Playing Catch Up

*takes deep breath*

That’s the first time I’ve had a chance to do that since my last post. Work is still hectic, but that makes the day go by fast so it’s all good. I’ve been pretty tired in the evenings so it’s been dinner, workout, a little reading and then bed. To make up for my lack of posting this week I have something exciting in store for early next week. It may or may not be my very first giveaway!

Here’s the recap of my eats:

I’m now on a Kashi cereal kick. I had GoLean Crunch Tuesday & again this morning with organic skim milk. No pic since it looked the exact same as Monday.

I’m still digging the Horizon Organic milk boxes and they’ve been an every morning commute treat this week.

TUESDAY

My super sweet coworker knows I love tea and brought me an extra that she picked up at Panera. She forgot what it was so I had to be a bit adventurous. I’m pretty sure it was hibiscus flower or something along that line. I wish I knew because it was good and the perfect cure for my icky morning tummy syndrom. The picture is very unexciting, but I took it anyway.

There were no leftovers from Monday night’s dinner. Poor planning resulted in the need to bust out another frozen meal. This one is my favorite Lean Cuisine called Sesame Chicken.

Tuesday means lunchtime workout at work. I’m really enjoying the sessions. Still not an extreme burn, but nice toning exercises mixed with just enough cardio. It’s also nice to get to know some of the other ladies in my building better. I’ve also discovered that I really, really love the Bosu trainer.

I’ll be really sad when the pineapple is gone. It made a perfect post-workout snack. Maybe it will reappear on the grocery list for next week.

My husband was dressed and ready for the gym when I got home so I changed and we headed out. I did about 30 minutes on the elliptical, bench pressed ten reps at a lightish weight and then stretched while my husband finished his workout.

Dinner was taco salad, a quick and easy favorite in our house. I topped my bed of romaine and green leaf lettuces with seasoned lean ground beef, salsa, reduced fat sour cream and shredded mozzarella cheese. I know, I know. I was going to add jalapeño peppers, but my husband (who loves spicy stuff) put a few on his salad and cried when he took a bite. lol

WEDNESDAY

I had a large vanilla creme (noninterference from my boss this time) as soon as I got to work. Basically just a latte without the espresso. Slowly but surely I’m quitting the coffee. Today marks one week completely coffee free! Notice I didn’t say caffeine free. I’m still relying heavily on tea. I can’t have herbal teas (doctor’s orders) which really stinks. Herbs aren’t regulated by the FDA and there are just too many questions and conflicting studies about their effects on pregnant women. I know Yogi makes a prenatal tea, but even that got the thumbs down when I asked. My go-to this week has been Lipton Red Rose.

I ran errands Wednesday at lunch and brought back a salad from the grocery salad bar. It was made up of mixed greens, chopped hard-boiled egg, diced tomatoes, chickpeas, jalapeño peppers, cucumbers and two kinds of cheese with Kraft Light Ranch for fork dipping.

Dinner was a favorite in our household, chicken meatballs! The recipe came from The Biggest Loser Cookbook and they’re actually called Muscling up Meatballs. I usually just eyeball everything except the ground chicken and eggs so they never taste the same twice.

At my bridal shower this time last year we played a game where I had to guess my husband’s responses to questions they’d asked him ahead of time. One of them was “What is his favorite meal that you (meaning I) make?” His answer? Chicken meatballs.

Our side dishes were Annie’s White Cheddar Mac & Cheese and steamed Italian vegetables.

Thursday eats weren’t exciting so no pictures. Lunch was a repeat of Wednesday’s dinner. My snacks were Annie’s White Cheddar Bunnies and a banana, both of which you’ve seen before.

It was so cold and windy yesterday! My poor husband worked outside in it all day and had serious trouble getting his body temp regulated once he got home. My cousin called last night to tell me she’s pregnant with baby #3. Her due date is one week ahead of mine. We’re waiting a little longer before we tell anyone except our parents, my sister-in-law and all of you. It was sooo hard not to spill the beans! One month from today I’ll be 12 weeks at statistically out of the woods for any major complications. That’s when we’re planning to share the news with everyone else.

