Thursday, December 31, 2009

Let the Countdown Begin...

To 2010, to the new dog, to whatever!

I started the morning with a bowl of apple-cinnamon oatmeal to which I added some peanut butter, honey and a few chocolate chips. 'Twas delicious and filling!



Peanut butter + chocolate = Always a good idea!



Then I got moving! I went from store to store buying the rest of our puppy stuff. I stopped by the grocery store then was back home. I loaded some laundry and got lunch.

For lunch, I had a heaping salad and the rest of the leftover risotto (1/2 C). I also had a big glass of water.


I know I've been skimpy on the veggies lately, so I filled my bowl up and I measured it out to see what I was getting. I had 2 C lettuce, 1 C of cucumbers and tomatoes, and 1/2 C avocado. I added 3 Tbsp of crumbled blue cheese and then drizzles 1 Tbsp light ranch and 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar on it and gave a good toss. That's 4 servings of veggies! Not bad, eh?




Now I'm patiently waiting the time that I can go pick up our puppy! I have to return one item this afternoon, and then we are set. I've got her travel crate and a bag of goodies all set up for her.
Have a safe and happy New Year's Eve, y'all!

One Fine Day

Yesterday was my Friday since I am off on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. Yes! I started the day with a bowl of Raisin Bran. We had a discussion about how there's a lot of fiber, but also a lot of sugars so it's a trade-off cereal.


Then I grabbed my coffee and headed to work, complete with lunch in hand. I had a banana for a snack around 10 am. Work was pretty quiet for me.

For lunch, I had a turkey and Muenster on whole-wheat sandwich with lettuce. I also had a few corn chips that we need to finish up, a big apple, and a sugar cookie from home. I saved the cookie for a little after lunch... I needed to make room!

Then it was off to the shelter to hang out with our dog. She has surgery today, so we wanted to give her lots of playtime.

After playtime, we headed out for dinner and dog shopping. We tried the new South Austin location of Taquiera Chapala, one of our favorite Mexican food restaurants. The original location in East Austin is better, I think. The lettuce and tomato were fresher, better cheese, not as heavy on the sour cream, and generous with the avocado. Still, not bad. We'll be back! I had two chicken tostadas... they were complete with beans, chicken, about 1 C of lettuce, some tomato, about 1/4 an avocado, about 4 Tbsp sour cream, and a good 1-2 oz of shredded cheese. Yum!

I hope to blog a bit throughout today... I still have more puppy stuff to get and need to go to the grocery store. But I hope you all have SAFE and FUN and FESTIVE New Year's celebrations! Happy 2010!

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Guess What?!?!

We'll soon be hearing the pitter-patter of little paws! We found a beautiful, playful, adorable doggy at our local animal shelter and will be bringing her to her forever home soon.

Ain't she precious?


Yesterday, I got up and got everything ready for breakfast for myself and my cousins. I had a bowl of cereal and some coffee. Then I went to work.

For a snack, I had half a grapefruit. Lunch rolled around, and I had leftover risotto, broccoli, and a banana. I had a few chocolate nibs to curb my sweet tooth.

Later, I fixed a bit of hot tea... it looked dreary out!

Then it was off to the shelter to visit and play with the little cutie. We had a lot of fun snuggling, running and playing fetch. Jonathan and Chris came along and offered their approval.

Afterwards, we went to my aunt's house for dinner. Didn't snap any photos, but we had this luscious grilled salmon (4 oz) with a roll, rice (1/2 C), broccoli (1 C), salad (1.5 C), and white wine (1 glass). Then for dessert... baklava! So yummy and gooey! I had mine with a cup of decaf, black.

Then we sang a carol and watched my grandparents open a few gifts. It was a really sweet evening, all cozied up by the fire (Yes, we light those in Texas when the temps hover in the upper 30s and is drizzly and rainy all day!).

More food shots and a blog tonight... PROMISE!

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Back in the Saddle...




