Breakfast:

Cereal and Berries

Lunch:

Soup & Salad & Brussels Sprouts (roasted)

  

Dinner:

Egg White Omelette and Veggies ( & Baguette)

Yes, dinner looks a lot like a breakfast -- but I heard from Giada Di Laurentis that Italian's have eggs more for dinner than breakfast, and it's quick and healthy. 

Lunch was from our cafe here at work... I found the best lady to ring up my meal - she's let me out for < $6 every time I go in her line.  (They weigh the salad and type in some number for the soup I really have no idea what anything is supposed to cost) 

Oh well, I'm sneaking veggies into my soups anyways (i.e. I add broccoli or cauliflower from the salad line into my cup before I pour the soup)

Everytime I don't go to my favorite Cashier I get charged $6-7 for this

That's not even with a side of Brussels Sprouts!  ugh!

Today was a hectic day at work but I managed to snap a quick shot in the fabulous bathroom lighting

I love cuddly cardigans because it is FREEZING COLD in half the conference rooms here at work.

Anyways, the outfit must've been pretty okay because I was told in the hallway I'd have to quit my job as an Engineer and move into fashion.  I think that was a compliment??

Sadly, I could really use a homemade Lara Bar right now but I finished them off and have no more :(

Learn how to make them here.

I used a slightly different combo... I used peanuts instead of almonds, craisins instead of raisins, and added some dark chocolate chips :)  But it really just depends on your taste!  I loved the flavors :)

My one RECOMMENDATION would be that you keep these puppies wrapped in plastic wrap in the freezer, otherwise mine were a little mushy.  They don't actually freeze it just makes them more bar-like.

Questions for the Day:

Do you ever have breakfast for dinner?? How do you feel about eggs at any meal?

I have never had a problem with switching breakfast and dinner, although I don't typically crave pancakes late at night.  Mike used to say soup and sandwiches did NOT count as a dinner and were lunch only -- he's slowly coming around.  I could have soup for every meal!!!!

Do you ever dress up for work?



A Short Trip in the Private Jet for Lunch on the Lake...

WEEKEND RECAP

Friday I finally left work in one of those moods.

You know, where you just HAVE to get out of there!

I decided the only thing to do was obviously work for an endorphin high.  Since I'd just did a long run the night before I figured I'd better stick to the gym. 

I started with a BodyRock.tv Routine:

Workout Breakdown

Time: 12 Minutes  Workout Type: 12 Minute Interval Workout 

 

Bringing Sexy Back!

Lisa-Marie’s Cardio Workout:
Set your interval timer to 10/50 for 12 rounds. You need to complete the following 4 exercises 3 time through.
Press up Burpee + Plyometric Jump (or squat/tuck jump)
Star Single Toe Touch Abs
Sit Squat & Jump using the Pink Sandbag
Ugi Ball Mountiain Climbers x 10 & Ugi Ball Toe Touch’s x 10

VIDEO


Holy Goodness!!! That knocked the Sparkles out of me... this BodyRock.tv stuff is serious.

Also, can I say how cute Lisa-Marie's British accent is??


Modification:  Since I don't have a huge weighted Sand bag I held two 5lb weights for that part.

This SERIOUSLY brings your heart rate up quick! Then I started a second BodyRock.tv circuit -- "Turn Me On", but too many burpees for one day -- I only got through round one!

Finished up with Treadmill 3 mi  00:26mi   //  08:33 pace

Really pushed it and was so schweaty!!

Hahaha yeah right... not me!

...

Here I am!

It felt good to get in such an awesome burn - especially since I met Mike & Friends at the local Sports Bar for dinner & drinks.  Since I'd been so healthy all day and pushed myself at the gym I splurged in one of my favorite Southern meals -- Mike and I split the Chicken Fried Chicken, Mac and Cheese and Mashed Potatoes with a side of Broccoli - yum!!!!

Don't judge me, this is not your average Chicken Fried Chicken ... I won't even order it at other restaurants because I dispise when they serve you piece-meal questionable chicken drowning in grease, slop canned gravy all over it and call it 'food'.  This was clearly delicious all white meat chicken lightly battered and fried and oh so worth it!!


Saturday's workout was super speed because we had somewhere very important to be!

I convinced Mike to try the BodyRock.tv routine with me -- we staggered the order of the circuit so that we wouldn't need the equipment at the same time and could just complete it in my apartment.

He agreed that it got his heart rate up and those Press up Burpee + Plyometric Jumps were intense. 


