Weekend Wrap-up

Hope you had a great weekend! I'm trying to remember that I still have 4 waking hours today and therefore my weekend is not over.  I have had a lot of homework to finish this weekend, meaning that our house has never looked as clean as it does.  I even spent Saturday night dusting and doing laundry- exciting, I know.

Nothing too exciting to report on the food front, but here are a few highlights:

You probably know by now this is butternut squash with ketchup and hot sauce- on a bed of wilted spinach.  I also had a bunch of shrimp, so imagine what those look like.

We got new bread from Alvarado St. Bakery- sold at Costco and is really good and hearty.  This Complete Protein version has 5 grams of protein per slice- a great nutritional value in my book.  I enjoyed it as a venue for my open faced breakfast sandwich with the obligatory hot sauce.

Breakfast/brunch dessert today was one of these:

I made white chocolate covered cheesecake bites (changed the name to make them sound more appealing) and they were haunting me in my kitchen until my husband kindly put me out of my misery and finished them off.  I also tore my way through these almonds straight from the container while I did homework:

I got in some cooking, starting with this baked Mac n' Cheese:

I used this box for the noodle portion:

This was a sample I got months ago from Fiber Gourmet and each serving has 18 grams of fiber.  Mike has sampled some of their other products and has been fine with them, so maybe I'll give this one a try and see what happens.  I'm not a huge fan of baked cheese dishes, but I tried a bit and it was pretty good.  I didn't measure and don't have a recipe for you, but other ingredients included:

• Browned turkey breast
• Frozen veggies
• Pepper
• Chili powder
• Cumin
• Cilantro
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Panko bread crumbs for crunch
  

In other cooking adventures, I got an enormous bag of Brussels sprouts at Costco for $3 and roasted them with salt, pepper, lime juice and olive oil

I also used up the rest of my mini pears and roasted them with vanilla extract, cinnamon, and cocoa powder- the powder from the gods.

We went on a 90 minute bike ride and it was nice to run over the crunchy leaves and enjoy the brisk air and to get off my bootay for the first time in several hours.  We come home hungry and ready for dinner! My posting may be particularly cloudy because of the generous glass my husband so kindly poured me:

His dinner (more than half-eaten):

(Baked mac n' cheese, brussels sprouts, baby roasted potatoes)

Her dinner:

(Gigantic salad with romaine, roasted pears, brussels sprouts, cucumbers, sweet chili sauce, and lots of hummus double-dipping)

For Both of Us:

(Costco's Roasted Red Pepper, Pesto, and Original Hummus)

I also tried a new yogurt- TJ's Pomegranate Greek:

I tried it plain at first, but my taste buds were acting up so I added cocoa powder and carob chips.  I wussied out from finishing the whole thing because I got too distracted by my wine- still half full and staring at me.  My stomach also feels like it may explode, so that means that I've had enough.  I'm thinking the yogurt will be converted into a morning protein cookie!
It's gonna be a rough week and my papers won't write themselves!  I just hope my professor appreciates my witty wine logic as much as my reader(s) do!

I'll see ya in the morning!

Trains, Bowling Shoes, and Pie

Last night was just as great as I thought it would be.  Sometimes there is nothing better than spending time with great friends and great family and that is just what I did.  I have been looking forward to trying the restaurant we went to last night and it did not disappoint!  We went to

Maria Maria and it was a really fun experience.  Here is the description from the website:

Maria Maria La Cantina is a creative collaboration between music legend Carlos Santana and Chef Roberto Santibañez. Named for Santana’s GRAMMY winning song “Maria Maria,” the restaurants’ look, sound and feel are inspired by the passion and spirit of the music of Santana. Carlos’ contributions also include selecting artwork and memorabilia to enhance the décor. The menu has been created so every guest will savor contemporary, freshly prepared Mexican cuisine as it was meant to be enjoyed. Carlos Santana and Maria Maria’s dedication extends to the commitment to provide its family of employees with a respectful and healthy work environment. Carlos is also honored to work with Maria Maria on efforts serving his non-profit organization, The Milagro Foundation, which supports children in the areas of health, education and the arts.

I'm a huge fan of Carlos Santana from way back in the day and I love his many humanitarian efforts, particularly all that he has done to help kids in the Bay Area, where he has lived for many years.  The restaurant really does Mexican food in a new way- both in presentation and taste.

