working hard, not hardly working

i love summer but it's a bit crazy!

last week i followed my half-marathon training plan to a T.

this week we have:

monday: swimming 35 minutes (i'm switching this with running - i just can't run on mondays ... too tired!)
tuesday: running 4 to 5 miles
wednesday: rest
thursday: running 4 to 5 miles
friday: swimming 35 minutes
saturday: running 4 to 5 miles
sunday: rest

my weekend was good. i had friday off in lieu of working wednesday, canada day. on thursday night i met one of my girlfriends at fresh, and it was absolutely phenomenal. i ordered the "energy" bowl which was marinated tofu cubes, rich coconut curry sauce, chick pea & vegetable stew, cucumber, tomato, red onion, sunflower sprouts & tahini sauce on brown basmati rice. i asked for no cucumbers and got beets or carrot instead - the bowl was a bit messy so i couldn't tell.

i also ordered the hot lung lover drink which was made from pineapple, apple, ginger, lemon, cayenne and a respiratonic. i have been on the brink of having a lung/cough/sore throat for about a week now. i am killing it with tons of vitamin C and cold fx. i think i may have beaten it because now i just have a dry cough and that's it.

anyway, it was one of the greatest meals i've ever had. everything is vegetarian and healthy - perhaps not low in calories but that's ok. i wish i was there right now.

friday i went swimming in the morning, worked (at home - i am very busy with work) all day, then went to the dentist in the afternoon. DAMMIT they sure did probe my gums! my whole mouth killed for hours afterward. i have no cavities but the chip fell out of a previously chipped tooth so i have to go back and get that fixed. on friday night i went to a bbq - our host made sweet potato fries, bbq'd asparagus, chicken kabobs and burgers. i had everything but no bun with the burger - delish. i also enjoyed samuel adams summer wheat ale which had a hint of lemon. enjoyed it.

saturday, worked all day again, went for a 4-mile run in the early afternoon. i am finding the 5-milers to be too much for me right now. i think it's the throat cough wearing me down. in the evening i went to see poison and def leppard with some friends. no i'm not joking haha. it was a lot of fun. this post is getting too long! more tomorrow :)

happy birthday to me

man, i feel like an old goat today. what do goats say? braaayyyy brraayyyy! oops that's a donkey. now i am in my "late" twenties. JOY! it's okay ... except i actually feel older. i don't feel older than yesterday, but in general. now when i stay out late or party too hard my body reacts in a very negative way. like today for example - i really could have used a couple more hours of sleep.

last night was the no doubt concert and it was amazing! when i got home from work i went for a quick swim. i made dinner for my boyfriend and best buddy - the chicken meatballs and whole wheat macaronis. my friend brought over fresh greens from her community garden and they were very tasty and delightful. we didn't go to the show until 9pm because we did not care to see any of the opening acts (paramore or bedouin soundclash - i went to university with the second group and have had my fill). the show was great! i love no doubt and gwen stefani so much. i am such a die hard fan that i knew every word to every song.

i gave my boyfriend his picture and he really liked it. this is it below - a little warped from the way i was holding it up to the computer screen. and you can see the reflection of the screen and the picture in the screen and the screen in the reflection and so on and so on. they told two friends and they told two friends and they told ... ha ha wayne's world, party time, excellent. the second picture makes the girl's face a bit better, but her bottom is cut off.



and now today. i can't really be bothered to make special foods for myself but i am going to eat exactly what i like the most - carby carb carbs.

for breakfast i packed a ziplock bag of cereal. some multigrain cheerios, some krispix and some fiber one worms. yippee. my mid-morning snack is a triple chocolate vitatop. i have some pb2 in my desk so maybe i will put some on but probably not. for lunch i have a peanut butter and jam sandwich on that amazing cape seed bread. and an apple. see? not exciting. but peanut butter is delicious. talking about food is making me hungry.

my boyfriend is coming over later to celebrate. i think we are just hanging out and ordering in since we are both pooped from last night and he is feeling sick. we can watch top model too. i think i am going to go to ikea on the way home from work. i need some new hand towels for my bathroom since the ones i have are white and looking old and dirty. how embarrassing! no exercise today. i was thinking about swimming but am feeling lazy. if you can't be lazy on your birthday, when can you be!?

busy

my stomach is wonky today - blame being a woman!

