I promised to blog about this but I'm not happy about it...

Here's a link to win a fabulous Le Creuset piece!

I don't want to share and this is probably more of a hindrance to my chance to win than an increase, but alas, here's the link:

Bentobloggy

What I'm Sportin'...




Microsherpa!  I just bought this blanket and LOVE it!



Must I explain?




I can't breathe without it!



Green Tea!  Coats my throat so nicely!



 




<> PJ pants and slippers!    

<> 

Sore ALL OVER!

  

GUYS... I think I'm sick.  : (

Mmmmm SNACKS!

So, this whole P90X with new diet thing has turned me on to a couple of new snacks in accordance with the new meals I've fallen in love with (which I shared with you in my last P90X blog. 

Let me also take some time to say that I am officially through my first 3 weeks of P90X.  Legs & Back absolutely wore me out for some reason (and then I still had to do that dreaded Ab Ripper X) yesterday.  I am SORE!    But guess what, people?!?!  I feel AWESOME!

Next week is my "chilled out" week, which... let's face it... isn't really chilled out at all.  However, I am excited for a new routine for the upcoming week.  THEN, after next week, I will start part deux of the program!  Exciting!  This will also give me a new routine for 3 weeks.  (Can't wait!  After this week I will be officially 1/3 of the way through my P90X Lean... then it will be on to P90X Classic, which means the addition of Plyometrics... yikes.)

Take a look see below for two of my new favorite snacks...

These are way yum... but guess what?
It turns out they are NOT so great for you
even if I did buy them in the health food market.
(Yes, they are sweet potato and beet chips!)

This however is FANTASTIC!  And good for you!  (Soy nuts + dried cranberries + pumpkin kernels + almonds = yumtastic!)

Week One: Done!

Just a foreward:  If you don't care about my P90X adventure; skip this blog entry!  :)

I'm officially done with week one of P90X.  Well, that is unless you count tomorrow, which is either a rest day or a stretch day.  I believe it will be a stretch day for me even though at the beginning of the week I was SURE it was going to be a rest day.  (Yes, I'd planned it that far in advance.)  My muscles are feeling it today.  After doing Legs & Back & Ab Ripper X yesterday and then doing KenpoX today, my legs are like jello.  I think that stretch will do them wonders tomorrow.

All of that being said, I'm feeling good about this.  I am sore in the best ways possible, but all ready I can feel myself having more energy.  Jack claims that he can already SEE a difference, but it's only been one week, so I'm not sure I believe that noise.  I won't do my weigh in until Monday morning though, so we'll see how I have done weight-wise.

One area that I AM failing at is the diet plan.  P90X has a wonderful diet plan, but this girl can not afford to eat their meal plan.  That aside, I thought I would attempt to eat some of their meals, follow some of their guidelines, and follow some of those other random tips and recipes that I've found for dieting throughout the years.  Do you want to know which food tastes the best?  The P90X recipes.  Oh.  Mon.  Dieu.  They are heavenly.

Honestly, I wish I would have taken pictures for you all to enjoy because not only are they delicious, but they are absolutely beautiful as well.  I will keep that in mind in the future, as I am 100% certain I will be re-creating these meals in the near future.  The Salmon w/ Lemon Dill Sauce was absolutely to die for.  Of course, everything is from scratch with no short-cuts, but that is why it tastes so wonderful!  Unfortunately that makes for a not-so-cheap meal for my broke ass.  Other favorites of the week:  Island Pork Tenderloin Salad & Greek Feta Chicken.  YUM!

Anyway, the reason I say that I am failing is because I am such a snacker!  I always want to munch on something.  This is fine and I have plenty of healthy snacks around; it's Jack that is killing me.  "Can we order pizza?"  "If I make hot wings will you help me eat them?"  "I stopped at the store and picked up Oreos."  These are all Jack quotes of the week.  Yes, I understand that I should have the will power to say "no", but guess what?  I don't.  I went from eating complete crap all last week to trying to eat healthy and even though I normally don't even want hot wings or pizza; this week they just sounded, oh, so tempting.