When we got to the restaurant, our hosts had already ordered some delicious appetizers:

Guacamole- 'nuff said

Baked Cheese- House cheese blend baked with a roasted tomato-habanero-chipolte sauce, topped with mushrooms

Coconut Ceviche- Citrus marinated snapper tossed with diced bell peppers, scallions, cilantro and coconut habanero sauce

Crispy Chicken Flautas- Crispy corn tortillas filled with shredded chicken topped with crema and cotija cheese served with fresh tomatillo and roasted tomatillo salsas

I didn't get any photos of the apps, but they were all great, especially the ceviche!  I did get some coloring time in with one of my dates for the evening

My other date ordered a delicious margarita- I promptly licked off all the salt, took a sip, and stole his lime.  It was my Spring Break-style shot of the night.

For the main entree, Mike and I shared the chicken fajitas:

Grilled marinated chicken with red onions, roasted poblanos, topped with cotija cheese and cilantro. Served with chipotle cream sauce and warm flour tortillas.

I loved the presentation in the hot pan and the taste was really unique and almost tangy.  While we ate, I also took pictures of my mom and dad:

And Ben and I made a french fry choo choo train.  It was really complicated and involved a lot of engineering, but we figured it out.  The little one wouldn't share any with me, but did give the hubby the smallest, burnt one.  Consider that a true act of kindness.

When it was time to order dessert, I passed, but only because I knew there was something I could taste and scrounge for and my sister-in-law kindly offered me some.

This lime pie was exceptional.  Amazing, really.  I don't know what the pink sauce was, but it was good!

Traditional Mexican lime pie topped with vanilla whipped cream and candied pecans

After completing the exercise portion of our meal (running around with Ben) we headed off to bowling!

The birthday girl was excited about her bowling shoes and cupcakes and the presents we got her.

My husband was equally excited.

We had a great time disco bowling.  I don't do any sports because I have no coordination and it showed.  Thank goodness we weren't really serious about the score because only one other person did worse than me.  I guess I'll stick to individual sports (i.e. the gym).

I just got some work-work done and a little bit of school work in.  We are headed to the gym, Costco, Macy's and the sports store. 

What do you have going on this weekend?

Party Like a Rockstar

I'm so excited it's Friday!  Thanks for all the sweet birthday wishes yesterday for my SIL and for reading my humble little ramblings! 
Yesterday I did a Zumba class and nearly got body slammed by a large man who was doing his thang.  He clearly was feeling it, so I let him get his groove on and got my cardio on in a reduced space- it worked out for both of us.
When I came home I trashed my kitchen repeatedly making lunch, white chocolate- covered cheesecake balls (I'm holding back on any kind of a tasteless joke here), and these cupcakes:

They are for my best friend who asked for 'pink and sparkley' when I asked what she wants for her birthday.  This was my best crack at it!

I did it ghetto style and used the foil and white wrappers and alternated between them so that it looks intentional.

For decorations, I used Jelly Belly Champagne Bubbles left over from my wedding's candy bar.  I ordered something like 10 pounds of them, and while they look good and were delicious, there is only so much candy people can eat!  Good thing they were packaged so I could take them home!

Here they are in action

I decorated the rest with T's for her name and lots of sprinkles to fulfill the sparkley component.  This is also what I like to call a Baker's Dozen- 11 so that I could sample one.

And added candy necklaces to complete the diabetic coma effect

What you don't see is that they are packed in a classy Rockstar box for easy travel later tonight. We used to consume so many of these energy drinks when we were together in our party days, so hopefully it puts a smile on her face!

I used TJ's Vanilla Cake and Baking Mix and substituted 1 cup of nonfat plain yogurt and 1/2 cup of pumpkin puree for extra moisture and because I refuse to follow a recipe.  They turned out really well and I hope my audience doesn't notice the difference!

We are going to party like rockstars tonight- first Mexican food for my SIL and then disco bowling with the cupcake princess.  What do you have planned?

Holy Mole

Hi Ya'll!  I hope you are ready for a killer Thursday!  We're almost done for the week!

I've decided that I will have to perfect my chili recipe until I release it to the public.  It was a little thicker than I planned.  Here it is in case you are interested:

I went to the gym last night and ran an easy 2 miles @ 11 minutes per mile and did some uphill walking for kicks.  I am enjoying some of this tea and brought it to work with me:

It's new to me, and from the Mother Ship.  I love the jasmine flavor/scent.  It makes me feel like I'm walking through a fairy forest, or what that would be like if I could.  Plus, it was only $2- score!

For lunch, I'm bringing one of my new soups!  The lovely folks at Campbell's  sent me this cool package and I will do a full review later.

Along with the soup I'm also having some of my mole-inspired butternut squash:

It's just squash with chili powder, cinnamon, and um...unsweetened cocoa. I think I have finally found a way to incorporate chocolate into every meal.  I feel a new blogger challenge coming.

I used the adorable unsweetened cocoa powder above.

