Pumping up With Hans & Franz

Remember this skit? I sometimes think about this when I am at the gym pumping some iron. Ha. I am still having some trouble moving around today since I worked on my legs during my Saturday work out. I focused on arms and abs today and will get back to cardio tomorrow.

I had to post these two pictures. First of all, how awful and how random! Swayze and Dre?

I'm sure everyone has been hearing about this crazy snow storming that is supposed to hit us tomorrow. Doesn't it sound just miserable? Why couldn't this snow storm happen during the weekend when you can stay in-doors in comfy pants while watching movies? I'm sure my office will allow us to work from home if it's terrible outside, but I guess we will see. I have no interest in treking through the snow to get to the gym, work and home. Go away snow!!

I hope you all had a nice weekend. Mine was nice and chill. I was able to stay on my diet, get to the gym and not spend a ton of money. Perfect weekend in my eyes.

I spent yesterday at a Bridal Fair in Oakbrook which was interesting. I met my clients there to roam around and see some vendors. It was nice to see some new hot trends in the wedding world. I got home early enough to cook dinner and mentally prepare for the week.

Today has been super nutty at work! Lots of meetings and I am now working on an RFP that's due on Monday at noon. I would be fine never seeing an RFP again! It's been crazy since the New Year and I really just want to get moving on my market planning. Hopefully next week.

My meal plan for the day:
Pre-gym - Kellogg's 90 calorie blueberry cereal bar
Breakfast - Whole wheat EM with low fat peanut butter and grapes
Snack - Animal crackers
Lunch - Healthy Choice garden vegetable soup with oyster crackers and 5 buffalo chicken nuggets - Morningstar style
Snack - CCPB granola bar
Dinner - I made stuffed shells last night with a salad and garlic bread and we just so happen to have plenty of leftovers. I think I may just stick with a salad though. I have lots of fresh veggies at home that I picked up at Stanley's and this sounds like a perfect din.

I hope you all stay warm and have a great night!
PK

Cross the X and on to the Next

Haha, I love this phrase. Lindsay and I have been saying this a lot over the past week and I think it's hilarious. I think it's better when you actually use your hands and make an X when saying this phrase. (LK, picture this in our movie.)

This phrase is how I felt about this week. My work out buddy was gone all week which really didn't motivate me to go to the gym at all. I managed to do P90X one day and I ran one morning at the gym too, but I like the routine of getting up each morning, hitting the gym and crossing it off the list.

So I skipped WW this am too. I went out last night and had a few drinks/apps and I just wasn't feeling the weigh in. I plan on getting back on track with the gym tomorrow and eating well/not drinking a lot next week and hopefully having a successful weigh in next Friday.

So...Cross the X (this week) and on to the next!!

Yesterday I wasn't available to blog because I had a meeting at Land of Nod in Northbrook. We have been challenged by our New Development team at Legacy to look for new clients and when we set up a meeting we are incented with dinero. I asked about 12 of my friends last year to pass along an email to their Mar/Comm department in an effort to set up a meeting. Unfortunately, companies have cut back on their marketing dollars and have been doing everything in house. A lot of major companies are not interested in working with an agency which is a bummer, but understandable.
I did get in touch with one contact that helped me to set up a meeting for yesterday. It went well, so hopefully we will form a good working relationship and get some new business in the next year or two.

So...I skipped the gym this am and so antsy for this week to get over that I am skipping tonight too. I should be able to get to the gym tomorrow or Sunday since I have very limited plans this weekend.

Tonight, I plan on making dinner at home and catching up on The Office, RH of BV Reunion and Jersey Shore! I sure missed a dramatic night of TV last night. Thank God for DVR!!! Can you imagine still setting up the timer on your VHS player to tape shows? Haha. You would pray that you had enough space on your VHS tape to tape everything. A friend of mine in high school used to tape Young and the Restless every day and watch it when they got home. Awesome. I love Y & R - guilty pleasure.

Tomorrow my plan is to hit the gym, maybe stop over to hang with Lexi Bug for a bit and then help clear out the Nice. Plans for tomorrow night are still TBD, but I think we may be heading out with a few friends for a chill night.

On Sunday, I will be heading to a bridal fair at the Hyatt Lodge in Oakbrook with my client, Moira. I plan on spending a few hours at the fair to check out some vendors for Moira and Joe's big day. Moira really wants a photobooth so hopefully we find a good company for this. If anything, I'm sure they will have some champagne to enjoy while browsing!

My meal plan for the day:
Breakfast - whole wheat english muffin with laughing cow spread and soy sausage
Lunch - Half pita with veggie burger patty - T Joes style and soup with 20 or so oyster crackers
Dinner - TBD

I really want to make Buffalo Mac and Cheese tonight. I saw this recipe in a magazine a few months ago and ripped it out so I could make it. I had the recipe floating in my purse for months. It finally made it to my recipe binder and I set it out for dinner tonight.

Ingredients:
1 pkg. (12.6 oz.) KRAFT HOMESTYLE Macaroni & Cheese Dinner Classic Cheddar Cheese Sauce
1-1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken breast
1 Tbsp. Frank's Buffalo Sauce for Buffalo wings
1/2 cup KRAFT Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1 Tbsp. chopped green onions

Directions:
Heat oven to 425ºF.
Prep dinner in large saucepan as directed on package except do not top with Bread Crumb Topping.
Toss chicken with pepper sauce. Stir into Dinner; spoon into 1-1/2-qt. casserole sprayed with cooking spray. Sprinkle with shredded cheese and crumb topping.
Bake 5 to 10 min. until cheese is melted. Top with onions.

Um, how great does this look??? I love Buffalo sauce in anything, so I will love this dish!

