The Weekend In Review

Wow, so this was a fun weekend. A very busy one too. Also, a little nuts. Not the normal crazy family drama kind of nuts but rather the surreal headlines on Maury Povich/Dr. Phil kind of crazy. I'm not going to go into detail about it because well, a few of you already know. I just don't want to continue to give it free rent in my head. Its just too darn, well....out there!

Ok now the weekend in review sans insanity. I blogged Friday, our adventure into the city for the Tut exhibit. Then Saturday started out busy as ever. Husband got the crazy dogs into the vets without issue. I got out to the mall for some shopping therapy. I also got to wax my legs. Did a pretty good job of it, too. The funny part is that I am not an esthetician and should not act, as such. My eyebrows are a testament to that. I guess I'll have to have them professionally done once they grow back in *snort*

Husband took E. out for his first spin in skates. It must have been quite the site because hubby complained of a sore back for the rest of the night. The rest of the day was spent in a bit of a negative daze and ended up with take-out Chinese food. Oddly, I didn't even want it but for a lack of healthier options we were stuck with that. I had mentioned to Sheree today how far I've come with my lifestyle changes where Chinese food was actually an unwelcome meal. I used to adore Chinese food. Now, not so much.

I was up at 6:30 this morning. I tell you it was hard getting up that early. I was very happy to be in the snug bed dreaming happy dreams. Stupid alarm clock *pout* but up I got. I had a healthy breakfast of supplements, coffee and spelt blueberry pancakes w/almond butter then come 8:30 I was joining Sheree for a very chilly run.

We plodded along for the first two intervals cursing about how horrible the run felt. Then I guess our fog lifted as our conversation got flowing freely and before we knew it the 10k was over. I had to rush home to shower and dress, collect E. and the present and zoom off to his friend's birthday party.

I have never smiled so much! That was the best party we've ever attended. E. had so much fun once he warmed up to the concept of being a pirate/knight. Once he got over the hump he danced and played games, ate pizza and cupcakes and came home a very happy little dude. I know have the best memories of E. dancing freely!

I got a very quick lunch of flax bagel, turkey bacon and chicken breast with a few salt & vinegar baked kettle chips (which I did not like and didn't finish). I'm still Diet Coke free...its been over a week. I'm so proud of myself.

I napped. Deeply. It was needed. When I got up I got dressed and headed out to roam the aisles of Superstore. I took way more time than was necessary but I was enjoying the peace and quiet. I don't normally get much time away from the kids and I never get to shop without them so I got to read labels and search the shelves of the natural foods section.

A bit of a late dinner and a snuggle from the kids before they were tucked into bed. I sit here now enjoying a cup of tea. Thinking of heading upstairs soon to look over my new cookbook. I thank Misty for the recommendation. I haven't made any of the recipes yet as I'm still reading the preface. I'm almost giddy to select my first menus.

Burial At Sea

Time of death: 10 pm'ish. Here lies Molly the Hamster 2007-2010.



Molly died last night. Before I went to bed I checked in on them and she wasn't moving. Frozen in her death pose I felt terrible. I went upstairs to tell husband in hopes that he'd get up and clear her away before the morning, where the boys would see her in her unnatural state. I wasn't specific on the burial except to say "not the green bin".

When questioned this morning he just replied that he flushed her. OMG he flushed her! How could he do that? What if our kids ask where she is now? What does that tell them about the value of life, even in death?
GAHHHHHH!

Big Smoke and Antiquities.

Husband took the day off so that we could take the boys into the city to the AGO. So up early after a fabulous night's sleep. We had more than enough time to get ourselves fed (Spelt blueberry pancakes w/almond butter and agave) and cleaned up and out the door. Got a cup of Tims (timbits for the kids) for the drive.







Watching the traffic on the 401, looking for more guitar-playing truck drivers. A few months ago when we took the kids to the Royal Winter Fair, while we were driving through Pickering on the 401 we looked over to see a truck weaving a little. We wondered if the driver was drunk. When we got up closer (but over a lane) we noticed that the driver of the truck was playing the guitar while he was supposed to be driving! We were so upset by it that we tried to report him to the OPP but couldn't find the number. Some people should be just be slapped.

