Morning guys. Man, did we sleep horribly last night. I stayed up until about 10 downstairs and the husband went up around 8:30 - but I kept hearing him get up and go back to bed. Finally he came down like a little kid and said he couldn’t sleep and wanted to see what I was doing. I went up to read in bed and then I couldn’t fall asleep. We both must have tossed and turned until at least 2am. (Remember he had to get up at 3:30?) And sometime during this whole event there was a HUGE crash in the attic and a scurrying!! I was terrified. But there’s no way you’re going to find me sticking my head up there today to see what’s up there. I came down this morning to find the machete we have from Mexico on the floor, so maybe that’s what the crash was? Or maybe the crash was so heavy it rattled the walls and made the machete fall!? Scary!
I started the day with yoga again. Today was a 20 minute Morning Flow from YogaDownload.com. This one was a little too much back bending (the focus) and not enough down dog and forward bending for me. But I did like the flow series. But they breathe too fast! She’s on exhale and I’m still inhaling.
After yoga I made oats. (Duh!)
Continuing my craving for walnuts this week, I did Banana Raisin Walnut.
- 1/3 cup oats, 1% milk, water (plus a splash more water for the raisins), salt, 1 med. banana
- 2 tbsp wheatberries
- 1 mini box raisins
- 1-2 tbsp walnut pieces
- Spoonful Barney Butter
I didn’t really want coffee this morning, but I also don’t want a headache this afternoon…tough decisions.
I decided I am going to a different Y this morning. Our regular Y is the second largest in the country (!!) but it’s also really old and very dark and musty. There’s a newer modern one about 12 minutes away with huge windows. Even though the sky is pouring down rain, I need some natural light. I’m headed there after I finish digesting - sometime in the next hour.
I am hoping to go shopping today to Pier1 where I have a $50 gift card from Christmas!! You can bet I’ll be in the bowls + plates section 
Can’t wait to see what they have. We’ll see how my time and this weather pan out though. I might save it for another day.
Tags: Oatmeal
January 6th, 2009
The husband resumes 3am alarm clock calls tomorrow so we’re moving back our lives. We normally eat dinner around 7:30 but he wants to start eating a little earlier to give him more time to digest. Tonight we started on dinner at 5:30!
He had a beer; I had a few sips.
Dinner tonight was an instant made-up recipe: cranberries, walnuts, and brown rice stuffed into an acorn squash and topped with goat cheese. I have been loving walnuts lately - note to self to have them on oats soon! Check out the recipe here: Cranberry Walnut Stuffed Acorn Squash. It turned out really delicious! And totally filling.
On the side we roasted some brussels sprouts: quartered, rubbed in maple syrup, olive oil and salt, and baked for about 40 minutes at 375*.
I actually dipped mine in Fage and it was a great combo!
Along with some plain pomegranate iced tea the husband made from a hot tea collection we got for Xmas.
After we cleaned the kitchen I mopped the floor so it would be spick and span when I come down in the morning. That makes me happy just thinking about it! I’ve only got a few days left to get my whole life organized before I am faced with the 24 hour dread of school work. Hopefully I can make the most of tomorrow - it’s supposed to rain 
I can’t believe it’s only 7:39 and I feel like I am ready for bed - although I’m not sleepy at all!
Tags: Brussels Sprouts, Goat Cheese, Squash
January 5th, 2009
Not only did the SUN come out for about an hour this afternoon, but I found this little bulb trying to peek out of the ground!
I have a feeling we’re going to get some freezing temps soon. We’ve been having unseasonably warm (and unseasonably cloudy) weather since before Christmas. Really the only horrible month in North Carolina is January. Any day now the cold weather will come, but luckily we don’t have long until we’re back in the 60’s.
I spent the morning redecorating my house. Nothing major - just moving things around, cleaning out cluttered corners, etc. I also cleaned, vacuumed and more. I wanted to rearrange two major rooms, but the husband vetoed the decision. Guess this whole day is about marital compromise!
I broke for lunch around 2:30. I wasn’t starving, but I felt empty from all my housework. I combined a bunch of stuff in our fridge into this big salad:
- Romaine tossed in Fig balsamic vinegar and lemon olive oil
- Broccoli + cauliflower (which I steamed for a minute in the microwave)
- Carrot + green pepper
- 1/2 a cup of leftover lima beans + black-eyed peas
- 1/4 cup homemade hummus
- Some goat cheese sprinkles
- A few candied almonds
On the side I had a piece of leftover flax flatbread -
It was more filling than it looks with all those beans + hummus under there.
