the right more than the left) I've been trying to rest it when I can, ice as much as possible, and starting today I'm going to wrap it if I'm planning on running. It's tough to give my legs some good R&R when my full-time job requires being on my feet for hours & hours (not to mention RUNNING while on the clock) </span></p><p align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">I wisely took Friday & Saturday off (woohooooo!) mostly because of Halloween... but now I'm thanking my lucky stars I did so that my legs can get a little break... minus the gym of course, which I'm preparing myself for now...</span></p><p align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Just enjoyed some pumpkin oats for breakky...</span></p><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinpSo9MJ6EN4xl_hZXt_c4b9C35GzF-jE4MsI-R6KY0XpVlEq9xlwxLu6q-gNzHW8P75kmIHzZjE2KWcHaLzWouQSsiTmFIh_Usifg7Aws00VKlk08TgjCq_e3zdNnt6u8wVjtiUMAHz4/s1600-h/DSC04370.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398393433510097170" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinpSo9MJ6EN4xl_hZXt_c4b9C35GzF-jE4MsI-R6KY0XpVlEq9xlwxLu6q-gNzHW8P75kmIHzZjE2KWcHaLzWouQSsiTmFIh_Usifg7Aws00VKlk08TgjCq_e3zdNnt6u8wVjtiUMAHz4/s320/DSC04370.JPG" /></a> <span style="font-size:130%;">The <strong>only </strong>complaint I had this morning with my oats was the fact that there's <em>zero fruit</em> in this house (besides my stash from apple picking, which I'm saving for apple spice muffins!) soI felt as though my breakfast was lacking a little volume.</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />A sprinkle of whole almonds left me feeling just as full as I do with my regular naner or apple loaded oaties though! <strong>Score</strong>.</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Potential FAIL however is the fact I'm almost out of my beloved Pumpkin Butter *dun dun dunnnn!* <strong>What's a girl to do</strong>???</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">I got to try out my new Silk creamer in my coffee this morning though... the French Vanilla's delicious!! I didn't even need any sugar in my java this morning. The creamer adds just enough sweetness...<strong>so SMILE I will, Silk carton</strong> :)</span><br /></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjadK0DBKYOjRH6jTrkq7ZdBLoQJtU1Wknai3zjAAU3lZOJiuXp9txCAVKqmm8DNk1skXiW-nOrRbBq2I9tROqsdVx4u3X1ahPetgtEXsGh7rDOcayXg1xbPlfPRUUfS5BNrJa9g0KjWU/s1600-h/DSC04368.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398393332623255186" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjadK0DBKYOjRH6jTrkq7ZdBLoQJtU1Wknai3zjAAU3lZOJiuXp9txCAVKqmm8DNk1skXiW-nOrRbBq2I9tROqsdVx4u3X1ahPetgtEXsGh7rDOcayXg1xbPlfPRUUfS5BNrJa9g0KjWU/s320/DSC04368.JPG" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Currently on giant snowflake cup #2 of the morning...</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">I'm gonna be a hyper<strong> all day</strong> today...<br /></span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5mBlXU9wuKlcM8cTexIaZeDZP86s4ddTGOrbEqXqlKpNLboEnZBPw_toaE74KIIV6rV_NLQP1EDHmjStzjqmgNiTg6XhlTeFQoe4NTJzUp1E9U2TOk7uTbB2u_yrS4xQo3iNJaI56BsA/s1600-h/DSC04372.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398393224399647730" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5mBlXU9wuKlcM8cTexIaZeDZP86s4ddTGOrbEqXqlKpNLboEnZBPw_toaE74KIIV6rV_NLQP1EDHmjStzjqmgNiTg6XhlTeFQoe4NTJzUp1E9U2TOk7uTbB2u_yrS4xQo3iNJaI56BsA/s320/DSC04372.JPG" /></a> <span style="font-size:130%;">Sooo now I suppose it's time to backtrack and catch you lovies up on life para mi :)</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">I will recap <em>Halloween costume hunting</em>...</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">And <em>working alongside Simsbury's finest fighters of flames</em>....</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">And the <em>delicious sue-shaaaay party</em>....</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />All of which made my extra loooong week a little less slow & painful.</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Wednesday morning I woke up needing oats like never before. Pumpkin to be exact... does anyone else see a trend here??</span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSF-N_hhV-Aenjq01wOJJOaqmNS0pi02lZvav7njFg2ljc2NSPleMLZqCfWuV114kN9ezIQbhBItuIx_PPxw1MU6MxrANSUUFv9CDQ8ZmHe35-3Q912bzHmzaqyWl3EufTHxqIpImPiHw/s1600-h/DSC04354.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398393089378252114" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSF-N_hhV-Aenjq01wOJJOaqmNS0pi02lZvav7njFg2ljc2NSPleMLZqCfWuV114kN9ezIQbhBItuIx_PPxw1MU6MxrANSUUFv9CDQ8ZmHe35-3Q912bzHmzaqyWl3EufTHxqIpImPiHw/s320/DSC04354.JPG" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">With a sprinkle of brown sugar and dollop of pumpkin butter (& a warm naner mixed in and mashed)</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Continued to be the recessionista that I am and packed lunch, per usual....</span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1me0nS_ZYGxVqf61quKyIE0-LgUpGvMHTzCAy4lrb-f-WDenlkDGXf4lNhnLZNrl6qFd0d8FeSkxYxsXMpKd14CP3Htb4n7c2yUXHP-BbIcifM9W2PiUXENt1h_w6WdsQYzmeEqasHQ8/s1600-h/DSC04357.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398392966806454546" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1me0nS_ZYGxVqf61quKyIE0-LgUpGvMHTzCAy4lrb-f-WDenlkDGXf4lNhnLZNrl6qFd0d8FeSkxYxsXMpKd14CP3Htb4n7c2yUXHP-BbIcifM9W2PiUXENt1h_w6WdsQYzmeEqasHQ8/s320/DSC04357.JPG" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;">Gahhhh Iced Gingerbread Clif bar!!! INCREDZ!</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Also mixed that Honey Chobani with a spoonful of Teddie PB & packed it alongside some Kashi Warm Cinnamon for a snacky later in the day...</span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVpNtXtxLNSWY2W2iDKKI5eXf-RHumlkes2BILxFJXerCZIUFo-BOwcRSYwtg7GsZADu8NPxA5LZDl5w7HZVV3vKbFh3Wt3rur4eV3fdrh1V6Nh65Y1HkCjlf_OuMfbm5zE-gSFOwwa2g/s1600-h/DSC04360.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398392861449985650" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVpNtXtxLNSWY2W2iDKKI5eXf-RHumlkes2BILxFJXerCZIUFo-BOwcRSYwtg7GsZADu8NPxA5LZDl5w7HZVV3vKbFh3Wt3rur4eV3fdrh1V6Nh65Y1HkCjlf_OuMfbm5zE-gSFOwwa2g/s320/DSC04360.JPG" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;">Work was long but eventful, literally. We had an event at work Wednesday night to benefit the volunteer fire department one town over... Simsbury sent us 5 firemen (& one firelady!) to accompany each server for the night when greeting guests, taking orders, and bringing out/clearing food. <strong>Good & entertaining times to be had</strong>. </span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />They were hilar, first of all... sooo much fun and actually did a very good job. Me and my new bff J.T. the fireman were pure entertainment for our guests... aka J.T. was recognized by all the adults as "the bartender from De Codas (sp? who knows)" but it made for an interesting night hearing stories about his craziness. Ohhh boy. </span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">He was bringing out my food for me, clearing my tables, mackin it on the lady customers, and hanging out with the kids who obvi adored him. Not to mention we were telling each other the whole time: I NEED A BREW PRONTO. The restaurant was packed most of the night because of the benefit so.... <strong>firemen = cha-Chinggg</strong>$$ in Allio's pocket ;)</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />We all ended the night with <strong>staffer beers</strong> (on a Wednesday!!!!! thanks to J.T. sweet talking my manager heyooo) and we lounged with the firemen in the bar.. chatted it up... the majority of us girls inquiring the Gray Fox fireman if he had been told he looks like George Clooney (striking resemblence) ...loved it.</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Then it was off to have <strong>homemade sushi</strong> (say whaat!?) Yes. It was amazing. I went and met some chooches from work... after grabbing both a 6-pack of my beloved Shocktops & a bottle of Chardonnay (I just couldn't make up my mind... & the employees thought I was an alcoholic as I hauled booze to the counter, dropped it off, then went back for more a few times.. ummmm?) </span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />Watched the Yanks LOSE! Hahaaaaaahaha.... and Jeremy proceeded to bring out the first homemade rolll (I WISH I had gotten some pictures because these were perfectly done! My roll was slightly sloppy. FAIL)</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />I ate my weight in homemade sushi with tuna, lots and lots of avocado of course, crab, cucumber, and a tiny bit of wasabi. I'm such a baby when it comes to spice... blech... I hate spicy things! Watched the game and chatted with the boy-o's while enjoying my brewnana and then midnight rolled around and it was time to hightail it home so I could be up for work again the next morning. Jeeeezum....</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Began the morning with a long lost friend... </span><br /><br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398392626046107442" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCAC4_Wtk4Jg_Yx2MVZqZJLWIwhInDAf1Brv9sbhUUqHepeQ21fpviV6KSMED_OU9Hn7wTFZevlyGKZqFdh8eqwAiJDXLbRFMCCvsMiGaWioUrWNMH7En5v9nBElNff2Z-S35y0s7ac4M/s320/DSC04363.JPG" /><span style="font-size:130%;">I can't even remember the last time I had a yogurt mess with cereal & PB for breakfast! I haven't been able to kick my oatmeal addiction in the morning. But this was definitely what I was craving and it was yummyyy as ever!</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />--1/2 cup Nature's Promise FF Vanilla yogurt</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">--1/2 cup Kashi Warm Cinnamon</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">--1/2 cup Kashi Wild Blueberry cereal</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">--Sprinkle of Cinnamon</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">--Dollop of Teddie PB</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Packed a lunch, per usual...</span></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398392730090051858" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJyXWwqNXrYTQ-FQNynNmYSaNtFe1fYdBIg_ga8jQ73Yv41SgFj7AlpXqL0c1YUEvI-qug-Ly7cB86bFMk18loG0IHl7YEztlmbfofPW5sxBep3jsEY9J_6iBrtvJnxWm31BvpACyPJkU/s320/DSC04361.JPG" /> <p align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Giant Honeycrisp...</span></p><p align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">With a tuna wrap on WW wrap with carrots, dijon mustard, a light spread of Garlic & Herb laughing cow, lots of baby spinach....</span></p><p align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">I did end up buying a cup of Cream of Tomato soup from Panera to go with my wrap which made for a lovely lunch and kept me full all day.</span><br /><br /></p><p align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Work was loooong because of my lack of sleep (my own fault... boo) but it began rather normal. Got in at 11... opened up the restaurant... and things were pretty dead so me and the other two servers Kari & Nicki just enjoyed our morning coffee until the lunchtime rush began.</span></p><p align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Once we thought it had "ended" my manager sent both of them on break (at 1:30 mind you) until 4pm! Yes... so I was told I would be the only server on from 1:30-4pm that day. OH not to mention the fact that my manager had very serious business to conduct at the Farmer's Market buying apples. You serious?</span></p><p align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Not even ten minutes after everyone left, I got a rush of about seven tables all at once and had to seat them all, greet them within 2 minutes (it's called J&J treatment at FBread... and it's whatever when you're the only server on), get drinks, take orders, bring out food, CHECK said food after 2 minutes of eating, clear tables, clean tables, RESET TABLES, play bartender at the same time.. ummmmm is anyone else realizing the insanity that was my day yesterday????</span></p><p align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">About <strong>two seconds</strong> from a panic attack I luckily got help from friend Jeremy the cook (what a doll) otherwise I think I would have had a breakdown. I'm a GOOD SERVER, just FYI... I can usually handle a good amount of craziness all at once but this just happened to be the day that one table wanted our blueberry martinis (which I've made once... about 2 months ago) and a guy who was obvi over 40 ordered a drink but didn't have an I.D.... FAIL... and another table wanted to know if they could buy a bottle of the Amigo hot sauce we serve with our pizza (Ummm, nay?) yes, all of this had to occur <strong>the one day</strong> I have little to no help and may or may not have been ready to call it quits. HA! </span></p><p align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">All in all... <strong>I look at the postive</strong>. I made at least $40-$50 more than the other two that day JUST based on my little solo lunchtime rush. Cha-chingggggg once again!! </span></p><p align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Sooo moral of the story? When the going gets tough, <span style="font-size:180%;"><strong>the tough get paid</strong></span> ;)</span><br /></p><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"> So I got stuck there about 2 hours later than originally planned but once 4pm hit I said PEACE, got dressed, and dragged my <strong>ridiculously tired ace</strong> to the gym....</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"></span> </div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">And proceeded to pound out a run that felt like the OLD me :) I can't even tell you how happy my workout made me last night... I got in an hour of cardio:</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><em>45 minutes on the treadmill / 3.8 miles / 446 calories</em></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><em>15 minutes on the treadmill / 140 calories<br /></em></span><br /></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Although my right leg was still causing some problems, I was able to spend more than 15 minutes on the tready and that hasn't happened comfortably ONCE this week... :) I'm hoping I can get in a workout similar, if not better, today so I can feel better about the amount of wine I am to consume this weekend whilest playing Mrs. Varitek...</span></div><p align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Oh.... didnt I mention I've thrown together my HWeen costume?? ;) Because my Girl Scout idea fell through (<strong>estimated </strong>date of arrival was Oct. 30th... sorry that won't do) I frantically had to come up with a last minute (& easy) idea for a costume.</span></p><p align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Enter my 2nd love next to Anthony</strong>: Baseball.</span></p><p align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">I went to Bob's and got a kid's size Varitek shirt... a new pair of Soffe white shorts... AND bought another pair of Soffe's on clearance ($5!) for running purposes.. and that's it!</span></p><p align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">I already have my Red Sox hat to match, white & red socks, and matching sneaks... and I'll be sure to sport the badass black streaks on my face. It felt good to have all this Halloween biz-nas completed. Phewww... I was beginning to get nervous there!</span></p><p align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">When I came home from the gym I was beyond starving and craved oatmeal (luckily finding out afterward that it was National Oatmeal Day!) So happy I celebrated.. ;) and it's very rare that I crave oats for dindin so this was fate I'm convinced.</span></p><p align="center"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Did you all celebrate the oat-lovers holiday??</span></strong></p><p align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">After my dinner of naner-oatmeal with PB I wanted a snacky later on:</span></p><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTQ39SRUhllQRsKO-hsV9Zc9vtwb8XDKziaLgj-x02RyT1kXAD0SpA9sRCSv3ypFbwEpHrfnmorC3y2UKk39xx_k51I6ycTGY3Uzio2w4daPSlxQv38BJ9oo9VudG8tl0biLNB-MA8r5I/s1600-h/DSC04365.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398392503517960530" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTQ39SRUhllQRsKO-hsV9Zc9vtwb8XDKziaLgj-x02RyT1kXAD0SpA9sRCSv3ypFbwEpHrfnmorC3y2UKk39xx_k51I6ycTGY3Uzio2w4daPSlxQv38BJ9oo9VudG8tl0biLNB-MA8r5I/s320/DSC04365.JPG" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;"> Deep Chocolate Vitatop warm and mixed with crushed graham crackers....</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>It may look horrendous but it was perfect</strong>! :)<br /><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Crashed shortly after and slept in this morning...<strong>ahhh, what a great feeling</strong>. Today is jam packed with things to do though!</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>The plan is....</strong></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">~Go to the gym</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">~Finish up laundry/fold/put away </span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">~Thinking of a Whole Foods trip!! (I won a gift certificate at our Breast Cancer benefit @ work about a month ago and have yet to use it!) maybe for lunch??? :)</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">~Play dress-up, get in my Varitek gear, and get toasty with my lovelies because tonight <strong>IS</strong> the first night of Halloween celebrating, let's be serious...</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>What do you all have planned for Halloween?</strong> </span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /><strong>What are you dressing up as??</strong></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />Andddd I'm OFF! </span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:180%;color:#ff6600;">Hap<span style="color:#000000;">py</span> Hal<span style="color:#000000;">low</span>een<span style="color:#000000;">!!!!</span>!</span></div><div align="center"></div>Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772686677670787444noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-951297443932197999.post-50304698421785608902009-10-27T18:11:00.000-07:002009-10-27T20:10:34.504-07:00Shin Splints, Anyone??<div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Good evening,<strong> lovemuffins</strong> :) How are we tonight?</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">I'm <strong>fab</strong>.. minus some minor crampage (TMI? Prob. Sorry.) But it's <strong>not too fun</strong> and resulted in a wardrobe change at around 4pm into Anthony's lacrosse sweatpants (aka pants two sizes too big for me), big warm socks, & zero makeup. Moral of the story? I'm <strong>a beaut</strong> right now, let me tell ya... a real catch.</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Prior to the downturn of the day, I "slept in" until 9ish which was perfection. I woke up to Bella-Cat sleeping on my toes (equally perfect & adorable) AND nothing but rain outside (yuck!)... I began my morning with some of the regular breakfast... scrumptious banana-coconut oats:</span></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgbb0-_KXvsEkAna-Wp02uQQ_Mpcuh1wTxp2ccQCHnK4mb59E13yRLciV0AiKiRL88y-6S48mF0kKyYL4uCPFB2cZU3l388vUhguL1Ev9BV4dltetK6Thd4qRtu2xSjKiFcvzPJvzHWxY/s1600-h/banana+oatmeal"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397457203245727986" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgbb0-_KXvsEkAna-Wp02uQQ_Mpcuh1wTxp2ccQCHnK4mb59E13yRLciV0AiKiRL88y-6S48mF0kKyYL4uCPFB2cZU3l388vUhguL1Ev9BV4dltetK6Thd4qRtu2xSjKiFcvzPJvzHWxY/s320/banana+oatmeal" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;"> Oats always seem to be the perfect solution to the rainy day blues :) </span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Had a cup or two of coffee & lazed around a little more to catch up on blog reading, make a to-do list for the day, AND plan out the rest of my meals for the day (<strong>part of my attempt to get more protein and LESS carbs in my diet</strong>)</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Saddled up to brave the rain and go out to the gym...</span></div><div align="center"><em><span style="font-size:130%;">I did 50 minutes of cardio - 20 minutes on the treadmill & 30 minutes on the elliptical</span></em></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">449 calories and a major leg workout later, I stopped at the grocery store for a few essentials for the rest of my planned meals of the day...</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />Where <strong>these</strong> caught my eye!!!</span></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA4yyyMWXAFZ9UvwFkl9VlTs0pUc-3K7mawYwdBX2QEucMsaToDYAIryLO0zSOjgy9oXp-WjFSL2ChVJOypAbedniTmo7e_6nv9ds7RNk1u79-7urmv3oNZ1GENYx1LsOk6-_dO7v4Fn8/s1600-h/new+clif+bars.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397457077719245378" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA4yyyMWXAFZ9UvwFkl9VlTs0pUc-3K7mawYwdBX2QEucMsaToDYAIryLO0zSOjgy9oXp-WjFSL2ChVJOypAbedniTmo7e_6nv9ds7RNk1u79-7urmv3oNZ1GENYx1LsOk6-_dO7v4Fn8/s320/new+clif+bars.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;"> Seasonal Clif Bars!!!!! I've seen these around the old blog-o-sphere lately but they haven't shown up at <strong>any</strong> of the grocery stores I go to until now.... Cannot wait to try them :) </span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Have any of you been able to get your hands on these flavors? </span></strong></div><div align="center"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">What did you think of them??</span></strong></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />I've still only been able to find S'mores Z-bars at <strong>one</strong> of those grocery stores too! Ughhhh...driving me nuts.</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Anyway</strong>.. my legs were still sore after leaving the gym and it's starting to cause concern for me... I've had shin splints since high school when I first starting getting extreme pain and tightness during field hockey season. I've been able to keep it under control rather well through icing and wrapping during games over the years but lately the pain has come back full force. What is discouraging is the fact that it has been continually effecting my runs. The duration of my runs have become shorter & shorter due to the pain and even after excessive stretching (and icing) I haven't seen an improvement. IN FACT... it's only gotten worse :(</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">My concern now is that I won't be able to run the <strong>Turkey Trot</strong> I have signed up for that takes place in mid-November. It will be here sooner than I think and at the rate I'm going, I feel I'll have trouble even running the first mile!!!</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">The <strong>only positive point</strong> in this is the fact that the pain hasn't completely effected my workouts. I'm still able to bust out a good workout on the elliptical to make up for the missed time on the treadmill but, in all honesty, I'm more of a runner at the gym & would like to get my butt back on the treadmill (& kick <strong>its'</strong> butt!) I miss pounding out a great run and a long workout on the elliptical just doesn't give me the same accomplished feeling :( </span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /><strong>Have any of you ever dealt with shin splints or some kind of injury/pain that has caused a drop in your productivity during a workout???</strong></span></div><div align="center"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></strong></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>What did you do to solve the problem?</strong><br /><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">I'm desperate here! I'm not sure what to do next!!! Any advice you darlings could give me would be</span> <span style="font-size:180%;">greatly appreciated!</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:180%;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">The rest of the days eats look like so....</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Snagged the idea for lunch from <a href="http://healthyhotthousewife.blogspot.com/">Therese</a> for her easy-squeezy frittata... I used mushrooms (a whooole lot of them) rather than broccoli... Pre-poppin into the oven!</span></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj31gHyDgRJIEAP4GfJWiglIyVbeGVaobgmxA2nGk9y14kaPCCaATDIhqg32hM7-KZhzL4VEIlHP93i-wvFgXZzK64wGifxCoZtHox0KsqaibtywMFRAkOqbuORFCoo2F43rNCL32zWZ3Y/s1600-h/DSC04324.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397456898201164194" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj31gHyDgRJIEAP4GfJWiglIyVbeGVaobgmxA2nGk9y14kaPCCaATDIhqg32hM7-KZhzL4VEIlHP93i-wvFgXZzK64wGifxCoZtHox0KsqaibtywMFRAkOqbuORFCoo2F43rNCL32zWZ3Y/s320/DSC04324.JPG" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;"> Made with 1 egg, 3 egg whites, 1 oz. FF cheddar cheese, BIG handful of chopped mushrooms, sprinkle of parsley, and salt & pepper....</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />All thrown into a pie plate coated with PAM....</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />Baked at 500 for 15 minutes & this browned beauty is what came out:</span></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhME2uQGfWu79pc-fMk-rWimviSBqbX7J7Bm1xlwovjnGDu2vx5Oj6vDSAWy9AHDN1eQdyPE36HrXuZped-joLgrod3wrsnbXeGCoxTaz4gTvyBQOeUZXwloXVSvUBw71jYlzAM5iwP9i4/s1600-h/DSC04325.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397456262192223218" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhME2uQGfWu79pc-fMk-rWimviSBqbX7J7Bm1xlwovjnGDu2vx5Oj6vDSAWy9AHDN1eQdyPE36HrXuZped-joLgrod3wrsnbXeGCoxTaz4gTvyBQOeUZXwloXVSvUBw71jYlzAM5iwP9i4/s320/DSC04325.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Sooo very good & so simple! Filled me up for quite a while & will definitely be making it again asap!</span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6bdRvwUrdn995SBWjsjlt6DYSfSq-UzILase4hxKgveCCo1qq4Q6Eg_S69__kVGznuv3J8Uh3cE-zxJQflurdPHBm2EkRrSqmZ4oExKkMWaSVAAWG2oNdKhCtOqx03JAkZmhdSTrcP-A/s1600-h/DSC04326.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397456068822205138" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6bdRvwUrdn995SBWjsjlt6DYSfSq-UzILase4hxKgveCCo1qq4Q6Eg_S69__kVGznuv3J8Uh3cE-zxJQflurdPHBm2EkRrSqmZ4oExKkMWaSVAAWG2oNdKhCtOqx03JAkZmhdSTrcP-A/s320/DSC04326.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Just had to have another little sliver ;)</span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtz0Ov1oitRPNVRO84tbcgwe49gu6FKpf1FjaITKkwpOV3oF761WIArnHz1veTmaD1avZe827sRSrrekUS2AfjA4fLWY4N3KVfujrYfFB6n7y01iWmDfZYoDdHKGZ0xOBnw9dFt4Q-5NI/s1600-h/DSC04327.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397455889065737730" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtz0Ov1oitRPNVRO84tbcgwe49gu6FKpf1FjaITKkwpOV3oF761WIArnHz1veTmaD1avZe827sRSrrekUS2AfjA4fLWY4N3KVfujrYfFB6n7y01iWmDfZYoDdHKGZ0xOBnw9dFt4Q-5NI/s320/DSC04327.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Doing good on the Meal Menu so far!</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Oh..and P.S. that Sweet-Potato & Corn Chowder is on the menu for making tomorrow night (if I dont get stuck at work all night *fingers crossed*)<br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj18pNmyfAhf6Ib1FqAVTX7erc_gC_2-JF6cjb-4DLnO7jw2ahLiL4Jls6yMVKsWTHtmNH2lMQS1Q4uXUUe9bDhOIvzQ45LHGsUtMdUedTYiPHAXREQJBrsyQ4ZuHVP_YCFgn-j4meW_UU/s1600-h/DSC04328.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397455675231145906" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj18pNmyfAhf6Ib1FqAVTX7erc_gC_2-JF6cjb-4DLnO7jw2ahLiL4Jls6yMVKsWTHtmNH2lMQS1Q4uXUUe9bDhOIvzQ45LHGsUtMdUedTYiPHAXREQJBrsyQ4ZuHVP_YCFgn-j4meW_UU/s320/DSC04328.