Have a great weekend all!
PK

Deming Place

I have officially decided that I hate my apartment. Last night my sleep was interrupted by the miserable neighbor/cat upstairs. This cat is crazy. Literally its on drugs and runs around the apartment at all hours of the day. Too bad this apartment is only 650 sq ft. That is unfair to a cat and should not be allowed!

I have stressed in previous posts how much I hated my old apartment in this same building, but this situation is getting bad.

I decided to email my Property Manager this morning to ask about their animal policy. The email chain is pretty miserable. Please read:

Me: What is your policy on animals in the building? The tenant above me has a cat and i hear it run around like crazy at night. I also hear her scream at the cat. It actually woke me up 3 times last night.

Just curious how an apartment building which such poor insulation would allow this.

PM: Small animals and cats are allowed in all Lakeview Associates, Inc. properties. We do not accept dogs of any size.

Me: How do you recommend I handle this issue?

PM: I would recommend discussing it with your upstairs neighbor.

Awesome. My plan is to get one or two glasses of wine in me tonight and be brave enough to tell the tenant upstairs that her cat sucks and that she needs to be cognizant of how awful the insulation is and that I CAN HEAR EVERYTHING!!!

Oy. I was up at 5:30 so I decided to get to the gym early. I did 45 minutes of cardio - treadmill intervals, arm exercises and then some abs. It was a great work out. I was grumpy most of the morning and now slowly fading from my lack of sleep.

On a fun/side note...I am having drinks tonight at Hub and already thinking about dinner there too.

My meal plan for the day:
Pre-gym - Kellogg's cereal bar - 90 calories
Breakfast - Whole wheat english muffin with laughing cow wedge and soy sausage patty
Snack - Baked cheetos
Lunch - Veggie burger in half a whole wheat pita and a garden salad with 1 tbsp of ranch.
Dinner - TBD. I like Hub's salads so I may just go this route.

Sorry for my apartment complaints, but this is getting a little ridiculous!!

Have a good day!
PK

Snooozeee...

This morning I set my alarm for 6am. The plan was to snooze for 15 minutes and then get up and hit the gym. For some reason I continued to hit snooze every 5 minutes until 7:45am!!! So silly! This couldn't have been enjoyable sleep considering I was awoken every 5 minutes by a miserable alarm ring tone blaring from my cell phone. Why was the snooze button even created? It really just screws everyone over big time.

I did come across an article that I thought was pretty interesting. It just so happened to come on a day where I was annoyed with myself for not waking up.

7 Ways to Restart A Day
By: Kathryn Matthews
O, Oprah Magazine

As Soon as the Alarm Rings...
Spend your first 15 seconds awake planning something nice to do for yourself today. "This can really set you up in a good mood—even if it's just going by the farmers' market and getting fresh strawberries," says Alice Domar, PhD, author of Be Happy Without Being Perfect: How to Break Free from the Perfection Deception.

Get Up
The longer you lie there, the more you ruminate, the darker your outlook is likely to become, says Christine Padesky, PhD, co-author of Mind Over Mood. So get vertical and make a cup of coffee, take a shower, feed the cat...

Drink...
...make that two glasses of water upon awakening, the time when our bodies are dehydrated, says Susan M. Kleiner, PhD, author of The Good Mood Diet. Dehydration causes fatigue, which affects your mood.

Move It
You already know the number one way of chasing away a bad mood: exercise. A workout at the gym sure helps. But even just a few minutes of movement—a fast walk, for example—raises energy and reduces tension, says mood expert Robert Thayer, PhD, professor of psychology at California State University, Long Beach, and author of Calm Energy.

Investigate
When you're dogged by anxiety or the dread you woke up with, try to pinpoint what's causing it. Did someone say anything the day before? Do you have a meeting today you wish you didn't? Was it the dream you were having when the alarm went off? "If you can figure out why you're upset, that's halfway to feeling better," says Domar.

Be Kind and Thankful
This isn't exactly news, but generosity and gratitude are both big contributors to happiness, according to Todd B. Kashdan, PhD, who directs the Laboratory for the Study of Social Anxiety, Character Strengths, and Related Phenomena at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. Do something nice for a stranger or friend and see if you don't feel better about yourself. Also, jot down three things that you're grateful for. It seems so simple, but counting your blessings just has a way of making you remember the sun is shining.

Laugh at Yourself
The best comedians point out the mundane aspects of life—relationship strife, a boring job, a closet full of too-tight clothes; they exaggerate those circumstances, and give us a perspective we can laugh about, says Mark Ridley, owner of the Comedy Castle in Royal Oak, Michigan. Look at your own life and try to appreciate the absurdity of what doesn't go exactly according to plan (the diets, the men, the buzz cut). Acknowledging how little control we actually have over what happens is sometimes a most freeing gift to yourself.

I am going to take this article into consideration tomorrow morning if I decide to snooze 20 times again.

My meal plan for the day:
Breakfast - 1 hardboiled egg and 1 soy sausage patty
Lunch - Trader Joes bean and rice burrito with a tbsp of light sour cream and 2 roma tomatoes sliced
Snack - Baked cheetos (this snack is the same amount of points as my breakfast today. Probably not the best choice for a snack.)
Dinner - Salad and Veggie Burger - T Joes style

Have a good one!
PK

Homemade Chili and Cornbread

I know this is awful, but yesterday I didn't care about going out for the Bears game. On Friday and even Saturday it sounded like a great time, but yesterday I was in a jammies kind of mood and wanted some comfort food to enjoy while watching the game from my couch.

The menu for the day included Sweet and Spicy Chili and Corny Cornbread both from my favorite blog - Iowa Girl Eats. (recipes below) Nate brought over some great Mexican Dip which I couldn't keep my hands out of. It was very tasty. Let's just say I used my extra 49 points yesterday :).

