Posted in busy, efficiency, school on November 2, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
Whoever says technology is a bad thing for our society has never had to be as efficient as possible, at all times.
Efficiency – it’s pretty much how I live my life.
Using my iPhone, I can park here:
…and in the time it takes me to walk here (Caudell Hall, home to the Dietetics Dept):
…I can count my calories and exercise, check my email and blog. All in a 10-minute (or less) walk.
That makes me smile.
Posted in avocado, baking, banana, bread, breakfast, busy, color, hummus, kitchen, maple, nut butters, peanut butter, school, spinach, strawberries on May 17, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
This is what happens when Holly goes to Wegmans for ‘a few things:’
Hey, at least it’s all healthy, right? Just LOOK at all those colors!
HAD to get:
-bananas and spinach (only one left in the house–yikes!)
-cottage cheese (I have a cut-up pineapple in the fridge just begging to be paired with it)
-avocado (remember all those Julio’s chips Andrew shipped home??)
-strawberries (because I’ve waited all winter long for them)
-red pepper and sugar snap peas (homemade hummus is in the fridge as we speak–or type, rather)
-wheat germ (for a bread recipe)
-frozen blueberries and a lemon (for a muffin recipe and because berries are expensive enough)
-deli ham and light swiss (Andrew’s gotta have lunch tomorrow…)
OK, I’ll admit, I totally got sucked into the Nature’s Market section (like I ever DON’T?) and some SALES caught my eye…
…like this one for Health Valley Organic cereal bars and ‘pop tarts.’ It was $1 off each, and the blueberry was just calling to me. (Blueberry totally has been these days! I already made a plan to make Ellie Krieger’s blueberry muffins this weekend…) I figured Andrew would like the strawberry bars and I could mix some warmed ‘toaster tarts’ into our morning breakfast routine.
And then there was the sale on granola:
It was $1 off, too! In my defense, we’ve been out of granola for awhile now and I said to myself (out loud, of course) that I should get some more soon. I initially saw the ‘vanilla blueberry with flax seeds’ (there is that blueberry again) variety and grabbed it, only to then see the ‘maple walnut with chia and quinoa’ and ‘oat and honey WITH COCONUT’ flavors… There was just no deciding between them. At least they’ll last awhile…
Side note: Some of you are probably wondering why I would BUY this stuff when I can make it all myself, which I actually enjoy doing. A couple reasons:
1. I’m EXHAUSTED, and surprisingly busy. I’ve been catching up on random stuff since finishing up with school, as well as tackling a bunch of things that popped up, like arranging summer travel plans and working out a new gym routine.
2. I don’t really enjoy cooking in this kitchen. It sounds bad, but it’s true. Until I have ‘my’ kitchen, it just isn’t the same.
3. I’m starting The Hunger Games soon (maybe this weekend!), which will consume me for however long it takes to read them all. Andrew, I apologize in advance–I’ll make sure we’re stocked up on the unhealthy food you insist on eating when I don’t cook. Or maybe not.
4. The bright colors and yellow SALE tags caught my eye. (Hey, I’m just being honest.)
5. And lastly, I am (unfortunately) about to become just as busy as before. My summer online class starts in a little more than a week and I already took a look at the online info… It looks INTENSE, to say the least. Fantastic.
So yeah, despite ending school, I won’t be found in the kitchen too much just yet…
OK, back to groceries….
The Justin’s was on sale ($6.99 instead of $8.99… still pricey, but oh, so good!) and I’ve been eyeing this Cinnamon Raisin Swirl variety EVERY TIME I GO TO WEGMANS. EVERY TIME. I pulled the trigger today–why not? Kath eats almond butter on her carrots sometimes, and ever since I saw one of those photos I’ve been intrigued to try it. I thought the Justin’s would be the perfect accompaniment for some carrot sticks. (Oh, have I told you all I’m eating raw carrots now? I went my whole life HATING them, and then all of a sudden, they’re fine. What’s with that?)
