Best Year of Our Lives November 22, 2009

One year ago, I became the luckiest girl in the world.

 

 

So to celebrate this special day, we’ve been doing lots of eating, shopping, and spending quality time together.

 

Yesterday was a gorgeous day and I started it off by completing a SIX mile run!!  I finished in 1:02.  At my best I could do a 6.2 mile race in 57 minutes.  I was very thankful just to be able to finish as well as I did yesterday.  It felt great!!

 

Then I showered, ate lunch, hung out for awhile, and made a spontaneous hair appt.  My usual hair stylist had an opening so I took it, but then she started running behind, so they asked if I would mind seeing someone else.  I agreed and it turns out this lady was a top stylist at the salon and her cheapest haircuts are $62!!  I was feeling so guilty for getting such an expensive haircut, but it was probably the best haircut I’ve had in a long time!  And then when I went to pay, they told me they were taking $20 off since they had to change hair stylists on me – SWEET!

 

When I got home, I put on some make-up, got dressed, and then we we headed out to our first wedding anniversary dinner.

 

 

Andrew made reservations earlier in the week for 5 Seasons.  We’ve been wanting to go for awhile.  Here’s some interesting info about the place.

 

 

Impressive, right??

 

I apologize for some odd lighting in the following pictures.  It was quite the challenge to take decent pictures in the restaurant lighting.

 

We started out with some drinks.  Andrew ordered their beer sampler.

 

 

 

Andrew could tell you better than I could about the different beers, but that one in the middle was quickly beernapped by me – it was a pumpkin ale – so delicious!!

 

I ordered a Sweet Potato Sangria.

 

 

 

Andrew ordered the veal and pork bratwursts that came with 3 types of salad.  He left the bread alone because of the gluten.

 

 

I ordered their special grilled pizza.  It had oven roasted chicken, spinach, onions, goat cheese, and a blackberry sauce drizzled on top.

 

 

It was very fresh and warm and doughy tasting.  The goat cheese was fantastic, but I picked off some of the onions… I didn’t feel like the onion flavor really “went” with this pizza.

 

We split a basket of their sweet potato fries which were incredible.

 

 

We ooed and ahhed the whole time we were eating them and not one single fry was left when we were done.

 

I still had room for dessert (I usually do), so I ordered the goat cheesecake with a polenta crust and a raspberry on top.

 

 

The cheesecake part was wonderful and so creamy, but the polenta crust was very thin and crunchy – almost like a cookie.  I was envisioning it to be softer and moister and was a bit disappointed. 

 

Andrew ordered the asian pear strudel with pinenuts.

 

 

He enjoyed it, even though it wasn’t what he was expecting.  It was definitely NOT gluten-free, but I suppose a “cheat” every now and then isn’t so bad.  His poor belly was hurting a little bit today though.

 

The happy couple.

 

 

During dinner, Andrew told me this had been the best year of his life.  It made me teary and I agreed.  It’s had some struggles, financially and with my health issues, but we’re a team and we make each other infinitely happy.

 

I woke up early this morning to write Andrew’s card and work on his “paper” gifts, since apparently that’s the traditional gift to give on the first anniversary.

 

Believe it or not, this project took me 45 minutes to get just right…

 

 

Just to be sure he was happy on his anniversary, I picked up some Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale.

 

 

I stuck this in the fridge and started writing up a sweet and sappy card.  It reminded me of doing the exact same thing exactly a year ago.  I was up very early, before any of my bridesmaids who were staying with me, writing him a sweet and sappy card to give to him before the ceremony.

 

Andrew made my card!  I was very impressed with the quality.

 

 

I opened it up and…

 

 

Awww.

 

After exchanging our cards, we got dressed and headed out for brunch at my favorite place in the entire world to eat breakfast!  An Atlanta favorite, The Flying Biscuit!

 

 

Andrew ordered the Southern Scramble… crisp turkey bacon, spicy collard greens, onions and cheddar cheese scrambled with three large farm fresh eggs.

 

 

I tried a bite (or 2) of it and was regretting not ordering the same.  It was amazing!!  He cheated once again and had half of his biscuit.  Very cheat-worthy in my opinion.