I'm excited for this week. Work should slow down a bit and it's not bitter cold out. I saw on the news that we should actually see sun for a few days which makes me happy. I will be hitting the gym each day as well.

I decided to sleep in a bit this morning and pack my breakfast and lunches for the week. I will hit the gym tonight for an hour or so and meet up with some friends to watch The Bachelor. This show is like a bad accident to me. I hate that I look forward to it each week. I just can't stop!!!

My goal for this week is to eat lots of veggies, drink lots of water and not cheat since I used my fun points yesterday.

My meal plan for the day:
Breakfast - Whole wheat english muffin with egg beaters and soy sausage
Snack - Pita chips - i'm obsessed!
Lunch - Chili and cornbread
Snack - Carrots
Dinner - Salad - maybe from pockets??

Recipes:
Sweet and Spicy Chili

Ingredients:
1 lb lean ground turkey
1 small white onion
Olive Oil
Salt and pepper
2 - 28 oz cans tomato sauce
1 can of black beans drained and rinsed
1 can of Bush's vegetarian baked beans - do not drain
1 small can of whole kernal corn
2 cups of whole wheat spiral pasta - cooked, add into chili once done simmering
1 tsp each of onion and garlic powder
1.5 tbsp of chili seasoning - I got this from the spice shop in Old Town and love it!
1 tsp of cayenne pepper
1 tsp of ground cumin
1 tsp of red pepper flakes
Brown Sugar - 2 tablespoons

Directions:
Saute onion (salt and pepper to pan as well) and ground turkey in 1 tbsp of olive oil
Once browned and onions are soft and translucent, transfer to a soup pot
Add in tomato sauce, black beans, frank's bush beans and corn and mix well
Add in brown sugar and all spices. Adjust spices to your liking. I love spicy chili so I add a tad more of the cayenne pepper and red pepper flakes
Mix well and simmer for 20 minutes until ready to serve
Add in the cooked pasta when you are about ready to serve
Top with shredded cheese, oyster crackers and sour cream
YUMO!



Corny Cornbread
Serves 8-10

Ingredients:
1 (14.5oz) can cream corn
1 (14.5oz) can kernel corn, half drained
2 eggs
1 box Jiffy corn bread mix
1/2 stick butter, cut up

Directions:
Lightly butter an 8×8 dish
Mix together corn, eggs and corn bread mix
Pour into casserole dish, dab with cut up butter
Bake at 350 degrees for 60-80 minutes uncovered

Enjoy the recipes and have yourself a great Monday!
PK

0 degrees out!

I am not a fan of this weather. I look so silly today too! I have 2 or 3 layers on to keep me warm. Unfortunately it's not helping me show off my loss of 1.4 lbs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Haha, I was so excited leaving WW today. I just am so happy that I lost! I would have jumped for joy with a .2 loss. Ladies and Gents, we have a total of 7.2 lbs lost and 22.8 more lbs to go. Game on!!

Rewind to last night. I met baby Lexi and I love her. She is just 7lbs of sweetness and I didn't want to let her go! She is a doll. Stacie is doing great already as a Mom too! I guess it just happens naturally.

I got home and Monster and I started dinner. We made the Shrimp Scampi recipe I posted yesterday and we both LOVED it! It was super easy to make and we can't wait to make it again. I decided to use a bowl that is about the size of 1 cup to make sure I was watching my portion control. 1 cup of this was the perfect amount and I had a great side salad to keep me full.

I didn't make it to the gym this am b/c I was went to WW, but I plan on hitting the gym tomorrow for sure. Maybe check out a class?

My meal plan for the day:
Breakfast - Egg beater, soy sausage, laughing cow spread whole wheat english muffin.
Snack - cereal bar
Lunch - Salad and black bean burger on a thin bun
Snack - Baked cheetos
Dinner - Pizza with the Hull's!

I hope you all have a great weekend. Stay warm!
PK

Welcome Alexis "Lexi" Nicole Edwards

The news finally came yesterday around 1pm!!! Lexi and Mom are both healthy and doing well! Gosh, what a relief! I will be heading to the hospital tonight to act as paparazzi so expect a facebook album with in the next few days. :).

Tomorrow is my big weigh in at WW so I'm taking it easy today. I started off with a great work out though. 40 mins of cardio (20 on the running efx and 20 mins walking at an inclineon the treadmill) and some legs. I love walking at an incline. It's a harder work out for me sometimes than running. I usually set the speed anywhere between 3.3 and 4.0 depending on what the incline is. Today I was at an 18 incline for 2 mins and I had to be at 3.3 so I wouldn't fly off the tread. How embarassing would that be??? My incline chart today is listed below:

1 - 4 mins - Speed at 3.8/Incline at 12
4 - 8 mins - Speed at 3.6/Incline at 15
8 - 12 mins - Speed at 3.8/Incline at 9
12 - 14 mins - Speed at 3.3/Incline at 18
14 - 16 mins - Speed at 3.4/Incline at 16
16 - 18 mins - Speed at 3.5/Incline at 14
18 - 20 mins - Speed at 3.0/Incline at 6

Def try this out! It's a great work out and I can feel it in my legs and booty.

I also realized that I hate it when strangers/trainers talk to me at the gym. If a trainer is trying to sell their services, I get extremely frustrated and tell them I'm not interested. It stinks trying to avoid them each day at the gym, but it makes me work harder.

