this week the plan

i know it's "humpday" but here is my weekly plan.

according to my marathon training schedule (say shed yule) i should be doing this:

monday: run 40 minutes
tuesday: cross train 40 minutes
wednesday: rest
thursday: run 40 minutes
friday: cross train 40 minutes
saturday: 3-mile run
sunday: rest

since i never listen to what i'm supposed to do (rebellious by nature?) here is my plan:

monday: 5-mile run (about 50 or so minutes), sit-ups and stretches
tuesday: 35-minute swim, 1-hour treadmill walk, sit-ups and stretches
wednesday: 35-minute swim
thursday: 5-mile run, sit-ups and stretches
friday: rest
saturday: 5- or 6-mile run, sit-ups and stretches.

yesterday i swam before work and then did the incline treadmill walk after work. i had nothing else to do! (other than cleaning, etc.) also, i need friday to be a rest day because i am going to see my fav band: depeche mode! woooooooooooopeeeeeeeeee! should be a gay ol' time as the flintstone's theme song used to say. did anyone else watch that everyday at lunch? i always did!

this morning for breakfast i made SPINACH OATS.

do not be alarmed by the following pictures:



i pushed the bloobs over in the second pic so you can truly appreciate the green. here are the ingredients:

1 cup spinach water (made by blending 1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup skim milk and 3 cups of baby spinach)
1/3 cup oats
1/4 cup all bran original
1 T flaxseed
1/2 cup blueberries
1 small container fat free vanilla yogurt
1/2 t vanilla
1 T chopped walnuts
dash cinnamon
small spoonful of natural pb

it's not pretty because it's in my to-go office plastic ware, but it works. it tasted a little weird but i think my walnuts have gone bad or something. i don't even really like walnuts that much. i got them for a baking project and really should throw them down the chute. i am also having a spinach salad for lunch today. it's not easy being green!

HOORAY

i had such a fun time at the blogger saturday dinner meet-up last weekend! it was "so fab" to meet you all - i have to say, everyone was so good looking in person (more so than pictures i mean) ... such awesome clothes, shiny hair, nice jewelry, smiling faces, etc. i have a pic or two to post but haven't uploaded anything yet ... busy weekend!

on friday night i made a terrible-for-your-health, excellent-for-your-taste buds hockey dinner. lackluster chicken wings from a frozen pack (which were too spicy even though they were medium - i am over chicken wings ... bleh ... would not purchase at home again), veggies and pc blue menu pretzel waffles with fat free sour cream french onion dip (made from a powder pack plus 1 cup of the sour cream), and the star of the show, steak quesadillas. i seasoned some flat steak-like beef with a bit of italian seasoning and salt/pepper, quickly pan fried it (no oil, just PAM), then cut it up into little strips. meanwhile i chopped some red onion and grated some monterey jack cheese. i used big tomato basil flavoured tortilla shells, brushed one side with olive oil (oil side down), layered cheese, onions, steak, a bit more cheese and then another tortilla on top (with more brushed oil). i let my bf brush the oil on so he could feel "helpful" ha! i made two and they were SO GOOD - better than any quesadilla i've had in a restaurant. i ate too much but the penguins won so it's all good. the best thing about the whole experience is that now i can spell quesadilla without doing a google search.

on saturday i went for a 6-mile run, and then my bf and i rode our bikes to his house, stopping in a park to play catch with this velcro ball game i have. instead of a baseball glove you have this velcro circle attached to your hand. easy catching! it was so beautiful outside and there was a big street/rummage sale in the park. so much fun!

on sunday there was a street festival right outside my bf's apartment so we walked up and down the street a few times. i didn't buy anything from the vendors but there was the usual corn on the cob, yams, bbq'd meat, ice creams,etc. i did, however, go to cobs bread bakery to buy a fresh loaf of bread. i got the cape seed bread which according to the salesgirl (who was so nice, helpful and informative) is their healthiest loaf. it is made with: Whole Wheat Flour, Water, Sesame Seeds, Whole Flaxseed, Sunflower Seeds, Poppy Seed, Country Grain Mix: [Sesame Seed, Sunflower Seed, Oat Flakes, Flax Seed, Millet, Barley Flakes, Rye Flakes], Wheat Gluten, Yeast, Salt, Malt Flour, Wheat Flour, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Enzymes (Amylase), Calcium Carbonate, L-cysteine. some of those things at the end sound questionable but what can you do - better than a kick in the pants. the bread has seeds on the inside and out, is high fibre and low GI, and is made with NO OIL and NO SUGAR. score. it's so good too. yummy yum yum

this week is going to be CRAZY! here is my schedule:

monday: 2.5 year a versary (not doing anything though because it's monday and we both need time to take care of our own business)
tuesday: no doubt concert
wednesday: photo shoot all day, my actual birthday
thursday: nothing
friday: bf's end of year staff party (have to bring a food dish)
saturday: birthday party
sunday: father's day

now, i tend to get stressed about planning. everything must be perfect. perfect dammit! today i am going to dollarama (party supplies) and i will clean/declutter my abode after work. i want to go for a run as well.