And this guy was hiding behind all the store-bought goodness the whole time…
Beautiful, wonderful-smelling homemade bread. What better with which to pair the new cinnamon raisin peanut butter??
Posted in Andrew, baking, bible study, bread, breakfast, busy, cheese, church, Co-op, cookbooks, cooking, EA Advertiser, eating issues, eggs, Exercise, Food Network, Friends, gifts, ginger, God, hadrian, hummus, King Arthur Flour, nut butters, oatmeal, peanut butter, pear, pineapples, Pioneer Woman, soup/stew, sweet potato, talking, thai, trader joe's, wine on April 30, 2012 | 2 Comments »
At least this one has been… Playing, and school-working, and running and cooking… I have been a BUSY girl these last few days, filling my extra free time to the max! So busy, I haven’t even had time to BLOG-gasp!
Let’s see…where did I leave off?
Well, Andrew’s long gone, but I can’t not post about the fantastic dinner we had Wednesday. Foreign!
I pulled this recipe for Banh Mi sandwiches out of a Food Network magazine back in 2008 or 2009. It has, literally, been sitting in my “to try” recipe binder (in the fish section), waiting for such a time as this. Well, the stars aligned last week and I finally made them…
You can see the fish peeking out from under the watercress and carrot. The seasoning for the fish was super easy and really good–I just sauteed coconut oil (which is solid at room temperature) for a minute or two, added some Thai red curry paste and cooked it a little longer, then slathered it all over the fish before broiling. It smelled SO GOOD. I’m keeping the recipe because I think it’s such a unique flavoring, and the asian sauce you make to go with it was a winner, too.
Andrew left Thursday, which was the night I made my hawaiian pizza. Check out my solo dinner set-up:
Disclaimer: About a minute after I took the photo, I traded the magazines for the laptop and perused my usual: Kath’s blog, Facebook and People.com. I call them my guilty pleasures.
Check out that perfectly browned cheese! With a good red sauce, hawaiian pizza cannot be beat. Although I don’t know that I’ll be using fresh mozzarella next time for pizza; it’s best reserved for caprese salad.
Thursday night was also the night I chose to clean the WHOLE house…kind of like a mini-spring cleaning. I always clean when Andrew leaves… The way I see it: the earlier I get the place cleaned up, I longer I get to experience a clean house without having to pick up after anyone else! It’s been glorious…
The next morning, at 6:30 a.m. no less(!), Emily and I did one of our Made to Crave discussion dates over the phone.
Is it bad that I was eating at the same time I was discussing a Bible study about CONTROLLING eating??? I suppose I should fess up and admit I printed out TWO cookie recipes from King Arthur Flour’s ‘best cookie line-up’ just moments before this shot was taken…
Also, note the “cookie-like” object on my plate… They’re called “Anytime Cookies” and they’re from an online site called Nourished Kitchen. I made them a day or so before Andrew left and WOW. Loved them! Super easy, SUPER healthy (no added sweeteners–just sweet from dried fruit) and the texture was great. They’re kind of like a mini-muffin more than a cookie. But at only 127 calories, they’re easier to have as a snack with some fruit or yogurt (or both) than something bigger or heavier. I’ve shared them with some local loved ones (and Susy in her pre-half-marathon care package–tell me what you think!) and they raved.
Recipe is linked. They use coconut flour and unsweetened, shredded coconut. Coconut flour is higher in protein and fiber than regular flour. Most grocery stores with a ‘natural/organic’ section should have coconut flour there, or in their gluten-free section. That’s also where you’ll find the unsweetened, shredded coconut–the kind in the baking aisle is (heavily) sweetened. If you absolutely can’t find the unsweetened kind, use the regular and perhaps decrease some of the fruit. Or you’ll just have sweeter cookies, which if you’re not used to things like plain yogurt and unsweetened applesauce, might be a good transition for you, anyway.
