WIAW: Somebody Lock The Cabinets!

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I’m going to let you guys in on a little secret. When it’s snowy and frightful outside and you are stuck inside the house for days on end, there’s only so much to do. One of the most fun options you have is to EAT!

So today’s What I Ate Wednesday is all about how I tried not to eat the entire contents of my cabinets while we were home bound for so many days. I was moderately successful on the day in question. One of the other days may have involved ice cream. And hamburgers. Hey, all in moderation, right?

You know I love my pancakes when I have a little extra time in the mornings so I definitely made that happen. It was so cold for most of those days that I had a little trouble dragging myself out of bed so once I made my pancakes, I jumped back under my blanket and had breakfast in bed. A girl could get used to this!

As always when I’m a wee bit bored, I tend to want to eat a whole lot more so, despite my big plate of pancakes, I was more than ready for lunch a few hours later. I took advantage of being at home to make cheese and spinach quesadillas. They’re one of my favorite foods, and I enjoyed these with a big dollop of sour cream and a huge salad on the side.

Snack time was another bowl of this stuff.

I finally ran out a few days ago, and yesterday I tried to pick up another container at the grocery store. Apparently the Key Lime as gone the way of the Vanilla-no where to be found! Do not even get me started on how much I dislike Wal-Mart. I would seriously love to live near a good grocery store.

Dinner was another creation by Skinnytatse. I think I just need to become an advertisement for her recipes. I love everything she makes! The latest creation was Shrimp Creole, and it was delicious but a little spicy! I try really hard not to be a wimp when it comes to spicy food, but I don’t always succeed.

It’s not much to look at, but it’s wonderful! I served it over wild rice. It would’ve been better with brown rice, but we had a little issue with my stock in the pantry. I’ll spare you the details. Trust me!

The rest of the evening involved banana bread and hot chocolate by the fire, but, alas, I forgot to snap a picture. Just know that it was warm and cozy, and I’m already wishing for another snow day despite the cabin fever and my insatiable appetite. It may be a long winter!

Do you tend to snack a lot when you’re bored? Do you ever treat yourself to breakfast in bed?

Baby, It’s Cold Outside

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Good news! I have not frozen solid into a human popsicle. Trust me-it was touch and go there for a second.

We’ve been buried under a mound of snow for several days, and today is the first day the world is really starting to thaw. We’ve been without Internet at my house for a few days, but, luckily, we didn’t lose power. The same cannot be said of several people in our area so I am very grateful.

We spent most of our snow days hanging out by the fire and watching way too much TV.

It’s always nice to have a few days with an excuse to do absolutely nothing, but cabin fever was starting to set in big time. We did manage to get out a little and spend a little time with this crazy guy.

I think he was a fan of the snow! He had a big time playing in it and chasing down snow balls. He was so much fun to watch scampering around the yard. I even tried to take him out to the park one afternoon, but after I realized that our yard gates had frozen shut, I decided better of the whole idea!

Today was the first day school has been back in session, and the kids were bouncing off the wall. I knew they would be. I told John yesterday they might as well cancel school until January because after three snow days and only a week left until Christmas vacation, it’s going to be a challenge to get anything productive out of them this week to say the least!

Since the last week has been unusual, I’m a behind on my monthly goal check in so let’s take care of that today, shall we?

1. Log 100 miles for Monica’s Pile On The Miles Challenge

I didn’t quite get 100 in, but between my half-marathon training and all the walking we did in NYC, I finished at a very respectable 85. I’m happy with that because I don’t want to push my mileage. The last thing I want to do is have to lay off another month because I’ve re-injured my IT Band, and over use would certainly do that!

2. Make a few CrossFit improvements

This is a big A+! I really feel like I’ve gotten stronger, and I’ve gone up in weight on every single skill. Last week I even managed to do a full T2B! It’s only a matter of time before I can do a pull-up (ok, that might take awhile, but I’m working on it!).

3. Complete a few 30 Before 30 goals!

I didn’t check as many of these off as I would like this year. I plan on doing a post soon over the entire list and my thoughts on the subject, but, for now, let’s just say life happened this year and you can’t confine that to any list.

December is my favorite month of the year, and I have a few things in mind to accomplish in the next few weeks. This month they’re mostly fun!

1. Finish 5K in under 29:00.

I have a race this weekend! My 5K PR is 29:23, but I’m hoping to get under that this weekend. I am so much stronger in both endurance and actual physical strength than my last race, and this route is very familiar to me. I’ve done several races on this course, and it’s actually the one I set my PR on. I’m thinking all those factors will work in my favor so I’m keeping my fingers crossed.

