Day 266 & 267: Home Shopping, Halloween Eating, Dining Room is on the Way, SYTYCD is BACK!

Yes, that's Austin in our pendant light in our living room. Let's back up...

Tuesday was a busy day! I started out exhausted – blah – and the allergy problems were back in full force. Double blah. It was nasty, rainy and muggy. Argh. Some girl hit Austin on his way into the office. Thankfully he was okay and it was totally her fault but I hate that for him. :( I worked, went to the gym during lunch, worked and went to the gym after work! I got in 6 miles, but I had tons of crap snacks… couldn’t help it. Was CRAVING CHOCOLATE and nothing could stop me… Because of the rain traffic was still bad when I left the gym so I ran errands around work (Perimeter) instead of home (Northpoint). I went to Bed, Bath and Beyond for a sink caddy (somewhere for the sponge and cleaner to go in the kitchen!). Afterwards I went to TJ Maxx – found great vases and 4 placemats for the dining room! Then I headed to look for vase filler. After hitting up Homegoods and Michael’s to no avail, I found luck at Target for river rock and small wicker balls, and Pier 1 for branches and a large wicker ball. Z Gallerie was closed. Who closes at 7 p.m.? Z Gallerie. Argh. And I had no luck at World Market. I finally got home at 8:30 to pizza. Blah. Austin worked on putting together furniture and I set up all the dining room items and cooked lunch and dinner for the next day. Unfortunately, he got step 2 of 25 incorrect so the whole thing has to be disassembled and then reassembled. He wasn’t happy – on top of the accident this morning I think it was a bad day for him. So, it was bedtime. We didn’t get done nearly all that we wanted to but let’s be honest – it’s hard to get stuff done on the weeknights!

Boo. So… I just got in all of the food I ate into Spark People. Like I knew it would be… it was alarming. Aside from my regular healthy breakfast sandwich/yogurt, a lean cuisine/bread for lunch and my two standard snacks (vitatop & cheez its). I had these at work in the afternoon slump:

1.5 Publix sugar cookies with frosting
3 Hershey’s Kisses
1 starburst
1 mini twix
1 mini kit kat

I’m not going to lie – not ONCE did I even kind of feel full. What’s wrong with me? Total binge. I’m disappointed and don’t know what caused it. Just tired + feeling like crap + TOM? I dunno – but I do know that this is not good. :( I ended up at 2,518 calories, 273 carbs and 91 fat grams. O. M. G. Here’s what I ate.

Wednesday was a bit better. I felt worse, but wasn’t as hungry for crap snacks (thank GAWD!) haha I basically worked, walked during lunch, worked more, walked more after work and headed home to cook creamy chicken tostados and do “house stuff” – iron curtains, do laundry, etc. I also watched So You Think You Can Dance – YAY – it’s back! And a silly/cute/pretty bad movie – Enchanted. Amy Adams and Patrick Dempsey and are so cute, and James Marsden is just so pretty. Love him! This was a much better day – I ended up at 1,698 calories, 206 carbs and 43 fat grams. Yay!! Much better – especially with the 6 miles I walked factored in. Here’s what I ate.

P.S. The dining room is really coming along great, but it HAS to be painted. My stuff just doesn't look right in a red room!! I hope to paint or have it painted soon!

Days 261 – 265: Wedding Weekend, Weight Maintenance and our Dining Room!

Hi Friends! Long time no chat! I hope you all had great Memorial Day weekends! Me and Austin were in our friends’ wedding and therefore were SUPER busy all weekend long! It was a good weekend though and I have lots of great pics to share which I will weave throughout this post even when they don’t make sense in their location! Haha

Thursday was super busy! Had lots of work to do, used my lunch to clean the house, and had some of our best friends from Birmingham in town for the kick off of the wedding weekend! Mary & Jimmy drove in and visited with us, I cooked dinner and had a few glasses of wine. We tried to stay up and visit, but Mary is pregnant/tired – me just tired! So I passed out pretty early. I know – I’m a loser! Haha I had 1,685 calories, 234 carbs and 32 fat grams – no exercise. Here’s what I ate.

Friday I had every intention of going to the gym. Had my bag ready and everything. But the day got by me with the luncheon and errands and everything so I did not get in exercise. I did have a great day visiting with Mary and getting to see Mon for her weekend! That night me and Austin (who was SICK… boys are so hard to deal with when they’re sick!) went to the rehearsal dinner and had a great time!! Such a great group, Mon showed a wonderful slideshow, we all got to give toasts – great time! Afterward we went to the hotel bar for a drink, then headed back home. Good night! I ended up at 2,319 calories, 233 carbs and 66 fat grams – eek! Ate way too much – not good!! Here’s what I ate.