OK, now that I’ve COMPLETELY digressed from my weekend re-cap…
I made this recipe for sweet potato and coconut soup, the recipe for which has been hanging on the fridge forever… I knew I’d have leftover fish from the Banh Mi, and I thought a coconut-flavored soup would be perfect. PCC Natural Markets is a ‘chain’ of co-ops in Washington State and a friend from the co-op here sent me a link to the soup awhile ago. Thanks Mary!
I roasted the sweet potatoes instead of steaming like the recipe called for–check out these babies! Like dessert, I tell you.
Friday was filled with school-working, since I cleaned all night Thursday… Chem lab to finish, two Micro labs to finish, Chem practice quizzes to prep for the actual quiz, Stats homework… Not to mention paying bills, random emailing and phone-calling, co-op blogging…
Friday night I enjoyed my soup topped with a dollop (I love that word, don’t you?) of plain lowfat yogurt (to sub for sour cream, of course!), cilantro and chopped peanuts, paired with leftover fish, edamame and white wine. As my friend Regina said when she saw the photo (I sent her a photo of my food–I AM that weird)…”Def not an Andrew meal!” Nope, not an Andrew meal, although he does eat all of these things (points for him), he does LOVE any of them.
Saturday morning, I read the paper! What a relaxing pastime… Now I know why people sit and read the paper on Saturday mornings… I’m usually up and going early on Saturdays, either the gym or early-morning shopping at Wegmans to beat the crowds (I like shopping so much I’d rather get up EARLY and go to enjoy myself than be rushed and crowded–grocery shopping, to me, is an EVENT).
If you look close enough, you can see yours’ truly’s byline on the front page, ABOVE the fold…(!)
I did hit the gym later that morning and tried a “punk rope” class. It’s basically a circuit-training class with jump ropes, and while it wasn’t as high-intensity as it could have been, it was a nice change and a great time slot (8:30 to 9:15) for a Saturday morning workout.
I spent the afternoon with Carolyn bridesmaid-dress shopping…
…and we found a winner! She’s liked this one from the beginning, and was finally ready to declare that this was it. Ours will be black with a black ribbon, and Abigail’s will be black with a hot pink ribbon. If you’re reading this and you know Abigail, you know that that is SO her.
I’d made plans with Regina for later that night (when was I supposed to get any of my Chemistry done, you ask? I was asking myself the same thing…), but we didn’t know if we were going to stay in, or go out, so I decided to have something ready just in case. Enter Triple Ginger Biscotti.
Yet another recipe that’s been hanging around for awhile… Not even sure who sent it to me…? Susy, was that you? They turned out well, but the recipe made A TON. Should have halved it.
Regina and I stayed in and enjoyed out biscotti and tea after walking Hadrian. So glad she was up for a walk despite the chilly temps; I’ve been thinking a lot lately (because of Made to Crave) about how EVERYTHING we do (socially, at least) is centered around food–meeting for drinks, dessert, coffee, lunch–the list goes on. Now that the weather is getting nicer, it will be easier to meet up for more active activities like walks or runs. Just something I’m trying to start doing to decrease foods’ ever-present status in my life…
(STILL chastising myself for not getting a photo of dear Regina…I’m such a terrible blogger!)
Sunday mornings are normally my run mornings, since it’s easier to run outside around the house than get to and from the gym before church. Despite my late bedtime Saturday night–Regina and I were talking until at least 10:30–Hadrian got me up at 5:45 and I decided to go with it. After polishing off some coffee, biscotti, the last Anytime Cookie and a banana, I headed out with Hadrian for our 3.4 mile loop. I’d decided to do a long run (a.k.a. something in the 9+mile range for me), so after dropping him back off at home, I set out for my 7.4 mile loop around Orchard Park. The stop at home was perfect; I was able to shed a pair of gloves (I wear two!) and add my sunglasses. And since no one wants to run 10.8 miles, I added a 3-minute loop near the house, which upped it to more than 11.1. Not an even number, but at least 11. I was tired, but satisfied. I hadn’t run more than 7 miles in a LONG time, so busting this out was good for me.
