There. I said it. I hate the scale. I hate weighing myself. I do it
once a week, the same day, the same time. And I hate it. Usually I'm
okay with it, but today when I stepped on the scale it had gone up 3.5
pounds from last week.
Really? Three and a half pounds? I know I
made some bad choices this past week but I didn't feel like it was 3.5
pounds worth of bad choices. I'd actually been feeling better this week,
like I was starting to lose some weight. I thought my time with the
scale today would be a good time, not a disheartening time that sent me
back to bed for another 15 minutes, just running that number through my
head over and over.
The problem with the scale is it shows me a
number I don't really see when I look in the mirror. Could I stand to
lose some weight? Yes, of course, I see that. But the amount of weight
the scale implies I should lose? I just don't see it...
Then I see pictures of myself and think, there's no way I'm that big. But the scale and pictures don't lie.
Sigh. I hate the scale.
I
have to not let it get me down, I need to go back through the last week
and point out my big mistakes to myself and figure out ways to not
repeat them. I need to go back to the week where I lost a pound and see
what I did right that week versus this past week.
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Thursday, June 20, 2013
My Fitness Pal - Running
Well it's time to be better!
This week was my last week hosting with Events & Adventures and one of the reasons I wanted to quit hosting was so I would have more time to focus on me and my weight loss journey and bettering myself. Too often I let other things get in the way of my workout schedule.
So to help with that... I let a friend talk me into joining this group:
http://usafitfortbend.com/
I start on June 29th at 7am with a group run with my pace group! I put myself into the Purple group - the walkers, the 5K/10K. We'll see how it goes. One day I would like to be able to run an entire 5K, not just walk it with little spurts of running.
This week was my last week hosting with Events & Adventures and one of the reasons I wanted to quit hosting was so I would have more time to focus on me and my weight loss journey and bettering myself. Too often I let other things get in the way of my workout schedule.
So to help with that... I let a friend talk me into joining this group:
http://usafitfortbend.com/
I start on June 29th at 7am with a group run with my pace group! I put myself into the Purple group - the walkers, the 5K/10K. We'll see how it goes. One day I would like to be able to run an entire 5K, not just walk it with little spurts of running.
Monday, June 10, 2013
My Fitness Pal - BodyBugg
So I got an email a few weeks ago that
BodyBugg account maintenance was moving over to Body Media and I needed
to change my account if I wanted to continue using it.
So I did.
And I also investigated and saw that Body Media Fit can be synced with a My Fitness Pal account so I did! So we shall see where this goes... Finally I can have my calories burned fully connected with my calories consumed log. I didn't use the food log in BodyBugg.com because the database for MFP is just so much better and I didn't want to try to do double work.
So I did.
And I also investigated and saw that Body Media Fit can be synced with a My Fitness Pal account so I did! So we shall see where this goes... Finally I can have my calories burned fully connected with my calories consumed log. I didn't use the food log in BodyBugg.com because the database for MFP is just so much better and I didn't want to try to do double work.
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
My Fitness Pal - Walk to Wellness Wednesdays
This is a new health initiative that my wellness committee at work started. I like it!
----
Hello everyone,
On behalf of the Wellness Committee, we would like to introduce and encourage all of you to participate in WALK TO WELLNESS WEDNESDAYS starting TODAY.
For every Wednesday this summer, we encourage you to USE THE STAIR WAYS instead of the elevator. For those of you who already use the stair ways frequently, GOOD JOB AND KEEP IT UP. For those of you who don’t, TODAY IS THE DAY to start.
There will be signs to remind and encourage you all to WALK TO WELLNESS WEDNESDAYS. Thank you.
Fun Facts:
- Climbing just two flights of stairs everyday could result a loss of 2.7kg or 6lbs per year. Six flights a day could help you trim nearly 18 lbs.
- Adding stairs to your day can add years to your life. Studies show that risk of cardiovascular disease and death is lower among those who are regular Stair climbers.
- Stair climbing is a 'green' activity; the only energy source used is what is stored in our bodies.... good for you and the environment!
----
So I got to work and headed over to the elevator up to my floor and there was a Walk To Wellness sign posted huge on it, staring me in the face, making me feel guilty if I took the elevator. So I didn't. I took three flights of stairs up to my office and now I'm sitting here with my breakfast of yogurt and a banana, feeling good!
----
Hello everyone,
On behalf of the Wellness Committee, we would like to introduce and encourage all of you to participate in WALK TO WELLNESS WEDNESDAYS starting TODAY.
For every Wednesday this summer, we encourage you to USE THE STAIR WAYS instead of the elevator. For those of you who already use the stair ways frequently, GOOD JOB AND KEEP IT UP. For those of you who don’t, TODAY IS THE DAY to start.
There will be signs to remind and encourage you all to WALK TO WELLNESS WEDNESDAYS. Thank you.
Fun Facts:
- Climbing just two flights of stairs everyday could result a loss of 2.7kg or 6lbs per year. Six flights a day could help you trim nearly 18 lbs.
- Adding stairs to your day can add years to your life. Studies show that risk of cardiovascular disease and death is lower among those who are regular Stair climbers.
- Stair climbing is a 'green' activity; the only energy source used is what is stored in our bodies.... good for you and the environment!
----
So I got to work and headed over to the elevator up to my floor and there was a Walk To Wellness sign posted huge on it, staring me in the face, making me feel guilty if I took the elevator. So I didn't. I took three flights of stairs up to my office and now I'm sitting here with my breakfast of yogurt and a banana, feeling good!
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
My Fitness Pal - Grazing!
Another blog post from My Fitness Pal.
Grazing
Okay I was terrible this Memorial Day Weekend with my eating and my logging. I couldn't log as I went like I usually do because I was up at a lake house that doesn't really have wifi and my phone's reception was sketchy so I couldn't use the app.
For the first day, I wrote things down that I ate on a list app on my phone and then I just said, screw it, it's vacation, and stopped. And I just sat down to try to log what I ate over Saturday and Sunday. I got most of it but I know not all of it. It's hard to remember what day did I have that handful of M&Ms? Did I have a handful of M&Ms every day? What about those goldfish crackers or peanut butter sandwich crackers when I was feeling snacky?
Oh well...
I will make it a mission to do better the next time I have a grazing-like situation! Which will be 4th of July weekend...
Grazing
Okay I was terrible this Memorial Day Weekend with my eating and my logging. I couldn't log as I went like I usually do because I was up at a lake house that doesn't really have wifi and my phone's reception was sketchy so I couldn't use the app.
For the first day, I wrote things down that I ate on a list app on my phone and then I just said, screw it, it's vacation, and stopped. And I just sat down to try to log what I ate over Saturday and Sunday. I got most of it but I know not all of it. It's hard to remember what day did I have that handful of M&Ms? Did I have a handful of M&Ms every day? What about those goldfish crackers or peanut butter sandwich crackers when I was feeling snacky?
Oh well...
I will make it a mission to do better the next time I have a grazing-like situation! Which will be 4th of July weekend...
Monday, May 20, 2013
My Fitness Pal
Ooops, I totally abandoned this blog... Whoops.
Been busy. Been using My Fitness Pal for about two and a half weeks. And I've put up two blog posts over there. Here they are!
BodyBugg returns!
Posted on 2013-05-10
Well it's time to do this. Time to lose weight and be healthier in general.
I started a four-month-long health seminar on preventing diabetes last week, and one of the requirements of the class is that I keep a food log. I've tried to keep food logs before, but I wasn't as detailed (or as honest) as I needed to be, so it didnt really tell me all that it should. So far, so good! I've kept a food log for a week now. Some of the portion sizes I've had to guess at, but I'm being as honest as I can be.
Last night I charged up my BodyBugg again. I used it religiously for about 4 months then stopped around Valentine's Day. I want to get a more accurate calorie count for my exercising so I figured - why not? The subscription per month is only $6 and it's really useful. So I'm wearing that today and will continue wearing it!
Lessons Learned, Still Learning
Posted on 2013-05-20
I've been using My Fitness Pal for about two and a half weeks now and I've learned a few lessons.
* It's easier for me to eat better during the weeks. Likely because my schedule is pretty much the same every day. Get up early, work, lunch, work, go home. Eat small snacks I have at my desk during the day. Drink water. I definitely drink more water through the day when I'm at work than when I'm at home.
I can have a small but healthy breakfast (yogurt, fruit, etc.) and I bring my lunch or I go the Park Shops and I'm starting to do research about what's healthier before I go eat so I know what I'm eating, before I eat it.
* I definitely don't eat well on the weekends… No breakfast because sometimes I sleep late or I just don't eat it and then I head off to run errands. I've also had a few "extenuating circumstances" that allow me to snack and make it hard to log all of the food. A graduation party with lots of food last weekend, fondue dinner for my birthday this weekend, a baby shower with far too much food and desserts.Oh and drinking... so much drinking this past weekend.
I am learning to be a bit better at parties with large spreads of food. Scope everything out to see what's there before I make my choices, hunt down the veggies. Get away from the food table and go sit down to eat. These are situations that while they aren't every day, they are frequent, so I just need to continue to get better at handling them.
I'll have my next challenge this weekend... Memorial Day weekend at Canyon Lake with a lot of friends. A lot of food, a lot of snacking options, a lot of "grazing" options -- where you just nibble nibble nibble all day, and never really have a meal. A lot of desserts. A lot of soda in the fridge (one of my downfalls!).
But there are a lot of options for exercising. Swimming in the lake! I tend to wake up early -- early morning runs! The neighborhood is confusing and easy to get lost in, so I could just go for a run along the lake shore. Can't get lost there.
Been busy. Been using My Fitness Pal for about two and a half weeks. And I've put up two blog posts over there. Here they are!
BodyBugg returns!