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">My afternoon snack was a long overdue yogurt...<br /></span><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDL1bJusuMl58W2weAxFWgfEplps83BX19nQWtG4jODAi_NcW9ijhkH9E5cp6VYr1NqFAoVCfbH8ao0WZ-maLMDYIzxdzvUFkoB3PttYietju3c4L8QejU3V3za8QXvSNW-XKZNedwvCs/s1600-h/DSC04331.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397455487089412514" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDL1bJusuMl58W2weAxFWgfEplps83BX19nQWtG4jODAi_NcW9ijhkH9E5cp6VYr1NqFAoVCfbH8ao0WZ-maLMDYIzxdzvUFkoB3PttYietju3c4L8QejU3V3za8QXvSNW-XKZNedwvCs/s320/DSC04331.JPG" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:130%;">Vanilla Chobani with 2 crushed graham cracker boards & a spoonful of Teddie PB<br /></span><br /></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">Did about 10 loads of laundry... <strong>Oyyyy</strong>! Very long overdue... and then plopped myself down to watch a Halloween favorite... <strong>ITS THE GREAT PUMPKIN CHARLIE BROWN.</strong></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">Seriously... if C.Brown was a real person, he would be one sad little boy... </span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><em>"I got a rock...."</em> </span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">Good God, poor child hahaha.</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">Then came dinnatime once the rumbling in mah bellay began...</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />Started with a pan of roasted veggies because when am I <strong>not </strong>craving those?</div></span><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSeH4duXW8DgtR3AEn8_TScPdBsfz_bf1QzaTZ17SFzlYj7ke5gG9lmS4nnQAz9DR0topL_7whR3d8X-GmfjpaVGTTt7lhs84ZsEba3jCCRWCGNodCw0kgiabW9woay1qXZPyQAAU9HVw/s1600-h/DSC04335.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397455296789219538" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSeH4duXW8DgtR3AEn8_TScPdBsfz_bf1QzaTZ17SFzlYj7ke5gG9lmS4nnQAz9DR0topL_7whR3d8X-GmfjpaVGTTt7lhs84ZsEba3jCCRWCGNodCw0kgiabW9woay1qXZPyQAAU9HVw/s320/DSC04335.JPG" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Roasted up some</strong>:</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">Yellow squash.. Carrots.. Mushrooms.. Eggplant... Onion<br /><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">Along with a tilapia fillet I seasned with Season-All (a delicious combo of onion, garlic, blah blah) cooked it up in a pan for about 3-4 mins on each side...</span></div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdeRWaKztJfQqIg5BotqgVbiu05XAxWx6C3_XAjH7-1IdaI9xd0ZDXyjthOLQkWwPWICN6nta4AYQin9ghj3J1Nx5P-wdj-6F7xe0HWHtd-lsjZd0dYBvpkpPixykCZj6kpOWnsigTevU/s1600-h/DSC04341.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397455111424832818" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdeRWaKztJfQqIg5BotqgVbiu05XAxWx6C3_XAjH7-1IdaI9xd0ZDXyjthOLQkWwPWICN6nta4AYQin9ghj3J1Nx5P-wdj-6F7xe0HWHtd-lsjZd0dYBvpkpPixykCZj6kpOWnsigTevU/s320/DSC04341.JPG" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:130%;">Holy Yum... Hence why I could never give up seafood :)</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">My snack-fiend alterego presented herself tonight and I was craving chocolate like no other... luckily I stuck with this baby rather than picking out some tasties from our Halloween stash:</span></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOlzNkvqBfzi0wF-YXLyE6JIyxPtK2nf2ITXhUJCDastfDv81xIj1TLbNOwB6cwaA4bW09Hv7YHrqvoWFNIyfN_8S_BwXxSfyTjDhoVgQquLznIsH0Y6BH6m2yJ6FWYrHScp_QDRV2HSo/s1600-h/DSC04342.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397454868923075250" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOlzNkvqBfzi0wF-YXLyE6JIyxPtK2nf2ITXhUJCDastfDv81xIj1TLbNOwB6cwaA4bW09Hv7YHrqvoWFNIyfN_8S_BwXxSfyTjDhoVgQquLznIsH0Y6BH6m2yJ6FWYrHScp_QDRV2HSo/s320/DSC04342.JPG" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;"> I'm a newbie to the Deeeep Chocolateeee although I do LOVE me that chocolate... I don't discriminate. If you are of the Chocolate Family, I adore you so.<br /><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">Uhhhh....no brainer what was required to add to this bitty:</span><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9BmguAWxejxrOAGI6xuQxoGqKaPhLI7MaHTZxJqVqtGBbCII25oXO1sGUJE2IkAZCC48m2wiPo9b0o99DPP97o8ZKXy3l60c9oxU2V511-X9OOEI-nfBEmHCMDwWM7-ngNMV2jmPSOnU/s1600-h/DSC04347.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397454660278872402" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9BmguAWxejxrOAGI6xuQxoGqKaPhLI7MaHTZxJqVqtGBbCII25oXO1sGUJE2IkAZCC48m2wiPo9b0o99DPP97o8ZKXy3l60c9oxU2V511-X9OOEI-nfBEmHCMDwWM7-ngNMV2jmPSOnU/s320/DSC04347.JPG" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;">Light spread of smooth Teddie PB on top of a warm Vita-top? <strong>Yowzaaaah</strong>!!! PB & Chocolate at its best bebe...<br /><br /><br />And that combo, <strong>of course</strong>, requires a cold glass of this...</span><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXTJN2RrNw1WzZwe7nyJJ_pASmxz4BpDY5rZJxTQK8hyphenhyphenalp0Pook3sXFAgON7dwYreBdO8hw_pjocB5nzLiAENPoYQMAqRfWf1Kc5ju_353jpFnJfxnkV9e4sXs0F0yQotil17ce7sLCU/s1600-h/DSC04349.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397454418567541986" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXTJN2RrNw1WzZwe7nyJJ_pASmxz4BpDY5rZJxTQK8hyphenhyphenalp0Pook3sXFAgON7dwYreBdO8hw_pjocB5nzLiAENPoYQMAqRfWf1Kc5ju_353jpFnJfxnkV9e4sXs0F0yQotil17ce7sLCU/s320/DSC04349.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Time to devour.... <em>Going....</em></span><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4lem8w27gFLPKup1gUNuoHjqkionqcGkz7rFGxjwNNjhhvI3nFQK60Q2zT_9jMwYjt5Tzj9BrjjzQtlDO88PywQnlHZOTVI89tOtsAI-OhvLTiHn6oD-ajPqiVGK5pkKSfmdreavnSD4/s1600-h/DSC04350.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397454208427467586" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4lem8w27gFLPKup1gUNuoHjqkionqcGkz7rFGxjwNNjhhvI3nFQK60Q2zT_9jMwYjt5Tzj9BrjjzQtlDO88PywQnlHZOTVI89tOtsAI-OhvLTiHn6oD-ajPqiVGK5pkKSfmdreavnSD4/s320/DSC04350.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><em>Going......<br /></em></span><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLpgfjxywqMOtKA5UaFviOiIy0JvQwoPbnrtvojDMOs2AKtolXYD_P8d0Elwv7pEw5wG-HnRC83zsVObDfzdNjOlUiWBaF9WNxqO38e_mbA3jdT9B5bPRyHmYLvkBwU7bUgJN28Kut18s/s1600-h/DSC04351.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397454018041254722" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLpgfjxywqMOtKA5UaFviOiIy0JvQwoPbnrtvojDMOs2AKtolXYD_P8d0Elwv7pEw5wG-HnRC83zsVObDfzdNjOlUiWBaF9WNxqO38e_mbA3jdT9B5bPRyHmYLvkBwU7bUgJN28Kut18s/s320/DSC04351.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Ended <strong>too soon</strong> if you ask me...<br /></span><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGlYqTMA8g3ofCX74q0lOLB4Gs_aUHg0yrjIfpIojU2kLh93RSd-MoXpucELjXW3C5ldwtFsrKNw558iv2u18TO8R5BuW-1eSbwxj3f4t-MpbmRclfOnxE6PAg19FSuA3W2y8281fJ5e0/s1600-h/DSC04352.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397453818813236482" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGlYqTMA8g3ofCX74q0lOLB4Gs_aUHg0yrjIfpIojU2kLh93RSd-MoXpucELjXW3C5ldwtFsrKNw558iv2u18TO8R5BuW-1eSbwxj3f4t-MpbmRclfOnxE6PAg19FSuA3W2y8281fJ5e0/s320/DSC04352.JPG" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Thank you Sir may I have another</strong>?????</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">The rest of the night will consist of ME. SLEEPING. FOREVER.</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">I have a double at work tomorrow & want to make sure I get a full night's sleep... doubles have been <strong>killing</strong> me lately! I'm pretty sure I can blame lack of sleep and being on my feet for 9+ hours straight for this... then I'll be heading to the gym to (hopefully) get in a hard workout.... we'll see if my shins allow that :-/</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Looking forward to</strong>:</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">1. The Volunteer Fire Department Benefit tomorrow @ work.... aka glorious firemen will be present at Flatbread and will be assisting the servers (<em>aka yours truly</em>) in serving dinner to customers.... <strong>Does anyone else see this as a potentially amaaaazing night?</strong> ;) Haha...come on girls. Can I hear a AMEN to FIREMEN.</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">2. Halloween festivities this weekend with Anthony & some of my college bebes who I've missed sooo very much! Still need to figure out a few minor pieces to my costume though (Ahhhh!) it's coming up fast!!</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>What are you lovelies looking forward to in the upcoming days???</strong></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><br /></div>Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772686677670787444noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-951297443932197999.post-48192905873052963532009-10-26T11:01:00.001-07:002009-10-26T20:41:02.191-07:00Positive Thinking<div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">This is going to have to be a somewhat quickieee post...because I've had a long night at work giving candy to little kids in costume and playing early Halloween dress-up (I was a black cat, very original, I know... but I found out just yesterday we were dressing up at work. Yikessss!) and it was the first thing I came up with... The little kids who were also dressed as kitties LOVED it though so, thanks children...</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">I started off my day with this delectable breakfast...</span></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmzWpyrHv1lLxtXjXiaZ2wfJlCw0NekhyphenhyphenZO1xMTqyK5067c4grfDiHQ6rGLyd_fTF6e1129dxC35cfZv9hTZZpgi85X11jTFwflQUEC06F8adzfG3KdkvnJ70aIIw8UJFp2PndKecLqg8/s1600-h/DSC04316.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397110785978274098" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmzWpyrHv1lLxtXjXiaZ2wfJlCw0NekhyphenhyphenZO1xMTqyK5067c4grfDiHQ6rGLyd_fTF6e1129dxC35cfZv9hTZZpgi85X11jTFwflQUEC06F8adzfG3KdkvnJ70aIIw8UJFp2PndKecLqg8/s320/DSC04316.JPG" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;"> I know... NO oats present. Shocking, isn't it??? </span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">I was really craving a savory breakfast this morning.. specifically an egg over easy. I knew right away it was the only thing that was going to make me happy so I had one!</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">With a side of 9-grain toast with a light spread of Teddie PB!<br /><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">And a Gala with cinnamon...</span></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyXFHFklVy6afdxsuyT2QNNaDOrI9sQl2DIejT27zRiYCWOo1MyCepLpS8c0oNzk13PTe5YQsur06dXaLHVfoeFFDlHAGMZoYtvErh6nYFT7Whw2XHeY9_6qId0agJ9v4uJt8hB9ggY84/s1600-h/DSC04317.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397110513522653090" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyXFHFklVy6afdxsuyT2QNNaDOrI9sQl2DIejT27zRiYCWOo1MyCepLpS8c0oNzk13PTe5YQsur06dXaLHVfoeFFDlHAGMZoYtvErh6nYFT7Whw2XHeY9_6qId0agJ9v4uJt8hB9ggY84/s320/DSC04317.JPG" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:130%;">OH and Vanilla Caramel tea... abso-fruitleyyyy ;)</span><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEItH0G02DR1CCP5IpkgJ9ch-YpanI0ygnWxcVxUS3FpaN7YZu28ZZLOgYSvPsyBB2G5Hgz_1Q5SqFnusJePnQ59kDao-bU3DhTzwi3mH5ZasqEDLCldCZG7scyzNQzQXXVgW2BI3QeBA/s1600-h/DSC04318.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397110260600176594" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEItH0G02DR1CCP5IpkgJ9ch-YpanI0ygnWxcVxUS3FpaN7YZu28ZZLOgYSvPsyBB2G5Hgz_1Q5SqFnusJePnQ59kDao-bU3DhTzwi3mH5ZasqEDLCldCZG7scyzNQzQXXVgW2BI3QeBA/s320/DSC04318.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">I somehow squeezed in a gym session before worktime...</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><em>45 mins on the elliptical / 4.85 miles / 390 calories burned</em><br /><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Then came home and made lunch... I had a can of soup via Amy that I hadn't tried yet and have been meaning to because the combo looks amazing. As I mentioned in my post Saturday, the Carb Monster has been present on a daily basis and I'm trying to make an attempt to fix that. Baby steps, of course... because I can't just cut out things I love like cereal, oatmeal, toast, sandwiches... blah blah BUT I know I can effectively lower my carbs and increase my proteins quite easily if I actually pay attention to each meal and balance it off of the one before it...<br /></span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-M9xBu0ZuRSTONttG0WhJeBpHpoBnuY3ea3uFNxyCu8H6a-NqNgL-F261L-C1haJdhzQIRhEYg_SoAuiYDGPW-mPFdvNlNXh2MspbMJsyl4gdQ0SL_UXEAwy58YNQopu8XbDVDcWIXP0/s1600-h/DSC04319.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397110061872149746" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-M9xBu0ZuRSTONttG0WhJeBpHpoBnuY3ea3uFNxyCu8H6a-NqNgL-F261L-C1haJdhzQIRhEYg_SoAuiYDGPW-mPFdvNlNXh2MspbMJsyl4gdQ0SL_UXEAwy58YNQopu8XbDVDcWIXP0/s320/DSC04319.JPG" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;"> So I had the soup (beans for protein!)</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">And 1/4 of a sweet potato warmed in the microwave with a sprinkle of cinnamon..</span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKw6DanT7pBBbH-lFUytsTDKlXFDYVI4yWx1IE53QjpSqYTLAQEsDXYhafTiQLXiYjARY4loCkc06TlL-8cdkHtR741MAoua_tRk3C_im5xx3Zve14izMDLdBhcE28Lao9HVyFmYDc-8U/s1600-h/DSC04322.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397109845992248946" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKw6DanT7pBBbH-lFUytsTDKlXFDYVI4yWx1IE53QjpSqYTLAQEsDXYhafTiQLXiYjARY4loCkc06TlL-8cdkHtR741MAoua_tRk3C_im5xx3Zve14izMDLdBhcE28Lao9HVyFmYDc-8U/s320/DSC04322.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">I added some shrimp to the soup too for some added "oomph" hahah... not that that's a legit word, but you get what I'm saying</span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqfLHCXajI7ndyrgz0jAuS_nygns0nyjUB3JTRTccpfnghHk-2njLkIVNH79lVgoFcQIZHbzP6Y-Hd7AbIcVK7iJIg2BLZoF6_kMStgrqk0T7yQ4Rz3C4vnE360hjQTntd8cKzgELomIg/s1600-h/DSC04320.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397109652854744290" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqfLHCXajI7ndyrgz0jAuS_nygns0nyjUB3JTRTccpfnghHk-2njLkIVNH79lVgoFcQIZHbzP6Y-Hd7AbIcVK7iJIg2BLZoF6_kMStgrqk0T7yQ4Rz3C4vnE360hjQTntd8cKzgELomIg/s320/DSC04320.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Delicious!<br /></span><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3IN1Yb0JZAXt80bfWBCeIoBSqHvemLSedW-5gAyMUIW2q_jM7PR0KAtd7fBZ41Wip9-ryiydvLM6p10nAKxA2yxRxyLQ79MHeRQqBgKZ2pHkdKqMxqjP4r4ZGDBkFGAeyuW9k4pOGwiE/s1600-h/DSC04323.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397109426247306418" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3IN1Yb0JZAXt80bfWBCeIoBSqHvemLSedW-5gAyMUIW2q_jM7PR0KAtd7fBZ41Wip9-ryiydvLM6p10nAKxA2yxRxyLQ79MHeRQqBgKZ2pHkdKqMxqjP4r4ZGDBkFGAeyuW9k4pOGwiE/s320/DSC04323.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Rushed off to work, put some eyeliner whiskers on along with a pair of cat ears, carved a cat into a pumpkin, ate my weight in pumpkin seeds (and had 2 mini Heath bars from our ginormous candy collection... could NOT resist) and came home absolutelyyyy exhausted and ready to eat my dinner...</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">Which came from worky..</span></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjpgcQb70XXONKqNd3e_clI4Leh7dmeLQ1gC2RfB_uTEs1LUDk2RWQe-ZdRVb8aSpojuhzeUvGcm3APz4199-W5nPPyRXv78mCYUC2SVELSXAfhJW35Fj5ki6aMrIIxcF53Ulq1ZXDWR4/s1600-h/dinner+salad.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397108679344007858" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjpgcQb70XXONKqNd3e_clI4Leh7dmeLQ1gC2RfB_uTEs1LUDk2RWQe-ZdRVb8aSpojuhzeUvGcm3APz4199-W5nPPyRXv78mCYUC2SVELSXAfhJW35Fj5ki6aMrIIxcF53Ulq1ZXDWR4/s320/dinner+salad.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;"> Organic salad with Goat cheese, free-range chicken, roasted red peppers, mushrooms, carrots, celery, seaweed, sesame seeds, & ginger tamari dressing....</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />Yeah..it tastes as phenom as it looks.</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">Now it's time to get to the REAL purpose of today's post: positive thinking.</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />I've seen sooo many inspiring posts from you bloggies lately that have just put a smile on my face over and over again.. You're all SO positive and continue to keep that mindset when things get tough and that is incredible. It's harder than it seems, at times, to "look on the bright side" when it appears that just about everything's going wrong. But I can assure you, there's always something to be thankful for and something to put a smile on your face.</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">So it got me thinking... what are the positive things in my life that I can look to in my mind or in person in order to keep me in a "good place" at all times? There are so many things that make me smile on a daily basis and I'm usually a cheery, motivated, and appreciative person just for the ability to do what I do. I work hard, love like crazy, have fun, and kick my own ass when exercising. I'm giving and would do just about anything asked of me for those I love. </span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">When it came to making a mental list in my head of those things that I am thankful for & smile about in order to stay positive... these were just a few that came into my head:</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">Being an Aunt :)</span></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNQZouxA9pfRq-RF_NG6R-lWm9Zcn5AJvC6piyhX0qJNMTWl5tzpX4rjaZggm_30ewTdAJjNs-YO_ktXhLZNBGZ5jpexLIBXkXQFOiPQPfb3JolNGTy6uTAmvaSKDz0_o0vzqYyUYrTa8/s1600-h/blog+pic+10.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396979181883879874" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNQZouxA9pfRq-RF_NG6R-lWm9Zcn5AJvC6piyhX0qJNMTWl5tzpX4rjaZggm_30ewTdAJjNs-YO_ktXhLZNBGZ5jpexLIBXkXQFOiPQPfb3JolNGTy6uTAmvaSKDz0_o0vzqYyUYrTa8/s320/blog+pic+10.bmp" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:130%;">My nephew, Jacob, was born in February and he is a bundle of happiness & is always smiling, laughing, and playing... he's made me realize all over again what is important. FAMILY! And because ours has now expanded, it's even more exciting.</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />Witnessing the seasons changing (especially the change to Fall) is a constant reminder of the beauty of nature... I'm an outdoor girl and especially during the Spring & Autumn I love nothing more than just taking in the sights & smells of these beautiful times of the year...<br /></span><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKpqGBbdyaJmAuT2fNpSijpfeqXGR69-ECBC9Lx0lG4rXpjqoBVNOTkGffsNtVGmv02lHZRBBY1Nix5Fd8NR9Ec-hJJ-o2UoG3IGUPf14f9MFKfHmLY9h3GgIQyWrIu-etz3NsDP_Y084/s1600-h/blog+pic+9.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396978833337107474" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKpqGBbdyaJmAuT2fNpSijpfeqXGR69-ECBC9Lx0lG4rXpjqoBVNOTkGffsNtVGmv02lHZRBBY1Nix5Fd8NR9Ec-hJJ-o2UoG3IGUPf14f9MFKfHmLY9h3GgIQyWrIu-etz3NsDP_Y084/s320/blog+pic+9.bmp" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />My little bitty baby Bella-Cat :)<br /></span><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5D-d_BYcthwz7Wu1WBRJxRxOYif0kVqJSmIjRSAoVrFP2bTDvor6Jg-n6RxLb528rbSx4N4CNAePjm0Fic00ncquGZkET6cyD_mfLnMN0hY-ovHz6KF1mysuxfC5OI1gvTEom920LUFo/s1600-h/blog+pic+8.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396978226118226050" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5D-d_BYcthwz7Wu1WBRJxRxOYif0kVqJSmIjRSAoVrFP2bTDvor6Jg-n6RxLb528rbSx4N4CNAePjm0Fic00ncquGZkET6cyD_mfLnMN0hY-ovHz6KF1mysuxfC5OI1gvTEom920LUFo/s320/blog+pic+8.bmp" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:130%;">She can always be counted on to sleep on my feet when I go to bed... wake me up with a light meow in my face... play with catnip.. and curl up with me when I'm not feeling my greatest. She's like a best friend who never has to say a word in order to brighten my day. Her fuzzy little face does enough :)<br /><br /><br />Coffee...enough said.<br /></span><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5zhJhzL3mwACYWKFlWF-sqkQ15baB23WZHhyphenhyphengzmjwQc6TAl4Y0bLxc0PFqVWVuGk2iJSc3rxxkuuey2qE5DM78vOZPrmTQqFFxNAK6-4ldvnpRu1C9z9UHRaF7rymK0Dj41mKUqEEjMI/s1600-h/blog+pic+7.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396977765030422082" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 288px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5zhJhzL3mwACYWKFlWF-sqkQ15baB23WZHhyphenhyphengzmjwQc6TAl4Y0bLxc0PFqVWVuGk2iJSc3rxxkuuey2qE5DM78vOZPrmTQqFFxNAK6-4ldvnpRu1C9z9UHRaF7rymK0Dj41mKUqEEjMI/s320/blog+pic+7.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;"> Haha... it gets me up in the morning, keeps me going going going throughout the day, is a great excuse to meet with an old friend and catch up, it's a comfort for me... wrapping my hands around a warm cup of coffee at any time of day just soothes my soul & puts me at ease. Not to mention the flavors are heaven to me.<br /></span><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />My beautiful, amazing, hilarious, dedicated, and wonderful friends.....<br /></span><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwIXmlVKZoT9Q_U7l_srFEm9aabJlD3L72gEXKsGLOeBbr-vXYoUbNYZIzO2AVmvS2R1MYdC_uQo8OBHV57aLIFz1Kh9GFi6kswVZ6rZqipgIDPB4QMzkFx0ZnZdZZFcMPdSpeYiKABmA/s1600-h/blog+pic+5.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396976928750061922" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwIXmlVKZoT9Q_U7l_srFEm9aabJlD3L72gEXKsGLOeBbr-vXYoUbNYZIzO2AVmvS2R1MYdC_uQo8OBHV57aLIFz1Kh9GFi6kswVZ6rZqipgIDPB4QMzkFx0ZnZdZZFcMPdSpeYiKABmA/s320/blog+pic+5.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Inside jokes....<br /></span><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUrgsoroVwLsKtDryNAtWaecCfbuB62hU6CchhZoiP3BCu6RVr7WUA-LWwssBYsp2h8knVffZ8MwRvGEzy4O5gU-q5TLhiV0ndDTcpyLljkz9lETdOc1UEQloNMPs6c_PoklIiDhv_t0c/s1600-h/blog+pic+4.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396974964212046962" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUrgsoroVwLsKtDryNAtWaecCfbuB62hU6CchhZoiP3BCu6RVr7WUA-LWwssBYsp2h8knVffZ8MwRvGEzy4O5gU-q5TLhiV0ndDTcpyLljkz9lETdOc1UEQloNMPs6c_PoklIiDhv_t0c/s320/blog+pic+4.bmp" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Always laughing...<br /></span><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9v1_ZDCuzehqzYR05cAIgnTsnyLdtGsdZHdXtIyYsvPvk1EgFWOkAJuyJqKnAleozOuMRtE2lC5jOdoAfLp0ZY_LzW8HTSk0OSIq0Cgp5FCyiXgVDwxwS5_NQoGgK6fgyhCP9nRqNKm4/s1600-h/fb.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396974816075272098" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9v1_ZDCuzehqzYR05cAIgnTsnyLdtGsdZHdXtIyYsvPvk1EgFWOkAJuyJqKnAleozOuMRtE2lC5jOdoAfLp0ZY_LzW8HTSk0OSIq0Cgp5FCyiXgVDwxwS5_NQoGgK6fgyhCP9nRqNKm4/s320/fb.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Vacationing...<br /></span><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPbyaQRmuskHlJcUVQT3TlzlfH8vStEj6PykcTSJ1_m3X4nhI6j63ozv4BBjKU79qkM-14XveD2fsLccieXklyulBb98Elri7NcVwo_H0thlaC8mhr9p8DdIhXe4uTkppXuPCYssuS_2I/s1600-h/blog+pic+2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396974677669737170" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 236px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPbyaQRmuskHlJcUVQT3TlzlfH8vStEj6PykcTSJ1_m3X4nhI6j63ozv4BBjKU79qkM-14XveD2fsLccieXklyulBb98Elri7NcVwo_H0thlaC8mhr9p8DdIhXe4uTkppXuPCYssuS_2I/s320/blog+pic+2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Staying up late just to have good talks...<br /></span><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs1k2jYn5a1u0sytTAZuko5gWtaBFjhq3B2jAHxlCixse9NNHM7nr76QXUaOsjK8VY7LR0_bediqDcLOUyB1iNotmFr6EXr44VLhaKxsmHGGHpQ5bwtQBYLTXttUGjJTqawggdzs5cENI/s1600-h/blog+pic+3.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396973561232081410" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs1k2jYn5a1u0sytTAZuko5gWtaBFjhq3B2jAHxlCixse9NNHM7nr76QXUaOsjK8VY7LR0_bediqDcLOUyB1iNotmFr6EXr44VLhaKxsmHGGHpQ5bwtQBYLTXttUGjJTqawggdzs5cENI/s320/blog+pic+3.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Since elementary school....<br /></span><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh5P1ApQ76SDsgrEUyTKY2iIWDJNwHWNkfkWvg-aRuXs2YB28a0jTpPf8ohYlkSFv_JstvD7z-apPoXBQvLOxrk70FJvco7Pv8Z_5WYow2gcXTwUp6j1tkmJ3pvXZYb192a6a7VZye-cs/s1600-h/blog+pic.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396972392389833730" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh5P1ApQ76SDsgrEUyTKY2iIWDJNwHWNkfkWvg-aRuXs2YB28a0jTpPf8ohYlkSFv_JstvD7z-apPoXBQvLOxrk70FJvco7Pv8Z_5WYow2gcXTwUp6j1tkmJ3pvXZYb192a6a7VZye-cs/s320/blog+pic.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />Most recently.... I've become thankful for the man at my gym who is WITHOUT A DOUBT, Matthew Fox's twin. *Hubba-Hubba* I can't believe I just uttered that....ew. I dont know if you watch LOST, but Matthew Fox makes it much more beautiful and causes more drooling, also... and thank you, beautiful M.Fox twin at the gym, you are at times the reason my 45 min workout turns into an hour when I'm distracted by your gorgeousness....HA</span><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqnm2Ud2xN2EePe7JrrOPIlwz6VHW5PbW33qQ_4jrme7UCZGs4yYQK4dw3XU3_UIt1DkRHMD_-kTOwX_bkH3qh-VXe1MwHwWFK9tNyHnOxeRp14S2Bk81HaAsk5ksj6GPeUIIighSkblQ/s1600-h/DSC02478.JPG"></a><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396970943907853186" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 213px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicG07PUbC6QBfWEAsbFKmULJzHmh6-9B3PPmsJhFgZg2MfmZUAXsHvK_aJuIuA4VFLb2oU_3d_Gv4ov9IVX3T_nM7K__LMDL176yQgAZelHddyIVahgZojk1pJRN1EloWi9hma1tSZDt4/s320/matthew+fox.jpg" border="0" /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Now, DONT GET ME WRONG, I'm not a bad person here... because I'm absolutely head over heels in love, thankful, for my wonderful boyfriend Anthony :) He's the sweetest person I could have ever asked for and makes everyday a little bit better. He is my best friend and can always be counted on to help me see the bright side of any situation and make me smile even when I'm already in tears. I don't know how he deals with my sometimes bratty personality and my extreme indecisiveness about every little thing but he does it so well and I know for sure, I've found a good one...</span><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF6-px6BAqxjD28Z7pbifqDl9RDI04CGI1cUs_EPQHMa1vyR5iq95NwHeqQIvTTHz-vTEhEdL6YEIrFBCQ1L2O2ZT34fFiJ6oBj3bFo1LnzeH8yC9MKxe2qLJU-QLZ1jU5AM0Gekd2e5w/s1600-h/babe.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396971147813195026" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 297px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF6-px6BAqxjD28Z7pbifqDl9RDI04CGI1cUs_EPQHMa1vyR5iq95NwHeqQIvTTHz-vTEhEdL6YEIrFBCQ1L2O2ZT34fFiJ6oBj3bFo1LnzeH8yC9MKxe2qLJU-QLZ1jU5AM0Gekd2e5w/s320/babe.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">I kept these things in my mind today as reminders for why I should always be a happy, positive person. Everyone has "off" days and I won't be irrational and believe I will always be 100% my best, but I will damn well try and with the help of my "positive things" it makes it just a little bit easier :)</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">What are some positive things in your life???</span></strong></div><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></strong></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>What made you smile today?</strong><br /></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><br /></div>Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772686677670787444noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-951297443932197999.post-17285894745346304452009-10-25T00:28:00.000-07:002009-10-24T22:06:03.511-07:00The Carb Monster<div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Hey Heyyy Happy Saturday!!