All that running done by 8:45 a.m.! Still plenty of time to refuel and meet Andrew’s family for church. I read my friend, Emily’s blog (a fellow RD-in-training here in Buffalo, not to be confused with the oft-mentioned Emily with whom I’m doing M2C) a couple days ago and she had a ‘toasted marshmallow cheesecake‘ oatmeal that I HAD TO TRY. I knew it would be perfect post-run.
Yes, that is Trader Joe’s Cookie Butter melting on the top. Deliciousness, and pure indulgence. At least with peanut butter one gets a little protein; cookie butter is just dessert, people. Also, I had to leave out the ‘mallows, I was fresh out! But, since I’m not a huge marshmallow fan, anyway, (love ‘smores!), it wasn’t a big deal. SO GOOD, I could have liked the bowl. In fact, I might have.
After church and lunch at Panera with everyone, Carolyn and Ben and I headed to Target for some errand-running. So fun to see what they registered for! I treated myself to some new gym towels–mine were getting pretty ‘tired,’ for lack of a gross-er word–and some other things I needed.
LOOK! The pineapple in action!
I packaged up every last piece of that biscotti! Had to get it out of the house for my waistline’s own protection. Note: this photo was taken at about 4 p.m. Sunday, at which time I had YET to start any Chemistry… I had completely one practice quiz the night before, but still had two to go. My procrastination drugs of choice: 1.) baking 2.) cleaning 3.) anything else that needs to be done around the house. That way, I still feel productive while ‘wasting time.’
Oh, and I also changed out my purses for spring! Goodbye my lovely green leather (but ridiculously heavy!) bag, hello Paris purse! The blue striped bag was a Target purchase to corral all my giftcards and coupons, since the red bag is a bottomless pit. Not a single pocket to be found inside…
Biscotti packed up…now on to Chemistry! I did a practice quiz, followed by leftover sweet potato soup and veggies and hummus for dinner, then another practice quiz.
After taking the dog for a brief, and chilly, walk, I sat down for the real thing. Deep breaths abounded…
And I was handsomely, and shockingly, rewarded with a 100%! Holy smokes!! Seriously, I know I whine and complain about Chemistry, and while I have an A in the class, it’s still super hard and I never quite know what’s really going on with all those electrons and ions and things swimming around in solution… Anyway, I’ve NEVER gotten a 100% on a quiz in either semester of Chem so far, so this was huge.
Except that it wasn’t. The quiz took all of 15 minutes since EVERY SINGLE PROBLEM WAS ONE THAT HAD BEEN ON THE PRACTICE QUIZZES. I repeat: I had the answers in front of me. Seriously. I mean, on all the past quizzes there have been a handful (maybe 5 or 6) problems that matched up with practice quizzes, but never ALL of them. My theory? Dr. Barton rewards those who do the practice quizzes, because that’s the kind of guy he is. Let’s just say I was in total shock and had to keep checking to make sure I’d taken an ACTUAL quiz and not another practice quiz. And for fear that you think I exaggerate about how bad Chemistry is, this 100% will allow me to drop the 72% I got on the last quiz…
And it was a HUGE blessing, too! The extra time I gained by finished the quiz so early allowed me to prep my breakfast:
Pioneer Woman’s Breakfast Bread Pudding. It’s essentially a ‘breakfast casserole’ but less egg and assembled like a bread pudding.
I order to lighten it up a bit (and it is just me by my lonesome), I halved the amount of sausage.
I am, as I type this, enjoying a bowl of this and a pear for breakfast. YUM.
Signing off now–whew, this was a long one!
Posted in baking, bible study, bread, busy, Co-op, Exercise, Lists, school, stress, swimming on February 7, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
…because I need to get it all out of my head and onto the page.
1. I have become a first-rate procrastinator on certain things: Chem homework, test studying and article-writing. I blame Andrew for this.
2. I have my first Microbiology test this week and EVERYONE is freaked out. There is a ton of material and while the best way for me to study is to re-write my notes, I couldn’t bring myself to make a study sheet. I think all my note-writing from last semester burned me out.