Posted on 2013-05-10
Well it's time to do this. Time to lose weight and be healthier in general.
I started a four-month-long health seminar on preventing diabetes last week, and one of the requirements of the class is that I keep a food log. I've tried to keep food logs before, but I wasn't as detailed (or as honest) as I needed to be, so it didnt really tell me all that it should. So far, so good! I've kept a food log for a week now. Some of the portion sizes I've had to guess at, but I'm being as honest as I can be.
Last night I charged up my BodyBugg again. I used it religiously for about 4 months then stopped around Valentine's Day. I want to get a more accurate calorie count for my exercising so I figured - why not? The subscription per month is only $6 and it's really useful. So I'm wearing that today and will continue wearing it!
Lessons Learned, Still Learning
Posted on 2013-05-20
I've been using My Fitness Pal for about two and a half weeks now and I've learned a few lessons.
* It's easier for me to eat better during the weeks. Likely because my schedule is pretty much the same every day. Get up early, work, lunch, work, go home. Eat small snacks I have at my desk during the day. Drink water. I definitely drink more water through the day when I'm at work than when I'm at home.
I can have a small but healthy breakfast (yogurt, fruit, etc.) and I bring my lunch or I go the Park Shops and I'm starting to do research about what's healthier before I go eat so I know what I'm eating, before I eat it.
* I definitely don't eat well on the weekends… No breakfast because sometimes I sleep late or I just don't eat it and then I head off to run errands. I've also had a few "extenuating circumstances" that allow me to snack and make it hard to log all of the food. A graduation party with lots of food last weekend, fondue dinner for my birthday this weekend, a baby shower with far too much food and desserts.Oh and drinking... so much drinking this past weekend.
I am learning to be a bit better at parties with large spreads of food. Scope everything out to see what's there before I make my choices, hunt down the veggies. Get away from the food table and go sit down to eat. These are situations that while they aren't every day, they are frequent, so I just need to continue to get better at handling them.
I'll have my next challenge this weekend... Memorial Day weekend at Canyon Lake with a lot of friends. A lot of food, a lot of snacking options, a lot of "grazing" options -- where you just nibble nibble nibble all day, and never really have a meal. A lot of desserts. A lot of soda in the fridge (one of my downfalls!).
But there are a lot of options for exercising. Swimming in the lake! I tend to wake up early -- early morning runs! The neighborhood is confusing and easy to get lost in, so I could just go for a run along the lake shore. Can't get lost there.
Thursday, April 4, 2013
Book Chat - Children's Books
It's book chat time again! I missed it last week... Whoops. Oh well. This week's discussion topic is Children's books.
My blogger friend Mia is co-hosting today, nice!
The timing of this chat and topic is really ironic, actually. On Sunday I'm going to a baby shower for a good friend and I'm planning on buying her a baby book instead of a card, and writing the message to her and her husband in the book. So they can keep it for years and years! And they get a free present out of it too! I'm also doing this for another friend's baby shower in May and have asked the guests to do the same.
I really like children's books. I don't' read them a lot, but I do like them. My favorite book as a child was definitely this one:
The Trumpet of the Swan by E.B. White. Oddly enough, while I adored this one and read it about a hundred times, I never really liked Charlotte's Web or Stuart Little nearly as much. Or at all. And those are the ones you always hear about and think about when you hear E. B. White. Oh well, to each his own.
And I suppose it's a children's book, but it's one of those deep ones that you don't really fully understand until you're older...
I loved anything Shel Silverstein but this book especially. The tree... it just gives so much of itself... and the kid just takes and takes and then finally gets it. I practically cry just thinking about this story.
I actually only remembered it was book chat day when I saw this article on Half Price Books' Facebook:
As Seen on TV: 21 Books from Mad Men
So many good books! I only remember about a quarter of them being mentioned in the episodes though... The Chrystanthemum & the Sword, obviously, because an entire episode centered around it as they were trying to do business with ... Honda, I think. Lady Chatterly's Lover I remember too... I've never read that book. Ha! It's on my list. Along with about 500 other books...
My blogger friend Mia is co-hosting today, nice!
The timing of this chat and topic is really ironic, actually. On Sunday I'm going to a baby shower for a good friend and I'm planning on buying her a baby book instead of a card, and writing the message to her and her husband in the book. So they can keep it for years and years! And they get a free present out of it too! I'm also doing this for another friend's baby shower in May and have asked the guests to do the same.
I really like children's books. I don't' read them a lot, but I do like them. My favorite book as a child was definitely this one:
And I suppose it's a children's book, but it's one of those deep ones that you don't really fully understand until you're older...
I actually only remembered it was book chat day when I saw this article on Half Price Books' Facebook:
As Seen on TV: 21 Books from Mad Men
So many good books! I only remember about a quarter of them being mentioned in the episodes though... The Chrystanthemum & the Sword, obviously, because an entire episode centered around it as they were trying to do business with ... Honda, I think. Lady Chatterly's Lover I remember too... I've never read that book. Ha! It's on my list. Along with about 500 other books...
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Book Chat - Currently reading: Hero of Ages, The Dinner
Found a new link up on one of the blogs I follow that is so right up my alley!
Follow the link in the image if you want to link up. What else do you need to do? Just talk about what you're currently reading. Easy enough!
I'm almost always in the middle of several books. Kindle or actual books, it varies, but I do tend to read more on my Kindle than actual books now. It's just so convenient! So here are the books I'm currently reading, in order of how often I'm reading them.
Main book: The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson (Book 3 of the Mistborn series)
The Mistborn trilogy is one that my boyfriend had been trying to get me to read for awhile. How long? Let's see... we started dating in September 2011, and I put the first book on my Goodreads shelf in September 2011, and the second and third in July 2012.
I finally got around to reading them and I read the first one (Mistborn: The Final Empire) in January and finished the second one (The Well of Ascension) a little less than a week ago (yikes, on Saturday?) and I'm 90% through the third one now (it's about 570 pages total). I just have to know what happens!!
The characters are great and the world is interesting with a rich tapestry of a world it's set in. I think of all three of the books, I liked the first one the best, the third one next, and then the second one. The first one sets the scene (or does it? Cos as you read, you find out that so much of what you assumed was happening really wasn't what was REALLY happening) and draws you in. And the third one answers so many questions.
The series is about this group of rebels who plan to overthrow a tyrant ruler. I'm not going to tell you more than that. Just read it!
Book in waiting: The Dinner by Herman Koch
This is one I'm ready for book club. I'm not very far into it, only a chapter or so, because I've been so drawn in by Mistborn. I have until April 13 to get this book read, so no worries. Here's the synopsis. I'm not far enough in to give my own, so this one is from Goodreads:
A summer's evening in Amsterdam and two couples meet at a fashionable restaurant. Between mouthfuls of food and over the delicate scraping of cutlery, the conversation remains a gentle hum of politeness - the banality of work, the triviality of holidays. But the empty words hide a terrible conflict and, with every forced smile and every new course, the knives are being sharpened... Each couple has a fifteen-year-old son. Together, the boys have committed a horrifying act, caught on camera, and their grainy images have been beamed into living rooms across the nation; despite a police manhunt, the boys remain unidentified - by everyone except their parents. As the dinner reaches its culinary climax, the conversation finally touches on their children and, as civility and friendship disintegrate, each couple shows just how far they are prepared to go to protect those they love.
I have some other books on my 'currently reading' list on Goodreads but I haven't touched them in over a month, so they don't really count. I'll come back to them eventually. After I read my next few bookclub books and this short story by Brandon Sanderson my boyfriend has been telling me about for about three months now. Got to appease the boyfriend...
I kid. He tells me about good stuff. Mistborn, Breaking Bad... Sh, don't tell him I respect his opinion, even if it takes me awhile to get to his recommendations.
If these books interest you, you should check me out on Goodreads! Check out my books, read my reviews (though I don't have many, I tend to just star and move on), be my friend!
To give you a better idea of some of the things I like to read, here are some books I have recomended to various bookclubs I'm in that we should read. Several of these did get chosen and the members loved them, for the most part.
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
What Alice Forgot by Lliane Moriarty
Song of Ice and Fire: A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
The Hunger Games (trilogy) by Suzanne Collins
Some of my recent suggestions, that are currently being voted on. I hope one wins, I really want to read these!
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom
The Shoemaker's Wife by Adriana Trigiani
Follow the link in the image if you want to link up. What else do you need to do? Just talk about what you're currently reading. Easy enough!
I'm almost always in the middle of several books. Kindle or actual books, it varies, but I do tend to read more on my Kindle than actual books now. It's just so convenient! So here are the books I'm currently reading, in order of how often I'm reading them.
Main book: The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson (Book 3 of the Mistborn series)
The Mistborn trilogy is one that my boyfriend had been trying to get me to read for awhile. How long? Let's see... we started dating in September 2011, and I put the first book on my Goodreads shelf in September 2011, and the second and third in July 2012.
I finally got around to reading them and I read the first one (Mistborn: The Final Empire) in January and finished the second one (The Well of Ascension) a little less than a week ago (yikes, on Saturday?) and I'm 90% through the third one now (it's about 570 pages total). I just have to know what happens!!
The characters are great and the world is interesting with a rich tapestry of a world it's set in. I think of all three of the books, I liked the first one the best, the third one next, and then the second one. The first one sets the scene (or does it? Cos as you read, you find out that so much of what you assumed was happening really wasn't what was REALLY happening) and draws you in. And the third one answers so many questions.
The series is about this group of rebels who plan to overthrow a tyrant ruler. I'm not going to tell you more than that. Just read it!