The drive in was uneventful and the city was at peak fever. Husband is such a pro at navigating it. I have to admit I've never gotten over my intimidation of driving in the downtown core. We lived in Bloor West Village for about 4 years and we'd venture downtown quite a bit but only ever by TTC. Why pay for parking and all the hassle of the traffic if you didn't have to. That may also be why I'm not good at remembering just where all the medium sized landmarks are on a map. I can easily get to all the big ones. I'm not an idiot after all *eye roll*

The exhibit started with its fair share of pomp. We were guided into the anteroom. In front of us were the temple doors. Over head were suspended flat screens. On the walls to the side were oil torch replicas on a rendition of carved granite walls. The room was very dark. In a moment the tour guide took up the microphone and introduced the exhibit and then the movie intro started to play. Harrison Ford's rich voice poured out of hidden speakers in surround. Images of the Pyramids of Giza and the riches that lie within in montage scrolled across the screens. Then after the brief teazer the doors of the temple opened slowly to reveal a graphic mural of the Pyramids at dusk.

The exhibit rooms were kept dark and the antiquities were kept behind plate glass except for the genuinely large sculptures which were harvested from the temple door ways. They were large indeed when you considered where they had been taken from. It really helped to put into perspective what the size of the interiors of the pyramids and common places with the kingdoms must have been.

I had studied in University over the years, in pretty fair detail a good many of the items that were on display. It was a fine treat for me. Though I will have to say my enthusiasm dampened each and every time I would have to jockey to get a view while the ignorant masses blocked, for long periods of time, the object while they listened to their audio devices (which the exhibit rented to further educate/irritate). There is very little doubt in my mind that the descriptions of the displays were wordy, indeed. That most of the people enjoying them wouldn't remember even two points per item of what was being said let alone remember what they had seen. I found the use of these items to be just as rude as if they had been texting their BFF's while hogging the best spots in the gallery.

It took us about 45 minutes to get through the whole exhibit. When we finished I think we were a little let down. We were disappointed that they only sarcophagus to be displayed was a minor one. Though still miraculous in its stature. I was hoping that the sarcophagus of King Tut would be on display. No dice. Still there was enough gold and alabaster to keep enough happy. We wondered about and came to the open space at the front of the gallery which to me always feels like either being in the belly of a transparent fish or the bones of a great ship. The boys loved this space. Pushing themselves up against the glass and watching the traffic in the street below. Watching for street cars and large trucks. We actually chuckled to ourselves that of course, this would be their favourite part of the whole experience.

The adventure over we beat it home for lunch (chicken & turkey bacon rice wrap with spicy mustard dressing and mushroom soup) and naps. Hubby then took E. to the Dojo for his kata exam. Of course, he passed and now has the pee wee green belt. He also shared all his information about the Tut adventure to Sensei. They chuckle about how educated they are getting from having E. under their tutelage.

On the way home Husband called and asked me to call in an order to our favourite sushi restaurant and he'd pick it up! Oh heaven!

Oh man, it doesn't look all the pretty on my service but I'll tell you it was fabulous! I haven't had sushi since New Year's Eve. Oh I know its a hardship to be sure. This lasted all of five minutes. I think I totally inhaled it.

Spicy Salmon Rolls, Assorted Nigiri and Miso Soup paired with their house green salad. Bliss.

Once my sushi belly settles I'm going to get in some yoga and some reading. My husband got me a subscription to Running Times. I'm looking forward to diving into it. Husband also unearthed a copy of "Catcher in the Rye" and I hope to start in on that tomorrow.

We got into a big discussion over breakfast about why the book had never been made into a movie. Apparently, J. D. Salinger could never imagine any "star" of the day playing the part of Holden. Therefore, the rights were never sold. The question was, if the movie were to be made today who could you see being Holden? A very good question. I'm not big on any of the A-listers for this character. We tossed out a few names and each of us batted them down for various reasons. I'd almost be afraid of what Hollywood would do to this story. I've been disappointed with so many movies that were books. The latest to come to mind, My Sisters Keeper.

Well enough prattle. I'm off. Dig that full moon eh?


