Amy's Quest to Skinny

Update!

2011-06-03T11:51:00.002-05:00

Hi friends... I've been blogging over at www.amysquesttoskinny.com for the last little bit.

Come see me there!

Mini blogging break

2010-06-13T13:14:00.003-05:00

Hi friends,

For the first time ever in my blogging "career", I feel like its time to take a little break.

My work is consuming my life and what little time I have to myself, the last thing I want to do is sit in front of a computer after spending 16 hours a day at one.

Things in my both my personal and professional life are a little chaotic, and I really just need some "Amy-time" to get things sorted out.

If anything good has come out of this situation, its the fact that I'm able to handle stress without jumping into the cookie jar, or drowning my sorrows in pizza. Admittedly, I actually had to force myself to eat on Friday.

Rest assured, I will be back with a vengence in just a couple of weeks.

I need you all to do me a favor though ok? Promise me you'll come back and read me again?

Love to each and everyone of you.

xoox

Good Day

2010-06-10T20:42:00.001-05:00

I’m really tired, so tonight’s post is going to be short, sweet and to the point.
Had a good day at work.
Ate healthy food.
Went to Body Combat and worked HARD, my shoulders are going to hate me in the morning. It felt great to punch/kick the day’s frustrations away.
Enjoyed a home cooked meal prepared by a colleague: pasta, ceasar salad and a little chunk of baguette.
I’m still feeling a parched, despite drinking 3L of water today at work and a couple glasses with dinner. I think I’m going to have a water chugging contest with myself.
I feel like pictures always make blog posts a little more interesting, so I’ll leave you with a picture of my girl Jersey. I miss her so much.

Night!

Apparently…

2010-06-09T20:08:00.001-05:00

…I forgot to blog yesterday. Oops! Nothing too excited happened. I went to step class, and then my colleague and I had a mini BBQ for dinner: chicken breasts, veggies and salad. YUM!

Today wasn’t very interesting either. Worked my ass off at the office and at the gym. I ran for 45 mins, did upper body, back and core.

I got moved to a different hotel room today that doesn't have a kitchen, so dinner was quick and required no cooking.

Leftover salad, and brown rice California rolls.

I just ate the sushi, and I’m actually pretty full so the salad might get pitched out. Its kind of on its last legs anyway.

Not much else too report. I’m burnt out beyond belief, but I’m doing my best to make due. I can almost see the light at the end of the tunnel!

That’s it, that’s all! Night!

Too good to be true

2010-06-07T20:36:00.003-05:00

My time as a “city girl” has come to an end, a least for the next week. I’m back in Huntsville until Sunday.

I had my first experience driving in Toronto this morning. I only got a little lost, and only managed to cut off about 234 people… which prompted 3424 people to honk at me. I arrived alive, which is a miracle in itself.

After a long day at work, my workout mojo was definitely missing in action. I drove to my hotel, checked in, and changed into my workout gear. I himmed and hawed for another half hour, and finally got my ass to the gym. I ran for 45 mins, and did upper body and abs. You know what? I was pretty freakin’ proud of myself. You never regret a workout, you only regret missing one right?

When I started travelling extensively for work, I was pretty neat and tidy. Now… not so much. Evidence is shown below.

I didn’t even bother to get changed in the bedroom…. just whipped everything off in the living room. I’m classy like that.

Dinner was quick and easy.

A PC Blue Menu Pesto Chicken meal, a side salad and some fruit for dessert.

If I must say, I’m also kind of proud of the way I’m eating while travelling. I was eavesdropping on some colleagues chatter today and they were complaining about gaining weight while away. I’m proud to say that the scale has gone down since I’ve been away. Go me!

I’m off to relax a little before bed.

As much as I love the hustle and bustle of the city, it feels great to look outside and see GREEN again.

Until next time!

My day in paradise

2010-06-06T19:54:00.002-05:00

I love the Yankees… namely Jeter, Pettitte and A-Rod.

Early morning prep

2010-06-05T09:33:00.001-05:00

Andrew just arrived in the big city.

In preparation for his arrival, I got up early’ish to get in a little workout.

I ran for 45 mins on the treadmill, and did an upper body workout.

I came back up to the condo and had a little breakfast.

1 WW english muffin, and a side of strawberries.

I think we’re getting a new roof on our house today. Andrew chose to vacate to avoid listening the hammering and nailing. Chances are it *might* rain in Ottawa today, so he may arrive home to a new roof…. or he may not. Time will tell!

I have a big day planned, so I best get to the shower.

Have a wonderful and healthy Saturday!

Amy and the Blowfish

2010-06-04T22:06:00.001-05:00

Get it, ~~Hootie~~ Amy and the Blowfish?

I’m so lucky to have the best friend/tour guide/foodie a girl could ask for. Krissy knows Toronto SOOOO well, and tonight we spent a couple hours walking around and seeing the sights. It was so fun!

We stopped for a sweet cool treat along the way.

Krissy suggested we try Blowfish. We both have an obsession with sushi, so it tends to be a trend whenever we get together.

The restaurant was set in an old bank. Very funky and modern. Loved it! My apologies in advance for the crappy pictures. It was hard to take pictures discreetly in a dimly lit place!

We started out with bevvies. Krissy had one of the sake cocktails and I had a pomegranate mojito cocktail.

We shared an order of veggie tempura for a starter. The veggies were unique… 3 types of mushrooms. snap peas, okra, peppers. zuchinni flowers, asparagus and lotus root.

Our main was 4 types of rolls.

We had:

•blue snow tuna, tai, salmon, kani, avocado, mango, gobo, cucumber, daikon sprout, blue curacao, kewpie

•orange & black salmon, mango, avocado, orange & black tobiko, yuzu drizzle

•okinawan deep fried sweet potato wrap, banana, avocado, mango-kewpie coulis

•chicken kara-age roll lightly battered chicken breast, avocado, lettuce, red tobiko, mango, strawberry kewpie

The rolls were amazing. So flavourful and unique tastings. I loved that they had some many different and unique flavours.

Dessert was the best part!

Mango tempura. Enough said.

Thanks for a wonderful night Krissy!

Days go by

2010-06-03T21:21:00.001-05:00

My day looked like this:

6h45: Wake up
7h3o: Depart for the office
7h45: Procure a coffee
7h46: spill coffee all over myself
8h-1h30: work
1h35: Procure Subway for lunch, eat it at my desk, while working
2h-8pm: work
8h15: hit the gym, run for 40 mins, do a mini total body workout
9h15: go out to buy some food (no time for the grocery store AGAIN)
9h45: Decide I don’t want to eat out again, so I buy a loaf of bread and some veggies and settle on this:

BBQ Baked beans (I ate about 4 bites, they’re gross) 2 slices of toast, carrots/hummus and my salad from Fresh (too full to eat it last night!) Pretty gross meal, but it filled me up.

Odd aside: Yesterday we had a fire drill. My new office is on the 37th floor. I had to walk down 37 flights of stairs in 3 inch stilettos. Not only did I need to perform minor surgery on them after my shoes murdered my feet, but my legs are actually SORE today from walking down all the stairs. Weird eh?

I need to get tidied up, and hit the sack. I’m really looking forward to the weekend. I need to get organized which help immensely in establishing a routine I think. Lates!

Amy gets Fresh

2010-06-02T21:25:00.001-05:00

I’ve seen a lot of hoopla in the blog world about Fresh.

Image Source

There is a location a hop, skip and a jump away from my humble (temporary) abode, so I decided to see what it was all about.

I ordered:

grilled vegetable and pesto burrito
grilled red pepper, zucchini & sweet potato with pesto, vegan
mayo, tomato, lettuce, cucumber, red onion & alfalfa sprouts
with goat cheese

With a side of sweet potato fries and salad.

I’d be lying if I didn’t say it was ABSOLUTELY delicious. I’ll definitely be going back to try some of their other dishes!

I had 2 goals today:

Procure groceries
Go to the gym.

1 out of 2 ain’t bad right? I still have yet to be successful in purchasing groceries. Goal #1 will be bumped until tomorrow.

I did, however, accomplish goal #2. I hit up the gym in my condo building and spent 35 mins on the treadmill. Felt great to get my sweat on again! Woot woot!

I’ve been up pretty late the last couple of nights. I’m finding it hard to settle down at night after putting in a kazillion hours at the office. I’m still not really 100% unpacked, but I’m not going home this weekend so I hope to get settled then.

Time to spend some time with some On Demand episodes of Y&R.

Night!

Dear Amy

2010-06-01T22:23:00.003-05:00

Dear Amy,

A friendly reminder that exercise is important.

Please get your ass to the gym tomorrow. Its been 4 days since your last workout.

Also, an additional reminder that it's okay to turn down a glass of wine.

Furthermore, get your ass to the grocery store and buy some real food.

Kind regards,

Amy and the City

2010-05-31T20:05:00.001-05:00

I grew up in a very small town, population 9000.

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I went to university in Guelph, which is a city with a population of 200,000, but has a very small town feel to it.

Photo source

I now call Ottawa/Gatineau my home. Its city living, but pales in comparison to where I’m hanging my hat for the next couple of months.

Photo source

Hell0 BIG CITY!

Photo source

A big part of me would be lying if I said I wasn’t completely overwhelmed. It will take some time for me figure out my surroundings, but the other part of me is thrilled to be here.

I think the hardest thing for me is not having a car here. I know there is absolutely NO need for one, but for things like groceries it would be much easier to just to Google a store and drive over there.

Speaking of groceries, I NEED to locate a grocery store. I am craving produce in the worst way.

Next best thing: Subway. Buffalo chicken on brown.

With baked chippies.

I didn’t manage to sneak in a workout today, but I promise to get on that tomorrow.

I think I might watch a little Y&R on demand, and finish unpacking.

Until next time!

The day I didn’t screw up the pancakes

2010-05-30T17:56:00.001-05:00

There is a small running joke at our house about pancakes. You see, despite being rather Martha Stewart’ish in the kitchen, I ALWAYS screw up the pancakes. I lack the flipping skills, I blame it on weak wrists!

On the flip (bahaha.. pun intended) side my husband, who fell VERY far from the “Gifted in the kitchen” tree, makes a wicked pancake each and every time.

This morning was different though. I made the most delicious pancakes EVER!

I cannot take all the credit though, as these pancakes came straight from a box. Fibre One to be exact. I picked up this mix a couple months ago on our US roadtrip.

Amazing I tell you.

They came out almost an inch thick.

I’m still making an effort to add extra protein to each meal, so I added about 1/4 cup of vanilla greek yogurt on top.

Due to the fact I’m not living at home right now, my flower gardens were in a sad state of affairs. Andrew is talented in many areas (like pancakes making!) but lacks severely in the gardening depart. We spent a few hours getting them in tip top shape. They look SO great!

This sits on my front step. It used to my Mom’s saddle horse. I couldn’t bear to part with it, so it makes an excellent hanging basket holder. My plan is to refinish it… once I learn how to do that.

Also planted some herbies.

And added some potted flowers to the back yard too.

Lets just hope Andrew can keep them alive.

The rest of the weekend was spent playing referee to these two.

Its actually pretty endearing (even though the pictures make it look like she’s trying to commit murder) watching them. Jersey is sooo gentle and tolerant with him. I think she secretly loves him and wants a brother.

Overall it was a stellar weekend. I ate ok’ish (some treats were had yesterday) and I had a couple of great workouts. Now I must pack and get ready for the move to the big city tomorrow.

Think its time to fire up the grill. TTFN!

Last road trip

2010-05-29T08:16:00.001-05:00

I made my last road trip from Huntsville-Ottawa last night, as I am relocating to Toronto on Monday and don’t really want my car in the city.

As per usual, I see a little furry friend. I stop and have a moment with him.

You know, practicing my moose calls and such. Note: Moose do not respond to the same noises I use to call my kitties. Must research proper moose calls. When all of a sudden, he turns to see what is approaching.

A convoy of rain suit clad photographers, armed with SLRs and huge ass lenses.

What the fuck? I’ve never seen anything like this IN. MY. LIFE!

My moment with nature was ruined, and I think I actually ended up taking more pictures of the ~~crazies~~ photographers.

One little moose caused all that commotion, not to mention a few near accidents.

Joke is on them though, because about an hour further into my drive I saw this guy who would have made an excellent model for the professionals as he was pretty attentive. I had my 55mm lense on that doesn't zoom so as you can see, I got pretty close! It was a pretty special moment. Just me, the moose and the 234980 blackflies that were feasting on my neck, ears, face and back. Not much on the agenda for this weekend. I hope to finally get around to planting some flowers, get in a decent workout, and relax.

Although, I’m not sure the relaxing part will happen. Why?

Look who is visiting for the weekend.

The Devil. Click on the link to see how our household was turned upside down the last time ~~the devil~~ Jasper came to stay with us.

Have a great Saturday!

Healthy Living Resumed

2010-05-28T08:28:00.002-05:00

In case you were all wondering, I SURVIVED! I honestly thought I might not make it, but I'm a trooper and managed to rally yesterday!

I need to toot my own horn a little, because I managed to make it to Body Combat and had a wicked workout! I think I was sweating out rum (very similar to my Listerine experience) but man, I rocked it!

Healthy living is back in FULL force today.

On the menu today: Salad in a bottle, banana, a huge salad, and an All Bran bar.... H20 and coffee for hydration.

I'm slowly trying to eat all the produce out of my fridge... why, you may ask? I'm moving to Toronto on Monday! YAY! I've been in Huntsville for a little longer than expected, but I have to say I've loved the "small town" living. That being said, I'm really looking forward to be making the move to Toronto for several reasons. 1) Everything is walkable 2) Many more amenities
3) There is a Goodlife within 0.3km from where I will be living 4) I have lots of friends in Toronto 5) There are lots of beautiful bloggers in Toronto that I would LOVE to meet! :)

Have a wonderful day!

Clearly this is not salad...

2010-05-27T09:43:00.003-05:00

So, remember my plan to have one salad each day this week?