Do you have any fun plans for the weekend?

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Back in the Swing of Things

Not sure where my head has been lately, but I’ve had 0 time to blog lately. Work has been steady and I’ve been so tired in the evenings that I don’t remember how I even got to bed most nights. I’ve missed doing it so I promised myself that I’ll MAKE time in my day somehow.

Yesterday started out with a little Namaste Yoga followed by a sunrise breakfast of Kashi GoLean Crunch, organic skim milk and fresh pineapple. I know I’ve said it before, but I love mornings when I get to eat a leisurely breakfast at home instead of food on the run.

After breakfast I did a little cleaning, a little laundry and then read for a bit. I tried to take the pup for a walk, but she laid down before we even made it out of the front yard.

I met my friend at noon at the outlet mall near my house for lunch and shopping. No picture of lunch, but it was Chinese. Subway was calling my name, but lunch meat is on my “do not eat” list from the doctor and I just wasn’t feeling a veggie sub. We spent whole afternoon shopping and I only bought two things totaling less than $20! That’s a first. My bank account is thanking me.

I was exhausted when I got home so I took a little siesta. Fatigue has been a regular thing for me lately and I’m trying to figure out any way possible to incorporate a nap into my work day. Don’t think that’ll fly with the boss man. It’s really a shame.

My husband got home a little later than he’d expected. It was a pretty physical day for him at work so he wanted to pass on the gym. I wasn’t feeling extremely well so I bailed, too. We HAVE to stop doing this. It really helps my energy level and he made the comment that his jeans are starting to get snug again.

I put dinner in the crockpot before I left for my shopping trip. All I had to do was bake the biscuits and we were ready to eat! This recipe for Buttermilk Chicken is from my friend Kate’s blog. It’s one of my husband’s regular requests and perfect cold weather comfort food. We’ve also served it over brown rice, salad or pasta and it’s good every which way.

I don’t like any kind of gravy or mushiness on my bread so I had a little scoop of chicken sprinkled with parsley and Parmesan cheese and my biscuit on the side.

After dinner it was Monday night TV time. We watched The Big Bang Theory, How I Met Your Mother and Jon + Kate Plus 8 before I called it a night.

Looks like another ridiculously busy day of work. I’m hoping to catch up on some of your lovely blogs after the gym tonight.

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OPI, oh my!

Not many food pictures today because I didn’t eat much. Just didn’t really have much of an appetite. I had peanut butter & Amish store blueberry jam during my commute. I wasn’t really hungry. I just needed to eat something when I took my prenatal vitamin. Does anyone have any tips for taking large vitamins? I’ve taken large multivitamins before without too many issues, but these prenatals are like horse pills. I’ve been making sure I eat a little something before I take them and drinking a lot of water to chase them down. It still feels like they’re getting stuck and they upset my stomach a little.

It was coffee Wednesday at work. My drink was SUPPOSED to be a small frozen vanilla creme. My boss was sure I’d made a mistake because I always get a large and I’m a caffeine addict. So, what did he do? He made it a large and asked them to add a shot of espresso, basically turning it into a large frozen vanilla latte. I really appreciate him trying to “save” me and knowing my tastes. He doesn’t know about my surprise yet and won’t until I’m through the first trimester. I drank about half (within the 12oz. guideline from my doctor) and discreetly through the rest away. I guess next week I’ll have to give him a heads up when I order something out of the ordinary.

I had another lunch date with my friend Miste. We went to the adorable little diner down the street from my office. My best friend actually hosted my bridal shower there because I love it so much. The decor is very kitsch and the food is all homemade. The special was a chicken BLT with potato cakes & broccoli slaw which is what we both ordered. Comfort food at its finest. I left my camera at my desk so no pictures. Oops.

I got back to work and my coworker had OPI nail polish strewn all over her office. Apparently the owner of her salon always over orders and was having trouble getting rid of colors from past seasons. My coworker volunteered to bring them to work and see if she could sell them. The best part? They were $3 each! OPI nail polish is by far my favorite and I own quite a few. They always come out with new colors I want, but it’s hard to justify spending $8 a bottle at regular price. I was in heaven going through all the fun colors. Here’s my loot:

My husband wanted pancakes for dinner and I volunteered to make them. It was one of my most successful attempts when it comes to appearance. He deemed me “the pancake queen” when he took the first bite. I decided to have a small portion of leftover macaroni & cheese with cauliflower instead.