After all the holiday parties and treats, many of us feel like we should do a bit of a balancing act to counter all the extra fats, sugars and extra calories we had. I used to totally overdo it around the holidays, but now am much more aware of what I'm eating. I still get all those goodies, and am currently feeling like I could use a few adjustments in my diet to get me back on track.
I'm not a fan of crash diets. I don't think they work and they aren't much fun. They leave you feeling deprived, depleted and miserable. And you usually gain back anything you've lost once you start eating like a normal person again.
I'm a much bigger proponent of making a few adjustments for a week or so to get back to normal. For instance, I try to drink more water and increase my vegetable and fruit intake, while laying of fats, sugars, meats, cheeses, etc. I still get protein and fats, but just not as much. I find that after few days of this, I feel MUCH better.
I also get back to the exercise. Whether it's running, walking, stretching or just running around the house doing errands, I find that being more active helps me get back to the right state of mind.
Do you have any tips or tricks of getting back to normal after the holidays?
This week will be a little harder as we still have New Year's and we have family and friends to visit with this week. But I'll try to make good choices in the days in between and after.
Here's to a healthy attitude to balance!

Mea Culpa!

Family came in and we had a little special surprise to go check in on, so.... No photos again. Sorry. Things have been busy and I'm trying to get back in the swing of things, foodwise. But here's a recap of what I ate:

It was back to the grind, so I was up early to make lunches and get out the door! Breakfast was a bowl of cereal with skim milk and a cup of black coffee to go.

I was getting hungry, so I had a cookie or two around 10 am. Didn't feel so great about my decision after I ate it. Fail.

For lunch, I packed a turkey and Muenster sandwich with lettuce on whole-wheat bread. I had a huge organic apple on the side. I had a bit of a sweet tooth, so I had a few chocolate nibs. Later, I made a cup of decaf tea to warm me up at my desk.

A co-worker offered a piece of blueberry cheesecake late in the afternoon, but I resisted because I knew I'd have wine at night!

I got home and got to work on dinner before my cousin Jonathan and his hubby, Chris, arrived for a visit. I whipped up a chicken risotto. I poached the chicken, then used that broth to prepare the rice, which also had sauteed onions, garlic, mushrooms, carrots, white beans and zucchini. And Parmesan!! It was yummy, but so thick. I think I prefer it a little looser. I also had some steamed broccoli on the side. And we paired it with a red wine. Nice!

We chatted and chatted over another glass of wine, and then broke out the cookies and milk. I had a glass of milk and one chocolate-covered pretzel. It hit the spot!

Overall, I felt pretty good about getting back on track. I still regret those stupid sugar cookies I had in the morning, because I knew we'd have treats at home... But today is a new day!

Totals:
Grains: ~ 5 serv
Veggies: ~2 serv
Fruits: 1.5 serv
Meats/Protein: 3 serv
Dairy: 3 serv
Fats: um... a few
Discretionary: honestly, probably around 500 cals!

Sunday, December 27, 2009

Please Stay Tuned...

These past two days have been busy! But they've been busy with holiday fun. We cleaned house, organized the leftover gift wrap, went to a museum, visited the animal shelter, had dinner with my brother and sister-in-law and their family, visited with my Dad, did some laundry, went to a party, and opened more gifts with more family. And of course, I ate my way through it all!!

There are a few photos on the camera, but I will update later. I also have a grocery store trip in my pocket.

Tomorrow, my cousin and his hubby visit us and we can't wait! There will much food and drink, for shizzle.

So stay tuned...

Friday, December 25, 2009

Merry Christmas Post No. 2

Y'all, we had a haul!




There was much merriment all day long. My dad and brother chatted and joked and I caught this photo. Cute, no?




Our tree was filled up underneath. This shot did not include the boxes of gifts my in-law brought.




For example, my brother and sister-in-law gave us this super cute basket with fancy tea and Japanese style tea cups. They're really lovely.
A quick visit to my grandparents, and then we came home for some dinner. I had a big bowl of salad (2 C) with a bit of chili + corn chips, sour cream and cheese, and 1 tamale. I had a nice glass of red wine on the side.