last night i cleaned the kitchen - under the sink, the sinks themselves, under the stove and fridge, in the fridge, in the microwave, the counter tops and cabinet doors, etc. i didn't get to the bathroom because i couldn't be bothered. i went for a 5-mile run along the lake. it was good but i put my zune in the back pocket of my tighty spandex shorts and then one of the earphones kept cutting out after the 3.5 mile mark. i have a feeling it's because the zune was getting damp due to sweat. sick i know - i won't make that mistake again. hopefully it just dried and will work again.

last night i also worked on a picture i drew for my boyfriend for our 30 monthaversary. it's a pinup. i just took a picture with my laptop but i can't post it until i give it to him. it's not my best work - really i could have put more effort into it, but things are getting crazy and i'm happy i did anything at all.

the good news is that tomorrow's book photo shoot is postponed due to rain. good because i have lots of work to do in the office and i can have a regular schedule and celebrate my birthday on time. ;)

tonight is the no doubt concert. i am going with my bf and my bff who is coming after work. since i get off at 4 i might have time for a swim before she arrives, although i have to tidy the bathroom as well. messiness = personal embarrassment. ok i'm definitely swimming. i also have to pick up milk for breakfast on the way home. i have to make dinner for the three of us. my bff is bringing greens from some garden thing she grows out of (community something or other?) and i am making lean chicken cheese meatballs from sobeys (YES) and whole wheat pasta with tomato paste. i am all about using the paste as sauce. i hate when things are too saucy and by things i just mean pasta. i like a saucy pizza. SAUCY.

this week i have been trying to eat breakfast before i leave for work. it's rushed so cereal and milk, but i find it's holding my hunger off until my midmorning vitatop snack perfectly. i used to have a vitatop in the car, then breakfast at work, but i'd rather eat the bigger part first. that way you start the day feeling pleasantly full and that's better than being sort of moderately hungry - wouldn't you agree?

anyway, that's that! booyah. i still haven't uploaded my pictures from saturday but others have and they are exactly the same. ha.

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.

i'm baaaacccckkkkk

not that i was gone for very long. oh, my sickness was TORTUROUS! it really wiped me out in a major way. let's recap:

saturday: felt a little weird, stayed home at night and rented movies with my main squeeze.

sunday: felt kind of queasy. had to go to dinner at my parent's house for easter. was pretty crabby by the end of the night. head cloudy.

monday: wanted to curl up and hide. unfortunately had to work 8-4. i'm on 3-month probation because i'm new so i didn't want to take time off. i was taking cold fx but i believe it's a placebo. maybe it was helping my sickness leave but it wasn't curing any symptoms! thankfully i brought my own box of "puffs" tissues to work. i'm sure everyone in the adjoining cubicles was revolted by my constant blowing. took a two hour nap after work, ate soup, back to sleep.

tuesday: another work day. ex-roommate's birthday party dinner at a restaurant downtown. i thought i would have to miss it but then i'd seem like a jerk ... a sick jerk. when i got home from work i took off my shoes and flopped in the bed for an hour. then had a bath and was able to make the dinner. i stayed for one hour and was the first to leave but my presence was appreciated :)

wednesday: still sickish but more in my head, less body. general weak feeling. date night ... didn't do much - just watched top model and supersize vs superskinny :) love those shows!

today i'm feeling better. i still need my puffs tissues but i feel like i can think and be productive without feeling totally overwhelmed. at lunch i went for a walk since the weather was nice and sunny. i freaked a little because i thought i had mapped out a three mile walk but it seemed like i was so far away from my office. i didn't want to be late getting back. it wasn't a problem but my concern made my walk much less enjoyable than the casual stroll i had planned. after work today i seemed to have more energy than ever so i went swimming. it was pretty great!

hopefully tomorrow i'll be back to 85% or 90%. tomorrow is my weigh-in and i'm not too excited about it - i haven't exercised all week except today and definitely have not lost anything. for some reason when i'm sick the thought of eating vegetables disgusts me. it's carbs all the way. i haven't been overeating but my body seems to hate me lately. i show love and it shows hate ... no fair.

in other news, i am really looking forward to tomorrow. not only is it FRIDAY, but it's going to be sunny and 19 degrees celsius and i'm going to see jerry seinfeld live in concert. is a comedy routine still called "in concert"? i don't know. hopefully by tomorrow night i'll feel like drinking again - everything is much more funny with a glass of wine or two. :)

three little things

1) i did go swimming last night - holla!