This morning a random stranger asked me about my ipad. I told him briefly that I use it for reading while doing cardio and sometimes look at the Self Magazine work out routines. This guy wanted to look at the ipad, check out the apps, etc. I had no interest in selling this apple product to him. He also happened to be the sweatiest person at the gym. When he wasn't looking I walked away and left to get ready for work. Probably rude of me, but I was on a time crunch this am.

My meal plan for the day:
Pre-gym - Kellogg's Choco Drizzle Cereal Bar. This 90 calorie treat gives me enough energy to get moving in the am.
Breakfast - Starbucks Turkey Bacon sammy - this has 9 points so I am not going to make this a habit. I didn't know it was so many points!! I can re-create it at home for less points. (note to self...try this on Sat am!)
Lunch - I brought soup for lunch today. I plan on enjoying this with about 20 oyster crackers
Snack - Banana
Dinner - I have 2 ideas for dinner tonight. Barefoot Contessa has a great shrimp scampi recipe I have been dying to try (recipe is below.) I may not feel like getting to carbed up, so I may save this for next week. The other option is chicken enchiladas. I would just try a very small portion and include a salad with my meal. We shall see...

Linguine with Shrimp Scampi - Barefoot Contessa

Ingredients:
Vegetable oil
1 tablespoon kosher salt plus 1 1/2 teaspoons
3/4 pound linguine - i use whole wheat
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 1/2 tablespoons good olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic (4 cloves)
1 pound large shrimp (about 16 shrimp), peeled and deveined
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
1/2 lemon, zest grated
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
1/4 lemon, thinly sliced in half-rounds
1/8 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes

Directions:
Drizzle some oil in a large pot of boiling salted water, add 1 tablespoon of salt and the linguine, and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, or according to the directions on the package.

Meanwhile, in another large (12-inch), heavy-bottomed pan, melt the butter and olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the garlic. Saute for 1 minute. Be careful, the garlic burns easily! Add the shrimp, 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt, and the pepper and saute until the shrimp have just turned pink, about 5 minutes, stirring often. Remove from the heat, add the parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, lemon slices, and red pepper flakes. Toss to combine.

When the pasta is done, drain the cooked linguine and then put it back in the pot. Immediately add the shrimp and sauce, toss well, and serve.

Doesn't this look great!!!

I also found a new great recipe on Hungry Girl which I want to try out soon.

Buffalo Chicken Pizza - 1 serving

Ingredients:

1 high-fiber or whole-wheat pita
1/2 tsp. dry ranch dressing/dip mix
1 wedge The Laughing Cow Light Original Swiss cheese, room temperature
2 oz. cooked and chopped skinless lean chicken breast
1 tsp. Frank's RedHot Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce, or more to taste
1 tbsp. reduced-fat Parmesan-style grated topping
1 tbsp. chopped scallions

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray. Place pita on the sheet and set aside.

In a small bowl, combine ranch mix with cheese wedge and thoroughly mix. Spread evenly onto the pita, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edge.

In another small bowl, toss chicken with hot sauce. Scatter saucy chicken over the ranchy cheese layer, and sprinkle evenly with Parm-style topping.

Bake in the oven until hot and toasty, 10 - 12 minutes.

Sprinkle with scallions, slice into quarters and, if you like, top with a little extra hot sauce.

Both of these look great! I love sharing recipes, so if you have any that you recommend, please send to me at peri.kaplan@gmail.com

I have a WW buddy now at work that I like to swap recipes with. There is nothing better than having a support system at work!

Have a great day! One more day until the weekend. Monster and I have a date tomorrow night with RJ Hull. I know there are a few readers that are jealous :).

PK

Baby E!!

I got a text this am that Stacie was in labor!! What an exciting text. I can't explain the emotions that ran through me. It reminded me of when my nephew, Sam (aka Binks,) and my niece, Maggie (aka Miss Mags) were born. I shed a quick tear, I prayed for an easy quick delivery and a healthy baby! No word yet on if Stacie actually delivered. She went to the hospital around midnight last night. I'm sure she is ready to get this show on the road! Hopefully by tomorrow's post, Baby E will be out and about ready to party just like Suz. Also, we aren't sure if it's a boy or girl yet and this is just killing me!!! I think it's a girl :).

I missed the gym last night b/c I ended up working a bit later than I wanted. I was kinda pissed about it on the way home, but I went this am and that's what is important. Missing one day doesn't mean it needs to screw up the gym schedule for the week.

I made a quick salad for dinner last night followed by a spicy black bean burger on a thin bun. Gosh those burgers are tasty and very filling! Only 3 points too! Woohoo!!

This morning's work out was great. I'm a little sore from my kickboxing on Monday so I focused on cardio and abs. I was running a bit late this morning (missed the bus!) so I got in 35 minutes on the elliptical followed by 15 minutes of abs.

My meal plan for the day:
Pre-gym - Cereal Bar
Breakfast - English muffin with laughing cow spread and soy sausage patty
Snack - Nothing today
Lunch - Lean Cuisine Spin/Musroom za and apple or soup. I can't decide. Neither sounds really good...
Snack - TBD I packed a crappy bag of food this week so I don't have many options.
Dinner - I am having dinner with lindsay tonight. Not sure what we are thinking, but my vote is pizza or chinese!! Either option I will take the healthy route.

I hope you all have a good day! It's Hump Day already!!
PK

This blog is dedicated to Keenie Bop - "Friends are the most important ingredient in this recipe of life."

I love short weeks...

My office was closed yesterday for MLK day which was lovely! I slept in, had coffee in my pj's, caught up on some food network and did some wedding planning for my side job :). I love short work weeks. It's already almost half way through the week!

I also saw Country Strong in the afternoon with Kate. OMG! I loved it. The singing was phenom. I can't wait to download the soundtrack.