I need some motivation people!  Any advice?  Any meal ideas/recipes for me?  This program requires me to eat a LOT more protein than I am used to!

Run through of my week (for any who care):

•  Monday (week 1, day 1):  Core Synergistics  (This is kind of a total-body workout, but does focus on the core.)
• Tuesday (w1, d2):  Cardio X (Self-explanatory.)
• Wednesday (w1, d3):  Shoulders & Arms, Ab Ripper X (First part is self-explanatory. Ab Ripper X is the most excruciating 16 minutes of my life.)
• Thursday (w1, d4):  YogaX (I've always liked yoga. Yoga X is definitely eXtreme... yowza.)
• Friday (w1, d5):  Legs & Back, Ab Ripper X (Again, self-explanatory. There's that damn Ab Ripper again. As though the hour long workout wasn't enough beFORE you throw in the extra 16 minutes from HELL.)
• Saturday (w1, d6): KenpoX  (Okay, this one is definitely fun.  However, I think I sweat more than I've ever sweat in my life doing this.  It's one hell of a workout.  For those of you who don't know, Kenpo means "law of the fist".  This means a lot of punches, kicks, etc.)
• TOMORROW:  As I said earlier, this could be a rest day, but I think I'm going to do StretchX. 

Oh yeah, did I mention that I am doing P90X Lean as opposed to classic?  The lean version is more commonly used by women because you are able to maintain a more "girlish" figure.  PLUS, I need to lose a LOT of weight before I focus on toning my body up more. 

The next 2 weeks will repeat the same routine I had this past week.  I will then back off for a week and have a slightly less "eXtreme" workout.  Then I'll jump back in to a new routine for 3 weeks, and so on and so forth.

Are you guys bored with my ramblings?  I apologize, I know this has been a long and boring blog for many of you.  This is a huge accomplishment for me to be doing a workout routine as extreme as this and to actually be following through with it.  Your encouragement is welcome!  :)

P.S.  I totally found out how much I dislike protein shakes and protein bars.  Unfortunate for me.  :(

Free Produce!!!

So, In the past I've told you a few of the reasons why I like going back to my home town.  Mostly all because of the people.

Let me tell you about another MAJOR (seasonal) reason I love it.

FREE PRODUCE!!!

I mean seriously folks.  The generosity of my family is amazing.  Check out the cornucopia below!  YUM!

This is really only a tiny portion of what I brought back with me and it is only a minuscule amount of what I COULD have brought back with me.

Check out some more YUMS thanks to my 'rents!

I've always loved finding the "ugly" carrots because they are the beautiful ones.  Sometimes you can prop them up on their "legs"; sometimes they don't even look like carrots in shape.  Amazing.  The only thing that is more beautifully hideous than Schwartz carrots are Schwartz potatoes... and I have plenty of those as well!

I hand plucked those babies (pun not intended) from the chicken coop myself!

Then of course, there are the joys of my little brother moving back to Iowa and running a farm:

Peppers!  Lots of them!

Black Raspberry Jam made with honey!  It is SO delectable!  He is my parents' son!

Last, but not least, TOMATOES!  I only add them last because some of them are from my parents, some are ours (from our Topsy Turvy!) and some are from Jack's Grandma!

I love summer produce.  I can't wait for the fall produce! 

(I'll be home again in September, Mom!)

Coming to a Blog Near You...

This is just a blog promising that I will blog.  Seriously.  That's all it is.  I realize it has been 2 weeks since I've blogged.  It's not that I was in a deep depression over Bronko... although I WAS sad about that.

Coming up in a future blog(s):
~ hanging out with the maternal side of the fam.  (We're an interesting bunch.)
~P90X (Oh yes... it's happening.)
~Produce (That's right.  Produce.)
~The birthday celebrations coming up this weekend.