Book in waiting: The Dinner by Herman Koch
This is one I'm ready for book club. I'm not very far into it, only a chapter or so, because I've been so drawn in by Mistborn. I have until April 13 to get this book read, so no worries. Here's the synopsis. I'm not far enough in to give my own, so this one is from Goodreads:
A summer's evening in Amsterdam and two couples meet at a fashionable restaurant. Between mouthfuls of food and over the delicate scraping of cutlery, the conversation remains a gentle hum of politeness - the banality of work, the triviality of holidays. But the empty words hide a terrible conflict and, with every forced smile and every new course, the knives are being sharpened... Each couple has a fifteen-year-old son. Together, the boys have committed a horrifying act, caught on camera, and their grainy images have been beamed into living rooms across the nation; despite a police manhunt, the boys remain unidentified - by everyone except their parents. As the dinner reaches its culinary climax, the conversation finally touches on their children and, as civility and friendship disintegrate, each couple shows just how far they are prepared to go to protect those they love.
I have some other books on my 'currently reading' list on Goodreads but I haven't touched them in over a month, so they don't really count. I'll come back to them eventually. After I read my next few bookclub books and this short story by Brandon Sanderson my boyfriend has been telling me about for about three months now. Got to appease the boyfriend...
I kid. He tells me about good stuff. Mistborn, Breaking Bad... Sh, don't tell him I respect his opinion, even if it takes me awhile to get to his recommendations.
If these books interest you, you should check me out on Goodreads! Check out my books, read my reviews (though I don't have many, I tend to just star and move on), be my friend!
To give you a better idea of some of the things I like to read, here are some books I have recomended to various bookclubs I'm in that we should read. Several of these did get chosen and the members loved them, for the most part.
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
What Alice Forgot by Lliane Moriarty
Song of Ice and Fire: A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
The Hunger Games (trilogy) by Suzanne Collins
Some of my recent suggestions, that are currently being voted on. I hope one wins, I really want to read these!
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom
The Shoemaker's Wife by Adriana Trigiani
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Me Myself & I link up #3 and games!
Sheesh, I haven't done one of these since December? That's crazy! I have got to get back on track with my blogging.
1. Do you celebrate Saint Patrick's Day? How?
Lol, I don't really, not even close. I actually went to a brunch with some friends on Sunday and as I walked up to the table I muttered, 'Oh fuck I forgot to wear green'. Then as I hugged a friend I hesitated and told him not to pinch me or he gets no hug hello! He behaved. He did not pinch.
I really just don't understand the big deal about St. Patrick's Day. Maybe because of a number of factors...
a) I don't look great in green. I look good in teal but people always say that doesn't count. Pft.
b) I don't drink that much.
c) I'm not Irish. I'm French!
d) Green beer? GROSS.
2. It's March which means spring break! We want to know how your spring break went or if it hasn't happened yet, what will your spring break consist of?
I don't really get a spring break. I'm not in education. March to me means March Madness (by the way, if you want to join my bracket group, you can! The group is here and it's just for fun, no money, and the password is "bracket time") and playoff push.
However I do have some friends who are teachers and some friends who are in law school and last week was their Spring Break, so I was able to spend time with friends who I don't see much. Trivia night, game night, brunch! Good times. It was nice their Spring Break all fell on the same week.
One thing that we did was successfully complete this Zombicide mission. I have played this mission three times now, with experienced gamers the first two times, and failed miserably the first two times. Here's the second time we played it:
 |
| Zombies, don't eat my friends! |
 |
| Well crap I got eaten (top right, the teal figure on its side). Eat my friends so I'm not alone! |
3. A Zombie Apocalypse happens and you're stripped of all your luxury items. What beauty product would you miss the most?
Whoa... eerie. It's like MM&I knows I love zombies. I would definitely miss a few items... I wouldn't miss mascara. Bleh. But I would miss Lush's Rub Rub Rub salt scrub and lotion in general. Scented, with cocoa butter, whatever. I just love lotion and hate dry scaly skin.
Maybe I should set up my zombie plan bunker safe spot in a Lush factory....
4. What is the one cause that you feel most passionate about?
(Does backing Kickstarter projects count? No? It should!)
For the last several years, my sister and I have participated in the March of Dimes March for Babies walk. As more of my friends get pregnant, and I look forward to the days when that will be me too, I realize the importance of the work March of Dimes does. Every woman should be able to have a healthy pregnancy and if they do everything right, not have to worry about having birth defects or premature labor.
I actually don't use my iPod anymore; at work I use Pandora for music when I'm going to be deskbound for awhile. But songs that I definitely wait to hear, or if I haven't heard in awhile, I'll go to Youtube and listen to:
Taylor Swift - "Red"
Maroon5 "Daylight" and "Payphone" (OMG I'M GOING TO THEIR CONCERT TONIGHT)
Train - "Drive By" and "50 Ways to Say Goodbye"
Coldplay - "Viva la Vida" and "Yellow"
Oh and "Hoppipolla". I like Vitamin String Quartet's instrumental version of it. The original song by Sigur Rós is very cool too. Check out the video!
Time to pimp out the games I can't wait for, that I'm backing through Kickstarter!
Zombicide Season 2 (Prison Outbreak) + Expansion to S1 or S2 (Toxic City Mall) - I've mentioned this one before. I play the first game (Season 1) a lot. Hell I have a picture of it above. If you like zombies, if you like co-op games, get it! You play as survivors trying to complete some mission (some are easy, some are epic fail hard) and fight off the zombies. Some will live, some will die... some will be the hero (DON'T BE THE HERO!), some will be the bait. 12 days to go!
Dragon's Hoard - I've mentioned this one as well. 6 days to go!
Dungeon Roll - Mentioned this one too. You roll dice to see what treasure you'll unlock, what enemies you'll defeat, and how deep you'll delve into the dungeon. And when the dreaded dragon will show up. 10 hours to go!
SuperFight! - Another I've mentioned before. Really looking forward to this one. You have cards with characters that you chose to go against the judge's character, and then you have randomly selected powers/weaknesses cards. 8 days to go!
And some new ones!
Machine of Death - this seems like an interesting party game. So you're an assassin, and there's this machine of death that using a drop of someone's blood, can predict how they will die. So you get a card showing their method of death (cancer, old age, slipped on banana peel, etc.) and you have to make it happen. But maybe this person is on a space station, and you only have a few tools at your disposal. So how the heck are you going to make it happen? Well... you're the assassin. I'm sure you'll figure it out. 8 hours to go!
Story War - A storytelling party game! It's like Dixit meets Apples to Apples meets awesome. So you split into teams and there's a judge. There's a location and each team plays their character cards and some item cards and use their own creativity to argue why they would clearly defeat the other team. It's a more interactive Apples to Apples/Cards Against Humanity. Because while in those games you can argue for your card, in this game, it all comes down to HOW well you argue for your card. Debate club with cards? 3 days to go!
Flash Point: Fire Rescue - Extreme Danger - I actually haven't backed this one, my boyfriend told me about and that he already backed it, so there's no real reason for me to back it. We did the same thing with Zombicide S2. It's an expansion to Flash Point, which is a co-op game where you play as fire fighters trying to rescue victims and put out fires and try to keep that building from collapsing in a fiery ball of wreckage. Which happens a lot... 28 days to go!
Hm.... I'm noticing a definite trend to my preferred types of games.
Friday, March 15, 2013
Recipe - Oreo Fluff Dip
As promised, a new recipe post!
So as we all know, I've been addicting all of my friends to Funfetti dip (and Zombicide. They go well together). We're having another games night with friends tonight and everyone is expecting me to bring Funfetti but awhile ago I decided to pull a fast one on them and bring a different dessert dip. I don't want to get in a funfetti rut, ya know? Can't overplay that card. I also have over 100 pins on my Yummy Sweets Pinterest board and I've barely made any of them. And I love sweets... and I love sharing sweets.
The dessert dip I decided to make instead is this one: Oreo Fluff Dip
How will it go over? Only time will tell... T minus 5 hours, 28 minutes until the party! (At the time of writing at least... but I'm scheduling this post to go up when I'm at the party.)
This recipe also gave me an excuse to use the food processor that my parents got Chris for Christmas. LOVE IT! It's definitely loud but very effective.
Oreo Fluff
1 box white chocolate instant pudding mix
(I actually used two 1 oz boxes... The original recipe I had pinned didn't specify an ounce size to the box, so Chris just bought two, and then I found one that specifies 3.4 ounces. I didn't want to go to the store, so I decided to wing it with just 2 ounces.)
2 cups milk
(I used whole milk. Boyfriend was a dear and picked up stuff for dinner on Tuesday and I had the Oreo fluff makings on the list too, so he got that too and he got whole milk. I had a small glass of it a few days ago... Man! So different from skim milk, which I've had for about the last 20 some odd years)
1 tub Cool Whip (8 oz), room temp
Mine wasn't room temp but it had been in the fridge for two days, worked fine. I also used Lite Cool Whip.
1 pkg. Oreos, crushed
The pin calls for Doublestuffed but they had no doublestuffed so BF picked up reduced fat.
2 cups mini marshmallows
I used fat free marshmallows -- no just kidding. They're marshmallows! I used normal ones. Be sure not to get colored ones or your dip is going to be weird colors.
1. In a large bowl, mix milk and pudding mix for two minutes.
2. Stir in Cool Whip and crushed Oreos, and mini marshmallows. (Actually, prior to step 1 I used my food processor on pulse to crush the Oreos to nothing. I left some larger chunks but the majority of it became dust. I also used my large kitchen mixer for all of this with the dough hook. It makes everything so much easier.)
3. Cover with foil and store in fridge until ready to eat and serve. (I made mine the night before the party so it has a lot of time to chill, cos if it's anything like funfetti, it needs time for all the flavors to meld together.)
I tried it last night. It basically tastes like Oreo pudding. What could be better than that??
I think next time I will hand stir it though, not use my kitchen mixer because I think I might have overmixed it. What do I mean? Well, go look at the picture of the dip in the original pin. So white and fluffy with black Oreo crumbs!
