Today was one of those days when I was glad I don't work full-time. Sometimes I moan over the small paycheck, but today I got to do what I wanted.
I attended my first ever Body Pump class at 7am. I was very nervous going in - I have never done a group class before besides yoga. The class was small, only three of us all told. The instructor made a point to find out what kind of weightlifting experience I had and watched my form throughout the program. I really enjoyed the class. I thought my legs were going to collapse at one point, but I made it! I bought a Groupon for ten classes and I will definitely be going back.
I did do some work today, but didn't have to go into the office. This enabled me to make what I really wanted for dinner - pulled pork. There is a 7 lb pork shoulder in the oven right now and I can't wait to eat!
In celebration of my afternoon off, I decided to watch a movie. I wanted a throwback, so I picked Jaws! I always forget how scary it is. I managed not to shriek, but I did jump a time or two.
I hope you get to do what you want this weekend!
Friday, January 28, 2011
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Back on track
This week I feel like I'm getting back on track. Last week I was sick, so I didn't really work out besides skiing once. I'm getting back into my workout schedule and even signed up for a Body Pump class on Friday. Yay for Groupon!
I also got back into my cooking groove this week. I made Angharad's Whole Wheat Molasses Bread.
I followed her recipe, but had to add another 1/2 cup of yogurt and about 2 Tbs of milk. My dough was too dry to start. I baked my for 1 hour and 20 minutes to get this deliciousness.
For dinner, I made Moroccan Lamb Stew from Everyday with Rachael Ray. Super simple dinner. Brown ground lamb. Remove, brown an onion, add cumin and cinnamon. Add a can of tomatoes, a can of chickpeas, and some water, bring to a boil. Add lamb back in and stir in some fresh parsley. Served over couscous.
Sorry the pictures are so yellow. They were taken on my iPhone with poor lighting.
Ending the post with what I wore yesterday. My boss brought this scarf back from India for me. I felt quite sassy. :)
Have a wonderful day, my lovelies!
I also got back into my cooking groove this week. I made Angharad's Whole Wheat Molasses Bread.
I followed her recipe, but had to add another 1/2 cup of yogurt and about 2 Tbs of milk. My dough was too dry to start. I baked my for 1 hour and 20 minutes to get this deliciousness.
For dinner, I made Moroccan Lamb Stew from Everyday with Rachael Ray. Super simple dinner. Brown ground lamb. Remove, brown an onion, add cumin and cinnamon. Add a can of tomatoes, a can of chickpeas, and some water, bring to a boil. Add lamb back in and stir in some fresh parsley. Served over couscous.
Sorry the pictures are so yellow. They were taken on my iPhone with poor lighting.Ending the post with what I wore yesterday. My boss brought this scarf back from India for me. I felt quite sassy. :)
Have a wonderful day, my lovelies!
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Meet Big Blue
The laptop drought is finally over! On 1/13, I ordered a Lenovo from Office Depot. Delivery scheduled for 1/20. Still no laptop by 1/22 (Saturday). I call to check the status and am told "Oh, it's showing it shipped. We'll call Monday with further news." Monday comes and I get this call "Yeah, that Lenovo is back-ordered indefinitely."
Moral of the story, customer service will lie to you. I canceled my order and was determined to walk out of a store with a new computer that night.
I walked into Best Buy and pointed at this computer (previous second choice) and said "I want this one." Agent explains there are no more in stock in the state. "Fine, I'll take the floor model." Strange man tells me he admires my decisiveness. Agent tells me I get $55 off. I get distracted by the giant Bernese Mountain Dog wandering the store but make the purchase.
Meet Big Blue!
I am so excited to have a working laptop! It even has Word on it and a working version of iTunes! Yes, my last laptop had been on its last legs for awhile.
Hopefully, this will lead to better updating and better blogging. ;)
Moral of the story, customer service will lie to you. I canceled my order and was determined to walk out of a store with a new computer that night.
I walked into Best Buy and pointed at this computer (previous second choice) and said "I want this one." Agent explains there are no more in stock in the state. "Fine, I'll take the floor model." Strange man tells me he admires my decisiveness. Agent tells me I get $55 off. I get distracted by the giant Bernese Mountain Dog wandering the store but make the purchase.
Meet Big Blue!
I am so excited to have a working laptop! It even has Word on it and a working version of iTunes! Yes, my last laptop had been on its last legs for awhile. Hopefully, this will lead to better updating and better blogging. ;)
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Back in the swing
Turns out it is not easy to keep up a blog when you are without a computer. My new lappy should arrive today or tomorrow.
Quick recap: Last week was good. Jake took Friday off for my birthday and we headed out to Breck to ski. I had a great day on the mountain and felt very confident. Then we grabbed Thai for dinner and saw the Green Hornet. I'd definitely recommend the Green Hornet. It's a comic-book type movie without all the angst those movies have deemed fit to add in. Stuff gets blown up, judo chops are thrown, and laughs are had. Two thumbs up!
Saturday, my hormones were completely out of whack. I burst into tears in the car because I didn't get any birthday cake - crazy!girl! right? Luckily, that didn't last for long.