Did I mention that Vanilla Ice & Tone Loc are totally playing on a free stage at the state fair?  That will be this Sunday.  It doesn't get much more exciting than that.

Blog you later.

Rum Sump Pump Punch

Hello readers,

  Let me tell you a little bit about why I am sore.  I put a sump pump in yesterday.  Yep, me.  I did.  Well, I helped.  My "plumber" (okay, fiance) made me do all of the heavy lifting though!  I had to dig out all of the concrete chunks after he pounded the crap out of it with the sledgehammer.  Really that's the only reason I'm sore; from squatting for an intense amount of time.  (I clearly need to work out.)  I was very nervous for my basement floor once he started pounding on it, but it looks pretty good now.  AND hopefully there will be no more opportunities for pictures like the one I posted in my previous blog (us vacuuming all of the stupid trespassing water out of the carpet).

Anyway, moving on.  For those of you who don't know, the 4th of July is one of my favorite holidays.  I just love spending time in the sun with friends and/or family.  The last few years we've celebrated with Jack's family but this year we are celebrating with one of Jack's friends from high school and his girlfriend.  I just made a ton of food/drinks (Rum Punch that is AMAZING & some jello shots!  Hello alcohol!).  Yummers!  I've decided that I like being a hostess.  I like prepping for shindigs and whatnot... I think that just comes from my liking to organize in general.  Maybe I should be a party planner!  Anyway, the cool thing about tonight is that we are not getting together at our place.  This means I get to do the cooking and planning and then I get to take it all elsewhere and I don't have to deal with the part of hostess that means that I have to show everybody where everything is!  YAY!  (Plus I don't have to clean up for the event!)

Nothing exciting today, I know.  Here's a picture to make it all better.  Okay, so I know the picture turned out kind of dark but Kaiah moves anytime she catches me trying to take a picture of her when she sits here.  We have that little bench in our front yard and she seriously will go out there and just perch on the bench like it's her own personal throne.  She's too funny.

"Work is the refuge of people who have nothing better to do."

So, I thought, "Hey... I haven't written a blog for like a week, so maybe it's time."  It turns out maybe not.  I've been sitting here for a few minutes now and realized I don't have ANYTHING to blog about.  Kaiah and I ate sweet potato fries for lunch... is that blogworthy?  (They are one of my favorite snacks and it turns out that they're possibly one of Kai's favorites too.)  I'm working on cleaning my house today... what about that?  I need to go get new print cartridges and dog food at some point today... any of this interesting to you?  Sorry folks.  Turns out I'm boring.  Who knew?  Meh, maybe you all did.  I guess I thought I was the only one who was aware of this completely useless knowledge.

Here's something of some importance.  I have to work tomorrow.  Yep.  I said it.  WORK.  Back to the ol' salt mine.  This may not seem like very blogworthy news to any of my few but faithful readers, but it is news.  For those of you that don't know I have practically been a hermit for the past 10 months of my life.  (With the exception of a nice little week-long stint in October.)  It wasn't because I didn't want to work. (Well, let's face it.  Nobody wants to work.  Or maybe you do... in which case good for you.  Please enlighten me as to where I can get a job that I love well enough that I would rather do that than play with my dog all day.)

I thought that I wanted an entirely different career path.  I think I got burned out hardcore working at my previous job.  Don't get me wrong, I loved working with the kiddles and LOVED my coworkers (and still do!), but that job was taxing.  I decided I was going to look for something different.  It turns out that when you've worked with children, the elderly, or just people in general for your entire life, it's hard to just break on to a new career path without going back to school or having to flip burgers or bag groceries.  So, I'm going back to doing a job that is pretty much the same thing that I was doing before.  And that's okay.  It's a new environment and the clientele will be a wee bit different.  Plus, I've had a nice stretch of time to get away from it and just breathe.