 

I ordered the Candler Park Breakfast… 2 farm fresh eggs, oven-roasted “moon dusted” potatoes, creamy dreamy grits, and a whole wheat Flying Biscuit .

 

 

My favorite part of the meal were the grits.  They were heavenly.  Soooooo creamy and according to their website they are award-winning.  You’re tellin’ me!!

 

After cleaning our plates, since we were pretty close, we drove by the old house our wedding ceremony and reception was at.

 

 

Today it was rainy and dreary looking, but a year ago it was sunny and clear skies – perfect weather!

 

 

Then we did some fun shopping!  Look who we spotted!

 

 

 

This is actually the same mall my parents always took me to see Santa when I was a youngin’. 

 

Here are a few purchases from today…

 

 

 

$6 hat from Gap!

 

 

A pretty pink sweater for my baby girl, who by the way is already looking much sleaker due to more frequent walks/runs and downsized portions.

 

 

And just so Cooper wouldn’t feel left out…

 

 

I let him try on my new booties from Old Navy.

 

They look better on me though!

 

 

Notice the pink sweater balled up on the coffee table.  Andrew told her she had to save it for special occasions, haha!

 

Whew.  This has to be the longest post in the history of homecookedem!  Thanks for hanging in ’til the end.  And THANK YOU so much for all of your Happy Anniversary wishes!!  You’ve all said it enough, so I’m not lookin’ to get anything else out of you, just wanted to share the memories we made this weekend. 

 

I hope all of you enjoyed YOUR weekend.  I just want to take a moment to let you know how much I enjoy being apart of this blogging community.  You all are such awesome people and knowing you even read my blog, let alone support and encourage it, means so much.   

 

 

Crantastic Meal November 21, 2009

My favorite time of the week is finally here once again.  Knowing I have an entire weekend in front of me is always the best feeling, and this weekend is especially sweet for 2 reasons: First and foremost, it’s our first wedding anniversary on Sunday!!  And also, I get to know that I only have to go back to work for 2 days next week!!   I’m in such a happy mood!!

 

 Tonight’s meal made me feel like we were on Iron Chef America with the secret ingredient being cranberries.  Iron Chef Andrew started early this morning by soaking these so they’d be ready for tonight’s meal.

 

 

Have you ever heard of cranberry beans?  I had no idea these things existed…

 

They turned out so good.

 

 

They were pretty large as far as beans go and I loved the flavor.  They were very hearty and quite tasty.

 

I picked up some asparagus on the way home in hopes that Andrew might figure out a yummy way to prepare them for us.  He did an even better job than I imagined!

 

 

He sauteed the asparagus with chopped up dates and craisins.  I love combining fruits with veggies.  It’s such a fun sweet/savory combo.  These were amazing and I ate a second and then a third serving of them!!

 

Andrew also baked a pork tenderloin that he seasoned with some Greek seasoning he picked up earlier in the week.

 

 

Kroger was having a “Meat Madness” sale this week, so he went ahead and picked up our turkey for Turkey Day.  He is going to fry one for the first time at his sister’s house.  This pork tenderloin was so cheap.  Look at this price.

 

 

This meal was such a festive meal to kick off our wedding anniversary weekend!

 

 

To continue with the cranberry theme, I topped my pork with some leftover cranberry relish.  Yum!

 

Dessert was inspired by the lovely Angie from Caffeinated Cardio.

 

 

She’s been raving about this chocolate for the past week and it has made me quite envious each time I’ve seen her feature it on her blog!!    So I ran to our Publix today and was super pumped to have found it!  I knew I could trust Angie… ya’ll.  This. is. so. incredible!  If you love dark chocolate, you will fall head over heels for this chocolate bar.  I also had 2 glasses of Andrew’s homemade cranberry pomegranate cider. 

