Weekend Plus - A Recap

I turned into a bit of a slacker late last week and this weekend. I kept telling myself I would post Friday, then Saturday. Then I figured I might as well wait until Monday. So hang on...here we go!

Day two of the conference I knew better and brought my lunch from how so I would have it if/when sent back to the office. Before I left though I met a couple of our presenters - Luis & Roberto Hernandez - winners of Biggest Loser (season 17). They were super nice and I learned they attended my alma mater (a bit after me though). Truth is I didn't watch their season, but wanted to share in case there were any fans out there and who knows when I will have another brush with celebrity, right?

My husband has inspired a new snack...apples with peanut butter. He likes PB2, but I'd rather have less of "real" peanut butter. He also got me started on adding a bit of cinnamon to the peanut butter. It is amazing how a pinch of cinnamon can take a snack up a level of tastiness. Maybe it connects it to all those baked goods that use cinnamon. Cinnamon is my secret ingredient in chocolate chips cookies...but don't tell anyone.

Wednesday's workout was a core workout. Several of the exercises were ones I'd done previously, but there were a couple of new ones. This one was targeting the obliques. I held a 25 pound weight and did side bends. The weight was heavy but the motion felt pretty good.

Another exercise was a lower back raise. It involved me leaning over the arm of our couch. Pictures were taken, but they were clearly NSFA (Not Safe For Anywhere)!

Thursday I worked half a day. I wanted to make my sister from decadent birthday cookies - Easy S'more Cookies from Cookie Rookie. It was a bit of a challenge. You start with a basic chocolate chip cookie. Actually, the recipe calls for the prepared refrigerated dough, but I used my go-to recipe. For some reason my cookies didn't turn out like normal, which made slightly uglier bases than I wanted. The next step was to top the cookies with mini-marshmallows and toast under the broiler. As you can see toasting was a bit uneven. Then you dip cookie halfway in melted chocolate and sprinkle with graham cracker crumbs. I admit mine aren't nearly as pretty as the originals, but they were delicious. I only kept a couple for myself and gave the rest to my sister.

Turns out, I got involved in the baking, and didn't do that day's workout. I am making it up this weekend - I promise.  ***Update - I lied. Sorry :( 

Dinner was simply a steak and grilled asparagus. I sprinkled the steak with a bit of chopped basil - it was a very nice flavor.

Friday night I had a strength training workout. My trainer asked if I wanted him to do the exercises with me. Of course, I said yes. I suggested a few ways we could make it a "couple's workout". We did the Romanian Dead Lifts (one leg) while holding hands (the ones not holding the weights!)  Usually, I have him stand next to me in case I lose my balance. By holding hands we were able to counter-balance each other. I, also, found something that makes squats a bit more tolerable. We stood face to face and palms together and did synchronized squats while gazing into each other's eyes. Okay, it might have been more like a stare down. It was as close as I was getting to a date night, so I took advantage :)

After my husband went to bed, I had a small derailment. There were leftover chocolate chips in the house and remember those Lime & Sea Salt chips I bought and was saving for an occasion to share...well...  First, there was some salty, then I wanted sweet, then back to salty...you get the idea. I wish I could say I stopped myself sooner, but when my tummy started to ache a bit I did throw both kinds of chips into the trash. Not just in their packages, but I actually dumped the packages out into the trash can. It had to be done.

Last Saturday I didn't make it to the farmers' market, so I was determined to make it this weekend. In fact, I went to two different ones. Both markets have more than produce. I am enthralled with this booth. The lady makes the most incredible stuffed toys.  I wouldn't even know where to begin to choose!!!

Maybe this guy...until my husband said he looks like a big roach that needs to be squished. I still don't see it.

Another booth was a gardener who sells plants (iris and daylilies). She brings a sample of the flowers and you can order plants that she will bring to the market in the coming weeks. When I was in my 20s my mom was very into daylilies and I got sucked into loving them too. Unfortunately, most of mine have quit flowering. I am pretty sure they need to be divided and saved from the weeds I am having trouble fighting the last couple of years.

 Again, I don't know how I could choose.