day two thank you

day two was another food and exercise success. i ate breakfast at home, had lunch plus two snacks at work, went swimming and had a delicious dinner. on monday night i did have a vitatop brownie, but it's all good. now that i am back to tracking on ww online, i realize how different the site is. i know they changed the plan to the "momentum" plan, but since my points never changed and i already ate the more "healthy" filling foods anyway i didn't really look at it too much.

the new plan gives you a daily points allotment, 35 weekly points, and activity points. BUT you must use all of your daily points AND weekly points before any of your activity points are deducted. AND you can only use your activity points on the same day you earn them. so basically, you don't really get them except for the last day unless you eat all of your weekly points early on in the week, which heaven forbid, i would never do. i think that is how it works. i'm sure somebody will correct me if i'm not. i did a google search on this and apparently people are inconvenienced and outraged by this. i don't care because it's not the end of the world, is it? what is a point anyway but a figment of my imagination? a meaningless obstacle on this road we call weight loss. i'm deep.

my dinner last night was an egg white omelet. i wanted an egg, but i didn't have one. i did have lots of leftover veggies though. i chopped and heated up some red onion, zucchini, red pepper, mushrooms, spinach, tomatoes, avocado, and sun-dried tomato. then i poured 3/4 cup egg whites onto another pan and let it cook into a circle. transfer to a plate, pour the veggies on half, fold it over, sprinkle with chili lime sauce, add 2 slices of ezekiel toast, and you have a delicious, nutritious, filling 5.5 point meal.

in other news, my skin is really breaking out. what is with this mid-life acne! grrrr. i use pro-activ but it's not working. i think it's from stress and womanly business. who can be sure though? taking ground flax has eliminated most of my PMS symptoms (except the extreme snappiness and sensitivity) WHO SAID THAT!@@?@?@!! i'm sorry, come back, i love you.



mmm look at that candy. tonight is date night and i am going to see the musical "spring awakening" with my beau. i am very excited. first we are going to sears so i can buy more nylons for work, second we are going to harveys for dinner (6 point veggie burger OR grilled chicken salad) and third to the really big shoe. i am not swimming tomorrow but may do yoga in the morning. that's a big "may" since i already get up at 6:15 as it is! happy wednesday. one day at a time, right?

oops

i didn't get a chance to do yoga last night, but i did go for another 40-minute swim this morning. that's four days in a row! amazing! i'm going to make it five tomorrow.

my chicken enchiladas turned out great! i thought they were the best, and my boyfriend thought they were good too. the zatarain's rice tasted pretty good but left us both feeling a little burpy. i think i will stick to rice-a-roni for flavoured rice in the future. or, create my own. haha, yeah right.

here is the exact recipe i followed:

ingredients:
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
green onions, chopped
1 boneless skinless thawed chicken breast, chopped into bite sized pieces (mine was pretty big)
2 flat out flour wraps (if i didn't have these, i would use 4 small tortilla wraps instead)
dried basil flakes
tomato sauce from a jar (i used pc blue menu tomato and basil)
marble cheese, grated
pam cooking spray

directions: preheat oven to 375°F. spray a skillet pan with cooking spray and cook onions over medium heat until they are soft. add the red pepper and when it begins to get soft, add the chicken and a few shakes of dried basil. cut each flat out wrap in two (they are long and oval shaped) so you have four wraps. spread about a cup of tomato sauce into the bottom of a glass square baking pan. i used a round cake pan because that's all i had, and i used a little less (3/4 cup) sauce. you want the bottom of the pan to be coated, but if you use too much sauce it will make your tortillas soggy. soggy tortilla = gross. i sprayed my pan with a little pam cooking spray as well. when the chicken is cooked, it's time to assemble the wraps. spoon 1/4 of the mixture on each wrap, down the middle. add a spoonful of sauce, a few green onions and a sprinkle of cheese to each. fold the wraps over (left and right side) to make a "roll" - surprisingly they will stay in this shape and not open up. magical. place each roll in the tomato sauce baking dish. they should be touching and 1/2 covered in the sauce. cover the whole dish with tin foil and bake for 30 minutes. DING! when that's done, remove the foil, add a small spoonful of sauce to the top of each roll and sprinkle with more cheese. you can be as liberal as you want with the cheese. more cheese = yummier but also more cheese = fattier. keep that in mind. a little goes a lot way. bake for additional ten minutes with no foil and then you have delicious chicken enchiladas. top with green onions and low-fat sour cream if you so desire. p.s. those aren't my enchiladas in the photo.

