Sunday Slacker

Sorry I've been MIA most of the day. I headed out to lunch and then the munchkins were here so I've been a bit distracted.

Let's start with breakfast...




Then lunch at La Bottega in Roosevelt Field.



I had a glass of wine.





And the Di Rosa salad with baby spinach instead of mixed greens.



Chicken cutlet with mixed greens, fresh tomatoes,
goat cheese and balsamic vinaigrette

And some bread.



Then I bought 3 Berenstain Bears books and had to read them each three times to Madeleine this afternoon.

I also bought some vitamins I hadn't been taking them for a while but I feel like my hair might need them.

See, my hair is a mess. It's fine as a rule but it seems more brittle than anything lately. I try deep conditioners, I try washing my hair every other day. I really don't know what to do with it.

I got a Hair, Skin and Nails formula from GNC as well as a regular Women's Vitamin. The dose for each is 2 caplets but I'm going to take one of each since I think a lot of the vitamins seem to double up. M told me I didn't need to take supplements if I was getting my nutrients from food and though I think I do OK with dairy - I'm not sure I make up for it soley with my food intake...so I don't think this is necessarily a bad thing. It's just weird taking vitamins after not taking them for so long.

And GNC puts vanilla flavoring in their women's vitamins. I never knew that.

I also bought Nioxin thinking maybe that'll help.

I'll keep you posted. Has anyone else used this? My hair just looks so dry and damaged I feel like I need to do something.

I got home, helped ice some cupcakes (my mom and the kiddies made them while I was out.) and then we went to an early dinner. Since I had just eaten I had a quick cup of soup (which I forgot to take a picture of). Maddie however took a picture of "The Olympics".



Or the US v Canada Hockey Game. :(

I'm not into hockey but that was some game!

I took home some food which I will eat shortly.

Aaaand that's about it. Nothing too exciting. I'm working from here tomorrow and heading home sometime in the afternoon.

See you later! Sleep well.

Lunch and Dinner

Today was a bit of a whirlwind. I ran uptown to Zumba (which was excellent - as per always. My apologies for stepping on two people's feet during Move Shake Drop. That's one of my favorite combinations. I'm a little overzelous!) I really think I might try the Masala Bhangra class that happens before Zumba on Saturdays. Most people take it then take Zumba. I'm not sure I'm quite there yet but maybe that's what I need - to challenge myself like that.

The Masala Bhangra Workout™ is an exercise dance routine that modernizes the high-energy folk dance of Bhangra by blending traditional Bhangra dance steps and the exhilaration of Bollywood (Hindi film) moves. This unique dance mixes cardiovascular with fun, and is suitable for participants of all ages and fitness levels. It is a certified fitness program backed up by the fitness boards.

It'll be a tad pricey but worth it I think. Everyone who takes the class seems to love it.

I got home and ate this quick - tuna on a multi-grain sandwich thin w/PopChips on the side.




Then I showered quickly and headed back out to catch the train to LI. My mom picked me up and we went to see the most predictible movie of all time - Valentine's Day. Nothing offensive about it - just you know - completely and utterly cliche in every way.


I had some popcorn and Junior Mints at the movie.


Later I had some Chicken with the Sauce and pasta w/peas and parmesan.



Have I ever told you how to make this??? I can't believe I haven't. I will soon. Basically it's chicken in marinara sauce and one of our family staples. I cooked too much pasta so there is some leftover in the fridge.

And some wine.



And 2 of these foil wrapped dark chocolate hearts that my Daddy bought me for Valentine's Day and that I totally forgot I left here.

My dad is the best dad ever. He went to a different store because the one right near their house did not have dark chocolate. :)



Tomorrow I'm supposed to meet my friend Diane for lunch and have dinner with my favorite children in the world. My Maddie and Ellie are set to arrive sometime tomorrow afternoon. Yay!!!

Can't wait. See y'all then!

Early Start

I'm outta here in just a few. Gotta beat the crazy Saturday Zumba rush.

Before I go - here is my breakfast.



Half a whole wheat bagel with some PB.

Be back in a bit.

Gah-lic

Oh man. I'm offensive right now. Vampires within a 100 mile radius are taking cover. I used waaay too much garlic in this dish.

But it was still good!

So for dinner I decided on Ina's Baked Shrimp Scampi




I'll tell you right now I didn't do this quite right. I didn't pare down the ingredients enough for one serving. It was too much lemon, too much garlic, and a piece of whole wheat toast thrown in the food processor does not panko breadcrumbs make.

Live and learn.

Tonight's cast of characters...




Shrimp taking a swim in olive oil and white wine.



Which I originally was going to use the end of a bottle of Chardonnay - but it was questionable so I opened some Vinho Verde.

And then had a taste.



The butter, parsley, red pepper, egg yolk, lemon juice/zest mix.



Making breadcrumbs. I threw the garlic and onion (no shallots tonight) in there too.




Breadcrumbs and butter together.



I baked the shrimp in the same dish as some asparagus.



But didn't write down the temperature when I copied the recipe - so my oven was on 375 when it needed to be 425. Thus, the breadcrumbs never got crispy. I ate it over pasta - so it didn't really matter.