Here's mine.
Hmmmmmm.... Pinterest fail? I think just Picture fail.
Will report back later on how it goes over! Man I hope it's good or my friends might mutiny when I show up with no Funfetti....
So as we all know, I've been addicting all of my friends to Funfetti dip (and Zombicide. They go well together). We're having another games night with friends tonight and everyone is expecting me to bring Funfetti but awhile ago I decided to pull a fast one on them and bring a different dessert dip. I don't want to get in a funfetti rut, ya know? Can't overplay that card. I also have over 100 pins on my Yummy Sweets Pinterest board and I've barely made any of them. And I love sweets... and I love sharing sweets.
The dessert dip I decided to make instead is this one: Oreo Fluff Dip
How will it go over? Only time will tell... T minus 5 hours, 28 minutes until the party! (At the time of writing at least... but I'm scheduling this post to go up when I'm at the party.)
This recipe also gave me an excuse to use the food processor that my parents got Chris for Christmas. LOVE IT! It's definitely loud but very effective.
Oreo Fluff
1 box white chocolate instant pudding mix
(I actually used two 1 oz boxes... The original recipe I had pinned didn't specify an ounce size to the box, so Chris just bought two, and then I found one that specifies 3.4 ounces. I didn't want to go to the store, so I decided to wing it with just 2 ounces.)
2 cups milk
(I used whole milk. Boyfriend was a dear and picked up stuff for dinner on Tuesday and I had the Oreo fluff makings on the list too, so he got that too and he got whole milk. I had a small glass of it a few days ago... Man! So different from skim milk, which I've had for about the last 20 some odd years)
1 tub Cool Whip (8 oz), room temp
Mine wasn't room temp but it had been in the fridge for two days, worked fine. I also used Lite Cool Whip.
1 pkg. Oreos, crushed
The pin calls for Doublestuffed but they had no doublestuffed so BF picked up reduced fat.
2 cups mini marshmallows
I used fat free marshmallows -- no just kidding. They're marshmallows! I used normal ones. Be sure not to get colored ones or your dip is going to be weird colors.
1. In a large bowl, mix milk and pudding mix for two minutes.
2. Stir in Cool Whip and crushed Oreos, and mini marshmallows. (Actually, prior to step 1 I used my food processor on pulse to crush the Oreos to nothing. I left some larger chunks but the majority of it became dust. I also used my large kitchen mixer for all of this with the dough hook. It makes everything so much easier.)
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| Oreo dust! |
I tried it last night. It basically tastes like Oreo pudding. What could be better than that??
I think next time I will hand stir it though, not use my kitchen mixer because I think I might have overmixed it. What do I mean? Well, go look at the picture of the dip in the original pin. So white and fluffy with black Oreo crumbs!
Here's mine.
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| Not pretty but it is delicious!! |
Will report back later on how it goes over! Man I hope it's good or my friends might mutiny when I show up with no Funfetti....
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Hiatus over!
Whoops, I disappeared again. Sorry about that. What have been I been up to in the almost month since my last post?
All Star Weekend! What an amazing and exhausting weekend! So many people, so much great people watching, so many great events... I worked with retail that weekend, so I was here from 4-midnight Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. I saw a bunch of people who I was pretty sure I was supposed to know who they are but, whoops, I didn't know. I could tell they were "someone" though by how many cameras followed them around. And man the bling! So many people were checking out and had their hand on the counter and all I saw was bling from championship rings. NBA and NFL I'm quite sure.
Not my image by the way, I got it from Hoopism. As promised, here are some more pictures from the building, as decorated by the NBA.
My boyfriend got me a beautiful orchid for Valentine's Day and it's still alive!! I need to take pictures to prove that fact (I have no green thumb. More like a black thumb) but here are pics from when I got it:
All of the buds have since opened... Well. All except for one but it never had a chance. It broke off the main stem when I was putting it in my car to take home at the end of the week.
The weekend was great... until Sunday when we were heading out. An engine warning light popped up Chris hadn't seen before, so we looked it up in the owners manual and saw that it was for the coolant level being too low so we swung by a store, bought some more, put it into the reservoir, and headed out... Only to go one block and the light comes on again and the reservoir is completely empty. Not good. Luckily we were able to find a Firestone nearby. Very long story short, the car would take a few days to be ready (first we were told one day, but there was some delay getting the part from a dealership) and I had to be in Houston the next day for time sensitive work things, so I was able to get a ride from my sister and brother-in-law (who are life savers - they drove about 45 minutes back into Austin to get me) and Chris was able to stay with my brother for the night. Then since his car wasn't ready, he was able to switch cars with his brother who goes to school in Austin, and drive home Monday. His car is actually still up in Austin but it is ready to come home! He'll switch again this weekend when his brother is home for Spring Break. Phew!'
I miss having Spring Break... I don't miss school, but I miss that week. Oh well. Only way I could have it now is to be a teacher or some other way work in a school and I don't think that's for me.
This past weekend, Chris and I headed up to Dallas. Two of his friends up there just got a new house and had been asking him when he'd be able to come up and see it. I looked at my March calendar and remembered that my TRX training starts soon, so suggested that weekend. So we headed up with some friends (carpool power!) for a house warming party. Had a great time! Played some games, slept in, ate some good food, hung out with his friends more.... got serious house envy.
Soon, soon, one day soon Chris and I will get a house. I see it coming. I definitely want the next time I move to be into a house. An upstairs, a guest room, a game room, a big kitchen with an island and a wet bar... Serious house envy going on right now.
And on Saturday, the Kickstarter for the new season of Zombicide started so I stalked it on my iPad and pledged as soon as I could. Those early birds went fast!! So now I'm still stalking it, checking the new stretch goals and optional purchases. Can't wait to get that game.
And now I'm a little addicted to Kickstarter. In the last few days I've backed three more game projects that sound interesting. Check 'em out and if you're interested, back them too! Definitely recommend Zombicide. It's a solid co-op game.
Dragons Hoard - card game to fight your opponents, protect your treasure and maidens in your lair. Looks simple to learn, quick to play. Vaguely reminds me of Lost Cities.
Dungeon Roll - dice rolling game to delve into a dungeon and collect treasure and fight monsters and the dreaded dragon. Another simple to learn, quick to play one. Vaguely reminds me of Escape.
SUPERFIGHT! - party card comparison game, like Apples to Apples meets Cards Against Humanity. I enjoy Cards Against Humanity and a lot of my friends enjoy Apples to Apples, so I figured it was worth a shot.
And now I need to stop lurking Kickstarter. At least until these games fund and ship. Zombicide TCM and PO won't ship until September though... grar.
Oh and I'm helping to plan two baby showers. One in April, one in May.
So that's where I've been for the past month.On tap for this weekend? My TRX training starts Friday night -- was supposed to be Saturday but the trainers have something going on so the group was able to agree on a new time. That will be interesting... and hopefully help me get my workout routine in order. I'm working out friend tonight and it's the first time I've really worked out in... I don't want to say. I also have a games night with Chris' friends Saturday, and then I'm hosting outdoor volleyball this Sunday afternoon. And we lose an hour on Saturday night! Thank god. Love DST.
I should have a new recipe post in the next week or so... It's a surprise!
All Star Weekend! What an amazing and exhausting weekend! So many people, so much great people watching, so many great events... I worked with retail that weekend, so I was here from 4-midnight Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. I saw a bunch of people who I was pretty sure I was supposed to know who they are but, whoops, I didn't know. I could tell they were "someone" though by how many cameras followed them around. And man the bling! So many people were checking out and had their hand on the counter and all I saw was bling from championship rings. NBA and NFL I'm quite sure.
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| Yea, some of these are familiar. |
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| Side of the building, near the box office |
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| Front of the building - my favorite! |
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| To the left of the front of the building, near the Team Shop |
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| Continuation of the last pic |
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| The Beard!! (Lol, first I typed The Bard) |
My boyfriend got me a beautiful orchid for Valentine's Day and it's still alive!! I need to take pictures to prove that fact (I have no green thumb. More like a black thumb) but here are pics from when I got it:
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| Moth Orchid OF LOVE |
The weekend was great... until Sunday when we were heading out. An engine warning light popped up Chris hadn't seen before, so we looked it up in the owners manual and saw that it was for the coolant level being too low so we swung by a store, bought some more, put it into the reservoir, and headed out... Only to go one block and the light comes on again and the reservoir is completely empty. Not good. Luckily we were able to find a Firestone nearby. Very long story short, the car would take a few days to be ready (first we were told one day, but there was some delay getting the part from a dealership) and I had to be in Houston the next day for time sensitive work things, so I was able to get a ride from my sister and brother-in-law (who are life savers - they drove about 45 minutes back into Austin to get me) and Chris was able to stay with my brother for the night. Then since his car wasn't ready, he was able to switch cars with his brother who goes to school in Austin, and drive home Monday. His car is actually still up in Austin but it is ready to come home! He'll switch again this weekend when his brother is home for Spring Break. Phew!'
I miss having Spring Break... I don't miss school, but I miss that week. Oh well. Only way I could have it now is to be a teacher or some other way work in a school and I don't think that's for me.
This past weekend, Chris and I headed up to Dallas. Two of his friends up there just got a new house and had been asking him when he'd be able to come up and see it. I looked at my March calendar and remembered that my TRX training starts soon, so suggested that weekend. So we headed up with some friends (carpool power!) for a house warming party. Had a great time! Played some games, slept in, ate some good food, hung out with his friends more.... got serious house envy.
Soon, soon, one day soon Chris and I will get a house. I see it coming. I definitely want the next time I move to be into a house. An upstairs, a guest room, a game room, a big kitchen with an island and a wet bar... Serious house envy going on right now.