A display of cards created by a local photographer. I've made many cards with my photos. Most were given as gifts. I have thought about selling some.

I loved this booth of signs.

My farmers' market purchases included some favorites and a couple of new items. I've never had kohlrabi - the seller suggested eating it raw. The cherries are sour, but I am planning to use some in smoothies. I was surprised to see blueberries ripe already...they are so good!

Millie got a bone from the market. A booth that sold beef had a big box of bones for a dollar each. She was a very happy puppy.

I steamed some of the green and yellow beans together - aren't they pretty. I wrapped a chicken sausage in a corn tortilla and added half an apple to the plate. It was a tasty lunch, but ended up not being as filling as I would have liked.

For dinner, I decided to make a veggie lasagna that would double as some lunch prep for next week. My version was based on this Skinny Veggie Lasagna from Pinch of Yum. I used more sauce (an extra cup) and more veggies (close to twice as much) than the recipe instructed. My veggies were onion, broccoli, peppers, zucchini and mushrooms.  I also used kale instead of spinach in the ricotta mixture.

The ricotta mixture was not enough to make an even layer, but it was definitely enough to taste in the finished lasagna.

 It smelled so good when it came out of the oven, my mouth was watering.

I cut it in 8 portions instead of 9 like the recipe. I recalculated the calories because the recipe seemed a little low. My portions came out to about 250 -  not including the veggies. I wasn't exactly sure how much I put in, but I can't imagine it was more than 50 calories per serving.  I was very happy how this recipe turned out and I would definitely make it again. I am looking forward to the leftovers.

You may be relieved to know I am not eating my sweet potato hash everyday. How could I with these beautiful blueberries to put on oatmeal?  They are so delicious. I only have one serving left though to get me through to next market day :(

Sunday was all about a family get together to celebrate my husband's grandma's 95th birthday.  My mother-in-law asked me to make the chicken/veggie kabobs I made a few weeks ago. But since we had to grill them at home and then take the food to the farm (about 20 minutes away) I was concerned they wouldn't hold and would dry out. So I went a slightly different direction. I bought chicken drumsticks for 69 cents a pound (can't beat that) and brined them using this Tyler Florence recipe. Drumsticks are like natural kebabs, right?

I grilled the chciken using my own barbecue sauce....well, a mix of Kraft and Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauces. We grilled the veggies in our new grill basket. 

There isn't much that looks better than BBQ hot off the grill - even that slight charred piece!

I was very pleased with how the veggies turned out too. We had a combo of green and yellow summer squash, red/yellow peppers, red onion and mushrooms.

To transport I put everything into a big crockpot. Miraculously, everyone was on time and the food stayed nice and hot. When we got to the farm we turned the crockpot on warm, just to keep it hot during serving. 

I was a bit nervous how it would turn out. I am sure we will be doing this again :)

What tricks do you have for transporting food?

I am looking forward to a good week....what are your plans?

Is This a Bake Sale?

What a difference a day makes.  This morning was almost 20 degrees cooler than yesterday morning. So much better for walking. I actually was a bit cold the first mile...had to walk faster to warm up :)

Saw this scary viper on the street.  Upon further inspection I was able to identify it as the relatively harmless Midwestern Rubber Snake.

I hope these skid marks were not absolutely necessary.  People drive a bit nutty through residential areas and hopefully someone's child was not a risk.  My limited knowledge of skid marks makes me think someone pealed out of the turn and squealed their tires. Just a theory.

My husband has signed up for a triathlon in August. So, I think we will be changing up our workout routine a little. Just for fun I am going to "train" with him. I will probably ride my bike for 2-3 miles and then do a 2 mile walk. I would like to do the triathlon too, but I want to do well. In the past, I have considered doing it thinking I would just be happy to finish. Having put some serious effort into my fitness, I don't think I would be satisfied with just finishing.  At this time, I would have to walk the whole run part (4 miles) and I am not sure my buns can handle 12 miles on the bike. Don't even get me started on my swimming :)  I am going to enjoy the "training" process and cheer my husband on at the race. And maybe next year...