2) i've recently become very motivated to increase the size of my flat bum - in a good muscle way of course. more on that later.

3) that's all i can say because i have a date with...

time to get it together

whoops, i forgot to post on friday. i was having lunch with a friend, that must be why i forgot. we went to a restaurant/pub and i ordered a cheeseburger and fries. wooooooo let me tell you how sick i felt ALL afternoon. i mean not good. i used to get this feeling quite regularly - the feeling like you need a bathroom NOW so there better be one in the immediate vicinity feeling - but not for a couple of years since i changed my eating habits. i think it's all of the greasy trans fats. oh trans fats, you taste so good but are bad in every way.

my weekend was good. on friday night it was my boyfriend's bi-monthly music and art showcase. this time can.adian ido.l finalist moo.kie mor.ris was performing and it was really really packed. it was a good night and we went out for last night chinese food with friends after the show. i didn't get to bed until almost 5, and slept in until 1:30... can you believe it? needless to say saturday went by way too fast.

i was feeling a bit chubb all weekend. when my new jeans were a bit tight last week, i knew something was up so i bit the bullet and got on the scale this morning. after the weekend and everything. i was repeating in my head, "please not more than 5 pounds about maintenance, please not more than that" and it wasn't that bad. only about a pound over. but still. in december i was happy at the low end of my range and i can feel the difference in the fit of my clothes and my body confidence.

i have decided to use the same plan of attack that i used at the beginning of december. eating on a schedule (8am, 11am, 2pm, 5pm, 8pm) and sticking to higher-protein options so that i won't feel hungry. this really was effective last time. whatever works! i'm also going to keep exercising and drink more water.

workouts have been pretty awesome. on friday morning and saturday afternoon, i went for 40 minute swims, and then yesterday i did a 20 minute "yoga for runners" download from yogadownload.com. it was really hard and i didn't like it. afterwards i realized that it was an intermediate program, level 3, and since i'm a beginning i should be sticking to level 1s only. i downloaded a few of those and this morning i did the 20 minute gentle hatha #1 download. a lot of the 20 minute downloads are free. i am going to try them out and if i like them, i'll purchase longer versions. one of my main goals is to increase my flexibility, especially hamstrings.

tonight my plans are doing some exercise probably (either biking, swimming, or walking), and watching gossip girl. and reading gone with the wind of course. 800 pages down, 224 to go! ;)

on a roll

i am really on a roll this week. three perfect days so far and i only have one left which will be easy! surprisingly it hasn't been that difficult. i've been eating small portions, high protein, low carb, every three hours. 8am, 11am, 2pm, 5pm, and 8pm. i have hardly been hungry at all! each day i've been walking for just over 40 minutes... about 2 1/2 miles.

last night was my final sewing class for the skirt. we had the option of putting in a waistband, and i decided to do it because it looked more polished. it was time consuming though and i didn't finish the skirt. i just have to sew the hem, which i have to do by hand anyway, so i can do it at home later.

today is another busy one. right after work i have a hair appointment. my roots are out of control and i need a trim. and THEN i am going to watch my boyfriend play a show. his band (which had been together for almost ten years) broke up last spring, and he has been working on a new project. this is the first live gig... i'm so excited for him, but nervous too!

this week has been crazy. getting out of bed this morning was difficult to say the least. i can't wait for tomorrow at about... oh, let's say 5pm. i need more coffee.

oh, and my interview yesterday went really well. i like the company and the people who interviewed me, so i hope i get it.

i wonder if i can get a walk in between my hair appointment and the show...

another blog?

i'm thinking about starting another blog, one that isn't so personal but rather based on health and beauty in general. nothing to do with my own health, fitness, and weight goals but something more helpful to others. thoughts? of course i would continue this blog... just putting it out there.

i am feeling really good about myself today. i swam for 30 minutes this morning even though i had to convince myself not to go back to bed instead about five times. i had a great swim though. it was just getting down there and in the pool that was the hard part.

also, i'm really hungry today. instead of oatmeal for breakfast, i had an english muffin with peanut butter, yogurt and fresh cranberries. maybe it wasn't as filling? does anyone like fresh cranberries? they are so tart and delicious. and did you know that they are white on the inside? i wasn't expecting that at all! i think they are high in fibre, too. can't go wrong!