"Anyway, I keep picturing all these little kids playing some game in this big field of rye and all. Thousands of little kids, and nobody's around - nobody big, I mean - except me. And I'm standing on the edge of some crazy cliff. What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff - I mean if they're running and they don't look where they're going I have to come out from somewhere and catch them. That's all I do all day. I'd just be the catcher in the rye and all. I know it's crazy, but that's the only thing I'd really like to be." ~J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye

The Strangest Day

I'm going to chalk today up to a very bad night sleep. A bad dream and PMS. I was out very late last night and didn't get to bed until just before midnight. Who knew that knitting and drinking tea could be such a late night activity? Then when I finally shrugged off the chill I got from driving home in a cold car it must have been closer to 1 am before I fell asleep.

7:30 came very fast and once I was up I tried to rest my troubled mind on the happiness exuding from my kids. I love that every morning they are so bubbly and happy. I love their energy. They went to work fast on my mood. They wanted to hug and tickle me. I spent the whole morning snuggling and hanging out with them. It was a good way to try to forget my troubles. We graphed and sorted just about every toy in the house. A good math exercise.

I only had a kashi bar for breakfast (after all my vile supplements). So come 10 am I was looking for ideas for a good solid lunch. Looking into the fridge I found cold brown rice, kale, onions carrots and some poached chicken. Hmmm what can you do with that?

Ah some hot chicken fried rice. Just what the doctor ordered. I've been diet coke free for a whole week. I must say it hasn't been nearly as painful as I thought it would be. I will admit at the bowling alley yesterday I had a slight argument with myself in front of the vending machine filled with sweaty beautiful silver bottles. I stayed true to the course but sometimes I like the drama of the "discussion" of the pros and cons. *giggle*

I spent the rest of the day trying to think positive thoughts and puttering about the house. Popped a chicken into the crockpot and headed up for nap time. I needed that nap in a big way. I wasn't asleep but 30 minutes when a realtor came to the door asking if I knew if anyone on the street wanted to list their house. Its a good thing I do not keep a loaded gun by the front door. I might have used it.

Once the kids were sent off with Husband to karate I threw my running gear on and headed out for my run. Tonight was only supposed to be a short one which I was grateful for given that it was -9C with windchill making it -18C. My route would be a windy one so I wanted to get it over as quickly as possible. An out and back in 32 mins.

Now I know that the ladies at the Running Room chuckled when I said I wanted really warm winter gear and bought up a bunch of things that had their heads shaking. I suppose they figure when its that cold no one really runs outside. I was toasty warm but really don't like the balaclava. I felt like I just couldn't get a solid breath with it over my mouth. So I tugged it down and found it worked just fine. At the end of the run, other than the exertion of running into the wind for so long, I felt much like I had on any other run.














Dinner: 4 oz chicken breast with potato/sweet potato mash. A nice big green salad with some goat cheese feta. Ok with a lot of feta. I should mention that I only use bread plates so that I can't over portion my food. Its a strategy that is paying off. Well that and the pictures. It keeps me honest and I'm now down into the 140's. Soon I'll be back at my pre-wedding weight. I must also add that I'm no longer dieting. I'm just trying to keep it as balanced and as healthy as possible.

The kids have been in bed for an hour now and my plans to get in an hour of yoga before bed are pretty much out the window. I should bring this blog to an end so that I can stretch a bit more. My mood is completely different than when I first started the day which is nice. I'll need a good night's sleep. Tomorrow we go on an adventure.

Hello Wednesday

This week is sailing by under full steam isn't it? I've spent the last two days being quite the social butterfly. Yesterday I packed the boys up and took them to a playdate/lunch with a girlfriend and her son. Was a sweet treat since I never ever get to sit down with this friend. We used to bump into each other on perhaps a monthly basis back before our kids were school-aged but now it could go as long as six or seven months before we'd sit down and chat. Our boys appear to really like each other's society so we are trying harder to get together. So worth it.

Yesterday night I was out at the Run Club and worked hard. It was quite a workout but I finished standing tall and had enough left in me to hang around after chatting with Sheree and Misty. These two ladies are just too much fun to chat with. Time really has a way of getting away from me when I hang out with them.