Saturday I had no intention of going to the gym! I was up by 8:30 getting ready for a full day! Needed to be at Monica’s parents’ house by 10 a.m.; knew I wouldn’t be home until 2 a.m. So yes, Reuben was back at Unleashed and I was off for a day to see two of our best friends get married! It ended up being a wonderful day – full of fun, friends, yummy food and good times. Andy and Monica were a happy bride/groom and have such good friends and family. We really enjoyed being a part of it (we were both in the wedding party) and are so happy for them. The night ran long but we had a blast – GREAT band, lots of dancing, lots of drinking! I ended up at 2,411 calories, 188 carbs and 61 fat grams. Not awful but not fabulous! Here’s what I ate.

Sunday I felt like poo. I was beat. I was sore. Wearing heels for 14 hours had caught up with my feet and calves. My allergies/sinuses were on fire and I was just DOWN. My TOM was in full swing (day 2 AKA worst day ever always… well 12 times per year) and I was doubled over in cramps. Not cool peeps. I ended up having one of the most sedentary days ever. I tried to get out. We went and got pupper (another successful visit!), and decided to run a few errands. We even ate out for lunch and got TCBY! But then we CRASHED. Napped for a couple of hours and then I never really got up. haha VERY lazy day – ate crap too. Watched crap TV too (movies including Another Cinderella Story and Penelope. Oh My). Only did one productive thing: worked for hours on a dining room inspiration board! I ended up at 2,045 calories, 236 carbs and 72 fat grams. VERY high fat grams!! Here’s what I ate.

Monday I was like OMG really – how many high days without exercise can I have and not gain weight? For the record – I’ve been holding steady at 115 the last few weigh-ins. I woke up not hungry – and ended up eating late all day (breakfast at 11, lunch at 4, dinner at 9 – weird!). I ate relatively healthy all day, and even got out of the house (to house shop!). I got lots of stuff for our dining room (so much that it didn’t fit in the car and my amazing sister met me to help out!). I got lots done at the house but have TONS more to do. Blah. I finally shut down work at 9:30 and we ate dinner and watched Law & Orders. Ah yes- a ritual. I ended up at 1,628 calories, 206 carbs and 38 fat grams. That’s more like it! Here’s what I ate. Yes, I ate the same thing for breakfast and dinner. Do you ever do that? Sometimes I just crave meals back to back – so weird!

This week will be weird. And short. But I hope to be able to blog more! I know – I always say that – but I mean it. And I can’t wait to catch up with your blogs. I hope all is well!!

Days 255 – 260: Lake Weekend! Plus Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday… Wow – I’m so behind!

Here’s my weekend in a nutshell! (and Monday + Tuesday + Wednesday) Note – pics to come later! I took them on Mary’s camera as I forgot mine therefore I don’t have any yet! But I will!!

Shenanigans

Friday went by slloooowwwllly. I did get in 3.5 miles during lunch and 2.5 miles + abs after work, then it was off to Scott and Mary’s then off to Matt and Seema’s then we were on the road to Lake Logan Martin (sorry I didn’t tell you where I was going. To be honest – I didn’t know. Just knew it was a ‘lake trip’ and figured I’d find out when I arrived. Turned out to be a lake between ATL & B-ham). We stopped at a lovely Wal-Mart in Oxford for what I thought was beer- but it turned out it was for food….. huh? I thought we were to bring our own food?? Apparently, I was confused and while we were ALL ‘bringing our own food’ me and Austin specifically didn’t need to bring our own food. They said it was no big deal. I felt like a dummy though. Oh well! We (as in they) bought what they needed and we all headed out to the dome. Yes, it’s a lakehouse shaped like a dome. Hehe There were about 14 or 15 of us all together and the weekend was basically spent drinking, playing catchphrase, trying to lay out but it rained, playing trivial pursuit, eating, drinking more, staying up late, not sleeping well, trying to boat it but it rained, etc. We honestly had SO much fun – lots of great, funny personalities – I think I laughed all weekend!

Sunday we drove back (in the rain) and got Reuben! The girl was super nice but said he was a weird little dog and he thought he was the only puppy there and ALWAYS wanted to be held. Well naturally. She laughed and was sweet and said she thought he enjoyed it. He looked great and I could tell he was SUPER excited to see us (after at first giving us the cold shoulder – I think he felt betrayed). We got home, did chores and passed out. Monday was lame – bad allergies, more chores. BLAH. Tuesday was the same, as was Wednesday. Work’s just been busy and my nights have been busy getting this house in order (hence no blogging!)

Eating + Exercise

Friday was a high day due to drinking. I actually ate pretty good and the 6 miles helped but alas, excessive drinking always prevails in pulling me over my caloric limit! It also didn’t help that I bought a bag of gummy bears in the cafeteria at work (went through with Stacy to get her lunch) and I preceded to munch my way into more than 300 calories – oh no! (so easy to do!) I ended up at 2,468 calories, 315 carbs (oh my!) and 43 fat grams. Here’s what I ate.

Saturday was a high day (of course!). You can’t be at the lake drinking and celebrating a birthday without racking up the alcohol and ice cream calories – eek! I had a very high day with 2,623 calories, 296 carbs and 55 fat grams. Here’s what I ate.