We decided to skip our gym plans. There was a horrible wind storm with thunderstorms on the way. Our power kept flickering and the dog seemed a little nervous. I did a little stretching while we watched Scooby Doo. It’s amazing how cartoons can turn adults into little kids again.

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Tag Team Dinner

I should have known that Tuesday would go by slow considering how Monday seemed to fly by. The morning wasn’t bad, but the afternoon went at a snail’s pace.

Breakfast was another Horizon Organic milk box and an in-the-car egg white sandwich with a Laughing Cow Light cheese wedge. No picture (again) because I was on the run.

I was swamped at work most of the morning which is probably why it seemed to go by so quickly. I munched on some more Annie’s White Cheddar Bunnies around 10:00.

I have found heaven and it is a Clif bar. I found the Clif Iced Gingerbread bar at the grocery last weekend and bought quite a few. Good thing I did because they are deeeelicious! I had one around 11:30 before my lunch time “workout at work” session.

My afternoon snack was a banana and a few cups of hot water with True Lemon. It’s just crystallized lemon in convenient little packets. It’s a great option when you don’t want plain water, but don’t want anything sweetened either. I keep a box in my desk and I’ve gotten my coworkers hooked, too. I was sporting some alma mater love with my mug choice today. Go Bobcats!

Five o’clock finally came and I hit the door running. It was a rainy drive which I’ll take over an icy commute any day.

Dinner was a team effort. I made Macaroni & Cheese with Cauliflower from the February issue of Real Simple magazine. I did modify the recipe quite a lot. Skipping the breadcrumb topping saved some time. I just sprinkled the top with Parmesan cheese & some crushed up croutons before popping it in the oven.

While that baked, my husband grilled some portobello mushroom caps. Besides omelets, these are one of his favorite things to cook. This time he just brushed them with a mixture of minced garlic and extra virgin olive oil before cooking them on the grill pan. It made the whole house smell divine.

The mac & cheese recipe says it makes 6 servings which ends up being a HUGE portion. I had about half of a serving with one my my husband’s grilled portobello caps. I was way too full. The mac & cheese was a hit and we have plenty for leftovers.

Clean up was pretty easy. I used my Rachael Ray enameled dutch oven for every step of the mac & cheese which meant only that and the grill pan to clean. All the work was done in time to watch The Biggest Loser. I made it through the first half just fine, but was asleep off and on for the last hour. I did wake back up for the elimination, but I won’t spoil it for you DVRers.

Do you watch The Biggest Loser? Who are you pulling for? Who do you wish would go away?

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To the left, to the left

Er…to the right, to the right. Notice anything new? You guessed it. I’m now a FoodBuzz Featured Publisher. So exciting!

Yesterday was a pretty bland day. Luckily it seemed to fly by which is rare for Mondays in my world. It started off with serious jamming in the car. Just seemed like every song that came on the radio was one of my favorites. I ate a 2 egg white & cheese sandwich in the car and drank a Horizon Organic milk box. No picture. It’s not safe to snap and drive.

I was still hungry when I got to work so I ate some Annie’s White Cheddar bunnies, another first for me. Here they are basking in the sunshine:

*Product Review*
Annie’s White Cheddar Bunnies

First of all, these little guys are adorable. Okay, okay. I know looks aren’t everything. That’s okay because these little crackers impressed me in the taste department, too. They’re not overly cheesy. It’s the perfect balance between cheese & cracker. The nutrition information made me smile and I recognized every name on the list of ingredients. I’m going to take a little sample of these to my dad because they have no cholesterol. He loves his cheese crackers, but that’s something he’s really trying to watch.

My other morning snack was an organic banana.

I was treated to lunch at my parents’ house. My mom got a little out of control with the lettuce buying this weekend and was afraid they wouldn’t be able to eat it all before it went bad. I, of course, volunteered to take some off their hands. We made some delicious salads of organic spring mix, baby spinach, baby corns, chickpeas and cherry tomatoes.