And on Saturday, the Kickstarter for the new season of Zombicide started so I stalked it on my iPad and pledged as soon as I could. Those early birds went fast!! So now I'm still stalking it, checking the new stretch goals and optional purchases. Can't wait to get that game.
And now I'm a little addicted to Kickstarter. In the last few days I've backed three more game projects that sound interesting. Check 'em out and if you're interested, back them too! Definitely recommend Zombicide. It's a solid co-op game.
Dragons Hoard - card game to fight your opponents, protect your treasure and maidens in your lair. Looks simple to learn, quick to play. Vaguely reminds me of Lost Cities.
Dungeon Roll - dice rolling game to delve into a dungeon and collect treasure and fight monsters and the dreaded dragon. Another simple to learn, quick to play one. Vaguely reminds me of Escape.
SUPERFIGHT! - party card comparison game, like Apples to Apples meets Cards Against Humanity. I enjoy Cards Against Humanity and a lot of my friends enjoy Apples to Apples, so I figured it was worth a shot.
And now I need to stop lurking Kickstarter. At least until these games fund and ship. Zombicide TCM and PO won't ship until September though... grar.
Oh and I'm helping to plan two baby showers. One in April, one in May.
So that's where I've been for the past month.On tap for this weekend? My TRX training starts Friday night -- was supposed to be Saturday but the trainers have something going on so the group was able to agree on a new time. That will be interesting... and hopefully help me get my workout routine in order. I'm working out friend tonight and it's the first time I've really worked out in... I don't want to say. I also have a games night with Chris' friends Saturday, and then I'm hosting outdoor volleyball this Sunday afternoon. And we lose an hour on Saturday night! Thank god. Love DST.
I should have a new recipe post in the next week or so... It's a surprise!
Friday, February 15, 2013
Recipe - Beef and Spinach Lasagna
Operation: VDay Night Lasagna was a success! Instead of dealing with a crowded restaurant on Valentine's Day night, the boyfriend and I decided to just stay in and make lasagna. I made spinach lasagna months ago for Father's Day and he loved it, but had mentioned that it would be good to try again with meat this time for more protein -- more flavor, more filling. I searched down a recipe and found this one: Beef and spinach lasagna @ Food Mayhem.
So yesterday after work I headed to HEB, picked up the ingredients (along with some hand dipped chocolate covered strawberries, made right in front of me - yum!), and headed home. Even got the boyfriend to help me cook! Always a plus.
So here is the recipe, with my additions/deletions in red. And some pictures.
Beef and Spinach Lasagna
Makes one 9×13 tray
So yesterday after work I headed to HEB, picked up the ingredients (along with some hand dipped chocolate covered strawberries, made right in front of me - yum!), and headed home. Even got the boyfriend to help me cook! Always a plus.
So here is the recipe, with my additions/deletions in red. And some pictures.
Beef and Spinach Lasagna
Makes one 9×13 tray
Meat Sauce
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 1 cup chopped onion (I didn't measure the chopped onion - I just bought a medium sized yellow onion and chopped it into small chunks. It was probably about 1 1/2 cups - 2 cups)
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste (I bought a tiny can of it and didn't know what to do with it after, so we used about 2 tablespoons)
- 1 pound 11 ounces (90% lean) ground beef
- 1 (28oz) can crushed tomato with basil (Bought Hunt's brand with basil and garlic)
- 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- Small tub of sliced white mushrooms (I forgot to look at the ounce size of the package -- usually I've only seen it in one large size, but HEB had two sizes - the regular and about half of that)
- Handful of finely chopped fresh basil (I saw it in the store and figured, since the sauce has basil in it, why not more basil? Yum.)
1 bay leaf(Didn't use it -- didn't feel like digging it out of the sauce at the end)
Cheese & Spinach Filling
- 10 ounces frozen spinach, blanched, drained and cooled
- 1 pound shredded whole milk mozzarella, divided
- 1 pound whole milk ricotta
Assembly
- 9×13 baking dish
- 1 box lasagna sheets (I bought the oven-ready type. I think either will work - last time the ones I used didn't specify oven-ready, and did have boiling instructions on the back.)
Instructions -
Meat Sauce (can be made a day or two ahead and refrigerated, warm before using):
1. Heat oil in a medium pot on medium high heat. Stir in onions and garlic and soften for about a minute. Add carrots and stir around for another minute. Stir in tomato paste until well distributed.
2. Add ground beef and stir around until browned, about 5 minutes.
3. Add crushed tomatoes, mushrooms, and basil,garlic, and bay leaf. Bring to boil. Stir and reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Remove from heatand remove bay leaf. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F while meat sauce cools a bit.
Cheese & Spinach Filling:
2. Add ground beef and stir around until browned, about 5 minutes.
3. Add crushed tomatoes, mushrooms, and basil,
4. Remove from heat
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| Meat sauce after simmering (lol, so hot it fogged up my phone's camera lens) |
1. Ring out spinach with paper towels.
2. In a medium sized bowl , combine spinach, 8 ounces of mozzarella, and ricotta.
Assembly
2. In a medium sized bowl , combine spinach, 8 ounces of mozzarella, and ricotta.
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| Spinach and cheese mixture, yum! |
1. Spread 1 cup of meat sauce on the bottom of the pan.
2. Lay 4 sheets (or 3 if using the regular size) of lasagna down.
3. Spread 1/3 of cheese and spinach filling on top of lasagna sheets. Spread a little more than 1 cup of meat sauce on top.
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 two more times. Lay another layer of lasagna sheets on top. Cover with remaining meat sauce. Spread remaining mozzarella on top.
(We didn't end up with many layers. Ours was as follows: meat sauce on bottom, noodles, all of the spinach/cheese mixture, most of the rest of the meat sauce, noodles, final bits of meat sauce/liquid to wet the noodles, cover with cheese. My pan isn't very deep so I didn't think we could do all the layers. It turned out fine.)
5. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove aluminum foil and bake for another 5 minutes. Serve.
This keeps well in the fridge and freezes well. You can reheat piece by piece in the microwave. It’s a really awesome dish to have sitting in the fridge.
2. Lay 4 sheets (or 3 if using the regular size) of lasagna down.
3. Spread 1/3 of cheese and spinach filling on top of lasagna sheets. Spread a little more than 1 cup of meat sauce on top.
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 two more times. Lay another layer of lasagna sheets on top. Cover with remaining meat sauce. Spread remaining mozzarella on top.
(We didn't end up with many layers. Ours was as follows: meat sauce on bottom, noodles, all of the spinach/cheese mixture, most of the rest of the meat sauce, noodles, final bits of meat sauce/liquid to wet the noodles, cover with cheese. My pan isn't very deep so I didn't think we could do all the layers. It turned out fine.)
5. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove aluminum foil and bake for another 5 minutes. Serve.
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| Bottom layer of meat I believe. |
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| All covered in cheese, ready to bake! |
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Side view, pre-baking.
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| My (first) slice! |
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| The boyfriend's first slice! |
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| After slicing into it |
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| Look at those leftovers! |
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Recipe - Funfetti Cookies
Like practically everything I've cooked for the last eight months or so, I can't take credit for this. I found it on Pinterest. (Not pin-interest as my friend and boyfriend like to call it. I'm looking at you, Kevin and Chris!) So awhile ago I discovered Funfetti dip and made it for a game night, which I know I've talked about on this blog, and it was a hit. And I've made it about three times since.
I had another game night with friends on Friday and figured I'd try something different. Funfetti cookies! They were from the same blogger who I discovered the dip through, so I figured it was worth a shot!
Definitely go check out the original blogger's site: http://www.eat-yourself-skinny.com/. Good stuff there.
Now without further ado... how does the dip translate to cookie form?
We start with three ingredients - Funfetti dip, 2 eggs, low fat yogurt
(I used vanilla because that's what the original recipe called for. Original flavor would probably work too, but the vanilla is a little sweeter and we are making cookies here.
To note, I do use original yogurt when I make the dip. But you have a lot of sweetness from the cool whip in that recipe. I also usually split the big tub of yogurt - half for the funfetti dip, half to make ranch dip for veggies, since I only make this when I'm having a party or bringing food to a party. Okay, that's enough footnotes for now.)
I also used my brand new non-stick baking mat for this. OMGILUVITSOMUCH<3! Seriously, if you bake. Get it. That's a standard size cookie sheet. Look how big the mat is!
And mix! Mix! Mix! Make the mixer do the work for you! This is after I made the mistake of using the whisk attachment and all the dough got in the middle of it... that was fun. Living and learning, living and learning.
And put them on the mat! I used my cookie scooper to do it. The dough is really sticky so I do recommend some type of utensil, or just a spoon, not your hands.
Just a different view... I don't know why. I did learn that the cookies do spread out more than I thought they would so definitely don't have them as close together as some of mine are. Mainly those two on the bottom left.
And then you bake for about 12 minutes at 375 degrees.
And you end up with these!
My thoughts on the cookies? Are mixed. Some of my friends liked the dip more, some liked the cookies more. I like the dip more just because it yields more. I only ended up with about a dozen and a half cookies. So they went really fast, whereas we can sit there and eat the dip all night and still have leftovers. I'll probably make them again, because they're not bad cookies. They're actually really good. It just depends on the setting you're making them for. A small get together, or just a night by yourself, the cookies. A large get together, the dip.
Now one of my friends wants to dip a funfetti cookie in funfetti dip... Next time, funfetti icing for the cookies?
Recipe in easy form:
1 box Funfetti cake mix (18.9 oz)
2 eggs
1/2 cup low-fat/fat-free vanilla yogurt
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl, mix cake mix, yogurt, and eggs until all clumps are gone. Drop small rounded balls onto cookie sheet greased or covered in baking mat, parchment paper. Bake for 10-12 minutes until cookies are slightly browned.