Now we are relaxing... The tree is still littered with loot. I also received a crock-pot cookbook (YES!), two more pairs of earrings (one from local jeweler Krugers that is a light green stone, dangly and very pretty and one pair of turquoise studs from New Mexico), Japanese Cherry Blossom scented bath gel and lotion from BBW, a cute ornament from NM, lip gloss, a box of cracker jack, and we got a nice set of dominoes. AND we got some lovely hostess gifts (not necessary, y'all!) like wines and some pecans from my sister-in-law's brother's girlfriend's grandparent's farm. Hello! You can't beat that!

(Not shown: a lot of stuff)




Christmas Morning... Time to Party!

If you celebrate it, Merry Christmas!

Kendall and I woke up this morning and came downstairs to open our gifts. I must have been a good wife... He gave me a set of pearls, a nice new watch and a subscription to the New Yorker. Score! The jewelry is beautiful and I love that magazine. I got it two years ago, and have really missed it.

I tried on the earrings and necklace, then got to work on browning turkey for chili. I had to admit, I felt like a Hillbilly Housewife, wearing pearls, PJs, and browning meat at 7:30 am!

I had some minimuffins and a cup of coffee for breakfast. We busied ourselves getting things ready for everyone to arrive. We set up a buffet so people would help themselves.

We set out dessert...

Also served tamales, cornbread and my mother-in-law brought the yummy salad!


Tamale goodness...



Chili buffet with all the toppings (sour cream, corn chips, cheese, green onions and jalapenos).


It turned out to be a big success! Everyone had a good time, and clean-up wasn't too bad.
I had a bowl of chili with about 2 Tbsp sour cream, a sprinkling of cheese, about 7 corn chips, and some green onions. I also had a corn bread muffin, 1 tamale, a few chips and salsa and about 1/2 C salad. Yum! I grabbed some punch, and two cookies for dessert.



Thursday, December 24, 2009

Got the Roast Beast

Rolled out of bed and was not hungry. So I waited until I fixed this... applesauce, and one English muffin with coffee.





We went for a nice, long walk. It was cold out there! I showered and then we started working on the side bedrooms. Kendall whipped up some lunch while I folded laundry. He made tomato soup and pasta salad and poured me some blueberry juice.

For dessert, coffee, a chocolate and a cookie.


Our side bedrooms are looking great, I have to say. We have a big pile of donations for Goodwill, and our desk is clear, our books are sorted, and our gifts wrapped and all the wrapping stuff stored.
Oh, and did I mention that my awesome husband restrung our whack-ass blinds and fixed them? Yeah, I know, I got a keeper!
Then it was time to try out furniture arrangements for tomorrow's bunch. We actually like the way the furniture is arranged NOW, we decided, but because of our TV placement, we can't commit to it for the long-term. Then I popped a bird in the oven for a quiet Christmas Eve for two.


It was really lovely.
I baked up a final batch of cookies...


Chocolate chip this time!
Good night, all! I hope Santa is nice to you, and that you have a great time with your loved ones!



Chri$tmas$ Grocery $hopping

Yesterday, we went out to our grocery store to stock up for our Christmas Day meal. On the menu:

  • Chips and Salsa
  • Turkey Chili + Assorted toppings (sour cream, salsa, jalapenos, cheese, green onions, corn chips)
  • Tamales
  • Cornbread
  • Cookies and other Sweets
  • Coffee, Tea, Cocoa
  • Iced Tea and Water
(Salads and Punch being brought by other family!)

We walked out of there for a pretty good price. We're hosting about 13 people, and only spent $60.77, and some of that was not for Christmas Dinner.