Sunday…Ugh. Gluttonous with carbs. BLEH! I was just tired and ate crap all day basically! I did manage to not get food in the grocery store (even though sour patch kids were SCREAMING my name!). I ended up at 1,698 calories, 244 carbs and 50 fat grams. Not awful, but not good either. Here’s what I ate.

Monday… I was just so freaking hungry! I can’t explain it! (or can I? Just realized it was probably pending-TOM-related. Hmmm) Anyway, it was all I could do to stop eating! I ended up at 1,698 calories, 225 carbs 38 fat grams and 97 grams of protein. At least I got in 5.5 miles, right?! Here’s what I ate.

Tuesday was the same way – determined that TOM is coming so THAT makes sense. I needed an oil change and a friendly co-worker followed me to drop my car off then we went out to lunch! So I thought I was getting a grilled chicken sandwich with mozzarella cheese, basil and roasted red pepper. Not bad, right? Just the cheese… well it turns out it was CHICKEN SALAD. Oh my… it was bad. So yes, another high day. Here’s what I ate. 1,836 calories, 57 fat grams and 246 carbs. I did get in 4 miles after work!

Wednesday was a little better. Still no TOM but I was definitely having to fight cravings all day long. Here’s what I ate. 1,695 calories, 43 fat grams and 225 carbs. I only got in 3.5 miles during lunch!

Goals

I’ve honestly been too busy to look at my goals too much. Eek! Not good! I know that high days is out of control as well as weighing under 113 (been weighing 115 all week). Some goals are going great though – recipes, reading, decorating, etc. This month has been tough, not gonna lie! I’m hoping June is less busy. So far all we have planned is a trip to Virginia (one weekend) and a concert. Not bad!

K- off to read your blogs! Sorry this post is so delayed and kinda boring. I’ll post lake pics later this week!!

I did make it back from the lake!!

I'm just swamped!!! I plan to update tonight and catch up on your bloggies. Hope you're all having a great week! Can you believe it's already Wednesday??!!!

Lakebound!

I'm leaving town soon so I will not be posting this weekend - SAD! But I will plan to share the following on Sunday night:

• Lake pics + shenanigans
• What I ate/drank (shouldn't be TOO bad since I made all the food... but who knows!)
• How Reuben fared at his first sleepover
• How i'm doing on my goals (it's mid-month - when did that happen?)

Happy Weekends, friends! I leave you with a pic of pupper from last year's 4th of July!

Day 254: Two Product Reviews, Another New Recipe (I’m on a roll!!), a Better Pupper and Lakebound!

Yesterday was a great day! I got to sleep in until 7:30 then I got to work! I had EVERY intention of working out… but didn’t. I took a late lunch and got to cooking for this weekend – we’re going to the lake! I was told it would be “a very unhealthy weekend with lots of pork… you might want to bring your own food.” I opted for option B and spent the hour cooking breakfasts, lunches, and dinners, and weighing snacks, etc. After lunch I wrapped up my work, got a shower, and hung out with Austin & Reuben! I also made a new recipe with another Trader Joe’s product: Cheese Tortellini! The recipe was adapted from For the Love of Cooking – we call it Cheese Tortellini in a Lemon butter Sauce.

Marinade:

8 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced

1 tbsp olive oil, divided

1 clove of garlic, minced

3-4 leaves of basil, chopped

Zest of one lemon, chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Ingredients:
1/2 cup mushrooms, diced

2 servings artichoke hearts

10 grape tomatoes, chopped

1 clove of garlic, minced

2 tsp Reduced Fat Parmesan cheese

2 servings Trader Joe’s Cheese tortellini, prepared per instructions

Juice of 1-2 lemons (to taste)

salt and pepper to taste

Place chicken into a large zip lock bag and add 2 tsp olive oil, minced garlic, chopped basil, lemon zest, sea salt and pepper. Mix so the chicken is evenly coated with marinade. Let it marinate for at least 1 hour. After an hour, heat 2 tsp of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add chicken and cook for 6-7 minutes or until juices run clear. Remove from heat. Cook tortellini per instructions. While pasta cooks, add mushrooms to the hot skillet you cooked chicken in. Sauté for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown. Add artichoke hearts, tomatoes and minced garlic to the pan then stir frequently for 60 seconds. Add tortellini, chicken, lemon juice, spray butter, Parmesan, basil salt and pepper to taste.

It was really good! Not my absolute favorite, I felt like it was missing something but I can’t put my finger on it. Austin really liked it though! Knowing me it was probably just more salt! Nutritional info came in at 505 calories, 48 carbs, 18 fat grams and 38 protein grams. So pretty high – but not bad because I had a very light lunch and was HUNGRY! After dinner we had another new product: Chocolate VitaMuffins!! LOVED THEM. Even more than the brownies – so moist, chocolatey and flavorful. I will definitely be eating these for desserts from here on out – GREAT! Now I just need to find vita tops – haven’t seen them yet!

Great News!! Reuben is 100% again!