 

Even though our actual anniversary isn’t until Sunday, we’re going to spend the entire weekend celebrating.  Tomorrow I’m hoping to wake up and get in a 6 mile run and then the rest of the day will probably be spent shopping with Andrew.  We have dinner reservations at 7:00 and I’m so excited about it!!  Can you believe I haven’t been out to eat since the Atlanta Food Blogger Meet-Up 2 weeks ago?!  I’ve already looked up the menu online and I have a pretty good idea of what all I’m ordering.  Calories are not going to matter tomorrow.  I’m going to enjoy myself with NO GUILT.  Then Sunday we have plans to go out for a nice brunch on our actual anniversary at another really cool place!!  Then I’ll get back on track Monday-Wednesday, then enjoy myself on Thanksgiving.  I feel confident that I’ll be able to balance out my indulgences.  What really matters the most to me in this next week though is not how many calories I eat, but how much quality time I spend with the people who matter the most to me.  I am so excited to spend lots of time with my family and friends!!  They’re the reason I breathe…

 

I’m hoping to do a recap of our Anniversary Sunday evening.  I hope you all enjoy the weekend!  Are you ready for Thanksgiving?

A Few of My Favorite Things November 18, 2009

Good evening bloggie friends!!   Let’s jump right into what has been making me so happy this evening…

First of all, my breakfast for dinner (notice more protein anyone??)!!

Savory and sweet, mmm, can’t be BEAT!! (Can I just blame all cheesy rhymes – past, present, and future – on being a first grade teacher?? K, thanks!   )

A couple things I’d like to point out about this plate:

1. cranberry relish!!  Click here to see how to make it!  Thanks for the idea, Julie!   I had mine on top of an english muffin with my pumpkin cream cheese.  OMG.

2. “Sausage” patties!

 

I love the hint of maple syrup in them.  They are so tasty and very satisfying!

 

After dinner, in walked my husband with some early anniversary gifts!

 

 

SUNFLOWERS!!   These are my very favorite flowers!!  They were everywhere at our wedding…

 

 

 

 

 

 

A vanilla Chobani.  Such a sweet treat!!  I love greek yogurt waaay more than my standard yogurt I usually get, but because of its price, I don’t get it very often at all.

 

 

Some pitted dates and golden figs!!  Can’t wait to try them…

 

 

And a gingerbread boy plate to add to our rapidly growing gingerbread collection.  Isn’t he adorable?!  There’s something about gingerbread anything that makes me so happy!  I can’t help but think that our future kids will enjoy having a house full of all things gingerbread each Christmas…

 

So our first wedding anniversary is this weekend, the 22nd to be exact.  After making plans to go out of town, canceling them, making plans to go see some shows in Atlanta, canceling them, we finally decided to just go to a fancy restaurant and spend all of the money we would have spent on a trip or tickets to a show on SHOPPING!   I’m so excited to spend lots of time with Andrew!

 

Do you have any collections?  I always seem to be collecting something… I used to collect Princess Diana memorabilia.  I still have an entire shelf filled up with my collection in my bedroom back home at my parents’ house!

Chicken Spaghetti Squash November 16, 2009

I survived Monday!!  It wasn’t too painful and hopefully yours wasn’t so bad either.  I am not a fan of Mondays… at. all.  But at least there’s only one more Monday until THANKSGIVING BREAK!!   I don’t get the entire week off like some schools do, but I am very thankful to be getting a 5 day weekend next week!!

 

 Anyway, usually I feel like I’m scrambling to be on top of things on Mondays, but today I felt very calm and pretty productive.  I was very proud of myself for cooking dinner tonight.  As you know, Andrew is really the better cook in our house, but I do try to make us some healthy and delicious meals every now and then.  I feel like my mother when I say this, but I really don’t like using a lot of ingredients… anything that calls for more than 5 overwhelms me.

 

So here’s a quick and healthy meal that didn’t take much effort at all. 

 

Chicken Spaghetti Squash

  

Ingredients:

• 1 spaghetti squash
• 1 jar of spaghetti sauce (I used Bertolli tomato basil)
• 1 pound of ground chicken
• parmesan cheese
• garlic salt

That’s IT!

 

I started by preheating the oven to 375 degrees.  Then I punctured my squash with a fork and put it in the microwave for 6 minutes.  Next I put it in the oven for about 40 minutes.  I read that it needed to cook for an hour, but I think microwaving it first sped along the process. 

 

Halfway through cooking the squash, I cooked the ground chicken in a pan.  After it was completely cooked, I poured the jar of spaghetti squash on top and stirred it altogether. 