Here's what made it in our shopping cart:
  • 3 lbs. ground turkey
  • 2 packs of chicken tamales
  • 2 pizzas
  • Blueberry Juice
  • Light Sour Cream
  • Butter for Baking
  • Margarine
  • Milk
  • Salsa
  • Cheddar Cheese
  • 1 Doz. Eggs
  • 2 boxes of Mac & Cheese
  • Unsweetened applesauce
  • Pasta Salad Mix
  • Large Can of Diced Tomatoes
  • Small Can of Diced Tomatoes
  • Large Can of Black Beans
  • Cilantro
  • Can of Jalapenos
  • Green Onions
  • Asparagus
  • Rolled Oats
  • Dried Cranberries
  • 2 Roma Tomatoes
  • 3 packets of Chili Seasoning
  • 2 lbs of coffee
  • Vanilla Baking Chips
  • 4 Limes
  • 3 Lemons
  • 1 Avocado
  • 1 packet of Walnuts

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Cookies!



Tonight, I started working on Christmas Day dessert! I whipped up a batch of oatmeal-cranberry cookies. They're Kendall's favorite, and my recipe bakes A LOT, so I chose these to start with.






They turned out great! I made them smaller so you can sample more goodies and not have the guilt.




And then I went to work on cranberry-walnut bark. I've never made bark, and this was easy and fun. Tomorrow will be chocolate-chip cookies, banana bread and then some cornbread. Almost ready!

Christmas Eve-Eve!

I started off the morning with a classic English muffin with a little butter and some raspberry jam. I had an apple on the side, a glass of milk and some coffee. Delicious, and really filling. I didn't really sleep in too late, and I wasn't hungry until 1 pm.



We looked at more cars today, then went shopping for things for Christmas Day (groceries, bowls, plates, and a cookie sheet). I came home and had a turkey (1 oz.) on whole-wheat sandwich with some mayo and a lot of lettuce (1 C).

I also had this carrot, which was sweet and crunchy.



And then Kendall convinced me to have a piece of cheese cake with a little milk. I mean, he really had to twist my arm!



In the afternoon, we went on a walk, and pulled some weeds. Then we organized our study a little more. It's getting better bit by bit. We have consolidated to one desk, so we are now sharing and have a lot of twins... two staples, two staple removers, three rolls of tape, about a gazillion pens and sharpies and highlighters!
For dinner, a quick meal at home-- pizza with some veggies thrown on top and a nice salad with tomato and avocado. Plus a glass of wine (A big one? Kendall poured it and I am still working on it 3 hours later!).




Then I got to work on cookies! See next post!

Today's Totals:
Grains: 7 serv
Meat: 1 serv
Dairy: 3 serv
Veggies: 3 serv
Fruit: 1 serv
Discretionary Cals: about 300

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Wheelin' Dealin' Disappointment

Today, I got up and ran for the first time in a few weeks. I was pleasantly surprised that I didn't conk out super-early. This is proof that it's always okay to get back on the exercise wagon. Don't let your skipping exercise keep you away. Get back out there! It was also a great stress-buster.

After a lovely, hot shower, I came down and got some grub. I happily popped a blueberry English muffin in the toaster then topped it with butter and jam and poured a glass of milk and grabbed a pear. Plus black coffee, of course.




It was utterly delicious!






We went in for a car, but they couldn't cut us a deal we were happy with. So we walked! Remember, YOU are the customer and YOU are in control! After a disappointing experience, we met our friends for a birthday lunch at Madam Mam's Thai. I had the yellow curry with chicken and steamed rice. Delicious as always, but low on veggies.

We spent the afternoon knocking out our Christmas shopping. It feels great to be done! For dinner, we warmed up some leftovers. I had Golden Curry with a bit of rice. I had it with a beer.



A few more veggies here, but not many.



For dessert, a sliver of cheesecake. Now we're just chillin' with a glass of wine!


Monday, December 21, 2009

Car Shoppin'!

What a day! We spent the entire day car shopping. For breakfast I had an egg and a piece of toast with jam and a cup of black coffee. Then it was off to my doctor's appointment! I came back really hungry, so I had a tangerine and a piece of cheese (1.5 oz). Then we hit the road to car shop! We spent the day test driving. It took all day, so we stopped for a quick bite. I had chicken nuggets with a baked potato and a Diet Coke. Not bad, but I feel like we've had a bit of fast food recently.