Total fail.

Drinking on a "school night" not cool. I present my breakfast, from McDONALDS.

What the hell?

I receive a lot of comments commending me on my honesty, so here it goes:

I am hungover, greasy food makes me feel better, as does chocolate milk.

With the exception of the odd ice-cream cone, and a little late night mishap in Halifax in October of last year, I haven't had McDonald's in like 8 years.

Is it 5pm yet?

Making friends with salad

2010-05-25T19:21:00.001-05:00

It was 30 degrees outside today.

It was about 50 degrees at step class tonight.

I was soaked to the bone afterwards. I have to say, Body Step is starting to grow on me. There is a lack of punching/kicking, and a little too much clapping and hamstring curls… but hey, it makes me sweat my ass off and gets my heart pounding!

When I was at my absolute skinniest, I was eating salad for at least one meal a day. This week, I decided I will return to my skinny mini eating habits. Its going to be a hot week, so I can think of a better time to rekindle my friendship with SALAD!

Prettied up for pictures: Iceburg lettuce, grape tomatoes, cucumbers, red-green-yellow peppers, pumpkin seeds and shredded old cheddar.

I added a chicken breast with a little general tso’s sauce, and tossed the salad in a one tbsp light poppy seed dressing.

My goal this week is to create a different salad combination each night this week…. with a little help from you guys:

What is YOUR favourite salad combo?

Long weekend recap

2010-05-24T19:13:00.001-05:00

And just like that, the long weekend is over.

Saturday in words:

Hit up the gym bright and early to sneak in a little extra calorie burn in preparation for a day of indulgence.
Attended my friends wedding. Despite the rather horrid weather, it was a lovely day.
Was sad that I was missing good times in Halifax
I was sad the Habs lost
I was sad that I missed David Gray perform in Ottawa.

Saturday in pictures:

Sunday in words:

Woke up with zero hangover, as we made it an early night at the wedding.
Headed to Barrie to hang out with my friend Krissy and her man-friend.
I played with her 18-200mm lense. I want.
Ate a lot of sushi. But sushi is delicious. And so are tempura bananas.
Came back to Huntsville and went on a hot date to see Iron Man 2. It was kind of meh.
Following the movie, we grabbed a bite. I had a burger and it was friggin’ delicious. I’ve been craving red meat of late. What does this mean?

Sunday in photos:

Monday in words:

We slept in, and it was pretty much amazing.
Had an early-ish lunch at a fabulous restaurant on the water. It was so fun to just people watch.
I enjoyed a rather delightful BBQ chicken pita and a side salad.
Andrew left around 2pm, so I hit up the gym. 1h20 mins were spent ~~hating~~ bonding with the treadmill, followed by 20 mins of upper body work and abs.
I opted for the treadmill for 2 reasons: 1) its friggin hot out, and 2) the blackflies are ridiculous right now.
I was still craving red meat at dinner, so I whipped up a “pita burger” with a side of broccoli and carrots.
Currently watching the hockey game. I may be a very sad girl tomorrow should the Habs lose.

Monday in pictures:

Long day, long weekend!

2010-05-22T06:46:00.001-05:00

*This should have got posted last night, however, its a little difficult to post when you have no internet connection. GRRRR! *

What a long day at the office today…. wow. Most of my co-workers left at noon to get the long weekend started early, but I got stuck working on a quasi emergency and didn’t leave the office until 5:00pm.

I’m not going home this weekend as we have a wedding to attend in this neck of the woods, so Andrew is en route here as I type this.

Speaking of wedding, this is my first time “dressing up” since I chopped off my hair. I emailed my hairdresser asking for an opinion of what he would do. He suggested using a large barrel curling iron to give it some body…. to quote him “Very hot on short hair”

I did a trial run this evening when I got home. What do you think? I like it!

Today was a bit of a weird day in the food department. I was up at 5h20 to make it to spin at 6am. Pre-spin was a banana.

Post spin was a coffee and an All Bran bar….and that was it, ALL DAY. This never happens in my life, as I pretty much live to eat. I guess work just kept my mind occupied all day.

As a result of my lack of proper nutrition today, I whipped up a quick chicken stir fry for dinner. topped with 1/2 cup brown rice.

This totally hit the spot, and it was exactly what I was craving.

Dessert: Apples and Caramel sauce. I only ate about a tbsp of the caramel sauce. It was almost TOO sweet!

Andrew left Ottawa at about 5pm, so he should be arriving within the next hour. I cannot wait to see him, and kiss his whole face!

Too all my lovelies in Halifax, I hope you’re all rubbing against each other inappropriate and that there is lots of motor-boating going on in my absence! xoox

Good intentions, gone bad

2010-05-20T19:00:00.001-05:00

I turned down a dinner invite tonight in favour of hitting up the gym.

I got to the gym, only to realize that I forgot my sports bra. Unfortunately going without is NOT an option for me. My condo is about 15 mins out of down, so once I got back here I declared tonight an evening of sloth.

I’m feeling pretty drained and tired, so maybe forgetting my sports bra was psychological?

Dinner was one of my staples. I know you’re likely sick of seeing chili, but I honestly never get sick of it. I could eat it daily!

With a diet root beer.

I’m going to watch a little of this tonight too.

I feeling a little down of late. I won’t go into detail, but in a nutshell, it looks like this:

I’m supposed to be running a half marathon in Halifax this weekend. I had a previous commitment that I forgot about, so I can’t make it.
Due to operational requirements at work, I don’t think I’ll be able to make it home the entire month of June… and I have that wedding this weekend, and a bachelorette next weekend, both in the Toronto area.
I hate feeling like my friendship is not valued.
I have flabby gramma arms.
The Habs are sucking (albeit they are up 2-0 as I type this)
I miss my dog and kitties.
Snide comments by a co-worker are starting to drive my craaaazy.
I hate it when people don’t know my history, and assume that just because I’m not a stick that I’m just ‘starting’ to workout and ask me if I’m seeing any results.
I have 4 dresses to choose from to wear to the wedding I have to attend on Saturday, and I feel like a heifer in every single one.

I just need to shake my mental funk.

Another odd sighting…

2010-05-19T20:31:00.001-05:00

The craziness continues.

I’ve seen lots of interesting things during my time away: Moose, deer, geese, foxes, and raccoons.

But look who I saw today!

Random or what?

I got stuck late at work, so I missed spinning. Instead, I ran a quick 5k on the treadmill followed by a mini strength workout. 100 Kettlebell swings, bicep curls, shoulder raises, squats, lunges, and some ab work on the bosu ball.

My ass is already screaming from the Kettlebell swings. I can only imagine the pain I will be in tomorrow. Yesssssssssss!

Dinner was delicious: Chicken breast, shredded brussel sprouts, and a potato cooked in the microwave.

No sweet treat for me tonight… because the reason I got to meet Ronald McDonald today may have been because I was there procuring a small chocolate sundae.

I’m off to watch Idol. I have developed a ridiculous crush on Lee Dewyze.

So much so, that I sent the following email to my loving husband today….

Dear Andrew,

I am in love with Lee from American Idol.

I may leave you, and pursue him.

That is all.

Love, Amy xo

Have a great night!

Biggest Loser Marathon Rant

2010-05-19T11:15:00.003-05:00

/begin rant.
Image Source

Alright... rather than writing a huge rant, I encourage you all to go over to Laura's blog and read hers as she took the words right out of my mouth.

My 'beefs' in a nutshell:

They don't show them drinking water

They don't show them fueling up

They don't show any kind of running training during the episodes (if you're curious, here is an example of a marathon training program.)

The rant that Jillian gave when Daris gained weight after marathon training

They make it seem like "anyone" can run a marathon.

/end rant.

What are your thoughts?

When the cat is away....

2010-05-18T14:06:00.004-05:00

...the mouse can play!

I present you with Andrew's dinner from last night. Notice that he eats off the 1970's Corelle when I'm not around? :)

You should know one thing about my husband. He has a "sauce fetish". (bahaha.. sauce fetish, get it?) He puts bbq sauce on just about everything. Last year, we made a trip to the Budwiser Brewery in Nashua, NH where he fell in love with the Budwiser BBQ sauce. He called me this week with excitement in his voice to proclaim that Costco now sells the BBQ in a gigantic bottle.

So while I'm making a conscious effort to healthy eats while being away, my husband is "living it up" as a bachelor. I'm sure there are many burgers, wings and ice cream being consumed... but hey, its me with the weight problem...not him.

Kudos to you my dear Andrew, merely for the fact that there are vegetables on your plate of meat.

Well hello there

2010-05-17T19:09:00.001-05:00

I arrived back to my condo today to see two little ears peaking out of the dumpster.

Which became a little face…

Proceeded by the slowest animal exit ever, not your typical “dine and dash” I think he was probably thinking “Hmm, she’s a scary human…. but she seems pretty into that weird black thing in her hand I wonder if she’s going to hurt me, or if I can back in that dumpster and chow down” I know racoons are pretty gross, but at the same time they’re pretty cute!

Dinner was quite excellent. The star of the show was a package of leftover Wendy’s Hot Sauce. For some odd reason, I think this is the best hot sauce ever!

A nuked a small potato, and topped it with some homemade turkey chili, hot sauce, avocado, old cheddar and fat free sour cream.

Dessert will be a small dish of heaven.

I bought this fro-yo for several reasons.

1) Its dark chocolate

2) It fits in my teeny condo freezer

3) It was on sale

4) The nutritional info is pretty stellar

5) Its dark, creamy and rich… and had dark chocolate chips in it!

So delicious!

In other healthy living news, I went to spin class after work and did an upper body workout afterwards. Despite rocking my eats and workouts of late, I’m feeling pretty ‘soft’. When I uploaded the ‘family’ pictures last night I was slightly mortified at 1) how chubby my face looked and 2) how big my arms looked. I definitely need to step it up in the strength training department.

I should be gearing up to watch the finale of 24, but I missed it last week as I was out watching the hockey game. Andrew and I decided to hold off and play catch up together. Isn’t that commitment on my end?

See Andrew, I DO love you more then Jack. ;)

Money Shot!

2010-05-16T20:05:00.001-05:00

Today was another great day. I spent the morning getting packed up and organized for the week.

It was beautiful outside, so Andrew and I decided to grab a quick lunch and spend some time at the park before I had to head back to Huntsville for the week.

Lunch was my favourite sub from Subway. Buffalo chicken on brown, all the veggies except olives and onions and a line of ranch. YUM!

And one chocolate chip cookie.

We spent some time playing Jersey’s favorite game. Fetch.

That girl lives up to her breed, and loooves to retrieve.

Then we relaxed.

And I gave Jersey lots of love. There is a very good chance I won’t see her until July 2nd.

We tried to test out the timer on my camera.

Take #1 = disaster.

Take #2 = we look great, but Jersey isn’t looking at the camera!

Take # 3 = Jersey looks adorable, Andrew looks ummm too happy and I’m not looking so hot either.

Take #4 = Perfect, except the piece of hair that fell in my face. Ah well, I’ll take it!

We said our goodbyes, and I hit the road.

I finally was able to get my Moose Money Shot! Woo hoot!

It was actually kind of surreal experience. He was just a little baby, so I was afraid that Momma Moose was lingering in the bushes waiting to attack me for getting to close to her precious baby boy.

I was able to get pretty close!

This is how I knew it was a boy.

I made a huge rookie/city girl mistake. When spotted the moose, I pulled over and put my window down thinking I would just be able to shoot out the window. When I got brave enough to leave the car, I didn’t put my window up. I was out of the car for about 5 minutes taking pictures. In that short time, my car got completely FILLED with black flies. I spent the last hour of my drive getting eaten ALIVE! Stupid city girl.

I arrived at my condo starving, so I whipped up a quick meal.

I jazzed up a grocery store salad. I started with a “Country Salad” Lettuce, mandarins, celery, cranberries and almonds.

Then added some extras: red/green pepper, cheddar, raisins.

Andrew BBQed me some chicken breasts to bring back, so I added one and tossed it in some light poppy seed dressing. It was delicious!

Its the start of another week. Looking forward to some routine, healthy eating and a ton of workouts!

Now I must unpack. Goodnight!

Happy

2010-05-15T19:09:00.001-05:00

How can I not be happy, arriving home to these adorable faces?

And waking up to this delicious meal, prepared by my hottie of a husband?

Then I got my hair cut and colored, and headed up to meet the lovely Krista! She was in town for the day, so we hooked up, had lunch and talked A LOT! Thanks for a wonderful afternoon Krista!

My happiness continued when we decided to stay in for the night. Being away during the week, I really cherish all my “home time”. It was a nice night, so Andrew BBQed.

(Note to self: Ask Andrew to take out that dead cedar bush)

On the menu: Bacon wrapped filet mignon, roasted veggies, cesar salad, and crack… also known as garlic bread.

I love love love garlic bread. Especially the pre-made kind you cook in the foil. So bad for you, but so amazingly delicious.

I’ll pay for this, as garlic is not friends with my digestive system.

On tap for the rest of the night: Strawberries, whipped cream, little TV time and continuing to be HAPPY! Night!

Detox

2010-05-13T19:31:00.001-05:00

Its no secret. I love coffee.

Over the last 6 months or so, I have increased my coffee intake from one coffee each morning, to 2 or 3 cups a day.

I’ve been away from home for almost a month now, and I can honestly say the only nights I’ve had a full night of sleep was last weekend when Andrew was here.

Now, perhaps I just can’t sleep without Andrew… but I also think that maybe my increased caffeine intake has something to do with it.

I only had one cup of coffee yesterday. Although I felt like shit all morning, I did sleep a little better last night.

Day #2 of one cup of coffee was today, so we shall see how the sleep factor goes this evening.

Does too much caffeine impact your sleep patterns?

Gourmet

2010-05-12T17:15:00.001-05:00

Well, if you are a Habs fan you’re fully aware what a HUGE night it is in the hockey world tonight.

Game #7 baby. Its do or die.