We showered up toweled off (thank you Victoria's Secret Body Spray) and rushed out the door to grab breakfast at Einstein's before heading to THE AIRPORT. 

Not the main airport, a smaller one about 45min north of Dallas...

because we were about to fly IN THIS:

A Cessna 172

Our friend Kris recently got his Pilot License so he offered to be Captain and fly us all to Lunch on the Lake!

[Mike and I in the plane]

I took the headphones because I wanted to be 'clued in' with the Pilot.

If that's not the right saying... I don't care Don't tell me about it.

Everything was smooth sailing flying until Mike nearly flew off the plane.

You're not buying it??

Yeah.. my phone photography skills aren't that great.

Maybe now that I fly via Jet to lunch I'll start being swarmed with Paparazzi and they can catch the good shots.

We flew out for some seriously delicious burgers.

I got a Cessna (in honor of our plane) Not greasy, modest size, super fresh veggies + pickles + mustard = win.

I'm not a huge burger person and I'm hard to please, but I really liked mine :) 

The burger place was called

It was truly in the middle of nowhere, not a very public part of the lake, so the name fit!  They had a bunch of old plane memorabilia and a few alien parts to decorate.  Definitely an experience!

The views from the air were pretty spectacular

Texas can be beautiful!!

But, just a quick lunch!  Then I was off to shower and get ready to celebrate our good friend's Birthday!

Happy Birthday Kim!!

We starting at a Wine Tasting at 2 Corks and a Bottle

Those are the managers and the same gentlemen who were there to serve us!

THEIR STORY:

We loved the idea of opening a unique business that would be fun and enjoyable for our guests! The ability to make your own wine or just come in and enjoy a glass or bottle of wine in the winery is something we know people would enjoy!

The first two whites we tried were not my favorite to say the least.. but the selections got better as the tasting went on (easily could've been becaue I'd had more wine as the night went on!)

The atmosphere was fun and my favorite pick was actually not part of the tasting, it's the bottle my roommate recommended called Romeo.

INTERESTING FACT I learned during the tasting was what WINE DIAMONDS are

{my lucky glass}

The  crystals  that  are  sometimes  found  in  the  bottom  of  your  wine  bottles  are  not  known  as  wine  "diamonds"  for  nothing. 
Wine  diamonds,  or  potassium  acid  tartrate,  is  a  mono potassium  salt.   In  its  natural  state  it  is  commonly  found  in  many  fruits  but  predominantly  in  grapes.  Wine  made  from  grapes,  fresh  grape  juice,  grape  juice  concentrate  or  a  combination  of  these,  can  sometimes  produce  this  crystal  fall  out.  Since  it  is  cold  temperatures  that  cause  the  diamonds  to  form,  you  may  notice  these  crystals  when  you  remove  a  wine  bottle  from  the  refrigerator  or  cold  storage.  This  phenomenon  can  be  found  in  both  white  and  red  wines.  It  is  entirely  natural  and  is  NOT  a  defect.  In  fact,  it  reflects  high  quality  and  will  accompany  a  wine  which  processes  wonderful  tastes  and  aromas. 

[source]

Fancy, huh?!?!

 

 

CHEERS TO WINE DIAMONDS

 

 

 

 

After the tasting we went to Hibachi for dinner and rented out the whole room!

 

 

I had the Shrimp and Broccoli and of course a Sake Bomb or two!

 

 

 

"Kanpai!!"  {Cheers}

 

 

We finished up the night out at Avenue - an Uptown Dallas Club that played great music.

 

 

 

 

I felt young again but was WIPED OUT by the time we made it home at 2am!!!

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday consisted of recovery...

 

 

Well, AFTER a workout of course!!

 

 

 

Another BodyRock.tv Routine:

Workout Breakdown

Time: Rep ChallengeWorkout Type: Interval Rep Challenge

 

Glory to the Booty!

 

Lisa’s 600 Rep Workout
Set your BodyRocker interval timer to a stop watch and do the following 6 Exercises as quickly as you can & post your scores here.
100 High Knee Skips
100 Lunge kicks (50 each leg) using the Pink Sandbag
100 High Knee Skips
100 squats using the Pink Sandbag
100 High Knee Skips
25 Straight Abs
25 V Abs Left
25 V Abs Right
25 Bicycle Abs

 

Holy Handsel and Grettle!!!!!!

 

Subbed 10lb free weight for the Pink Sandbag.

 

My thighs are SCREAMING today.  They say we are no longer friends and I have the bruise to prove it...