3. I have been playing WAY TOO MUCH and not doing enough studying. I mean, do I still do more than the average student? Maybe, but it’s not nearly enough to keep me comfortable with the material, which is stressing me out. Big time. I had such good intentions going into this semester–that I would keep up with Chem–and alll I’ve done is put everything off to do other things.
4. ”Other things” have included baking, cleaning, blogging, cooking, baking, exercising, walking the dog and more baking. Ever since I discovered what I’d been doing wrong this whole time, I just want to bake! Bread! Muffins! Cookies! Oatmeal! Yes, baked oatmeal–I have a recipe on the fridge that’s calling my name.
5. So, let’s just say this week is already stressing me out (a Micro test, two Chem homeworks due, all Stats due…) and it’s only Tuesday morning.
6. Add to that a new responsibility with the co-op (sending monthly emails to our member-owners–exciting, but there is a learning curve involved and the timing was such that it’s a bit more rushed than normal), prep for another article for the paper, our new Bible study started last night and we’re having friends over for dinner Thursday night. Whew!
7. Oh, and Andrew’s truck wouldn’t start yesterday. It took me to the gym and back (thankfully!) but pooped out on Andrew when he was warming it up. A friend of his brought him home last night and they think they diagnosed the problem–the fuel pump. FANTASTIC. Fuel pumps are expensive, and whether it’s a DIY or professional job, it isn’t going to be finished today, or tomorrow probably. The fact that the Layers happen to have an extra vehicle for Andrew to borrow is nothing short of miraculous–the thought of having to add “carting Andrew to and from work” to my schedule this week would send me for a tailspin.
8. I think I might start swimming again. Like, swimming for real, on a team. I’ve always known about Master’s swim teams–they’re usually run through gyms and universities and are for the 18+ crowd–and always kind of thought I’d eventually end up on one. They attract former high-school and college swimmers and while not terribly competitive, can be pretty hard-core, depending on the ages and abilities of the group. I joined one, briefly, in Ohio just after getting into the Air Force and was FLOORED by how fast some of the people were (it was a pretty young crowd) and how out of shape I felt in comparison. I didn’t end up doing much with the team (the practice time didn’t work well with my schedule), but it always nagged at me that I was secretly relieved to not have to push myself. Well, I think I’m ripe for a workout change and after seeing a flier for the Master’s team forming at the Y, I’m excited at the prospect of doing more swimming. I swim once a week for 30 minutes and do 1 mile (a 1650, or 66 laps), but I get bored easily and don’t vary the routine a lot. Swimming is kind of like riding a bike; you don’t “lose” your ability, and age doesn’t really change your performance as long as you’re continuing to work out. OK, this is getting long. Bottom line: I think I’m going to join the team (yay!), but that means I have to re-work my whole schedule to fit it all in (running, swimming, weights and some yoga/pilates) while allowing time for school, studying and walking the dog, and being the most efficient use of time and driving, which is seriously stressing me out. Thankfully, I don’t have to figure it out this week.
9. I have now moved past the “Oh, I’ll just throw a quick post together before studying” into “Crap! I’m running out of time to study!” because blogging is a form of procrastination. But, I can’t study with a million thoughts running through my head, either.
10. As I said, we started a new Bible Study last night. I don’t have enough time to go into it right now (got to study!), but I’m excited (I went solo since Andrew was working on his car) and can’t wait for our taco night next Monday! For now, check out what we’re doing at 40 Days in the Word.
Posted in busy, Lists on December 30, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
Finally! A sigh of relief can escape my lips after my whirlwind of a week…
1. I finished my last exam Tuesday morning and after a celebratory lunch and manicure, I immediately went into Christmas-prep hyperdrive. By that evening, presents had been mailed ($50 for three SMALL boxes–good grief!), Christmas photo taken and annual letter finalized and printed. Andrew and I tag-teamed at the table addressing and stuffing envelopes until our eyes gave out.