today my car (and me) had a little accident. OOPS. it was in the underground parking lot in my building. OOPS. i turned a corner and hit a pole. OOPS. my car has a bit of hideous damage but i'm 99% sure it won't affect the inner workings of the car. not the best thing that could happen. i'm trying just to not think about it.

very difficult

last night i had the bright idea of making butternut squash fries. you can google them and the hungry girl version of the recipe is the one i used. veggie fries? sounds great, doesn't it? that's until i realized that peeling, seeding, and chopping a butternut squash is VERY DIFFICULT! and time consuming. and really hot when you are pre-heating the oven, the top of which is the only free cutting surface you have at the moment. it took so long! and i was really working up a sweat. but on the other hand, they were insanely delicious, and insanely healthy (1 point for 1/2 the squash!!!) and my boyfriend liked them, which is a miracle, considering he doesn't like sweet potatoes, and that is one of the most amazing foods of all time. so a bit of yumminess for a lot of hard work. is it worth it? not sure. maybe once a month but probably not more than that. if you have a fry craving too it would be a good idea. i served the fries with a cheese turkey sausage (3 points) on whole wheat hot dog buns (2 points) and a side salad (points depending on dressing). very filling. i like how you can take things that would normally be not the healthiest meal and turn it into a healthy one. and still delicious. it just takes a bit of effort to find alternatives.

this morning i got up and went swimming. i've decided that if i swim in the morning before work i'm only going to swim for 30 minutes instead of 40. the pool is really cold and it's more motivating to think i'm only going to be in there for 30 minutes.

i wonder if i wont the lottery last night. someone in the "golden horseshoe" won so it could be me. although if i won i'd only tell my family and no one else because i wouldn't want to be treated differently. i'd just want to live out my life doing whatever i wanted, whenever i wanted, in the latest fashions. oh, and i would hire a personal trainer to train me every day. probably not a chef because i can make my own oatmeal ;)

today i am heading to the burbs again to help my mom out - better get going before i'm late!

sleep in

i finally slept in today (until 11) and it feels good. actually i still feel a bit "out of it" but i'm sure that will pass.

yesterday i had a pretty relaxing day after my interview. i just hung around, caught up on blogs, watched "the last kiss" while i ate dinner (and after) and cleaned the grout between half of my kitchen tiles. yes, only half... it's a big job with all of that scrubbing. it involves vim which i ran out of, and a brush with super hard bristles. and lots of rinsing because vim residue is gross and chalky and surely not good for humans or animals. i can't believe how good one side of the kitchen looks now. vacation one week - kitchen grout the next... the joys of life. i am going to finish the kitchen and do the bathroom... why not? although not today.

today i am meeting my boyfriend at his new apartment and we are going to clean it since it's empty. more cleaning? wah wah wee wah! the good news is he is bringing my camera so i will finally have pictures to show! :o)

yesterday i tried my new pilates video, the 50-minute fat burning part. it is more like aerobics to jamaican drum beats with some pilates at the end. i had to do the modified moves (for seniors and people with bum pain) but it was still alright. today i am going swimming, and i better get moving if i am going to get the cleaning party on time.

yesterday for dinner i made oatmeal with a runny sunny side up egg on it. i was inspired by something i saw on Kath Eats. here is the recipe:

1/2 cup dry oats
1 egg
1 string cheese
hot sauce (to taste)
1 T fat free sour cream

make the oats as normal. while they are cooking, cut the string cheese into tiny pieces. i like to peel it into four pieces, then chop with a knife. when the oats are almost done, make the egg and leave the yoke runny (unless you are opposed to this). serve the egg on the oats (in a bowl), sprinkle the cheese and top with sour cream and hot sauce.

re-ci-poo re-ci-pee

spicy sweet potato and quinoa salad

last night i made this dish but with a few modifications of course. here is a yumtastic recipe.

ingredients:

1 cup quinoa, uncooked
2 cups vegetable broth
1 sweet potato, pre-baked and diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 green zucchini, diced
1/2 pack of pre-cut and pre-washed white mushrooms
1 onion
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tbsp lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

preparation:

simmer the quinoa in the vegetable broth until liquid is gone and quinoa is light and fluffy when stirred. remove from heat and allow to cool. while this is happening, chop your onion and red pepper. spray a frying pan with cooking spray and heat the the onion and pepper until soft. add mushrooms. when they are cooked, remove from the heat. meanwhile, microwave your sweet potato until cooked then bake it in the oven until the outside is crispy (like a baked potato should be... just not soggy from the microwave). slice the zucchini into half-circles or quarters and add to the now empty fry pan. when the potato is ready, dice it.
toss together the quinoa, sweet potato, onions, peppers, mushrooms, and zucchini in a large bowl.