For my work out I tried out P90X - Kickboxing. Ok, so I was hesitant to try this b/c I don't think it's possible to work out at home w/o thinking about everything you else you want to be doing (i.e. prepping dinner, checking my email, cleaning.) But...I loved it! It was an awesome hour work out and I was a sweat machine. My old gym had a kickboxing class that I loved and it looks like the instructor stole a lot of the moves from P90X. I didn't feel or look like a complete jackass since I had done a lot of the moves before. I'm a tad sore today, but it's a good sore. I will slowly try the other DVD's, but for now kickboxing will be a nice work out on the weekends when I don't want to go to the gym.

This week I plan on being super good on my diet!! My goal is to get to 10lbs in the next few weeks. I have 4lbs to go and I know I can do it!!! If I stay on track this week, track everything online and hit the gym every day, I should be a-ok.

My meal plan for the day:
Breakfast - English Muffin with laughing cow wedge and soy sausage patty
Snack - 0
Lunch - Lean Cuisine meal and an apple
Snack - banana
Dinner - Salad with buffalo nuggets?

Monster and I hit the grocery store on Saturday and bought a ton of food! I mapped out some meals before I went so I knew exactly what to get. Not all of it was exactly WW friendly, but I can do a small portion and be fine. I plan on making some great meals this week.

I wanted to share 3 recipes that I made this weekend. Both were delish and I can't wait to make them again!

Chickpea Salad on Earthgrain Thin Bun

1 can chickpeas drained and rinsed
1/2 white onion diced
1 stalk celery diced
1 carrot diced
1/2 cup light mayo
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp dill
salt and pepper to taste

1. Drain and rinse chickpeas and set in a bowl. Mash the chickpeas with a masher or back side of a fork.
2. Add diced onion, celery and carrots to chickpeas and stir in light mayo and lemon juice.
3. Once combined add in dill and s & p to taste.
4. Add 1 cup of chickpea salad to thin bun and top with spinach leaves

This is an easy recipe I found on all-recipes.com. It was very easy to make and very healthy! The dill added a great kick to the salad.

Cauliflower Puree

Half bag of frozen cauliflower
Low fat chicken broth
1/8 cup skim milk
1 - 2 tbsp low fat butter
Paprika
Salt and Pepper to taste

1. Simmer cauliflower, broth and salt in a small saucepan - covered, until cauliflower is fork tender, about 10 - 15 minutes
2. Purée mixture with milk and butter in a food processor until smooth.
3. Add salt and pepper as needed along with paprika

I got this recipe from my Mom who has recently picked up cooking again. I love trading recipes with her. She doesn't carbs so this recipe works great for her diet!!

Franky's Crispy Chicken

1 cup Frank's Hot Sauce
1 1/2 cup Brown Sugar
1/4 cups Water
2 Tablespoons Honey
4 pieces Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
2 cups Panko Bread Crumbs
1 1/2 cup flour
2 eggs with water
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon Italian Seasoning

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and fit with a wire rack. Spray with cooking spray; set aside.

2.Place flour in a large bowl and season very generously with salt and pepper. Whisk eggs in another large bowl with 2 tablespoons water until well combined. Place the panko crumbs and italian seasoning in a third large bowl, and drizzle with olive oil; toss to coat.

3. Place chicken pieces in the seasoned flour and toss to coat. Working in 3 batches, shake off any excess flour from chicken pieces and transfer to egg mixture; stir to combine. Transfer coated chicken pieces with a slotted spoon to the panko mixture and toss until completely coated. Place the breaded chicken pieces on a rack-lined baking sheet, spacing them evenly apart.

4. Bake until golden brown and chicken is cooked through, 20 - 25 minutes. I turned up the heat to 400 degrees for the last 10 minutes to make sure the chicken was done.

5. While chicken is baking, combine the hot sauce, brown sugar, honey and water in a bowl. When the chicken is done baking, pour the mixture over the chicken breasts and enjoy! This is a bit spicy so feel free to serve with sauce on the side.

I served the chicken with smashed red potatoes. We had plenty left over for dinner last night. Thanks to Iowa Girl Eats for this tasty recipe!! Check out Kristin's blog at: http://iowagirleats.com/

Hope you enjoyed!
PK

New Experience...Al's Beef

Oh Friday...I have been waiting for you all week!! My company has Monday off so it will be a nice extended weekend.

Zocalo last night was fine. I'm not sure I would go back. I had the tortilla soup and then a grilled calamari and shrimp appetizer. These were supposedly "light" options per our waiter and it was the first time in a long time that I didn't feel stuffed walking out of a Mexican restaurant. Zocalo didn't offer chips and salsa to start, so that may have been the why...

This morning I got up early and went to WW. I'm sad to report that I gained 1 lb. Honestly, I expected worse after the way I ate over the holidays, but my goal is to kick butt this week and really get into WW e-tools to track my food and activity. I think this will help big time!! I've lost 6 lbs and have 24 more to go...I can do this!! It's so nice to have a work out buddy to get you out of bed and motivated. Thanks Monster!

My meal plan for the day:
Breakfast - Earthgrains Thin Bun toasted with laughing cow spread and soy sausage patty
Snack - I passed today
Lunch - Healthy Choice Gumbo and salad from Al's Beef (stand by...)
Snack - I got a WW Dark Chocolate Turtle at the meeting this morning that I'm dying to try. It's 2 points and it looks like the size of a piece of gum. Oh well.
Dinner - Pizza Art Cafe!!