 

Then I took my spaghetti squash out of the oven and let it cool for about 5 minutes.  Using a serrated knife, I cut the squash in half lengthwise.  I scooped out the seeds from the middle of each piece.  Next, I gently scraped the tines of a fork around the edge of the spaghetti squash to shred the pulp into strands.  I put half in a bowl for me and the other half in a bowl for Andrew and seasoned the squash with some garlic salt.  I topped each with the chicken and spagetti sauce mixture and sprinkled lots of parmesan cheese on top.

 

 

This was only my second time making spaghetti squash.  The first time was probaby about 2 years ago.

 

 

I loved it!  And Andrew did too!  I always ask him, “So would you like me to make this again?”  He said yes (for the record, he has said no before when I’ve asked!).  It was very filling, which to me is very comforting.  While spaghetti squash isn’t at all a good substitute for real spaghetti, it’s great when you’re in the mood for spaghetti sauce or chili without a lot of calories.  I looked it up and one cup of the squash is only around 45 calories, it’s a good source of fiber, fat free, and low in carbs. 

 

Have you ever cooked a spaghetti squash?  If so, did you like it?

 

We also had steamed brussels sprouts on the side.

 

 

We decided on a community bowl.  Basically we were too lazy to get up and get a second bowl…

 

Oh, and this is kind of random, but I just have to toot my own horn and say that I RAN 5 miles yesterday!!    I’m not gonna lie.  It was hard.  But I did it without any knee pain and in exactly 51 minutes!  A year ago I probably could’ve done it in 46 minutes, but I’m still very proud that I was able to complete the run with a pretty decent time.  I haven’t mentioned it yet, but I’m actually training for a 10K on Thanksgiving morning.  My friend and I are going to run it together and then she’s coming to have Thanksgiving dinner with Andrew and me at his family’s house!!  Having her along just makes it so much more exciting to look forward to!!    Anyway, we’re going on another run tomorrow after school, so I’m feeling pretty confident about completing the 10K with a time I can be proud of. 

 

Alright friends, I’m gonna check a few more things off my to-do list and then I’m getting in my cozy bed.  Goodnight!

 

More Comfort Food November 14, 2009

Happy Weekend everyone!!  I feel like I haven’t blogged in forever.   I’ve missed it.  So glad to have a chance to just sit still and be calm.  I don’t have the TV or radio on.  Andrew’s gone all day at a disc golf tournament.  All I hear is the peaceful breathing of my furkids while they sleep on the chair next to me.  Ahhh, I love Saturday mornings.

Yesterday at work, Andrew sent me the following email:

Tonight I would like to share the movie “UP” with you.  I will wine & dine you.  So just come home, relax, have a glass of wine, and await your man.

Love you,
Andrew

 

So simple, yet it had me smiling ear to ear.   What a way to start my weekend!! 

I actually didn’t even get home until after he got home!  That almost never happens… and it was really strange to get home after the sun had gone down.  After work, I went straight over to a social event I was in charge of for my school since I’m on the social committee.  We went to a local pottery painting place where you can bring in your own snacks and (adult!) beverages!!  So we had a nice spread of fruit, chips and dip, candy corn (which I resisted – at least for the time being), and some adult beverages (which I also resisted – for the time being!).  I happily stuck to fruit the entire afternoon.  Nothing else looked real appealing to me - at the time! 

It was nice chit-chatting with everyone and such a relaxing way to unwind from the crazy, stressful school week.  One lady even announced that she is pregnant!!   I’m especially excited for her since I’m guessing she’s in her mid-late thirties and was told she probably wouldn’t be able to conceive since she has uterine fibroids.  She is at 14 weeks now and feeling great, so I hope things continue to go smoothly for her!

I didn’t get home until around 6:00, so I quickly showered and got ready for our at-home date!!  Halfway through the shower, I started feeling really shaky and weak and HUNGRY!  Low blood sugar!!    I came downstairs, fingers shaking like crazy, and ripped open a bag of broccoli and started dipping away at some hummus.  Since I knew we’d be eating in another 10 minutes, I figured this wouldn’t fill me up too much, but would take away the shakes!  I was right and was feeling better in no time!