He popped up this morning bright-eyed and bushy-tailed with his normal high energy level! He ate up breakfast, took well to his morning medicine, and was a good pup all day. He even got excited when he saw rabbits in our backyard (I swear – there are always at least 2-3 rabbits out there!) Thanks for sending good thoughts his way – he looks great and I’m so happy to report this news!! He even napped like regular – not all passed out! After dinner and dessert the three of us just packed up the car and passed out! I ended up at 1,536 calories 1,536 calories, 188 carbs and 44 fat grams. Here’s what I ate.

So.... what the heck happened on Grey's???? I'm confused....

Day 253: Another new Recipe - WOO, 6 New Dresses - YES, and 1 Sick Pupper - BOO

Today was a pretty good day! Started out slow… Reuben has a BAD ear infection. He kept us up all night… I felt awful for him, and awful when I woke up on very little sleep. Sigh. We had to transfer our vet up to Alpharetta and Austin worked it out and got him in during the afternoon. It made for a stressful day between worrying about Reuben and getting everything scheduled, coupled with roof stuff (we’re getting a new roof - more on that later). During lunch I had every intention of working out… but I wanted to shop. And my walking co-workers weren’t in, so I headed to the mall! Macy’s sales weren’t good enough yet (good = they’re paying me to have Max Studio dresses) but I found some great deals at Forever 21. I got 6 dresses for the low, low prices of $74 including tax – woo! Check them out!

After work I felt guilty… but I didn’t want to go to the gym. I was tired. It was raining. But I went. I walked 4 miles. I didn’t do legs though but WILL do them tomorrow. When I left I headed to the grocery store (blah) and got home at 8 – just in time to make a new recipe – Ultimate Sausage Cheese Pizza! This was given to us by Austin’s co-worker, Matt, whose girlfriend Nina found it on Lifetime’s Cook Yourself Thin. We adapted it a bit – but here’s the recipe for one pizza/one serving – SO GOOD!!!

4 ounces Trader Joe’s pizza dough
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp minced garlic
¼ cup organic tomato sauce
1 link precooked Italian style chicken sausage, diced
2 pieces jarred roasted red pepper, diced
1 tsp reduced fat parmesan cheese
½ cup mushrooms, diced
30 g fat-free mozzarella cheese
15 g fat-free feta cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Set two medium sized saucepans over medium heat, spray with olive oil cooking spray. For one pan, heat oil, add garlic and cook for one minute. Add tomato sauce, salt and pepper, and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes. For the other pan, place sausage and bell pepper in pan. Cook 7 to 8 minutes until sausage is browned. Spray a pan with olive oil cooking spray, set dough in the center, and use your hands to stretch the dough into an 8” circle. Spread dough with sauce, layer on cheese, sausage/pepper mix, mushrooms and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake until edges are crisp and lightly browned, about 12 minutes. Let pizza sit 2 to 3 minutes before eating.

We LOVED it – very filling and yummy. The crust was crispy, the mushrooms and sausage mixed well. I also liked how the olive oil blended in. Yum! One pizza/one serving comes out to 507 calories, 62 carbs, 14 fat grams and 31 protein grams. This is a little high for me, so I may only do ½ of a sausage link to take off 50 calories next time!

After dinner I got online and ordered a bunch more stuff from Forever 21! I’ll post pics once the clothes get in!! I’m excited. :) I love new clothes! I’ll give you a preview: 1 jacket, 4 dresses, 1 pair of shorts, 1 top and 3 adorable tote bags for $100.58 delivered to my door! Woo! Me and Austin also settled in with our drugged up poodle to watch an episode of Castle, a L&O and a Daily Show with Tom Hanks – love him! What’s not to like? Best guy ever. Perception IS reality, right? I ended the day EXHAUSTED at 1,694 calories, 242 carbs, 33 fat grams and 101 grams of protein. Great day! Here’s what I ate.

Keep your fingers crossed for Reuben – I so hope little buddy is better tomorrow (he’s super tired because one of his ears was so swollen they couldn’t pluck his ear hairs because the area was too sensitive so they had to put him under to pluck his ears so they could clean them well so the ear infections will heal quicker – POOR BAYBAY!) He's been sacked out in this little ball all night. I feel like the worst puppy mom EVER. :(

Day 252: Another New Recipe, TJ's Product Review and Weekend News

Yesterday I woke up MUCH more well rested and even washed/dried my hair in the morning (as opposed to the night before). This was necessary as per my new theory that either my hair needs to be “fresh” or I need to wear make up. Well make up is out as allergies are too bad… so good hair it is to keep me from looking haggard and unkempt. Anyway! Traffic was bad this morning – boo, but it only had me 10 minutes late so not awful. I worked hard, walked 3.5 during lunch and then had a yummy lunch with a new Trader Joe’s product: Yellow curry sauce.