In anticipation of a night out, I hit up spin class right after work and pushed myself to the MAX. The end result was an exhausted and sweaty Amy.

I don’t LOVE pub food, so when I got home I decided to make myself a ‘mini supper’ to fill me up so I won’t be tempted to go crazy at the bar.

On the menu:

Gourmet Bodywise bread topped with peanut butter.

Andrew was kind enough to bring me my blender on the weekend, so I also enjoyed a salad in a bottle: skim milk, OJ, a frozen banana, 3 strawberries and a whack load of spinach.

I’m pleasantly satisfied, so I know I won’t be pigging out on pub grub. I am kind of craving nachos, so perhaps I’ll order some for the table.

GO HABS GO!

In one word….

2010-05-11T18:32:00.001-05:00

To summarize today, I pretty much rocked it.

I rocked my healthy eats.

I rocked Body Step.

And dinner kind of rocked too.

I had a pork loin chop in the fridge that needed to be cooked today. I sliced it thin and fried it in a little coconut oil. Added some shredded brussels and a little maple syrup, and voila. Served with a sweet tater on the side.

One of my former colleagues is in town for business, so I’m going to meet up with her for a beverage in a while. Its nice to have some company while I’m away.

I best jump in the shower if I plan to look presentable. I’m currently blogging in my sweaty gym clothes.

Not cool Amy, not cool.

Happy Habs Fan

2010-05-10T21:01:00.001-05:00

I can breathe a little easier… until Wednesday night that is.

I’m proud that I managed to fit in a mini workout before the game, and made smart choices at the bar.

Healthy-living blogging to resume tomorrow.

A bittersweet weekend

2010-05-09T13:37:00.001-05:00

Look who came to visit this weekend!

It was actually a pretty crappy weekend weather wise, but the wonderful company made up for it.

I just said goodbye to him, so now I’m sitting here writing with tears running down my face.

Not only am I shedding tears (read: sobbing uncontrollably) after saying goodbye to the amazing man I’m so lucky to call my husband, but also because every where I look today I’m reminded that its Mothers Day.

Which then reminds me of the wonderful woman that is missing in my life, and the person that I think about just about every day.

It makes me sad knowing that I’ve lived longer without her, then the short time I had with her.

And what I really wish is that I could have got to know my Mom as a person, and not just as the motherly figure. According to my many, she was witty, funny and outspoken. I’ve been told many times that “You’re just like Mary” which makes my eyes well up with tears, but at the same time, also makes me beam with pride.

Happy Mothers Day to my beautiful Mother.

I hope that I’ve made you proud. xo

Its May!

2010-05-07T17:31:00.001-05:00

I had big hopes for this weekend.

Andrew is coming to visit me. I was hoping to sip drinks on a patio, browse the town and perhaps a little hike at Algonquin Park.

That was until I got an email from Andrew. All it said was “AMY!!!” and a link to this:

What the hell?! Its May!

I skipped the gym again tonight. I’m still not feeling great. I stopped at the grocery store to pick up a quick dinner.

My favorite grocery store “go to”:

Sushi

and salad.

I was craving sweets in the worst way, so for dessert, some fruit with FF Cool Whip. I was totally tempted to go to the Bulk Barn, but decided it would not be a great idea. Trips there never end with me feeling good about myself.

I’m sooo excited to see Andrew tonight. I’m lame. I know. But he’s a hottie, and I love him. Have a great weekend all!

Observations: May 3 - May 7

2010-05-07T10:42:00.001-05:00

Who knew it was possible to get "sicker" then you were on the weekend?
Co-workers that comment you look like shit when you're feeling like shit, really don't do much for your self esteem.
I found myself feeling pretty lonely.
I also found myself feeling guilty for not hitting the gym, despite feeling like ass.
Being sick and having no taste buds is certainly a good way to control your eating.
Its possible to get high on cough medicine.
Watching many episodes of Gilmore Girls makes me wonder what kind of realtionship I would have with my Mom.
I'm really looking forward to Andrew coming to visit me this weekend, despite the fact I miss my fur babies horribly.
My hormones are out of control.
As per observation #9, its a good thing Andrew is coming to visit this weekend. Bow-chicka-wow-wow.

The runner in you

2010-05-05T10:28:00.010-05:00

Once upon a time there was a girl named Amy.

Amy was the girl in highschool who feared the 12 min run fitness test. Amy was the girl that silently chanted "This will not kill you" when having to run 3 mins to warm up at volleyball practice. Amy once tipped the scales at 270lbs.

That is until she started running and eating healthy.

Running taught her that she was capable of doing anything, it just took a little will power and a lot of determination.

Amy fell in love with running, and went on to run many races and teach several running clinics.

However, after a while running began to lose its appeal. It became mentally draining, and was thought of as a chore.

She now only runs once a week (on a good week) and is having trouble getting back to the point of loving it again.

Amy is also slighty embarassed to admit this, so writing this post from third person perspective makes it a little easier on her already bruised ego.

Please, offer Amy some suggestions on how to locate her running mojo.

She needs to live happily ever after.

Like its nobody’s business

2010-05-04T18:55:00.001-05:00

I had a pretty productive day at the office. After work I decided to channel my inner Jane Fonda and hit up Body Step. I know I said it last week, but holy man… that class PUSHES me. I left the 60 min class completely drenched with sweat, and panting like it was nobody’s business!

I raced back to my condo and had the best. shower. ever.

I chose to take advantage of the fact that I’m husbandless, and make something I’ve been meaning to try forever. Andrew hates beans… so I wouldn’t make this at home!

I’ve been seeing this combination over at Healthy Tipping Point for ages. I figured, hey, I like sweet potatoes and I like baked beans. This flavour combination did not disappoint. Of course, I had to top it with a blob of margarine. For some reason, I love margarine on baked beans.

Oh the side: Some Guiltless Gourmet Black Bean Chippies and some of the Sweet Tomato Salsa that the lovely Krissie sent me in our cross border exchange.

My eyes were definitely bigger than my stomach. I’m filled to the brim.

I’m still feeling pretty craptastic, so I’m going to medicate with cold meds and get cozy in bed for the night. I hard as a push myself sometimes, I need to remember that rest is equally as important.

Did anyone catch TLC’s Best Food Ever tonight? It was the “Sensational Sandwiches” episode. I couldn’t decide if I wanted to drool or throw up. Some of them looked amazing, but then some of them just looked disgusting!

What is your favourite odd sandwich combo? Mine is old cheddar, Sabra Roasted Red Pepper hummus, and avocado. Sounds gross, but tastes like heaven!

Back to the grind

2010-05-03T19:34:00.001-05:00

I came back to Huntsville a day late as I had a meeting in Ottawa this morning. Lucky for me, the morning rain (I hate driving in the rain!) turned into sunshine which made the drive quite pleasant.

Another aspect that made my drive pleasant was the fact I FINALLY joined the year 2010, and procured myself my very first Ipod.

Isn’t it pretty? I’m VERY hard on Mp3 players. I go through about 2-3 a year. I think this is because I shove them in my bra when I run and because I sweat like a beast they end up rusting out. Gross eh?

Long story short, I bought myself a pretty hardcore protective cover and a 3 year warranty. Here’s hoping this puppy lasts!

Highlights of my drive included belting out the Ike/Tina version of “Proud Mary” to my friends answering machine and catching myself singing Celine Dion’s “I drove all night”. Yes, I said Celine. Ugh. I much as I loathe her, that is one catchy song! :)

I arrived around 4:30 with just enough time to drop off my stuff, change and boot it to spinning. I’m still feeling a little craptastic, but it felt great to get a good sweat going. It kind of felt like I was sweating out germs. Stupid me forgot my spin shoes in Ottawa though. Grrrr!

Dinner was quick and easy. Leftover salmon, rice and sautéed butternut squash cubes drizzled with a little agave.

I will enjoy these fresh strawberries that I tossed in a little balsamic (sounds gross, but tastes divine. TRY IT!) during my hot date with my boyfriend, Jack Bauer.

In case you’re wondering, I have 4 true loves in this world:

Captain Morgan (he has the ability to make all bad days better with his delicious rum)
Derek Jeter (Not only does the man play for my favourite baseball team, but he’s uber talented and dead sexy, especially in pinstripes)
Jack Bauer (I want him to pull my hair and say “DAMMIT!” during sexy times…. sorry TMI perhaps.)
My loving husband, Andrew.

I’m so lucky Andrew married me knowing that I lust after other men! :)

Have a great night! Ciao!

Ugh

2010-05-02T17:04:00.001-05:00

I somehow managed to avoid H1N1, and all the other germ related diseases that manage to infiltrate our immune systems during the winter.

Well, all my avoidance has caught up with me.

I spent the majority of the weekend feeling like garbage and spent a great deal of time doing this:

And “fueling up” with this.

Not the most ideal way to spend a weekend at home, but luckily I have a wonderful husband that takes good care of me.

I shall leave you with a ‘calorie friendly’ way to get your vitamin C. I always crave OJ when I’m sick, but let’s be honest, its a little high in calories and sugar. I “cut” mine with diet gingerale. 3/4 ‘gino to 1/4 OJ. Delicious!

The sweet smell of.... LISTERINE.

2010-04-30T08:58:00.003-05:00

Photo Source

Of late, I've had this random greasy patch of hair at the crown of my head. You may not know this about me, but a "dirty head" totally grosses me out. The first day I noticed it, I just thought that I hadn't rinsed out my shampoo enough. After a couple of days, it was still there. So I decided to stop using conditioner. Again, still there.

Yesterday I Googled it. Turns out A LOT of people have this exact same problem.

The suggested home remedy? Wash with a clarifying shampoo, followed by adding 3 capfuls of Listerine to your scalp/hair.

I picked up some Listerine last night on my way home from the gym, and tested out this home remedy.

My initial thoughts:
"Hmm, this is weird"
"Wow, it feels kind of good on my scalp"
"OWWWWWWWW!" *when I got Listerine in my eye*
"I smell like an alcoholic"
"Shit, I wonder if this is going to strip my hair color"

After a good rinsing, my hair was left silky and smooth with no traces of a greasy residue at the crown. SUCCESS!

Later on in the evening I was laying in bed, and ALL I could smell was Listerine. But didn't think much of it, just thought my sense of smell was in overdrive. Let's be honest here, Listerine does NOT smell good.

Fast forward to this morning. Spin class.

As I start to sweat, the smell of Listerine is becoming more and more prominent. The lady beside me starts looking at me with a "What the hell is that smell" look on her face

I start panicking, thinking "Ok, maybe I do wreak like Listerine".

Class finishes, I wipe down my bike and sprint to the shower and proceed to wash my hair twice.
I proceed to the make up counter and start blow drying my hair when a nice woman turns me and says "I've been smelling Listerine all morning."

I politely replied (read: lied directly to her face) "Oh, I'm sorry. I just brushed my teeth"

So my friends, if you are ever suffering from a random patch of greasy hair, my advice to you is this: Although Listerine may leave your greasy hair silky and smooth, be prepared for ridicule that will follow.

I cannot think of a title.

2010-04-29T20:23:00.001-05:00

Another day closer to the weekend. Hard to believe that tomorrow is Friday. This week FLEW by.

I’m frantically rushing around trying to get packed up in prep for my weekend trip home. I was feeling a little insane after Body Combat this afternoon, and I signed up for a 6am spin class. I’d like to avoid coming back to the condo tomorrow, so I want to have everything packed and ready to go. I kind of feel like I’m in university again. I’m bringing home all my dirty laundry and empty containers to fill with food!

Eats were pretty awesome today.

Breakfast was strawberries and vanilla flavoured Greek yogurt. This was my first time trying the vanilla. It was awesome. Lunch was half and avocado, and some of the macaroni I made on the weekend.

Snacks were a banana and a Coconut Larabar.

I had planned to keep dinner light on the carbies, but I came home from the gym absolutely famished. I snacked on a piece of ciabatta with margarine whilst prepping my dinner.

Dinner was a green curry chicken stirfry with 3 tbsp of brown rice.

Well, I still have some packing to do. I’m looking forward to getting my sweat on tomorrow morning. I know its bad to think this way, but I get a little anxious whenever I can’t fit in a workout. Spinning tomorrow morning will allow me to get a work out, and also not waste any time tomorrow night. I’ll be able to get home to my husband and fur babies ASAP!

Here’s to a great Friday!

Get on the Beat!

2010-04-28T19:02:00.001-05:00

Source

One of my favourite movies ever is Mr. Holland’s Opus. I love the scene pictured above when Mr. Holland is trying to teach Louis to stay on the beat.

Tonight, I wish I could have put a football helmet on my Body Pump Instructor’s head and banged the beat on her head. My god, its really not that difficult is it? She was off the beat, for at least 70% of the class. I thought it was safe to assume that most instructors have some sort of rhythm, but this lady clearly missed the “rhythm” part of the gene pool. Man oh man. Needless to say, I spent most of the class being irritated, rather than pushing myself to work my hardest.

A question to fellow Goodlife Members: Have you ever had instructors only do a partial part of the class during new release week? All the classes I’ve attended this week, the instructor has only done 5 or 6 of the new tracks, claiming they haven’t learned the whole thing yet. Is this normal? I personally have never seen this, but I guess I’m spoiled with a great group of instructors in Ottawa.

Despite being irritated, I did enjoy the chest track in the new release. Love me some “I Gotta Feeling” as it reminds me of one of the funnest (yes I said funnest!) weekends of my life!

There is a big hockey game on tonight, so I decided to play with the ingredients I had in my fridge to create some (healthier) pub grub.

Nachos made with Guiltless Gourmet, old cheddar, 1/4 avocado, old cheddar with a little chili for dipping.

You’ll notice its the exact same ingredients as last night, but presented differently. I loved these nachos. They took forever to eat, so I’m pleasantly full.

I will likely enjoy some of this later.

This is a small glass of Chapmans Mac Nut Frozen Yogurt. They have some amazing new flavours! Can’t wait to try it!