in a separate small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil and cayenne pepper. i added more lemon juice (i just squeezed a lemon). gently toss this dressing with the quinoa. season with a generous amount of salt and pepper.

i would say this makes about 4 generous servings. delicious. i had one serving of this for dinner along with a spinach salad, topped with light feta and newman's own light thai sesame dressing.

in other news, i did go for a run yesterday at lunch. it was 4.7 miles... not too shabby at all. and this morning i got up and ran for 40 minutes (not all at once) on the treadmill, with arm weights in between the cardio sessions and situps at the end.

tonight is my book club. i didn't finish the book but that's ok, it's long, and we are having a bbq and watching the movie. fun times. i have a skinless boneless chicken breast marinating in my fridge right now. i put some chicken bbq sauce, mustard, and catalina dressing in a ziplock bag and threw in the chicken. i hope it tastes good. i want to get some other vegetables to put on the bbq but i'm not sure what to get (or how to grill them)... any suggestions?

sad or what?

i came to work today even though i had planned to take a vacation day. why? nothing to do. is that sad or what? my boyfriend went home yesterday and is coming back to the city tonight and i could have spent the day at home, hanging around, but it's not really that nice outside (not sunny) and i hate sitting around all day watching tv. that is so boring. now having tomorrow off will feel like a special treat. i am going to a canada day bbq... mmmm... bbqs. that reminds me i will have to pick up food and booze and stuff tonight.

speaking of booze, yesterday i made beer bread. it is soooo easy. here is the recipe:

3 cups flour
3 t sugar
3 t baking powder
1 t basil
12 oz warm beer

i used 2 cups white flour and 1 cup whole wheat flour. i was going to make it all with splenda and whole wheat flour, but i didn't want it to taste gross. not that it necessarily would have, but you know. i used zywiec beer, because my boyfriend is polish and i liked the people dancing on the bottle.


anyway it's so easy to make. you just mix the dry ingredients, then incorporate the beer until just mixed. then you plop it into a prepared bread pan and bake for 50 minutes at 350°F. prepared bread pan means that you grease it/spray it with cooking spray, and then sprinkle it with rough cornmeal (i used whole wheat flour and it was fine) to avoid the sticking. see? easy! the bread it more cake-like than the bread you would purchase in the supermarket.

on saturday it was raining so i went down to the condo gym for a quick workout. i did 20 minutes running, arm weights, 10 minutes running, then decided that was enough for me thank you very much. yesterday i took a rest day. this morning i went back to the gym and did 15 minutes running, arm weights, 15 minutes biking, more arm weights, 10 more minutes running, and situps. the biking was so hard. i was really pushing it for 1 minute (trying to get a rpm of 100 on level 10) and then slowing a bit for 2 minutes (rpm of 85 at level 10). when i got off the bike my legs were like jello.

in other news, i've been really into making spicy hummus wraps lately. i use a whole grain tortilla (about 170 calories), 2 T spicy hummus, cut up about 1/4 yellow pepper, sprinkle some shredded carrots, peel a string cheese, and add baby spinch - then wrap it up and enjoy. it's filling and healthy and sooooooo spicy! it is still substantial because of the tortilla and the hummus, but feels light because of the veggies.

in more other news, i got this book at the bookstore yesterday:

lonely planet coastal california... *sigh of happiness*

unlucky day?

so - what did everyone think of the antm finale? i won't mention who won because i hate spoiley sarahs, and i remember during the biggest loser reading on blogs who got voted off before i watched my tape and it was a real bummer. i will say, that i was surprised, but not disappointed, because i wasn't thrilled with the top three anyway. i don't care who wins these shows... reality tv, biggest loser, antm. i like to watch the process of it all, but find the finale episodes boring and painful. just say who won already, ya know? i actually liked katarzyna but she got the boot a few weeks ago.

last night for dinner i made a simple red lentil curry. i love curries and i love the idea of meatless meals. i like meat as next as the much guy (next as the much guy? did i just write that?) but i don't really like cooking with meat and i don't miss it when it isn't there. i got the recipe from jenna at eat live run. that second link is to the recipe. her food blog is really great—check it out.

here is the recipe, which i doubled to make one portion for dinner and one leftover portion for lunch today:

1/4 cup dry red lentils

1 cup water (or veggie broth)

about 2 tbsp diced yellow onion

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 tsp curry powder

dash of salt

1/4 tsp tumeric

combine everything in a small saucepan. boil then reduce heat and simmer. cover and let simmer for about 15 minutes til’ the lentils are soft and mushy. serve. i served mine on a bed of 1 cup brown long grain rice. yummy. and i also had a scoop of plain yogurt on the side. and a spinach salad too.

today is unlucky for me. i went running (4 miles) and i'm having this weird bum pain. it's like in the bone part of my bum that connects to my back. hard to explain. then i came back to my building and my pass card wouldn't work so i couldn't get into the building. wtf. i took it to the concierge and he said sometimes they break and there is nothing you can do. they are only covered by warranty if there are no scratches or marks. well, it's a giant white rectangle card that is attached to my keys and thrown into my purse, so of course there are scratches. i had the option of buying a new card for $50 or a smaller gray circle pass thing for $75. i chose the more expensive option because it's more convenient than that annoying large card. THEN i went to unlock my bike and realized that i forgot my wallet on my desk (i needed to use a cheque), and had to go up and get it. *grumble grumble* and then this afternoon i have to go to the dentist! it's like one blow after another! POW! bum pain. BAM! pass card. WHAM! dentist. haha i'm exaggerating... it's not so bad.

for breakfast today i made a weird concoction of cinnamon spice oatmeal, pumpkin, egg whites, splenda, shreddies, cinnamon, nutmug, baking powder, and a splash of unsweetened almond breeze. i still have to heat it up and eat it.

for lunch is 1 cup brown rice with 1 serving of red lentil curry and 1/2 cup of plain yogurt. dinner - maybe a spinach salad with chicken on the george foreman. tonight i'm going to clean up and get ready for the weekend. the LONG weekend.... yabba dabba do!

thursday day off

the exercise continues. yesterday i walked for 60 minutes on the treadmill then did 15 on the bike. i also went for a little walk at lunch to return some stuff at the mall. today is my day "off" so i am gearing up to go for a five mile run. yes, five miles is a lot - but i planned it out on mapmyrun.com, and i can always run longer outside that inside because i am aware of the distance ahead of me. it's a lot different to feel like you are actually going somewhere - a real destination.

i am bit annoyed with painting already. i have run out of pink paint. keep in mind i am only painting one little wall pink. two coats was not enough and really, that's very annoying to me. more than two coats? seriously... now i have to go back to canadian tire and get yet another can of this paint. for one little wall. good thing i am not painting a giant room this colour or i'd be faint with exhaustion at the very thought of painting more coats on every wall.

last night my boyfriend came over for our regular wednesday date. wednesday date just means we hang out and make dinner and watch america's next top model haha. i made delicious double baked potatoes, which i have never made before. here is the recipe:

take 2 baking potatoes, place them on paper towel, piece them with a fork, cover with a damp paper towel, and microwave (mine took 8 minutes on potato setting). then when they are ready, cut in half and scoop out the insides, leaving about a 1/4 inch of potato with the shell. spray a pan with pam and on high heat, fry some garlic really fast. then add 1/4 cup skim milk and turn down the heat immediately. pour this on potato mash (which should be in a bowl) and add some salt, pepper, italian seasoning, 1/2 cup chopped ham (leftover from my mom's easter ham) and 1/3 cup grated cheddar. stir this and then plop the mixture back into the potatoes. top with another 1/3 cup cheddar cheese and bake at 500 degrees for about 8 minutes, or until the cheese starts to brown. delicious!

this morning i had a whole wheat english muffin, and after my run i plan on making some oatmeal. then the serious painting must begin. i don't want to do it but i'll feel better once i've made some progress. have a nice day!

good day today

today is going to be a good day. why? because tonight is my book club meeting and since we read the other bolelyn girl, we are meeting early to see the movie, and then having drinks afterward to discuss the book. i love going to the movies but i don't seem to go that often... i have a short attention span and fall asleep in the theatre about half the time. weird? maybe!

this morning i was going to get up early and work out, but i fell back asleep after my alarm went off. i headed down at about 7:20, and ran for 3.5 miles (30 minutes running, 5-6 minutes walking) and used the stationary bike for another 10-15 minutes. i thought i would be late but i just had a really fast shower and made it to work for my regular time.

f.y.i. on hungry girl today they have a recipe for 1 point chocolate chip cookies. the best part of this recipe is that it only makes 8 cookies, so you don't feel overwhelmed by having a thousand delicious cookies staring at you through every tupperware container in your house.

today i'm eating:

1/2 granola bar (1)

pc blue menu oatmeal (3)
with flax and pumpkin (1)
banana (1)
blueberries (0)

yogurt (1.5)
strawberries (0)
oatmeal (2)
grapes (1)

and for dinner? probably going out to eat. :)

happy days are here again

almost the weekend! i feel like i really need a weekend. last night i was go go go until bedtime. on the way home from work i had to return a movie and pick up my white winter jacket from the dry cleaners. also stopped at the grocery store to pick up a few things. then i came home, clean clean cleaned, made peanut butter banana pecan muffins (see recipe below), made dinner, went to the post office to pick up a package, went to my tap class for an hour, went back to the grocery store to use that coin machine (i had a lot of coins) and then home for zzzzs. so very busy.

friday is weigh-in and today i weigh 118 pounds, which is down 0.2 from last friday, which is great maintenance, considering i ate two of the homemade muffins last night. i didn't exercise this morning because i needed a break, and i do not want to feel tired tonight as i am going to the hawksley workman concert.

so i ordered more PB2 peanut butter. for those of you who don't know it's powdered peanut butter that has 75% less calories and fat than regular peanut butter. and you can choose the consistency of the peanut butter by adding as much water as you want. for example, there are times when you would want a thick peanut butter (like in a sandwich) and there are times went you would want a runny peanut butter (using it as a delicious dip). so in the box was this recipe for PB2 and banana pecan muffins, but it called for things like white flour, sugar, vegetable shortening, eggs, etc. i thought, how can i make this healthier... and here is the recipe. they are very delicious and surprisingly pretty fluffy.

1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup PB2
1 T baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 cup splenda
4 egg whites
1 1/3 to 1 1/2 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 3)

preheat the oven to 375 degrees. blend (with a spoon) the flour, PB2, baking powder, and salt together in a mixing bowl. mix in the chopped nuts. in a second bowl, cream (with a mixer) the applesauce and splenda together until light and fluffy. add the egg whites 2 at a time and beat well. mash the bananas (with a potato masher) and then blend them into the liquid mix. add the wet ingredients to the dry, stirring just enough to moisten; about 20 seconds. spoon the batter into a greased (spray like pam) muffin tin and bake for 20-25 minutes or until done. makes 12 muffins.

per muffin: 152 calories, 5g fat, 4g fibre

muffins with 1/2 cup chocolate chips instead of pecans:
144 calories, 3g fat, 3.5g fibre

muffins plain (no pecans or chips):
120 calories, 2g fat, 3.5g fibre

i calculated these calorie amounts myself by just adding up all the ingredients and dividing by 12.

happy weekend everyone. apparently it's going to snow starting at noon another 20-25cm. that's a lot... :o( boo hoo hoo.

freitag (that's german for friday)

i have a lot to talk about today, so i'm going to do it in a list format.

1) friday weigh-in day: gained 1.6 and now am 120 pounds. note to self: stop mindless snacking immediately.

2) yesterday i bought this online. it is a starfrit electronic digital kitchen scale. it was only $19.99 with free shipping, and it has a tare function. my current kitchen scale is not electronic, not digital, has no tare function, and is so tiny. so can't go wrong.


3) last night i had an excellent run: 5 minutes walking, 35 running at a 6.2 mph pace, then 5 minutes walking cool down. and then i went to tap class for an hour.

4) after tap last night, i hit up shoppers drug mart and the grocery store. i noticed that the dominion has lean cuisine paninis now, but i didn't buy any because my freezer is full. i did buy diet chocolate cherry dr. pepper though. i don't drink pop on a regular basis, just when mixing drinks and stuff.

5) at shoppers drug mart, i bought this clearance oil of olay in-shower body lotion. you put it on in the shower and rinse it off. i've only used it once (this morning) but seriously people it's wonderful.


6) this morning i did A LOT. i woke up at 6:13 am, walked on the treadmill with interval inclines for 80 (yes 80!) minutes, made a giant pot of homemade soup, made oatmeal (the kind that takes 15 minutes), showered, got ready for work, and here i am.

7) i made a modified version of a hungry girl 0-point soup. i made this soup to have with meals, in a hope that it will deter me from stuffing my face unnecessarily.

ingredients:
1 onion, chopped
1 can plum tomatoes, diced
1 can sliced carrots
3-4 cups cabbage (i used bagged)
leftover adzuki beans
4 cups (i used 900mL) fat free vegetable broth
salt
pepper
mrs. dash original
many shakes of frank's chili lime red hot sauce

directions:
in a large pot sprayed with non-stick spray, cook onion for 2-3 minutes, chop the tomatoes from the can, add everything including tomato juice. cook for 2-3 minutes on medium. add carrots, cabbage, beans, broth. bring to a boil, season accordingly, reduce heat and cover for 5 minutes, and voila! the original recipe made five 0 point one cup servings. mine made a lot more than that and probably 1 point per cup, or something because i added the carrots and a few beans... maybe. does it matter? no, it does not. the hot sauce made it really good.