I had another game night with friends on Friday and figured I'd try something different. Funfetti cookies! They were from the same blogger who I discovered the dip through, so I figured it was worth a shot!
Definitely go check out the original blogger's site: http://www.eat-yourself-skinny.com/. Good stuff there.
Now without further ado... how does the dip translate to cookie form?
(I used vanilla because that's what the original recipe called for. Original flavor would probably work too, but the vanilla is a little sweeter and we are making cookies here.
To note, I do use original yogurt when I make the dip. But you have a lot of sweetness from the cool whip in that recipe. I also usually split the big tub of yogurt - half for the funfetti dip, half to make ranch dip for veggies, since I only make this when I'm having a party or bringing food to a party. Okay, that's enough footnotes for now.)
And then you bake for about 12 minutes at 375 degrees.
My thoughts on the cookies? Are mixed. Some of my friends liked the dip more, some liked the cookies more. I like the dip more just because it yields more. I only ended up with about a dozen and a half cookies. So they went really fast, whereas we can sit there and eat the dip all night and still have leftovers. I'll probably make them again, because they're not bad cookies. They're actually really good. It just depends on the setting you're making them for. A small get together, or just a night by yourself, the cookies. A large get together, the dip.
Now one of my friends wants to dip a funfetti cookie in funfetti dip... Next time, funfetti icing for the cookies?
Recipe in easy form:
1 box Funfetti cake mix (18.9 oz)
2 eggs
1/2 cup low-fat/fat-free vanilla yogurt
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl, mix cake mix, yogurt, and eggs until all clumps are gone. Drop small rounded balls onto cookie sheet greased or covered in baking mat, parchment paper. Bake for 10-12 minutes until cookies are slightly browned.
Tuesday Confessions!
That time again and this time I'm two days late! Oh yea I rock so hard! I think you guys know the drill by now. Click on the badge below, head over to Alyx's blog and link up! Make your own confessions, after reading mine of course!
1. I need to work on my temper. That sounds weird. I need to clarify... I don't lose my temper a lot. Almost never. But sometimes when I'm really tired or frustrated or both, I have these little outbursts that could almost be called temper tantrums. They're not healthy and I'm not proud of them and I don't like them. So yes, need to work on them.
2. Valentine's Day is coming up! I don't have huge plans with the boyfriend... Dinner at home that night, go out to eat for the day sometime next weekend since I'm working every evening this weekend for All Star weekend. I thought about doing something really cute, like a scavenger hunt, then I remembered Gone Girl... so nixed that idea.
3. I skipped working out last night. Whoops. It was the second class of my free two class pass from S Factor. It was just so rainy and gross last night! The last thing I wanted to do when I got home was go out again. So I didn't. Ha, world! Instead I watched about 4 episodes of Breaking Bad, season two. Almost done with season two, two more episodes!
4. I signed up for a TRX class! I'll start in March, every Saturday for six weeks. Excited and scared! Hopefully I won't make a fool of myself in front of my friend who's in the training session with me. I've always said I have very little upper body strength -- maybe this will be when I change that!
5. I think I'm obsessed. I can't stop thinking about when these games come out from Guillotine Games. I'm in love with Zombicide and have about 7 of my closest friends equally in love. We're planning an all-Zombicide games night. In honor of Walking Dead starting up again!
6. I think I'm going to give up soda for Lent. Or fried food. Last year I did fried food and did really well... only cheated once! Or I could do soda AND fried food? Hm... Still deciding. I have one more day to decide!
This weekend might be the worst weekend to give up caffeine before. I'm going to be working late three nights in a row... It's not supposed to be easy though.
Oddly enough, I'm not at all religious... I don't even go to church. I have no opinions on the Pope's announcement yesterday that he's stepping down. I won't go to church for Ash Wednesday. But I still honor Lent by doing my sacrifice each year.
7. Happy late Chinese New Year! It's the year of the Snake! Chinese New Year started on Sunday. Saturday night my boyfriend and I had a big family dinner to honor the holiday. I got my first red pocket!
Here's some information on Chinese New Year celebrations that seems pretty accurate. We did the New Years Eve family gathering and feasting. And the red pockets.
8. I owe you a recipe post. I haven't forgotten about the Funfetti cookies I said I was making last week. I did make them. Soon, soon! I'll probably work on that after I finish this post.
9. Whoa, eight confessions so far? I'm on a roll!
10. It's NBA Week! The NBA All Star games are rolling into town and Toyota Center is all dressed up!
I'm going to try to get better pictures later this week when it's not so rainy disgusting.
1. I need to work on my temper. That sounds weird. I need to clarify... I don't lose my temper a lot. Almost never. But sometimes when I'm really tired or frustrated or both, I have these little outbursts that could almost be called temper tantrums. They're not healthy and I'm not proud of them and I don't like them. So yes, need to work on them.
2. Valentine's Day is coming up! I don't have huge plans with the boyfriend... Dinner at home that night, go out to eat for the day sometime next weekend since I'm working every evening this weekend for All Star weekend. I thought about doing something really cute, like a scavenger hunt, then I remembered Gone Girl... so nixed that idea.
3. I skipped working out last night. Whoops. It was the second class of my free two class pass from S Factor. It was just so rainy and gross last night! The last thing I wanted to do when I got home was go out again. So I didn't. Ha, world! Instead I watched about 4 episodes of Breaking Bad, season two. Almost done with season two, two more episodes!
4. I signed up for a TRX class! I'll start in March, every Saturday for six weeks. Excited and scared! Hopefully I won't make a fool of myself in front of my friend who's in the training session with me. I've always said I have very little upper body strength -- maybe this will be when I change that!
5. I think I'm obsessed. I can't stop thinking about when these games come out from Guillotine Games. I'm in love with Zombicide and have about 7 of my closest friends equally in love. We're planning an all-Zombicide games night. In honor of Walking Dead starting up again!
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| Zombicide Toxic City Mall expansion |
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| Zombicide Prison Outbreak expansion/stand alone |
This weekend might be the worst weekend to give up caffeine before. I'm going to be working late three nights in a row... It's not supposed to be easy though.
Oddly enough, I'm not at all religious... I don't even go to church. I have no opinions on the Pope's announcement yesterday that he's stepping down. I won't go to church for Ash Wednesday. But I still honor Lent by doing my sacrifice each year.
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| Can I do without you for 40 days, soda? |
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| Money in red |
8. I owe you a recipe post. I haven't forgotten about the Funfetti cookies I said I was making last week. I did make them. Soon, soon! I'll probably work on that after I finish this post.
9. Whoa, eight confessions so far? I'm on a roll!
10. It's NBA Week! The NBA All Star games are rolling into town and Toyota Center is all dressed up!
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| Toyota Center -- AKA, All Star Center? |
Monday, February 4, 2013
Sunday Monday Confessions!
It's that time of the week again!
1. I'm just going to start calling these my Monday confessions. I just never can seem to get this done on a Sunday! It's on my calendar, I think about what I want to post, I just never get it done.
2. I'm getting a new kitchen doohickey this week! It was recommended to me by one of my awesome friends who loves to craft, bake, and is a great mom. She's like Martha Stewart. But cooler. Cos I can ask her questions. And she never went to jail.
So this is what I'm getting:
It's a Matfer 321005 Exopat 11-5/8-by-16-3/8-Inch Nonstick Baking Mat. I've been using parchment paper when I bake, which makes clean up so much easier, but it's a bit of a pain (I'm also just lazy). I don't want to spend the time cutting it, and then the paper is wider than the pan so I have to squash it down so it doesn't hang all over the place. And then I saw my friend posted a pic of her cookies out of the oven and I was all, 'yum! Hey what's that mat they're on....' I was sold.
3. I plan to test out my new baking mat this week! I have a game night with friends coming up this Friday so I'm going to make Funfetti cookies! Everyone loves the dip, and the same blogger who posted the dip (http://www.eat-yourself-skinny.com/) has a post with them in cookie format... So I want to see how they translate. Will report back soon.
4. I am Zelda obsessed! Reading The Legend of Zelda; Hyrule Historia, finding out about the Wii U Zelda in the works and the remake of Wind Waker has totally inspired me to play the old games again. I dug out my old Nintendo DS, the one that still has the GameBoy Advance slot, and started replaying Minish Cap from the beginning. I'm already about halfway finished. I tried to continue playing Ocarina on my 3DS but I don't remember where I am or what I was doing so I turned it off, I'll come back to it. I plan to also replay the Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons games -- flashback to GameBoy Color!! Pretty sure they'll play in the GBA slot on my older DS. And awhile ago I restarted playing Twilight Princess. Will pick that up again in awhile.
And I still have no plans to even try to finish Majora's Mask. Stupid game. I just can't do the lover's mask task, I can't do it!
5. I think I need to amend my 2011 taxes. Ew. :/ Should be pretty easy... thank you Turbo Tax!
6. I worked out Friday night, Saturday afternoon, and I'm working out tonight. Go me!
7. I read What Alice Forgot last week, in about 3 days, and it's seriously made myself think -- if it was ten years ago and then the next thing I knew, it was today, what would I think of my life?
That makes very little sense... Here's the book synopsis, to help explain:
Alice Love is twenty-nine years old, madly in love with her husband, and pregnant with their first child. So imagine her surprise when, after a fall, she comes to on the floor of a gym (a gym! she HATES the gym!) and discovers that she's actually thirty-nine, has three children, and is in the midst of an acrimonious divorce. A knock on the head has misplaced ten years of her life, and Alice isn't sure she likes who she's become. It turns out, though, that forgetting might be the most memorable thing that has ever happened to Alice.