Until next time my friends.

Step by Step

2010-04-27T20:50:00.001-05:00

“Step by step… ooooooh baby… gonna get to your girrrrrrrrrl”

Who was your favourite New Kid on the Block?

I was all about Jordan and his freakishly high pitched voice! ;)

I went to Body Step for the first time, in well, months today. I’m going to try to make this Tuesday night a class a priority during my time away, because it really pushes me TOTALLY out of my comfort zone. I used to LOVE step, but I quickly learned it was actually the choreography of a certain instructor at my old gym that I liked. Body Step is a little too Jane Fonda for me. I’m undecided if I actually like it, but its a great workout so I’ll suck it up and go.

Dinner tonight was a another chili bowl, but this time I added some avocado and a side of Guiltless Gourmet spicy black bean chips for dipping. I had planned chili for lunch, but ended up going out with a colleague instead.

Desert was Greek Yogurt (to all those asking, I bought it at Metro) kiwi and a few teaspoons of Post Selects on top for some crunch. I picked up this cereal in lieu of granola on the weekend as it was on sale for just $1.99. This is the PERFECT cereal to add some crunch, and its not so high in the calorie department either.

Time for bed. Its already 9h49pm. My bed time has been getting earlier by the day here. I think I get so bored, I just go to sleep! Night!

Same old, same old.

2010-04-26T19:07:00.001-05:00

The post title tonight is not pertaining to my mood, but more or how I’m feeling about my blogging of late.

Day in, day out is same old-same old.

Other blogs out there are so much more entertaining than mine… and I’m running out of ideas how to keep it fresh. I’m noticing this is being reflected in the comments, well, the lack thereof.

The gist of my blog has become “I ate _________ and then I ran/went spinning/Body Combat” with a little of “Here is picture of my dog”

I know that I’m capable of much, much more. I’d like to fancy myself a decent writer and this little blog of mine has grown bigger than I ever could have imagined.

Please stick by me during this challenging (but totally rewarding) time of my career. Life has become 90% work, which leaves little to no time for healthy living. I squeeze in a workout when I can, and eat when I get hungry. Its a simple as that.

Now, on to the “same old, same old”

I went to spin class immediately after work. I’m feeling an odd sensation in my left shoulder pain. I suspect it may be from spending so much time in the car. I might hit up the hot tub in the Sports Complex for some muscle relaxation later on. That being said, there is a Habs game on and its also 24 night. Here’s hoping!

I arrived home absolutely famished. I had a quick snack of carrots and white bean dip to tide me over.

Dinner was easy, quick, yet delicious. Warmed balsamic chicken served over a bed of cesar salad with 1/2 a ciabatta bun.

For some odd reason, I love warmed chicken on salad. It makes everything a little soggy, and its sooooo good!

Alright, I’m out. A Habs game followed by some Jack Bauer. Life is good my friends!

Moose alert!

2010-04-25T19:08:00.001-05:00

This morning started out great. I met my friend Sheila at Goodlife for the new release of Body Combat. The new release was pretty fun, but I didn’t find it quite as challenging as some of the other ones.

Following the class, I enjoyed the rest of my breakfast from yesterday. Just as good the second time around.

I washed my gym clothes, packed up my stuff and hit the road. On my drive home on Friday night, I saw my very first moose EVER. Holy man, they are HUGE. Of course, my camera was in the trunk so I was unable to snap a picture. My goal when I originally found out I’d be living here was to merely see a moose. My new goal: To capture a picture! I drove with my camera on the front seat of the car, but no moose appeared.

I had to pull over about 3 hours into my drive to grab an apple out of the trunk. I was STARVING.

I arrived to my condo absolutely famished. I definitely didn’t eat enough today,

I immediately prepared some cesar salad.

And a “chili bowl” that was one cubed baked potato, 1 cup of chili, old cheddar and a dallop of greek yogurt. This was delicious. My chili turned out fahhhbulous,

Its just after 8pm, and I’m all unpacked and ready to start a new week. I think I might watch some episodes of Entourage (that shoe NEVER gets old for me!) and call it a night.

Here’s to another great week ahead of us!

Home = Not a Free for All!

2010-04-24T18:58:00.001-05:00

Today I’ve been a little too gluttonous… too much food, not enough exercise. I need to remind myself, that just because I’m back home dosn’t mean its a celebration!

After a glorrrrious sleep in my OWN bed, Andrew and I decided to go out for breakfast. We don’t do this often, as I find it a bit limiting because I don’t like eggs.

I ordered the “Pancakes with Fresh Fruit” and a side of bacon. Look at the size of this!

I ate about half the fruit, one pancake, and 3 slices of bacon. Packed up the rest for breakkie tomorrow!

That is where the day started to go south. There is something you need to know about my husband. He likes Dairy Queen, A LOT. Dairy Queen just so happens to be having a “Buy One, Get one for .25” sale on right now.

My frugal side said: Why pay $4 for a cone, when you can get a Blizzard for .25? So I had my first Blizzard in 8 friggin years.

I actually thought it was kind of gross. I only ate about half of it.

We came home, and I spent a few hours in the kitchen getting some meals ready for the week. Let’s be honest, Andrew is a stud yes, but he lacks some skills in the kitchen. I worry that he just won’t eat while I’m away… so I whipped up a few dishes that we can both heat up for quick lunches and dinners.

I made a crock pot full of balsamic chicken and baby portabellas.

A big pot of turkey chili with mixed beans,

And an amazing macoroni and cheese recipe. I initially saw this recipe over on Eye’s on the Hourglass and have been salivating for it ever since. The only modifications I made were skipping the breadcrumbs and topping with tomatoes, using all lowfat/fat free cheese, added 1/4 cup skim milk and a can of tomato soup.

I enjoyed some for dinner with a side of roasted brussel sprouts and half a bun. (you can totally tell Andrew did some shopping on his own…. he bought WHITE buns. So delicious!)

Andrew and I spent the majority outside with the dog. We took her to a park called The Rockeries. Its so beautiful there this time of year with all the daffodils in bloom. Beautiful daffodils in bloom = photo op! You may recall seeing similar pictures from this post last year.

I shall leave you with pictures of my ~~totally beautiful and should be a model~~ Jersey-girl.

Enjoy the rest of your Saturday. :)

2010-04-23T21:21:00.001-05:00

Nothing feels better than home.

Getting there

2010-04-22T19:05:00.001-05:00

Well I survived another day.

I’m on the fence about whether or not to go home this weekend.

Part of me reallllllllly wants to go home, but part of me feels like its a lot of driving for just 2 short days at home.

But then part of me wonders what the hell I would do ALL day Saturday and Sunday. There are classes at the gym, but thats only 2 hours max.

What would YOU do?

I hit up Body Combat after work. It was a super workout as per usual, although, the instructor paled in comparison to my 2 favorite instructors in Ottawa. She had sort of a lisp, and did not really stay on the beat. This is a major irritation factor for me – being a music major and all.

I decided to whip up a stir fry for supper tonight. It not only made me dinner, but also 2 extra containers for lunches in the near future.

Sorry for the crappy picture with flash. There is ZERO natural light in my suite by the end of the day. The sun sets on the other side of the building, and there is a balcony over my patio door that prevents any light from coming in.

Thursday’s are my favorite TV night, so I’m going to get into my PJ’s and curl up in a blanket. Even though its not home, its pretty cozy here at night. Night!

A lonely night

2010-04-21T18:44:00.001-05:00

Today started out great with a delicious and filling breakfast. I had a package of Quaker Weight Control Banana Bread oatmeal with an added banana and some chia seeds.

I had quite possibly one of the most challenging days of my career today. I received an email from a subordinate colleague that I would have never sent to ANY colleague let alone a senior officer. I was completely shocked, and I was so angry I was shaking.

I managed to give myself a migraine, but luckily was able to nip it in the bud thanks to a colleague’s Aleve stash in her purse.

I went to spin class, and had a GREAT workout. The staff at Goodlife Huntsville are so friendly and welcoming.

I picked up a quick dinner as I wasn’t really feeling like making anything.

Salad with leftover Balsamic Chicken from Kelsey’s (dinner from last night) and some spicy California rolls.

Something sweet to finish of the meal, strawberries and kiwi.

I’m rocking the healthy eats. I’m proud to say that I’ve been on track for 10 days, and rocking my workouts.

On tap for the rest of the night: Early to bed. I haven’t slept well in the last 2 nights….. and its finally catching up. My migraine is still lingering so I’m going to pop some more Aleve and hit the sack early.

After the miserable day I had today, I’m craving some smootches from my husband and snuggles from my fur babies. I’ve only been gone for 4 days. Please remind me that I’m going to make it.

Getting settled

2010-04-19T19:36:00.001-05:00

Well, the movers arrived with my boxes this afternoon. I’ve unpacked and made my suite a ~~shitty~~ little home.

Rewind to breakfast. Yogurt, mixed fruit and a banana.

Lunch was a Lean Cuisine, banana and Larabar.

Dinner was simple. A ceasar salad and a small chili from Wendy’s. I opted for easy after my stupid fridge froze all the fresh veggies that I procured yesterday with plans to make a stir fry tonight. Grrrrrr!

Dessert will be the leftovers of this Nanaimo Bar Frozen Yogurt. Right out of the container.

Why? Because the container wouldn’t fit in the freezer. I had to get creative. I put it into mugs and bowls so they’d fit in the teeeeeny freezer. Waste not, want not!

After work today, I hit up spin class. Minus my spin shoes that hadn’t arrived yet. It felt sooo weird to spin without being clipped in! Felt great to get a good sweat on though, THAT I can say!

I shall leave you with a shot of the shoe collection that accompanied me. Notice something missing?

Somehow I managed to forget ONE red shoe. Gah!

Help!

2010-04-19T12:09:00.001-05:00

My dear blog friends, I am in dire need of your help.

This is my kitchen for the next month.

I’m asking you for some meal ideas.

Something that is healthy and that can be made using a hot plate, microwave and a toaster.

Suggestions?

Bear with me

2010-04-19T09:00:00.000-05:00

Sorry for the lackage in the blogging department of late.

I have arrived in my temporary new accomodation, and am in the process of getting settled in.

Last night I couldn't get my wireless to work so here's hoping for better luck tonight.

US Shopping Trip

2010-04-17T11:47:00.001-05:00

Andrew and I went on a cross-border shopping trip to Syracuse, NY last weekend. With the Canadian dollar being almost at par, it was the perfect opportunity to score some good deals.

I’m packing up all my stuff today as I’m moving to Hunstville, ON until July 31st for work related duties.

It was the perfect time to take pictures!

I’m a huge fan of What Not to Wear, and I like to think I’ve become quite good at picking pieces that you can mix and match to make multiple outfits.

Up first – Black blazer, teal sleeveless top. Its hard to tell, but the blazer has some wonderful darts in it to hide all the jiggley bits!

A white cardigan with a bit of a puff sleeve, and a super cute navy/white/orange dress.

Awesome red short sleeve fitted blazer, purple/red flowery flowy top.

2 sleeveless tops… essential for the summer and perfect for under a blazer.

Beige blazer, and underneath it is a super cute skirt with shades of navy, pink, and black.

And some simple basics for the bottom: Pencil skirts in navy/chocolate brown, and a walking shirt in a khaki green.

And SHOES! 5 pairs were bought in total.

So many fun outfits can be created with these pieces. I think I made Stacy and Clinton proud!

Now, less blogging.. more packing. So far I’ve managed to fill 2 wardrobe boxes, a suitcase filled with workout clothes and 14 pairs of shoes. Oops!

A word on PROTEIN

2010-04-15T11:47:00.001-05:00

I’m sitting here chowing down on my delicious lunch, watching a little Intervention. Sometimes I think I need an intervention from Intervention. I’m totally addicted!

On the menu: Avocado/tomato/old cheddar wraps, baby carrots and 1 tbsp of ranch for dipping.

Isn’t my new tablecloth cute? Its from Target, I procured it on our little road trip on Sunday. Post about all that coming soon!

Earlier in the week, I got an email from the lovely/inspirational/amazing Carolyn regarding my Dear Amy post. Carolyn was my Booty Camp instructor back in the fall, and I’m thrilled that she’s still following my little blog. Anyways, Carolyn offered a little piece of unsolicited advice regarding my (lack of) protein consumption. She reminded me that adding more protein will help me feel fuller longer. Basically, everytime I eat I should be asking “Where’s the Protein?”

So where was the protein in my lunch today?

2 tortillas = 6g
Avocado = 1.7g
1 oz old cheddar = 7g
1 tbsp calorie wise ranch = 0.3g
Tomato = 0.7g

Grand total of 15.7 g

Carolyn suggested I aim for at least 80 grams a day.

Clearly this lunch was lacking in protein, so I had a serving of greek yogurt and agave.

Alright, I gotta get back to the office. But first, I must pack. I’m going to my hometown tonight for a wake. I also plan to stop and get some baby snuggles from my cousin’s baby, and to watch the HABS KICK ASS with my Aunt. Should be a good night! :)

Easy Wild Mushroom Tortellini

2010-04-14T11:44:00.000-05:00

My girlfriend Amie and I had a sleepover last weekend, and she whipped up this amazing dish. I replicated it over the weekend, and its definitely worth sharing!

Amie and I are similar in the sense that we don’t really follow recipes much, so please bare with me as I try to explain! :)

Ingredients

Shallots or onions
garlic
EVOO
Various mushrooms – I used oyster, shitake, baby bellas and white
white wine
fresh lemon juice
1 container low fat ricotta
pasta water
1 package whole wheat tortellini (this would be great with any pasta though!)

Directions

Cook pasta according to directions.

Sautee shallots in EVOO until soft
Add mushrooms and cook until soft
Add enough white wine to deglaze the pan, and allow alcohol to cook off
Add ricotta, and a little of the pasta to thin it out.
Add the juice of 1 or 2 lemons.
Toss in the tortellini
Top with a little fresh parmesan, fresh parsley and serve immediately.