 

 

Nope, I didn't RUN INTO A WALL  thank you for asking, it just appeared and if you press on it you can feel a nice large knot.

Finished off in the gym with:

Treadmill 2 mi 00:19min 09:30 pace

Recovery... My calves & quads hurt so bad but the sweat feels good :)

Gym 0.8 mi 00:10:00min 12:30 pace

10 min fast walk INCLINE 10

and 10 minutes additional strength training (a.k.a. me wandering around on different machines because I was bored)

I figured I earned a hearty lunch so I whipped up a HUGE Egg White Veggie Omelette

Totally full of veggies inside too!

My omelette had chopped carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, a slice of colby jack cheese, sprinkle of parmesan and some Italian seasoning!

Then while rolling out my legs I caught up on Once Upon a Time and Desperate Housewives.

It was a good day.

 

 

 

 

Now on to the most important thing... Mike told me this weekend he spotted a baby leopard spotted Alpaca.

 

I told him I wanted one and he said he got me the last one.

 

I am skeptical... but he said so, so it must be true.

 

 

When I get him I'm going to name him Pierre.

I told him to bring the Alpaca over tonight... and he told me I have no where to keep him right now so I'd better start construction on my 'Paca Palace.

 

 

 

 

I will.

 

 

And once this palace is complete Mike will have no more excuses, he'll have to bring me my Alpaca.

 

 

LONGEST POST EVER!!!!  whew!

Questions for the Day:

Have you tried any of the BodyRock.tv Workouts?  Any favorites I should try?

Have you ever flown in a non-commercial plane?  Were you nervous before hand like I was?

Have you heard of or ever had Wine Diamonds in your glass?



What did you find in the bathroom??

A bag of PINECONES?

Oh, okay then. 

Nevermind.  That's completely normal.

No stranger than this baby who happens to look like a Cabbage Patch Doll..

Do you guys remember those?? I definitely had one... her name was Francis Pearly.  Nope, didn't pick that.

But back to the PINECONES...

I found them in the Panera bathroom today at lunch.

Am I the only one who found that weird?  Is this typical?  Do they help with bathroom odor or something??

Anyways, other than the pinecones I had a completely usual Panera lunch...

Broccoli Cheese soup and French Baguette

LOVE.

And yes, I was hungry enough for two pieces of bread!  Breakfast was on the light side...

Coffee and Fage Greek yogurt with more leftover berries from my awesome supermarket find. 

I like to sprinkle a packet of Truvia on top for a little added sweetness.

Questions for the Day:

I'm scared to ask but... strangest thing you've found in a bathroom??

You Are What You Do

Gread Motivation from Tone It Up girls today:

If you run, you are a runner. It doesn't matter how fast or how far. It doesn't matter if today is your first day or if you've been running for twenty years. There is no test to pass, no license to earn, no membership card to get. You just run.

The same can be said for many things..

• If you lead, you're a leader.
• If you cook, you're a cooker.
• If you teach, you're a teacher.
• If you learn, you're a learner.
• If you sing, you're a singer.
• If you love, you're a lover.

No tests, no licenses, no membership cards. Just lead. Just cook. Just teach. Just learn. Just sing. Just love. Just be you <3

I love that.

Riley is a cuddler.

I love this about her.  No matter where I go in the apartment she follows me and just snuggles.

precious!

Sadly, even with all the plans last night I was not a runner...

Our good friend Kris called with EXCITING NEWS on a business deal he had closed and wanted to celebrate.

Friends trump running sometimes...

We went to BJ's Restaurant and Brewery (which I love!)  and the only issue was that the menu is extensive and the lighting was very dim at our table!  So what did I do?  Pulled out my Evo and turned on the 'Flashlight App' with the kickstand so everyone could see the menu:

Gotta love technology! hahaha

And I had a Turkey Burger on a Wheat Bun with Avocado to complement our Champagne toast.

Tonight is GIRLS NIGHT and we'll be watching Grey's Anatomy, but I hope I can finish up at work with enough time to scoot on over to the gym first - otherwise I may be doing my squats and situps as the show plays!!! 

Questions for the Day:

What did you have for dinner last night?? 

How many miles do you think a person should complete per week to consider themselves 'A Runner'?



More Fun with Fitness & Fashion

Fashion AND Fitness

My kinda thing.

Style Bistro recently posted a special on Celeb Workout Attire.. but I have to say, I wasn't entirely impressed...

There was this...