</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">For those of you who are being <strong>mucho lame</strong> like me and ending your ultra fun Saturday at 10:45pm with a glass of wine, The Patriot aka Mel Gibs in his militia best (Grrrr baby, love it), and a blogging sesh... I SALUTE YOU :)</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Not to say I didn't have <strong>a very fun night</strong>!!! I did, <strong>in fact</strong>, have a wonderful (but early) girls night out with three of my darling friends ...which I'll get to momentarily, but I love those nights where you're already ready to change into your comfiest clothes and spend the next few hours rekindling your relationship with the couch ;)</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">In the bloggy world, <a href="http://andshesoff.wordpress.com/2009/10/23/a-giveaway-with-a-big-goal/">Alyssa's hosting a very special giveaway</a>... simply by donating $1 (or more!!) to the National Eating Disorder Association, you enter yourself in the drawing to win a bunch of amazing goodies. It's such a good cause and even us recessionistas can afford it!! </span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />AND...<a href="http://www.honeynutlo.com/2009/10/its-great-giveaway-charlie-brown.html">Lo's Halloween giveaway/scavenger hunt ends Sunday</a>!! I dont know about you, but I'm psycheddddd for this one and have been having a lot of fun trying to capture pics of all 13 things from the list and you should get to it too!!</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></div></span><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Let's hop on back to yesterday morning because I had what may very well be TOP 5 oats material for breakfast...</span></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_LBs11mWAkCdApLHPIBBORUskeohw2bWOSrse9LF3hNB8-bCfSOA6eucZ2L5jpu_t0qDN6ziAzMj6fXIxdjWhyphenhyphennGXdYeqjexgcefSgOtRKKiNSqY_W4wtd13-H3HtHD_V9j6m4_KJr2k/s1600-h/DSC04312.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396362335089789026" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_LBs11mWAkCdApLHPIBBORUskeohw2bWOSrse9LF3hNB8-bCfSOA6eucZ2L5jpu_t0qDN6ziAzMj6fXIxdjWhyphenhyphennGXdYeqjexgcefSgOtRKKiNSqY_W4wtd13-H3HtHD_V9j6m4_KJr2k/s320/DSC04312.JPG" border="0" /></a> <strong><span style="font-size:130%;">S'mores Oats!!</span></strong></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">~1/2 cup oats</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">~1 cup water</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">~2 graham cracker boards worth of crumbs</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">~1 tbsp DCD peanut butter</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">....I seriously drool whenever I look at this picture... holy decadence for b-fast; a MUST EAT if you ask me!<br /><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Did I even have to mention what I had alongside the deliciousness???</span></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVLV5iy-dWsEKIxtlD_cT2fi-Ybu7bLQuerrwl88DZME5oTgSfxfQa6WbDa24mPFQl7RopoI6ABp_x5iFIBmJrMM13jhgqeI6-16SRk-xvrda1nZhJdBfrdt2SURzNovuvzy7kNvg1AA4/s1600-h/DSC04314.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396362147257315602" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVLV5iy-dWsEKIxtlD_cT2fi-Ybu7bLQuerrwl88DZME5oTgSfxfQa6WbDa24mPFQl7RopoI6ABp_x5iFIBmJrMM13jhgqeI6-16SRk-xvrda1nZhJdBfrdt2SURzNovuvzy7kNvg1AA4/s320/DSC04314.JPG" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:130%;">Headed off to boyfriend's house shortly after packing what looked like a week's worth of clothes... ugh, I don't know if I'll ever be able to manage realistic packing like.. packing TWO pairs of jeans for a TWO day trip rather than five pairs of jeans "just in case" In case what!? In case I prefer very dark navy blue to regular navy blue skinnies? I've gotta get a grip...</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">I'm developing the muscles of a barbarian hauling my entire wardrobe around in 2 or 3 different bags every time I leave the house... G.D. it's ridic...</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Let's be serious... girl to girls....</span></div><div align="center"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></strong></div><div align="center"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Do you tend to overpack for day trips or even vacations??</span></strong></div><div align="center"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></strong></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">I know it's always beneficial to have options but I feel like it always ends up being more trouble than it's worth having to lug all that extra weight around!<br /><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Anyway... I met boyfriend at the mall because he and his friend James were already there... obvi popped into Forever 21 to check out the goods they got goin onnnn.</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">A.K.A....NOT MUCH. Ehhh... my current obsession is plaid button-ups (which they had an abundance of) with ties at the waist.. because I'm not such a fan of the button ups that are boxy and a simple tie around the waist instantly turns this kind of top feminine. Besides that, nothing caught my eye really. FAIL.</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />Met up with BF and received a very thoughtful present!!!! :)</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">He bought me a cookbook at Borders! (he knows me too well...) "365 Easy Vegetarian Recipes" which is <strong>absolutely perfect</strong> since I went on my "meatless kick" for about two weeks and found it surprisingly easy when I had good veggie recipes to use... this just made my day! He's such a sweetheart :) Pretty sure he knew he'd benefit from it too seeing as how I ALWAYS need a taste tester to approve new recipes ;)</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">We stopped at Panera for lunch because I was getting crabby....</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">*NOTE TO SELF* Don't drive/shop for hours without a snack handy if you are me... I get cranky as a G.D. two-year old when I'm hungry!!!!!</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">I got the 1/2 sandwich & soup combo...per usual</span></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzAP2da6olm5kNptemnZi1bgqUoDlzmGS4Kr8w49xXAkVXK56QCRYGPpdivlpo2P12RXrgdleQP5CF_H64uL6Jrtg1e3Uq3oHp9OL6dd63XKEUgHNrpvwZHkJQZySUQrXhu063kpeYiC4/s1600-h/oct23-6.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396361547446029458" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzAP2da6olm5kNptemnZi1bgqUoDlzmGS4Kr8w49xXAkVXK56QCRYGPpdivlpo2P12RXrgdleQP5CF_H64uL6Jrtg1e3Uq3oHp9OL6dd63XKEUgHNrpvwZHkJQZySUQrXhu063kpeYiC4/s320/oct23-6.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:130%;">~The Cream of Tomato soup (of course... I'm addicted to it)</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">~1/2 a Turkey Artichoke panini (Turkey, tomato, spinach artichoke spread, carmelized onions...yummmmm!)</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">...They didn't have apples (FAIL!!!!!) so they stuck a piece of bread on my tray, which I left ... didn't you spy the title of this very post??? HA!<br /><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Very yummy as always and left my belly full & happy....</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">BF got the same combo with the Summer Corn Chowder (I had a bite or two.. it was pretty good! Had a hint of seasoning and a sweet aftertaste yum yummm) with a 1/2 of some kind of delish sandwich...</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">On the way out, I caught sight of the baked goods, especially the cookies and thought "Gahhh, I wish it was Friday..." OH WAIT.... </span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Realizing I'm apparently lost in my own mind and then finally putting two and two together to find out it IS Friday, I politely asked for one of the Toffee Nut cookies so I could celebrate my favorite "holiday" of the week :)</span></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5I0tPp1so93RUQvtjgfMvyICR4H5iHkuo9jEhDM07R6YTZlPULR11NtRNH9ITOV6ZMLA0o2U4_zgXmxaK20eiVLnDQQFf7BaWPwO20sLUaLey3epzRqtCzFSuHLmX601H5xoq0MhUGig/s1600-h/oct23-5.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396361421585017650" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5I0tPp1so93RUQvtjgfMvyICR4H5iHkuo9jEhDM07R6YTZlPULR11NtRNH9ITOV6ZMLA0o2U4_zgXmxaK20eiVLnDQQFf7BaWPwO20sLUaLey3epzRqtCzFSuHLmX601H5xoq0MhUGig/s320/oct23-5.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:130%;">Then proceeded to explain Cookie Friday to BF who, of course with his giant sweet tooth, MORE than approved :) and I'm pretty sure he will be joining me next week for my celebration...</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />We came home and BF picked up a 12 pack of these precious bebes on the way...</span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgafNLV1irNRKRWtaPdY-ibYlSBlZfDUMrsrwXDUWENEIKK6atuxPvdTRWlu5s8DMrKZ1x7SMOhefFuPA1zjUvQnss65SGvRBDxHhvwLgeGYmSvdO7NyuCCZIJrAhFbSkCLIM2vEWTEd7U/s1600-h/oct23-4.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396361290205527762" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgafNLV1irNRKRWtaPdY-ibYlSBlZfDUMrsrwXDUWENEIKK6atuxPvdTRWlu5s8DMrKZ1x7SMOhefFuPA1zjUvQnss65SGvRBDxHhvwLgeGYmSvdO7NyuCCZIJrAhFbSkCLIM2vEWTEd7U/s320/oct23-4.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;"> There's a sweet shot of my little cookbook to the left ;)</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />We relaxed... got in our snuggle time (yeah yeahhh I CAN be lovey dovey at times haha) and then got ready to go out for dinner with BF's brother and his girlfriend, Sara,who I adore!! She's sooo much fun and we have so much in common which makes visits to BF's house even MORE fun because she usually plans on visiting the same nights that I'll be there...</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />We chat about clothes, exercise, FOOD especially, baking, music, Coach, and vacations...<br /><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">So us four headed out to Time Out Tavern, our favorite place about 5 mins down the road from the boys' house. They have AMAZING martinis, great appetizers, and pretty decent prices for the quality food you get.<br /><br /><br />Of course.. since there was a 30 min wait, Sara and I headed straight to the bar to get the martini party started...</span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnUkHfyaYkdgAUHBz1Ulliu16gGNy9ouANE9K26po3SIiqlReJ8RquhaTEbfj8lYiv4XUIJBIcEyltFCs9biIXz1UVFJ3kJDRPjcR8vrsT2PqipsAfnGVsBs5s4KXfqi3IuYlXI9v-m_o/s1600-h/oct23-3.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396361129706221842" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnUkHfyaYkdgAUHBz1Ulliu16gGNy9ouANE9K26po3SIiqlReJ8RquhaTEbfj8lYiv4XUIJBIcEyltFCs9biIXz1UVFJ3kJDRPjcR8vrsT2PqipsAfnGVsBs5s4KXfqi3IuYlXI9v-m_o/s320/oct23-3.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;"> Peach Blossom Martini (this x 2!)<br /><br /><br />When we sat down I immediately ordered the special soup...</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">French MUSHROOM Soup!!!!</span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGG_Q2HAOLP0EB1PdwM3TNbNl5uIdsI7vRHncZJCruFRIhkAjH4GeV1WaYW4LFiKvHZbUZ05ap5yyr_sZrmBJro5wxrMvIo9xDSJDognNQu3RK9GVA0SEll482IwJAmaqpMu_-tonYV9Y/s1600-h/oct23-2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396360979584175426" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGG_Q2HAOLP0EB1PdwM3TNbNl5uIdsI7vRHncZJCruFRIhkAjH4GeV1WaYW4LFiKvHZbUZ05ap5yyr_sZrmBJro5wxrMvIo9xDSJDognNQu3RK9GVA0SEll482IwJAmaqpMu_-tonYV9Y/s320/oct23-2.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;"> Prepared the same way as their French Onion, but I love love love mushroooms so I'm pretty sure it was fate and we were meant to meet at the Tavern that night (I swoooon) Ironically, I dislike the huge amount of cheese restaurants always seem to pile on top of the soup... the mushrooms & broth were what I was really after!<br /><br /><br />I knew I needed some protein by this point... I was a little sluggish most of the day and I know when my body is lacking a good dose of protein so I ordered the grilled chicken sandwich on wheat with lettuce, tomato, & cheddar cheese....</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />Along with sweet potato fries...<br /></span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5XbK-DLGNgSam7Fd0BsBFoNutrqUSeUgJXt9vjRiQ3Xh9hrwawFr6GXPSyRn8gsbr7H5J3ZH0WojyvrpMQZ7sOHbwwwjzqqmXWSkoQ67Rxotj5oee5_UvGnMGcQ9WU0EqAjvm7QzGRyU/s1600-h/oct23.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396360854450797298" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5XbK-DLGNgSam7Fd0BsBFoNutrqUSeUgJXt9vjRiQ3Xh9hrwawFr6GXPSyRn8gsbr7H5J3ZH0WojyvrpMQZ7sOHbwwwjzqqmXWSkoQ67Rxotj5oee5_UvGnMGcQ9WU0EqAjvm7QzGRyU/s320/oct23.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:130%;">The sandwich was good (messy, but good) I would have preferred if they toasted the bread or something... it was falling apart in my hands and I was left with a mess of chicken and cheese... blech!</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">The fries were BOOOOOOMB!!!!!!!</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Nice and crunchy and sooo very sweeet :) Just like they should be....<br /><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">We also split the Chocolate Lava Cake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream between the four of us... no pic because I pretty much inhaled my few bites of the heavenly thing before a decent pic coud be taken. Oooooops ! I can assure you, it was perfection.<br /><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">We had such a fun time at dinner, caught up with each other.. talked about plans for Halloween (only 5 days away!!!!) witnessed a VERY rude man named Roger complaining and embarassing the hostess right in front of us... My original plan was to save the last few sips of my martini specifically to throw in his face later in the night (EW!) I hate nothing more than rude customers... as a server myself, I could tell the hostess was doing her best to be as polite as possible when the whole time she just wanted to say... <strong>Hey. JACKASS. You're complaining to the WRONG person. </strong>I wish I had just done it for her... one more Peach Blossom and I probably would have been stupid enough to do so.</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Have you ever had a situation at work having to deal with difficult people? How did you handle the situation???</strong><br /><br /><br />I woke up before BF this morning so I snacked on a Honeycrisp I had brought along and caught up on blogs & played on Facebook, you know, the reg.... </span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiUk9yGxvO9hmTriMXE1FcbYhEVWeCv4cTzRAZ1qM1mkOakzDzqcpbXRdcFoBTslA-znCYZzmQv2HhdqoKcNIi36SHYgYIQ3bpfv-f4Kpq04Eni4P0Ry0EgEwkw9WpmrbIE6Vw1jA6KPI/s1600-h/oct23-7.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396360653572634002" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiUk9yGxvO9hmTriMXE1FcbYhEVWeCv4cTzRAZ1qM1mkOakzDzqcpbXRdcFoBTslA-znCYZzmQv2HhdqoKcNIi36SHYgYIQ3bpfv-f4Kpq04Eni4P0Ry0EgEwkw9WpmrbIE6Vw1jA6KPI/s320/oct23-7.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:130%;">Once caveman finally woke up around 10 it was time for breakfast... I made OATS! (Apple-Cinnamon to be exact!) I had to use the not-so-good stuff for my PB... all they had in the house was Skippy PB but it was better than nothing! </span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Tasted great and held me over for hours and hours.. seeing as how I didn't have a full meal until 6pm, this was a good choice for breakky....</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />Bid a sad goodbye to BF and the other two chooches, sadly turned down pumpkin carving with BF's little sister :( and thought about how bad I wished I had stayed on the drive home because of this fact, and then drove home...</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">NOT before stopping at the gym!!<br /><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Which was uneventful, to say the least...</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />My shin splints have been getting worse and worse :( I'm currently icing my right shin at the time actually because of this.... my runs have become worse lately in terms of length and power while running. I ran for 15 minutes... took a break because of the pain, tried the elliptical for 15 mins only to find out it was broken and wouldn't switch to Cardio setting, hopped back on the treadmill... ran a quick 1.25 miles, then was DONE because it was already time to get home and get ready to go out to dinner with my girlfriends!</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Snacked on another Honeycrisp after leaving....</span><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396361948897228642" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnXSFzZUl3qhbdfEPWkSnWjPA35YrDj8wqUBJMCnbQ-OHmbWVixVrmFcTTHV5X46cr4gGdJLxisjYicLJHC7f_IIIsCSV4XYLlR0Fy5bS9FTULdM-vnu2SLj0MtathquzCcqgOdcznDRo/s320/DSC04315.JPG" border="0" /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Me and three of my friends went to Da Capo.. a place that's been in the area for almost a year now that NONE of us had tried yet. We heard they had good Caprese salad... good enough recommendation for me...<br /><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">We got complimentary warm rolls with good olive oil.... so I enjoyed one<br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTbSbn28y6AwXOgWUoL8ia_mrIOsFGvLSpbOHMaHSX9f942W0PKLGimGovluVF25YwQRy0Y5S1dsBl3d3lTe6Vgt_TqqkqmGd-xQgPLksgZDJlLwGjW4cDvrV6CfttiKRcEEt3XtHKWUg/s1600-h/da+capo1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396360477003218050" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTbSbn28y6AwXOgWUoL8ia_mrIOsFGvLSpbOHMaHSX9f942W0PKLGimGovluVF25YwQRy0Y5S1dsBl3d3lTe6Vgt_TqqkqmGd-xQgPLksgZDJlLwGjW4cDvrV6CfttiKRcEEt3XtHKWUg/s320/da+capo1.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Follow by TWO appetizer portions of the Caprese Salad for the table....</span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix7JIo2e_n7D_eulABVllVXa7EJeAqrPDe8RlgY07NTHMOWwlMwikkcSklvPpt7ClcOo7rwWjIlhfogBDoYN-hUE6udidm8jKIFHf27CFX1Ap-B6BIQgffEl56rpoDitfr5r1_14uzXT4/s1600-h/da+capo2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396360372874465090" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix7JIo2e_n7D_eulABVllVXa7EJeAqrPDe8RlgY07NTHMOWwlMwikkcSklvPpt7ClcOo7rwWjIlhfogBDoYN-hUE6udidm8jKIFHf27CFX1Ap-B6BIQgffEl56rpoDitfr5r1_14uzXT4/s320/da+capo2.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;"> I had this and another 1/2 of the tomato & mozz combo...</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">They served their caprese salad with roasted red peppers which I personally was pretty excited about!! Loooove me some roasted red peps! :)<br /><br /><br />We ordered a large white pizza for the table....</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Broccoli, ricotta, mozz, roasted garlic on the whole thing...</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">...and mushrooms on half for Morgan & I the shroom fiends ahhhh yum!<br /></span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMTpfg4o-pQbpnwFoLMSqbUX5pzl1Haa__2B6xWbEVlHcI_x3IcghUcIxMhgn-VnRMbfd2jY54YSvn1EOPkOA5ZTgv4FeVwDxeNqIKoGioPPiW1rcDHgdJJh1k-LrEZz3paAq8KhKSFhE/s1600-h/da+capo3.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396360249635546146" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMTpfg4o-pQbpnwFoLMSqbUX5pzl1Haa__2B6xWbEVlHcI_x3IcghUcIxMhgn-VnRMbfd2jY54YSvn1EOPkOA5ZTgv4FeVwDxeNqIKoGioPPiW1rcDHgdJJh1k-LrEZz3paAq8KhKSFhE/s320/da+capo3.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;"> Had 2 pieces (it was ALL I could handle after the apps, bread, & house Chardonnay)</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />Oh... <strong>that is</strong> until our waiter brought us out <span style="font-size:180%;">a free 3-layer chocolate mousse cake</span> (SAY WHAAAA!?!) yeah... needless to say, we hugged Tyler passionately before leaving and offered him marriage in return for his sweet surprise. I think we made his day if I'm not mistaken....<br /><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Ahhh so unrelated by the POINT behind this post was my Carb Addiction. <a href="http://whitsgettingfit.com/2009/10/24/its-fate/">Whitney's </a>post totally hit close to home because I have the same exact issue (minus the fact I'm not training for a marathon at the time like super-girl Whit who looks fabulous as ever whether she thinks so or not! :) haha) but it IS something I've been meaning to address...</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />YES, you heard it right.</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Hello, my name is Allio, and I'm a Carb-a-holic....</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">I need to cut back. I haven't noticed a significant difference in weight or anything, but my body just feels more sluggish and I DO feel more weighed down physically during workouts these days which I think has something to do with the insane amount of carbs I throw into my mouth. I don't mean to do it either...</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>The culprits???</strong></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">1.) Oatmeal.... which I will continue to eat each morning because it's packed full of nutrients and I load up my oats with good things like fruit, peanut butter for protein, & this breakfast keeps me full and happy the longest</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">2.) Sandwiches... I'm a sandwich fiend.. PB & J, turkey, quesadillas, bagels with jam... I love me some bread.. and by the time lunch rolls around, I usually crave it!</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">3.) Cereal.... when I have cereal, I find it veryyy difficult to end it at one bowl. I could eat it everyday for the rest of my life & that is no exaggeration! I love it... everything about it... but its carbo-heaven.</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">SO... you will hopefully see more protein based meals & snacks on the Chocoholic homefront from this day forward as I attempt to balance my starches with my proteins on a daily basis.... let's hope it works out *fingers crossed*</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /><strong>Currently</strong>??? Watching the beginning of, yet another, Mel Gibson movie (me and Gibby are in love) this time.. We Were Soliders and I'm laaaahvin it already... having one more chilled glass of Chardonnay... and then getting straight to reading a book my biotch Lauryn lent me tonight called Smashed... aka a real-life recap of a girl's drunken adventures beginning around age 16 and ending at 22... hmmmmmmm.. Sounds familiar?? I dunno, maybe. </span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Happy Saturday Bebes! :)</span><br /></div>Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772686677670787444noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-951297443932197999.post-3743582286159926232009-10-22T19:41:00.000-07:002009-10-22T20:36:27.451-07:00I'm Sticking With The Tea-Bagging...<div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">It's a quote; <strong>Always Sunny</strong> style, don't worry haha...although I HAVE been enjoying my fair amount of tea! :) (<em>which was the purpose for using the blog title... minus the fact I'm watching the hilariousness as we speak</em>)</span></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh-ENIa6PdVXYUt8lMMMcaeVepKTtJJ-6JFS4YQuyD8ECwcnB406mSwuJvmNgWEaHUcu-X9HB3gC0CE6vfhSbTo3qd8G1V6zdaQM2GszdpWazgzMGHsRza450m2sqvBvl5TMJxK2ewOzA/s1600-h/sunny-philadelphia26.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 236px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395622451910500322" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh-ENIa6PdVXYUt8lMMMcaeVepKTtJJ-6JFS4YQuyD8ECwcnB406mSwuJvmNgWEaHUcu-X9HB3gC0CE6vfhSbTo3qd8G1V6zdaQM2GszdpWazgzMGHsRza450m2sqvBvl5TMJxK2ewOzA/s320/sunny-philadelphia26.jpg" /></a> <span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Do any of you watch it??</strong> If you don't, you don't know what you're missing... if you enjoy hilarious characters, conversations about beer that go on for 10 minute, and pointless debates that end nowhere... it's for you. These men are genious. And I'm more of a fan of the older episodes too... they're wayy funny :)</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">On a more <strong>non-hilar</strong> note... my meals & snacks can be broken down like <em>this</em>...</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Breakky has been <strong>the regular</strong> everyday with slight changes lately</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Banana-Coconut oatmeal... I'll <strong>never</strong> be sick of this combo!</span></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyZ2fYaRJZb3fePFCjcrP-ZPYigZTDnYzCXiaSMbrbBJng9TkAR0Ur97zOSYSZpdmODQEp61apsMhIgxf5PIEV8T-r_8E-F0lwhIah0CuysaHnEtXH4XeTFFj2biFoHcDgaqC5waYKJsU/s1600-h/DSC04293.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395621606957324306" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyZ2fYaRJZb3fePFCjcrP-ZPYigZTDnYzCXiaSMbrbBJng9TkAR0Ur97zOSYSZpdmODQEp61apsMhIgxf5PIEV8T-r_8E-F0lwhIah0CuysaHnEtXH4XeTFFj2biFoHcDgaqC5waYKJsU/s320/DSC04293.JPG" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">I've been really good (aka 7 years old) and bringing healthy, packed lunches & snacks to work :)</span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihp3FJmakMU2l9TPZEdux8vfwduSSjv4tFgAv-QogyMw6IyimdZf-OAuDn4oMEPYQeosVHtLV7wGBTQycC6GibKkZ2eWjhlcw88Fc16FQUeTIs1RLyoqj_tSdKmiJ1vuhoGFyRFArh6B0/s1600-h/DSC04295.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395621487361046882" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihp3FJmakMU2l9TPZEdux8vfwduSSjv4tFgAv-QogyMw6IyimdZf-OAuDn4oMEPYQeosVHtLV7wGBTQycC6GibKkZ2eWjhlcw88Fc16FQUeTIs1RLyoqj_tSdKmiJ1vuhoGFyRFArh6B0/s320/DSC04295.JPG" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;"> ~Peach Chobani with Kashi Honey Almond Flax</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">~Gala apple on the siz-ide</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">~Nature's Promise Organic Oat Bran pretzel sticks</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />Eating my daily piece (<strong>or two...</strong> dark chocolate covered pretzel rods in my case) of chocolate...</span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnhj3xFFtJFPAU8Zlcq2TaAvbdZI7Efpy4FAZarkpOIX6tUiewbUGylDpc0J3O89j8GKnBjVVP0viN-v9-FHvJQG4rNF63bmW_QCet_wA-7rqKAn1iOLYuUcInTUzhTcT-sNNC8cfFX_4/s1600-h/DSC04298.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395621290135507922" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnhj3xFFtJFPAU8Zlcq2TaAvbdZI7Efpy4FAZarkpOIX6tUiewbUGylDpc0J3O89j8GKnBjVVP0viN-v9-FHvJQG4rNF63bmW_QCet_wA-7rqKAn1iOLYuUcInTUzhTcT-sNNC8cfFX_4/s320/DSC04298.JPG" /></a><strong> <span style="font-size:130%;">Cereal</span></strong><span style="font-size:130%;"> for dinner... say whaaattt!?</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">With an intelligent H20 on the side....<br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguIF3KyUPrlAP1Q8qZAQmy2Ib-Oxp-5BAMNkiQuwKZUyO0FsoolKvTYSBUgapV0AzOoJeMZTJ-faLxdUJBwh8huA_9AqcmMfcxhmQuuiWGDw9z1hs9jnGRt4rYQEW0Mclefllp0R3bAk4/s1600-h/DSC04300.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395621175744829282" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguIF3KyUPrlAP1Q8qZAQmy2Ib-Oxp-5BAMNkiQuwKZUyO0FsoolKvTYSBUgapV0AzOoJeMZTJ-faLxdUJBwh8huA_9AqcmMfcxhmQuuiWGDw9z1hs9jnGRt4rYQEW0Mclefllp0R3bAk4/s320/DSC04300.