This recipe was so simple, and was PACKED with fresh flavours. It doesn’t look the prettiest, but trust me, it was delicious.

I loaded it with mushrooms, so a little pasta went a long way. If you’re looking for quick and easy pasta recipe, try this one!

Tracky Trackerton

2010-04-13T20:30:00.001-05:00

Day #2 back on track has been a success!

This time around, I’m using Spark People to track my calories. So far, so good!

For the record, I thought about paying to rejoin Weight Watchers online, but really, I just wanted an online method to track what I was eating. Sparkpeople has a great database, and the best part IT’S FREE!

Jersey had her annual trip to the vet today. She was a nervous little Nelly, but all was fine!

I’m happy to report that the vet RAVED about how low her resting heart rate was – indicative of lots of exercise. He said that if she was a human, she’d have the same fitness level of Lance Armstrong!

Looks like all the running has paid off! She was only .20 of a pound heavier than she was last year too. Go Jersey! I feel like a little horn tooting for Andrew and I is in order. We’re pretty damn good doggie parents. Toot toot!

After the vet, I hit up Body Combat for an hour long sweat session. I looved it as per usual!

Arrived home and made a feast.

Chicken, baby bok choy, portabello/white mushrooms, shallots, garlic, chicken broth, red pepper flakes, sesame oil, sesame seeds and 1/4 cup brown rice.

I love this meal. Its filling and calorie friendly!

I cannot lie. I feel fantastic. Its amazing what a little tracking can do! :)

Dear Amy...

2010-04-12T13:50:00.003-05:00

Dear Amy,

Everyone in a while, we have a heart to heart and this one is long overdue.

Back in January, we got all hung-ho for the X-Weighted National Challenge. We rocked the first few weeks losing 12 lbs.

Needless to say those 12 lbs are back, plus a couple more.

We have lost and regained those exact same effing 12 lbs 234049345 (that number is for you Adam!) times.

We workout daily, but clearly also eat alot.

We read a lot of blogs, and salivate daily at the yummy (and not necessarily healthy) foods that other bloggers are eating, and think "If they look THAT good and eat that much, we can too."

But you know what? We cannot each like that. We have to pay attention to my portion sizes, sugar consumption, and carb intake. (To my blog friends: Now before you go all crazy on me telling me that carbs are necessary, yes I'm aware of that. And yes, I eat carbs. I just can't eat a kazillion of them in one day!)

We need to get back to basics. Tracking. Eating less sugar. And most of all getting rid of the "its not that bad" mentality.

The "its not that bad" mentality is where we get into trouble. For example: Smoothies and B'fast Cookies. Yes, there ARE good for you. They're filled with nutrients, veggies and fruit. However, these little guys pack a pretty big punch in the calorie department. Just because its good for you dosn't mean its calorie free. (please note, I'm talking to myself here.. not preaching!)

We need to get back to being conscious of portion sizes. We have not been diligent about this AT ALL lately. A "glug" became a tbsp, "3 scoops" became a cup, "half a bowl" became a serving. Its not hard to see why there has been a slow creepage of the scale.

We know how to do this, we just have to buckle down and do it dammit.

Hugs'n'kisses,

xoox

Wine-0

2010-04-10T20:07:00.001-05:00

My friend Amie and I had a sleepover last night, as her hubby was out of town.

Amie is an amazing cook, so I showed up with my camera with good intentions of sharing the amazing night of food with you all.

Here’s the first shot.

And that’s where it stopped. The wine took over, and that was all she wrote. I’m going to attempt to replicate the meal she made tomorrow night, so stay tuned.

Andrew and I had great plans to go to dinner and a movie tonight. We decided to have a date night at home instead. Dinner was fahhhbulous.

Bacon wrapped filet mignon, foil potatoes, roasted asparagus, and fig balsamic goat boats. YUM.

There might have also been a dish of ice cream and a couple of handfuls of M&M’s for dessert.

Its 9pm, and I think date night is going to continue by watching a couple episodes of Breaking Bad. Have a great night!

Yes, this is a “healthy living” blog

2010-04-08T19:09:00.001-05:00

…but tonight, I’m taking a break.

I’ve had a couple of emails asking how my new hair cut is. The answer? Its great. I style it less smooth. While I like the smooth look, its a little too prim and proper for me.

I actually haven’t even been blow drying my entire head. Just my bangs. I rub a little AG Liquid Varnish through it, and then add some AG Stucco for texture. Finish it off with some hairspray and I’m done. LOVE IT!

I’m feeling ~~brutal~~ a little out of sorts when it comes to healthy living these days. I really need to sit down and figure out my priorities. Sadly these days, my zest for exercises is even suffering.

I caught a rather heart warming moment on film this afternoon when I came home for lunch. Yes, I’m a crazy pet lady. Sue me.

But seriously, how cute is this?

Home for lunch

2010-04-08T11:47:00.001-05:00

I live literally a 2 min drive from my office. I’ve been working there since December, and each day I simply work through my lunch…. eating while I do it.

Today I decided to take advantage and go home for lunch.

Whipped up some leftovers:

Tea biscuits

1/3 cup brown rice

Moroccan stew, topped with a little FF sour cream. YUM.

And my afternoon caffeine fix. I should definitely do this morning often. Not only do I get a nice break from the office, but I get to see my girl! She was reallllly happy to see her Momma, although in this picture you’d never know it!

Do you take an actual lunch break?

You can call me Butchy McButcherton

2010-04-07T19:24:00.002-05:00

I didn’t really think about how I would look in a hat after I cut my hair off. I wear a hat every SINGLE time I workout, mainly to keep the sweat out of my eyes.

I look like a man from behind.

And not much better from the front. I feel like a boy.

Ah well, I’m over it. Jersey and I rocked a 7k run tonight. I had plans to go to Body Combat, but it was a nice cool overcast night… perfect running weather.

I’m on my own tonight as Andrew’s playing basketball. I whipped up some whole wheat pasta, zuchinni, mushrooms and tossed it with some homemade spinach/walnut pesto. Divinity on a plate!

Even though Jersey SHOULD have been exhausted, upon our return home she got a little boost of energy. How cute is this?

* I just realized you can hear my MP3 player that I had hanging around my neck. I was rocking out to JT!

** If you look realllllllly close you can see her little paws digging a hole!

Healthy Slow Cooker Challenge

2010-04-06T19:25:00.001-05:00

The lovely Ali from Fat to Fit is running a 7 day Healthy Slow Cooker Challenge. When she tweeted that she was looking for contributors, I jumped at the chance.

I loooove my slow cooker and use it quite often, so when it came time to decide what to make, I just couldn’t make up my mind so I thought I’d share 2 different recipes.

If you’ve been reading for a while, you know that I love to ‘healthify’ things. I present you with: Amy’s Healthified Pulled Pork.

Pulled pork can be pretty calorie/fat dense mainly due to the fact that its made with a fatty cut of pork ~ usually a pork shoulder.

I substituted a pork tenderloin, and simply sprinkled it with salt and pepper and tossed it in the slow cooker.

My secret to keep it moist? I cooked it on low in a can of diet root beer!

Let the pork cook for about 8-9 hours. Remove from slow cooker, drain the juices, reserve and set aside.

Shred the pork using 2 forks.

Put it all back in the slow cooker, and add some of your favourite BBQ sauce. Add a bit of the juices to moisten it up, and voila. Delicious, moist pulled pork made without the fatty cut!

I served mine on a Pita One bun, with a side of roasted parsnip/carrot “fries”. YUM!

I cannot take credit for the next slow cooker recipe. I’ve posted about it many, many times… but its so great I have to share again.

Weight Watchers Moroccan Stew.

I served mine with 1/3 cup brown rice, and topped it with a little bit of fat free sour cream.

Pretty for pictures.

Mixed up to enjoy!

The best part about this stew is that it makes great leftovers. It’s one of the dishes that gets more flavourful the longer it sits. I can’t wait to dig in for lunch tomorrow!

I had some leftover buttermilk which was needing to be used up, so I made a healthified version Pioneer Woman’s biscuits. While I absolutely love her, I actually didn’t like her recipe for biscuits. They had an odd smell to them, and were full of shortening and butter.

Tonight I simply googled “Low Fat Tea Biscuits” and found this recipe. They came out great tasting and calorie friendly. I’ll definitely be making this recipe again!

There you have it my friends. Some new recipes to test out. Enjoy!

Be sure to check out Fat to Fit this week to see all the fabulous Healthy Slow Cooker Challenge recipes. Thanks for letting me contribute Ali! :)

Healthy Living Resumed: Effective Immediately

2010-04-05T09:33:00.002-05:00

What a great couple of days.

I carried my camera everywhere with the intention of being a super blogger, but alas, I enjoyed myself and just had a great time with friends and family.

Saturday night we spent the night at a friends house in Westport. The rum was FLOWING. The only pictures I have is the 3am evidence of extreme NON-healthy living. I swear, Andrew’s friend Johnathan makes the BEST Kraft Dinner. Although, I’m pretty sure the only time I have it is after a night out…. so maybe his mad skills aren’t as amazing as I think. Albeit, the chances of me eating Kraft Dinner sober: not so much.

The only other shot of the night. Thanks Andrew for documenting this precious moment.

Sunday started off pretty rough. Nothing a little Harvey’s poutine/milkshake wouldn’t cure. Best hangover cure ever.

We headed over to my cousin Debi’s house for a feast.

The hostess with the mostest.

Jersey came too! She was SUCH a good girl.

I spent the afternoon trying to capture a candid shot of my Aunt Dianne.

She wasn’t very cooperative! :)

It was such a great day. While it hurts to write, I’m not really close with my immediate family… But I’m very lucky to have a wonderful extended family that welcomes me/Andrew/Jersey with open arms. Thanks for such a wonderful day Deb!

This morning healthy living is back in full swing. I started the day off with a bowl of delicious oats. Best part: chocolate chips! Lent is over, and I survived an entire 40 days without ANY form of chocolate. While I didn’t really miss the actual chocolate, I really missed cocoa powder, chocolate protein powder etc.

On the agenda for today: Some SERIOUS cleaning and a huge ass workout. Both are required in my life today!

Top Secret Appointment Revealed

2010-04-03T12:21:00.001-05:00

This was me this morning:

This is me after.

Decided to chop it all off. It was supposed to turn out a little more red, but I’m down with the final result.

I think I like it.

Missing

2010-04-02T18:37:00.001-05:00

Remember a while ago when I lost my running mojo?

Seems as though I’m now missing my blogging mojo.

I didn’t blog last night because I spent the night hanging out with my Dad. It was his 61st Birthday.

Side note: My Dad walks around shirtless all the time when he’s at home. He used to wear a shirt/tie to work everyday, and took it off the second he got home. I used to think it was completely normal, until I had friends over that asked “Why doesn’t your Dad wear a shirt” Bahahaha.

It was a great night, with or without his shirt. He even told me that “I made his day” as he didn’t know I was coming. Love that man to bits.

I didn’t blog today, because I spent until about 3:00pm in bed with my husband watching TV. Lame, but it was totally relaxing and I loved it.

We even managed to eat our breakfast in bed. Barney Butter and banana sammich, an orange, and some strawberries. YUM.

I got dressed at around 4h15 and we took Jersey for an hour long walk. This week has been a total write off in terms of gym time/running. Ah well, at least I’ve been doing a lot of walking. That counts, right?

I’m feeling pretty puffy and disgusting tonight. I’m going to chug a ton of H20 in hopes of detoxing a little. I can’t make it to the gym tomorrow morning as I have a top secret appointment, so I’m going to try to sneak in a run before.

I’m thinking tomorrow I just might have some shocking pictures to show you. We shall see! :)

No desire to cook

2010-03-31T19:49:00.002-05:00

What a long day at the office.

I got home at around 7:00, and promptly decided a “family walk” was on tap. I had planned to run, but after a long day slumped over my computer my back was killing me. Andrew and I walked my 5k route with Jersey. It was actually a nice way to unwind.

We got in from our walk around 8:00 and I decided I didn’t feel like cooking.

So I didn’t.

On the menu:

Veggies

Crackers

Ham wrapped pickles, and extra old cheddar

All this divided by 2, minus a few uneaten crackers.

How do you deal with “situations” at work?

Is it worth it to confront the issue?

Do you feel like its worth it to discuss with your boss?

Do you think its wrong to want to “break” problem employees to force them out? That’s my current goal! ;) JOKING……… kind of.

Sweatfest 3000

2010-03-30T20:25:00.001-05:00

Ohhhhhh my god. My workout tonight was the sweatiest I’ve been in a LONG time. I decided to do a double workout tonight, Body Pump followed by Body Combat.

As soon as I walked into the aerobics studio, I started sweating. It was soooo muggy BEFORE the class even started. You can only imagine was it was like after 2 hours filled with sweating women. GROSS.

I didn’t get home until after 8:00pm, and I didn’t feel like making a big dinner. This was simple, but it was so good!

A chicken wrap, with a side of shredded maple pecan brussels.

Inside the wrap: chicken breast cubes, Sabra hummus, grated extra old cheddar, cucumber, red/orange pepper, tomato and iceberg lettuce.

I’m feeling STRONG after tonight’s workout. I need to start making time for double classes again. I used to do it all the time, but of late, time is of the essence.

Remind me to double it up from time to time, ok? :)

Night!

new, but kinda old

2010-03-29T20:01:00.001-05:00

Today is a rest day. Zero exercise for me. Zilch. Nada.

I was going to do an ab workout, but the combination of laziness and Young and the Restless prevented that from happening. Not the end of the world really.

I had some ceasar salad leftover from last night, so I whipped up and super quick chicken ceasar salad for supper.

I poached the chicken in my ~~brand new~~ skillet.

I actually got a set of Tupperware Chef Series pots as a wedding gift, but have yet to use them. I’m bad for “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” analogy. As a matter of fact, I have yet to use quite a few of our wedding gifts. Off the top of my head, I know I have a gorgeous cutlery set, some serving ware, wine glasses, corning ware, and a slow cooker that I have yet to use.