We came home to this:

Hello, first month of our breakfast club gift! The boxes opened to reveal this nice spread:


Three bags of English Muffins, 1 bag of mini muffins, 2 currant scones and some raspberry preserves. The scones were delicious! I had one tonight for dessert.


I started dinner with a big salad. It had lettuce, tomato, and avocado. It provided about 2 servings of veggies.



As I waited for the next course, I spied the last almond cookie. It turned into a quick dessert.



After some pizza!
Not the healthiest dya, but we were in a rush and were exhausted. Now it's time for the rest of a movie and a glass of wine!



Sunday, December 20, 2009

Oh, It's Sunday!

Guess what I had last night? On our way home, we grabbed some fast food. We were seriously exhausted... we didn't even want to heat up soup in a pot! I had a grilled chicken sandwich with fries and a glass of red wine. We don't do it often, so I indulged. And I do declare, it was delicious.


This morning, we had crepes. The top one was too thick and came out more like a pancake. Then we got to work on cleaning the house. It needed it! We hadn't touched it on over a week.




For lunch, a bowl of chipotle pasta salad. I loaded it with veggies, black beans and a little cheese. Yum!

We went to work on the study, trying to organize all of our stuff. We looked outside and saw that it was beautiful, and decided to go play instead. We went for a walk for a walk on the hike-and-bike trail around Ladybird Lake and wandered into a few shops around downtown.
Didn't find anything, but we did grab some reinforcements from the grocery store. Then we headed home for dinner. My dad joined us so I whipped up something different...

For dinner, a nice salad and a bowl of Golden Curry! The salad was about 1 C of greens plus some tomato, avocado and a boiled egg. I added some potatoes, onions and green bell peppers to some chicken for the curry and served it over rice. I added a glass of red wine.





So hearty and warming!

Kendall wanted dessert so we had some cheesecake. Then later, Dad and I made some hot cocoa and had an Italian Christmas cookie.


Saturday, December 19, 2009

Back from the Wedding!

CONGRATULATIONS ERIK AND BETHANY!



The wedding was BEAUTIFUL and we had such a lovely time!


Here's how it all went down. On Friday, we had some cereal and milk with coffee. On the way to the wedding venue, Kendall and I split a Payday. We got there in time for the Ropes course... and lunch! I had a HUGE turkey sandwich from a local bakery. Delicious!
We had such a fun time out there, but then we had to check into the hotel and get ready for the rehearsal. After the rehearsal, they served dinner. I had a glass of red wine and a salad. We were starving! Then they served chicken and pasta with a mushroom cream sauce. I had another glass of red wine. Then we had rhubarb crumble. The photos came out bad, but the food was good!




After dinner, a few of us decided to go out for a chat and a few beers. I had two. Then it was off to bed!


The bridesmaids met up early for breakfast. Didn't get a picture of it, but I had an English muffin with some cream cheese and jam, a low-fat blueberry yogurt and an apple with a glass of OJ and a cup of coffee. Then I was off to get ready!


The wedding was gorgeous and everyone had a great time. After the ceremony, while we waited to be summoned for photos, we had a celebratory drink- I had a glass of red wine. For lunch, the served a buffet of finger foods! I loaded half of my plate with veggies (about 1.5 C) of both raw squash and marinated veggies. I had some pita chips with spinach dip, a spring roll, and probably 3 oz. of cheese. I also had a roll, two cheesy-creamy tartlets and a spice muffin, and some slices of pineapple and a few berries. Yum! I was pretty full.
I grabbed a glass of white wine for the toasts. There was laughs and tears, and we all wished the happy couple well.
Of course, there was much merriment. I had a bite of their pretty cake, which was carrot cake! So unexpected and delicious! They served it with some champagne. Then I snagged some coffee.
I had the groom spin me around the dance floor a time or two. Then we sent them off and we went home. We stopped over at my in-laws and had a tamale and some pistachios.

We had such a lovely time and we are so happy for them! We wish you all the best!