That kept me full through most of the afternoon. I did break into my Kashi Fire Roasted Vegetable Crackers shortly before quitting time. This is yet another new product for me. I spotted these for the first time in the grocery on Saturday and thought they looked interesting.

*Product Review*
Kashi Fire Roasted Vegetable Crackers

These were more “fire roasted” than “vegetable.” They had a bit of a kick to them which I liked. The texture was the same as the other varieties of Kashi crackers I’ve tried. I liked them alone, but I think they’d be even better with some cheese slices or creamy spreads.

My drive home seemed to go by almost as quickly as the drive to work. I listened to Whatever with Alexis and Jennifer on the XM. They always make me laugh. They brought up the Rihanna & Chris Brown incident which I think is absolutely tragic. I’m not a big fan of Rihanna the musician, but I don’t think anyone deserves to be treated that way. I’m appalled and I’ll be changing the station whenever I hear a Chris Brown song from now on. Shouldn’t be too much of a problem in the future, though. Sounds like this could be the end of his career. What in the world was he thinking?!?

I did a quick change into some gym clothes as soon as I got home and we headed to the gym. I did about an hour of brisk walking on the treadmill at varied inclines.

Dinner was another mismatch. My husband wanted salad topped with tuna salad which didn’t appeal to me at all. While he fixed that, I sliced up a small tomato and topped it with cottage cheese. I also had a few more of my Ling Ling’s vegetable potstickers. They don’t seem to last long once I open the bag.

We watched President Obama’s speech while we ate and cleaned up the kitchen. I find him incredibly engaging and intelligent. We were lol’ing when the reporter asked him about A-rod’s steroid use. It just seemed like such an odd time and place for that question.

Oh, and one more thing. I adore Helen Thomas.

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Weekend Recap

Sorry for the sporadic posting lately. It’s been a hectic past few days and my mind has been going in a million different directions. Unfortunately, none of those directions has involved my camera so it’s been spending more time at home than in my purse.

It’s time to spill the beans on my surprise now that we’ve shared with our parents and my sister-in-law. In case you haven’t figured it out, my husband and I are expecting our first child. We’re absolutely thrilled! My first doctor’s appointment is on Thursday so I should find out my due date then. Right now my best guess is early October.

On to the weekend eats!

For breakfast on Saturday I had a biscuit with spray butter and blueberry jam along with a glass of milk. Afterwards I headed out to the grocery.

The good grocery news: I found some Clif Iced Gingerbread bars! The bad grocery news: My store is no longer carrying plain Fage. Yes, the very same Fage I was so excited to find just weeks ago. I almost cried when the lady told me. It was a sad, sad day.

I was STARVING when I got home so I made some Annie’s Whole Wheat Shells & Cheese.

I also made a mini-parfait of organic vanilla low-fat yogurt, blueberries & Bear Naked Fit granola.

My appetite and my energy headed south for the rest of the day. I did a little laundry, cleaned out the refrigerator and took the recyclables to the bins in town. My husband was craving pizza for dinner so we ordered from the little local place. It smelled really good when he brought it in so I had two small squares. We spent the rest of the evening curled up on the couch watching TV with the dog. I enjoy lazy evenings like that every once in a while.

Sunday I slept in waaaay later than I had intended. Honestly, I probably would have slept longer if my growling stomach hadn’t woken me up. I wanted something quick and filling. The result is something I can see myself eating on a regular basis. It was just an organic banana (cut in half lengthwise) spread with peanut butter and sprinkled with granola. It tasted like dessert!

I took advantage of my morning energy to finish up laundry, scrub the kitchen and clean the floors. While I was doing that, my husband was busy cleaning all of the vehicles. My car looks so shiny and new!

Lunch was four Ling Ling’s vegetable dumplings drizzled with reduced-sodium soy sauce and dipped in Ben’s Sweet & Hot mustard. I bought these the first time because I had a coupon and they looked interesting. Now they’re a regular purchase. They’re frozen, but taste pretty fresh and flavorful after they’re cooked. The bag comes with a sauce packet, but I don’t care for it. The mustard is a local favorite.