So let's see... ten years ago, I was almost 22. (I was probably playing Oracle of Seasons/Ages, lol.) I was living with my parents in Lake Jackson, after nearly flunking out of TCU. I wasn't in contact with any of my friends from TCU because I was so ashamed of how badly I'd done and how I had to leave. I was going to Brazosport College to appease my parents... It was my second semester. I think it was around this time I was taking a computer programming class and realizing that I could do college, I wasn't dumb, and I had decided on a major that I could graduate with in a year. I think I was still terrified of my parents' idea that after I graduated from BC, I needed to go to a university and finish up my bachelor's degree. I was working at Hallmark/Coach House Gifts. I was totally frivolous with my money and accumulating a lot of debt that future me would get to deal with. I spent most nights hanging out at IHOP with my friends -- ah! The start of my chub! Eating a club sandwich or pancakes or fries or a sundae at 11pm then going to sleep an hour later... My dating life was pretty nonexistent.
Now? (I'm still playing Zelda!) I'm living in the Galleria area with my long term boyfriend. I've reconnected with my really close friends from TCU. Do we see each other? No, but I do want to change that and soon, Miss Polly and Miss Lissa! But our lives are busy. :) I have an MBA and a payroll certification. I work for the Houston Rockets. I have seized control of my debt and am much more aware of my expenditures and my disposable income.
If I had short term amnesia today, and was thinking it was 10 years ago, and I was looking at my life, I definitely don't think I would recognize it. But I'm actually so thankful of that. I have grown so much in the last ten years and I am in such a better place, in all aspects of my life. Financially, emotionally, mentally, physically.
1. I'm just going to start calling these my Monday confessions. I just never can seem to get this done on a Sunday! It's on my calendar, I think about what I want to post, I just never get it done.
2. I'm getting a new kitchen doohickey this week! It was recommended to me by one of my awesome friends who loves to craft, bake, and is a great mom. She's like Martha Stewart. But cooler. Cos I can ask her questions. And she never went to jail.
So this is what I'm getting:
 |
| You can get your own at Amazon! |
3. I plan to test out my new baking mat this week! I have a game night with friends coming up this Friday so I'm going to make Funfetti cookies! Everyone loves the dip, and the same blogger who posted the dip (http://www.eat-yourself-skinny.com/) has a post with them in cookie format... So I want to see how they translate. Will report back soon.
4. I am Zelda obsessed! Reading The Legend of Zelda; Hyrule Historia, finding out about the Wii U Zelda in the works and the remake of Wind Waker has totally inspired me to play the old games again. I dug out my old Nintendo DS, the one that still has the GameBoy Advance slot, and started replaying Minish Cap from the beginning. I'm already about halfway finished. I tried to continue playing Ocarina on my 3DS but I don't remember where I am or what I was doing so I turned it off, I'll come back to it. I plan to also replay the Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons games -- flashback to GameBoy Color!! Pretty sure they'll play in the GBA slot on my older DS. And awhile ago I restarted playing Twilight Princess. Will pick that up again in awhile.
And I still have no plans to even try to finish Majora's Mask. Stupid game. I just can't do the lover's mask task, I can't do it!
5. I think I need to amend my 2011 taxes. Ew. :/ Should be pretty easy... thank you Turbo Tax!
6. I worked out Friday night, Saturday afternoon, and I'm working out tonight. Go me!
7. I read What Alice Forgot last week, in about 3 days, and it's seriously made myself think -- if it was ten years ago and then the next thing I knew, it was today, what would I think of my life?
That makes very little sense... Here's the book synopsis, to help explain:
Alice Love is twenty-nine years old, madly in love with her husband, and pregnant with their first child. So imagine her surprise when, after a fall, she comes to on the floor of a gym (a gym! she HATES the gym!) and discovers that she's actually thirty-nine, has three children, and is in the midst of an acrimonious divorce. A knock on the head has misplaced ten years of her life, and Alice isn't sure she likes who she's become. It turns out, though, that forgetting might be the most memorable thing that has ever happened to Alice.
So let's see... ten years ago, I was almost 22. (I was probably playing Oracle of Seasons/Ages, lol.) I was living with my parents in Lake Jackson, after nearly flunking out of TCU. I wasn't in contact with any of my friends from TCU because I was so ashamed of how badly I'd done and how I had to leave. I was going to Brazosport College to appease my parents... It was my second semester. I think it was around this time I was taking a computer programming class and realizing that I could do college, I wasn't dumb, and I had decided on a major that I could graduate with in a year. I think I was still terrified of my parents' idea that after I graduated from BC, I needed to go to a university and finish up my bachelor's degree. I was working at Hallmark/Coach House Gifts. I was totally frivolous with my money and accumulating a lot of debt that future me would get to deal with. I spent most nights hanging out at IHOP with my friends -- ah! The start of my chub! Eating a club sandwich or pancakes or fries or a sundae at 11pm then going to sleep an hour later... My dating life was pretty nonexistent.
Now? (I'm still playing Zelda!) I'm living in the Galleria area with my long term boyfriend. I've reconnected with my really close friends from TCU. Do we see each other? No, but I do want to change that and soon, Miss Polly and Miss Lissa! But our lives are busy. :) I have an MBA and a payroll certification. I work for the Houston Rockets. I have seized control of my debt and am much more aware of my expenditures and my disposable income.
If I had short term amnesia today, and was thinking it was 10 years ago, and I was looking at my life, I definitely don't think I would recognize it. But I'm actually so thankful of that. I have grown so much in the last ten years and I am in such a better place, in all aspects of my life. Financially, emotionally, mentally, physically.
Monday, January 28, 2013
Sunday Confessions!
You know the drill! Grab the button (click on the button to go to Every Day is a New Adventure, who started this - she has the code super easy to copy/paste). Write up your confessions. Link up. Visit some new blogs!
1. I can never seem to do these on a Sunday. I really don't know why... I even woke up early yesterday and had several hours in the living room to myself, while the boyfriend was still asleep. I just wanted to read my book, not look at a computer.
2. I have to find my workout motivation! It's not even the end of January, it's too early to lose the whole "New Year, new resolutions!" oomph. I went to S Factor yesterday and realized it had been about a week and a half since I'd worked out. I didn't even wear my BodyBugg at all last week! Gotta get back to it... pretty much done with all of my workout Groupons, so now to get to a good routine with my usual places. Should go to Zumba tonight and tomorrow night. Those are my only two chances to go this week. I have trivia on Wednesday night, a concert on Thursday night, and a colorful run (yes, yet another one - it's my 3rd!) on Saturday morning.
3. I'M GOING TO SEE LADY GAGA THIS WEEK!! It'll be my second time seeing her in concert.
4. I had a psychic reading on Friday. I went to an entrepreneur showcase at S Factor with a friend (basically, all of their students who do direct sales things -- Scentsy, Premier Designs, Passion Parties, etc. set up tables and other people came in to check out the studio and the tables). One of their students was offering 10 minutes readings for $5 and I figured what the hell, why not. It was my first time ever doing something like this.
Some of the things she said were a little uncanny, too on point. One thing was silly. And one thing is just... staying with me, in the back of my mind. I actually talked to one of my friends and she's willing to go to some other psychic with me. Palm readings, tarot readings, I'm really not that picky. I want to try it out again, get a "second opinion", and just have fun with my friend. Now I need to do some research to find one that's not too gadawful expensive or in a sketchy neighborhood.
Too funny, I remember a scene in the book MWF Seeking BFF where she and a new friend went to get their palms read.
5. I turned down a cupcake on Saturday! My friend was going to Sprinkles, and asked me if I wanted one, and I said nah, thank you though. My reasoning was I was probably going to have frozen yogurt later that evening, so no double dessert for me! I didn't even end up having the froyo! And I wanted ice cream yesterday but never had it! (The bad thing is, the reason I didn't is because our complex's water was turned off yesterday so they could fix something. So I didn't want to get a bowl, the scoop, a spoon, dirty and then let them sit in the sink for who knows how long until the wtaer was back on and I could wash them. Little OCD....)
1. I can never seem to do these on a Sunday. I really don't know why... I even woke up early yesterday and had several hours in the living room to myself, while the boyfriend was still asleep. I just wanted to read my book, not look at a computer.
2. I have to find my workout motivation! It's not even the end of January, it's too early to lose the whole "New Year, new resolutions!" oomph. I went to S Factor yesterday and realized it had been about a week and a half since I'd worked out. I didn't even wear my BodyBugg at all last week! Gotta get back to it... pretty much done with all of my workout Groupons, so now to get to a good routine with my usual places. Should go to Zumba tonight and tomorrow night. Those are my only two chances to go this week. I have trivia on Wednesday night, a concert on Thursday night, and a colorful run (yes, yet another one - it's my 3rd!) on Saturday morning.
3. I'M GOING TO SEE LADY GAGA THIS WEEK!! It'll be my second time seeing her in concert.
4. I had a psychic reading on Friday. I went to an entrepreneur showcase at S Factor with a friend (basically, all of their students who do direct sales things -- Scentsy, Premier Designs, Passion Parties, etc. set up tables and other people came in to check out the studio and the tables). One of their students was offering 10 minutes readings for $5 and I figured what the hell, why not. It was my first time ever doing something like this.
Some of the things she said were a little uncanny, too on point. One thing was silly. And one thing is just... staying with me, in the back of my mind. I actually talked to one of my friends and she's willing to go to some other psychic with me. Palm readings, tarot readings, I'm really not that picky. I want to try it out again, get a "second opinion", and just have fun with my friend. Now I need to do some research to find one that's not too gadawful expensive or in a sketchy neighborhood.
Too funny, I remember a scene in the book MWF Seeking BFF where she and a new friend went to get their palms read.