8) tonight i am going to see 27 dresses with my main gal pal. am looking forward to it!

9) my mom wants me to take her car (instead of mine) to niagara falls this weekend. hers has automatic doors and windows, an automatic starter (from a remote), and heated seats. mine has none of these things and makes funny sounds.

10) what does everyone think about these?

11) today's menu:
1/2 cup oats with milk and pumpkin
orange
homemade soup
turkey and swiss sandwich on rye
caramel yogurt
more soup
grapes
popcorn
something chocolately

bunnies in a car

toot toot! so...

i like to drink something hot before bed... tea, just hot water, a hot alcoholic bev... anything! so last night i made my boyfriend and i drinks with mint chocolate baileys. 

i used:

2 cups unsweetened almond joy

2 T splenda

2 shots mint chocolate baileys 

and

3-4 drops of red food colouring which made the drink a pinkish colour. 

i added the food colouring to make it seem more minty, if that makes sense, like a peppermint. the drink actually came out really thick and sweet and yummy. i told my boyfriend about the food colouring and he said great idea, and now that it's pink, can't you taste the strawberries in it? 

and i could! isn't that so weird? that because i was drinking a pink drink and thinking about strawberries, it began to taste like strawberries. so weird. one of our upcoming books at work is a science book, and there are experiments that prove the power of sight and suggestion really influences taste. for example, if you stare at an apple while biting into an onion or radish, apparently it is supposed to take on an apple-like flavour. true or not? try it out... but it's in the book for real! 

so maybe this power of suggestion is why i can eat healthy versions of my favourite foods and think they taste so great. i love mashed yam and cauliflower instead of mashed potatoes, but i think of them as a mashed potatoes substitute and that's why they are so good. who knows. 

there is SO MUCH SNOW on the ground this morning. ayayaya! and tonight i have to drive (to tap class) too. one more day until the weekend!

OH YEAH! the poll is over. 

11 people store their cups lip down

7 people put them lip up

and 4 people put "other"

very intriguing! if you put other, TELL ME how you store your cups, glasses, and mugs! i am very interested! i personally store my cups lip down, but could go either way since i use so many my cupboard is often empty, meaning that there really is no chance of dust collecting. 

so i'll think of a new poll soon. i was going to ask if people believed in the power of taste suggestion, but "yes" or "no" answers are boring! 

today i'm eating:

a oatmeal pumpkin pancake

fiber berry oatmeal

2 clementines

a ziploc bag of red seedless grapes

a ham sandwich with swiss cheese on rye bread

a fibre source granola bar

coffee & tea

and for dinner... not sure, but i'm dining solo tonight so maybe another oatmeal pancake (i love them) or perhaps a veggie burger, or maybe even a lean cuisine pizza. 

:)

thanks everyone for all of your nice comments yesterday - you are very thoughtful - all of you! :) i am feeling more like myself today... less in a hazy daze. my uncle wouldn't want anyone to mope around feeling too sad. now he isn't suffering, and is in a better place. 

last night my finance planning seminar didn't take place. i walked for 60 minutes on the treadmill and did some really good stretching and sit-ups. then i watched biggest loser. i won't ruin it for anyone who didn't see it yet but i have to say, i really loved the challenge this week - the cooking one. it was awesome. they prepared these really nice dishes and they were pretty low calorie. not to mention that chef rocco was so cute. and i loved how he taught them how to cook afterwards instead of just making a meal. the vote-off was not that surprising... what do these people expect?

since it was pancake tuesday, i also made pancakes! oatmeal ones of course. 

ingredients:

1 banana, mushed

1/3 cup oats

1/3 cup egg whites

1 t vanilla

1 t baking powder

1 t cinnamon

1 T splenda

1 T peanut butter

1 T jam, any flavour

directions:

mix 1/2 mushed banana, oats, egg whites, vanilla, baking powder, cinnamon, and splenda. let sit for a few minutes. turn on pan and spray with non-stick cooking spray. pour in 1/2 mixture and form into a pancake. flip when needed. makes two. then top one pancake with the peanut butter and the remaining mushed banana, and the other pancake with jam. SO GOOD. 