Am I the only one that has this mentality?

Roasted veggie baked tortellini

2010-03-28T18:43:00.001-05:00

Hi friends!

Sorry for the lackage in the blogging department. Andrew and I went to my hometown to hang out with my cousin/wife/baby. We had a wonderful day.

Today started out on the right foot. I fuelled up for my run with a delicious breakfast:

Greek yogurt, honey, and some granola.

My running pal Crys and hit the street for a solid run. We didn’t have any technology to determine how far we went, but we ran for almost an hour and a half.

After a couple hours at the dog park, I spent some time in the kitchen.

Dinner was quite splendid. I invented a pasta bake that was spot on.

I’m calling it: Roasted veggie baked tortellini.

I ~~basically chopped up whatever was in my fridge~~ strategically selected which veggies to use in this recipe. I chopped up zucchini, mushrooms, broccoli, peppers, onion and roasted them on the BBQ for about 25 mins. Brought them, and let them cool.

Cooked up some cheese tortellini.

Roasted some gahhhhlic

And concocted a cheese mixture to hold it all together. Chopped spinach, one container of FF cottage cheese, 1/2 cup shredded old cheddar, and 3 cloves roasted garlic. In an ideal world I would have added an egg, but I was out. I decided to add some chia seeds to help “firm it up”

After the tortellini was cooked, I rinsed it and tossed it in the cheese mixture. I added the roasted veggies to a jar of sauce, and topped the tortellini/cheese mixture with the sauce. Added some more old cheddar and popped it in the over for 30 mins at 400.

This couldn’t have turned out better.

Because tortellini is pretty dense in calories, I had one cup of pasta and bulked up my meal with a ton of salad and a homemade Pioneer Woman buttermilk biscuit. What a delicious Sunday night dinner!

Its 7:38pm, and I think Andrew and I might go snuggle in bed for the rest of the night. The days of our fleece sheets are getting numbered, and there really isn’t a better feeling than a nice cozy bed combined with the man I love dearly.

Easy Peesy Shrimp Stir-fry

2010-03-26T18:57:00.001-05:00

My ass was kicked at Body Pump tonight. I upped my weights for all the upper body tracks, and it burned baby! So much so, that it hurt to devein shrimp afterwards!

Speaking of shrimp, may I present:

Easy Peesy Shrimp Stir-fry

Adapted from this recipe from Kraft.

Ingredients

1/2cup Catalina Dressing
2 Tbsp. Peanut Butter (I used chunky)
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. oil, divided
30 shrimpies
4 cups mixed fresh vegetables (I used broccoli, red/yellow peppers, zuchinni, onion and mushrooms
brown rice
cilantro
peanuts

Make it

MIX dressing, peanut butter, soy sauce and crushed red pepper; set aside. Heat 2 tsp. of the oil in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Add shrimp; cook and stir 5 to 8 min. Transfer shrimp a to large serving bowl; cover to keep warm.

HEAT remaining 1 tsp. oil in same skillet on medium-high heat. Add veggies; cook and stir 5 min. or until vegetables are crisp-tender.

ADD vegetables and sauce mixture to shrimp and mix lightly.

SERVE over a bed of brown rice, and top with chopped peanuts and cilantro. YUM!

There may or may not be a piece of apple pie in my near future. Its hubby’s favourite dessert in the whole world, and it was on sale at Loblaws. He’s a lucky man.

Have a wonderful evening.

Whooops

2010-03-26T09:52:00.004-05:00

Whoops! I totally forgot to blog last night.

I wasn't really feeling a running vibe, so I just walked 5k instead of running it. Better than nothing I suppose.

I had a horrible sleep last night. The kind where you wake up at 3am, and feel like its time to wake up... then you sleep like crap from the rest of the night. Gah. I feel like a walking zombie today.

Breakfast was simple today. Seedy bread toasted with some Barney Butter.
And a coffee from Tim's that my colleague brought me. I didn't win a car, but I did win a free coffee! 1 for 1 so far this year! :) Sorry Lynn, I know you're likely gagging just looking at the picture of Tim's!

I have big plans to hit up Body Pump tonight. I'll be attending the class at the Goodlife that is located at Rideau Centre. And guess what store is there? Sephora!! I'm out of a couple of essentials... however, everytime I walk in there to stock up on said essentials, I walk out with a lot more. Give me strength!

Remember the beautiful Tiffany necklace Andrew gave me for my birthday? I ended up taking it back yesterday. I'm convinced it was a dud. It tarnished after only 24 hours around my neck. They sent it away (it took 3 friggin weeks, needless to say I was pissed when I found out they sent it to another jeweller 3 blocks away from the store) for cleaning for it only to start turning my skin black. They were trying to convince me it was my skin, but I wear a Tiffany bracelet everyday of my life and its never tarnished, nor has it tarnished my skin. I've heard from several people that its better to deal with Tiffany directly as opposed to Holt Renfrew. I have to say, I totally agree.

Have a great Friday!

running on empty

2010-03-24T19:28:00.001-05:00

After a particularly trying day at the office, I left at a decent hour (only 45 mins past quitting time – this is the earliest I’ve left the office in a while) with big plans to hit the pavement.

My tummy was rumbling when I got home so I whipped up a quick snack.

A slice of whole wheat bread topped with hummus and avocado slices.

Jersey and I had a sweaty run. I ran out for 16 mins, and tried to make it back in 14 mins. I was only wee bit faster on the way home. It took me 14:55 on the return.

Dinner tonight included some of the Balsamic Mustard that Krissie sent in my cross border exchange package.

I used it to marinate a couple of chicken breasts, and threw them on the grill.

Served with 1/2 cup brown rice, fig balsamic goat boats, and grilled asparagus.

I’m so happy the warmer weather is here. I loooove BBQing. Its quick, easy, healthy and the best part: NO DISHES!

Mmmmm….. goat boats.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-03-24T09:03:00.000-05:00

As per usual, my wordless Wednesday post has words.

Isn’t the look on her face priceless?

Its similar to her “I’m so abused” face that can be seen here.

I think this is Jersey’s “I have the worst life ever because I just lost my bed to a cat” face.

She really does have an incredibly rough life. After all, she IS being bossed around by felines.

I don’t know why she hasn’t packed up her bones and surrendered herself to the shelter yet. :)

Healthified Italian Eats

2010-03-23T19:55:00.001-05:00

I think I must have some Italian blood in me somewhere. Ever since our Italian meal on Sunday, I can’t get enough!

Last night I prepped a “healthified” lasagne so all that needed to be done was toss it in the oven tonight.

I don’t really have a recipe, I just kind of toss whatever I have on hand into the mix!

“How to healthify lasagne” suggestions:

Use extra lean ground beef
Use low fat ricotta or fat free cottage cheese
Try to use whole wheat pasta (this time I used spinach noodles which had 4g of fibre)
Pack it with veggies. I added spinach to the ricotta, and zucchini, mushrooms, peppers, onion and a can of tomatoes to the pasta sauce.
Go easy on the cheese. I added about 1/3 cup of shredded OLD cheddar on the top. The great the about old cheddar is that its super flavourful, therefore, a little goes a long way.
Spice it up! I added Italian spice blend to the top cheese layer. This adds a ton of flavour without adding extra calories.
Bulk it up with a salad. I served a spinach salad on the side to allow myself to fill up on filling/healthy foods!

My masterpiece from above. Delicious and totally satisfying.

I had a WICKED Body Combat class tonight. The instructor was awesome and kept me motivated for the entire class. I cannot emphasize enough how therapeutic this class is after a stressful day at the office. I love punching/kicking the air!

Question: If you had to live 4 hours away from home for 4 months would you rather:

A) Drive home each weekend being partially reimbursed

B) Have a fully paid trip home every 3 weeks.

Best $10 I ever spent

2010-03-23T09:06:00.000-05:00

As I no longer work close to civilisation, I must come up with my own coffee solution. The office coffee is particularly disgusting, so I’ve come up with a way to make it tolerable.

My milk frother.

I use this guy daily to make my own coffee mistos.

I pour myself a cup of coffee with 2 tbsp of sugar free cinnamon dolce syrup.

I put 1/4 milk into a measuring cup and nuke it for about 45 seconds.

I froth it up, and then add it to my ~~ass tasting, horrid, putrid, barfalicious~~ coffee.

The end result, a pretty decent cup of coffee!

I got my frother at Canadian Tire for just $9.99. I’ve also seen them at Ikea, Walmart and a handful of little kitchen gadget stores.

Best $10 I’ve ever spent!

Pictures-o-plenty

2010-03-22T20:57:00.001-05:00

Sorry for the lame-o post this morning. I found my charger, which wasn’t really lost. It was hiding behind a bunch of bananas.

Yesterday was a very meaningful day in my life.

I lost my Barney Butter virginity.

I had a banana and Barney Butter taco to fuel up for my long run.

Ooooooh my goodness. It made me excited in my pants. Picture Kraft Peanut butter meets almond butter. AMAZING.

I also wanted to share a delicious sandwich combo I threw together. Avocado, old cheddar and Sabra hummus on seedy Stonemill bread. It was so good. The avocado and hummus made it creamy, and the cheddar gave it a bit of a tang. Loved it!

On to today.

It was my rest day in the exercise department.

Dinner was a bit of a “rest day” too.

Easy chicken cesar salad with a side of homemade garlic toast.

Dessert was 1 cup strawberries, 2 tbsp Coconut Liberte and 2 tbsp of ultra low fat cool whip.

I shall leave with you a pic I snapped of Mr. Green Eyes, aka, Lewis.

Handsome eh?

Long story short

2010-03-22T07:18:00.002-05:00

Remember back in the day when I was a point-form poster?

I'm reverting to my old ways for this morning.

Sunday was good.
I ran 8.6k and felt great.
Food intake was mediocre, but sufficient.
I cannot find my SLR charger with my extra battery in it.
Hence the photo-less post.
I am sorry for this.

Be back later with hopefully some pictures.

fun at the park

2010-03-20T19:14:00.001-05:00

Today started out with a great total body workout with the best workout buddy a girl could ask for. Lisa and I did about an hour of strength training, and left the gym hobbling down the stairs. I think that’s a good sign of a great workout.

I arrived home and whipped up a batch of pumpkin/banana oats for Andrew and I.

Ingredients for 2 bowls: 1 cup oats, 1 cup almond breeze, 1 cup water, 1/2 cup pumpkin, cinnamon and nutmeg. Toppings included: coconut, pumpkin seeds, granola and some mini peanut butter chips.

It was another great day, so we decided to load Jersey up and take her to the park. She got her first ride in the new car. We were wondering how she’s react being in the trunk, but she was great!

In hindsight, I’m super glad I talked the sales guy into tossing in the cargo mat for the back. You would not believe the amount of hair that comes off that dog!

I think she likes all the windows!

Perfect opportunity to practice some photography. I’d like to think I’m getting quite good at capturing pictures, but its pretty easy when you have such a great looking subject!

She always manages to find sticks bigger than her head.

And then rolls on it to make it hers.

Love this shot. They say some dogs look like their owners, do you see the resemblance? :)

We also made a Costo run today. Look what I found, 6 of them for $9.99!

I was for craving a simple Italian meal for dinner. Cheese tortellini with marinara sauce, ceasar salad and home made garlic bread. Totally hit the spot.

feels like home

2010-03-19T19:49:00.001-05:00

After a crazy busy 3 days, I’m back in the comforts of our home.

Today was an ~~sad~~ exciting day as I finally got to pick up the new car. Sadly, I didn’t bring the camera to document it mainly because Andrew couldn’t get away from the office to join me. I will say though, it was slightly bittersweet saying goodbye to my Cavalier Z24. No more fun-mobile.

Today was kind of like Christmas. Not only did I get a brand new car… but I also got a package from the lovely Krissie, from Questions for Dessert. Questions for Dessert was one of the very first blogs I ever read (in addition to Just Another Weigh and Anne’s old blog) so it was fitting that I lost my Cross Border Exchange virginity with Krissie!

If you don’t already read her blog, go check her out. She’s become a super star runner and has lost a ton of weight. I heart her a lot.

Did she ever hook a sista up!

Look at all the loot! I was especially thrilled to see Barney Butter in the package in addition to a mix CD. Krissie and I have verrrry similar tastes in music and I was especially touched that she included this.

Admittedly, I ripped into a Kashi Cookie immediately. Krissie was so thoughtful not to include much chocolate, as I gave it up for Lent.

Lewis overlooked with love in his eyes. Dosn’t that face just say “I missed you Momma?”

I took Jersey for an hour long walk around the neighbourhood. I had big plans to go for a run, but my calf muscles are KILLING me. I think the combination of step and body combat, in addition to the fact I took a week of exercise was a little much too soon for my body. The walk felt amazing as it totally stretched out my tight calves.

When I came home I had a “energy bite” from Krissie’s package. Delicious.

It was such a great day, that we had our first BBQ of the year. On the menu: Turkey burgers, fig/balsamic goat boats, and ceasar salad.

Well, I think I’m going to hit the couch with my hubs and relax for the rest of the evening. I’m actually pretty tired. I didn’t sleep very well while I was away… you’d think having a ha-uge king size bed to yourself would be conducive to having a good nights sleep. Not so much.

Later!

A day late

2010-03-18T16:22:00.001-05:00

I had big plans to keep you all entertained last night with my adventures in Huntsville. This would have happened had I not forgotten my camera cord on my desk at the office I was working at.

Here it goes, a day late.

Breakfast was greek yogurt, banana and honey.

I got picked up at about 7:00am and we headed for Huntsville. The drive was gorgeous and flew by. I’m travelling with a colleague I don’t know much about, so it was interesting getting to know him.

I spent the day in meetings, and then came to check in. Yay for king sized beds!