Andrew said the theme for the evening’s meal was Comfort Food.  Now, I realize many experts say you’re not really supposed to “comfort” yourself through food, and I know what they’re saying, but since you gotta eat dinner anyway, might as well make it a comforting one, right??

On the Comfort Food menu:

Carrots sauteed with pineapple

 

 

Broccoli Cheddar Homemade (from scratch!) Mashed Potatoes

 

 

Andrew asked if I would like the skins left in or taken out.  I said left in and he kindly obliged.  I also have to note that these mashed potatoes were inspired by the Broccoli Cheddar Baked Potato at Wendy’s that both Andrew and I used to eat quite often our first year dating.

 

Barbeque Grilled Chicken

 

 

Comforting, indeed.

 

 

I enjoyed my meal with some kind of pineapple cocktail Andrew concoted with the remaining pineapple slices and juice from the carrot dish.  2 glasses of white zin followed the meal.  Then halfway through the movie, the drunchies hit!  I fixed a bowl of candy corn mixed in with some of Andrew’s trail mix.  It was more than I needed.  Oh well, just going to start fresh today!!  As for the movie, it was adorable and sweet, but I’d be lying if I knew the what happens at the end!  3 drinks + a very worn out Em at the end of a busy week = a snoring, boring girl on a date!   Sorry Andrew!!

 

I’ve been doing a little thinking and a little research on my new diagnosis, Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS).  From what I’ve been reading, it seems like I may be at a much higher risk for Type 2 diabetes.  I’ve always had issues with low blood sugar, but doctors have always shrugged it off as just needing to eat more protein.  Now I’m thinking this may be the reason for why I often get very shaky and irritable when I go too long between meals without any protein.  I’ve also read that for women with PCOS who are struggling with their weight, it’s a good idea to go easier on the carbs and stick to “smart” carbs.  I’ve put on a couple pounds in the past month or so, and with the upcoming holidays, I really need to reevaluate how I’m eating.  Yes, I eat very healthy compared to a lot of people I know, but it’s simply not good enough for my body right now.  So I’m going to go grocery shopping in a little while and I’m going to focus on getting the following items:

• lean protein (chicken, fish, tofu, greek yogurt, beans)
• fruits and veggies
• smart carbs (low carb tortillas, oatmeal, brown rice, whole grain bread, etc.)

I’m going to stay away from processed, high carb goodies, even if they do appear healthy.  I’m going to try and eat as cleanly as possible for the next couple weeks until my appointment with the endocrinologist.  After that, hopefully I’ll be on meds to help get my thyroid levels back to normal.  Hopefully I can then incorporate more carbolicious goodies into my life without expanding my waistline, because what fun is life without a little of my favorites like Kashi cereal, pancakes, chips and salsa, candy, muffins, crackers, etc.?!

 

It is an absolutely gorgeous and perfect fall day here!  I’m ready to go out and enjoy it!!  Have a wonderful Saturday eveyone!!

Some Sources of Comfort November 10, 2009

Homemade Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients:

• One 15 oz. can of pure pumkin
• 1 1/4 cups whole-wheat flour
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup Egg Beaters
• 1/2 cup Splenda (of course you could always replace with a sweetener of your choice)
• 1/4 cup brown sugar (not packed)
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries (or raisins), chopped
• 2 1/4 tsp. baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/3 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine both types of flour, Splenda, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and pumpkin pie spice (in other words, all dry ingredients except for the Craisins or raisins).

In a medium bowl, mix together pumpkin, egg substitute, and vanilla extract (all the wet ingredients).  Add this mixture to the bowl with the dry ingredients, and stir until just blended.

Slowly sprinkle chopped Craisins or raisins into the batter, making sure they don’t all stick together, and mix to distribute them.

Spoon batter into a large loaf pan (about 9″ X 5″) sprayed with nonstick spray.  Bake for about 50 minutes, until the top of the loaf is firm to the touch. (Bread may be moist inside. This doesn’t mean it’s undercooked.)  Allow to cool, and then cut into 8 slices.  I really like mine with a little buttah or even some peanut buttah.  Comfort.  Plain and simple.