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Like I said... ridic amounts of <strong><em>mi amor</em></strong>... That's the extent of my </span><a href="http://thefoodiediaries.com/"><span style="font-size:130%;">Sarah</span></a><span style="font-size:130%;">-talk. I'm not too fluent :( hahaaaa, she's MUCH better!</span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge1tBkR_2TtVV3fNlLS1BKg6uB7XFeGpMfYfaj9KB2qCTi_5ouZ_qGpII_vLcKq-6UkdOEkJyLQbg-RwlIIRbW6c1qTyukOLewXO8LLqxwBzpoiBKdjXg0PLPYciY8ha07RrRFzIfzs4Q/s1600-h/DSC04304.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395621006995268914" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge1tBkR_2TtVV3fNlLS1BKg6uB7XFeGpMfYfaj9KB2qCTi_5ouZ_qGpII_vLcKq-6UkdOEkJyLQbg-RwlIIRbW6c1qTyukOLewXO8LLqxwBzpoiBKdjXg0PLPYciY8ha07RrRFzIfzs4Q/s320/DSC04304.JPG" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#ffcc33;">Pumpkin Oats!</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Because I can't help but eat them to get in the Fall/Halloween mooood ;)</span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjegUvf8pFW91TGYOPfj1eQJCeePDU5Hp8IpreJ5CqDOurPlQoKyxd0js_b7C2dQJHZ9OIY1P0oVdFtmvmlrXSC8AR6tjQZfah93qt5FAzf_te2-WL9QU2uem__rzGxpve8NtWfqVbAS_w/s1600-h/DSC04305.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395620877681207794" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjegUvf8pFW91TGYOPfj1eQJCeePDU5Hp8IpreJ5CqDOurPlQoKyxd0js_b7C2dQJHZ9OIY1P0oVdFtmvmlrXSC8AR6tjQZfah93qt5FAzf_te2-WL9QU2uem__rzGxpve8NtWfqVbAS_w/s320/DSC04305.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">MORE packed snacks for worky</span><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg464CaoAQWMmKVbtb0tbHxWWLpNQ1mhX4Wwx4bPwzB0ECY-8ddYZPaBWtqZ5MgffJXDA8K8Qdfiet0Eaha9M71jEwlYXJn58C-eHO57NdBibk5B7fyFswy2fsvCSoVd4uvLt2Fy7NbVeE/s1600-h/DSC04306.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395620755601473858" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg464CaoAQWMmKVbtb0tbHxWWLpNQ1mhX4Wwx4bPwzB0ECY-8ddYZPaBWtqZ5MgffJXDA8K8Qdfiet0Eaha9M71jEwlYXJn58C-eHO57NdBibk5B7fyFswy2fsvCSoVd4uvLt2Fy7NbVeE/s320/DSC04306.JPG" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;"> ~Teddie smooth PB & Pear Hazelnut spread on an Arnolds Thin</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">~Another Gala gotta gottaaa have Gala ;)</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">~Banana Nut Bread Clif Bar!!!! (new one for me! loooved it... how could I not? I eat bananas everyday ...TWSS, for real.... and I'm a huuuge b-bread fan when Jilly-Bean makes it )</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />Pumpkin Spice Lattes w. skim</span></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiZADd9ogk5-T2PP-3ep-BQdsLiyqSZ65MFt1J1nVNGK9wPPaJ4Fq0943UmKDZU1emfEYszfE1uZN28qQs3pUNfpXp78BaQm0HDBOGVZEiR0ceNMpqZlV1e6P3Hz7L0msI6hY4WjymwNQ/s1600-h/starbys.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395620645589984994" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiZADd9ogk5-T2PP-3ep-BQdsLiyqSZ65MFt1J1nVNGK9wPPaJ4Fq0943UmKDZU1emfEYszfE1uZN28qQs3pUNfpXp78BaQm0HDBOGVZEiR0ceNMpqZlV1e6P3Hz7L0msI6hY4WjymwNQ/s320/starbys.jpg" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />Tonight... ALL I wanted after the gym was <strong>roasted veggies</strong>...</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">So obvi, I stopped at the store and picked up some of my favs to put on the pan & cook to deliciousness...<br /></div></span><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0RsCvWIgr5_uh8UZUfVRLm7SYdyp6AhwdSXEQULRu23xu7T5_9QloxUP398fv8NzQp7AAFmHMTSogBUttODQbcG5HAKm0bHJRnwK97UOOE8UNZoAcD25-A74dHvgR86Or217XnFWkBY0/s1600-h/DSC04307.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395620570322963010" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0RsCvWIgr5_uh8UZUfVRLm7SYdyp6AhwdSXEQULRu23xu7T5_9QloxUP398fv8NzQp7AAFmHMTSogBUttODQbcG5HAKm0bHJRnwK97UOOE8UNZoAcD25-A74dHvgR86Or217XnFWkBY0/s320/DSC04307.JPG" /></a> <span style="font-size:130%;"><em>Carrots</em></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">Mushrooms</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><em>Onions</em></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">Eggplant</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><em>Yellow Squash</em></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">Small potato</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">Throughlyy enjoyed this <strong>ginormous bowl</strong> for din-din and my belly is happy & full :)<br /><br /><br />Could be the veggies....or the 2 glasses of this <strong>pretty thing</strong>:</span></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXFGKthdqKcdHXN8ftfkg7RJIgnKpHQemAqSHDA08OyyANCjhiCJp1G8XoYQJz_Fbdys0Tz7itTCgk4dUE5spdstnX1t0Skl12zgjPp6o4Z5WdqI0U6uNeb8hH7Z-FhVsiKWlVPz-Mcm8/s1600-h/DSC04310.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395620421126326914" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXFGKthdqKcdHXN8ftfkg7RJIgnKpHQemAqSHDA08OyyANCjhiCJp1G8XoYQJz_Fbdys0Tz7itTCgk4dUE5spdstnX1t0Skl12zgjPp6o4Z5WdqI0U6uNeb8hH7Z-FhVsiKWlVPz-Mcm8/s320/DSC04310.JPG" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />Nooo I didn't do much damage to the tray of veggies or anything... uhhhh....</span><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjKRrfYe6M80RxEZvltGPEJY4IWv3N8nI7pCqd9vB3c2DNJxl6L6p2_mVNc5D_4Dp96oNzm8Dwk6NJqMyACXXEVTVo7cD0JFulNtjXWYCWPdjRha7X39J2KqHnD-qg9sfu5KZ7kmV2gqg/s1600-h/DSC04311.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395620302314924882" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjKRrfYe6M80RxEZvltGPEJY4IWv3N8nI7pCqd9vB3c2DNJxl6L6p2_mVNc5D_4Dp96oNzm8Dwk6NJqMyACXXEVTVo7cD0JFulNtjXWYCWPdjRha7X39J2KqHnD-qg9sfu5KZ7kmV2gqg/s320/DSC04311.JPG" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;">Gahh, loved every delicious bite!<br /><br />Oh...speaking of GYM:</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>My workout yesterday was..</strong> </span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><em>30 minutes on the treadmill / approx 2.5 miles / approx 290 calories</em></span></div><div><em><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></em></div><div><em><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></em></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>And today was..</strong></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><em>45 minutes on the treadmill / 3.8 miles / 455 calories</em></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><em>I did intervals of 2 every 2 for 10 minutes total...</em><br /><br /><strong>In other</strong> <strong>exciting Allio news</strong>... I bought my <strong><span style="color:#ff6600;">Halloween costume</span></strong> online today! :) Estimated date of shipment is <em>1-2 business days</em>... sooo you will be seeing a pic of my <strong>sweet get-up</strong> at that time! </span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">I'll leave you <em>in suspense</em> as to what I picked out (because I know you're all DYING to know... sarcasm at its finest haha)</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /><strong>What are you all dressing up as this year for Halloween!?!</strong><br /><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">I hate to admit it, but I fully support the Halloween rule for us chicas... it's the one day a year you can dress slightly less "<strong>conventional</strong>" than usual... HA! Oooops.... I think I also support the idea that if you work hard to look good in that costume, you<strong> deserve</strong> to wear it (<em>and rock it with confidence</em>!!!!) Do you agree??? If not, totally understand... if you do, power to ya! :)</span><br /><br /></div><div><span style="font-size:180%;">AND... </span><a href="http://www.juliegolean.com/2009/10/gift-for-you.html"><span style="font-size:180%;">Julie's</span></a><span style="font-size:180%;"> having an awesome giveaway right now!!! The lucky winner will get an amazing taste of Nature's Path organic products! :)</span></div><div><br /> </div><div align="center"></div></div><br /></div>Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772686677670787444noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-951297443932197999.post-87724977282291592862009-10-20T18:07:00.001-07:002009-10-20T18:59:21.926-07:00Invasion of the Ladybugs<div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">First things first... Gina's having an </span><a href="http://candidrd.blogspot.com/2009/10/giveaway-time.html"><span style="font-size:130%;">awesome giveaway</span></a><span style="font-size:130%;">!! So why wait? Get on over and take a shot at winning all those goodies! :)</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Other than that, my house is overrun with <strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">ladybugs</span></strong> as we speak... ahhh!</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">ONE "warm" day (it was maybe 62 today) and they come out of the woodwork and take over the windows!! They're adorable but in masses like that, no thanks.</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Anyway... time to play catch-up, per usual...</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Going back to yesterday's lunch... I tried these out for the first time because I've had them in my freezer & loved the MorningStar mushroom burgers... AND needed a quickie on the run lunch since I was racing up to UConn:</span></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSrEV2N-oLaPVqm_q0zv9KhYt5xa6YKZO_OqkrITkKWhrclW0EDNv9eS01fog9qYwDCHbd2Xwj84vwv-Tym6e10DfDjvYBNA56s_yxbpIkAV3s6MmeEdks8LlWj4xy-KjQ5KNaQFvZH6U/s1600-h/DSC04271.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394856176442935522" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSrEV2N-oLaPVqm_q0zv9KhYt5xa6YKZO_OqkrITkKWhrclW0EDNv9eS01fog9qYwDCHbd2Xwj84vwv-Tym6e10DfDjvYBNA56s_yxbpIkAV3s6MmeEdks8LlWj4xy-KjQ5KNaQFvZH6U/s320/DSC04271.JPG" /></a> <span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Delicious</strong>! The MorningStar burgers are, to me, a littttle bit greasy, but not so much that they're unappetizing.. they have great taste, they're juicy, and don't need much of an addition.</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">I added only baby spinach and put the burger on a toasted Arnold's Thin</span></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiudzfhbeuzy2R0UoLvkA-S9IXw7bIxLOK1s3i52mUdZVtzi_RHGXOyCS5IUdCe5h1ZoJ789ld4V3A6JZnS6Vy75xfKkuZyJIWkjPx7Q-OOFxpYY3u7EWiz-s1VebXnKDzjgTsE3q5CBw/s1600-h/DSC04272.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394856015560900098" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiudzfhbeuzy2R0UoLvkA-S9IXw7bIxLOK1s3i52mUdZVtzi_RHGXOyCS5IUdCe5h1ZoJ789ld4V3A6JZnS6Vy75xfKkuZyJIWkjPx7Q-OOFxpYY3u7EWiz-s1VebXnKDzjgTsE3q5CBw/s320/DSC04272.JPG" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Then headed up to UConn to see boyfriend :)</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">I haven't been able to see him for over TWO WEEKS which is <strong>much too long</strong> for us! </span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">We spent the night just relaxing and enjoying each other's company since we haven't been able to as much as we would prefer...</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Let me just say, <strong>I'm one lucky girl</strong> to have the boyfriend that I do :)</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">He asked me what I wanted for dinner because he insisted on "spoiling me" while I was visiting... I simply said "<strong>seafood</strong>" (surprise, surprise) so he whipped up a an incredible dinner, invested in a big bottle of wine, and turned on Monday night football/Yankees v. Angels... <span style="font-size:180%;">Me Likeyyyyy</span> :)<br /></span></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSV0awzAVO9rNrlnFoytXTyi18glKixP8oKD7NL_CQQ41Dxz7tAuXXaby-2ZZRnNR-wBwe3zT-fFiMsthlDkOAlfqHjelBxeFC_50P5NgLS2FdnS7K-6yt8vqy6bSUole6KBocWQBOoNg/s1600-h/dinner.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394855845289921426" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSV0awzAVO9rNrlnFoytXTyi18glKixP8oKD7NL_CQQ41Dxz7tAuXXaby-2ZZRnNR-wBwe3zT-fFiMsthlDkOAlfqHjelBxeFC_50P5NgLS2FdnS7K-6yt8vqy6bSUole6KBocWQBOoNg/s320/dinner.jpg" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong><span style="color:#ff9900;">Orange-glazed broiled salmon</span></strong> (marinated for an hour w. orange marmalade, OJ, dijon mustard, & ginger) & a warm pasta salad with WW rotini, chopped tomatoes, Feta, salt & pepper, & a drizzle of EVOO... sooo simple but <strong>SO ridiculously good</strong>!</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">I seriously had this ^^^^ <em>times two</em>...</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Enjoyed two or three glasses of Chardonnay (hey, it was a special occasion!) and got to get in <strong>high-quality snuggle time</strong> with my bebe *sigh* Everytime I'm there I never want to leave!!! :(</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">I brought a quick & portable breakfast to eat before I left boyfriend...</span></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG0u2l0vRS1hV2IKNxt5rKpBJb4adOMJoAwE6CB7oxfxNdB7wqBdaXOxH2HblhE0to1TG1DCSQNsL96LJfZyVadgEZC2U9OiHtaBJQXZMUhMrYlaMQT9NtmDZSaGGfXfFheix5SoFDBXg/s1600-h/DSC04274.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394855711948164274" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG0u2l0vRS1hV2IKNxt5rKpBJb4adOMJoAwE6CB7oxfxNdB7wqBdaXOxH2HblhE0to1TG1DCSQNsL96LJfZyVadgEZC2U9OiHtaBJQXZMUhMrYlaMQT9NtmDZSaGGfXfFheix5SoFDBXg/s320/DSC04274.JPG" /></a> <span style="font-size:130%;">Stonyfield Banilla yogurt with Kashi Honey Almond Flax cereal & cinnamon</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">...with a delish Gala apple on the side</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">I got up at 9 AM, got dressed for the gym, and ate my breakky before bidding my beau goodbye (sadddd) and making the 1-1/2 hour drive back home...</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">My workout was <strong>PAINFUL</strong> to say the least... my shins were tight, achey, and no matter how much I stretched they didn't seem to get any better.</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">I first attempted my usual warm-up on the treadmill doing a power walk at a 0.0 incline... after about 10 minutes my ankles still felt a little tight but I pumped up the speed and started running... 5 minutes later I was massaging my shins like never before and sitting my butt down on the floor. The pain was <strong>extreme</strong> and I made the wise choice to NOT keep attempting a run today...</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Instead, I hopped on the elliptical....</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><em>30 minutes / 3.0 miles / 260 calories</em></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Better than nothing, right? :-/</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">I got into the Halloweeeeny spirit and snacked on this after leaving...</span></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWsmW5YZDxBE7C6n8NUd-9E1087QvPzKNeqgGTpUrBtBNzbD9Jx4ehDFNpbkRPnbuCx0xYOHZkuIVCLPNVTg8bgU439EiF5YPQBy7nnUsSfyIGyLrF1PEx5CaQuWMYFjQNmBp7P85FO88/s1600-h/DSC04276.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394855518441191426" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWsmW5YZDxBE7C6n8NUd-9E1087QvPzKNeqgGTpUrBtBNzbD9Jx4ehDFNpbkRPnbuCx0xYOHZkuIVCLPNVTg8bgU439EiF5YPQBy7nnUsSfyIGyLrF1PEx5CaQuWMYFjQNmBp7P85FO88/s320/DSC04276.JPG" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;">Delishhhh!!! Loved the pieces of chocolate and the itty bitty marshmallow bites... I love ALL Z-bars so I knew Clif couldn't go wrong with this but I am thinking I need to stock up on these bars before the season's over!!</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Lunch brought a new product for reviewing also!</span> </div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5wWavA-QbVxZoVPw4HUbc1bhfnADU04XUNIGtnWxqbzoHTGil7xyvl3sUDz_dZKBZ8o7eoKfCZ45nYhxSVqvCu-YU1k3oU5S1e9XNRtNsl80CEj8xe4X5BTgOpz5hyphenhyphenO4Y5pZvG7cSuK4/s1600-h/DSC04277.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394855393114560386" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5wWavA-QbVxZoVPw4HUbc1bhfnADU04XUNIGtnWxqbzoHTGil7xyvl3sUDz_dZKBZ8o7eoKfCZ45nYhxSVqvCu-YU1k3oU5S1e9XNRtNsl80CEj8xe4X5BTgOpz5hyphenhyphenO4Y5pZvG7cSuK4/s320/DSC04277.JPG" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;">I'm a big fan of Amy's soups so far and this was a new one...</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Veryyy yummy! Even though the pic doesn't do it justice...</span></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBYYVYke0Uo8mhedVlbLwlt5v8rrYXhI0Z0M4IbwBNULlkInmtCzv-KqfWGTLZtnqJIgcLXW5bh67FLzzlbauTWuK9zClQSsHzDjGTWvZHLzQt8nDwJuIeCdnrMQfRJay8HO_8S4RTips/s1600-h/DSC04279.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394855260745811282" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBYYVYke0Uo8mhedVlbLwlt5v8rrYXhI0Z0M4IbwBNULlkInmtCzv-KqfWGTLZtnqJIgcLXW5bh67FLzzlbauTWuK9zClQSsHzDjGTWvZHLzQt8nDwJuIeCdnrMQfRJay8HO_8S4RTips/s320/DSC04279.JPG" /></a> <span style="font-size:130%;">I had the soup alongside another MorningStar Spicy Black Bean Burger</span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0DwSa8Eaxig2iZfJ1dy5EQXBnc9orCc2G_GdCCM1-3aczU-I_MOkSu_9OyGz2I432IM1qewZjFzVzhEHcEv4efmtyI6XpUEbFx4R-whEbP7p9Yr6b5tZmx00i9Fnq_zPXcPintSsZMLM/s1600-h/DSC04280.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394855131234395810" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0DwSa8Eaxig2iZfJ1dy5EQXBnc9orCc2G_GdCCM1-3aczU-I_MOkSu_9OyGz2I432IM1qewZjFzVzhEHcEv4efmtyI6XpUEbFx4R-whEbP7p9Yr6b5tZmx00i9Fnq_zPXcPintSsZMLM/s320/DSC04280.JPG" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;">Then it was time to whip up a birthday cake for my sistah's b-day celebration tonight...</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">She's a <strong>huuuge coconut fan</strong> so the second I saw this recipe a few months ago, I knew it was being saved for this very occasion. It's a <strong>pain-in-the-ayyyy</strong> cake, for serious, but it was worth the hard work!<br /></span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixpcAZotBXfim4RWUVgntxb89PjPn1KJsN4k6-09i9nBQKpkDSRmeOvJsGsVUKe5SBmveFIt5MBBztNuSR96tQdUaxv831CIF8jI_U5hIZkOYMQLugOBI3iMokt0B1XSgXPhIi3YZ_7DI/s1600-h/DSC04282.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394854818791893714" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixpcAZotBXfim4RWUVgntxb89PjPn1KJsN4k6-09i9nBQKpkDSRmeOvJsGsVUKe5SBmveFIt5MBBztNuSR96tQdUaxv831CIF8jI_U5hIZkOYMQLugOBI3iMokt0B1XSgXPhIi3YZ_7DI/s320/DSC04282.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiduIPoUYUpY-nf3BSyngyaSYkWmqjRFtzFs-VcTfRm7YMB0PeZRTfldnrSVbrEgNDJfnLx82tGgiUYMLcbahzhORTRupz2Or1U116kc8LKIz89C5_x5ehyc_HktXb2epADiMwbn7Uez8Q/s1600-h/DSC04284.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394854668152321442" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiduIPoUYUpY-nf3BSyngyaSYkWmqjRFtzFs-VcTfRm7YMB0PeZRTfldnrSVbrEgNDJfnLx82tGgiUYMLcbahzhORTRupz2Or1U116kc8LKIz89C5_x5ehyc_HktXb2epADiMwbn7Uez8Q/s320/DSC04284.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwugmyz8r_eQWqo9FkpcJMoeWJfkotq6uMzhtzNEudDVtWDMI_DN7OpT9Xuwe01uHxUsZtXznE8Pv59ttxLqJag5-myyKktVIZ0LeIeeKEeivCN3_5CytR4jJOHunHBszsf0hG-Vh7qac/s1600-h/DSC04288.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394854496222359298" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwugmyz8r_eQWqo9FkpcJMoeWJfkotq6uMzhtzNEudDVtWDMI_DN7OpT9Xuwe01uHxUsZtXznE8Pv59ttxLqJag5-myyKktVIZ0LeIeeKEeivCN3_5CytR4jJOHunHBszsf0hG-Vh7qac/s320/DSC04288.JPG" /></a> <strong><span style="font-size:130%;">The final product!!</span><br /></strong><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">After <em>baking away</em> I was starving...</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Enter <strong>PB stuffed naner</strong> ;) Heyoooo</span><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMcWQTdrlOfpKRUcwV5Y1W_H2bQklSj8H79voh0kOf84mMft4CbCzacpMj03noSrL8AiK5lIM5SoHu01yy2McifkDaWBytD97y6rV7fQWsKmG0z1Nahpit2YM2UMl6EDyopbHjScwko04/s1600-h/DSC04289.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394854280881008450" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMcWQTdrlOfpKRUcwV5Y1W_H2bQklSj8H79voh0kOf84mMft4CbCzacpMj03noSrL8AiK5lIM5SoHu01yy2McifkDaWBytD97y6rV7fQWsKmG0z1Nahpit2YM2UMl6EDyopbHjScwko04/s320/DSC04289.JPG" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">With a cup or two of this</span>...<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSJZ29osW9rr2EJqvRmMTmrlUDKpiqsBV5U2xZZFu-LHwJdz99XxSlAhRoJ963zJUgbw65nrZd012z-OOLVYNGVnsx3umQqt2ETnyZGEUx0LGWY8J9SgscGDhSoz_9iZ_wCe1pgwF2BgA/s1600-h/DSC04290.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394854148431697778" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSJZ29osW9rr2EJqvRmMTmrlUDKpiqsBV5U2xZZFu-LHwJdz99XxSlAhRoJ963zJUgbw65nrZd012z-OOLVYNGVnsx3umQqt2ETnyZGEUx0LGWY8J9SgscGDhSoz_9iZ_wCe1pgwF2BgA/s320/DSC04290.JPG" /></a> <span style="font-size:130%;">The fam and I went to 99 for sistah's bday dinner... I could have thought of plenty of other better place for dinner, but she's a big fan of their popcorn bowls (weird?) Instead of bread, they bring out bowls of buttered popcorn... I can safely say I steered clear of it.</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>The parents ordered two appetizers for the table</strong>:</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">Potato skins & Buffalo Wings</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">Steak Spring Rolls & Onion Ring tower<br /><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">I tried a bite of one of the spring rolls but it was wayyy greasy so I passed it off to Stepdad, who gobbled it up happily. What can I say? <strong>I'm a gi</strong>ver :) haha...</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">The crab cake & shrimp skewer combo option caught my eye... mostly because it was one of the only options where you could choose two sides instead of having french fries & coleslaw. <em>Blech</em>!</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">My sides of choice? Rice pilaf & steamed carrots...yummmyyy</span>! <span style="font-size:130%;">Sorry for the sub-par picture... I didn't bring my camera so I had to resort to my camera phone</span>.</div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOY_rHm_xP26k1ihvnG81Rl6LSv5uc11-M70SyqIryEbtnObtDivEApgyD2Y_A_643qpEOLwsUg64_tgLMp1NZmkXt6qG9b4bw0MWSkRHwrcIbFFglzAkDzWPjhgfOBqFf2f7jbqGYo9A/s1600-h/dinnerrr2.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394853978215938690" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOY_rHm_xP26k1ihvnG81Rl6LSv5uc11-M70SyqIryEbtnObtDivEApgyD2Y_A_643qpEOLwsUg64_tgLMp1NZmkXt6qG9b4bw0MWSkRHwrcIbFFglzAkDzWPjhgfOBqFf2f7jbqGYo9A/s320/dinnerrr2.jpg" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;">The veggies & rice actually ended up being my <strong>favorite</strong> part of the entire dinner!</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">The crab cake was definitely nothing to rave about. I've had some really good crabcakes and this one just didn't compare... The shrimp was pretty good. I liked the seasonings but I almost knocked my Blue Moon off the table trying to pry them off the skewer. That would have been a major FAIL right there...</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">Sistah had a Blueberry Mojito for her first legal drink (yayyy!) but didn't really like it... she's not much of a drinker anyway. But she was psyched for cake when we got home!</span><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLAFIQDGStXjBUdt8qlwSY7fmtTp-qlO0-eam0OjvdpRduwbTTV-sJHwzY7sylQu8HUumEBPJBpRornKB16oUb3U4ipa-YSRcd2fwJ6mS6gxy8vzdz9a-7Q-q610WMWk9XYJViI5F3Wns/s1600-h/DSC04291.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394853869556712690" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLAFIQDGStXjBUdt8qlwSY7fmtTp-qlO0-eam0OjvdpRduwbTTV-sJHwzY7sylQu8HUumEBPJBpRornKB16oUb3U4ipa-YSRcd2fwJ6mS6gxy8vzdz9a-7Q-q610WMWk9XYJViI5F3Wns/s320/DSC04291.JPG" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;">I had a sliver of heaven....</span><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4L7N552q6zCRE6l-y1R9f47mYPAcVwOMdgKuF3r9zCcbVT_QNB_3FE1x5gNme8j_8YcJYgVCCZ4ScoGnfKFRByWdqTgYRaCQUfT2ZPn-5tQ-O1IZP7rkWUaG1WjG_rr6fyOxb5y_4GrY/s1600-h/DSC04292.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394853742666873154" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4L7N552q6zCRE6l-y1R9f47mYPAcVwOMdgKuF3r9zCcbVT_QNB_3FE1x5gNme8j_8YcJYgVCCZ4ScoGnfKFRByWdqTgYRaCQUfT2ZPn-5tQ-O1IZP7rkWUaG1WjG_rr6fyOxb5y_4GrY/s320/DSC04292.JPG" /></a> <span style="font-size:130%;">This <strong>MAY</strong> or may not have been followed by <strong>another</strong> tiny sliver ;) Ummmm, what??? Haha... the cake was perfect for a coconut lover... <em>there's coconut milk, chopped coconut, & coconut extract just in the cake layer</em>... not to mention shredded coconut around the perimeter. Its <strong>possible</strong> a coconut coma may occur soon after eating... but I'll take it.<br /><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">Now I'm enjoying a cup of Vanilla Caramel tea and hoping these ladybugs magically disappear by tomorrow morning... gahhh!</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>What would your dream birthday cake be???</strong></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong><br /></strong></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">Mine would <strong>have</strong> to be espresso/coffee themed for sure...yum!!!<br /></span><br /></div></div><br /></div>Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772686677670787444noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-951297443932197999.post-30379330463738566502009-10-19T06:18:00.000-07:002009-10-19T06:47:30.859-07:00Just Call Me Betty... Crocker, That Is<div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Good Morning chickies! :)</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Monday is here again... how <strong>psyched</strong> are you!? Haha...booo!!!!</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">The good news? <strong><span style="color:#ff6600;">Hal<span style="color:#000000;">low</span>een</span></strong> is now <em>less than 2 weeks away</em>! :) Ahhh I'm so excited!!!</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">This is gonna be a quickie because my plan is to get to the gym as soon as possible, get in a good long workout, and then get up to UConn to see bf after that... I havent had time to go up to visit in over TWO WEEKS! :( And I miss my lovah... so I'm pretty excited for that. Plus my sister's birthday is tomorrow... meaning I have a legit excuse to bake an over-the-top cake aka <strong>Coconut Cake</strong> (because it's her fav) and you bet there will be pictures of the final product!</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">I switched up breakfast yesterday to try a new product I bought...</span></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsp0LcvjMUNWW_eacJkuEninPGpCuG1I6jNVGRv57493mBI_TyI04lfSdVaRL4sCvYqdWdcWfoR-2_ZZY3YxkQ-ohx_SrybJ08foqb6e69PTUf2A7wSFukrH6zW8wK3kvIqib0iPxq0lg/s1600-h/DSC04254.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394301151500928578" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsp0LcvjMUNWW_eacJkuEninPGpCuG1I6jNVGRv57493mBI_TyI04lfSdVaRL4sCvYqdWdcWfoR-2_ZZY3YxkQ-ohx_SrybJ08foqb6e69PTUf2A7wSFukrH6zW8wK3kvIqib0iPxq0lg/s320/DSC04254.JPG" /></a> <span style="font-size:130%;">This looks like it should be a commercial.. "part of a balanced breakfast!"... haha</span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Aqv0EtTgD3v6ioDfrLNcLeVxRV8OO6tJnwTKoR53IqFL3QOGtnduVfFg2Xs_7L7q9jlsBgqF7LtaVd51hpA4gt4J-51MbydeDCM7aaL-WR0k9KaeRjfPgKhiXxzA-pcPlNEkVMRcKBU/s1600-h/DSC04249.