2. Do a handstand push-up

Handstand push-ups are a common exercise in the Crossfit world, and, so far, I’ve only been able to do them on a box. I can get myself up on the wall, but I can’t actually lower myself into a push-up. I am so close though!

3. Start a Christmas tradition

Christmas is a really busy time for us, and John and I spend most of the holidays running around being present for all of the traditions that our families have. I love that and I wouldn’t have it any other way, but sometimes our little family gets lost in the shuffle. I want to establish a Christmas tradition for just John and I that we can share for many, many years to come.

4. Do some winter backpacking

We have a backpacking trip tentatively planned. It is absolutely going to depend on the weather, and you can’t ever count on that in Oklahoma, but I am hoping it happens. It’s been far too long since I’ve had my pack on!

December is shaping up to be a busy and exciting month. I have a several things planned to share with you all in the next few weeks, and I can’t wait to get the Christmas holiday started!

What are your Christmas traditions? Does setting goals help you during this time of year?

Snow Day

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It’s snowing! We are in the middle of a full on snow storm, and when that happens in Oklahoma, the whole world shuts down. School was cancelled yesterday and today, and you gotta love an unexpected four day weekend. The only downside is the ice has caused the cable to go out, and being house bound for days without cable is going to make me a little stir-crazy. I will not complain though because several people have lost their electricity, and that would be so much worse. At least we have heat!

I promised to show you all a few more pictures from my NYC trip. I snapped over 150 on our five day trip so it’s hard to narrow them down, but here are a few of my favorites!

Justin and Caite snapped this picture from the top of the Empire State Building. This is the Flat Iron Building which was only about a block from our hotel.

9/11 Memorial. This was a really powerful experience. What was so interesting to me was the many, many different languages I heard while we were at the memorial. It was such an illustration of how deeply the 9/11 attacks impacted the entire globe.

What kind of blogger would I be if I didn’t include at least one picture of food? We went to breakfast one morning at a place called Penelope’s, and I had this delicious bowl of homemade granola. Everyone’s breakfast was pretty spectacular. Tace had those pancakes you see in the background, and Caite and Mom both had pumpkin waffle that came with baked cinnamon apples. Are you hungry yet?

The Plaza Hotel. So beautiful. So out of our league!

Inside the Plaza. I was imagining Eloise having tea at one of those tables!

This was the day we walked across the Brooklyn Bridge, and it was the prettiest day we had in the city.

How cute are these two? They went ice skating in Bryant Park while Mom, Tace, and I watched with warm apple cider.

My brother-in-law is a fireman, and one of the things he wanted to do while there was go to an operating fire house. We stopped in at this one, and it was sobering to see the impact of the 9/11 on a personal basis. This particular company lost several men that day, and it was obvious that they hadn’t been forgotten.

Strawberry Fields in Central Park. It’s a little tribute to John Lennon across the street from the Dakota where he was killed, and it’s always nice to visit. Last time we were in New York it was decorated with flowers and candles. This time there was musician playing “Imagine” which was moving.

I am only including this picture to illustrate two things. 1. It was very, very cold the morning of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and 2. We had a very fast-paced, action packed vacation which resulted in very little sleep. This is obvious by the huge bags under my eyes. I look a wee bit drugged in this picture!

As you can tell, we had so much fun and covered a ton of ground on our trip. Even so, one week is not long enough to do everything New York has to offer. There’s still so much left to see, and we literally couldn’t have fit anything else in our schedules. I guess that just means we need to plan another trip, right?

Now I’m off to spend the day watching the snow fall from underneath my warm blanket. Have a great weekend!

What’s the weather like where you are? Is your area used to snow?

WIAW: Birthday Eats!

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Hello, friends! Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for all the lovely birthday messages. I received such an outpouring of love and well-wishes through my various forms of social media, and it was so nice. You all certainly know all to make a girl feel special!

There’s somebody else who’s pretty good at making this particular girl feel special so I’m going to brag a little bit today through the form of What I Ate Wednesday. Be sure to head over to Jenn’s blog to check out all the other wonderful food circulating today. There’s quite a few Thanksgiving recaps to read so you know it’s going to be delicious!

Before I get to the bragging, I have to start at the beginning. My 30th birthday started off just like just about every other day has for years. Oatmeal! What can I say, I seriously love the stuff! It was only after I had already fixed it that it occurred to me that it was my birthday and I should have made something special! I decided to snap a photo of it by the tree to jazz it up a little for you guys!