So tonight we have dinner plans with Dragon + 1 and we are going to Pizza Art Cafe. This place rocks. It's BYOB and it's right off of the brown line! Over lunch I walked to Binny's to pick up some booze and as I walked back, I thought of my boring lunch (gumbo) and thought I needed a salad to go with it. I passed Al's Beef which is across the street from my office. It will be 7 years in June and I have NEVER stepped foot in this place! I went with a simple garden salad and it was tasty!! I can't wait to go back to try something else. They had a few other salad options that looked healthy as well as a grilled chicken sandwich that looked yummo! It's always nice to try new places that are steps from the office. This will be key in the winter!!

I hope you all have a good weekend. I'm hitting Target tomorrow for some shopping and cleaning up the apartment. I can't wait!

PK

Subway Artists

Does anyone feel like there are certain Subways where you have the worst experience b/c the Sandwich Artist sucks? Well my friends, this happened to me today. I knew what was going down once I walked in the door to the Subway closest to my work (Erie and Wells - avoid if you can.) I saw a long line and all of the artists behind the counter piled up on each other to knock out the line as fast as they can.

My usual Subway order is a 6" oven roasted chicken breast on whole wheat bread with pepperjack cheese, jalepenos, banana peppers, tomatos, spinach and onion. I also sometimes ask for the chipotle southwest sauce on the side. Today I was feeling the veggie patty. I don't know why, but as I walked to Subway this was on my mind. So my planned order today was a 6" veggie patty on whole wheat bread with spinach, tomatoes, jalepenos and chipotle southwest sauce on the side. What I got was: a 6" veggie patty on 9 grain with regular lettuce, 1 tomato, 14 jalepenos and about a gallon of the chipotle southwest sauce on the patty. F Subway. I'm so disappointed with you and I hate your artists today. Such a lousy experience.

The best part of this experience (I know, can you believe anything positive came out of this?) is that I was charged for a 6" veggie (no patty, just vegetables) sandwich and that's it! I got chips, a soda and sliced apples for my afternoon snack for only$4. Booya!!!

Sorry for my long rant.

On to last night...I had zero interest in cooking, especially with my lack of food at the apartment. I ended up with a salad with chicken from Sultan's Market along with some pita chips and hummus. It was delish!!! The night was pretty chill and I was able to get a lot of sleep. I felt great waking up this morning to head to the gym.

Today my leg hurt right when I woke up, but I stretched it out before jumping on the treadmill. I really had no idea what my cardio plan was going to be, but I ended up doing the following for 45 minutes = 3.5 miles.

1 - 5 mins = Walk at 4.0
5 - 15 mins = Jog at 5.0
15 mins - 30 mins = Walk 2 minutes, run 2 minutes - speed went up .1 each round.
30 mins - 41 mins = Walk 1 minute, run 1 minute - speeds ranged from 5.8 - 6.3.
41 mins - 45 mins = Cool down and stretching

Monster and I shot baskets for about 10 mins and then I went off to get ready for work. I am such an awful basketball player. If you ask any of my friends from home, they will tell you that I scored one basket during my basketball career (6th grade YMCA league.) I also wore keds with scruncy socks with my umbros and purple Y t-shirt. Wow. What's wrong with me?

Oh good news!! I finally figured out how to use the Weight Watchers e-tools and I LOVE IT!!! I was able to gain 10 activity points today from my run. I'm not going to get crazy with these 10 points, but its nice to know that I have these in my back pocket.

My meal plan for the day:
Pre-gym - Cereal Bar
Breakfast - LF Vanilla Yogurt with Lowfat granola cereal
Snack - Nothin
Lunch - Miserable Subway sandwich and baked lays
Snack - Sliced apples from Subway
Dinner - Monster and I are using a groupon that I got from Zocalo which is a Mexican restaurant down the street from my office.

I am going to weigh in tomorrow so wish me luck! I haven't been since before New Years so who knows what's going to happen here.

Is it Friday at 5pm yet?
PK

Lunges

Here is a group shot from our Gold Themed 2011 Christmaka! Hannah figured out how to use the timer on my camera. I didn't know I had the option...

Well today I actually woke up when my alarm went off and hit the gym for some cardio and legs. The cardio part went great!! Then legs...There is nothing more I hate at the gym than doing lunges. I have terrible form, I look like as ass in front of everyone and it's just painful to me. Today I gave it a whirl. I was on my first set of my right leg lunges and I pulled something. I got a terrible cramp near my tush and I tried to walk it off all cool, but it HURT!! I continued on the left leg and did a few more leg work outs and attempted the right leg lunge again. Ouchie. I spent the remainder of my time at the gym stretching and will most likely need to continue stretching for the next few days. Ug.

I need to get to the grocery store asap. I have been living off soup and frozen meals and craving a home cooked meal. I hope to get to the store this weekend and start prepping some healthy delish dishes for me and my new roomie :).

My meal plan for the day:
Pre-gym - Cereal bar
Breakfast - Starbucks low fat turkey bacon english muffin sammy
Snack - nada
Lunch - Healthy Choice NECC soup with oyster crackers and toast - boring!
Snack - I picked up a banana at Bucks this am so most likely will eat this at some point today. Fruits and Veggies are zero points, so why not???
Dinner - Oh boy. Not sure what I am going to do about this one. I have a Lean Cuisine pizza at home which will most likely be my last resort. Hopefully Monster will have something planned.

I found out today that a co-worker of mine is doing WW. Her lunch looked pretty sad. She walked over to me and said 7 points, looked down at her Lean Pocket and walked away. Haha. Sad lunch indeed!

Have a good Hump Day!
PK

Too busy to eat!

I can't believe it's Tuesday and after 5. It has been the craziest two days at work and I don't think it will clear up until next week. We have had a few nutty things happen this past week that I don't feel like talking about, but I do know that it will get done and it will get done well. Here's too wishing it was Friday at 5pm!