I was thrilled when I looked out my window and saw a grocery store with a Goodlife in it. I hit up Body Step right after work. My ankle was feeling a little tender, so I took it easy but still managed to work up a good sweat!

I wasn’t feeling too social, so I just grabbed dinner from the grocery store.

Salad

Spicy sushi

Strawberries and pineapple for dessert.

I enjoyed a quiet night solo reading blogs, tweeting, watching TV, and drinking diet ginger ale right out of the bottle. I’m classy like that.

An interesting note: I did all of that while lounging completely nekkid. I went to change into my pj’s only to realize I had forgotten them. I’m a HORRIBLE packer!

Gotta jet, I’m going to hit up Body Combat tonight and then head out to dinner with my colleague.

Lates!

I'm alive

2010-03-17T12:27:00.001-05:00

I'm in beautiful Huntsville, Ontario for a few days for work.

I don't get to pick up my new car until Saturday as a result. :(

Good news is, there is a Goodlife directly across from my hotel.

I'll be back later.

Learn to Run

2010-03-15T19:27:00.001-05:00

Well bloggies, I have some great news. I’m on the mend!

I came home from a hectic work day bound and determined to get my sweat on. I changed into some workout gear, grabbed Jersey, and hit the streets.

This may sound strange, but I was afraid to start running. I walked for almost 10 mins before I “self talked” myself into starting a slow jog. Finally once I got going, I felt SO STRONG.

I didn’t want to push myself TOO hard, so I went back to my “Learn to Run” days and did intervals of 4:1 for 6k. It was a slow start, but I got it done and felt WONDERFUL afterwards.

I accidentally ate dinner without taking any photos. It looked similar to this, except add some steamed broccoli in addition to the parsnips.

I’m currently enjoying a mug of hot tea with few arrowroots waiting for Jack Bauer to start.

I had a pretty mentally draining weekend (ugly crying face and all) and am still feeling completely heart broken about certain aspects of my life. I will say though, it felt SO GOOD get my body moving again today. Definitely a step in the right direction. Pun intended. :)

A small shout-out to my blogger-buddies. Thank you for listening when I feel like no one else is. Your love and constant support means the world to me.

Movin’ on up

2010-03-13T20:38:00.001-05:00

Out with the old

Source

In with the new!

Source

Today Andrew and I bought a brand spankin’ new Kia Rondo. We decided to be proactive and buy a new car now, as both of our cars are 2001’s and we would like to avoid having 2 car payments at the same time.

We got a great deal on this baby with a 7 YEAR/140k WARRANTY. Can you believe that? Not to mention free oil changes for 4 years. Combined with a nifty rust inhibitor and a wicked financing plan, we couldn’t be happier. We pick it up on Wednesday night!

I’m feeling a little sad about trading in my beloved Cavalier Z24. It was the first car I bought on my own. Its cute, has a sunroof and is manual… making it SOOO fun to drive. Goodbye cute car, hello mommy mobile. :(

We spent the majority of our morning car shopping. Once all the papers were signed we headed to Cora’s for breakfast.

On the menu: COFFEE! This tasted like heaven. I was soooo sleepy after not having a morning coffee prior to car shopping.

and The Great Harvest (I think) Brioche french toast, 3 slices of bacon and a mound a fruit. It also came with an egg, but I donated that to my husband. Eggs = gross.

As a result of the late brunch (2pm) I didn’t eat again until dinner.

Brussels And homemade pizza. ESBM homemade crust with chia seeds, Alfredo sauce, mushrooms, spinach, red/green peppers, broccoli, onions and a smidge of old cheddar. I love broccoli on pizza.

My ankle/knee are finalllly starting to feel better. I think I might attempt some light cardio tomorrow. I’m thinking a good sweat session on the elliptical or something with light impact. YAY.

I also am attending a bridal shower tomorrow. Apparently an invite was sent in the mail to me, but I never got it. This doesn’t impress me. I kind of want to call in sick.

Clarification: I’m not PREGNANT. Apparently buying a bigger car = pregnancy. We simply wanted a car that we could fit POTENTIAL offspring and still have room for the Jersey. :)

Return of the ugly plates

2010-03-12T20:44:00.002-05:00

Since I have absolutely NOTHING interesting to blog about, I thought I’d bring my my infamous 1970’s Corelle ugly plates tonight’s post.

I made Roni’s Southwest Turkey Burgers again tonight. Still just as delicious. Topped with a slice of FF cheddar, avocado slices, salsa and greek yogurt. On the side, some parsnip chippies.

Sorry for my lack of blogging last night. Andrew and I were out working on a little somethin’ something.

I’m not handling this injury well AT ALL. The good news is, its coming along quite nicely. I should be back to normal soon enough. Ironically its actually my knee thats still bothering me, not my ankle.

Sam just saved the day and provided some interesting blog material for tonight.

You may or may not know, that I’m the lucky owner of a baby grand piano.

Sam thought the INSIDE of the piano would make a great bed. Its a good thing he’s cute!

I played a couple of notes, and he was OUTTA there!

Do your pets have any quirks? Cute flaws?

I could actually write a book about all the weirdo things my pets do.

I shall leave with you a little tid bit about each of them.

1) Sam – Likes sitting in the piano apparently, and NEEDS to be in the bathroom with you when you’re in there “reading a magazine”.

2) Lewis – Licks Andrew’s hair, and kneads my leg and sometimes (even though he's fixed) it gives him a little mini kitty boner.

3) Jersey – Is petrified of the oven. As soon as I open the door to take something out, she starts shaking and panting.

Limpy McLimperton

2010-03-10T20:59:00.001-05:00

Despite having the greatest of intentions to stay home and rest today, I ended up going into the office. After about 395 phone calls and an offer to come pick me up I just went.

I ate breakfast kind of late, so I made a salad in a glass to go.

1 cup 1% milk, 4 frozen strawberries, 1/2 a banana, and a huge handful of spinach.

The worst part about today was the fact that the colleague that offered to come get me couldn’t drive me home. That meant I was forced to stay at the office until 6:30pm when Andrew was able to pick me up. This would have worked out ok, except for the fact our servers went down at 5h30pm so I was pretty much stuck at work with NOTHING to do.

Dinner was pretty much exactly the same as the other night. I bought a huge bag of avocados at Costco. They are so much cheaper there, but its kind of hard to use them up before they are past their prime.

Slow cooker salsa chicken, couscous pilaf (red pepper, onion, mushrooms, and a cup of frozen mixed veg) topped with greek yogurt and 1/2 a ‘cado. Deeeelicious, nutritious AND filling.

Dessert: A mug of gingerbread tea, and 5 Arrowroot cookies. Tasha blogged about arrowroots the other night, and I copied her. 5 cookies are only 150 calories, and taste absolutely heavenly dipped in tea.

I don’t have any exercise to blog about because I’m a gimp, so I thought I’d show you my breakky for tomorrow.

A Breakfast Cookie to go!

1/3 cup oats, 1 tbsp pb, 1/2 a scoop plain protein powder, chia seeds, raisins, pumpkin seeds, cinnamon and pumpkin purée.

In regards to my ankle injury, its definitely not feeling or looking any better today. I had to shove my foot into a running shoe to go to work. My ankle was literally protruding out of my shoe.

Kinda felt like this:

Source

Hot eh?

Working from home

2010-03-10T10:44:00.001-05:00

I decided to pull a Jaime and work from home for the following reasons:

I can’t really walk
I can’t really wear shoes
I can’t really drive – especially since I drive standard and both my legs are gimpy

That being said, I’m having some issues connecting remotely so I might go into the office later on.

The best parts about working from home are:

I can make a delicious breakfast
I can multi-task
I don’t have to answer my ringing phone
I can blog!!

The worst parts about working from home are:

I don’t have any coffee
The fur-children will not GET OFF OF ME
I get easily distracted

Breakfast was quite excellent.

Gingerbread tea with a squirt of honey – tea bag left in. I like me tea STRONG.

4 haaaa-uge strawberries.

Pumpkin oats: 1/3 cup oats, 1/3 cup water, 1/3 cup skim milk, 1 banana, 1/3 cup pumpkin. Toppings: raisins, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds and coconut. YUM.

All together now.

Even though I just wrote about not having to answer my ringing phone, work has called like 13 times in the last hour. My colleague offered to come and pick me up… so I think I should go in

TTFN.

Wipe Out

2010-03-09T19:54:00.001-05:00

I wish I could come up with a glamorous story, but in all honestly it was just a klutzy moment.

As I was running home from work today I stepped on a crack, rolled my right ankle, went down on my left knee and managed to roll off the path to my right.

The end result?

A bloody knee, a swollen/purple ankle and a bruised ego.

It shook me up so much, I actually cried.

Then proceeded to limp the 1.5k home. I didn’t have my cell phone, as I left it at the office to avoid having to carry it home.

After I took off my shoe when I got home, my ankle instantly doubled in size. I’m currently camping on the couch with my ankle elevated and an ice pack on it.

I’m slightly concerned about what the lack of exercise may do to me in the next couple of days while I recoup.

A couple of years ago, I endured a brutal IT band injury. I didn’t handle that well at all, so here’s hoping for a speedy recovery.

Just a girl and her dog

2010-03-08T20:48:00.001-05:00

I came to terms with a few things today.

I had a heart to heart via email with my dear friend Lisa.

She pointed out to me that I need to make certain things a priority in my life, and its perfectly okay to let the gym take the back seat.

I haven’t blogged too much about the upcoming couple of months. I’m going to be relocating temporarily until the end of July for work. Andrew will be staying in Ottawa. It was a very hard decision for us to make, but its an amazing career opportunity and I feel very fortunate to have been selected to work on such a high profile project. I will be completely swamped with work, and I think the gym will absolutely HAVE to take the backseat. I might as well come to terms with this now.

I also wrote to Lisa about my lack of self control when it comes to my food consumption. She reassured me that clearly I do have some form of self control or else I would weigh 300lbs.

You know what? She’s right. I do have self control. I do have a healthy lifestyle. I am in great shape.

Its just amazing how an indulgent weekend can take you out of the correct healthy living mindset.

I planned to skip the gym today. When I arrived home I did an hour long power clean, threw some salsa chicken in the slow cooker, then grabbed Jersey and headed out for a walk.

I love walking with Jersey. There is something incredibly relaxing about just watching her smiley face. When she looks up at me with her bring brown eyes, it absolutely melts my heart. We walked for an hour and 10 mins in total.

Onto dinner. One word: a-friggin-mazing!

Couscous pilaf (peppers, mushrooms, onion) salsa slow cooker chicken topped with greek yogurt and 1/2 an avocado. I ended up chopping up the avocado and mixing everything together. DIVINE!

I want to take this opportunity to thank each and everyone of you. I’m so lucky to have a constant support system when times get tough. Not everyone can understand the psychological side of weight loss, so its nice to be able to share my feelings with people that ‘get it’.

THANK YOU! xoox

Sunday Recap

2010-03-07T20:27:00.001-05:00

Some point form action on this Sunday evening.

I feel asleep at 8:00pm last night and woke up at 9:00am today. CRAZY.
I ran 13k. It was a little boring, and I struggled mentally the entire time. But I did it.
Made plans to meet MIL at The Keg for lunch.
Turns out The Keg isn’t open for lunch, so we went to Red Lobster.
I had a salad, coconut shrimp and one of those delicious biscuits.
We went to test drive cars.
Turns out car dealerships aren’t open on Sunday’s. Who knew?

My mojo is lacking in the following categories lately:

Food: I’ve been totally over eating. Make it stop. Please.
Making it to the gym: This is partly because of work, but lets be honest if I REALLY wanted to make it there I would.
Cleaning: My house is NOT clean right now and this makes me cringe.
Tolerance: I’m referring to my husband. I’m NOT tolerant of his eating sound effects and lately its making me SNAP. (he’s currently drinking milk out of a straw and sucking the insides of of an orange as I type this and I want to punch him in the face)
Blogging: I feel like I’m boring the shit out of all you guys. My apologies.

Time to watch the Oscars. Lets hope I’m in better humour tomorrow.

A Saturday on the slopes

2010-03-06T19:55:00.001-05:00

Andrew and I had a great day together at Mt Saint Marie. I’m so glad we bit the bullet and bought him downhill equipment. I enjoy it is much, but he never had any equipment so we never went. Now that he has all the equipment, I can see us making it something we do quite frequently. Its something we can enjoy together, and that’ s what I like the most! :)

Before we left I had a smoothie and a WW bun toasted with peanut butter.

Lunch was a ham/cheese sammich, 1/2 a cookie and a diet pepsi.

We had such a great day. The conditions were great!

We took a little break to give the legs a break and hydrate. His and hers… water for me, Gatorade for him.

Everyone was enjoying the sun!

We packed it up at about 3:00pm to avoid driving home with the rest of the mountain. I hope it stays cold so we can go again next weekend!

I decided to make us some his/hers homemade pizza for supper.

His: Tomato paste, Pepperoni, mushrooms, peppers and old cheddar.

Hers: Alfredo sauce, spinach, broccoli, mushrooms and old cheddar.

Served with a side of broccoli. Yah, they don’t really “go” together, but I love pizza and I love broccoli. So, it worked for me.

All the fresh air today must have done a number on my, I I cannot believe how wiped I am! We’re going to put on a movie and chill.

A perfect ending to a perfect day. Night! :)

No pics!

2010-03-05T22:17:00.002-05:00

I have no pictures to show you today. To be honest, I don't have a lot to say either!

My meals were are follows:

B- Greek yogurt, honey, pear chunks, 1/3 cup granola

S- Banana

L- Leftover Shepherds Pie

S- Orange

D- Wendy’s small chilli and a baked tater.

S- Wendy’s small chocolate Frosty.

Yep, the day went south pretty quick. We had a bunch of errands to run after work today, so there was no time for a proper dinner.

A small miracle happened in Ottawa today. I MADE IT TO THE GYM! First time all week. I had a great Body Pump class followed by 30 mins on the Arc Trainer. I don’t cope well with missing the gym. I did manage 2 runs this week so I wasn’t a complete sloth.