for lunch i brought a whole wheat bun, veggies and hummus, and a ready-to-go campbell's healthy request italian wedding soup. italian wedding soup is sooooo good. all of those little balls of pasta! i'm excited.

tonight i am taking one of my oldest friends to see "sharon jones and the dap kings" live in concert. i have seen them once before and they are amazing!

now i need to get a coffee to distract myself from this raging hunger.

not weighing in...

friday would normally be my weigh-in day but since i started the weight watchers online on monday i'm sticking to it. of course i checked, who am i kidding. already the results are very impressive. now, what will be more than impressive, is if i can maintain or even lose weight on the weekend. i am not crossing my fingers but will do my best. this means, no matter what, no late night snacking. lately i have been drinking a lot less and i love waking up feeling without any bad feelings. so far so good!

yesterday it seemed like i had a million points to eat. i kept eating, even though i wasn't that hungry. i wasn't not hungry, just not ravenous like usual. not that i'm complaining. it helped that i earned a lot of activity points. i went for a 70 minute walk in the morning (3 points), then had a 40 minute swim in the afternoon (4 points), and then, around 10pm, i was going to sit and read a magazine, but thought i might as well read it on the treadmill downstairs, so there was another 60 minutes of walking (2 points). that's 9 activity points. i really have no problem not using very much flex during the week because i am pretty active and use all of my activity points.

this morning i woke up early to swim but wasn't having it, so i slept for another 45 minutes before my chiro appointment. my appointment was great... i feel a lot better after it. when i walked there my bum was sore and when i walked away not as sore... amazing! also i was probably in awe because i share the same chiropractor as... are you ready... radiohead! yes, no joke. my chiro goes on tour with radiohead. amazing!

today i'm lunching with a friend, and don't have any real plans for this weekend. i think some karaoke on saturday night. and then my parents might be taking us (the kids) to see dirty dancing (the musical) on sunday afternoon, but i can't remember the exact day. have a great weekend peeps!

tgif

i stayed up so late last night finishing my book. and i couldn't even really sleep in this morning because.... (drum roll)... i am finally going to the chiropractor at 10:30am! wooooohooooo. hopefully this is the magic i'm looking for. not being able to do "hardcore" exercises like running and HIIT is depressing. i never though i could run and when i finally start (and it's all i want to do) i can't!

so this morning is my inital interview. i am a little scared but looking forward to it!

i had a pretty good week. now the big test is the weekend! as long as i can make it through today and saturday it's fine. sundays are no problem for me because i only eat twice and can make good choices. tonight i think some dancing is in store, and then tomorrow to the virgin concert on the island. if we can get tickets.

i told my boyfriend i'd buy him a bicycle for his birthday. i saw a really retro fab one the other day and we are going back this afternoon to check if it's still there. it's a little late now (at the end of summer) but better now than never!

also i finally broke down and bought allergy medication. the good kind too - i hope it kicks in soon. and finally, i've tried real greek yogurt (although not the kinds featured on most food blogs) it was $1.99 for a tiny container and not healthy... about 200 calories and 14g fat. and attached to it was blue syrupy goo. it was very thick and had the consistency of cream cheese. that's what it tastes like to me. very rich tasting. yummy of course, but not worth the points. i'll stick to regular yogurt in the future.

yawn

i sure am tired today. i deliberately woke up early so that i could go swimming downstairs at 10am. the pool is closed for "cleaning" between 11 and 12 (which is an annoying time to be closed and prime swimming hour!) every week day and i want to get going today. i am going back to the sewing studio to finish my summer dress FINALLY. i don't know why i have been putting it off. well, today is the day!

the concert last night was alright. they didn't play that many songs i knew, and when they did, they let the crowd sing for most of the song, instead of singing it themselves. it's fine when it's just a line or two in a popular song, but not the whole song. my friend said, "i am paying to hear you sing, not to sing myself!" to which i reminded her that the tickets were free but the point was still made of course. the best part of the concert was that we could walk there and back from my building. not dealing with traffic is heaven!

last night for dinner i made us the pc blue menu shepherd's pie from loblaws. yummy. i have always likes this one. it's about 290 calories for 1/4 of the pie which isn't too bad. if you put it with some peas and a slice of whole wheat baguette it's quite filling.

it's friday which is weigh-in day but i'm just not feeling it this week. this is unusual for me but everyone deserves a week off. this weekend... not sure what is going on really. i am reading this book called "pillars of the earth" by ken follett. it's about a builder in the twelfth century who longs to build a cathedral. of course it is about more than just that. it's great so far.