I basically took 5 oz. chicken and cooked with salt, ginger and 1 tbsp sauce. Once the chicken was almost done, I added .75 cup cooked white rice, more salt, another tbsp of sauce and 1 tbsp of chopped cilantro and stirred for 1-2 minutes. It was YUMMY!! May have been even better “fresh” the night before – but reheat was pretty fab!



Afterwards I was in meetings pretty much all afternoon, then I headed back to the gym for 2 miles and back and shoulders strength training. Then I raced home to make a new recipe from, you guessed it, For the Love of Cooking! This time I made what me and Austin call Creamy Chicken Tostados. AMAZING!

Before Oven

Sour Cream Sauce

6 tbsp fat-free sour cream

2 tbsp sweet yellow onion, finely chopped

2 tbsp fresh cilantro, finely chopped

1 tsp lime juice

1 clove of garlic, minced

salt and pepper to taste

In a small bowl, combine ingredients. Cover and place in the refrigerator.

Chicken and Dressing

1-2 pieces baby red bell pepper, cored, seeded and flattened

1-2 pieces baby yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded and flattened

8 oz. cooked chicken, shredded

1 tsp olive oil

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1 clove of garlic, minced

1 tsp lime juice

salt and pepper to taste

Heat broiler for 10 minutes. Cover a baking sheet with foil. Put the flattened peppers skin side up on a baking sheet; broil until blackened, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let cool for 10 minutes. Carefully remove any blackened skin and chop them finely into pieces. Reduce the oven temperature to 400 degrees. In a small bowl, mix together olive oil, cumin, garlic, lime juice, salt and pepper. In a large bowl, combine the shredded chicken meat, onions and peppers. Toss chicken mixture with the dressing until well coated. Taste and re-season with salt and pepper if needed. Add sour cream sauce. Mix well.

Other Ingredients: 4 tortillas, 1/2 cup of Cheddar cheese, shredded and Guacamole & salsa (I used 6 tbsp of Trader Joe's - 1.5 tbsp on each)

Place tortillas on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Cook for 3-4 minutes, or until the bottom of the tortilla is close to golden brown. Remove from the oven and turn the tortillas over. Carefully, layer the chicken and pepper mixture on the tortilla; then add some sour cream mixture; next add a bit of cheese. Bake until the cheese melts and the tortilla is golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and top with fresh guacamole and cilantro. Serve with fresh salsa and enjoy.

Toasted & Ready to Eat!

It makes 2 servings but for one it’s super filling and secondly it’s pretty high in calories. So, it makes 4 tostados – I had 1.5 which came out to 388 calories, 40 carbs and 10 fat grams. It also has TONS of protein – 35! But if you have all two, you would end up at 517 calories, 54 carbs and 13 fat grams. If you DEFINITELY want more than 388 calories – just pile all of half the recipe on one tortilla to cut out a tortilla! Just some thoughts. GREAT recipe though, but for now I’ll reserve it for weekends – it took too long for a weeknight!

After dinner we settled in for a couple of law & orders and a couple of vita brownies- YUM!! I ended up at 1,692 calories, 240 carbs and 33 fat grams – not bad (especially with cardio factored in) Here’s what I ate.

Day 251: New Recipe, When M&Ms Attack, Monday blah blah Monday

Sigh. Yesterday was just BLAH. I woke up tired, got in the shower tired and got on the road tired. No fun! I had yummy yogurt en route (loving Yoplait’s light strawberry/banana), and a MS, fat-free cheese, egg muffin once I got to work. I worked… BLAH… then me and Stacy walked 3.5 during lunch. Afterwards I was starving! So I had a lean cuisine with a small spinach side salad and a slice of wheat/garlic bread – YUM! Then I got my sweet tooth… so I had my granola bar and got back to work. Then it hit 4 and I wanted sweets SO BAD. I had a mini snickers… and an andes mint bite…. Then I hit the vending machine for a pack of peanut M&Ms. Oh my. What?! I never even have cash. But alas, I scrounged up $.75 and chowed down! I KNOW I wasn’t hungry – I hate that the sweet tooth gets me so bad. I blame being tired, it being Monday and that I still felt like crap. But really, I knew I wasn’t hungry and did it anyway. Sigh. Awareness is the first step, right?

After work I went back to the gym for another 2 miles and did abs. Great workout! I headed home and me and Austin got started on an adaptation of For the Love of Cooking’s Calzones. We call them Calzone Supremes – LOVE THEM!



4 oz. Trader Joe’s Pizza Dough
6 tbsp Naturally Preferred Mushroom Pasta sauce, divided
25 g Fat-Free Mozzarella cheese, shredded
15 g Fat-Free Feta cheese
½ cup mushrooms, diced
1 Fresh basil leaf, chopped
10 baby spinach leaves, chopped
12 Hormel Turkey pepperonis, chopped
1 tsp olive oil
Olive oil flavored cooking spray
Red pepper flakes to taste



Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray pizza tray with olive oil. Roll dough out to form a 8” pizza and place on pizza tray. Spread 2 tbsp sauce over half the dough. Add 1 tsp olive oil and toppings (cheeses, mushrooms, pepperonis, spinach, basil, flakesl). Fold the other half of the dough over the toppings and carefully fold and crimp the ends of the dough so it's sealed. Use a knife to make a few slits on the top and spray with cooking spray. Place in the oven and cook for 20-22 minutes or until crisp and golden brown. Remove from oven and let rest for 2-3 minutes before slicing into wedges. Serve with 4 tbsp sauce for dipping. Nutrition Facts: 447 calories, 64 carbs, 9 fat grams and 20 protein grams.