2. Christmas, in my house growing up, means Christmas cookies, but I knew my mom would be flying (she’s a flight attendant) until late Wednesday night, and probably wouldn’t have the time to make the spread of sweets she typically does (the woman is a chocolate-dipping machine at Christmas), so I brought some with me. I made two bags of white-chocolate dipped pretzel rods, two batches of those peanut-butter kiss cookies, some of those pre-decorated sugar cookies. The relief in her voice on the phone when I told her my plan was audible. I even did a special “Christmas Sweets” blog for the co-op; many of those yummy goodies appeared on our table this year, however, we never got around the the holly cookies! I’m still bummed…
3. This Christmas was very different from years past; almost all of my dad’s giant family came to visit, which brought the total number of people for me to see into the 50s. It was fantastic! We had a Christmas Eve bash at an aunt and uncle’s house who live in the DC-area as well, spent Christmas morning at home with another aunt, uncle and cousin who stayed with my parents, then moved to a banquet facility (owned by my mom’s brother) where BOTH sides of the family (my dad’s out-of-town relatives and mom’s in-town family) gathered for a potluck and to exchange some presents. Definitely not enough time socializing, but at least it was something.
4. I made a ginger pumpkin pie with toasted coconut and balsamic-glazed green beans, both from November’s Cooking Light. Both were well-received and I LOVED the pumpkin pie. Even my mom, who doesn’t really like pumpkin pie, liked the ginger version. I will definitely be making it again.
5. I’ve been calling this year ‘the year of the gloves.’ I ended up getting FOUR pairs of gloves, and it would have been five if the Dick’s in Virginia carried the running gloves I asked for. Get this–my mom went to get them and the salesman said it didn’t get cold enough there for them! Ha! However, as I’ve learned already, one can never have too many pairs of gloves here.
6. Which brings me to my next tid-bit: my cold-weather haul. Check out my new running gear and other winter apparel:
Andrew’s mom got me the beautiful white hat and gloves that I’ve been wearing EVERYWHERE, praying I don’t get dirty. Andrew found the black heavy-duty gloves for me to use to take the dog on walks since they have grippy stuff on the palm-side, and I totally scored the matching pink-and-black running gloves, hat and earband just yesterday at Dick’s on sale. Sweet! And the best part? The fleece hat even has a hole for your ponytail!
7. It was also the year of running stuff for me… My mom gifted me with LLBean sport sunglasses, a pink and blue earband and an awesome pink running top:
8. We kept the Christmas tradition of opening jammies on Christmas Eve alive (just barely–mom was going to skip it until the boys and I put up a stink, so we headed off that afternoon to find suitable outfits), except that the shirt I ordered for myself didn’t come on time…so sad! We found a stand-in at Old Navy, but nothing will beat this:
We found it at a local store weeks ago but it took FOREVER to come, so I’ll have to enjoy it post-Christmas.
9. Because of visiting family and our Christmas Eve party at my aunt and uncle’s house, we skipped another tradition: reading Luke and having a birthday cake for Jesus. I’m still a bit bummed about that one, too.
10. We left Monday evening and drove to Philly to visit with my sister. Along the way, we stopped for Geno’s cheesesteaks. (Andrew insisted–surprise, surprise)
Grossest cheesesteak EVER! We should have walked across the street to Pat’s, which is mildly better, but still not as good as Silvio’s, which is our hometown cheesesteak joint near my parents’ house there. They make their own bread, are take-out only and are THE BEST cheesesteaks in the world. I kid you not. I’m almost salivating writing this.
11. We stayed the night with my sister and FINALLY got to meet her daughter, Danika. Sweet girl!
We brought all their presents and goodies from Virginia, so we did our own Christmas morning with them. Danika is walking all over the place and starting to jibber-jabber as well. It was crazy to see a little “mini-Allison” toddling around!
12. We scooted out around lunchtime to meet two of my best girlfriends from college, Betsy and Leslie, at an upscale American place in Doylestown. Leslie’s husband, Christian (also a friend from college) came along as well, which was nice for Andrew.