Ever since starting Crossfit, I am super hungry ALL THE TIME so I’ve started bringing a small mid-morning snack to work with me. Yesterday’s was a stick of string cheese. I’ve really been loving cheese in all it’s forms lately and these just sounded so good at the grocery store a few weeks ago. Obviously, I scarfed down the one at work before I took a picture, but you get the idea!

Despite my string cheese, I was more than ready for lunch time especially since I had some pretty exciting leftovers (yes, food excites me!). Monday night we had Taco Chicken Chili, and it made an appearance at lunch on Tuesday. This is one of my favorite recipes. Not only is it delicious, but it is so easy. You literally throw a few ingredients in the Crock Pot and let it cook all day. Simple! Don’t be surprised if I post a love letter to my Crock Pot sometime. It is the most useful appliance in my house!

My afternoon yogurt bowl was full of Oikos Key Lime Pie. I was looking for a big container of vanilla at the store when I ran across a the key lime and decided to give it a try. This flavor is so good! I don’t plan on giving up my Chobani Raspberry any time soon, but Oikos is growing on me. I already love their vanilla better than any other brand!

And now let’s get to the bragging! I told John that I wanted him to make dinner for my birthday, and he did not disappoint.

Look at that meal! He grilled pork chops with pineapple, bought some French bread, made a salad, and even got some potato salad from a local deli. It was all delicious, and every time he cooks I wonder why I don’t make him more often!

He even got me a cake! He went to the bakery and picked up a red velvet cake with cream cheese icing. I think he’s a keeper!

We spent the rest of the evening watching multiple episodes of Modern Family while he rubbed my back. As you remember, we were suppose to watch When Harry Met Sally, but after I started nodding off at 7:45, I decided to hold off until the weekend for that! All in all, it was a perfect 30th birthday that just reiterated how truly blessed I am. Have a great day!

What kind of birthday dessert do you like?

It’s A Birthday Kind Of Day!

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Today is my 30th birthday. How in the world did that happen?

Last week I told I wasn’t really bothered by this particular birthday, and it remains, for the most part, true today. Honestly, it doesn’t even feel like my birthday. I guess that’s because I don’t have anything very special planned. Perhaps I should be making a bigger deal out of this momentous occasion, but I’m far from my family today. I told John I wanted to watch When Harry Met Sally snuggled up on the couch tonight. It takes a very special occasion to get him to do that!

So I suppose this day will pass without much fanfare (although the best husband in the world did surprise me with a new laptop this morning. Score!), but not without a little reflection on my part. This birthday and the hard year 2013 has been has caused quite a bit of soul-searching for me. I’ve thought about all of the things I’ve learned in these last thirty years, and I’ve been jotting down a few of those lessons in the last few days.

Your mom really is always right.

This too shall pass.

Most things aren’t worth worrying about.

Find your best friend. Then marry him.

You’re job is not you’re life. Sure, it’s great if it isn’t miserable, but your life is your life. Don’t confuse the two.

Your life doesn’t have to look like everyone else’s. Do what’s best for you and yours.

I had intended on getting to thirty, but I decided to list just a few highlights. I’ve also been thinking a lot about what the next thirty years are going to look like. I hope my 60th birthday finds me:

Still making memories and having adventures with this guy

Retired

Living in Colorado

Surrounded by family and friends

My greatest wish is that the next thirty years are even better than the last thirty. One thing is for certain-this birthday finds me happier than I’ve ever been so, more than any other feeling, today I am so grateful.

When’s your birthday?

The Big Apple

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HI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It’s been a little while, hasn’t it? I was enjoying every little bit of my time on vacation, and, upon my return, I soaked up has much time with John and my little furball as possible. I missed them!

But I certainly missed you guys too, and I have a million photos to share. Don’t worry-I won’t be recapping our entire trip. I know you guys are more interested in the pictures anyway! Suffice it to say, I am coming into this Monday off of a week of good family time and a lot of memories in the bank so today is pretty Marvelous!

I took around 150 pictures while we were gone so it’s a challenge figuring out exactly which ones to show you! We took in so much while we were in New York City. In fact we were trying to do so much that we didn’t get to eat nearly as much as I would’ve liked. I may be the only person who’s ever gone to NYC on vacation and lost weight!

One of my favorite parts of our trip was our visit to Ellis Island. You know I’m a huge history buff, and Ellis Island is such a symbol of America’s history. It embodies who we are as a nation, and it’s such an interesting place to see.

I love TV and movies almost as much as I love history so the movie tour we took was really cool. We saw locations from Ghostbusters, The Devil Wears Prada, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, and, of course, Friends.