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394301019233089602" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Aqv0EtTgD3v6ioDfrLNcLeVxRV8OO6tJnwTKoR53IqFL3QOGtnduVfFg2Xs_7L7q9jlsBgqF7LtaVd51hpA4gt4J-51MbydeDCM7aaL-WR0k9KaeRjfPgKhiXxzA-pcPlNEkVMRcKBU/s320/DSC04249.JPG" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;"> Enjoyed my new Kashi cereal with Oat Flakes & Blueberry Clusters with a banana... hey, if I'm skipping out on the oats, I still need that big yellow guy (TWSS?)</span><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMSyrbRMuFCJnizpDIgDGt68hKIGw1fWHkUsJO_9QO8_7otbAzuNPWdheqIv39AvZS6TDO21T-SkgtZUIElFFGatDXtuLNBGE8R256MWGOcmHT8KXRNth8ZiBfzVgLCaTr_5QimztpIpM/s1600-h/DSC04256.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394300890863678034" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMSyrbRMuFCJnizpDIgDGt68hKIGw1fWHkUsJO_9QO8_7otbAzuNPWdheqIv39AvZS6TDO21T-SkgtZUIElFFGatDXtuLNBGE8R256MWGOcmHT8KXRNth8ZiBfzVgLCaTr_5QimztpIpM/s320/DSC04256.JPG" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;">Along with, who else, but a cup of my morning lovah.. "Joe"<br /><br /></span><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7fVa7oCm80h0JCjnfq0D22MLMf87H-TNWqela3pBvIZoS-OqGZIfqcr2LyCjlb62jmmFSuJYoATPFo5SeXucFyeoov4HIp03LEnig2_6_PR8cr7Rw9hDQLL-XgF3-xIeZQHro1K1l5PY/s1600-h/DSC04257.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394300782264773122" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7fVa7oCm80h0JCjnfq0D22MLMf87H-TNWqela3pBvIZoS-OqGZIfqcr2LyCjlb62jmmFSuJYoATPFo5SeXucFyeoov4HIp03LEnig2_6_PR8cr7Rw9hDQLL-XgF3-xIeZQHro1K1l5PY/s320/DSC04257.JPG" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;"> Snacked on a Gala mid morning....<br /><br /><br /><br />Did something new for lunch too!</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">I've seen this wrap on a few bloggies' pages & never used the combo for lunch... Usually I paired PB & fruit with breakfast or snacktime but a PB & Banana wrap... warmed in the pan!?! Heaven!!!!</span><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE7OvoiroobwIXw_LiCnxnJ5k-6ljK8TmeScTRDQbMCbeFWqjmhLvb1fbSSZZ0Mx4aW2PYueVB93i3pythNaywRl-d621v1rtWXwodtnKacOsL_t-0OiwC6Q3W4jm9vvantkGUnnBlA8U/s1600-h/DSC04258.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394300668850517922" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE7OvoiroobwIXw_LiCnxnJ5k-6ljK8TmeScTRDQbMCbeFWqjmhLvb1fbSSZZ0Mx4aW2PYueVB93i3pythNaywRl-d621v1rtWXwodtnKacOsL_t-0OiwC6Q3W4jm9vvantkGUnnBlA8U/s320/DSC04258.JPG" /></a> <span style="font-size:130%;">With a side of grapes... because I'm overloading on fruit<br /><br /><br /><br />I sprinkled extra cinnamon on top too ;)</span><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji_hedCiy1Fp3z1d3ANungEIa0eSSoPdiU685KQNychc-m9l5ejT-OgFPDX4w2VrGsxoHErajOY8MRv9ZEjxV0V6sj1gbdEJhXLdEnKBLKN9iG9JvAXgpGWeWu-cPNThOizo3qIuhD6iU/s1600-h/DSC04259.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394300546958560898" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji_hedCiy1Fp3z1d3ANungEIa0eSSoPdiU685KQNychc-m9l5ejT-OgFPDX4w2VrGsxoHErajOY8MRv9ZEjxV0V6sj1gbdEJhXLdEnKBLKN9iG9JvAXgpGWeWu-cPNThOizo3qIuhD6iU/s320/DSC04259.JPG" /></a> <span style="font-size:130%;">Then it was off to the gym...</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">I only had enough time for a quick run before I had to get back & get ready for work so I did:</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><em><span style="font-size:130%;">45 minutes on the treadmill / 4.0 miles / 485 calories</span></em></div><div><em><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></em></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">I mixed in some intervals again... doing "2 every 2" my workout went a little something like this:</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">10 minute power walk warm-up at 0.0 incline</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">10 minute run at 0.0 incline</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">2 minute run at 2.0 incline</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">2 minute run at 4.0 incline</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">2 minute run at 6.0 incline</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">....return to 0.0 incline & "break" aka run for 2 minutes then repeat....</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">It's what works for me.. It keeps me from getting bored when running and challenges me more than a simple run at the same level. I felt tired but accomplished at the end of the run and that's good enough for me!</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">Then raced home (stopping first at Stop & Shop for walnuts!) to make my pumpkin bread recipe for work... My coworkers were veryy interested in taste testing this pumpkin bread so I figured why not whip up a loaf & bring it in??</span><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf0QY7yoh0OjTo4vnlQruyCDoNrGcHWRa-PPAPAC3s516QYSnrtx3CjD2ZhpTKKvJPIIbDHAkk04MrQUkF9dz3SxXCj8NfrqxzI8nqzhPIKq8Q_Q8VJVD4tpGkpagjhmM7wS9wRCQUIHY/s1600-h/DSC04267.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394300369257711202" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf0QY7yoh0OjTo4vnlQruyCDoNrGcHWRa-PPAPAC3s516QYSnrtx3CjD2ZhpTKKvJPIIbDHAkk04MrQUkF9dz3SxXCj8NfrqxzI8nqzhPIKq8Q_Q8VJVD4tpGkpagjhmM7wS9wRCQUIHY/s320/DSC04267.JPG" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;"> I've actually posted this </span><a href="http://secretsofachocoholic.blogspot.com/2009/09/pumpkins-galore.html"><span style="font-size:130%;">same recipe</span></a><span style="font-size:130%;"> before... it came out just as delicious as the last time :) My coworkers loved it and it was gone in a matter of minutes.. Give it a go! It's a very good Fall inspired dessert or breakfast alternative...<br /><br /><br />Had a nice relaxing night after getting home from work & headed to bed pretty early...</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />Woke up to make the regular...</span><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimhZDqCR_0ludDZhRbkX8XLLvf0fKriMRBF0upOSGBfvXl0MZfR55IrF3mJxqSKZzL_caX5q7c5GAdfhyphenhyphenBq6cVZVvCkIK8E3rz4Er8Yq47oicH6bLa2Y5SWFxMcmTwUZUH5OzV2j9iFlU/s1600-h/DSC04270.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394300247364145010" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimhZDqCR_0ludDZhRbkX8XLLvf0fKriMRBF0upOSGBfvXl0MZfR55IrF3mJxqSKZzL_caX5q7c5GAdfhyphenhyphenBq6cVZVvCkIK8E3rz4Er8Yq47oicH6bLa2Y5SWFxMcmTwUZUH5OzV2j9iFlU/s320/DSC04270.JPG" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;">:)</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />With a giant cup of Cinnamon Hazelnut coffee that I'm now enjoying as we speak...</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">Then it's off to the gym followed by a looong trip up to Storrs to visit Anthony :) I can't wait!!!</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /><strong>Have you ever done a "long" distance relationship?? Did it work well?</strong></span></div><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></strong></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">Although Anthony & I are only 1-1/2 or 2 hours away... we still only get to see each other once a week or once every 2 weeks if we're lucky... Because he still has an extra semester (or possibly year... ugh) in school, he's swamped with things like exams, papers, & deciding which bar to go to on a Thirsty Thursday while I (the graduate) am stressing over the complete opposite... working long hours, bills, & the occasional night out with girlfriends which usually consist of A drink... not ten $0.50 drinks on special at the bar. So sometimes it can be hard to relate... but we have a very strong relationship and care about each other very much so we make it work :)</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">Happy Monday!!</span></div><div></div></div></div></div><br /></div>Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772686677670787444noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-951297443932197999.post-65880565915067551482009-10-17T17:34:00.001-07:002009-10-17T18:30:07.931-07:00Apple & Pumpkin Picking<div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">It feels <strong>soooo good</strong> to sit and relax right now, I can't even tell you. I've had a <strong>super-long but soo super-fun </strong>day! Beginning after breakfast... scratch that: my <strong>AMAZING</strong> breakfast. I love good ol' oats... They're probably the <strong>only</strong> reason I didn't keel over halfway through the day. I (unintentionally) didn't get a chance to eat lunch during my busy day so I thanked my lucky stars I had invested in a quality breaky like that...</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></div></span><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">So after breakfast Danielle & I headed to the Farmer's Market in town..</span></div><div align="center"><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Unfortunately, they didn't have as good a spread this weekend as they did last weekend. Alot of pumpkins, gourds, etc. but because we were planning on<strong> pumpkin picking</strong> later that didn't really interest me. We eyed some eggplants, corn, flowers... but nothing really caught my attention.</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></div></span><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">So then we headed off to the gym....</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></div></span><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">I decided to really <strong>kick it up a notch</strong> (BAM!!) to prepare for the road race next month and did some intervals during my run. It's<strong> so cold out</strong> already in CT making it so difficult for me to get the courage to do my runs outside so the best I can think to do right now is just make my run as close to the real thing as possible... and that means NOT running at a zero incline the whole time (not to mention I tend to get bored running at the same pace and same incline for the whole time)<br /></span></div><div align="center"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></strong></div><div align="center"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">I ran:</span></strong></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><em><span style="font-size:130%;">On the treadmill 50 minutes / 4.5 miles / 523 calories</span></em></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><em><span style="font-size:130%;">I practiced the "2 every 2" technique that Danielle suggested.... upped the incline 2.0 every 2 minutes, taking a break in between every few "reps" of this by jogging at a 0.0 incline...</span></em><em><br /></div></em><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">This worked wonders!!! <strong>I wasn't tired, I wasn't bored, and I even increased my speed for the majority of the run...</strong> and kept my speed at 6.0 for even the highest inclines! This is pretty big for me because my shin splints make it pretty difficult to run inclines comfortably. I was really happy with this workout and felt the affects from it allll dayyyy aka <strong>tired legs</strong>...</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">After our workout we researched Pick Your Own pumpkin & apple picking locations in our area and found a perfect farm for both! </span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><a href="http://marchfarms.com/home.asp"><span style="font-size:130%;">March Farms</span></a><span style="font-size:130%;"> was adorable... with a huge selection (over 14 different apples were available for picking!) Unfortunately I was hoping for two things: 1) Honeycrisps and 2) Galas.... The Honeycrisps were pretty much nonexistant but I WAS lucky enough to find a good Gala or two ;)</span> </div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Funnest day EVER....</span><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393733991963865058" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj84x75XE1qOPmGW46WHsZw0iqavVwifGsLom9iWzkOku24ys0WeMOYj8s7sQ8pxklCa0_AnZCHY7NqbrBjhOTGZJVYjRcLxN6QgoNrXkUYGYD-FEe8PrnZusBQPSpUXe0KXdc4KiDZnrw/s320/DSC04216.JPG" /></div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Fresh made Apple Muffin from the March Farms Store.. sooo delicious!!</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">This was the closest thing to "lunch" that I got today... </span></div><div align="center"></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393738975492778930" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfJrO8TkixreTYH_7ZphZ-T6g7x8BxA6a4BSmessOywetQtxhcUxfHPEcqNvzes1QzEBU9tCyeLTJBiP85q85Q0gSdTVwfYFoT9JolHMpOPdtfjcuo-HmA17SGEOrII2x1ivvRvP8Iruw/s320/DSC04228.JPG" /> <p align="center"><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Having fun with the pumpkins :)<br /></span><br /></p><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-CVCx8eDMGVhGlfDGzCYN8ibakC96dymsntKnb05j-0MPgqQFS8NSzt3llk4DWZE5-5MHjzPKsI6ejKmQIJJPDO7PFck7z0DJ5c-X1KEa4MciR6XFmWqqZyoUHXgGiQukDBM3eEZ_T9s/s1600-h/DSC04225.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393733683014396210" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-CVCx8eDMGVhGlfDGzCYN8ibakC96dymsntKnb05j-0MPgqQFS8NSzt3llk4DWZE5-5MHjzPKsI6ejKmQIJJPDO7PFck7z0DJ5c-X1KEa4MciR6XFmWqqZyoUHXgGiQukDBM3eEZ_T9s/s320/DSC04225.JPG" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Beautiful view from the top of the hill... and two lovelies posing for the picture haha<br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpyjoEnJ9x1cTc4-p4J0eJRTwmQ2ms-Y6xADedQsvKcNXx44weG7T5IN4yRbdq4Md8KIlFutpj8QwF-f1wnHST2M4gYbf0OxaYv11QzTDK1L7q3JwXHx-0kWIy4kduEFwhYQtp94zNPUg/s1600-h/DSC04234.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393733565543070658" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpyjoEnJ9x1cTc4-p4J0eJRTwmQ2ms-Y6xADedQsvKcNXx44weG7T5IN4yRbdq4Md8KIlFutpj8QwF-f1wnHST2M4gYbf0OxaYv11QzTDK1L7q3JwXHx-0kWIy4kduEFwhYQtp94zNPUg/s320/DSC04234.JPG" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Collecting some goodies...<br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuGyJNUnis6lxIGNwKpWbriVYqwbGXIoPoBi-MaBdqsSTr8gO5gsbCuMLKyhY3EjLFIjneQTPu20UD9edeUxKQmVFcjFkWnECvadbFwILVDDZfkTx4EjsUOTTzgPUQrloy1O3w0lMABbM/s1600-h/DSC04238.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393733262235458098" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuGyJNUnis6lxIGNwKpWbriVYqwbGXIoPoBi-MaBdqsSTr8gO5gsbCuMLKyhY3EjLFIjneQTPu20UD9edeUxKQmVFcjFkWnECvadbFwILVDDZfkTx4EjsUOTTzgPUQrloy1O3w0lMABbM/s320/DSC04238.JPG" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Lauryn was the designated "climber" and she did a wonderful job!<br /></span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxK3OqKrMy9Maq7OWr7kyhqYoDI4aV5FeCSOSD2WLY83hfhCmtDQq3m6f4r2Zo1tpbuNYpIeqfMtwC0TQxxYVnIV-0R5uz9YnIzSsx68WzXDXrO6lEoSWgF0g-MuznGkh_o90_WmGTSKI/s1600-h/DSC04240.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393733157379694194" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxK3OqKrMy9Maq7OWr7kyhqYoDI4aV5FeCSOSD2WLY83hfhCmtDQq3m6f4r2Zo1tpbuNYpIeqfMtwC0TQxxYVnIV-0R5uz9YnIzSsx68WzXDXrO6lEoSWgF0g-MuznGkh_o90_WmGTSKI/s320/DSC04240.JPG" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Gotta taste test em right???</span><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Alnx8RH6xxvt2hdc4_RNrchSLR4KYEYToncyudV-rt1lb0PUY-4DwcGY2hG7aJU_OeQhwcruxgI4XqPKynFJqbQvLDGcXJytam1umsG_bYivnkjavrI9MxAH7v-ov-rovdQQCJKvygY/s1600-h/DSC04241.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393732990263990594" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Alnx8RH6xxvt2hdc4_RNrchSLR4KYEYToncyudV-rt1lb0PUY-4DwcGY2hG7aJU_OeQhwcruxgI4XqPKynFJqbQvLDGcXJytam1umsG_bYivnkjavrI9MxAH7v-ov-rovdQQCJKvygY/s320/DSC04241.JPG" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">So after freeezing for about an hour, pulling Lauryn around in the wagon, climbing trees despite signs that said NAY to that, and taking wayy too many pictures.. we took our loot (plus our pumpkins!! yes, we did pick out the big orange beauties along with our apples) and headed home...</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">I was STARVING by this time (around 5pm) so I snacked on this at Laur's house...</span></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivWgLJ-s7kPsPR7ebh9WukI0Jr9oRc9peDvRRBexHTCfJKejAWtIZv3QVq9ipv_04MuoIONR2r7sst_Bmyyk9Td0XV17hDQ17NwHkgIt0OzNkEzvNknyxvY-Hjo1fdMn3nd8U-uUnNSUQ/s1600-h/snack.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393732492340511554" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivWgLJ-s7kPsPR7ebh9WukI0Jr9oRc9peDvRRBexHTCfJKejAWtIZv3QVq9ipv_04MuoIONR2r7sst_Bmyyk9Td0XV17hDQ17NwHkgIt0OzNkEzvNknyxvY-Hjo1fdMn3nd8U-uUnNSUQ/s320/snack.jpg" /></a> <span style="font-size:130%;">Fiber One Multigrain english muffin toasted with chunky Skippy PB ... ehhh, wouldn't usually use the fake stuff but I was about to gnaw my arm off and needed a dose of that craaaaack!</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">Along with one of my beauties from the apple picking adventure!! Sprinkled with cinnamon & a drizzle of local honey.. mmmmm :)</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Then finally went home and had the longest most needed shower of my life & made a much needed comfort food dinner...<br /></span><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV_4ElMlzcyl0UFlA10n70oIXBaqDKpVBMqx5QjMsTEC99lIYSIikIkr3IlvFusuYyKK_05M6XbrKRsGicm3ccAtA6FLT5qQv5-u4vNJuQF1yDFVW7j_gqsrsxgEeoZHmQP5DsGJUN9Wo/s1600-h/DSC04246.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393732419802691106" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV_4ElMlzcyl0UFlA10n70oIXBaqDKpVBMqx5QjMsTEC99lIYSIikIkr3IlvFusuYyKK_05M6XbrKRsGicm3ccAtA6FLT5qQv5-u4vNJuQF1yDFVW7j_gqsrsxgEeoZHmQP5DsGJUN9Wo/s320/DSC04246.JPG" /></a> <span style="font-size:130%;">Baked eggplant "parm" minus the cheese but with the sauce...</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">Salad with Goat cheese, celery, tomatoes, mushrooms & a side of Annie's Ginger dressing...<br /><br /><br />Oh.. and dessert ;) This times two...<br /></span><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMEDuPFKEQTrP0sk7cODY5yVO2S0RTfdTi0ByjP_4v10LZQbrWbef27erWVeMP6gFaxhaheqyMmuo5wD9RZ3ST-6sJf88Rq0vHnayQtwBfTMgnzyEnuWbh8CMMMKyv_ED54TE99afc9NI/s1600-h/DSC04247.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393732133021565842" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMEDuPFKEQTrP0sk7cODY5yVO2S0RTfdTi0ByjP_4v10LZQbrWbef27erWVeMP6gFaxhaheqyMmuo5wD9RZ3ST-6sJf88Rq0vHnayQtwBfTMgnzyEnuWbh8CMMMKyv_ED54TE99afc9NI/s320/DSC04247.JPG" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;"> Yes those are Vicky's PJ pants... at 830pm.. on a Saturday.</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">If you couldn't tell, I skipped out on the power hour party. I don't have <strong>nearl</strong>y enough energy to get dressed, put on makeup, and drink massive amounts of beer. Blechhh....</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">I do however, have enough energy to cozy up on the couch and watch The Break-Up and maybe have another glass of wine... </span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>What did you end up doing today??</strong></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Have you or are you planning on going apple or pumpkin picking this season?</strong> It was sooo fun and definitely worth the chilly walk around! :)</span><br /></div><div></div></div></div><br /></div>Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772686677670787444noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-951297443932197999.post-45247683797110727122009-10-17T08:07:00.000-07:002009-10-17T09:00:57.226-07:00Old Lady in a 23-year old body...<p align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Who </strong>stayed out last night until 1 AM being hectic / causing a scene with three of the cooks from work at the new bar next door to said work??</span></p><p align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Who</strong> enjoyed two Long Trail draft beers whilest watching the Angels v. Yankees game & trying to pry a spoon collection off the wall (yes... a spoon collection)?</span></p><p align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Who</strong> got hooked up with FREE dinner + dessert + delicious #9's??</span></p><p align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">And lastly... <strong>who</strong> is a geezer trapped in a 23-year old's body that woke up at <span style="font-size:180%;">10:30 AM</span> this morning thinking.... God, I must be OLD!</span></p><p align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Oh yeah... <strong>it was me</strong>. <em>This girl right here</em>. Who now feels the effects of said actions as we speak and is downing a pot of (delicious) Cinnamon-Hazelnut coffee...</span></p><p align="center"></p><p align="center"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393588273425321794" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQqHUsqLl35OCNAYRUHxtQZIBuSYZYf0I8ujmyQMo30-rh4cjlDRWQ8hDDetr3yMwgkvXi-SzIV4DH7n7KcGmvSBHkup0Si7cvtdqjHt9PIiRUuHy6Rs96xtS0RX_WbVfhmu90OWZu6uQ/s320/DSC04215.JPG" /><span style="font-size:130%;">Ohhh Good (almost afternoon) Morning Lovelies!!</span></p><p align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">As you can tell... these nights are <strong>rare</strong> for me but this was fun! My friend Danielle and I were contemplating a plan for the night when I realized we could go down to the F-Bread and get dinner/drinks! Especially after making the connection I hadn't had my "staffer pizza" of the week aka free pizza we're allowed to take home, eat at the restaurant, give to friends, etc. sooo I spent the staffer allowance on a delicious supper for my girlfraaan and me!</span></p><p align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">After getting the best spot in the house (we have two big comfy armchairs placed right in front of the clay oven in the center of the restaurant... sooo nice and toasty)... we started with booze (of course) we ARE still in our 20's & it was Friday.. so it's socially acceptable. </span></p><p align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Me</strong> - Magic Hat; <strong>Danielle</strong> - Thomas Hooker</span></p><p align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Oh and when the bill came.. the drinks were nowhere to be found ;) I looove getting hooked up...</span></p><p align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Then ordered an organic salad with Goat cheese to start... and got TWO salads instead... once again... LOVE getting hooked up.</span></p><p align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">And our pizza of choice was the Jimmy's Free-Range Chicken.. picture the inside of taco on a pizza, with a side of sour cream & lime wedge... Gahhh, its my fav! Free range chicken, roasted corn, black beans, organic tomatoes, shredded cheese, cilantro... <strong>yum yum yum</strong>! We demolished about 3/4 of it *brushes shoulders off* AND saved room for dessert... Danielle had never been there before so although our food babies were beginning to emerge, we HAD to do it...</span></p><p align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">We tried a half and half dessert... We did half a brownie sundae with Graham Central Station ice cream (uhhhh graham cracker ice cream with chocolate pieces in it... it's HEAVEN.. I don't know how I restrain myself from going into the walk-in and sitting down with an ice cream scoop & going to town when I'm at work) and a half gingerbread sundae with Pumpkin ice cream. <strong>Mind you</strong> - the ice creams come from a place down the road that specializes in ONLY All-Natural creations. J. Fosters... I would marry you if you weren't an inanimate object.<strong> They're out of this world.</strong></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">We then shifted next door to the new bar & restaurant that opened.. <a href="http://www.dishrestaurantgroup.com/">Dish N Dat</a>. The interior is similar to a retro diner... There was a collection of over 20,000 silver spoons glued to the wall when you first walk in... there's a "help yourself" candy jar full of M&M's on the front counter... and crazy bright color schemes.</span></p><p align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Oh... and Long Trails on tap. Heyooo!! </span></p><p align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">So we enjoyed one or two of those each & three of my friends Erik, Jeremy, & Ray from work arrived (I'm a very good recruiter when it comes to making an outing more fun) and joined in... got a little crazy.. a little drunky... watched the Yankees win (ehhhh..) and laughed the night away until Danielle & I realized it was 1 AM!!! Gahhh, all I could think about was getting into my amazing comfy bed at that point.. so we finally made the choice to get going. Our Old Lady Bones can't handle a night past 1 AM I think... Recruited everyone to leave this time.. formed a train for the ride home aka speed raced down the road blaring Billy Joel while Ray chose Katy Perry (nice touch there, guy) anddd finally made it home to faint into my bed.</span></p><p align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Such a fun night and so worth the tiredness I feel....</span></p><p align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Anywhoooo... moving onto why you're<strong> probably</strong> actually here. Foooood!<br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Yesterday's mid-morning snack was a Granny Smith...</span></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIt7fHAYA7MV36aoTNuO8NV7xuvOiFCUp1XKHa4AOJlYip0E17fuT_0joavMoMowy9xNKmVrW4f37HP0xbi_kOaBV-xHZZUmRBiIb_RxxoreTI5xYyzOKc2z9OhzU6_Ja1isP9V8aho2E/s1600-h/DSC04188.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393587941953299170" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIt7fHAYA7MV36aoTNuO8NV7xuvOiFCUp1XKHa4AOJlYip0E17fuT_0joavMoMowy9xNKmVrW4f37HP0xbi_kOaBV-xHZZUmRBiIb_RxxoreTI5xYyzOKc2z9OhzU6_Ja1isP9V8aho2E/s320/DSC04188.JPG" /> <p align="center"></a><span style="font-size:130%;">Jazzed Up a bit a la Allison </span></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXWcrCL1H0fDY0GdTczuvP-6ReMsI1rrV0xmERTihPEC51ZZ_veZBYUJD_IRlLrqLDl4kZP0aJabFzIcy2yox2ivRAhyphenhyphen7OMnpTMqwn3_AGRFdjTjZ7HazERa7ZmW-OpdLVcrhEfVw77xc/s1600-h/DSC04189.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393587772403616242" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXWcrCL1H0fDY0GdTczuvP-6ReMsI1rrV0xmERTihPEC51ZZ_veZBYUJD_IRlLrqLDl4kZP0aJabFzIcy2yox2ivRAhyphenhyphen7OMnpTMqwn3_AGRFdjTjZ7HazERa7ZmW-OpdLVcrhEfVw77xc/s320/DSC04189.JPG" /> <p align="center"></a><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Topped with cinnamon & a drizzle of melted PB</span></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0I6raHouC5FqceQvGINQdTRCBz_G73G4GhC15qTGJ4P6d8pIa2ZfyLHE0YUe2BnqfKY11UBTP-VL5bvNeZw_jaRoBjM3fgG9XsWzHhREGoEvb_5rAZTYeoBw95byJC14pqtkRMuQF2Dc/s1600-h/DSC04190.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393587645266927346" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0I6raHouC5FqceQvGINQdTRCBz_G73G4GhC15qTGJ4P6d8pIa2ZfyLHE0YUe2BnqfKY11UBTP-VL5bvNeZw_jaRoBjM3fgG9XsWzHhREGoEvb_5rAZTYeoBw95byJC14pqtkRMuQF2Dc/s320/DSC04190.JPG" /> <p align="center"></a><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Went to the gym afterward and got a good workout in...</span></p><p align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><em>45 minutes on the treadmill / 3.75 miles / 448 calories<br /></em><br />Then ran about ten thousand errands:</span></p><ul><li><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Grocery store for lots of fruits (Honeycrisp & Gala apples, bananas) & cereal, coffee, tea</span></div></li><li><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">CVS for a few essentials including a new stick of my Cocoa Butter lip balm which resembles a glue stick... I get the question all the time... NO I'm not spreading glue on my lips, thanks.