5. I turned down a cupcake on Saturday! My friend was going to Sprinkles, and asked me if I wanted one, and I said nah, thank you though. My reasoning was I was probably going to have frozen yogurt later that evening, so no double dessert for me! I didn't even end up having the froyo! And I wanted ice cream yesterday but never had it! (The bad thing is, the reason I didn't is because our complex's water was turned off yesterday so they could fix something. So I didn't want to get a bowl, the scoop, a spoon, dirty and then let them sit in the sink for who knows how long until the wtaer was back on and I could wash them. Little OCD....)
Thursday, January 24, 2013
ZELDA!
So I think by this point everyone knows I have a weird obsessive love of all things Zelda?
So it must be said.
I am super duper excited about the informtion released by Nintendo yesterday!!
Nintendo teases new Zelda, Wind Waker remake for Wii U
I knew as soon as I heard about the Wii U that I wouldn't buy it until a Legend of Zelda game came out for it. So the new Zelda game, as far as I can tell with various articles (here's a good one from last October), is planned for 2014. But later this year a remake of Wind Waker will be released for the Wii U. So looks like I'll be getting a Wii U sooner than I thought.
So. Excited!
I've honestly been craving replaying Wind Waker too.
So it must be said.
I am super duper excited about the informtion released by Nintendo yesterday!!
I knew as soon as I heard about the Wii U that I wouldn't buy it until a Legend of Zelda game came out for it. So the new Zelda game, as far as I can tell with various articles (here's a good one from last October), is planned for 2014. But later this year a remake of Wind Waker will be released for the Wii U. So looks like I'll be getting a Wii U sooner than I thought.
So. Excited!
I've honestly been craving replaying Wind Waker too.
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Catch up - did you miss me?
Oh my gosh, busy January, how you thwart my blogging schedule!
Phew... it's been a busy month. Can't believe it's been more than two weeks since I last touched this thing. I kept meaning to blog but I spend so much time starting at a computer at work it's the last thing I want to look at on the weekends sometime and especially the week nights.
So time to play catch up. What have I been up to? Warning... I don't know why, but there are links all over the place with this post.
But then it'll be the month of All Star. Yikes.
Phew... it's been a busy month. Can't believe it's been more than two weeks since I last touched this thing. I kept meaning to blog but I spend so much time starting at a computer at work it's the last thing I want to look at on the weekends sometime and especially the week nights.
So time to play catch up. What have I been up to? Warning... I don't know why, but there are links all over the place with this post.
- W-2 Season. It kills me dead every year. There's just so much to do with the year end wrap up. I've kept my calendar relatively clear this month because I have to with my work demands. Not doing something every night though, I must admit, has been nice. Must continue to keep control over my schedule like I was forced to this month! I'm not going to bore you with the details of what I've been doing day to day at work. It's done, for the most part. I don't really want to think about it anymore.
- Won an award at work! Go me! It's basically an Employee of the Month program we have, except it's quarter based instead of monthly. Every quarter, they ask for employees to nominate their peers as the new One Team All Star -- basically the best of the best, an employee who always gives it their all and exemplifies the core values of the company. It's kind of a big deal.
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| My first trophy in forever! |
- Have not been cooking a lot but I was able to try out a few restaurants I've been meaning to for awhile: BRC Gastropub on Shepherd -- so yummy! -- and Mother Teresa's in Lake Jackson. Authentic Italian food! So delicious. Chris and I went down to have dinner with some friends who live in LJ. Figured it was only fair, almost all the other times we've seen them, they've come up to Houston. 288 is a two way street!
- I've done some Zumba at Tropa Z Fitness. Not nearly as much as I should be doing, but things come up. I'll be better! And I have a year long membership that I'm going to be charged for each month. I MUST be better. I also used a Groupon deal with a friend that we both bought for Vault Houston - we tried out an intro class to Vault AIR-TONE. It was interesting... different. I'll try it again. And this Sunday, the same friend and I are going to enjoy another Groupon deal we bought for a class at S Factor. Pretty excited about that. I've tried out another pole dance workout class and enjoyed the class itself but not the location.
- Successfully hosted a Slumber Parties party at my apartment this past weekend! Had to kick the boyfriend out for that. Slumber Parties is a direct sales, home party company for bedroom accessories. Let's just leave it at that? ;) My consultant is great - here's her website. My party is still open until the end of the month -- if you see something you want, contact her and let her know you were referred to her by me, Laura B. All of their products are great. I got $400 in product for $150, thanks to free or discounted merchandise hostess benefits! I had so many ladies in my apartment, oh my gosh, and it's really not that big, when you start talking about fitting 15 people in the living room. I actually had to borrow folding chairs from E&A earlier in the week. I was looking at the RVSP list and the number of people who'd said yes, and looking at my living room, and the two recliners and one desk chair and four kitchen table chairs.... yea, that wasn't going to work. Thank goodness I was able to borrow chairs! Life savers!!
- Finished reading The Hobbit! One book on the BBC Big Read List, down! And to stick with my 2013 reading challenge, 2 more to go! Or 12. But I still don't know if I'm that ambitious... We'll see. Next on the list... I think I'll try reading Tess of the d'Urbervilles.Got it for free on Amazon for my Kindle!
- Ordered this -- The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia. It's a little embarrassing about how much I'm looking forward to getting this. But not really. If I wasn't a nerd, Chris and I wouldn't work as well as we do.
- Loving on Pandora!!! Seriously, was I the last person in the world to discover how cool this thing is?
- Watched Spank! The 50 Shades Parody, a Fifty Shades of Grey parody. Pretty funny. It did inspire me to read more of 50 Shades, before I was only about one chapter in... Oh my god, it's so bad but oddly compelling. I don't understand it! I am so tired of reading about the main character's "inner goddess". Just call it what it is!
- Got a new battery for my car. That was... thrilling. It could have been a lot worse though. I thought it was going to be much worse. Luckily I was off on Monday. So discovered my car wouldn't start, Chris tried to do a jump start, didn't work. Called my dad and told him the issues and he thought it might be something wrong with the relay. So Chris heads back to work and I call up Honda Care to set up a tow to a dealership. The tow truck comes by and takes a look and he is able to jump it! Yay! I guess the tow truck had a lot more juice than Chris' car, cos we did everything right. So then I headed over to AutoZone to get the battery tested and it was bad, so I bought a new one. The annoying this is now my car says Enter Code when I try to turn the radio on, since the battery was disconnected. Need to find my owners manual, I need the car-specific security code.
But then it'll be the month of All Star. Yikes.
Monday, January 7, 2013
5 for 5, recipe fail
Well the recipe yesterday... I had so many pictures of my cooking, step by step, to share. But I'm not even going to because the recipe turned out terrible. Okay not terrible as in completely inedible just... blah, why did I even bother making it? I used frozen spinach instead of fresh spinach, and it turned out mushy... should have drained it more. And I put so much seasoning on top of the chicken but it turned out bland and just boring. Which raises the question I obviously don't know the answer to... how much seasoning is too much? How much is just right? I guess it's better I under season than over season.
Sigh. One of these days I will learn how to properly season while cooking. Back to the drawing board! It sounded interesting, and I ran it by the boyfriend before making it, and he said it sounded good.
I would have been better off using the spinach and just making a spinach lasagna, like one I made in the summer for father's day when my parents came up to see the new apartment. Live and learn. I'll just need to make that again some time.
It's time to do my weekly 5 for five!
1. Laundry, laundry. Do your laundry -- and put it away!
2. Go to Zumba twice. Tuesday and Thursday, you are my days! I should try to go to the 15 minute ab workout they have before my 7pm Zumba class too. I did that last week (the one time I worked out, blah) and ow! My abs were sore for days! Good stuff!
3. Talk with the boyfriend more on plans for Valentine's Day weekend. Where are we going, how long are we going for? Talk to work about it being okay to be gone for All Star weekend.
4. Wall art. Put it up! At least one room. I don't really care which one at this point.
5. Try out the new food processor. With something, don't know what. Hummus seems easy enough. You like it, you have a good recipe for it.
Long term list!
1. Organize books and movies.
2. Put up wall art.
3. Go through clothes.
4. Go to Goodwill. Did this Saturday! Took away a bag of clothes and old towels and stuff, a lamp, and the old pots and pans. I will need to go again if I, excuse me, WHEN I go through my clothes, but it's on the list!
5. Revisit the shoe cubby idea.
6. Figure out how to make Thai tea.
7. Clean my car. Clean out the trunk, clear out the back seat, get it washed.
8. Reorganize the pantry.
Sigh. One of these days I will learn how to properly season while cooking. Back to the drawing board! It sounded interesting, and I ran it by the boyfriend before making it, and he said it sounded good.
I would have been better off using the spinach and just making a spinach lasagna, like one I made in the summer for father's day when my parents came up to see the new apartment. Live and learn. I'll just need to make that again some time.
It's time to do my weekly 5 for five!
1. Laundry, laundry. Do your laundry -- and put it away!
2. Go to Zumba twice. Tuesday and Thursday, you are my days! I should try to go to the 15 minute ab workout they have before my 7pm Zumba class too. I did that last week (the one time I worked out, blah) and ow! My abs were sore for days! Good stuff!
3. Talk with the boyfriend more on plans for Valentine's Day weekend. Where are we going, how long are we going for? Talk to work about it being okay to be gone for All Star weekend.
4. Wall art. Put it up! At least one room. I don't really care which one at this point.
5. Try out the new food processor. With something, don't know what. Hummus seems easy enough. You like it, you have a good recipe for it.
Long term list!
1. Organize books and movies.
2. Put up wall art.
3. Go through clothes.
4. Go to Goodwill. Did this Saturday! Took away a bag of clothes and old towels and stuff, a lamp, and the old pots and pans. I will need to go again if I, excuse me, WHEN I go through my clothes, but it's on the list!
5. Revisit the shoe cubby idea.
6. Figure out how to make Thai tea.
7. Clean my car. Clean out the trunk, clear out the back seat, get it washed.
8. Reorganize the pantry.
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