This past weekend was a blast! Friday was super chill which is exactly what I needed. We passed on the movie which I do still want to see. I've heard it's pretty tough to watch especially with your significant other, so just a warning to all.

I woke up early for Bar Method which was a good experience, but I am not craving it. I have yet to get into this yoga, pilates, bar method fad because I really like doing cardio and working hard to break a sweat. Maybe one day. I was very sore on Saturday night and Sunday, but felt great at the gym on Monday morning.

Christmaka was a 10!! It was so much fun and I stayed out way too late. You know you are old when you still can't believe you slept until 11am on a weekend day. Ha. We spent a few hours at Kristi's and then went to Moes Cantina for the night. They played great music and I was surrounded by some of my favorite peeps. After a quick stop at Epic, we called it a night.

Sunday was a lazy day. We did brunch at Benchmark and then I shopped with Dragon for some apartment essentials. I loved spending someone else's money!! :).

Honestly, I can't even remember what I have eaten the past few days. Yesterday I didn't make anytime for snacks. I had a light breakfast, salad from Pockets and left over pasta with veggies for dinner.

My meal plan for today:
Breakfast - English muffin with laughing cow
No am snack
Lunch - Mega-noodle Campbell's soup, toast and an apple
Snack - 90 calorie cereal bar
Dinner - TBD. I picked up some lean cuisine meals from the market last night. I haven't bought anything to cook a nice dinner so I may pass and eat something quick and light at home.

Unfortunately I skipped the gym today. I hit snooze way too many times and planned on going tonight, but didn't make it. Oh well...I will go tomorrow for 30 mins of cardio and legs.

I hope you had a great day!
PK

Christmaka 2011

Well friends, it's that time of year again. CHRISTMAKA!!!!! There are about 12 - 15 gals (old and new friends) that get together every year and exchange gifts (The Right Family,) eat, drink, dance, sing, cry, , go out, etc. It's just like the old days in the sorority house. This tradition has been going on for about 6 years.

I am bringing champagne and wine along with my Blue Frog Pasta Salad. We usually have a very solid spread of food. I've heard pizza, lamb burgers, and dip so far. I'm sure I will feel full when I leave.

I can't wait! All of this is going down tomorrow night at Kristi's apartment. Hannie gets in at noon tomorrow and the chaos will begin around 7. I am attaching a photo from a few years ago when the theme of Christmaka was holiday headbands. This picture makes me laugh every single time I see it!

I'm sure the recap on Monday will be ridiculous. Something to look forward to :).

So last night the run went fine. It started off a bit tough and the carrots I had for a snack didn't feel too great in my stomach. I did run/walk intervals for about 30 minutes and then 15 minutes on the elliptical. I was a hot mess when I left the gym.

For din I made some multi-grain toast, couscous and veggies. I went with my standard couscous recipe of:

1 cup whole wheat couscous
1 cup ff chicken broth
2 tbsp of EVOO
1/4 cup walnuts
1/4 cup of feta or blue cheese
1 handful of dried cranberries
1 tbsp parsley
Salt and Pepper
DELISH!!

The veggies were one of the steamed veggie bags from Aldi. I can't get enough of these bad boys!!

I got some good rest, but feeling pretty sore from my arm work out the other day. Hopefully I feel better by tomorrow morning when I attempt Bar Method. I bought the Bar Method groupon in December and wanted to wait until 2011 to try it out. I have heard many mixed reviews, but I am going with my gut and giving it a shot. I love to be challenged with new work outs. Even if I can't walk for a few days...

If you are unfamiliar with Bar Method, it integrates the fat-burning format of interval training with muscle-shaping isometrics to quickly and safely reshape the entire body. Its non-impact, one-hour workout targets all major muscle groups and improves posture. The result is a recognizable “Bar Method body” featuring sculpted arms, flat abs, a lifted seat, and elongated thighs.

This work out is pretty expensive so I hope I don't love it. :).


Tonight we may just chill and go see Blue Valentine. I need to make the pasta salad and get some things done around the apartment too. Eek! It will get done. I'm not worried about it.


My meal plan for the day:
Breakfast - Hard boiled egg and an apple
Snack - Cereal Bar
Lunch - Whole wheat wrap with turkey, couscous lefties and applesauce
Snack - TBD
Dinner - TBD

Have an excellent weekend friends!
PK

2011 Resolution - Take Vitamins

Almost through the week...

One of my guy friends has been pushing vitamins on me for years. To be honest, vitamins have never really settled well with me and I give up on them very easily. A few weeks ago, I stopped in at the GNC down the street from my apartment to purchase some vitamins for Monster's stocking. I got to talking to the sales guy there and he totally convinced me to try the GNC Women's Ultra Mega Energy and Metabolism. The bottle sat on my vanity for about 2 weeks untouched and on Monday, I gave it a go. I brought half of the bottle to work with me so I would remember to take one after breakfast. So far so good. It's a simple pill that will do so much! (I am supposed to take 2, but that seems like a lot...)

I am pretty excited about the support these bad boys will give my body.
* 1,600 IU of vitamin D-3
* B-vitamins - essential for energy production and metabolism
* Bone-strengthening nutrients including 500 mg of calcium, magnesium and vitamin D-3* Essential in the development of healthy bones and teeth - may reduce the risk of osteoporosis.
* Calorie Burning Support!! - help support mental focus. Um I need this...
And much much more! Just check out the label on line and you will be amazed.

If you are unsure about which vitamins to take, stop in to GNC or ask Matt Drake (Dragon.) He should be a good source for vitamin knowledge.