I have been so thirsty lately. I don’t drink enough water in the winter due to my coldness problems so I am making myself drinking a big orange cup throughout the rest of the afternoon.
After lunch (when the sun came out) the husband and I walked to the shopping center near our house and back to run an errand. Sadly, the sun is now hidden again by clouds 
Off to do more stuff!
Tags: Beans, Salads
January 5th, 2009
Nothing major, just breakfast 
We decided to go to the gym first thing last night, so we set the alarm for 7:30 and were on our way by 8. Since it was warm out and the skies were mostly dry, we biked. I did a nice 30 minutes on the Stepmill with Health and then pullups, pushups and abs at the end, followed by our bike ride home. Nice way to start the day! I think if I had my choice of a routine to follow for the rest of my life I’d prefer a yoga, oatmeal then workout schedule, but whenever I workout first, it’s always so nice.
So on the way home the husband pronounced a craving for eggs. While I was already excited about oatmeal, poached eggs on his amazing bread did sound appealing, so I agreed.
We used Karen’s microwave method to poach the eggs - a splash of water in the bottom of a ramekin and cook on power level 4 for 60 seconds. Our microwave is slightly different and we tried a few different time/water combos on our 3 eggs. It method worked perfectly - too perfectly, as my egg was overcooked (to my runny yolk standards). I think had we let it “rest” instead of giving it 10 more seconds it might have worked. But it was a quick and easy alternative.
I had half a bosc pear with my egg as well as a nice yogurt dish - my oatmeal compromise. Underneath the Kashi GoLean Crunch is a tbsp of pumpkin butter.
I love having a later breakfast because it means I need fewer snacks throughout the day, but it does mess with my eating schedule a bit. I am totally full now so I don’t know when I’ll have lunch - perhaps around 2? But the thought of it now is unappealing!
We’ve got another murky day out there. Today is the husband’s last day off, so we’re hoping to spend time together at home today. He’s working the rest of the week (including the weekend) and next week I’m back to my classes
Those of you back at work today - I hope your workday goes by fast!
Tags: Eggs
January 5th, 2009
This evening had all the makings of a cold winter night. I totally blew off CardioFunk. I wasn’t in the mood to “break it down” because it was cold and cloudy. The husband and I decided we’d just go do a normal workout, but then I was freezing and didn’t want to leave my chilly house to go through the even colder weather to get into the gym (and you can imagine the look I gave him when he suggested we bike there!). The husband pointed out that the only time I am hot each day is while I’m working out, but that was still not enough motivation. So I stayed home and bundled up. And then of all movies, we watched Trans-Siberian. That was 4 hours ago. Now my computer tells me it’s 57* out there!?!??! Guess it’s getting warmer by the minute. I don’t know why I was so cold this afternoon!
While we were playing hookie, we made one of the best pizzas we ever have!!
The husband made some spelt sourdough dough to use as the base. We topped the crust with some tomato paste, sauteed mushrooms and green pepper, some chorizo from World Market my mom got him for Christmas, Mexican cheese and parmesan.
Of course the crust was the star of the show -
I made a big salad to go with it. Romaine, broccoli, cauliflower, carrot, pepper and walnuts - all drizzled in my sister and Matt’s Xmas gift of Fig Balsamic Vinegar and Lemon Olive Oil. SO WONDERFUL!
I couldn’t resist a half a slice more!
This afternoon I experimented with lots of blog themes on a test site and came to a conclusion: I think they are too advanced for me! Perhaps I should just keep KERF as is.
Karen dropped off Trans-Siberian. (She loves thrillers!) It was actually really good - but REALLY scary!!! Trans-Siberian and Valkyrie were both movies that I never would have gone to see or rented but I enjoyed both of them a lot.
I’m off to absorb more of the arts in book form 
Tags: Pizza
January 4th, 2009
All I wanted for lunch was something warm. Soup to the rescue!!
I had about a cup of this Pacific brand soup. It was excellent. No canned aftertaste. All flavor.
On the side - a bread buffet
And half a pear (split with the husband)
And Eating Well Magazine.
I’m a’workin’ away on my computer - playing with new themes and such. You may have seen a few themes this morning, including on DISASTER!!!
I BROKE THE BLOG!!! There was a fatal error on a page and everything was frozen solid. But I fixed it with the help of my superhero, ZestyCook.
That was a close one.
I’ve got some more stuff to do around the house, then we’re headed to CardioFunk (well, me there and the husband to his own workout equipment) around 5pm.
Adios!
January 4th, 2009
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