The thing I love about this recipe though is that it does not swim in butter. I used about a tablespoon and the breadcrumbs really help to sop that up. I never order shrimp scampi out - because I can't take looking at it sitting there in a puddle of butter and oil.


There is chocolate in my future and then a good night's sleep. I'm going to trek up to Zumba in the morning since I never got to the gym today. I know if I go there I'll get the crap beat out of me for an hour and I know I won't make myself run that long. Then it's out to Long Island I go.

See you in the morning! Sleep well this snowy night!

Tunalicious

I know that some people can't stand canned tuna - that the smell just kills them. I however do not have this issue.

Lunch today was some tuna with spinach on a whole wheat English.



With some BBQ PopChips on the side.



I'm sorry things are not going to be too exciting at the moment. I'm just watching the snow fall and trying to catch up on some work. I'm planning on heading out to Long Island tomorrow. Tonight I'll give you pictures of my yummy dinner so hopefully that'll make up for the blahs of today. :)

See you later!!

Snowy Day

Good morning!

I'm all bundled up in my bed watching the snow continue to fall outside.





It's days like this that are meant for working from home.

So last night I scientifically picked the winners of the edamame giveaway. Hee!





Congrats Jenn and Amanda! Send me your information via email (singleserving.km@gmail.com) and as soon as it stops snowing I'll get them to you!

This morning I made a little omlette-y kind of thing with spinach, onion and a slice of swiss cheese. And half an onion bagel with butter.



Twas yummy!!

I'm going to trudge over to the gym at some point today and that's the extent of what I'm planning on doing. Going to make something with shrimp for dinner. Maybe Ina's Baked Shrimp Scampi which I really do love.

We'll see. Catch you in a bit.

Two Things

1) I realize now quinoa does not look that appetizing when you take a picture of it.

2) Beef in beef stew freezes fine - the potatoes do not.

Good thing I added some egg noodles to the mix.



And a little fresh parsley for garnish.

The potatoes were like water balloons - tasteless and mushy - but not in a good way. Next time I know to just freeze the stew portion.

Dessert was a heaping tablespoon of peanut butter with a sprinkle of dark chocolate pieces. It's one of my favorites.



This weather continues to be weird. I ran to the gym (did 3 miles - walked most of it and ran the last 5) and it's just this slushy mushy mix. Supposedly it's supposed to start to stick soon.

Winner of the edamame contest (can you even call it that???) will be picked in the next 12 minutes so hurry it up if you want them. I'll announce the lucky ones in the morning.

Sleep tight.

Keen on Quinoa

Hello there. To make up for my transgressions I decided to have some super healthy quinoa for lunch.

I took the filling out of the other half of the chicken wrap from last night, added a bit of the leftover sauce from my failed pizza experiment/chicken parm, some fresh basil and added a tablespoon of part skim ricotta and a bit of shredded parmesan.

Yum, yum.



The weather is so nasty here, just rain, then snow, then rain again. I hear shoveling outside right now so maybe we're back to snow at the moment. As a result - I've got some leftover beef stew thawing on my counter right now. It seems to be that kind of day.

I hope it tastes OK!

I'm going to brave the weather and walk across the street and take a walk on the treadmill after work. I'd go to Zumba - but don't feel like making the hike all the way up and across town.

See you all a little later.

I would love to say....

....that I didn't drink or eat anything fried yesterday.

The fact is I had a couple glasses of wine and a few french fries.

I also sang karaoke.

It was for a good cause.



I had half a balsamic chicken wrap with mozzarella cheese (half leftover for today)



that basket of waffle fries had the audacity to be right next to me. I picked the tiniest ones. I swear!!

This morning I had a yummy, runny, poached egg on whole wheat toast.





And a handful of dark chocolate edamame. :) You have until 10 PM ET to enter!



Doctor's appointment in a bit. See you at lunch!

In Summary...

This was my breakfast...



...and this was my lunch.



I had leftovers from dinner the other night + spinach.

All of the sudden my phone decided to work and I got two emails of the pictures I took earlier. So weird.

Tonight I'm drinking...or not drinking...at Keats for a cause. I'm also planning on singing some karaoke.

Should be fun.

I'll be back later with more details.

See you then!!

PS: I'm sad :( that no one (save 2 people I already know!) seems to want any edamame. It's delicious - I promise. It tastes kind of like peanuts - but I don't know...crunchier. And the chocolate is just the right amount of bitter and sweet.

Really. And I'm just giving them away!!!

Hopefully I'll have some more takers soon!!

A little TJ's giveaway...

To make up for my lame post this morning I decided to do a little giveaway. I know I love to get things in the mail - and I know some of you must feel the same.

I'm gonna start small - as I live in Manhattan and have a shoe habit to feed on a budget less extensive than Carrie Bradshaw's. :)

If you've been reading a while you must know that my love for Trader Joe's knows no bounds.

Really. If Trader Joe was a real person I'd marry him in a heartbeat. It would save on groceries for one thing.

I love so much about what that store chooses to be but one of my most favorite items is this:



I tell myself I need a handful a day for medicinal purposes.