that's about it. today i'm taking a break from exercise (for sure!) and spending a quiet night in with my boyfriend. nice! today on the menu is:

fat free yogurt, with strawberries and all bran sprinkled on

maple nut organic oatmeal

2 clementines

campbell's healthy request herbed chicken noodle soup

1 slice sprouted grains toast

maybe some carrots and hummus

and dinner, as always, unplanned

dinnertime

ok, i'm armed and ready with a game plan for dinner.

i'm doing a different take on mrs. furious's salmon noodle casserole.

i love baked pasta, but i don't love salmon (hey, it smells funny to me, what can i say?) and i don't think my boyfriend likes tuna (which i will change... in time... but now is not the moment) so i am making turkey sausage noodle casserole.

first i will chop an onion and cut up 2 or 3 schneider's lean turkey grill 'ems, and fry with non-stick cooking spray for a bit.



then i will boil whole wheat rotini, add 1 cup frozen peas and 1/2 cup frozen corn... and then follow the rest of the recipe as is. and i will side it with green and yellow beans, and carrots. the end. i am most excited about the healthy request cream of mushroom soup.

thursday madness

today there was a bit of trouble getting to work because of the wind yesterday. apparently it blew the C of of the CIBC building (a bank tower) and some of it was dangling and had to be removed. anyway my king streetcar was diverted off of it's normal route so it took longer to get to work today. i guess it's better than someone being crushed by falling debris... i guess... ;o)

yesterday i bought some awesome pants. better than the shiny pants? it's debatable. they are turquoise high-waisted bell bottoms, by jordache. remember that brand from the 80s? i look like i'm out of that dazed and confused movie. i have to get them hemmed though, because they are too long.

i didn't do any closet cleaning yet, but perhaps i'll have some time tonight after going to the gym. i *have to get to bed early tonight because i am going dancing on friday and saturday of this weekend.

last night for dinner my boyfriend and i made this recipe from the kraft "what's cooking" magazine. it wasn't terribly healthy but it was interesting. here is what we did:

brown 1 lb of extra lean ground beef (we added onions too) and drain. add 2 cups water, 1 cup salsa, and the noodles from 1 package of kraft mac and cheese. bring to a boil then cover and simmer for 10 minutes. then add 2 cups frozen corn, the powdered cheese from the kraft mac and cheese box, some chopped tomatoes, and cook for 2 more minutes. top with chopped green onions and cheddar cheese (we didn't add this cheese) and voila. apparently this makes 4 servings. we each had a huge portion and i'm pretty sure more than 1/2 is leftover.

here is today's menu:

coffee
pc blue menu multigrain oatmeal with 1/2 banana
all bran bar and 1/2 banana
lean cuisine ravioli
reheated green and yellow beans
2 clementines

dinner - i'll worry about that later.

*never happens

tuesday

this morning i completed day one of week six of the couch to 5k running podcasts. it's 5 min warm up walk, 5 min run, 3 min walk, 8 min run, 3 min walk, 5 min run, and 5 min cool down walk. easier than running 20 minutes non-stop but i guess the point is to get used to the activity getting longer and longer.

for breakfast i made an oatmeal pumpkin pancake. it was pretty good but didn't hold together as a pancake.

i used:
1/2 cup oats (2.5 points)
1/2 cup pumpkin (0 points)
3/4 t vanilla
1/4 t baking powder
2 t splenda brown sugar
2 T egg whites (0.5 points i think)


yum yum. in this case i liked the pumpkin. i am going to the giller light awards tonight and out for dinner first so i am trying to eat low point for breakfast and lunch. sort of.

today's menu:
breakfast:
oatmeal pancake (3)
3/19

lunch:
chili (3)
6/19

and after lunch:
2 slices sprouted grains toast (2)
8/19

i also brought a yogurt and banana if i am ravenous.

monday menu

on friday night i made the most delicious turkey meatballs.

ingredients:
1 package ground turkey - roughly 500g
2 oz. breadcrumbs
2 oz. parmesan cheese
1 egg, beaten
chopped onion, to taste

instructions:
pre-heat oven to 350°F. line baking sheet with foil and scoop out balls (roll with hands) and place on the sheet. bake for 20-30 minutes depending on how brown you like the outside. amazing!

i used a lot of onion in big chops because i love onion. i can imagine you can add various spices/seasonings to change up the flavour as well. yum yum.



monday menu:

breakfast:
oatmeal with milk (3)
1/2 banana (1)
4/19

snack:
raisins (1)
5/19

lunch:
tv dinner (7)
12/19

snack:
yogurt (1)
fibre one bar (2)
1/2 banana (1)
16/19

snack:
chocolate chip banana bran muffin (1)
17/19

dinner:
veggies (1)
salad (0)
chicken (2)
dressing (1)
21/19

and i have 4 activity points to use THANK GOODNESS.