 

And always here to comfort me no matter what…

 

 

Look at that sweet face…

 

 

And how can you not feel all warm and snuggie-ly when you come home to see this?!

 

 

Haha!!  BUSTED!!    Now I see why he was so excited to buy “me” a snuggie!!

 

And lastly, every single one of you.  So many of you left such sweet and supportive comments on my last post.  I was brought to tears by the comments and encouraging emails I received.  I am overwhelmed by the sincerity I felt in all of your words.  Thank you for making me feel loved.  Thank you for letting me know that I’m not the only one who has gone through these things.  Thank you for your thoughts and prayers.  I am already feeling much more patient and calm about everything.  Stressing out and worrying is not going to do anyone any good, so I’m just going to continue praying for as much patience and strength I need to get me through these issues. 

 

Thank you for being a source of comfort for me.

Better Than Take-Out + Some Personal Updates November 8, 2009

Earlier today, Andrew asked if I wanted anything special for dinner tonight.  It’s feels like it’s been awhile since he’s cooked a meal for us, so of course I said YES!  He asked what I wanted and I couldn’t really think of anything I was in the mood for, so he asked if stir fry sounded good, and I said yes as long as no chicken was involved.  Not sure why, but chicken is just very unappealing to me right now.

So he went to the store and came back home with the other white meat: pork tenderloin.  I’m not the biggest pork fan either, but it’s been awhile since I’ve had it, so I decided to give it a chance.  To begin, he grilled the pork out on the grill.  Then he cut it into thin slices.  Next he used our wok to cook the broccoli, water chestnuts, onions, red bell peppers, and snow peas.  He loves using the wok now that we have a gas stove.  He added in the pork and a combination of szechuan and teriyaki sauces. 

 

He served it with some brown rice.  So proud of him for choosing on his own to make us the brown rice instead of white!  I still eat white on occasion, but honestly love the texture of brown better and plus we all know that it is so much healthier. 

 

Here is my plate – I loaded up on the stir fry… you can’t even see the rice underneath!

 

 

This was so good and I mmmmmm’ed the entire time I was eating it!  I even surprisingly really liked the pork.  I think because it was sliced so thin.  I don’t like thick meat (twss??).  I also said very honestly that it was like eating chinese take-out, but better!! 

 

So I can always count on Andrew to randomly leave me goofy/silly/sometimes sweet notes on our message board, and today I found this.

 

 

I was almost scared to look!!  Turns out my flirty friend was quite harmless…

 

 

Just a seductive egg.  Never know what to egg-spect from my silly husband…

 

Now taking a bit of a serious turn, there’s something I’ve been wanting to mention here for awhile (some of you already know) mostly to let you know how things are going as far as my efforts to lose weight are going.  (Any male readers that I’m not aware of, this is your warning to stop reading now – too much TMI for you!) 

 

Well, I’ve decided everything really happens for a reason.  You see, Andrew and I have been very ready for a baby ever since the beginning of the summer.  We weren’t too concerned at first that nothing was happening, but then when I went without a period since mid-August, I started to wonder what was going on since all pregnancy tests were coming back negative.  I made an appointment with my OB/GYN to see if she could help me figure out what the problem was and after doing bloodwork and eventually an ultrasound, she diagnosed me with Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS). 

 

Turns out my thyroid levels are too low due to the PCOS, which makes it very difficult to conceive and to lose weight.  Great, since I’d like to either be pregnant or thin right now, neither of which are possible.  I have no idea when I developed this, though my guess is probably around spring 2008 when my face broke out with an odd rash, which is a symptom of PCOS.  My dermatologist though it was rosacea, but I never believed she was right since it didn’t have the same characteristics.  And it was because of the rash that I took the prednisone right before my wedding to clear it up and it was because of the prednisone that I gained 10 pounds in a week right after my wedding.  Sigh…

 

So what’s the next step?  Well, my awesome OB/GYN referred me to an endocrinologist (the same one Andrew sees for his juvenile diabetes) and my appointment is November 25.  I’m really trying to just be very patient until then, but I can’t help but feel like I’m in an odd spot right now wondering if I’ll ever be able to get pregnant or get back to my goal weight.  I just have to keep in mind that perhaps this is for the best since my car will be paid off in another year which will help tremendously with our finances, maybe I’ll have time to lose more weight before getting pregnant ensuring the healthiest possible pregnancy, and maybe we can time the due date for our baby for a convenient time such as summer or 6 weeks before winter break so I can have as long as possible to bond with the baby. 