Tomorrow Andrew and I going skiing at Mt. Saint Marie. I can’t wait. Its supposed to be 10 degrees tomorrow! Woo!

Sorry for the crappy post. I’ll be back tomorrow with some good material. I promise!

Interesting fact of the day: I’ve been spelling chilli wrong pretty much my entire life. I spell it c-h-i-l-i.

Thank you spell check.

Itchin’ to get out

2010-03-04T20:02:00.001-05:00

Its another GORGEOUS day here in Ottawa.

*Note, the temperature on the top of my thermometer is the temperature inside my house. The bottom one is the temperature outside!

As a result of the gorgeous sunny day, my two feline friends were itching to get outside.

I opened the door and let them out. They didn’t make it too far before coming back inside. They lack outdoor survival skills!

I missed the gym AGAIN today. My job is starting to make me fat dammit! I had great intentions of making it there, but my boss wanted me to look after something before I left. I was happy to oblige, as it was a perfect day for running.

I got dressed and was getting these eyes through the back door.

You know how most dogs get excited when you say the word walk? Jersey gets excited when she see’s my green Running Room jacket. She got clearance from the vet to start running again, so we hit the road for a solid 5k. I took it easy for the first half, and was fast like a cobra for the second half. During the last few minutes, I always put on a power song. Of late, this power song has been Andrew Spencer’s version of Zombie. Any Goodlife members have heard this song in just about every Les Mills Class. I love it. Once I got back home, my heart rate was still through the roof so I took a tour a round the block and rocked out to Sloan’s Everything You’ve Done Wrong. Such a great song to cool down to and maybe sing out loud… hey only Jersey could hear me!)

Dinner was fahhbulous. I saw a vegan Shepherds Pie recipe over at Healthy Tipping Point earlier in the week and had to have it.

In the mix:

8 oz ground turkey
minced garlic
mushrooms
frozen mixed veggies
thyme
oregano
parsley
salt and pepper

Topped with 2 mashed sweet potatoes and baked at 425 for about 30 mins. I loved the flavours, especially the thyme. There’s something about poultry and thyme that rocks!

On the side I had some more parsnip fries. I think I’m getting addicted. Very similar to the brussel sprout addiction. I’m afraid.

I’m off to enjoy some couch time with my hubs. Night!

Déjà-vu

2010-03-03T20:34:00.001-05:00

If you read Angie All the Way yesterday, you may feel like you’re having a déjà-vu.

My dinner was pretty much an exact replica of hers.

Southwest Turkey Burger on a WW bun, topped with 1/4 of an avocado, Greek yogurt and salsa. On the side: Parsnip fries.

It was my first time making these burgers, and I have to say they were amazing. Moist, and FULL of flavour. Instead of dried cilantro, I used Marvini Cilantro paste. I don’t use cilantro often enough to buy the fresh herbs, so I use this as a substitute. Its fantastic in homemade guac!

This is where my post gets borderline stalker’ish. Angie wrote yesterday how the thoughts of canned pears, Greek yogurt and honey were making her drool. Sure enough as soon as I read that, I too started to salivate at the thoughts of this heavenly combination.

It did not disappoint. I added a sprinkle of granola for some crunch. Note, that’s a dessert sized bowl not a cereal bowl!

I didn’t make it to the gym today. I ended up working until 6:45pm. I’m not feeling the slightest bit guilty as I was so busy at work today I didn’t have much time to eat.

Looking forward to a great sweat session tomorrow and another day of some delicious eats.

Night!

Can’t you Google it?

2010-03-02T21:13:00.001-05:00

What a weird day today was.

You may or may or not know what I do for a living. I am a contracting specialist. Contracting in general requires a lot of interaction with the client, some of which are challenging to my temper.

Today I called a client to confirm a delivery address and she said in the most sarcastic condescending tone over: “Well Amy, can’t you Google it?”

I just about lost it on her right then and there. But like a good contracting my office I remained calm with her over the phone, but slammed the shit out of my phone when I hung up.

Needless to say, but the time 4:00pm rolled around I was ready to get the hell out of dodge.

Look at how warm it was in Ottawa today!

I even ran in capris today!

I decided to show some Canadian pride whilst sweating up a storm. Andrew will probably kill me when he see’s that I ran in this hat. He gets so mad, because I always ruin my hats as I’m a verrrrry salty sweater.

I wish I could report I had an amazing run. Truth be told, it was horrible. I ended up doing 5k, but it sucked. Ah well, it was better than sitting on the couch eating pretzels right?

Dinner tonight was divine.

Broccoli stuffed chicken breast, roasted potatoes, and shredded brussels.

The potatoes were awesome. I coated them with a little canola oil and tossed them in Epicure Cheese Potato Topper and cooked them on my Pampered Chef Baking Stone. I swear, cooking them on a baking stone makes them turn out PERFECTLY.

I posted about this guy around Christmas. Its a Slicer Plus from Home Hardware. I got is as a gift from my MIL. Its amazing for shredding brussels quickly!

After dinner, I had to do a little running around. I had to pick up a couple more things for the lovely Krissie’s package. (its been mailed tomorrow!)

Look what I found:

Funny, I couldn’t find it anywhere over the holidays and today there was a HUGE display of it.

I made myself a cup of Candy Cane Lane to enjoy in lieu of my nightly hot cocoa. Pretty tasty! How cute is this mug? :)

While I was out, I witnessed a horribly rude woman lose it on a cashier for not cutting the tag off her sunglasses. I should note, it was 8:30pm and pitch black outside.

She was totally making a scene, and it actually prompted me to intervene. I took the polite route first, and then she verbally attacked me. I proceeded to ask her if it makes her feel like a better person by giving the cashier a hard time. Then the ladies behind me jumped in and there was pretty much a brawl a Shoppers Drugmart! The other people in line actually started applauding when she left the store. My heart really went out to the poor cashier, I was in her exact shoes a few hours earlier. She handled it like a pro though!

Have you ever witnessed something similar?

I’m off to watch Lost. I’m not even sure why I bother anymore.. LOL.

Spicy curry makes everything better

2010-03-01T19:48:00.001-05:00

Today started out great, but went downhill gradually as the day went on.

The end result was too much coffee, a huge headache and zero exercise.

I did however managed to make a pretty great dinner.

Spicy green curry stir fry topped with 1/3 cup couscous.

I made the curry sauce by adding a huge tbsp of green curry paste to a can of light coconut milk. Yum.

I’m looking forward to some delicious leftovers for lunch tomorrow. I love me some spicy curry!

I’m gonna hit the hay early. Its Jack Bauer night too. Not sure if I’ll make it.

Side note: I’ve got “Little Parents, First Baby” on in the background as I blog. Have you guys seen this madness? The wife is a total whackjob!

I think TLC is grasping for material…. this is horrible!

A small favor

2010-03-01T11:11:00.002-05:00

Good Morning bloggies!

Welcome to the new www.amysquesttoskinny.com!

Ok, its not new. Everything looks exactly the same, except for the fact that I FINALLY purchased a domain. I've been meaning to do this FOREVER, and finally did it this morning.

I lost my blog-list in the process.

I've half-ass updated from my Google Reader, but I haven't updated it in months so everything is a little old.

If you'd like to be included in my blogroll, please send an email (address is in my side bar) with your blog address and I'd be happy to include it!

GOLD!

2010-02-28T20:35:00.002-05:00

CANADA WINS GOLD IN HOCKEY! WOOOO!

Back to regular scheduled blogging.

My buddy Lisa and I spent the majority of the afternoon outside enjoying the beautiful weather. It was a warm 4 degrees, and sunny. We took Jersey for an hour long walk. It was glorious!

Speaking of Jersey, her meds are making her tummy upset. The vet gave us some sensitive stomach food and I think that made it even worse. She’s been a pukey-saurus-rex.

Today she’s been eating a combo of either cottage cheese/rice or boiled extra lean ground beef and rice. Yummy in her tummy. She’s not a huge cottage cheese fan, but this combo suited her just fine.

I arrived home to find Andrew waiting for me. I will fully admit to missing his face this weekend.

I whipped us up this little snack place to watch the hockey game. Mary’s Crackers, old cheddar and a guac/salsa/greek yogurt dip.

Following the hockey game, we whipped up some taco salads for supper.

Lettuce, green/red peppers, cucumber, lean ground turkey/lack beans, topped with guac, salsa and greek yogurt and 5 tostitos.

Which I crumpled up to add some crrrrunch.

Dessert was quite excellent also. It starred this:

Some people make oats in a jar… I make dessert in a ~~jar~~ yogurt container.

Blueberries, 1/4 container coconut yogurt, graham crumbs, cool whip (to cut the calories of this crazy calorie laden yogurt!) and a teeny little bit of granola to crunch it up a notch.

I’m off to watch the closing ceremonies. Until tomorrow!

Great start to a Sunday

2010-02-28T11:19:00.001-05:00

I’m not sure who ditched who, but my running date didn’t happen this morning.

The texting went a little something like this:

A- What time are we running tomorrow?
C- What time do you want to run?
A- I kinda want to have a little sleep in, how about 10?
C- I need to be ready by 11h30.
A- Ok, well if would want to bail I won’t be sad.
C- I’ve been enjoying sangria since 5pm.
A- No running then?
C- We have to, I’m away next weekend.

Problem is.. I didn’t get that last message until this morning. I texted her at 7h30 to tell her I was awake, but I’m assuming the sangria got the best of her!

I got dressed and dragged myself out the door. I ended up banging out a solid 12k by the time all was said and done. Its such a beautiful day in Ottawa. Sun is shining and it was 2 degrees. Gorgeous! Not mention unheard of in February!

I arrived home, showered and made a smoothie to refuel.

Unsweetened Almond Breeze, spinach, banana, 4 frozen strawberries, Amazing Grass and greek yogurt.

Did I just say greek yogurt? YES I DID! I’ve been having a love affair with it all week. Its thick and creamy, and best part FAT FREE and packs 25g of protein per serving.

To all my Ontario friends, check your closest Metro. They are a Quebec-based chain, therefore are likely to carry it!

I made a date to take Jersey for a walk with my workout buddy Lisa. She’s been under the weather, so a walk on a sunny day is JUST what the doctor ordered. Talk to you later friends!

Mini (Bella)me

2010-02-27T08:38:00.001-05:00

I’m up and at ‘em pretty early today.

Hitting up the gym in a few, but I started out the day with a Breakfast Cookie! '

In the mix (I miss my chocolately version!) 1/3 cup oats, pb, plain protein powder, unsweetened Almond Breeze, raisins, pumpkin seeds, coconut, chia seeds and cinnamon. YUM!

Today I’m off to another baby shower for Connor. This kid is costing me a fortune, but I can’t help it. I love buying baby stuff!

When I saw this little outfit, I thought of Andrew. You may or may not know this (and of course I can’t quickly find a picture of him wearing plaid shorts) but Andrew is very much a golf shirt/plaid shorts/sandals kinda guy. So sexy on him too!

Connor will be a mini (Bella)me! Get it? haha

See the resemblance?

I always like to add a book to my shower gifts. I grew up a pretty big book worm and (according to my grandmother) started reading at a very young age. Dr Seuss’ “Oh, the Places you Will Go” is one of my favorite children’s books so when I saw this baby version, I was sold!

Thanks for all the kind words of concern about Jersey. I think this is something I’d like to keep off the blog… but just know that she’s doing great and is well looked after. I pretend to be all “ hardass” dog rules lady, but truth be told, she slept in my bed last night. Andrew was away, so I let her share the bed.

I love that girl, but frig she’s a bed hog. Back to the floor for her tonight!

Lots of love to you all! xoox

Scared to death

2010-02-26T21:59:00.001-05:00

Jersey and I had quite the scare today, which resulted in a trip to the emergency animal hospital.

Scared me to friggin’ death. My knees were shaking as I opened the door to the hospital.

$204 later, she’s back home safe and sound.

Food porn and healthy living blogging to resume tomorrow.

Until then, I’m keeping my girl extra close and asking you all to please please please not bring toys to the dog park.

Goodnight. xo

Worst walk ever.

2010-02-25T17:27:00.001-05:00

My office is located at point B, my house at point A.

Usually I take the bus into the city to go to the gym after work and Andrew picks me up. Today I decided to take a rest day, so I walked home after work.

There’s no real direct route home (see blue line) so I decided to off road (see red line) around some fenced off power lines to make my walk home a little quicker as it was snowing/raining pretty hard. I’ve seen people walking that way with the dogs before, so I thought I’d go for it.

clearly I suck at using MS Paint!

We’ve got a whack load of snow this week in Ottawa, but its been verrrrrry mild.

I started walking, and was thrilled that there was a quasi established path. I started following the footprints of the person that started the path.

Bad news, this guys stride was HUGE… so I either had to leap to stay in his tracks or fall outside of them.

When I was unable to hit the track, I’d seriously fall through a good 2-3 feet of soft snow. I struggled the entire walk home, rolled my ankle twice.

It certainly didn’t help that I was carrying my very fashionable bag, and my work bag which kept throwing me off balance.

Top that with the falling snow/rain, it made for a very miserable Amy upon my return home.

If I look at it from an exercise perspective, I got a decent workout as I was pretty much doing jumping lunges the entire way home, not to mention my core and stabilizers were likely working big time to keep me upright!

I’m already in my PJ’s on the couch and I plan to stay here for the rest of the night.

I DECLARE TODAY A DAY OF ~~SLOTH~~ REST!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-02-24T20:23:00.001-05:00

…as always there are a few words with my wordless Wednesday post.

I’m blogging during the first intermission of the hockey game, so gotta make this short and sweet.

Nothing earth shattering to report today. I ate well, had a sweaty workout and drank lots of H20.

I shall leave you with a pretty hilarious picture.

My Nanny and my crazy brother. How cute are they? Seriously!

Miss you Patrick! xo