</span></div></li><li><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Shaw's for a giant pumpkin - that probably looked entertaining... I stopped specifically to pick out the perfect pumpkin to set in front of my house on our stone wall... so I hauled it across the store and probably looked soooo happy (& sweaty) doing it :) I LOVE FALL</span></div></li></ul><p align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Reallyyy needed lunch when I got home.. so I did a repeat meal:</span></p><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJnrRidWDTPES7MtbtA3xjsIiPDEuwFkLiaURqslHmjuypNOtzM15tgpfayuYOAyt-3nK86HvAGIzEScZqjPldqRg_IST82YzqPq20xg6raDwR_Fvgx-7KHZFVuOINgV8IK_fLRgm1C2I/s1600-h/DSC04194.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393587508122763522" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJnrRidWDTPES7MtbtA3xjsIiPDEuwFkLiaURqslHmjuypNOtzM15tgpfayuYOAyt-3nK86HvAGIzEScZqjPldqRg_IST82YzqPq20xg6raDwR_Fvgx-7KHZFVuOINgV8IK_fLRgm1C2I/s320/DSC04194.JPG" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;"> This soup is just TOO GOOD to turn down :) So worth the giant chunk of my finger I lost making it whilest chopping all the veggies...grosss.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">One of my purchases from the store got used today...</span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQksItbiH8FPfu4FaA9P-Dt_qhrN2E9uc6hamOJWs47-T8E0phG4oDleuJz1NUHf687-BZGX-3Ze27KpqACarLKe88D8c3n7bjtfUBTx2Jw-DOd55ACdpuFiJbIsMiTVTwHOTaE-m5AQw/s1600-h/DSC04197.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393587315142743426" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQksItbiH8FPfu4FaA9P-Dt_qhrN2E9uc6hamOJWs47-T8E0phG4oDleuJz1NUHf687-BZGX-3Ze27KpqACarLKe88D8c3n7bjtfUBTx2Jw-DOd55ACdpuFiJbIsMiTVTwHOTaE-m5AQw/s320/DSC04197.JPG" /></a> <span style="font-size:130%;">I'm a <strong>die hard</strong> coffee fan. I've tried to make the switch to tea endless times and just haven't been able to... I like the <strong>creaminess & sweetness</strong> of coffee flavors... hazelnut, vanilla, cinnamon, chocolate... you can get all kinds of "decadent" flavors from it while tea is just... blech. </span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">That's only <strong>my</strong> opinion you tea lovers!<br /><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Or... it <strong>was</strong> my opinion. Until I found this Vanilla Caramel tea...<br /></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">This tea is sooooo so good! With just a small spoonful of sugar and a splash of my Silk creamer it turned into something that even somewhat resembled my morning cup o' joe!</span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSQXrzx3agZRhtZICeLHd5lFlWT0l4HQJliQyS51hucKSuqOf7NYTDCDFJ1eUtiEIam5IqqDAJAAVstoSiuFpozITGNv5n-ZTz-bzzfEP3cDKHWqUqnbxFp66PyPdD6U_dyWA1-7cCuyU/s1600-h/DSC04198.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393587196787960770" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSQXrzx3agZRhtZICeLHd5lFlWT0l4HQJliQyS51hucKSuqOf7NYTDCDFJ1eUtiEIam5IqqDAJAAVstoSiuFpozITGNv5n-ZTz-bzzfEP3cDKHWqUqnbxFp66PyPdD6U_dyWA1-7cCuyU/s320/DSC04198.JPG" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;">I enjoyed it for Cookie Friday alongside a Chocolate Chip cookie from, where else, but Lombardi's Bakery.. I keep dem Italian baker pros in service ;)</span><br /><br /><div><a href="http://carrotsncake.com/"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393587026732098802" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFGPF0a5qsX6jCznTPHF7SKQLpulUFsn6ooVW8vL7tDWjPOYGvkXQAP4cNYQqbLGMqsRpjxaeNMb_EiwyYf1XteYbAIjb-9XRnzW8hZBprtEZHvoXQ2V-gHOEYrVrU2mX2UdPjX_-ZcuU/s320/DSC04199.JPG" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;"><a href="http://carrotsncake.com/">Tina</a>... you're a genious presenting this idea to the world haha... I enjoyed everyyy little bite! :) And the tea was phenom with it!!</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">And breakfast this morning was another amazing treat.... seeing as how I was down to the last tablespoon of my MaraNatha PB, it was a no-brainer that OATS IN A JAR were in order today :)</span><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjX7ClcJ5VU9xgOeGjQTBtreWAH1uZ_BBDsunfJfzsi3BLj4QJAJO-CPyKO2agUr4Lk3DY6Tuxi4v4OE9zl5Rzqu-XqARYsoSPR7E1JNnkQYgLOBcjkKj43nltAon_irgiKk2Gaxcj5ak/s1600-h/DSC04206.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393586780280180306" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjX7ClcJ5VU9xgOeGjQTBtreWAH1uZ_BBDsunfJfzsi3BLj4QJAJO-CPyKO2agUr4Lk3DY6Tuxi4v4OE9zl5Rzqu-XqARYsoSPR7E1JNnkQYgLOBcjkKj43nltAon_irgiKk2Gaxcj5ak/s320/DSC04206.JPG" /></a> <strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Banana Oats in a Jar:</span></strong></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">~1 cup water plus a splash of milk</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">~1/2 cup of Oats</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">~1 naner sliced</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">~Lots of cinnamon</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">~Sprinkle of raisins</span><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgL_Nw7Or5v1gSDqIDMtMOv7OyZKYNHhUxyf8AoghEIwUpptHKc6pYIerjxf4SkIXA7G3f46B_3iyj-6_uhujGS-6lDh5pwnTEvRmVxymnzfkt1x1Uyd5Gy29eeTmM9nJcgZg8lwftFKA/s1600-h/DSC04204.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393586652475682370" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgL_Nw7Or5v1gSDqIDMtMOv7OyZKYNHhUxyf8AoghEIwUpptHKc6pYIerjxf4SkIXA7G3f46B_3iyj-6_uhujGS-6lDh5pwnTEvRmVxymnzfkt1x1Uyd5Gy29eeTmM9nJcgZg8lwftFKA/s320/DSC04204.JPG" /></a><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Today's Plan???</span></strong></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">~Farmer's Market in town for some fresh veggies & fruits</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">~Gym with Danielle to get a <strong>good run</strong> in (I definitely indulged last night..oops!)</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">~Pumpkin & Apple Picking if the weather holds up! *fingers crossed*</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">~Out tonight for a Power Hour party!! I know, I know... I'm a fiend! haha</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">And my theme for today & tonight to get me pumped up both at the gym & when the festivities begin tonight... Elton knows whassup.</span><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/EadIvDAWkf8&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/EadIvDAWkf8&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">What do you lovies have planned for your Saturday??</span></strong></div><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></strong></div><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Did you participate in Cookie Friday?! What was your cookie of choice???</span></strong><br /></div><div><br /> </div></div><br /></div>Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772686677670787444noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-951297443932197999.post-27042232662727448862009-10-16T06:08:00.000-07:002009-10-16T09:38:00.196-07:00Snow in October!?<div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>SO</strong> bloggies... how would you like to wake up to <strong>this</strong> in <strong>mid-October</strong>???!</span></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393185467078400850" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs7IgoyzVezwikBU_cCZb7nCYfSBvqG0bHRO5oyAueA3ukG1JkWrLEobpzwv0UdAoktfVqE6_aSUjJUMTNe1V7dyibQZTvr7_LQCfl1MGfl86HuTt7empXiAH387zBZD6v_zOHYLhyaVQ/s320/DSC04183.JPG" /><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Because<strong> I</strong> did. <strong>This</strong> morning. And it's been snowing since yesterday... halfway through my shift or so (I'd say 12:30pm) I was serving a table of 10, looked out the window, and went Ohhhh my Gah! out loud... the entire table turned and saw what I say. <strong>SNOW outside</strong>!!! <em>It was snowing...</em> </span><br /></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">I <strong>love </strong>the snow, seriously, I do... <strong>we're tight</strong>... snow means <span style="color:#cc0000;"><em>Chr<span style="color:#009900;">ist</span>mas</em></span>, <em>Holiday lattes</em>, insane amounts of <em>baking</em>, <em>X-Mas music</em> on the radio, and <em>snowboarding</em>.. but really? In October!? We (meaning I) don't feel like we've even been able to enjoy Fall yet... and that is by far, my favorite season. :( Let's just hope this isn't a foreshadowing experience of the winter that's to come. If it's already below 30 at night & snowing now.. I don't want to see what December brings!!!!</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">But now that I'm discussing it, I DO want to know...</span></div><br /><div align="center"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">What's your favorite thing about the holidays??? :)</span></strong></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">So anyway...<br /></span></div><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Yesterday pre-freakout from winter-come-early shenanigans, I made a yummy breakfast before getting ready to work, <strong>yet again</strong>, another double...</span></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393185347832435330" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQFn3oH1kS40ZQET0dcXqotcTsd681qAANeuQVSX4myy0pCexUJECmpvl50h2Xm-IIqHOG9Huxeh2zKH8Ml_W7Fru3S_c5Wm-XH1qUMmusA0fsaDMp2758Z7kng8iK343oJzc7H9ajXvU/s320/DSC04172.JPG" /> <p align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Oats!!</strong> Surprise, surprise!!</span></p><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">I haven't wanted <strong>anything</strong> else for breakfastthe past few days (weeks... months..) haha. <strong>Why would I</strong>!? It's the only breakfast that sticks with me for so long when I'm running around at work!</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />Today's creation was especially good since I mixed it up a little for once...</span></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393185244253483394" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdjyqRU1cE_WrOIe1byghhvxgXOtpyNL2v15cZo_eIJ8h57m9KdNqzD238kyaZOQRXMr4r3r5AKjUpGgxqtXAIDMA6MeDacwBQK5JwcCJ8rOzPyMAwyIrXbknmTERsFl7QrmspYQ1i8DA/s320/DSC04173.JPG" /><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Instead of my usual banana inspired oats, I used a finely chopped Gala apple... I've done this combo before but haven't been craving it as much until that time.. cooked the same way as usual, 1/2 the apples cooking in the oats, the other 1/2 sprinkled on top afterwards...</span><br /></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Added some raisins...</span><br /></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Lots of cinnamon...</span><br /></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Dollop of Smoooth PB....</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />(P.S. I have ONE spoonful of MaraNatha left sooo I went out yesterday and purchased another jar of Teddie PB to replace it!! I know I haven't tried too many other brands, but Teddie has been stuck in my mind ever since I finished off the first jar... *sigh* Love at first smooooth, creamy, bite..)</span><br /></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">This breakfast was phenom and it really kept me on top of things alll day long! I heard an interesting fact from a co-worker yesterday that eating an apple first thing in the morning is like drinking a cup of coffee... it gives you that needed boost to get moving in the morning...</span></div><div align="center"><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Have any of you ever heard of any thing like this? If it's true, my apple intake (as if I'm not already full of these babies on a daily basis) will be upped just a bit ;)</strong></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">I came <strong>fully prepared</strong> for the day when it comes to eats. I think this may have also played a big part in my <em>positive, upbeat attitude</em> all day at work yesterday. Working doubles at a restaurant can wear you down after the <strong>first few hours</strong> so it's good to find ways to keep you motivated OTHER than caffeine (which I DID have my fair share of on the side.. of course) At a job where your memory & personality are star players, it's really important to discover these little tricks.</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>I find that bringing healthy, filling snacks & meals to work</strong>... along with a filling hearty breakfast like oatmeal with fruit or a yogurt mess with cereal are usually my best choices. <strong>Proof</strong>: yesterday after my breakfast, I was wide awake and ready to get moving... usually I tend to laze around as long as I can before getting ready aka I'll read e-mails, catch up on blogs, etc. but yesterday morning after eating, I picked out my outfit, packed a bunch of good foods, & was out the door <strong>early</strong>!</span></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393185007496193362" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3yQf0yLzKpFGyB5gBGvUCg_i0092n29aMDycdLJVyGz2_O_1fvSR2irkHWKWxkM_TlC1zV6-wImWOCS3fDUZyJmMSvW_29wRJ9t6ZOh5fHJivoWoGFe5FiNUlP4rcjg-T4Naq46-Rswc/s320/DSC04180.JPG" /><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>I packed up:</strong></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">~Honeycrisp Apple & PB Cookie LunaBar</span><br /></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">~Strawberry Chobani w. Kashi Honey Almond Flax</span><br /></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">~A bowl of my homemade Butternut Squash soup with a piece of crusty WW baguette<br /><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Went off to work, got alot done, made that monaaaay... enjoyed my LunaBar as a mid-morning snack & then it was time for lunch!</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">I was planning to heat up my soup for lunch but it's SUCH a pain to do that at work... we don't have a microwave so I would have had to "warm it" in the clay oven which is <strong>1) dangerous and 2) annoying!</strong> haha... So I went out for lunch seeing as how I had an hour to kill on break...</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />Stopped at <a href="http://www.brueggers.com/">Bruegger's Bagels</a> to see what options they had, AND because my girlfraaaan Britta swears by their <strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">apple bagels</span> with <span style="color:#ff9900;">pumpkin cream cheese</span></strong> (say whaaattt!?)</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">I picked out this baby from the menu after 10 minutes of staring down the menu & assuring a customer ahead of me who had just moved here from Texas that <em>"No, we don't<strong> usually</strong> have snow in October, and <strong>no</strong>, the world is not ending..."</em></span></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393190671168111922" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic6PztOaPbdK1RGV8rJZsMzytfByy3aeF_3eal0FpR6LU7ZmD1KeJ7WYuWXukfJKnwrBnQg7KuJe0Ph3iCWOx8kIpQ3pmv3woAi4ENWdE69MRWmzeO8IPtln7KuHHnzwBUo1zK9VrB7NY/s320/brueggers.jpg" /> <p align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">It was the Basil Chicken panini...</span></p><p align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Grilled chicken... Basil pesto... Roasted red peppers... Mozzarella cheese... on WW bread. Honestly?? <strong>Mushy</strong>... maybe the employee put<strong> one too many</strong> globs of pesto (there was quite a lot oozing out the sides) but the middle of the sandwich was smushed, even after toasting!</span></p><p align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">I ended up eating only 1/2 of it but I wasn't too happy with this place. I'll probably come back for the infamous bagels with seasonal cream cheese, I know that much, but I'll stick to Panera for paninis.. seeing as how Bruegger's menu was rather similar to their's anyways.</span></p><p align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">After lunch <strong>my chocoholic alterego</strong> kicked in (believe it or not I really<strong> AM</strong> addicted.. hence the name of the blog. I need at least one small piece of chocolate everyday) and had to make a stop at Munson's for.. what else... but a dark chocolate pretzel rod. Gahhh, I would eat one of these every single day in a perfect world!!!</span></p><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_v4DGKpO-wxkUcEDhkRnLugFsnhDiHcMQ8fEttuiTO05U6TTSj7F7ffC1S7fTzsw97ygcbrGUw_604WsoCGMyYFUF74lh4TowINMjWlxmOcPEDdBPh3CrjQ62mUu32aQLbRl4N1jj52I/s1600-h/DSC04181.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393184872869856658" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_v4DGKpO-wxkUcEDhkRnLugFsnhDiHcMQ8fEttuiTO05U6TTSj7F7ffC1S7fTzsw97ygcbrGUw_604WsoCGMyYFUF74lh4TowINMjWlxmOcPEDdBPh3CrjQ62mUu32aQLbRl4N1jj52I/s320/DSC04181.JPG" /></a> <span style="font-size:130%;">Along with a free sample of their French dark chocolate ;)</span><br /><<span style="font-size:130%;">br><br />Followed by a continuation of <strong>my chocolate fiending actions</strong>.. aka a hot chocolate later in the afternoon & a small scoop of Ben & Jerry's Half-Baked Froyo upon returning home after work (oops!) The monster I turn into when I don't have access to chocolate when I need it is somewhat like that of <strong>Sloth from the Goonies</strong>...</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />Moving onnnn to Friday!!!</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">I had <span style="color:#ff9900;">pumpkin oats</span> this morning :)</span><br /></div><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUCHdhcG2q986GDxET4JzcXAloB0mrmrIK5kZFISfpLLReSJz_5Y6aVtP60z6lKei6ss3b4o_rsNY__YKTZe2fCgFOPkcMXEG9mr8GPifKJIMln9RQPWd51F9JQyUocA0IoT1qcG05F_E/s1600-h/DSC04184.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393184748093101890" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUCHdhcG2q986GDxET4JzcXAloB0mrmrIK5kZFISfpLLReSJz_5Y6aVtP60z6lKei6ss3b4o_rsNY__YKTZe2fCgFOPkcMXEG9mr8GPifKJIMln9RQPWd51F9JQyUocA0IoT1qcG05F_E/s320/DSC04184.JPG" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;"> Yum yum yummm....</span></p><p align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Oats, water, big spoonful of Libby's pumpkin, 1 naner sliced, sprinkle of chopped almonds, handful of raisins thrown on afterwards, & a dollop of Pumpkin Butter...</span></p><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ9QvP7XmmphobYHoquzzm64_7layQ2kXr9n0L1A7N649AEvPWz3CJLcphYz7InKkF1EcPyTDTTT9Nma-88hi4PSSEA7iXmm6eUH_lNJPplw8Gy639RfBxab18B_1U8d_oSdUI0xohjfY/s1600-h/DSC04187.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393184623022383666" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ9QvP7XmmphobYHoquzzm64_7layQ2kXr9n0L1A7N649AEvPWz3CJLcphYz7InKkF1EcPyTDTTT9Nma-88hi4PSSEA7iXmm6eUH_lNJPplw8Gy639RfBxab18B_1U8d_oSdUI0xohjfY/s320/DSC04187.JPG" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;"> Perfect on a Winter, <em>er...FALL</em>, Friday ;)</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Now off to the gym to get in a <strong>good workout</strong> after <em>zero</em> gym time the past two days due to working 2 doubles in a row ...oyyy, hoping these legs will <strong>get moving</strong>! I'm in need & want of a good, solid RUN. Two days without working out feels like <strong>an eternity</strong> to me!! <strong>Does anyone else get that feeling</strong>?</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Then celebrating <strong><span style="font-size:180%;">Cookie Friday</span></strong>?? Ohh, it's possible... ;)</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Happy Friday Lovebugs!!!!</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"></div>Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772686677670787444noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-951297443932197999.post-5553085988396794852009-10-14T06:02:00.000-07:002009-10-14T07:10:55.220-07:00Allison Cooks: Vegan Butternut Squash Soup<div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Yes. <strong>It's true</strong>. I made my <strong>first</strong> batch of homemade soup...ever! I've made chili countless times, both in the slow cooker & stovetop which have all come out delicious in the past but today I thought... I want to try something different.</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"></span><br /> </div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">What better than <em>Butternut Squash soup</em> right???!</span><br /><br /></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Whenever you order this in restaurants it's <strong>warm</strong>, full of flavor, thick & creamy without being overbearing, and of course... the amazing taste of the squash overpowers everything else. I wanted to try my hand at it (especially since Jilly-Bean pulled about 3 little squashies out of her garden yesterday & they had to be used)</span><br /><br /></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">So how do you turn <strong>this....<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392441819836613186" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsTYAvyKYCqNTh8DsmJXGR84RAxTyahaVm_wEsX-JBe3IAj2Lj6W-7CrH01i4VrzUFPWWDgysqwefmCu57bvxQEy1LmNIC-G0KG_HY1D_RIK5YFmwLBwfzqH3Ztg_FD-f3-PkECkUnKCE/s320/DSC04155.JPG" /></strong></span><span style="font-size:130%;">Into<strong> this</strong>???</span><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392456872851721106" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr7RuWexH7cemW-NDLIwTN9Sq7mnePmBmI8ZpOZHK9sQHGwgIE_AzFftyFLxoAxqum2cekA6L9KwoFixMHNxfhUvMTuRL-Ew5D5kdoX_cly4NULpYPuP22U5T3NQxwIsUwxZPbxsjiPGQ/s320/DSC04164.JPG" /></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Ohhh I will show you pretties!</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"></span><br /> </div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>But first....</strong> let's recap yesterday. It was chock full of good eats if I do say so myself! I made an effort to <em>balance out my carbs/starches & my proteins</em> yesterday because if I don't really pay attention, I tend to carbo overload... oooops!</span></div><div align="center"><br /> </div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">So my pre-workout breakfast was this...</span></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBJs8yh5M3GhuqFxwZgpHns1xeP3rML2AYBV1sdqH8pZyDPnA9w7gU_48nA78DSJ6xdmhhyphenhyphenrD7EjgKKwG_CSvWmAeOQLRHCsgpOD7sHCB7m4ZPQrTKOFjXneh9Zt-3PRkii58wCoOmXoI/s1600-h/DSC04123.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392443779042635778" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBJs8yh5M3GhuqFxwZgpHns1xeP3rML2AYBV1sdqH8pZyDPnA9w7gU_48nA78DSJ6xdmhhyphenhyphenrD7EjgKKwG_CSvWmAeOQLRHCsgpOD7sHCB7m4ZPQrTKOFjXneh9Zt-3PRkii58wCoOmXoI/s320/DSC04123.JPG" /></a> <span style="font-size:130%;">~Multigrain Arnolds thin toasted</span><br /></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">~1/2 with MaraNatha smooth PB & Gala apple slices</span><br /></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">~1/2 with PB & Pear Hazelnut fruit spread (I <strong>cannot</strong> get enough of this! Pleaseeee try it!)</span><br /></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">~Organic Gala apple slices with cinnamon</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"></span><br /> </div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Along with my usual breakfast companion...</span><br /></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKDFMhhQivJ0Dn4MRkMnpKKlYZTgBc5t25cdWJIgRshy6owhI29kcOEdu21yXK7dpMURjlU_TlnYdSCyhGuBC1ZbW1L2ABtZsSXlqk0I-GH2hX-JZE1z36JLMSrSFwcxroolY4zidYDhI/s1600-h/DSC04125.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392443671703171602" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKDFMhhQivJ0Dn4MRkMnpKKlYZTgBc5t25cdWJIgRshy6owhI29kcOEdu21yXK7dpMURjlU_TlnYdSCyhGuBC1ZbW1L2ABtZsSXlqk0I-GH2hX-JZE1z36JLMSrSFwcxroolY4zidYDhI/s320/DSC04125.JPG" /></a> <span style="font-size:130%;">My workout was good, a <em>little</em> <strong>painful</strong>, but good. My legs were not cooperating and my muscles felt sore the entire time I was on the treadmill.. It may have been the fact that <em>I cut my usual 15 minute walk warm-up down to 5 minutes</em> because I had all this pent-up energy and just felt<strong> READY</strong> to run quicker than usual. Whatever it was, they were giving me trouble the majority of the time. </span></div><div align="center"><br /> </div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">After that I hopped on the elliptical hoping to make up for my less than perfect run.. <strong>success!</strong></span></div><div align="center"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong><br /> </div><div align="center"><em><span style="font-size:130%;">30 minutes on the treadmill / 2.5 miles / 307 calories</span></em></div><br /><div align="center"><em><span style="font-size:130%;">30 minutes on the elliptical / 255 calories</span></em><br /><br /></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">I wasn't upset with the fact I was a little sore today and did the best that I could... it hurt a little more than usual but I made sure to <strong>realllllly </strong>stretch everything out afterward and still got <em>good & sweaty</em> (Which shouldnt really constitute a "good workout" for me because I sweat like a beast anytime I work out... seriously, I feel bad for those who dare hopping on the tready next to me mid-run haha)</span><br /><br /></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">My usual post-gym snack was a special treat today! A <strong>perfect</strong> Honeycrisp apple :)</span> </div><div align="center"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392443401027867186" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIKfjyClh_spxUqk66JYZPosCmNse27DB3IKz0Mp3uKM5nzkT_Ybv0hoqy_SXlv4c7U6fSWN87T42UlAjcFvd2GU2GqtaIORtH5pMs6H6WFd-Bb0YTf-BhRbOuYbLMTwZ4aHyx3Um9CC4/s320/DSC04129.JPG" /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Lunch required busting out this bad boy from the fridge that I've been meaning to try...</span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-BzhuK95iQnevlaiIg4m9UH3doJWjGwWWnJSifO0cYip0Qb7rE2tDdYnR2pGPt5ZBKWibsW1y6bA8XR4B_PHMh_4AfjyuAXcNX3tU6hlFO9HPpyeum0uetafEyHq0qLh-0xxYE6wPwEc/s1600-h/DSC04134.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392443512131703922" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-BzhuK95iQnevlaiIg4m9UH3doJWjGwWWnJSifO0cYip0Qb7rE2tDdYnR2pGPt5ZBKWibsW1y6bA8XR4B_PHMh_4AfjyuAXcNX3tU6hlFO9HPpyeum0uetafEyHq0qLh-0xxYE6wPwEc/s320/DSC04134.JPG" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;">I've used this company's products before (Pulled "BBQ" chicken sammies) and loved them! The meat doesn't taste fake and the marinades are always veryy delish... Plus, preparation is <strong>simple as pie</strong> (Mmmm, pie...) You pop these into the micro for a quick 2 mins, remove, and enjoy~</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">I used them as a topper for my awesome salad at lunch...</span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXExh86rVgpngJy6c_l91v_AOUloQiQQ8m0etzxtPiJtK92tYebBw-8hvWJYDiU0Cyy8E_vDX8VCvhTXhHpcCpYql49mFJ9OWseqhbf7tCtdbevOA0YZFf-Lb43XXOrzrJ39JKTLvAsi4/s1600-h/DSC04131.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392443290631476754" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXExh86rVgpngJy6c_l91v_AOUloQiQQ8m0etzxtPiJtK92tYebBw-8hvWJYDiU0Cyy8E_vDX8VCvhTXhHpcCpYql49mFJ9OWseqhbf7tCtdbevOA0YZFf-Lb43XXOrzrJ39JKTLvAsi4/s320/DSC04131.JPG" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;">This. Salad. Is. INCREDIBLE!!!!!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">~Romaine Lettuce</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">~Goat cheese</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">~Chopped cherry tomatoes</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">~1/4 an avocado sliced</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">~1 Tuscan "chicken" breast</span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-D1t9g4NTQp4dg-FfLZx2-EcZxHcEgCTj6FdKKwzp88jiq_-TE8GzYNim0IR7q7uViNSSAhKjAY2yNmLTHCN-9YbAUdqh9ILkwpGhhyphenhyphendj4u8seBXbXSp4gs4ycH98C2TY5H1ppyUx-6A/s1600-h/DSC04132.