I thought the TJ’s dough was GREAT! Next time I’ll rub the olive oil on top instead of having it inside, I’ll use more red pepper and I may even sprinkle some garlic salt on top! Also - the guy at TJ's strongly encouraged you to let it sit out for 30 minutes before starting (less sticky; easier to work with). We loved them though! I think I’ll definitely keep the dough in the house and will be making pizzas and calzones a lot! My next one will definitely be veggie with lots of tomatoes and basil – woo! Have you ever made calzones before? It was my first time!

After dinner we watched a couple of Law & Orders, I showered for work tomorrow and then got in bed to watch my girly shows (Brothers & Sisters + Gossip Girl). GREAT night! I ended up at 1,694 calories, 226 carbs and 50 fat grams. Not bad, but I still didn’t need those silly M&Ms! Haha Here’s what I ate. What did you think of Gossip Girl??!! SPOILER!!! I loved Brittany Snow as teenage Lily and all the parallels between Lily/Carol and B/S. What do you think happened to Carol? I'm worried about her. Isn't Chuck a doll? Love him. Were you surprised B & Chase broke up? SUCH a good episode!! div>

Days 248, 249 and 250: New Recipe, Sink Situation, Unleashed, Lake Trip and Lots of Eating Out – eek!

So Friday was pretty stressful… not gonna lie. I was just SO upset with the granite people and had a lot of work to do. Argh! They just kept making silly offers but whenever we said then put us on the books or whatever they would say well now, let’s see what we can do. Arggghhh! We ended it around 4:30 p.m. Friday with we’ll settle Saturday – let us use it/spend time with it and see what we think… Here’s the pics – do you think it looks weird/backwards or fine??!

After work me and Stacy walked 4 miles, then I raced home, showered and went to meet Scott and Mary at a Lebanese restaurant! It was so fun! The food was fab (yummy hummus and wraps!) and it was like a club and they had a belly dancer and it was just so fun and different! I had a couple of Lebanese beers (couldn’t find calorie info haha!) and a great time. We left around midnight, went home and passed out! I ended up at 1,664 calories, 201 carbs and 41 fat grams. Not bad!! (hard to add up stuff when you go out though!) Here’s what I ate.

Saturday I woke up early feeling awful again. Stupid outdoor allergies. I tried to get through it though and immediately got to work researching kennels for Reuben. We’ve never had to board him before, but we have a lot of weekends coming up and I wanted to make sure no matter what he had a place he liked that he could spend time at. We got ready and got Reuben ready and the 3 of us headed out in the convertible with the GPS to 4 places. All were those doggy daycare ‘small dog area’ during the day then private boarding at night. We went. We saw. And we loved Unleashed!


The people were so nice and really made us feel good about leaving pupper there. We even did a ‘temperament test’ and left him there for an hour and a half or so and his report card was glowing! So cute! I wish they had pics online- ADORABLE place! Afterwards we swung by a Toyota place to look at FJ Cruisers – I think I’ve decided I want this to be my next vehicle.

The guy sucked and they didn’t have any on the lot that I liked so we’ll see. I wouldn’t get it until later this year anyway! When we got home we met Austin’s brother at the house – straight back from his freshman year at UGA! And of course I made a new recipe for lunch!! For The Love of Cooking’s Farfalle with Chicken Sausage, Mushrooms, Grape Tomatoes and Feta

2 tsp olive oil

4 tbsp yellow onions, diced

1 cup mushrooms, sliced

2 cloves of garlic, minced

4 garlic and herb chicken sausages, chopped into ½” pieces

2 tbsp yellow baby bell peppers, diced
2 tbsp red bell peppers, diced

10 grape tomatoes, cut in half

Handful of baby spinach leaves (about 20)
5-6 fresh basil leaves, chopped
1.5 oz. fat-free feta cheese
4 oz. farfalle, cooked per instructions (in boiled water for 12 minutes)

Salt and pepper to taste

Spray large, deep pan with olive oil flavored cooking spray, and set a pot of water to boil. Drop in ½ teaspoon of olive oil in pan over medium heat. Once hot, add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes or until browned. Season with salt and set aside on a plate. Add ½ teaspoon of olive oil to the same skillet over medium high heat. Once hot, add mushrooms. Stir for 3-4 minutes, then season with salt and add minced garlic, stirring constantly for 60 seconds. Set aside on same plate as onions. Add dry pasta to boiling water for 12 minutes, stirring occasionally. While pasta cooks, add sausage to skillet over medium heat and cook until brown, about 6-7 minutes then add mushrooms, onion, tomatoes, bell peppers and spinach to pan. Drizzle 1 teaspoon olive oil over mixture. Cook over medium heat until tomatoes are soft and spinach is slightly wilted, about 3-4 minutes. Drain pasta and add to skillet along with basil and feta cheese. Stir, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix well for 1-2 minutes then serve. Makes 2 servings.