Finally, I want to wish my beautiful sister-in-law a Happy 25th Birthday!  

She's been such a great support system for me and I have known her since I was 16, likely embarassing myself many times in front of her and she still talks to me!  She is an amazing mom to little Ben and I'm so glad to have her as a big part of our crazy family!  Happy Birthday Tania!

Full Disclosure

I bet you can't guess where I spent nearly 2 hours of my life today.  Any guesses?  Yep Best Buy.  There was a cell phone incident, a few runs to the car, several emails, and death threats all within that time span.  I don't deal well with stress and being told 'no'.

I started off my morning with a breakfast of champions

Orowheat thins with 2 smashed mini quiches- prepared with extra veggies.

Along my travels I also tried two blog cult foods

I still don't think I like the vinegar water, but this one tasted kinda like beer so I went with it and also embraced the buzz.  This may be the reason I bought these hair products.  Oh, how I love hair products:

I came home to have some of my chili (recipe coming tonight) and some pumkin pie:

• 1/2 cup Trader Joe's Organic Pumpkin Puree
• 1 tsp TJ's pumpkin butter
• A few carob chips
• sprinkle of TJ's Nonfat Blueberry Granola

To be consistent with the FTC guidelines on disclosing free food, I purchased all of the food above, but am a walking Trader Joe's commercial.  I'm off to class to learn and stuff.

I'll be back with a recipe or other nonsense late tonight!

Fall Meals

Tonight we came home with a mission to get out of the house ASAP!  We went to Best Buy to play with the toys they have and it's my favorite kind of trip- a walking excursion!  First we had another edition of 10 minute meals.  Sitting at this little bar area is a huge upgrade from standing while eating....if only his mom knew.  (HI if you're reading!)

This blurry mid-action shop is ground turkey stirfry with soba noodles, mixed veggies, lots of dill, lemon, and peanut sauce.  Of course there are olives for garnish because we are klassy.

For my dinner, I decided to mix up the infamous pumpkin butter in a savory way.  I'm pretty sure I didn't invent this, but I would like to think I did.  And if it's nasty, then it wasn't me.

Ingredients:

• Orowheat sandwich thin
• ~1 tbsp pumpkin butter
• Lettuce
• Slice of Provolone cheese
• Roasted chicken
• Granny smith apple slices
• Cilantro

Smoosh together and eat!  It's kind of like Thanksgiving, minus the dysfunctional family.

You may be wondering what we bought at Best Buy- the answer is nothing.  We did spend an hour there and I got restless.  I felt like a dude shopping with my girlfriend at the mall.  Except this time there were only TV screens and no shoes

And I was not nearly as excited as this guy.

Do you go shopping with your significant other? Do you like 'boy' stores? 

I don't.  I hate Home Depot and Best Buy.  There- I said it!

Back to Basics

After several weeks of being a little off-track, I'm getting back to basics.  I should add a disclaimer that I am in no way unhealthy, but I have been feeling tired and out of it and it's time to get back to what makes me feel good!  I don't typically post what I eat in a day, but today will be one of those posts!

I started today with some Oats in a Jar- I don't know who started this, but I'll be at your home with a thank you gift tomorrow morning!

Yep, I eat my breakfast in a car, so it's a good thing this one was portable (I do not take photos while driving- I actually never drive, hot stuff does).  I also added some TJ's granola on top for crunch along with half of an apple.

Lunch was enjoyed at work (is that an oxymoron?) at my desk.  I had a big platter of veggies, an apple, and an egg.  That blob is ketchup and mustard because it sounded good.  It sounded better than it tasted.

I had already eaten half of the peppers and I also had an orange after all this.  And I ate about 2 servings of mixed peanuts and almonds- guess I needed that protein.

The hubby and I went to Target after work and I got 2 bags of frozen veggies for $3- score!  I also got a new case for my new boyfriend.

I'm a spoiled brat and my consolation prize for losing a perfectly good phone is a brand new iPhone.  Lesson learned.

We also went to the gym and I took a spinning class and had to peel myself out of the seat- now that's a good class!  Dinner was this:

Stirfry veggies with shrimp and a cold cucumber- nothing special, but not a cheesecake!  I'm enjoying some almonds now and getting ready to shower and watch How I Met Your Mother.

November Back to Basics

Since we are heading into the holidays and cold season, I'm working on doing what I can to stay healthy.  For me this means:

• Getting at least 6 glasses of water a day (the other two glasses include coffee and are non-negotiable)
• Exercise at least 4 times a week and try something new at least once a week
  
• Take a 10 minute break each day at work- outside of the office and preferable walking!
• Get in all my fruit and veggie servings each day

What are you doing to stay healthy this season?