Bonuses of going back to work: 

• More $$$, of course!
• I can talk to people during the day again!  (Without having to go to the grocery store!)
• I get to help people again.  (Let's face it, when it comes to work that's all I've ever done and known.)
• I don't have to listen to Kaiah bark all day...  (Bittersweet)  :(
• I get to meet new peeps!  You know I always like new people!
• I will (hopefully) eat better & snack less!  [I won't have my cupboards right in front of me to scavenge through when I'm hungry (or bored, for that matter).]

Damages of going back to work:

• Loss of free time/freedom.  (That's a doozy.)
• I'll miss my little Kaiahroo!  (Ever since she came into our lives, one of us has been home with her for the most part and now she'll be all alone during the day.)  :'(
• My house will no longer be the cleanest house in Des Moines!  (Not that I won't still clean but seriously, if I'm working all day I'm not going to want to come home and clean.  I've been cleaning every day for the last 10 months, for the most part!)
• Not as much gourmet cooking!  (I'm not going to want to come home and put a huge effort into dinner when I can make something simple quickly.)
• I'm going to work out a lot less.  (I've all ready begun to realize that I will fail at keeping this up.  Being a "housewife" is a full-time job the way it is.  I've got a man and a dog that are both extremely needy, so I'm no longer going to have a lot of "me time".)
• I'm going to have to start getting dressed again.  Damn.

That's it.  That last one just put me over the edge.  I've decided NOT to return to work.  I kid... but only kind of. 

Oscar Wilde said it best, "Work is the refuge of people who have nothing better to do."  Eek, Mr. Wilde... some of us just need the CASH.  :)

The Ghetto Gourmet

So, yesterday I was perusing books at Borders, and I came across the ever-so-fun $1 book bin.  Whenever I see this bin, I know I will buy something.  It turns out I bought 11 somethings.  (For $1, why not, right?)  But that is beside the point.  I found a real treasure in that bunch of books, and I want/need/must tell you about it.  Check it out.

That's right.  Cookin' with Coolio.  I know you all are very jealous of my killer find.  It has such fabulous recipes as: Bacon Rap'd Scallops (Yes, spelled like that), Chicken Lettuce Blunts, Bro-ghetti, &I'm-Gonna-Slap-You-With-My-Whisk Tomato Bisque.  Not to mention, such classics as Pimp My Shrimp, Coolius Caesar, & Heavenly Ghettalian Garlic Bread.  Let's also not forget what sold me on the book, Simple-Ass Mozzarella Salad (or "Mozzarella for the Pimpish Fella").  I must also add that there are such fantastic chapter titles as "How to Become a Kitchen Pimp", "It's Hard Out There For a Shrimp" & "Sweet Treats for That Sweet Ass".   How could I not add this masterpiece to my cookbook collection?  It would be such a shame.

However, unfortunately for me, ever since I found this treasure, I have been singing that stupid song "1,2,3,4 (Sumpin' New)" song.  You know that you know it... "1,2,3,4, Get your woman on the floor.  Gotta gotta get up to get DOWN.  Gotta gotta get up to get DOWN."  I hope it is now in all of my faithful readers' heads.  It's driving me crazy!

Anyway, I don't have too much else to say today, I just wanted to share this tasty little morsel with you all!  :)

Cumin!

I went to Farmers' Market this morning.  I got some rosemary-infused balsamic vinegar.  It is so tasty and I
am super excited to cook with it.  I also got some cumin Gouda.  Cumin!  I'm so ridiculously pumped for it that you can't even imagine.  Cumin is definitely one of my favorite spices and most likely in my top three.

However, evidently, I need to go to the grocery store because nobody at Farmers Market wanted to sell me some kale.  I want to make kale chips!  (On a completely unrelated note, I must also add that Waste Management was giving out free reusable grocery bags.  SCORE!)

I guess it was only a matter of time before I wrote a food-related blog.  I love food.  I love cooking it and I love eating it.  So, all of you faithful readers, you can expect more to come on this topic.  Lucky you.  Even luckier me, because it means that I'm most likely cooking it or eating it before I share it with you.