I didn't cook much last week because we had lots of plans and gatherings to attend. This week, I've gotten back on track. First, I made Jenna's Chicken Parm With a Twist. Make this soon. Very good, but it does create a bit of a mess in the kitchen.
Last night, I made beef stroganoff. Recipe from Cook This, Not That.
1/2T canola oil
12 oz mushrooms, stems removed and caps halved (I used a package of 16 oz)
1 lb sirloin, cut into thin strips (next time I would trim a bit more of the fat off of the steak)
Salt and pepper
1 yellow onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T flour
3/4 cup red wine
1/2 cup beef stock (I used 3/4 c)
1 T tomato paste
1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
Heat oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes or until softened and caramelized. Remove to a plate.
Season the beef with salt and pepper. Add the beef to the same pan and cook for 5 minutes or until well-browned. Add to the mushroom plate.
Add the onion and garlic to the pan, cook until translucent (8ish minutes). Stir in the flour until it evenly coats the vegetables. Cook for one minute. Stir in the wine, stock and tomato paste. Scrape the pan to get all the good brown bits up. Turn the heat to low and simmer for 12 minutes until the liquid thickens and reduces by half (I kept it at medium high and it reduced in about 6 minutes).
Return the mushrooms and beef to the pan and heat through, then remove the pan from heat. Allow it to cool slightly (30 seconds) and stir in the yogurt.
I served it over butter noodles. This was such a comforting dish. The boy and I are both fighting off colds, so this hit the spot.
Enjoy!
Fingers crossed my computer gets here soon!
Quick recap: Last week was good. Jake took Friday off for my birthday and we headed out to Breck to ski. I had a great day on the mountain and felt very confident. Then we grabbed Thai for dinner and saw the Green Hornet. I'd definitely recommend the Green Hornet. It's a comic-book type movie without all the angst those movies have deemed fit to add in. Stuff gets blown up, judo chops are thrown, and laughs are had. Two thumbs up!
Saturday, my hormones were completely out of whack. I burst into tears in the car because I didn't get any birthday cake - crazy!girl! right? Luckily, that didn't last for long.
I didn't cook much last week because we had lots of plans and gatherings to attend. This week, I've gotten back on track. First, I made Jenna's Chicken Parm With a Twist. Make this soon. Very good, but it does create a bit of a mess in the kitchen.
Last night, I made beef stroganoff. Recipe from Cook This, Not That.
1/2T canola oil
12 oz mushrooms, stems removed and caps halved (I used a package of 16 oz)
1 lb sirloin, cut into thin strips (next time I would trim a bit more of the fat off of the steak)
Salt and pepper
1 yellow onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T flour
3/4 cup red wine
1/2 cup beef stock (I used 3/4 c)
1 T tomato paste
1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
Heat oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes or until softened and caramelized. Remove to a plate.
Season the beef with salt and pepper. Add the beef to the same pan and cook for 5 minutes or until well-browned. Add to the mushroom plate.
Add the onion and garlic to the pan, cook until translucent (8ish minutes). Stir in the flour until it evenly coats the vegetables. Cook for one minute. Stir in the wine, stock and tomato paste. Scrape the pan to get all the good brown bits up. Turn the heat to low and simmer for 12 minutes until the liquid thickens and reduces by half (I kept it at medium high and it reduced in about 6 minutes).
Return the mushrooms and beef to the pan and heat through, then remove the pan from heat. Allow it to cool slightly (30 seconds) and stir in the yogurt.
I served it over butter noodles. This was such a comforting dish. The boy and I are both fighting off colds, so this hit the spot.
Enjoy!
Fingers crossed my computer gets here soon!
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Critical Error
Wah Wah. Lappy had a major breakdown last night. I keep getting an error message that says "Critical Error: no hard disk space available." Then this "fixer" started up and told me there were six problems to fix, only I had to upgrade to its paid service to do so. Pretty sure that's a scam, as it isn't connected to my anti-virus...
I can't be too mad. Lappy is 4.5 years old. I got her summer before law school. She's served me well. She broke around this time last year, but I was able to reboot/reinstall/redo everything and get her back. Still, she hasn't worked 100% since then. I blame the Korean websites where I would watch tv.
Thankfully, between Christmas and birthday money, I should have enough to cover another major purchase. (First one was a new timing belt for my car. Being an adult is awesome!
Anybody have suggestions for computers?
I can't be too mad. Lappy is 4.5 years old. I got her summer before law school. She's served me well. She broke around this time last year, but I was able to reboot/reinstall/redo everything and get her back. Still, she hasn't worked 100% since then. I blame the Korean websites where I would watch tv.
Thankfully, between Christmas and birthday money, I should have enough to cover another major purchase. (First one was a new timing belt for my car. Being an adult is awesome!
Anybody have suggestions for computers?
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Happy 2011!
Happy 2011, my lovelies!
I hope you all had a fun and safe New Year.
I'm jumping on the resolution bandwagon a little late, but I think they still count.
In no particular order:
1) Get married in August without turning into a bridezilla. I'm pretty laid back about the whole thing, but others in the family are not. I need to work on my patience with the endless planning questions.