We all, apparently, got the memo to wear shades of brown (and so did the wall behind us). It was such a great time exchanging gifts and catching up, but not nearly long enough (pretty much the theme of the whole trip). We try to get together at least once a year, which is surprisingly difficult given Betsy’s deployment schedule (she’s in the Air Force), Leslie’s work schedule, and now my school schedule. I’m just thankful Betsy’s parents only live a street away from my parents’ house (which is where my sister is currently living), so I can always combine a visit.
13. After lunch we made the drive home and I’m STILL recovering from being out of town… I’m in the midst of thank-you note writing, cleaning, gift returning/exchanging and holiday-sale shopping, as well as trying to get back into the gym routine and working on two articles for the Advertiser. Whew!
14. Stella has a new home… At Thanksgiving, my green-thumbed friend Emily gifted me with a clipping of her purple houseplant, Stella, and she’s been freezing to death in a jar of water on a windowsill in our kitchen ever since. (It’s not exactly the time to buy pots and things around here, or anywhere, for that matter…) When she really started to look poorly the other day I decided I had to do something. I bought the cheapest pot I could find at Lowe’s and threw in some potting soil. She joined Gerard (center) and Victor (or Vincent, I can’t remember), that was a gift from an aunt for Christmas. Cross your fingers for their survival!
Whew! Busy is the name of the game right now… I have lots more to share, so stay tuned!
Posted in busy on December 13, 2011 | 1 Comment »
…or, ‘how i really AM a little ADD’
…or, ‘the answer to “what did you do all day, honey?”
…or, ‘a typical ‘off’ day for holly’
I complain, constantly and loudly, about there not being enough hours in the day to accomplish all I want to get done, and about how distracting Hadrian and the cats are. (They really are, it’s just terrible.)
So, for all those out there who wonder what all my complaining is about when I don’t even have kids yet, or who wonder what their wife does all day at home (disclaimer: this does not pertain to all wives; just those who are like me), here you go:
-5:30 a.m. wake-up, take care of the dog, etc…
-realize that took more than 15 minutes…coffee and studying/blogging/checking email
-6:15 start making andrew’s lunch and prepping breakfast
-6:45 roust the sleeping husband
-yell at dog to stop barking at the school bus outside
-7 roust the sleeping husband, AGAIN
-feed dog
-7:30 breakfast together (if we’re lucky)
-7:45 off he goes!
-take dog out
-buzz around the house making the bed, starting laundry, doing dishes etc…
-count calories on computer
-8:30 gotta go for a run! change clothes, crate dog
-9-9:30/10 run
-shower, hair
-take dog out
-11 lunch
-yell at dog to stop barking at the cats
-oops! forgot to check on laundry
-get way-laid and start putting dishes away
-walk into bathroom and find a hairball on the mat (thank-you, cats…)
-put clothes in dryer, hang workout gear, lay sweaters flat to dry
-scoop up mats and towels and start another load of laundry
-realize it would be a good time to vacuum and mop the bathroom floor if i’m washing the mats
-12 get mop and bucket
-realize if i’m going to mop the bathroom floor i might as well mop the kitchen floor, too
-vacuum all the hard floors
-12:30 jump on the computer to check email, again and read blogs
-yell at dog to stop running around like a wild banshee
-mop floors
-write letter to a friend
- refill water bowl
-try to get back on computer but remember that i need to go on poop-patrol while it’s light out
-pay bills online, etc…
-1 p.m. dog at door, whining
-get up to take him out and notice dirty lunch dishes in the sink
-do dishes
-take dog out
-get back on computer, check email
-read daily blogs, check guilty-pleasure, people.com’s “Star Tracks”
-yell at dog for barking at cats
-count calories on computer
-2 p.m. attempt to study
-dog all keyed up, take him on a walk
-2:45 sit down to study
-decide i’m cold and that i should make tea
-refill water bowl
-3 p.m. sit down to study again
-dog barking at kids outside coming home from school
-dog whining to be fed
-crate dog so i can study
-4 p.m. dog whining so loud i give in a feed him
-4:04 p.m. dog needs to go outside after eating
-4:07 p.m. dog finally curls up on bed
-4:45 start looking at the recipe for dinner
-jump back on the computer to check email, call andrew to see what time he’ll be home
-retrieve laundry from dryer, fold
-5:30 start dinner
-take dog out
-6 p.m. dinner’s almost ready, where is andrew?