We LOVED it – so light! We even think it would taste good cold as a pasta salad. This will definitely be one we take for lunch and we think it will become a family favorite! It came out to 495 calories, 54 carbs and 17 fat grams! So a little high on fat – but I’m ALWAYS low so this will be good for me!

Later me, Austin and his brother headed out to buy gifts for peeps and got some frozen yogurt, and I spray painted a wicker chair black for a guest room. Then we showered and met up with Austin’s parents and other brother! The 6 of us went to dinner and visited, then his brothers stayed over with us. Good times! I drank a lot though over the course of the afternoon, dinner, etc. and eating out didn’t help – boo – I ended up at 2,093 calories, 262 carbs and 44 fat grams. Not too bad, but not too good! Here’s what I ate. Sunday we got up and headed to family day at the late to celebrate Austin’s grandmother’s birthday, mother’s day and his cousin’s graduation. Big day! The water was too cold, but it was nice get out on the water and spend time outside. My allergies got BAD though on the way home and I felt sick all night. Boo. I ate bad again, too – this weekend was just HARD with out to eat lunch AND dinner on Friday, out Saturday, and out Sunday! :( I ended up at 1,853 calories, 276 carbs and 48 fat grams. Eek. I was SO BEAT. I just laid in bed and watched Monday’s Castle (good!), Desperate Housewives (love it!! Orson is kinda scary…) and part of Brothers & Sisters. Passed out. Here’s what I ate….. lots of random stuff.

So all in all it was definitely a fun weekend, but I ate WAY too many random snacks (sour patch kids, cheese, hershey bar, etc.). When I don't feel good i'll eat anything - hungry or not just FEED ME. I hate that. I also didn't get in that last 3 miles I needed to OR all of my ST. That's okay - the good thing is that I DID get in 22 miles last week and all I can do now is do better this week and focus on avoiding eating just to eat and overindulging. It always makes me feel crappy. :(

I hope you guys all had great Mother's Day weekends! And I hope your Monday's FLY by - i'm ready to be home already!

Day 247: 2 New Products, Measurements, Movie Review & Granite!

So… as you know Thursday was going FAB! Things went downhill quick though. I won’t bore you with the sordid details but let’s just say that the granite people let me down. Now don’t get me wrong – the job is GREAT – we’re happy with it….here’s some pics!

Forgive the low quality pics- only have my iPhone camera now – eek!

BUT, that being said, there was a lot of miscommunication between our sales rep, the templater, the people who cut the template and the installers which resulted in 3 main areas of confusion: (1) the installers thought they could mess up our backsplash. Um, we’re keeping it thanks. One uncomfortable call later we’re good to go… (2) the installers thought we were having someone else come in to fill the ½” joint between the new countertops and existing backsplash… they were supposed to fill it though… they didn’t know. One awkward trip to Home Depot and we’re good to go…. (3) they went to put the sink holes in (for the faucet; faucet operator; soap dispenser and sprayer). It wasn’t working out and I couldn’t figure out why. But I did. They put the sink in backwards. I wanted the 60 (larger) side on the left and the 40 (smaller) side on the right…. the granite was cut incorrectly… OMG. So I went to the gym. Pissed. And walked 4 miles. I sent a hasty email and left a voicemail with the granite place saying there was a problem. I got home… and we couldn’t put anything on the granite. But that’s okay – I had a recipe ready!
Well, kind of a recipe, Trader Joe’s had a sample of this rando roasted chicken pattie with guac & pico on bread. I tried it. I loved it. I bought the chicken patties and the pico, but decided I would put mine on a pita.

We LOVED it. Amazing. We heated up the pitas in the oven for 5 minutes, heated the chicken in the microwave for 1 minute and spooned some guac/pico on top. It’s not much to look at but AWESOME. And only 468 calories, 58 carbs and 12 fat grams – and that’s with 2 pitas AND 5 tbsp guac/pico!!

We settled in and watched Forgetting Sarah Marshall.

Loved it! Seriously – how had I never seen this before??!! It was a fan fave! We laughed and laughed and I couldn’t WAIT to watch it again! I think Kristin Belle did SUCH a good job, and that guy, whoever he is was amazing, as was the rocker. It was just too much fun - bot not too over the top. Clever and humerous - you must watch! We had a couple of glasses of wine during the movie and went to bed – GREAT night! I ended up at 1,663 calories, 219 carbs and 31 fat grams. Not bad! Here’s what I ate. What a wonderfully filling Trader Joe’s Day!!