 

Anyway, very sorry if you’re bored out of your mind as I’m sure this is of no interest to some of you, understandably, since we’re all in different stages in our lives and I know a few years ago reading about someone’s problems conceiving would have been as exciting as watching paint dry.  I mostly wanted to share all of this to let you know that despite eating mostly healthy and trying hard to cut down portions to lose weight, I now know why it’s been such a struggle to lose weight.  I mean, if you look at My Progress page, you’ll see that even though I had lost close to 10 pounds, it came off very slowly and now it’s crept back up a few pounds.  Honestly, I’m slightly relieved to know that it’s not totally my fault that I can’t seem to be successful with weight loss right now.  I was really getting frustrated since I’ve done the same things before and been able to lose weight, but just couldn’t figure out why things were different this time around.

 

So until I can (hopefully) get this problem fixed, I’m going to continue to eat as healthfully as possible most of the time, continue to workout, but not fret over the fact that I’m not losing any weight.  I’ll let you know how the appointment goes.  Please keep your fingers crossed for me that this is a quick and easy fix.  It’s been pretty much a bummer.  The good news is that Andrew, a few family members I’ve told (love you Mom!) and all of my friends have been soooooooo sweet and supportive and that has really encouraged me to keep my head up and not get too down about it all.  Y’all, I seriously have a really good guy.  He tells me I’m beautiful even when I’m feeling huge and bloated.  Love, love, love him!!

 

Ok, if you’re still here, wow, thanks for hanging in there!  Have any of you ever experienced similar situations that seemed to really test your faith and patience?  Any tips for keeping as positive of an attitude as possible?  I promise not to whine anymore about any of this until after my appt. with the endocrinologist, I just thought I’d keep you all in the loop about how things are going right now.  Thank you for listening!!

  

Ok sweet bloggie friends, I’m getting drowsy already (food coma, perhaps?).  I hope all of you have had a wonderful weekend!!   

I’m Late, I’m Late! November 7, 2009

So after waiting and counting down the days until our Real Housewives Bloggers of Atlanta dinner at Seasons 52, I got dressed and ready to head out last night to pick up Kelly!  I ended up getting there about 10 minutes later than planned, and even though I hate being late, I figured 10 minutes late wasn’t so bad – it could be worse…

After meeting her adorable doggie Reuben and quickly nosing around in her beautiful house (like out of a magazine!), we excitedly hit the road for the restaurant.  We got there (or so we thought!) and had the car valet-ed (?) and went in to find our bloggie friends (we were already running even later at this point due to traffic on the way there which nessecitated a detour).  They weren’t there!  Turns out Kelly and I goofed and went to the wrong location!!   I felt so, so terrible!!

So we immediately asked for our car, paid $2 for letting the car sit in the deck for 5 minutes, and headed to right location.  We were an hour LATE!  I really know how to make an awesome first impression, don’t ya think?!    Anyway, the lovely Lee, Angie, Liz, and Laura were all politely waiting for us to order and greeted us with such sweet smiles although I’m sure they were all thinking, “uhh, we’re HUNGRY girls, where have you been?!” 

Anyway, we got right to chatting and I had a blast talking with everyone!  All the girls were super sweet and friendly and it was great because we instantly had a common bond – we love good food!!   The menu was quite overwhelming since everything looked so delicious, but I finally decided on the Autumn Vegetable Plate with golden beets, butternut squash (which I embarassingly thought were sweet potatoes at first, haha!), grilled tofu, mushrooms and onions, carrots, and organic Lundberg wild rice.

 

It was a lot of food, but I managed to show my true colors and cleaned my plate!

 

The BN squash was way better than mine at home.  Perfectly baked!!

 

Then they came out with the rack of dessert shooters!! 

 

 

I decided to stick with my autumn-y theme for the evening and pick the Pumpkin Pie with Ginger Snap crust.