2) Lose weight/tone up! I want to look and feel my best for my wedding (and life in general). In order to accomplish this goal, I have several mini-goals.
2a) Get back to running at least 3 times a week. I got a little sloppy and lazy with working out over the past month and need to get back into it.
2b) Run some more races! The Komen 5k really motivated me in my running. I'd like to do another 5k (hopefully in less than 32 minutes) and maybe even a 10k.
2c) Return to my weights. I want to weight train three days a week.
2d) Go deeper into yoga. I do yoga occasionally and always enjoy it. I will try to do it at least 2x a week. I'd also like to try taking a class at a studio - it's been years since I've do that.
3) Make flossing a habit. Right now, I floss sporadically. I want it to become part of my nighttime routine.
4) Take another skiing lesson. Last season, we skied almost every weekend. I would like to take another lesson to work on moguls and trees. I've been very wussy about that since this season started. Time to man up!
5) Blog more frequently. I enjoyed the November challenge and want to get back into my blogging groove. Two posts in one day is a good start!
6) Continue growing my relationship with Jake. Every relationship takes care and work. I am so delighted and thrilled to be marrying my best friend in August. :)
I hope you all had a fun and safe New Year.
I'm jumping on the resolution bandwagon a little late, but I think they still count.
In no particular order:
1) Get married in August without turning into a bridezilla. I'm pretty laid back about the whole thing, but others in the family are not. I need to work on my patience with the endless planning questions.
2) Lose weight/tone up! I want to look and feel my best for my wedding (and life in general). In order to accomplish this goal, I have several mini-goals.
2a) Get back to running at least 3 times a week. I got a little sloppy and lazy with working out over the past month and need to get back into it.
2b) Run some more races! The Komen 5k really motivated me in my running. I'd like to do another 5k (hopefully in less than 32 minutes) and maybe even a 10k.
2c) Return to my weights. I want to weight train three days a week.
2d) Go deeper into yoga. I do yoga occasionally and always enjoy it. I will try to do it at least 2x a week. I'd also like to try taking a class at a studio - it's been years since I've do that.
3) Make flossing a habit. Right now, I floss sporadically. I want it to become part of my nighttime routine.
4) Take another skiing lesson. Last season, we skied almost every weekend. I would like to take another lesson to work on moguls and trees. I've been very wussy about that since this season started. Time to man up!
5) Blog more frequently. I enjoyed the November challenge and want to get back into my blogging groove. Two posts in one day is a good start!
6) Continue growing my relationship with Jake. Every relationship takes care and work. I am so delighted and thrilled to be marrying my best friend in August. :)
2010 Christmas Recap
Hello lovelies!
I was a bad blogger and didn't post for too long. I had a wonderful vacation with Jake's family in Minnesota and my family in Atlanta.
We arrived in Minnesota after the state had just received a crazy amount of snow. Can you tell the snow drift is above my knees?
We got to spend lots of time with Jake's extended family, but also saved some time to play.
This little two-seat is Jake's dad's plane.
I went for a ride as co-pilot. I was given strict instructions not to touch anything!
That great stretch of white is the lake.
On Sunday, I left Minnesota for home. I somehow misplaced a lot of those photos.
Mom, Grandmere, Tia, and I saw Mannheim Steamroller perform at the Fox. They were incredible. You could tell the musicians were having a blast and the music was incredible! Great gift from Mom.
For the Notre Dame Bowl, Dad and I watched with his good friend, a double Domer. For the three of us, this is the amount of snacks Dad thought was necessary. :)
Cheese platter, trio of hummus, carrots, celery, pita chips, spinach dip, ranch dip, veggie fries and a cookie platter. :)
Notre Dame played really well and beat Miami! Go team!
As my early birthday gift, my parents got me an iPhone! I've been wanting one for awhile. My old Razr was starting to drop calls.
I feel so fancy now.
Billy Bob obviously did not want to be a model while I played with the camera feature.
He's still adorable.
I was a bad blogger and didn't post for too long. I had a wonderful vacation with Jake's family in Minnesota and my family in Atlanta.
We arrived in Minnesota after the state had just received a crazy amount of snow. Can you tell the snow drift is above my knees?
We got to spend lots of time with Jake's extended family, but also saved some time to play.This little two-seat is Jake's dad's plane.
I went for a ride as co-pilot. I was given strict instructions not to touch anything!
That great stretch of white is the lake.
On Sunday, I left Minnesota for home. I somehow misplaced a lot of those photos.
Mom, Grandmere, Tia, and I saw Mannheim Steamroller perform at the Fox. They were incredible. You could tell the musicians were having a blast and the music was incredible! Great gift from Mom.
For the Notre Dame Bowl, Dad and I watched with his good friend, a double Domer. For the three of us, this is the amount of snacks Dad thought was necessary. :)
Cheese platter, trio of hummus, carrots, celery, pita chips, spinach dip, ranch dip, veggie fries and a cookie platter. :)Notre Dame played really well and beat Miami! Go team!
As my early birthday gift, my parents got me an iPhone! I've been wanting one for awhile. My old Razr was starting to drop calls.
I feel so fancy now.
Billy Bob obviously did not want to be a model while I played with the camera feature.
He's still adorable.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)