Want to know a fun fact? Take a look at that building-do you see a balcony? So many scenes from Friends take place on a balcony! I had never thought of it until the tour guide pointed it out.

Christmas time in New York City wouldn’t be complete without a trip to see Radio City Music Hall and the Rockettes. They gave a truly amazing performance. I can’t get over their precision, and the costume changes alone were one of the most amazing parts!

Despite the fact that it was rarely above 25 degrees while we were there, we definitely had to hit up Central Park. There is something so peaceful about this little piece of wilderness in the midst of the bustling city. We took a stroll around late one afternoon, and between the late hour and the cold, we had the place pretty well to ourselves!

I wanted to see a celebrity while I was there, and I accomplished that mission! It wasn’t on the street like I wanted (although Caite and I are 75% convinced that we walked by Neve Campbell at one point), but it was possibly even cooler. We got tickets to see The Late Show with David Letterman at the historic Ed Sullivan theater. I have to admit, I’m not a huge Letterman fan. Nothing against him, I just rarely watch the show. Nevertheless it was a neat experience, and John Goodman was the guest that night! Huge fan of his!

We took in some of the famous landmarks like Washington Square park. I always like seeing this area because it features prominently in When Harry Met Sally.

Justin and Caite braved the late night and the cold to travel to the top of the Empire State Building. Mom, Tace, and I decided to hit the bed instead. Mom and I had done it last time, and Tace was pooped! They got some incredible shots while they were up there that I have to share.

How could we be in New York City on Thanksgiving Day and not go to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade?

We found a spot on the sidewalk at 7:30 that morning and proceeded to freeze half to death for the next four and a half hours. The temperatures were in the teens and I was a little concerned that some of my toes would be missing when I finally took my boots off.

The hordes of people lining the streets were incredible, and it was certainly a unique experience!

We all agreed that we’re glad we did it, and we’ll never do it again!

This is just a drop in the bucket of all the sights and sounds we took in last week. I’ll definitely be sharing more pictures later in the week so stay tuned! We had a wonderful trip, and I’m so glad I got to travel with some of my favorite people.

Now we’re back to normal, and I’m looking forward to the upcoming holiday season and my big birthday tomorrow! I have high hopes for this new decade!

Did you have a good Thanksgiving? Did you do any traveling?

Vanity: What My Impending Birthday Has Taught Me

Currently: November Edition

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Greetings from the big city! My family and I are definitely having a Marvelous Monday because we are exploring as much of New York City as possible. I’m going to have a ton of pictures and stories to share when I get back, but, in the mean time, I thought I’d do a Currently post for November. It’s always fun to check in and see how the little things change from month to month.

Current books: Sapphire Blue: The Ruby Red Trilogy

I’ve been trying to brush up on my YA literature lately, and this is a new series I’ve discovered. It’s trilogy about time travel written by the German author Kerstin Gier. The story is really capitivating, but, at first, I didn’t think it was very well-written. However, once I found out it was originally written in German, I think there must have been a little lost in translation. It’s still worth a read though!

Current music: I haven’t actually been listening to that much music lately because I’ve discovered a new podcast. History Extra is put out by the BBC History Magazine, and it’s addictive. I love all things British History, and this podcast certainly delivers.

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Current nail color: Plain jane. I really need order some Jamberry shields from Lauren!

Current drink: Anything warm! Baby, it’s cold outside!

Current food: NY pizza. I plan on eating as much of the stuff as I can while I’m there.

Current favorite show: John and I finally jumped on the Modern Family train. It’s hilarious!

Current wish list: I have given my family a laundry list of books that I want for Christmas so I have a feeling I’m going to be pretty busy over the Christmas break.

This is just one title of many!

Current needs: My husband! I miss him when I travel without him.

Current triumphs: I am making so many improvements at Crossfit! My squats are infinitely better than when I started, and I’ve gone up on weight in almost every lift.

Current bane of my existence: Let’s just call them “They Who Shall Not Be Named”

Current celebrity crush: Chris Hemsworth. Today, tomorrow, always

Current indulgence: I’m in New York! Can’t you just imagine the things I’m indulging in?

Current blessing: The means to travel and loved ones to travel with!

Current slang: I can’t think of anything that I’m saying frequently, but I’ve been hearing a lot of “Ain’t nobody got time for that!”. After which I, of course, have to correct them on their grammar.

Current outfit: Not exactly sure what the outfit for today is going to be, but I’m thinking it might be this one.

Current excitement: I probably don’t have to say it again, but I’m in New York! I’m pretty much living in a state of excitement for the next few days!