I also had the rest of my Annie’s Mac & Cheese.

After lunch I cut up lettuce to make a big salad for the week. Then I headed back out to the front porch to enjoy the sunshine and my February issue of Martha Stewart Living. It’s amazing how quickly the temperature changed! Early last week it was in the low teens. Sunday it was almost 50! It makes me so ready for spring. In fact, when I took my break from reading we wandered around the yard and planned a few landscaping projects.

I had something new for snack, a CocoaVia bar.

*Product Review*
CocoaVia Crispy Chocolate Bar

Yum, yum, yum! This was the perfect cure for a chocolate craving. It’s dark chocolate (which I prefer) and has a really rich taste. My take on the texture was that it’s both chewy & crispy. The nutrition information was very reasonable. I can’t wait to try the other varieties I bought!

Dinner was kind of rushed and frazzled. I was getting everything together for our nachos when my in-laws pulled in for an unexpected visit. I put them on hold so we were both pretty hungry when they left. No picture, but I can assure you they were good.

After dinner I got clothes ready for the work week and made sure everything I needed was in my bag. I don’t typically watch awards shows, but I somehow got sucked into the Grammy’s this year. All of the performances I saw were really good. However, it seemed like their sound was a bit off and I could barely hear the people singing over the musicians. I was disappointed that I fell asleep before Sugarland performed. Love them!

Would you rather watch an awards show for acting or one for music?

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A Boring Two Days

I’m afraid that the food portion of my blog may become very, very random. Please don’t try to make sense of it. It’s not rational. According to my doctor, when I’m hungry I should listen to my body and give it what it needs. I’m trying to take that advice and get something in me when I’m hungry while still remaining as health-minded as possible.

Yesterday I forgot my camera (again) which was no huge loss because my eats basically consisted of cheese, more cheese, milk and green beans. Exciting, huh?

Today was a little bit better. I started my day with a peanut butter and blueberry jam (Amish store again) sandwich on a multigrain Arnold’s Sandwich Thin as soon as I got to work.

A little later I was hungry again so I snacked on Kashi TLC crackers and the last of my Cabot Reduced Fat Cheddar cheese. I was so hungry that I forgot to take a picture before I scarfed it down.

Lunch was another variety of Cedarlane wrap.

*Product Review*
Low Fat Beans, Rice & Cheese Style Burrito.

This was basically like a burrito with lots of beans, a little rice and some cheese. Very gooey, tasty and filling. It reminded me a lot of the Amy’s burritos I’ve had in the past. I could see bulking this up by topping it with lettuce, salsa, sour cream, olives and other veggies for a hearty dinner. For nutrition information or ingredients list, click here.

The only other thing I ate at work was a sugar-free vanilla pudding cup. My husband wasn’t hungry when I got home which was fine because I really wasn’t either. I did decide to eat something after I changed out of my work clothes and did some laundry. I had a little whole wheat pasta drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkled with some grated parmesan cheese.

In honor of my completely random menus the last two days, here’s a completely random question of the day:
What’s your favorite color?

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Working Out at Work

The way my day started of was strange to stay the least. I remember waking up around 1:15AM and not being able to fall back asleep. The next thing I remember is waking up on the couch as my husband was saying goodbye and leaving for work. I don’t remember a thing in between. According to my husband, I got up when his alarm went off (2 hours before mine does, hit the snooze button and headed for the living room. I’m usually a really sound sleeper and I’ve never had issues with sleep walking or talking. So strange.

I did get up and out the door for work on time. During my commute I drank a Horizon Organic milk box. I love these things! They’re delicious organic milk in convenient to-go packaging. There’s even a little telescoping straw.

I didn’t make my batch of oats over the weekend so I’ve been eating alternative breakfasts this week. Today that meant some organic mini-waffles with maple syrup. These aren’t usually considered an easy food to transport so I’ve had to get creative. I pop my waffles in the toaster before I leave for work, put them in a container and top with maple syrup. When I get to work I just pop them in the microwave for one minute. They’re a little mushy, but that’s the way I like them.