Today turned out to be an eating out day for me. We have a new person in our office and we all decided to go out to lunch with her. It was fun. I ended up getting the salad special - Fire Roasted Corn with peppers and onions on lettuce, topped with feta and bacon. It came with a creamy balsamic dressing, but I decided not to use it because the corn salad created a sort of dressing. I ate about half and did my best to estimate calories - I think I was pretty fair.

After work I met my sister at a local evening farmer's market. For the record farmer's markets are starting to look more and more like bake sales.  I tried not to make direct eye contact with all the goodies. But I do love to bake and was very curious about what people were selling. Cookies, quick breads, pies...it all looked good but I resisted.

There were plenty of veggies, but I didn't end up buying any of them either. I am having a bit of a veggie situation at home already ;)  In fact, I had my sister come by the house on her way home to take some tomatoes and cucumbers.

Then for dinner my husband and I went to our favorite Mexican place. He LOVES their Arroz con Pollo. I had actually figured up the calories the last time we went and entered it into MyFitnessPal.  We split an order and got some extra veggies on the side.

I have thought quite a bit about eating out. Since there isn't always a reliable way to calculate the calories of a restaurant dish I need to find another solution. I still want to go out to eat. Sometimes, a girl just doesn't want to cook :)  If my husband and I split a dish that we would have normally eaten ourselves, I am satisfied that I have made a significant improvement.

How do you handle eating out?

Creek Walk

The best part about getting in better shape is days like this.

Started with a fun walk with my sister (3 miles) while my husband and niece ran. Afterwards. my husband and I hit the gym for a little weight lifting.  He does a program that works different muscle groups on different days - today was shoulders. I joined in on some of the exercises.  I at least tried most of them and didn't hate it :)  Tomorrow is his day off weights -whew!

After the workout, my niece and I had a girls' outing to the farmer's market. I had a little birthday money and I have been wanting this tic-tac-toe set for weeks. The pieces are painted rocks - I think the bees and ladybugs are absolutely adorable.

Bugs 'n Bees Tic Tac Toe

I did not buy this homemade soap, but I was certainly intrigued. The lady said she wanted to make a scent for men. I am still not sure I understand. Would men use this or would women use it to lure their men? Either way, I did NOT buy any - although it would have been a low calorie treat :)

I love dayliliesm but most of mine have kind of fizzled. There is a booth that displays so many gorgeous daylilies.  Maybe I should have brought this one home. I thought it was so pretty and was so busy taking its picture I didn't even check the price.

After we returned home from the farmer's market we headed out to my in-laws farm. We started with a nice lunch. I always struggle a bit with meals there because I don't know how everything is made or I don't want to offend by not trying something I think is high in calories. My mother-in-law has been super supportive our efforts though. She even boiled us some chicken breast in addition to the hotdogs she had made. However, I did make myself refuse the brownies and ice cream. I explained that I had splurged on a sundae last night and of course, she understood.

After lunch we took the dogs down to their creek. We played fetch with them for awhile. Then my niece talked us into walking down the creek bed. The water is very low right now so the creek bed has lots of sand for walking, but every 100 feet or so we would have to cross the creek.  My husband, father-in-law and I did not have water shoes on so we were trying to keep our feet dry. We had so much fun finding ways to cross the water without getting wet.

Zommie found a good strategy. I was actually pretty impressed with her - for an old dog she was often leading the charge. This spot was particularly deep by dachshund standards. Millie didn't seem to understand why Zommie was being carried.

We had several precarious crossings to navigate. Thankfully we had good helpers and bridge builders. And I can't doubt that our improved fitness greatly helped our creek journey.  I never felt tired and had a great time.

Maybe I should have been able to jump the rest of the way, but I called for more bridge. I am a chicken.

Days like today help me believe that our hard work is paying off in so many ways. There are adventures out there to be enjoyed and I don't want to miss any more of them. Life is not meant to be lived on the sidelines.

Whew - Busy Weekend!

We live in a great neighborhood and walking/running/biking around it is nice, but the way it is set up we end up doing several loops and it can get a bit boring. On the weekends we have been trying to make our workouts a little more interesting.