summer concerto

it was a good idea to ride my bike to my boyfriend's apartment yesterday, because this morning i just zipped home (it's mostly downhill on the way home) and i didn't have to wait for any sort of slow delayed transit. it was a good date last night because he made me dinner, but also not that great since we bought a futon (just a few doors down... but still) and then had to carry the massive frame and mattress up 2 flights of super steep narrow stairs. and then put it together... and of course the instructions were ridiculous. there were two lengths of bolts... long and short - and it didn't tell you where to use each one. eventually i figured it out and now he has a really nice futon.

even yesterday i was feeling the effects of getting too much sun the day before. i wasn't really burned since i used sunscreen, but felt really weak and weary. oh woe is me. yesterday at the end of my swim i was beginning to feel a little faint, like if i got out of the pool at that exact moment and tried to walk over to my towel, i might not make it. i was fine though.

in a few moments i am going to do the pilates 50-minute fat burning video. it starts with some basic stretching, then some cardio dance-like moves, then more stretching, and then the last ten minutes or so is actual pilates mat floor exercises. it's a pretty good workout i think.

and then tonight i am going to see blue rodeo at the outside amphitheatre. my friend's boss gave her free tickets... not complaining! finally it's a beautiful summer day! (not raining)

too funky

george michael was amazing. just amazing. he is still outstanding and it was a fantastic concert. it rivaled depeche mode for the best concert ever but now that i think of it was only slightly not as good. he played two sets, then three encores. i didn't get home until 12:30! he was very enamored with the toronto audience because we know how to cheer. whoohooooo george! i will be your father figure, put your tiny hand in mine...

so i didn't work out this morning because i was up late. but i did work out yesterday before the show. i am still avoiding pounding pavement because of my shin and it's beginning to feel like normal. i did 20 minutes biking, arm weights, 10 minutes elliptical, arm weights, 10 more elliptical, situps, and then i rode my bike to the library to return some books.

i only have to work a half-day, so maybe i'll do something active later or maybe i'll take a rest day and have an awesome run tomorrow.

today is friday, and weigh-in, and i weighed 119 which is a 0.8 loss since last week and within my range. hallelujah! i was a bit worried this week because i wasn't tracking too much and i wasn't running (although was doing other activities... but nothing is the same as running in my opinion).

this weekend is looking relaxing. tonight maybe the movies, tomorrow going dancing, and sunday looking at an apartment for my boyfriend. it is so hot today. i rode my bike to work and am really sticky. i love summer :o) have a nice weekend.

ps. i didn't take that picture of the concert. that wasn't even last night... i was way at the back haha.

you gotta have faith

today is an interesting day. why? because 1) i am going to see george michael tonight. and 2) that's pretty much it. :o) but still... george michael... whoo whoo whoo! i have been waiting 15 years for this guy to come to toronto. and now the day has finally come. my best girl friend from high school is coming in from the burbs and we are eating then going to the show. just subway or something.

for some reason there is a can of tuna sitting on my desk today. i did not put it there. somebody must be losing it. although, my desk is in the centre of the office and people seem to forget stuff on it. like once, someone left a coffee on my desk. it was closed... i thought it must be a gift. but no, someone forgot it. ha.

last night my boyfriend and i spent a LONG TIME booking hotels for california. california is not cheap. a couple of years ago i road tripped down south and hotels were cheap - like $30-$40 cheap. now it's more like $90-150. some are even more. and they don't even look that great. here is what we've got so far:

day one - arrive around noon - sleep in san francisco

day two - pick up car - sleep in santa cruz

day three - sleep in santa barbara

day four - sleep in hollywood

day five - sleep in hollywood (there is lots to do around here obviously...)

day six - sleep in laguna beach (finding a hotel here was a nightmare)

day seven - drive back to san francisco and sleep there (the only hotel we still need to book)

day eight - back to toronto

it's good that we got a car, because we can visit all the beaches and stuff. i'm sure parking will be a nightmare. i don't even want to think about it ha. i am going about picking up local transit though. already i've figured out how to take the BART (bay area rapid transit) from the airport to the stop closest to our hotel. SMRT.

i didn't work out this morning, but i might before the concert tonight. we were up late last night!

what is everyone's favourite subway sub? and make it healthy! thank youuuuuuuuuu.

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.