Current mood: Happy, happy, happy!

Current link: Corrie posted about this on her blog last week, and I had much the same reaction she did. It’s such a good perspective on marriage, and I was a blubbering baby by the end of it!

Alright folks, it’s time for me to hit the streets and explore! Have a wonderful day!

Your turn! Answer a few!

Start Spreading The News

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Well, friends, I’m just a few days away from my trip to the Big Apple, and I’m starting to get really excited. I’ve only ever been to New York once before, and that was many moons ago.

My mom and I travel together pretty frequently, but I couldn’t tell you the last time I went on vacation with my aunt or my sister. Of course, I’ve never traveled with my brother-in-law. Let’s hope he still likes me after a full five days!

I always take pride in immersing myself into a place while I’m traveling, and, I admit, I can get pretty snobbish about people who act too “toursity”. When it comes to New York, however, I am all about being a typical tourist. I might as well throw on a fanny pack!

Today I thought I’d share with you some things that are on my New York City Bucket List, and, yes, many of them fall right into that tourist category.

1. Walk across the Brooklyn Bridge

My whole family did this on our last trip to NYC, but it was a lot of fun and I want to do it again. Plus, I have a feeling we’ll need the exercise!

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2. See a celebrity

You guys, I am that girl. The one who completely loses all power over their person when a celebrity is spotted. That will not deter me! I’m a fan girl!

3. Ice skate at Rockefeller Center

Classic New York at Christmas time!

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4. Recreate the famous Audrey Hepburn scene in front of Tiffany’s

It’s one of my favorite movies, and I actually tried to do this last trip. However, after slogging up 5th Ave. late one evening, never finding at donut shop open, and having most of the people in my group not be overly enthusiastic about the project, I lost my excitement over the whole thing.

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5. Run in Central Park

I may or may not be able to do this one. I’m the only one in my group who would be interested, but my dad is going to be in the city at the same time so I might be able to hook up with him for an early morning run. It’s going to depend on our agenda for the day, and, of course, the weather! I’m not sure I’m up for running in twenty degrees!

6. Eat New York pizza

Again, this is one I accomplished last time, but how can you go to NYC without eating pizza?

7. Buy something at Bloomingdale’s

The name Bloomingdale’s just screams New York to me, and I’m going to buy myself an early birthday present there!

8. Have tea at the Plaza

I haven’t really checked into this so I don’t even know if it’s within the realm of possibility, but how cool would this be? Just like Eloise!

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So those are just a few of things I have planned for our big trip. There is a lot more on the agenda, and I’m ready to get after it!

What is a must see for you in New York City? Are you a “typical tourist”?

Chocolate Protein Pancakes

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Hump Day!

I’m sorry I’m not sorry for two reasons: 1. I love that stinkin’ camel and 2. My students have not, as of yet, gotten tired of it so I will hear it all day long!

The Hump Day camel means one thing-we are halfway to the weekend! I’m always ready for the weekend, but this Friday means it’s Thanksgiving Break and I’m headed to New York. I’m getting really excited for our trip, and I have a whole list of things I want to do while there. Stay tuned!

It’s time for another installment of What I Ate ~~Wednesday~~ Tuesday. Be sure to pop over to Jenn’s sight to see a whole collection of delicious eats and treats from your friendly neighborhood bloggers.

Last week I told you I’ve been trying to get a little more protein into my diet so I’ve been experimenting with protein pancakes. They haven’t replaced by beloved oatmeal, but it’s a nice change a few times a week. Here’s basically what I do:

1/4 cup whole wheat flour

1/4 cup chocolate protein powder

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 cup milk of choice

Of course, I top it with peanut butter. I don’t think I’ve had a breakfast without peanut butter in two years!

Lunch is yet another version of “My Fridge Is Empty”. That’s not entirely true, but I was out of a few of my basics so I had to scrounge around, and I ended up with a random assortment. Sweet potato, apple and peanut butter, and a few unpictured carrots. Random but delicious!

Before I ran to Crossfit yesterday afternoon, I had to have my yogurt bowl. This week’s flavor of choice was Chobani Apple Cinnamon with apples and granola. What can I say? Creature of habit!

Last night’s dinner was a pretty common occurrence around our house.

Homemade BBQ Chicken Pizza is a standard go-to meal for us. It’s so good, and it’s a quick, easy weeknight meal.

I think it was a delicious and successful day of eats. I’m trying to keep it pretty clean this week since I’ll be enjoying all kinds of culinary delights in New York next week. I can’t wait!

Are you a fan of fish? What’s your go to source of protein?