Saturday morning we chose the levee.  My husband planned to run 5 miles and I thought it would be fun to take my bike and ride with him while he ran. I made games of riding ahead and then back to him or letting him get ahead and racing to catch up.

I ended up getting very sidetracked by a barge going through the lock. I had never seen that before. It is incredible they can steer that massive barge through the lock. Of course, I was too far away to tell for sure, but it looked like there was only a few feet clearance on both sides of the barge.

Is he going to make it??

No problem!

I had to really move to catch him after I had dillydallied around watching the barge go into the lock.  He was probably a mile ahead of me. I don't think it was possible for my feet to pedal any faster.

Sometimes when you are taking pictures while riding a bike this happens. A couple of times I thought I might go over the edge of the levee down to the road..yikes!  Maybe as dangerous as texting and driving.

I caught him!!  This is actually one of my favorite pictures so far.  Love the lock and barge. Love how strong my husband looks.  Love how I felt riding along with him.

After our workout we came home had breakfast and headed out to the farmer's market. Going to the farmer's market has become one of our favorite activities. We take the dogs and just wander around checking out the new in-season produce. It seems they are just a little ahead of my garden. We bought some of our favorite tomatoes - yellow cherry (Sun Gold).  We grow them in our garden, but they won't be ready a week or two. Seriously, they are like eating candy (without the guilt!)  The farmer's market has more than produce - lots of plants and other crafts.

Daylilies 

I am loving this rings - especially the blue stone in the center and the orange one above it. I am thinking of a goal...one (or two) of these rings will be my reward.

My in-laws live out in the country.  The dogs LOVE to go out there to run and play with their dogs.  Well, Millie loves to run and play.  Zommie more likes to follow my mother-in-law around waiting for treats to "fall."

Millie had a great time chasing sticks in the creek.

Zommie is more of a sit on the beach kind of gal.

Before we left the farm my mother-in-law walked down the road about a 1/4 mile to take some pictures of a beautiful sunflower field.  And of course, I founds some other flowers I couldn't resist taking a few shots of too.

Queen Anne's lace.

In the evening, I went with my sister, mom, nieces and a friend to see Tarzan (musical).  It was a good production.  Before the show we had a picnic in the park.  We call it our French picnic - bread, cheese, fruit, pastry, sparkling grape juice.  It was so good.  I stayed in calories but it was hard...love, love, love, bread and cheese!! In unrestricted eating I can only imagine how many calories I would have eaten!

Sunday morning I lazed in bed while my husband went running. He left about 6 a.m. I should have gone, but I was so tired after not getting to bed until midnight. I am trying to find balance. If I am working out everyday I think it is okay to take a day off. I just fear falling off the wagon...first one day, then another, etc.

When my husband came back from his run he made breakfast and brought it to me in bed...awww!  He made me an over easy egg on toast and some apple slices. One of the best breakfasts ever!  He has definitely paying attention to how many calories I like to use for breakfast and hit it perfectly.

By the time I'd had breakfast it was almost 9 a.m. and I realized I wanted to do something.  I just didn't want to lay around like a slug :)  I suggested taking the bikes to one of the many bike trails. We chose another part of the trail that goes on the levee. This particular part actually had limited river view. We rode south a couple miles then back to the start...then north for a couple miles and back to the start. Let me just say the final two miles was ridiculous - a head wind came up.  I couldn't believe the difference it made going into the wind. I could not wait to be finished. We ended up having ridden 9 miles...and my hiney survived!

This part of the bike path needs a little work.I didn't really like riding under all those power lines...you could hear them sizzle.

We are not going downhill - just the crazy angles of a biking photographer.

I would have liked to show you a picture of me on the bike.  I had my husband take a couple.  But oh my, I did NOT like the way I looked on that bike. I will keep those pictures for the dramatic before/after post. I did have him take this picture of me standing by the canal. You get the idea of my shape without my feeling mortified at the thought of it being on the internet forever.

And a lovely rear view :)  After the bike ride I was debating going into this fountain.  I chickened out.  I didn't realize I was being photographed so this is authentic as it gets.

It was a wonderful weekend filled with fun activities and good food...and no guilt :)