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392443178789350786" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-D1t9g4NTQp4dg-FfLZx2-EcZxHcEgCTj6FdKKwzp88jiq_-TE8GzYNim0IR7q7uViNSSAhKjAY2yNmLTHCN-9YbAUdqh9ILkwpGhhyphenhyphendj4u8seBXbXSp4gs4ycH98C2TY5H1ppyUx-6A/s320/DSC04132.JPG" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;"> It didn't even require dressing. Why? Because the heat from the chicken strips <span style="font-size:180%;">melted</span> the Goat cheese slightly making a <em>creamy, delicious, scrumptious, I've-died-and-gone-to-Goat-cheese-heaven dressing...</em></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">I could eat this <strong>everyday</strong>.. for the rest of my life....</span> <span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Well.. that plus<strong> this</strong>...</span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkUVuoCxXkOEF5tiGWiuqi6ZHKr6Fo5FzIUE76UQDhPuA2AgIp-4C-2uirStc7l8mg_sPbt6MSrTV5NhK_nsrSDD3qLxTzjtr_fyFtqLkEsZFhslf3paZYvE2gnkrea-GR1r847Fydi0Y/s1600-h/DSC04142.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392442877356563922" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkUVuoCxXkOEF5tiGWiuqi6ZHKr6Fo5FzIUE76UQDhPuA2AgIp-4C-2uirStc7l8mg_sPbt6MSrTV5NhK_nsrSDD3qLxTzjtr_fyFtqLkEsZFhslf3paZYvE2gnkrea-GR1r847Fydi0Y/s320/DSC04142.JPG" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;">A girl's gotta have her chocolate ;)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">My afternoon snack after lunch was yummy yummy....</span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDX2vcOAQi8xe8pLt8FnrZg2lulTIXvwDQXbNGPmUYS8nuU0TiKTQH4Q1gDJpuU96aFtJQQtDa8gfiOTjT34bO71bcI1-4FWUdFCJExaex67ibjnrizAp11XT5EQnXH4TpfogEdPScAXI/s1600-h/DSC04145.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392442769374295122" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDX2vcOAQi8xe8pLt8FnrZg2lulTIXvwDQXbNGPmUYS8nuU0TiKTQH4Q1gDJpuU96aFtJQQtDa8gfiOTjT34bO71bcI1-4FWUdFCJExaex67ibjnrizAp11XT5EQnXH4TpfogEdPScAXI/s320/DSC04145.JPG" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;">Honey Chobani (first time trying this flavor!) topped with 1/3 cup Kashi Honey Almond Flax & a sprinkle of cinnamon...</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:180%;">PROJECT FEED ME TIME!!!!</span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvz-ONERYKTbimDX74PN8yy1g805vzRa35e_Qv9reN7I92hBR37ZxgFbZrUKMSm2XR1N_zkbxwHFqN9njQx2rcMPY5q6YEKdCvQzbxFF6wo_l1A0lMmuqs2HpC5SS77E2Z6EsRZ9Gm-Po/s1600-h/DSC04137.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392442647349760434" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvz-ONERYKTbimDX74PN8yy1g805vzRa35e_Qv9reN7I92hBR37ZxgFbZrUKMSm2XR1N_zkbxwHFqN9njQx2rcMPY5q6YEKdCvQzbxFF6wo_l1A0lMmuqs2HpC5SS77E2Z6EsRZ9Gm-Po/s320/DSC04137.JPG" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;">The </span><a href="http://www.nono2yoyo.com/project-feed-me"><span style="font-size:130%;">item</span></a><span style="font-size:130%;"> for this week was Chili... any kind, any size, any brand.. just two cans of it. I picked up 2 cans of Hormel Vegetarian Chili with beans.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Just realized I'm pulling a <a href="http://glidingcalm.wordpress.com/2009/10/12/nyt-magazine-endangered-species/">Gliding Calm</a> with my all black attire of the day.. and I'm <strong>LOVING</strong> it.</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />So... in an attempt to "photograph myself with the item of the week in front of something that represents where I'm from" Side note: FAIL. Haha... I did <strong>try</strong> to, but I was racing around all day, didn't have a 2nd person along to take a GOOD pic in front of a town sign or anything like that... BUT I did happen to see our local newspaper on the dining room table when I got home, opened up to the sports page, featuring a picture of one of CT's best High School field hockey teams (they were our rivals!!!) </span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVGT0LPsIK3IC_IppRRuMjnBRIeag8-uXtPLUzWuva5qKS9kTyCzl9yzmjCSBAY36EB5aWQOAX2zhk3KUT2ALhxlOsXKqV0jkjrWrLPRVZr9QBhyphenhyphenNqQOSFWw1-YBmAVLCwkx4S0RtByKo/s1600-h/DSC04152.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392442532621949906" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVGT0LPsIK3IC_IppRRuMjnBRIeag8-uXtPLUzWuva5qKS9kTyCzl9yzmjCSBAY36EB5aWQOAX2zhk3KUT2ALhxlOsXKqV0jkjrWrLPRVZr9QBhyphenhyphenNqQOSFWw1-YBmAVLCwkx4S0RtByKo/s320/DSC04152.JPG" /></a> <span style="font-size:130%;">NOT really sure if this counts, but field hockey, <strong>to me</strong>, represents my part of CT because it's huge around here! Back in high school we were <strong>3rd in the state</strong> in our class and people hadn't even heard of half the towns we were from because they're sooo very tiny. This brought back great high school memories *sigh*</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">I want the <a href="http://secretsofachocoholic.blogspot.com/2009/09/coffee-x-10-and-exciting-e-mail.html">Alumni game</a> to get here sooner!!!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Okay okay.. I'm rambling... it's already getting late and I have 45 minutes before I have to leave for a double at work ahhhh ... moving on!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Pre-soup appetizer was created using the last few itty bitty basil leaves Jilly-Bean had in her garden...</span><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392442101914400146" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDayUDqeVVuti4dOeqiLb-CiJJqtTCkJh218oDUOdWOYQpbcoSMpqGIarVBDBmD3Yh0pz_JXg1lBM-gjtPj2KTIq0LbEak9lAf5FdfcncrvUBvUj2cqlzSARPMbw8T6F3L477Lkjb-sGY/s320/DSC04154.JPG" /><span style="font-size:130%;">I made a quick Allison-version of Caprese salad... aka Tomato-fresh Mozz salad with a few drops of EVOO, shredded basil, salt & pepper</span><br /><div><br /> </div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">Gahh, I'll never get over how good this is... especially when you add toasted baguette to the comination. I knew I was going to have toasted bread with my soup for dipping, so I maintained control & toasted up 3 little slices of WW baguette to go with my salad...</span></div><br /><br /><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392441563205752098" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb6KMovzUKQt8FugaBojxLa2ya4TBLth2RSlnMYNrlyAmioPU8RUP2pfC_Y89BXJ_mSpbwYeWkrHRLPIyqe-pBdhvGuBL2frH5T8YnNjAnn9kz5JrTSRVvnHOJDW-bC5OyveVhkQTGfbY/s320/DSC04159.JPG" /><span style="font-size:130%;">Then came the soup...</span></div><div><br /> </div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>It was out of this world good</strong>. Not to toot my own horn (ew) but this was my first attempt at soup & I absolutely loved it! It was originally a <strong>vegan soup recipe</strong> and I fully intended to keep it that way but unfortunately didn't have soymilk in the house so I threw in about 1/2 cup of regular skim milk... </span><br /></div><div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsvULA0gI_gSVZO6_iPYE-ccl_gLqJxRnyO-T_V53ryTaOqb4R40zZK8NiRR-X4RAmvJMJsjqjdyQZ-SMx1t6kLaDHq5eaM_YYF8XbjyLg1s7taXhbW-h-Wznf0RiMeiWp6urRUEDqJDo/s1600-h/DSC04163.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392441444522793874" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsvULA0gI_gSVZO6_iPYE-ccl_gLqJxRnyO-T_V53ryTaOqb4R40zZK8NiRR-X4RAmvJMJsjqjdyQZ-SMx1t6kLaDHq5eaM_YYF8XbjyLg1s7taXhbW-h-Wznf0RiMeiWp6urRUEDqJDo/s320/DSC04163.JPG" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;"> Soooo so rich & delicious. It thickened up quite a bit after letting it sit for a minute or two... I added two slices of toasted WW baguette for dipping and I can safely say the leftovers will be gone by tomorrow ;)</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"></span><br /> </div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">Going.....</span><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDFvPedX1KPY1rZU_7hmm-KHs9UAbH7dp7MGMCTUyccjHV_Wua-TgsGK9yW9cc3lZvi8oSn_5Y9B3ZT_BV1zoQztgO5vDZq7lc7mdDNNiJV2pcEnfd7FjC67RLd3GCQ_I51rnqBuQ9Ztk/s1600-h/DSC04166.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392441327550724338" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDFvPedX1KPY1rZU_7hmm-KHs9UAbH7dp7MGMCTUyccjHV_Wua-TgsGK9yW9cc3lZvi8oSn_5Y9B3ZT_BV1zoQztgO5vDZq7lc7mdDNNiJV2pcEnfd7FjC67RLd3GCQ_I51rnqBuQ9Ztk/s320/DSC04166.JPG" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;">Gone.... Hated It.</span><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqg0ZVGBZX6TfTAlaNP3UKY2nDo8ggX3n2w4TcvR-dDn2bpjuP2Jzsl0ukGLHiKg1jdN22nlE5mrFLuBEfYvOs9xHFe2kTdyoJZfHYe_0nTzfYo48o8wVcjxM5p8OaNvRXO_DzzfD8g58/s1600-h/DSC04167.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392440844382855842" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqg0ZVGBZX6TfTAlaNP3UKY2nDo8ggX3n2w4TcvR-dDn2bpjuP2Jzsl0ukGLHiKg1jdN22nlE5mrFLuBEfYvOs9xHFe2kTdyoJZfHYe_0nTzfYo48o8wVcjxM5p8OaNvRXO_DzzfD8g58/s320/DSC04167.JPG" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;"> <strong>Quick as a flash recap of the recipe because I'm running late!:</strong></span></div><div><br /> </div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">~2 tbsp. olive oil</span><br /></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">~1 onion, diced</span><br /></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">~4 cloves garlic, minced</span><br /></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">~4 carrots, peeled & sliced</span><br /></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">~3 stalks celery, diced</span><br /></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">~2 small or one large butternut squash, peeled & chopped</span><br /></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">~5 cups vegetable broth of your choice (I used Nature's Promise)</span><br /></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">~2 tbsp. sage chopped</span><br /></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">~1/2 cup soymilk (or milk of your choice!)</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />In a large pot, sautee the onion & garlic in the olive oil until onions are soft.</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">Add carrots & celery for 3-5 mins</span><br /></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">Add squash & stir, then add broth & sage.</span><br /></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer - cover & allow to cook for 25 mins or until squash is soft.</span><br /></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">Using a potato masher (or a blender) mash the squash mixture.</span><br /></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">Stir in milk, season with salt & pepper, then serve with crusty bread!</span></div><br /><br /><div><span style="font-size:130%;">ENJOY YOSELF!!!!</span></div><div><br /> </div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">After dinner, I went out to grab a drink with my girlfraaaaan <em>Linds aka Stroker</em> (don't ask - but it's actually not inapprop believe it or not) at, where else but <strong>the Village</strong>, where I had a fantastic lunch earlier in the week....</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"></span><br /> </div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">I went for the Shocktops....</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"></span><br /> </div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">Strokes went for the Honey BBQ wings, Autumn salad (which was amaaazing! chock full of sliced apples, croutons, & a cranberry dressing) & Octoberkfest. Hence why we are friends. Eating dinner - scratch that: eating ridic amounts of bar food - at 10pm and dranking brewnanas is the usual for this chica.. and she still somehow maintains a 100 lb. frame or so. Bravoooo Sir Strokes-a-lot!!! haha...</span></div><div><br /> </div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">I did sample both the Autumn salad & one of the Honey BBQ wings but wasn't craving much food since my soup & salad for dinner had just about filled me up...</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTT4lN4j9bT__I9Vkx8cC_T4ZhNS40i9LnE9aVGKlErXwIHjVlw5vDdMpklSZAblcNCmJR0vYo_9cjTOiNwTvMshbVgZv0r8Q4JWmtDjjrLolnW9sHFGR87ZlwrDit_yJSFQi3tN9CBs4/s1600-h/DSC04168.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392440626498159010" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTT4lN4j9bT__I9Vkx8cC_T4ZhNS40i9LnE9aVGKlErXwIHjVlw5vDdMpklSZAblcNCmJR0vYo_9cjTOiNwTvMshbVgZv0r8Q4JWmtDjjrLolnW9sHFGR87ZlwrDit_yJSFQi3tN9CBs4/s320/DSC04168.JPG" /></a></div><div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">I was, however, fully prepared to stare down the dessert list & select this pretty little thing...</span><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhliDA41wY468HoWto9QfXHxgU8kaswJ4pkBFCEC7ObPyRw7bGwp0IuLXO7DT_cEfhZyzjG-KueOb2ZNzZdkyVL5Z8nzTH8GD6rVDprpoqPh1DrBAX2-l3uvEAfWWZQ6XcjTo8UGlCh48I/s1600-h/DSC04169.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392440438232517906" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhliDA41wY468HoWto9QfXHxgU8kaswJ4pkBFCEC7ObPyRw7bGwp0IuLXO7DT_cEfhZyzjG-KueOb2ZNzZdkyVL5Z8nzTH8GD6rVDprpoqPh1DrBAX2-l3uvEAfWWZQ6XcjTo8UGlCh48I/s320/DSC04169.JPG" /></a> <span style="font-size:130%;">Chocolate Mousse in a wine glass? I'm in. Sooo rich & creamy. With a thickness almost like ice cream, rather than a mousse. Yummmmm :)</span><br /><br /></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">Me and Linds then proceeded to stay until they pretty much had to kick us out talking about our futures a.k.a. never wanting to get married and/or have kids (we're weird, I know), dranking like fiends (this was more Linds than me... I was a good girl and stuck to my one delicious drink & savored it), foreshadowing Linds's removal of her stitches tomorrow since she had her wisdom tooth removed, and laughing like hyenas.. per usual. People probably strongly dislike us at bars. HA... sorryyy we like to have a good time.</span></div><div><br /> </div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">Anyway... I must away.. I have work in half an hour and will be working the day & night away (missing my brother's birthday dinner :( booo) and probably literally crashing in my bed when I get home because I have another double to work the next day. Fun fun!!! <strong>Happy Humpday lovelies!</strong></span><strong><br /></strong><br /></div><br /><div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772686677670787444noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-951297443932197999.post-61747400931188551012009-10-12T18:07:00.000-07:002009-10-13T06:58:07.348-07:00A Wicked Good Weekend<div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">I'll just warn you right now... <strong>you're going to be bombarded with foodie pics</strong> from the past few days because I've been racing around/too lazy/too busy (take your pick!) to post all of them... But I've been reading your bloggies anyway! :) I <strong>always</strong> have time for that...</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">HOW ARE ALL OF YOU!?! </span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">I hope you all had a fabulous weekend... what did you do? Relax? Go out? Get craaaazyyy??? I did a little of all the above...</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Where did I even leave off? </span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">I believe it was the Breakfast Cookie incident Saturday morning (geeeez I'm behind!).... which, I'm very sorry to say and please don't hate me, <strong>I didn't enjoy</strong>. Maybe it was the combo I chose (I made a "pumpkin overnight breakfast cookie") but I just did NOT like it.... I'm thinking it's because I love hot oatmeal. I'm so used to having it every morning that the cold oats were just... <strong>odd</strong> to me. Eh, I gave it a shot!</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">So what to do with a giant breakfast cookie when you just don't dig it???</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">I added a splash of hot water, popped it in the microwave, & added coconut on top...</span></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGP1e__jfKoYVHWijCuaGAyNYrCLk3DiCxFlS06b7xI5g4NHPDK-_bsjS0DgrbZoygCMrVyEQF1vWrYMODSB8JSPKvJwth3n-YGsCEvy6yev7dMzmmRjMHQ2hd7zFaMQ0GrpP3ky8py5w/s1600-h/DSC04067.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391890949343093746" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGP1e__jfKoYVHWijCuaGAyNYrCLk3DiCxFlS06b7xI5g4NHPDK-_bsjS0DgrbZoygCMrVyEQF1vWrYMODSB8JSPKvJwth3n-YGsCEvy6yev7dMzmmRjMHQ2hd7zFaMQ0GrpP3ky8py5w/s320/DSC04067.JPG" /></a><strong> <span style="font-size:130%;">Still</span></strong><span style="font-size:130%;"> wasn't feelin it :( Blahhh... sadly, this bowl went into the garbage... It must have just been my preparation... I'm a pumpkin lover but I may have overloaded on it.</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">By this point all I'd had was my coffee & it curbed my hunger so I didn't even want anything after this... I went to the gym instead.</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Had a great workout of just shy of<em> 4 miles</em> on the treadmill & <strong>felt awesome</strong>!</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Can't forget about this little thing... I stopped at the Farmer's Market in town on the way to the gym and bought this funny shaped object...</span></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFjxhxlm0UkRsRlpQOxce814E_UlgEr6qtJ-PSJ3t1CDc8s5HB8wb8LbxTxM201bWSufsIZeQlmTqhu_PeNic6Z8RAGkHU9pxOciBTgwQgiY8-xKXVw6U12mzvDpXLe8a9FDoHwBCXHTQ/s1600-h/DSC04068.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391890832051856114" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFjxhxlm0UkRsRlpQOxce814E_UlgEr6qtJ-PSJ3t1CDc8s5HB8wb8LbxTxM201bWSufsIZeQlmTqhu_PeNic6Z8RAGkHU9pxOciBTgwQgiY8-xKXVw6U12mzvDpXLe8a9FDoHwBCXHTQ/s320/DSC04068.JPG" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;"> A duckling?? No... a sweet potato. Can't wait to turn you into a pan of oven baked fries!! ;)</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Snacked on this after leaving the gym Saturday....</span></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjREVr9Br-D9tv4gqAsO9v2bP9a_ryPqHVedBdaPVrd-wUovpbMqB42m-uADw07Q5CSvaQ1NiBmuvlV-i6mvRPscdH0OSbDGqEZM4gvE74hQ3E_3_gHz4Ki02qVviUwuhs2qRgmzXG1tjI/s1600-h/DSC04069.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391890667617791954" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjREVr9Br-D9tv4gqAsO9v2bP9a_ryPqHVedBdaPVrd-wUovpbMqB42m-uADw07Q5CSvaQ1NiBmuvlV-i6mvRPscdH0OSbDGqEZM4gvE74hQ3E_3_gHz4Ki02qVviUwuhs2qRgmzXG1tjI/s320/DSC04069.JPG" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;">Went out to lunch (and wine) with two of my girlfriends in town... we went to </span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.village-litchfield.com"><span style="font-size:130%;">The Village</span></a><span style="font-size:130%;">, a slightly upscale restaurant with delicious appetizers like salmon & crab cakes, crisped goat cheese salads, etc. They're also known for decent size (delicioussss) lunches.. hence the leftovers you see below...</span><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391889856185379330" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglETxf0f2Hewv7GdhSSIn-K-wMBRTdGiNPyewT0CBZI8CmBb9RiSfCOn4TD_21M574wMIlj42vjYpvjmZ0ynvWee-uaTo4B83sbnXEFZghAvd97uWDpzn-upFSIRmGTlmUFFxZeWimnC0/s320/DSC04074.JPG" /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">This picture doesn't do my lunch justice... I got the Grilled Portabella mushroom flatbread sandwich with a side of <span style="color:#ff6600;">Sweet Potato fries</span> instead of the regular fries (I sampled some of the regular fries though and they were amaaaazing! Not greasy at all... <strong>very crispy</strong>.. with just a hint of seasonings) </span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Rather than joining in on more wine drinking with my girlfriends, I came home to start creating my masterpiece of a birthday cake for my brother's b-day party that night...</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">I bought two bags of these babies...</span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-7cj5ua1SgW6mI01AmXc1xFUuIz7Z5uoNDlvz7T1fFR_N9IQGu99lAHWQkMBtcx-b4A4-_-dAjmcNQcXBTApnbzbDrQo85kDqe_e2vUmQTZ2H8yJ8I-EwWEIYM5l0kUE6dWev41NOF9g/s1600-h/DSC04070.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391890376578279298" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-7cj5ua1SgW6mI01AmXc1xFUuIz7Z5uoNDlvz7T1fFR_N9IQGu99lAHWQkMBtcx-b4A4-_-dAjmcNQcXBTApnbzbDrQo85kDqe_e2vUmQTZ2H8yJ8I-EwWEIYM5l0kUE6dWev41NOF9g/s320/DSC04070.JPG" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;"> To create a from scratch (no big deal) Cocoa Buttermilk cake with Peanut Butter frosting.... I got the recipe from Mare at <a href="http://maresfoodandfun.blogspot.com/2009/04/cocoa-buttermilk-birthday-cake-with.html">Meet Me in the Kitchen</a>. She has the most amazinggg and decadent dessert recipes. </span><br /><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391889531364311202" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxQ-g-FAjnM78Y5ByQ2Y0z1Cdic_Gjz_hNxVrhfQ-pFYFq-WAuPqmd4MIXZoagIDgEF_97MUM79TS1SU3jOWLXPUwGd2ouFDEX2uAAQV4PTEdzn7oFrmbAjvavEzS19tlZ76hmdI0WBmg/s320/DSC04075.JPG" /><span style="font-size:130%;">Oh yeah... not to mention crushed Reese's cups in the middle layer ;)<br /><br /><br />Then topped with another cake layer and generously frosted with more PB frosting, topped with chopped PB cups...</span><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyELfw8tsRoyrdy_PW6p790ESN8CizSxrEN1PeYdB8r5sqYuS6UDwySC6p8RNApeDZA6yMkVhZTk6P6n-cba26NHkqBCJX6W0CvKIOEV32mIBvnNsvU2aqUqxGdJuj_U2hWExLcKD4Hr0/s1600-h/DSC04077.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391889014410909394" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyELfw8tsRoyrdy_PW6p790ESN8CizSxrEN1PeYdB8r5sqYuS6UDwySC6p8RNApeDZA6yMkVhZTk6P6n-cba26NHkqBCJX6W0CvKIOEV32mIBvnNsvU2aqUqxGdJuj_U2hWExLcKD4Hr0/s320/DSC04077.JPG" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;">The Review at the party?? </span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">People <strong>loved</strong> it! BUT.. the only "complaint" I got is that everyone really really wanted a gallon of milk to go with this aka it was extremely rich... Everyone <strong>thoroughly</strong> enjoyed it anyway. People couldn't believe it was from scratch either! What can I say??? <em>I am a baking fiend</em>! Baking this <strong>pain-in-the-A cake</strong> made me realize how much I miss baking too.... Oh and my friend Ray ended up physically stealing the remaining 1/2 of the cake from the fridge (ohhh the hilarious actions of the intoxicated) and taking it home with him so I'm pretty sure that makes it a hit...right??<br /><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>The party was fun</strong>... everyone from work came, I played a little beer pong (P.S.<strong> not</strong> my game...) and drank Shocktops like the classy chica I am (HA!) Stayed at the party til 4am, drove 40 mins home (I drove my brother's ginormous SUV home somehow so drunky could get his beauty sleep in the backseat) and didn't get home to my own house until 530 am!!!</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">This is <strong>unheard of</strong> for me... I can barely stay up past 1am. Holy Bajeeeeze. Let's just say I <strong>STILL</strong> haven't fully caught up on the sleep I didn't get the other night. Especially since I had work Sunday gahhhh... <em>the horror</em>! So after a mere five hours of <strong>not-so-great</strong> sleep, I was up and attempting to recover. Ugh.</span></div><div><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />Which means there was <strong>plenty </strong>of this...</span></div></span><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLYSD3kTob-ux6sZ1eLuYNAtqngazr3OAC8YLBLJL93t4xyM4mfncsBeOISCylHpdIbYRAPbMtWFAPV5Y73C-agyEgOVwTMqpuAp9BC7WNwHL0nuwZBAmpfM7k1F2258sMGhNLnLfMVgw/s1600-h/DSC04082.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391888849692135394" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLYSD3kTob-ux6sZ1eLuYNAtqngazr3OAC8YLBLJL93t4xyM4mfncsBeOISCylHpdIbYRAPbMtWFAPV5Y73C-agyEgOVwTMqpuAp9BC7WNwHL0nuwZBAmpfM7k1F2258sMGhNLnLfMVgw/s320/DSC04082.JPG" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;">We're talking an entire pot to myself...<br /><br /><br />More snackies & eats throughout the day as my stomach began to allow me to eat solid foods <strong>Oy veyyyy</strong>... this is why I <strong>don't</strong> party the night away anymore!<br /></span><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKuVBRaE88jKpz27w23VG142zBDH1PWqyS1AVYBnoUh1UH7QOvnQDfRhJ3y_4omLy6W_Wl046T3V7VkWnXI7fZaVaj5QshORLdK6nG3ofsgBDcdxjkXRMMF9r12_Rh3KxldUYmvOyt-Iw/s1600-h/DSC04083.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391888694452411570" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKuVBRaE88jKpz27w23VG142zBDH1PWqyS1AVYBnoUh1UH7QOvnQDfRhJ3y_4omLy6W_Wl046T3V7VkWnXI7fZaVaj5QshORLdK6nG3ofsgBDcdxjkXRMMF9r12_Rh3KxldUYmvOyt-Iw/s320/DSC04083.JPG" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong> Oatmeal</strong>! How I love theee...<br /></span><div><a href="http://www.clifbar.com/food/products_clif_bar/"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391888584455551298" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyxDLdz3yw6UNuqChBVQe8wxYl74nkDFcEAxalCUdqIyWbQgs33Wzu98XPrdn9s6OOCwmPNEiKaeVcQD3QW-R5UL9q6mxJbYAVS9X3CPpLW40xbTLASice7bKUjFnR1NZ55zuKRn8XL5o/s320/DSC04086.JPG" /><span style="font-size:130%;">Clif Bars</span></a><span style="font-size:130%;"> & magazines make for a great hangover cure....<br /></span><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj0og8izFM-6kpW8Ql5EeYC-OVxyEXrBWeT-0OxSHfa6OzaJUXqa9wKmg5LIKd1gD4_Y2PNi75qtydAmCij2IJdyjBeI5nzU3gDndMkxpw5p0rR3hRqH2rEucstuPEbWoW6EhNEVn_Tvc/s1600-h/DSC04087.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391888444742490994" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj0og8izFM-6kpW8Ql5EeYC-OVxyEXrBWeT-0OxSHfa6OzaJUXqa9wKmg5LIKd1gD4_Y2PNi75qtydAmCij2IJdyjBeI5nzU3gDndMkxpw5p0rR3hRqH2rEucstuPEbWoW6EhNEVn_Tvc/s320/DSC04087.JPG" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;">YUM!!! Loved the carrot cake flavor... especially the big chewy pieces of carrot..</span><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0PdUDDxhLeQHb2561_lXCXOI6HoEWYX86hj3IXvKZ7sW-psg4G8a9cixxRgI-gN6CU0aFqaIS5meRIntx1UZpEsXU6h71awvvvF7f-icYGde5Sk1FG014DZJx-b66pe5PKtFAj4vsJ94/s1600-h/DSC04092.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391888319170767458" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0PdUDDxhLeQHb2561_lXCXOI6HoEWYX86hj3IXvKZ7sW-psg4G8a9cixxRgI-gN6CU0aFqaIS5meRIntx1UZpEsXU6h71awvvvF7f-icYGde5Sk1FG014DZJx-b66pe5PKtFAj4vsJ94/s320/DSC04092.JPG" /></a> <span style="font-size:130%;">Mucho apples consumed as usual...<br /></span><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMrY_igUCIg1K2nV-E0F1NrOXfoShAnqtkx46o3aptVvGGcNR8g9-e_WippVDpP7i3DafCNp8k8yhZ3FVHPrSspMVCm3X9zsmGKTQ6G2LyXOFahNSfyyrq_RvQWubdHqe7_f774jbJFbU/s1600-h/DSC04096.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391888146661667570" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMrY_igUCIg1K2nV-E0F1NrOXfoShAnqtkx46o3aptVvGGcNR8g9-e_WippVDpP7i3DafCNp8k8yhZ3FVHPrSspMVCm3X9zsmGKTQ6G2LyXOFahNSfyyrq_RvQWubdHqe7_f774jbJFbU/s320/DSC04096.JPG" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;">Glenny's Soy Crisps packed up for work fuel...</span><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb_fQMmE9IciamiSmPEB6Rmzd6j9q4d1KvNjCNB4aQfEhhLGCbsfRnr-piN9XkIYOLHVGQi2zq9LACtkjN9_YrgVTNiVOzqO7LQQ9IP2mWSm0mKqxUmcZp4Jbu6dxrzKnhG1FyOKewsDU/s1600-h/DSC04099.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391888006918288738" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb_fQMmE9IciamiSmPEB6Rmzd6j9q4d1KvNjCNB4aQfEhhLGCbsfRnr-piN9XkIYOLHVGQi2zq9LACtkjN9_YrgVTNiVOzqO7LQQ9IP2mWSm0mKqxUmcZp4Jbu6dxrzKnhG1FyOKewsDU/s320/DSC04099.JPG" /></a> <span style="font-size:130%;">Lots of grapes...