And I do usually have them - I just don't show you because taking pics of me holding stuff makes me look like I have man hands.

Anyway. Point is - do two of you want some???

If so - please comment here &/or link this post to your own blog. (If you do that you'll get entered twice! Just post a link in your comment.)

I know, I know. It's a lame small time giveaway but it's the thought that counts right??? And who knows - I may throw something else in the mix as a bonus gift!

Just tell me here what your favorite sweet snack is. Deadline is tomorrow at 10 PM ET. I'll announce the winner on Friday. YAY!!

Good luck!!

Deleted

I put new batteries in my point and shoot this morning but I can't find the cord.

I took a picture of my breakfast but then deleted all the images from my camera.

It was a variation of this...in case you were wondering.






There you go. :)

See you in a bit.

Take 2

You know when you had an idea of how something was going to taste and then were bitterly disappointed? Like my lunch?

Well I tried to remedy it at dinner.

First - I went to the gym. I did not run. I walked for 4 miles adjusting the speed and incline for an hour. It was totally old school. I didn't even listen to music -just the dialogue from 2 Office episodes on my iPod.

That felt good. I'm still in a "Boys suck and I ate and drank way too much in the last week" funk but I'll snap out of it.

Someday...

I came home and made ghetto chicken parm. (Meaning I used jarred sauce and a frozen salt and pepper breaded chicken tender). I served it with a side of spinach.



This time I added some fresh basil, crushed red pepper and minced garlic to the sauce.

It worked wonders.

Take that Sandra Lee. My semi-homemade dinner kicked some serious ass.

So you think you can cook....

I've been known to be smug about it. Look at me! I make perfect eggs!! This bread is the best bread in all the land!!

And then I go and do something like this.

I went to the store earlier (I know. I have enough food in this place to last a nuclear winter. SHUT UP. I needed milk) and was going to get some Chicken and Stars. But they only had the "Soup at Hand" version and I - in my selectively frugal ways - can't bring myself to spend that much for a can of soup.

When you see what I ended up with you'll know my logic is incredibly flawed - let's just get that out of the way.

I contemplated Annie's Mac and Cheese but realized I didn't want pasta. I perused Amy's Pizza selections but $4.29 for the personal sized??? I could not do it.

I had cheese at home so I decided to buy some Pillsbury dough and a jar of Classico Tomato Basil. "I shall make a pizza!" I exclaimed.



I moved to the kitchen, wincing as I peeled the paper from that demonic can that pops and always scares the crap out of me as I try and open it. (Like a Jack in the Box - I hate those things too. Who made up a toy that scares kids half to death? Weirdos.) I spread it out on the cookie sheet and realized it had a big gaping hole in the middle.

"Not to worry" I said to myself. "I am culinarily gifted. I'll make calzones!!!"

This is what I ended up with.



It tasted like what it looks like - a big stupid pile of dough. There wasn't enough sauce or cheese in it - nor was there enough seasoning. The other 'calzone' is in my fridge. I think I'm just gonna toss it. Or maybe I'll wrap it up and leave it by the Lutheran Church steps for the homeless guys who sleep there.

I've had too much Diet Coke today and now have a caffeine headache. I'm in the grumpiest of grumpy moods. I have decided that chorus and I will not meet today. Once the work day is over I'm going to head to the gym and walk for as long as I can take it. If the 80 min treadmill is open I might just hop on it.

At least I'll work off that monstrosity I ate for lunch.

Full disclosure - I really wanted to eat tater tots and pigs in a blanket for lunch. At least I didn't do that!

I'll be back - and hopefully in a better mood - later.

Detox - Day 2

So far so good in keeping myself from consuming anything fried in oil.

This morning I had a half a PB sandwich.



Sometimes I feel like I need a whole sandwich and sometimes I think a half is just right.

Today was a half type day.

I'm going to finish a few reports for work then take a quick trip to the gym. I have chorus tonight. It's gloomy and rainy today so I'm not really feeling it but it won't be so bad. I'll be able to eat a quick dinner before hand and go there dressed in jeans and sneakers and without lugging my stuff from work. I just need to suck it up. I never mind it once I actually get there.

Hopefully my trip to the gym will help get rid of this case of the crankies I seem to have.

Be back at lunch. Is it weird that I think I want a bowl of Campbell's Chicken and Stars or something? I'm craving 5 yr old foods for some reason.

Chicken and Sweet Potatoes

Real Simple has some of the well, most simple yet tasty recipes.

This is one of them.

But true to form - I tweaked.

The chicken was baked in the oven at 375 for 35 min (it was still a little frozen). I drizzled some olive oil, sprinkled some S&P and covered it in sliced onions - no shallots. My portion was half.



I peeled and cubed 1 sweet potato, boiled till fork tender. Drained and added 1 tbsp of warm milk and 1/2 a tablespoon of unsalted butter. Mashed with a fork. Also still have half leftover.



Plus a quarter cup of frozen peas.



Yum.




I also had 2 cookies and some (chocolate) milk (today was the sell by date for the milk in the fridge).




Now I'm early to bed. Working from home tomorrow (yay!!) so whatever Olympics I miss I'll catch up on then.