 

It was fabulous and such a perfect size!  Every restaurant should switch to these fun little desserts – they’re too cute!!

 

We stuck around and chatted about all things blog until we realized how late it had gotten and decided we should call it a night.  Before leaving, we had a waitress take a picture of our lovely group.

 

 

 

 

 L to R: Em, Liz, Laura, Lee, Angie,  and Kelly

 

Thanks for a FUN night girls and my apologies for being the white rabbit!   I won’t blame you if you never invite me again (though I’ll be very sad)!!

 

This mornin’ I woke up wanting something yummy.  Didn’t know what, so just started pulling things from here and from there and came up with this festive little breakfast concoction.

 

 

1/2 cup pumpkin oats, honeycrisp apple slices, PB in the middle, and those sneaky little candy corns that just won’t leave my bowls alone…

 

I think I’m going to go practice disc golf with Andrew and by that I mean while he plays, I’m going to run/walk the trails surrounding the course.  Hope all of you are having a wonderful fall weekend!!  

Cranberry Walnut Stuffed Kabocha November 5, 2009

Last weekend I finally found the kabocha squash I’ve been seeing on many blogs lately.  I wasn’t sure how to make it for my first time eating it, so I decided to look up some recipes for inspiration.  Even though Kath used an acorn squash for her Cranberry Walnut Stuffed Acorn Squash, I thought that kabocha would work just fine.  I pretty much followed her recipe exactly, except I omitted the brown sugar and I stirred the goat cheese in with the warm brown rice the make it ooey gooey cheesy yummy.

 

 

Andrew wasn’t quite sure what to think after his first bite.

 

 

But after a few bites he decided he loved it!

 

 

I just couldn’t stop taking pictures!  My meals never turn out this pretty!!

 

We both enjoyed our stuffed squash with a glass of Andrew’s homemade pomegranate cranberry cider.

 

 

Ya’ll would love this stuff.  So festive tasting!  Cheers!!

 

I’ve been looking forward to something alllllllllllllll week long!!  Tomorrow is the Atlanta Healthy Food Blogger’s First Meet Up (I think I just made that name up, not sure, haha)!!  I’m so looking forward to meeting back up with Kelly!!  We’re carpooling together – duh!  We live about 5 minutes away from each other!!    So excited to meet up with all of these fabulous ladies after getting to know them through their yummy foodie blogs!!  I hope to be back with a post about our evening sometime this weekend. 

 

For now, I leave you with a link to listen to one of the most lovely foodie ladies in the world!!  Love Nigella!!  Who doesn’t??  Andrew’s actually the one who told me about it.  Definitely worth a listen.

 

Have a wonderful weekend!!

Festive Pumpkin Eggs November 3, 2009

After seeing Em’s (Eating to Run) boyfriend Brian’s creative idea to add pumpkin to his eggs, I’ve been intrigued by the thought of it.  So since I was on my own for dinner tonight, I decided it was the perfect evening to get crackin’!  First I scrambled 1 egg (Eggland’s Best) with an egg white and added a heaping spoonful of pure pumpkin and some salt.  Then I poured the mixture in the pan.  About halfway through cooking, I added some baby spinach leaves.  Then when it was almost ready, I added in some dried cranberries for some sweetness.  To serve, I got two slices of bread and spread a tablespoon of cream cheese on each slice.  I put the festive pumpkin eggs on top.

 

I had Kath’s kale chips on the side.

 

 

Ok, usually I don’t feel confident about my creations to demand you try them.  But you must at least consider the possibility of making this ASAP!  Oh my goodness.  First of all, the pumpkin in the eggs is such a wonderful flavor.  Also, the combination of savory and sweet with the dried cranberries is pretty much amazing.  Think I got enough greens in with my dinner??

 

The spinach is actually leftover from the dinner I made last night for Andrew and me.  We had Turkey burgers stuffed with spinach, onions, and goat cheese.

 

 

Andrew was in disbelief that I came up with these on my own and did not follow a recipe.  He loved them!

 

 

I had mine with a big serving of my leftover pumpkin chili I made Halloween evening.

 

 

What’s your favorite green veggie?