No picture of lunch. Sorry. I was really hungry and there were lots of people around my desk so I didn’t want to whip out the camera. It was just a can of Campbell’s Won Ton soup so you’re not missing out on anything exciting.

That brings us to the title of this post. Our benefits coordinator at work has been trying really hard to put together some healthy initiatives. One of those is a lunchtime workout. She found a program at the local hospital where an instructor comes to our building and brings equipment for a 30-minute session. We’ll be working out 2 times per week and the cost is $20 per month per person. Today was the first day and we had a good turnout. I have to admit I was a bit skeptical about how much of a workout I would actually be getting. Today gained my faith 100%. The exercises are set up circuit style and they’re mostly things that can be modified by each individual to match their own fitness level. I was surprised by how good my body felt after the 30 minutes were over. I could definitely tell that I’d just worked out. Can’t wait to do more on Friday!

I packed an apple for a post-workout snack, but didn’t feel hungry enough to eat it.

I was a bit late getting out of the office so I was pretty hungry when I got home. I forgot to put the meat for the meal I’d planned in the refrigerator to thaw so we improvised. My husband had soup & a turkey sandwich. I had leftover homemade enchiladas with reduced-fat sour cream, sliced black olives & some salsa. Not pretty, but very yummy and filling. On the side I had baby carrots and (You guessed it!) Annie’s Goddess dressing for dipping.

I’m pooped so bedtime isn’t far off. Hope everyone had a happy Tuesday!

Does your employer do anything to encourage employees to live a healthier lifestyle? If so, what? If not, what do you wish they would do?

There are some incredible giveaways going on right now in blog land! Heather & Mark over at Hangry Pants are giving away some Almond Butter. But wait! There’s more! Bobbi from N Her Shoes is offering up a Camelbak water bottle.

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MIA

Sorry to leave you all hangin’ this weekend. It was a bit hectic and my eats weren’t too exciting. Here’s a quick recap:

Saturday – I went to the grocery. It wasn’t my favorite place to shop. I only went there because they have polenta and I can never find it at my favorite store. It was a madhouse with all the Super Bowl shoppers stocking up on soda, chips & beer. I didn’t spend much time perusing because of the crowds. When I got home my husband and I went to the Amish store and stocked up on cheese, jams and other goodies. My sister-in-law called when I got home and asked if we wanted to go sledding at her house. The flower girl from our wedding (she’s 7) loves to sled so it was a snow party! Soooo much fun. Here’s my husband and I. Don’t laugh. Okay, you can laugh. It was hysterical:

We came home and had the classic after-sledding snack: hot chocolate. I paired mine with a few whole wheat fig bars from the Amish store. They are delicious! Yes, those are napkins from our wedding in March. We have so many leftover and we’re still using them. At this rate, it will be 6 years before we’re through them. I ordered the wrong color the first time so we had 6 boxes of the color shown plus 2 boxes left over from the wedding in the correct color (sage green).

I wasn’t really hungry at dinner time so I just had some Kashi crackers, Cabot reduced fat sharp cheddar and summer sausage from the Amish store.

Sunday – The day started around 3:30 when I got up to go to the bathroom and found something out that might slightly alter the content of my food photos for a while. I’ll post more details later, but it’s good news. Very, very good news. Breakfast was an omelet courtesy of my husband.

The rest of the day was very low key. I cleaned the house, took a nap and then a few things together for munching during the Super Bowl. My husband made cheeseburgers for himself and my sister-in-law. I had a Gardenburger Portobello burger on an Arnold’s Sandwich Thin with smoked hot pepper cheese & spicy sweet mustard. We watched the game, said goodbye to sister-in-law and then headed to bed. So exciting.

Today – I had a lot of things on my mind this morning and forgot my camera. My food for the day was pretty uneventful. Breakfast was organic waffles, lunch was a repeat of my Super Bowl dinner with a Chik’n patty in place of the Portobello burger, snack was green pepper slices with balsamic vinaigrette and dinner was homemade enchiladas.

I’ll be back tomorrow night and there will be pictures. Have a great night!

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