Last night the lefties were pretty tasty. I actually had lefties lefties of the pasta to bring to work with me today. This should help me stay full and energized for the run I plan on doing tonight at the gym. I kinda have no interest in getting back into running, but I love the way it makes me feel. I will start slow and do some walk/run intervals. Hopefully by the end of January I can add some mileage and feel good about running again/my legs won't feel like cement blocks.

My meal plan for the day:
Breakfast - Low fat whole wheat english muffin with laughing cow cheese - 4 points. I checked this morning and I was off with my calculations yesterday. Whoops.
Snack - Lowfat babybel cheese round - 2 pts
Lunch - Whole wheat pasta with lean meat sauce and a salad
Snack - Apple with laughing cow - 2 pts
Dinner - I have to see how the run goes. I may do stirfry with brown rice. If my stomach is feeling blah from the run, I may just do soup and toast.

Have a good Thursday! It's finally the end of the week.
PK

Recipes transformed

Happy Tuesday! Today has been a great so far! I started off at the gym with 30 mins of cardio and some arms. I wasn't really feeling the gym when I woke up, but once I got moving it got much better. The first week back is never easy. Sleeping in sounds so much better than getting up, taking the bus, walking to the gym... you get it. Also, today was much busier than Monday morning. They need to update that locker room. The little area where I was getting dressed was jam packed. Two girls were talking and one was just getting to the gym. Ug, there is just not a lot of room to chit chat in the locker room people! Haha.

The real reason today has been great is that I have a new follower (thanks K Smith!) and my boy Hunter has started a blog!! Check him out at http://hunter-confidenceisthenewblack.blogspot.com/. Confidence is the New Black. What a name!!!

Rewind to last night at dinner. I made bacon risotto, chicken caeser salad and got some delicious multi-grain bread that I popped in the oven for about 10 minutes so it was piping hot! It was a very random dinner, but extremely tasty!

I am going to now include more recipes on my blog, so if you are interested in the risotto, here is the recipe.
Bacon Risotto
Ingredients
1/2 pound bacon, diced - I used turkey bacon to make it healthier
5 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese - I just sprinkled this on, didn't use a full 1/4 cup.
salt and black pepper to taste
Directions
1.Cook and stir the diced bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until browned, about 10 minutes. Drain the bacon and reserve.
2.Bring the chicken stock to a boil in a saucepan over high heat; reduce heat to low to keep the chicken stock hot.
3.Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic; cook and stir until the onion begins to turn golden brown at the edges, about 2 minutes. Pour in the rice and stir until the rice is coated in butter and has started to toast, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium; stir in one-third of the hot chicken stock and continue stirring until the rice has absorbed the liquid and turned creamy. Repeat this process twice more, stirring constantly. Stirring in the broth should take 15 to 20 minutes in all. When finished, the rice should be tender, yet slightly firm.
4.Remove the risotto from the heat and stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, the Parmesan cheese, and the reserved bacon. Season to taste with salt and pepper before serving.

Very easy recipe, so try it out! Risotto is one of my faves! I always am tempted to order it when I see it on the menu at a restaurant. The only bummer about it, is that when preparing it, you have to commit to standing by the stove and stiring the risotto for about 20 minutes. Luckily Monster was there to assist with setting the table and cleaning a few of the pans.

Also, in other news...I am trying Bar Method on Saturday morning. I have no idea what to expect except that it's expensive so I shouldn't love it and also I won't be able to walk for 2 days. Awesome.

My meal plan for the day:
Pre-gym - Choco drizzle cereal bar from Aldi - 2 pts
Breakfast - Whole wheat english muffin with laughing cow cheese and red grapes - 7 pts
Snack - Babybel light cheese - ?? need to check at home. I left my list there
Lunch - Veggie burger with light bun and ff cheese, carrots and maybe an apple with laughing cow (mildy obsessed)
Snack - TBD. I may have the snow pea pods or a peanut butter choco chip granola bar
Dinner - Lefties! We have 2 options...dinner from Monday or dinner for Tuesday.

Hope your day is going well! Stay warm!
PK

P.S. I am going to start adding images to my blog. It's 2011 ya'll. Let's get techy.

Happy New Year!!

Mucho Aloha! Gosh, I can't believe how fast that break went. I hope all of your holiday celebrations were delightful! Mine was filled with family, friends, gifts, celebrations, booze and food...lots of it. I can't exactly say I did great while I was on my break, but the good thing is that I am back on track!!

I actually jump started the diet on Sunday. It was a lazy day after drinking for basically 2 days straight. I went through my cabinets and fridge and got rid of the junk I had. I also updated my journal with the new points calculations. I need to make sure I really pay attention to the points and writing them down. I was extremely inspired after reading the People Magazine, "Half Their Size" article. Wowza. These peeps look awesome!! It's crazy how much weight they have all lost. More importantly they are much healthier now. I teared up reading the article this am. Oy.

This morning I skipped the gym. I know it's not the best thing to do when you are jump starting the diet again, but I slept miserable on Sunday night and poorly again last night. I didn't so much sleep in though. I decided to get into work early and work on a big presentation due. Luckily this presentation just got pushed back, so now we can work on it and the pace that makes sense.

My meal plan for the day:
Breakfast - Soy sausage and 1 hard boiled egg
Snack - nada
Lunch - Leftovers that Monster made last night. Whole wheat pasta with lean meat sauce. I also had some carrots and applesauce. It's so nice now that veggies are 0 points!!
Snack - TBD. I have some snow pea pods that I may snack on. Not hungry though, so we will see.
Dinner - Stirfry? To be honest, I thought I would be working until midnight so I didn't think about what I would eat at home. I have a T. Joe veggie burger at home too so I may do that.

I will be hitting the gym tomorrow for a good 30 mins of cardio and some weights.

It's nice to be back on track!
PK