<br /></span><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKO-s1SR9EP8_RuLX8Ea_l2epdNKEdMK1KgAoxJ3-Q8etmsotH45MOzUzhBOFtix6ghdU25xEEJiBG1-01FgCHrb_LBlordyFZ9bqXmpHjUcW5mRk1NtAat7HPUAGXf3MknEURKXDv3TQ/s1600-h/DSC04103.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391887701956133890" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKO-s1SR9EP8_RuLX8Ea_l2epdNKEdMK1KgAoxJ3-Q8etmsotH45MOzUzhBOFtix6ghdU25xEEJiBG1-01FgCHrb_LBlordyFZ9bqXmpHjUcW5mRk1NtAat7HPUAGXf3MknEURKXDv3TQ/s320/DSC04103.JPG" /></a> <a href="http://www.flatbreadcompany.com/"><span style="font-size:130%;">Flatbread Pizza</span></a><span style="font-size:130%;"> from work...<br /></span><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPCCua6eYdbbidmxn_-bFF0LTsTp7zv4I9uyxWfQ0ZjGVqZTt2bxFnHh2swtD24dE4ysDl6Qo-mTaUeYJiVzufL2XLW3Hr9aquVfn5J2xC6QG6W0IqVL4wpbOxnAWF7vWl2JRITSfzyt4/s1600-h/DSC04101.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391887591038375746" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPCCua6eYdbbidmxn_-bFF0LTsTp7zv4I9uyxWfQ0ZjGVqZTt2bxFnHh2swtD24dE4ysDl6Qo-mTaUeYJiVzufL2XLW3Hr9aquVfn5J2xC6QG6W0IqVL4wpbOxnAWF7vWl2JRITSfzyt4/s320/DSC04101.JPG" /></a><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"> I chose:</span></strong></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">~Roasted red peppers</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">~Lots of Mushrooms</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">~Carmelized onions<br /><br /><br />Snacked on 1/4 of a <span style="color:#ff6600;">Pumpkin muffin</span> from a sweets collection my parents brought home from their trip to our cottage this weekend! :)</span></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLvyS96oiehhGZjtZRzojUdBZe_jM4SFJHODA1J1ujXX6kfIGJ3-f_no7FdYxgIm0xkhVqPbvOMIkOK0m4U7fiS5y0N_ukqA_fs7rJyS-OOZWW17cUD2uDdrg9Q1mGxHOloyYPxQR550M/s1600-h/DSC04104.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391887438613146962" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLvyS96oiehhGZjtZRzojUdBZe_jM4SFJHODA1J1ujXX6kfIGJ3-f_no7FdYxgIm0xkhVqPbvOMIkOK0m4U7fiS5y0N_ukqA_fs7rJyS-OOZWW17cUD2uDdrg9Q1mGxHOloyYPxQR550M/s320/DSC04104.JPG" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;">Breakfast this morning was a long overdue yogurt mess...</span><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEg3aHN2_YY89lKNRIjeGgcW5GfYTSkfdfEeUOv2UO_Y1HR49qAdJVj8fE-A2kVaFD4XYrkfFU94XfhatSMB_wKti6XfwDinAlWMqJ8m-lc6fXSzsBfWlDD7rrceRZMpsjgRaF0I-aBsc/s1600-h/DSC04108.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391887209540498434" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEg3aHN2_YY89lKNRIjeGgcW5GfYTSkfdfEeUOv2UO_Y1HR49qAdJVj8fE-A2kVaFD4XYrkfFU94XfhatSMB_wKti6XfwDinAlWMqJ8m-lc6fXSzsBfWlDD7rrceRZMpsjgRaF0I-aBsc/s320/DSC04108.JPG" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;">~3/4 cup FF Vanilla Nature's Promise yogurt</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">~1/2 cup Kashi Honey Almond Flax</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">~1/2 cup Kashi Honey Sunshine</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">~Cinnamon</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">~Drizzle of warm MaraNatha smooth PB ;)<br /><br /><br />My<strong> very</strong> green breakfast...</span></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqPvbaTNXLNpsvxAak3Zw7CW9HXNl_SaAdNXVUXBd4tWZi-QtpXm5AC8Oj_YVYd7jd-r6e5aO1r07zqdhT_CAt4v8k_xGeYYYbFOlLmP4aBIuF7oTxy2u22GpEzmASTm5jiu2udtgBZAY/s1600-h/DSC04111.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391887024646355362" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqPvbaTNXLNpsvxAak3Zw7CW9HXNl_SaAdNXVUXBd4tWZi-QtpXm5AC8Oj_YVYd7jd-r6e5aO1r07zqdhT_CAt4v8k_xGeYYYbFOlLmP4aBIuF7oTxy2u22GpEzmASTm5jiu2udtgBZAY/s320/DSC04111.JPG" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;">Packed some more work snacks this morning before my lunch shift...</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />I forgot I still had a box of these babies hiding in my cabinet so I thought I'd give this flavor another try. I didn't like these too much the first time.. It was mostly the layer of puree on top of the bar. It stuck to the roof of my mouth and was <strong>WAY</strong> too sweet. Today however, I needed a little bit of a boost so the sugar was <strong>welcomed happily</strong> :)</span><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7wAmEUAXphSwHBhh_gA-XDSNGMM_tBdZA2YkuE1Fh1DV8A_nL1F9xowPnyAkbZjNUULmL_wtzOpBOt_3pW1GqB2mbUV6ULvk9jq7ntBYUsQZIAIxQG2fcged4cEHbcQpKcn8uPNaJZqQ/s1600-h/DSC04113.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391886906604783202" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7wAmEUAXphSwHBhh_gA-XDSNGMM_tBdZA2YkuE1Fh1DV8A_nL1F9xowPnyAkbZjNUULmL_wtzOpBOt_3pW1GqB2mbUV6ULvk9jq7ntBYUsQZIAIxQG2fcged4cEHbcQpKcn8uPNaJZqQ/s320/DSC04113.JPG" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;">Of course I needed my java boost to go along with it... the day I don't I'll die of shock. </span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">Tall coffee w/ 2 pumps of Pumpkin Spice syrup...</span><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx-JTM5L1tzphp9WfxQVbylekX3B65j1K30gSIcNvnL0joemM0PdbJjNaoSkkNUvRJAdThBkAYk8hikNmUXQKro0kBEhX5iF8mBXgh6ffL7Yp7W-5l2Gft8PR-rcrukGZXnjZsWKYwxBU/s1600-h/DSC04115.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391886765018903602" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx-JTM5L1tzphp9WfxQVbylekX3B65j1K30gSIcNvnL0joemM0PdbJjNaoSkkNUvRJAdThBkAYk8hikNmUXQKro0kBEhX5iF8mBXgh6ffL7Yp7W-5l2Gft8PR-rcrukGZXnjZsWKYwxBU/s320/DSC04115.JPG" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;">Work was busy, per usual, <strong>thanks Columbus</strong>... <em>your milkshake brings all the peeps to the Bread</em>. ;) HA lame, I know... whateverrrr. I made about $90 in tips.. proceeded to put<strong> ALL</strong> of that into my checking account so I can pay about 20 bills this week. Pretty much the story of my life with work for the past week or so... ugh.</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />I'll rank working your butt off allll day & night, making good hard earned money, & then seeing it go straight back out to bills as<strong> one of the worst things in the world</strong>... can I get a<strong> YES YOU ARE RIGHT ALLISON???</strong></span></div><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></strong></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">Ugh... moving on...</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">Snacked on this after coming home...</span></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiepXPNapBi8HLufpvNV2HQMDqSatEP0XbUXPGstoHwpFO1GnFfWc5-1vxSG2J2mTyA3SyjXmPXjiARt64p8Br75AMlbIxc6HRVE53umOwX_upqrvGd6rA6aMzlY2Af3PTIlZIN-9IKtAY/s1600-h/DSC04117.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391886485369652674" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiepXPNapBi8HLufpvNV2HQMDqSatEP0XbUXPGstoHwpFO1GnFfWc5-1vxSG2J2mTyA3SyjXmPXjiARt64p8Br75AMlbIxc6HRVE53umOwX_upqrvGd6rA6aMzlY2Af3PTIlZIN-9IKtAY/s320/DSC04117.JPG" /></a> <span style="font-size:130%;">Nature's Promise oat pretzel sticks with Dark Choc Dreams = Heaven.</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />Brought home a salad from work for (a very very late) lunch...</span><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXaFy8xgJC1pc_pZPo5HOusC4oxOVU68VnHsj-BU_svF6x1DC2CAw5MOcKLM20JPV2DrhRCRDYe2I3wxHJfVrcCKwZK94M2svsqDrOXqpqfahBPpuZAgQ8y93TkWp2rnP069I81ES81sc/s1600-h/salad.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391886367028075922" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXaFy8xgJC1pc_pZPo5HOusC4oxOVU68VnHsj-BU_svF6x1DC2CAw5MOcKLM20JPV2DrhRCRDYe2I3wxHJfVrcCKwZK94M2svsqDrOXqpqfahBPpuZAgQ8y93TkWp2rnP069I81ES81sc/s320/salad.jpg" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;">~Red & Green leaf lettuce</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">~Organic carrots & celery</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">~Lots and lots AND LOTS of mushrooms</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">~Local Goat cheese</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">~Free range chicken</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">~Our Ginger-Tamari dressing</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">~Arame seaweed</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">~Toasted sesame seeds</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />I wish you could all try this... you won't ever want any other salad ever again. EVER!<br /><br /></span></div><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Then went to the gym:</span></strong></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><em><span style="font-size:130%;">35 minutes on the treadmill - 2.8 miles - 330 calories</span></em></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><em>18 minutes on the elliptical</em> </span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">Honestly.... <strong>not</strong> my best workout. I definitely went <strong>too soon</strong> after "lunch". I could feel my food sitting in my stomach (ugh) and prettyyy much a few mins away from coming back up my throat (sorry if that's TMI... I'm pretty sure it is) I'm so used to <strong>morning workouts</strong> too.. I had a long day at work, I haven't totally caught up on sleep, and I didn't drink my usual massive amounts of water throughout the day so I was just not in my best form tonight... :( Better than nothing though! Especially since I took the day off (<strong>aka lazed around hungover until work time</strong>) on Sunday... <em>oooops</em>! Tomorrow morning will definitely more than make up for it!</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />Came home & had dinner tonight with the fam but opted for picking out the <strong>good things</strong> from the pot and <strong>skipping out</strong> on the <em>white pasta & cream sauce</em>... ehhh, not my thing.</span></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiawNQ_1HLgMoCr1TwpdNWdJ1PZ9TanUlu6JVfehHpIfYVasMBxkzADsPmAN4y22q9uD2aShgIyck4W_LT_IH25ChVNpsWf0gfqXRj7NPSSZyHGvWS3LXNmfih8LLHPpcCKgL1636EgJaA/s1600-h/DSC04120.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391886262489031458" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiawNQ_1HLgMoCr1TwpdNWdJ1PZ9TanUlu6JVfehHpIfYVasMBxkzADsPmAN4y22q9uD2aShgIyck4W_LT_IH25ChVNpsWf0gfqXRj7NPSSZyHGvWS3LXNmfih8LLHPpcCKgL1636EgJaA/s320/DSC04120.JPG" /></a><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">So I enjoyed a big bowl of:</span></strong></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">~Boiled kielbasa</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">~Broccoli from Jilly-bean's garden!</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">~Mushrooms (I've more than spent my mushroom allowance today... obvi)</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">~Chopped fresh tomatoes</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">~A little EVOO & Italian dressing<br /><br /><br />Yummmmm! Very full and happy :) But I'm definitely considering a little dessert...<strong> Hmmmm, any suggestions??</strong></span></div><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></strong></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">Hope you all had a Happy Monday! And hope some of you got to have the glorious Columbus Day OFF from worky! :)</span> </div><div><span style="font-size:180%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:180%;">And last but DEFINITELY not least</span>... if you haven't already done so, get over to </span><a href="http://www.nono2yoyo.com/"><span style="font-size:130%;">Natalie's</span></a><span style="font-size:130%;"> blog and get yourself involved in a little thing called </span><a href="http://www.nono2yoyo.com/project-feed-me"><span style="font-size:130%;">Project Feed-Me</span></a><span style="font-size:130%;">... it's a super easy way to help provide food to local food banks by purchasing 2 noted items per week for 9 weeks & then donating the whole loot at the end of that time! It's such a good cause and it will only cost you a few extra dollars a week (even those of us workin the room as a waitress can afford that!) ;) Natalie has a huge heart for getting this started & the more people participating, the bigger the affect it will have!!! :)</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"></span> </div><div> </div><div></div><div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><br /></div>Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772686677670787444noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-951297443932197999.post-55342906807973586692009-10-09T17:06:00.000-07:002009-10-09T17:52:23.747-07:00Tee-Gee-Eye-EFF<div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Happy Fridayyy buttons! How <strong>are</strong> all of you on this dreary Friday night!? It has been raining nonstop around here today.. blehhhh... making me sleepy & cold but I'm attempting to amp myself up (yeah--I just used "amp") for a night out tonight... </span></div><div align="center"><br /></div><span style="font-size:130%;"><div align="center"><br /></div></span><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><em>I'm definitely not going crazy or anything mostly because:</em></span></div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>A.</strong> I gots tings ta do tamar-uh!! Its going to be a pretty nice little Saturday... errands galore, gym session, & baking/preparing for my brother's B-Day Party tomorrow night!! :) </span></div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:180%;">AND</span></div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>B.</strong> I've already spent my alcohol allowance for the week on Magic Hats at the Benefit... I'm a classy broad, as you can <strong>surely </strong>tell. ;)</span></div><div align="center"><br /></div><span style="font-size:130%;"><div align="center"><br /></div></span><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">BUT... <strong>my absolute best friend in the world</strong> is in town which is a reason for celebrating! However.. he's training right now for a body building competition of sorts, therefore... no boozey for BFF-y. Which <strong>may</strong> just make it easier to turn down delicious Shocktops and/or chardonnay tonight!</span><br /></div><span style="font-size:130%;"><div align="center"><br /></div></span><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390767245002270690" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio-KjqruDJZ8W1bDnMAIMqFwzPHEugkiswyPErdJwrodMCqRUXX7-TzSH7BelFt2x8DuxSnMooNJxddSk8p9B5z_MStmqjjLrhjo1D8ptOG6xfjspqp4aHpzzl-2Dt4d79_7wSWQReCtQ/s320/bff.jpg" /> <p align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Sir BFF Steven & I this summer...</span></p><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Plus... <span style="font-size:180%;"><a href="http://mlb.mlb.com/index.jsp">game 2</a> of the Red Sox series</span> against the Angels is on (hollaaaa! gonna kick some arse!) so I can surely be distracted also by that... </span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Soooo... in other much more interesting news... <a href="http://www.honeynutlo.com/2009/10/its-great-giveaway-charlie-brown.html">Lo's having what very well might be the most fun & exciting giveaway event</a> I've ever come across haha. I love Fall. I love scavenger hunts. And I love giveaways. Ummmm... <strong>hello perfect idea</strong>!! <span style="color:#ff6600;">Very <strong>Halloween</strong> themed and fun</span>! So check it out... the more people that participate in it the more fun video/photo recaps there will be! :)</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><em>So I got a good workout in today:</em></span></div><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">~Walked/Ran on the treadmill 3.8 miles; 45 minutes (I got a saweeet charlie horse in my right leg last night while sleeping so the run started off a littttle slow... once I got it stretched out more I was good to go!)</span></div><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">~15 min/3 min cooldown on the Elliptical</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Came home to make lunch...</span></div><div align="center"><br /> </div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Rainy day = SOUP day</span></div><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Luckily I had this baby in the cabinet which I had been waiting for a rainy day to try (what a surprise, right?)</span></div><br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQxYEfbiUTpnifeGYfUTul159BJm6GGiGHUdnjhaW_V_NoxXH2JwREI4yDuVpNUNp8QMOeRcTLnFJTXC6mt8S7-bLsvgGNjRmtm3CAnd-S0VHGrYht0HTq-T3w7M4v2vkTiEjq3McVXCE/s1600-h/DSC04033.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390757636867526242" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQxYEfbiUTpnifeGYfUTul159BJm6GGiGHUdnjhaW_V_NoxXH2JwREI4yDuVpNUNp8QMOeRcTLnFJTXC6mt8S7-bLsvgGNjRmtm3CAnd-S0VHGrYht0HTq-T3w7M4v2vkTiEjq3McVXCE/s320/DSC04033.JPG" /></a> <span style="font-size:130%;">Yum yum yum... just what I wanted.</span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2nfZ4Yl4YXCLVxa8zp0J3KTZ-udunC1MM5D0HimdfY1sZLfit_qHp4ubpaFkAsx00wsSgzBZLo6gTfS0i_s0tlwhpPJCeOmRp7PCQ-Ddy_X9aNJ1wUjxJ9a2FaBrpw5lZ3q1twKZoSuE/s1600-h/DSC04035.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390757512711247266" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2nfZ4Yl4YXCLVxa8zp0J3KTZ-udunC1MM5D0HimdfY1sZLfit_qHp4ubpaFkAsx00wsSgzBZLo6gTfS0i_s0tlwhpPJCeOmRp7PCQ-Ddy_X9aNJ1wUjxJ9a2FaBrpw5lZ3q1twKZoSuE/s320/DSC04035.JPG" /></a> <span style="font-size:130%;">How can you have soup without grilled cheese? Answer. <strong>You cannot</strong>. I forbid it...</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><em>I made a Grilled Chez a la Allio with:</em></span> <span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">~12-grain Nature's Promise bread</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">~1 slice reduced-fat American cheese</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">~Sliced tomatoes</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">~1/2 an avocado sliced</span> <span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Grilled to perfection and ohhh so warm & melty inside...</span><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBJHwPx3RBqbD7Yncx4WG7dK2-hXFYfMrnpRH1xnvv-8FDj0izpQ9dmYWnAnIN0mwrR9Xf7yQ-oYoIVTuG2uP2yElSBKduPrMTgL4IHsNGm3_T8ArIIPwaM0k_oX4e9yjoG9OPpW_Yy50/s1600-h/DSC04037.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390757401520239954" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBJHwPx3RBqbD7Yncx4WG7dK2-hXFYfMrnpRH1xnvv-8FDj0izpQ9dmYWnAnIN0mwrR9Xf7yQ-oYoIVTuG2uP2yElSBKduPrMTgL4IHsNGm3_T8ArIIPwaM0k_oX4e9yjoG9OPpW_Yy50/s320/DSC04037.JPG" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;"> I think I'm in love.</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">This is by far my fav sammie creation when I want something warm & comforting!</span> <span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Snacked on an organic Gala of sorts later in the afternoon...</span><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhprnef2nDrBzAqoHjGJ2DLUFO-X2PU5BmlHk8JSTpAn70ImAWq37Gr8tJv1B5ji3KAtinqi_HkZxzXXk_zaL-8cp6EfFp9IDdye5Nmy-k0-iaeBxnmEg4x6OYtS4eISgvSRhjGb56JulY/s1600-h/DSC04038.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390757274186441618" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhprnef2nDrBzAqoHjGJ2DLUFO-X2PU5BmlHk8JSTpAn70ImAWq37Gr8tJv1B5ji3KAtinqi_HkZxzXXk_zaL-8cp6EfFp9IDdye5Nmy-k0-iaeBxnmEg4x6OYtS4eISgvSRhjGb56JulY/s320/DSC04038.JPG" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;">And I DID indeed end up participating in <a href="http://carrotsncake.com/">Cookie Friday</a> after I discovered our stash of <a href="http://www.nonnis.com/products/products.html#2">Nonni's biscotti</a>... Oh Nonni, girl you drive me crazyyy with this goodness...</span><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS3X7yU5nDPjGZV_9pT9ynWjjryaGOEmdoFxhrYuXvnxvR8qSIMu-Navfk6MdrM6JxWEivH1eQne4U0RNyP7WknlbMjMsRS3VflvI2dF5exZSql7OoOTg_AMLBaVhiFo_u4Hw09JRYZEU/s1600-h/DSC04046.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390757138386691698" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS3X7yU5nDPjGZV_9pT9ynWjjryaGOEmdoFxhrYuXvnxvR8qSIMu-Navfk6MdrM6JxWEivH1eQne4U0RNyP7WknlbMjMsRS3VflvI2dF5exZSql7OoOTg_AMLBaVhiFo_u4Hw09JRYZEU/s320/DSC04046.JPG" /></a> <span style="font-size:130%;">Dipped in my coffee ;)</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">The only way to enjoy it.... I ended up with melted chocolate around the rim of my mug.. not to mention a rich, chocolately flavor in my coffee after dipping. Ugh. Heaven.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Once my belly was growling for dinner I had absolutely NO idea what to make. And I haaaate that more than anything. Oh... no... scratch that. The only thing I hate more than not knowing what to make is having nothing to work with in the kitchen!!! It's definitely time for a grocery store trip because I have only the most random things in the fridge & cabinets right now.... Like this creepy white eggplant.</span><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkvqW-6twFMdedND7MTnri66vmcS_gjmt2nUhyyUoaZzTrTrThLegqIvKSVMFQNxDBk3LwKnNcOtlGMJL28v5vrU-gt3PPfAFPvXtj0ush47tBZVypQF5G1oUcwSHzRrLg8SB3PJ7bHlM/s1600-h/DSC04049.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390756837212864754" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkvqW-6twFMdedND7MTnri66vmcS_gjmt2nUhyyUoaZzTrTrThLegqIvKSVMFQNxDBk3LwKnNcOtlGMJL28v5vrU-gt3PPfAFPvXtj0ush47tBZVypQF5G1oUcwSHzRrLg8SB3PJ7bHlM/s320/DSC04049.JPG" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;"> Sooo weird... Albino Eggplants? You serious?</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />So I took some of my leftover WW penne... added some extra Tomato Basil pasta sauce... & some sauteed mushrooms...</span><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO-HZv42h_9KMiBPNSYuljg20gQe0vGwri-JyQm5YwYeEAgSVWreyxmy9zOJaUyk_2FJnpqrv7hyphenhyphen4hRAbHA8anX3xO8UOeeL9YnmOAyV6YCHRVeF0cfQzFVfiWnuDSCCDp2osvY5G75B0/s1600-h/DSC04051.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390756713075556018" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO-HZv42h_9KMiBPNSYuljg20gQe0vGwri-JyQm5YwYeEAgSVWreyxmy9zOJaUyk_2FJnpqrv7hyphenhyphen4hRAbHA8anX3xO8UOeeL9YnmOAyV6YCHRVeF0cfQzFVfiWnuDSCCDp2osvY5G75B0/s320/DSC04051.JPG" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />It was good....<strong>enough</strong>. I guess. I just couldn't figure out what I <strong>wanted</strong> to eat so I had to settle for whatever came into my head and was then created for my eating pleasure afterwards.</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />Followed by a salad with uhhh...<em>sauteed squash</em>?</span><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDfcwweMGTXrG2QpCoKN1Nb5_tn8HFQgN3Gc1F-4jWEhh_54X0ayTOO3rLzKHZGI0myuz62WxXIy_6N-Syi5GA-UiaB3LcJ-27nmX4zi5GeY1XvMxG8VMqRpQY4ROs2iu5Pwk0eeEeAuo/s1600-h/DSC04052.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390756607029787554" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDfcwweMGTXrG2QpCoKN1Nb5_tn8HFQgN3Gc1F-4jWEhh_54X0ayTOO3rLzKHZGI0myuz62WxXIy_6N-Syi5GA-UiaB3LcJ-27nmX4zi5GeY1XvMxG8VMqRpQY4ROs2iu5Pwk0eeEeAuo/s320/DSC04052.JPG" /></a> <span style="font-size:130%;">With some Annie's Honey Mustard...</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">I had about 3 bites... then gave up on it. Not quite a successful night for creative cooking and/or happy eating!<br /></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Fortunately I DID know what I wanted for breakfast tomorrow.</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Breakfast Cookie!!!</strong></span><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEx4Wuf8cBGg71DrJiCnOwShSkv94AoVxOgvdp7oP3bKzd1PYg3ol1ik9Lz_n9eA0_aneT4dKZsUPVZCCP6OKRhqu8pjso4WLd1XZU_1nkwPgB_qPbliprmLY-STxIq-S-Ikc3k_vwsSw/s1600-h/DSC04055.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390756499446346002" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEx4Wuf8cBGg71DrJiCnOwShSkv94AoVxOgvdp7oP3bKzd1PYg3ol1ik9Lz_n9eA0_aneT4dKZsUPVZCCP6OKRhqu8pjso4WLd1XZU_1nkwPgB_qPbliprmLY-STxIq-S-Ikc3k_vwsSw/s320/DSC04055.JPG" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />This was <strong>my first time</strong> making one and I chose to go with the <strong><span style="color:#ff6600;">pumpkin theme</span></strong> (I'm just all <em>Autumn-ed</em> out and sooo excited about it!!!) that and the fact that there's finally Libby's back on the shelf at the grocery store. Can I just say I almost had a panic attack when I heard there was a possible <a href="http://www.sj-r.com/features/x366044298/Trading-Post-Canned-pumpkin-shortage-is-possible">shortage of pumpkin</a>. <strong>WHAT</strong> would we all have done without pumpkin pies, breads, & muffins to bake!?!?!?! :( </span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Is it just me or does that sound like an absolute nightmare?</strong></span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">I'm pretty sure I would declare it the worst Fall ever if that were the case...</span><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu6PPNR0GD9JsCXInIUG6X-d1LnzsqCx4XML0PqRO-wG_Y4GLCPKXeb5ATT2SZPo-8AdnBvgUwvtN7YBjbtp0Z50VD1HyzgcnVwNItIsW3SAv6T1LiM5CCRB2iVUmXOSyyRQJar7a5Qf0/s1600-h/DSC04057.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390756387367329730" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu6PPNR0GD9JsCXInIUG6X-d1LnzsqCx4XML0PqRO-wG_Y4GLCPKXeb5ATT2SZPo-8AdnBvgUwvtN7YBjbtp0Z50VD1HyzgcnVwNItIsW3SAv6T1LiM5CCRB2iVUmXOSyyRQJar7a5Qf0/s320/DSC04057.JPG" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;"> <em>So I whipped up this baby with:</em></span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">~1/2 cup Oats</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">~1/4 cup Libby's pumpkin puree</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">~Tbsp or so of pumpkin butter</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">~Pumpkin pie spice</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">~Tbsp of Real Maple Syrup</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">~1/2 a mashed banana</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">I'm soooo excited to try this tomorrow!! I'm not sure how I feel about COLD oats so I guess this will be the determining factor... plus I'm going to be thinking of it like a cookie too, and who wouldnt want a warm cookie over a cold one? Ehhh.... but still, I'M EXCITED! Everything's worth a try & I have a feeling I'm going to <strong>love</strong> it :)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">So this overnight breakfast cookie "recipe" called for 1/2 a naner... leaving me with 1/2 of a naner still.</span><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIurVDYkL_XjJ8SbGUuY2RUVIS8gwpCufQ4yvHDg6finHoqMW8QMCGJAWcgyosGLBUp2ANHlzVtgnMNcEvyPxdaHaRwG3k-ieYPWfzoCUpHKePAh3d-KeHrT7H7qFGBa1ceP-3YAhzjfo/s1600-h/DSC04061.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390756283900366130" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIurVDYkL_XjJ8SbGUuY2RUVIS8gwpCufQ4yvHDg6finHoqMW8QMCGJAWcgyosGLBUp2ANHlzVtgnMNcEvyPxdaHaRwG3k-ieYPWfzoCUpHKePAh3d-KeHrT7H7qFGBa1ceP-3YAhzjfo/s320/DSC04061.JPG" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;"> <strong>No problem</strong> ;)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Hope you all have a fantastic night and are able to wind down after what was, I'm sure, a crazy week for all of us! Whether you're going out, staying in, traveling, sleeping... <strong>enjoy</strong> the Columbus Day weekend!!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">I'm off to watch the Sox dominate & catch up with BFF on his ultra crazy life :)</span><br /><br /><br /><br /></div>Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772686677670787444noreply@blogger.com4