Oh real quick - I did my measurements per the plan! Here's the update! click to make it larger!
So I'm maintaining and maybe a bit smaller but mostly the same - woo! I'll post today's review tomorrow... just so you know we're still working out an arrangement with the granite peeps. Wish us luck!

Days 245-246: New Recipe, Two New Product Reviews, Cinco de Lamo, Stonyfield & Granite Sneak Peek!

This is a little backwards but I want to start this post with today!! It’s going so well you guys. The granite is about to be installed, I went to Trader Joe’s during lunch and got ALL KINDS of new stuff – woo! For lunch I made this – Trader Joe’s Artichoke ravioli.

Um, are you kidding me?! So good. We made the whole package and added 8 oz. chicken + 1 cup of naturally preferred organic mushroom sauce. YUM. It makes two servings – each at only 454 calories, 49 carbs, 10 fat grams and a great 42 protein grams. So good.

I followed this up with another new product (for me) – VITA BROWNIES. I’m such a fan. Where were they before today? Sadly enough, not in my tummy! I totally think vita brownies will be my no. 1 source of fiber from here on out. Just kidding! (kind of). Okay – tracking back….

Tuesday was probably the lamest cinco de mayo ever. I just worked hard, came straight home from work and got in bed. Haha I did get in 3 miles… didn’t go back after work but that’s okay. I was sore from Monday’s 5.5! And my abs were SO sore. Wow – they must have gotten out of shape! Austin had work stuff that night so I just chilled. I DID make a new recipe and Austin was at home in time for dinner and we both LOVED IT. It’s adapted from For the Love of Cooking’s Chicken in Tomato Sauce with Feta:

1 tbsp + 1/2 tsp olive oil (divided)

8 oz. chickenSalt, Pepper and Oregano to taste

2 cloves of garlic, chopped1 tsp fennel seeds

1 14 oz can of Hunt’s diced tomatoes

1/4 cup of fat-free chicken broth
4 oz. barilla macaroni

15 g fat-free feta cheese
15 g fat-free mozzarella

parsley, garnish

Heat 1/2 tsp of olive oil in a medium-sized pan over medium heat. Once hot, add garlic and fennel seeds. Stir constantly for 60 seconds, then add tomatoes, broth, salt, pepper and oregano, to taste. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for 10 minutes. While simmering, heat 1 tbsp olive oil in large pan sprayed over medium heat. Season each piece of chicken with salt, pepper and oregano, to taste. Once hot, add chicken and brown for four minutes then flip and brown for an additional 2-3 minutes. Now add tomato sauce to the chicken pan, lower heat to medium low and simmer for 10 minutes. While simmering, boil water and cook macaroni. Then taste and re-season sauce with salt, pepper and oregano if needed. Drain macaroni and divide into two servings. Pour sauce and chicken over top of macaroni and add cheese and parsley on top.

WE LOVED IT! But forgot to take a photo. Sad. No worries though because we’ll be cooking it again soon! After dinner I blogged, watched TV and ended up at 1,671 calories, 231 carbs and 33 fat grams. Here’s what I ate.

Wednesday was a great work day. It was super quiet in the office so I got so much work done! And I did 3.5 during lunch and 2 + legs after! Again – legs were SUPER sore. I had so let the ST go…. But that’s okay – I’m BACK! After work I went to Kroger and it was AWFUL. It took me an hour. I hate new grocery stores – I couldn’t find anything. It was so depressing. I got home to an empty house (Austin had another work thing) and cooked that lemon pepper artichoke chicken and rice again (I’m addicted to artichokes now apparently) and watched the biggest loser and called it a day. I was SUPER hungry. Like I needed to eat more than 1,700 calories so I did. I had 1,971 calories, 307 carbs and 39 fat grams. Frightening amount of carbs – eek!! But I was SO FREAKING HUNGRY. Here’s what I ate.

Exciting News: A sweet girl at Stonyfield organic sent me some coupons for Oikos yogurt! Yes - me, the new yogurt lover, gets to try out their fabulous yogurt for free- i'm so super excited. She even sent the CUTEST little yellow recyclable bag - I used it at TJ's!!
Can't wait to try it. How cute is it? Even Reuben loved it! Have you guys tried oikos yogurt?? I'm sure you all have and i'm the big loser/last to try!

Today I’m going to try to go walk 4 miles after work and do some ST. I’m trying a new gym (same chain; new franchise) so I’m excited to see how I like the vibe (they all have different vibes in my humble opinion). I’m MORE EXCITED to see how this granite turns out. And, since we don’t have a sink tonight in the kitchen, I’m not cooking. But I will be trying two more products from Trader Joe’s – can’t wait to share – hope we love them! Have I told you how glad I am to be back in the blogosphere?! I spent a solid few hours last night backreading your blogs – glad you’re all doing so well – I’ve missed you! :)

And in case you're interested... here is a sneak peek at the granite! woo! Note: it still needs LOTS of work (hasn't been cleaned, grout line hasn't been filled, etc. but i'm PUMPED)