Yes, Yes Katy I am afraid, but mostly of what happened to your shirt.  I don't want the same to happen to mine.  And I much prefer you with a softer 'do, even if it's pink.

Then there's Paris...

Bringing it back to the Old School, 'cause I'm an Old Fool, who's So Cool!

probably botched those lyrics...

And Gwen...

In her defense the weather looks horrendous, but does that coat remind anyone else of the colored stripes you'd get across your T.V. when it used to lose connection???

Ashley Tisdale

Like her little ballerina bun!

Sandra Bullock

Love her and WISH I could pull this off!  I don't think hats look so cute on me... Visors yes, hats no...

Sofia Vergara

Love her and her curves.. and the baggy shirt with one shoulder thing.. My only question is was this before or after  the gym? Because my hair cannot stay down like that - I sweat bullets when I get my cardio in.

Kelly Ripa

Is a pint sized Diva.

And Speaking of Fashionably Fit - Jillian Michaels has some new KSwiss gear coming out and her COMMERCIAL is to die for!

It's worth watching just to see Jillian in a 1950's inspired dress!  lol

In the end, I really think you should be COMFORTABLE in your workout gear and CONFIDENT.  It should definitely be functional.  If you're having to adjust straps or pull up your pants every five seconds it doesn't matter how cute the outfit is.

Questions for the Day:

What's your current 'go-to' outfit for the gym?  Does it depend on if you're taking a class or doing heavy cardio?

You're BERRY Welcome! (Healthy, Delicious, SIMPLE Berry Filling)



It's Berry Season.

If you read my weekend recap then you know about the amazing trip to the supermarket I had where I left with berries galore!

Well, What's a gal to do with so many succulent berries?!

MAKE DELICIOUS BERRY FILLING.

So I stepped into the Kitchen and went all TOP CHEF...

via

Watching cooking shows has left me feeling inspired in the kitchen and I decided to create a culinary masterpiece:  The Berry Pastry.

Why a 'Pastry'??  Because pastries are fluffy, delicate, and I knew I had Puff Pastry in the freezer.

This filling was so good I'm sure you could use it on a piece of toast, in your oatmeal, in some OverNight Oats, on crackers... just about anything you could think of.  That would keep the calorie count low, but I was ready to splurge.

Place those Shells on a tray in your oven according to the directions on the box (425 for 20 minutes - although mine were done after 18) and gather the supplies for your delicious filling!

You're going to need

2 Green Apples peeled & finely chopped

6 - 8 oz container Fresh Blueberries

3 packets Truvia (or natural sweetener of your chocie)

~3 oz Sparkling Strawberry Kiwi Water

That's it!!

I pick green apples simply because I love their inherent tart flavor.  Additionally, anytime you are cooking fruit it becomes sweeter so starting with a green apple captures more flavors.

I chose to use Sparkling Water because it is low calorie but adds a bit of additional sweetness/flavor.

To Begin, set your small sauce pot on the stove on Med/High heat (I had mine on a level 8) and quickly spray with a bit of Olive Oil Pam.  Pour in some Sparkling Kiwi Strawberry water until the level is approximately a centimeter high.  Add in your three (3) packets of sweetener and stir.

Now add in the blueberries.

As the mixture heats, quickly peal and finely chop your two (2) green apples adding them into the pot as you go. 

The mixture should turn a dark velvety red from the blueberries and the apple pieces should plump with the same color.

Just continue to Stir.

That's all you do. 

As your pastries are baking away, you'll stir every minute or so and watch the mixture in the pot thicken.  Your kitchen is going to smell DIVINE!

Here's a picture of my filling as it was nearly done! 

::that smoke is steam rising from my sauce::

You know your mixture is done when it starts to form a jelly-like consistency.

Surprisingly, my sauce took the same amount of time to perfect as my pastries did to bake.

The kitchen lords must've been smiling down upon me!

Take the pastries out of the oven (with a pot holder -- the tray is HOT!) and use a fork to carefully remove the circular tops of the pastries.  Spoon the filling into the pastries and then place the 'top' back onto the pastry (unless you have already eaten the flakey buttery goodness that was the 'top')

VOILA!!

Actually maybe it would've looked prettier without the top... but it didn't last like that for long anyways!!!!

MMmmmmmm!!!!

Now I'm sitting here in Berry Heaven.

And the BEST PART?!  Don't feel guilty when you eat this filling!!

It's made of two apples, blueberries, truvia, and a bit of sparkling water!!!!

Questions for the Day:

What's your favorite Berry?

What food do you feel should NEVER be left berry-less???