-6:05 call andrew
-yell at andrew for being late (all in good fun, of course)
-set the table, grown increasingly frustrated andrew isn’t home yet
-refill water bowl
-6:25 andrew walks in
-6:27 sit down to dinner
-yell at dog to stop barking at the cats
-7 finish dinner
-do dishes
-put laundry away
-check email
-ask each other ‘what do you want to do tonight, honey?’ a million times
-andrew watches TV, holly studies/watches TV from the table
-8 andrew wants to take a nap
-read the mail
-think about what i’m going to have for dessert
-attempt to ask andrew questions about what he’d like to do that weekend, etc…
-9 almost time to get ready for bed!
-count calories on computer, finish up computering
-have dessert
-sit with andrew on the couch
-yell at dog to stop barking at the cats
-take dog out
-change into jammies
-brush and floss teeth
-wash face and moisturize
-10:30
-lay gym clothes out for the morning
-ask andrew to take dog out again
-pack bookbag
-prep lunches for both of us
-11 get in bed
-forgot to get a glass of water!
-get water, return to bed
-forgot to plug in phone
-go plug in phone
-turn lights off
-wiggle, look at clock and realize it’s 11:30
-sigh…
Posted in busy, cheese, dinner, pear, salad, sweet potato on December 6, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
This is what happens when I’m on my own for dinner:
Or leftovers.
Heaving dinner together this semester has been tough. I’m a firm believer in sitting down together regularly to meals, making that time quality time together. However, between Andrew’s twice weekly post-work engineering classes, his new workout schedule (hard to complain about, but still) and basketball, as well as my bi-monthly Bible study and Thursday evening class, we basically only sit down together on Fridays and Mondays, if we’re lucky. (I leave Sat and Sun out of the equation since our schedule is always up in the air but we’re generally together.) It’s been so frustrating for me to plan recipes and then have Andrew change things up at the last minute–I feel like I can’t win! I either plan and buy ingredients and then something comes up, or I don’t get anything and we’re stuck ordering pizza (JUST what I need) or going out to eat (which gets expensive).
You don’t know how much I’m looking forward to basketball, his professional classes and my night class to end!
Anyway, I made a brussels sprout salad the other night when the Layers were over for dinner. Basically, it was brussels sprout leaves, dried cranberries and blueberries, smoked almonds and manchego cheese. It was awesome, but separating the b.s. leaves was time-consuming–for leftovers, I steamed them like regular, then mixed them with the salad ingredients–yum!
I love sweet potatoes and am planning to make sweet potato fries with cranberry ketchup later this week, and when I found a bag of small organic ones at Wegmans, I knew I had to get it! Sweet potatoes are the best! It took 5 minutes to cook this one in the microwave and I sprinkled it with a mix of cumin, paprika and red pepper. It was just warm enough to wake up my taste buds. I did use about half a tablespoon of butter, too. Although olive oil would have worked in this flavor pairing, too.
These little orange babies are awesome; they’re perfect for lunches at home or at school. Of course, I’ll have to resist using too much sugar on the ones I sprinkle with cinnamon…
And lastly, half a pear and one serving of Cabot’s sharp cheddar for protein. Pears are fantastic right now! Although, this is the second time I’ve gotten a bag and they all ripen at the same time! We go from not eating them to eating them with every meal!
My name is Holly. I love all things food and enjoy sharing the fruits (haha, get it?) of my labor with others (hence the pineapple). I enjoy hosting loved ones for a meal, running, writing and eating well. I just went back to school to become a Registered Dietician so I can help others eat well, too!