Today we were found at the bowling alley lunching with Cheryl and her kids. This was just too much fun. Our kids were mayhem! Too often they'd all collect at the opening of the lane and there would be three balls all meandering down the alley toward the pins at the speed of snail. The owners of that alley sure are patient with us. *grin*

Tonight I'm back at it with my knitting needles and coffee cup. I love Stitch n' Bitches. They really keep me coming back to my knitting projects which I always start all hot and heavy but then they get pushed aside so that I can focus on something for a bit. Then one of these nights pop up and I get refocused. Some day hubby will get his scarf.

I was good today despite the temptations of pizza and french fries. I ate a mushroom/brown rice burger before I left the house. I also can announce with pride that I've been Diet Coke free since Friday. That is a big thing given that I stood in front of the pop machine today trying to find a substitute that was not 100% refined sugar and opting for a cup of coffee instead. Then pitched out the coffee for a green tea.

My next intervention may need to be for those mushroom burgers. They are just too damn good. I promised that I'd send Misty a copy of the recipe. I still will its just taking me a bit to write it out. I promise to get it to you before the weekend.

I must be off now. I need to get the kitchen tidied up so that I can head out into the cold night. Brrr. Winter is officially back. 'Nite all!

Modern Homemaker

I wonder that I shouldn't have been a 1940's housewife? I'm at my happiest when I'm busy doing the whole domestic thing.

Monday is Project day also known as domestic day. I feel like I spent a good deal of the day in the kitchen. Truth is, I did. I started the day in a normal fashion, breakfast (hm yogurt, blueberries banana, Salba and Kashi) for everyone. After I got the kitchen cleaned from that I started in on preparing a new batch of yogurt. I got it heated and mixed with the starter and into the incubator (resting in a nest of my heating pad, inside the largest insert for my crock pot, then a tea towel over top and the glass lid). Once it was set to do its thing for the next 9 hours I got to work on my hamburger buns.

Got the dough set to rise and then got a chance to sit and have my first cup of green tea. In truth, I'm not even sure if I got a chance to drink that cup of tea. It wasn't long before I had to get E. going on a lesson while occupying L. This is not always the easiest task.

Soon it was lunch time. Back into the kitchen for me. While I was making the boys some sandwiches and fruit I was able to make the most amazing wrap. Poached chicken on a rice wrap with avocado, tomato and a spicy mayo/dijon dressing with dill. I chopped up some watermelon and a banana to go with. This is day three without diet coke. I made another nice Perrier citrus fruit substitution.


I'm actually growing fond of these drinks. Though if you don't drink them fast enough they do go flat in half the time a can drink would. I was only able to sit for a few minutes then I was right back at it. What do you do when you've got 3/4's of a fresh avocado? I didn't want it to spoil and thought that I'd brush it with lemon juice and then wrap it in saran and tuck it into the fridge but then I got the idea to just whip up some guacamole since I'd have to have a snack at 3pm anyway.

All I can say is that it was good! I don't normally go all out for guacamole but this one was spicy. I was a good girl and stopped at the 1/4 c. Could have licked the plate had I not kept E. up with me for company. Yep, no nap. I was too busy in the kitchen making rolls and getting dinner ready. The rolls turned out fabulously. So worth all the effort. I of course celebrated with this.... yep mushroom/brown rice burger with triple pickle! A big salad to even out the rest of my day. I think the rest of the day will be spent quietly. Once E. and hubby get home from Beavers we'll start winding it down and hopefully get them into bed before 8 pm.

I'd like to do some yoga tonight. It feels like my legs are swollen and a bit achy. I think a good stretch then a good soak in the tub with some Epsom salts and my new running magazine is a good reward for a long day on the homestead.

I do make pretty bake goods. Tomorrow we've got a play date in the morning then a busy night of Karate and Run Club. There is no rest for the wicked.

Happy Monday Night Everyone!

Personal Bests

Ran a 10K race today. Half way there I wondered if I really wanted to run the race. I'm not much for being competitive even with myself. I think I just like to run distances at my own leisure. If it weren't for me discovering at the last minute that Misty was also due to be there I think I might have blown it off for a solo run. No turning back. I pushed myself to think about what it was that I wanted to accomplish. The best I could come up with was not running through the gate at the end of the 5K. Trust me I had to fight my inner quitter to keep to the left.

I've also realized something. When I'm not running a race to be social (with girlfriends) then I don't want to talk to anyone a long the way. Unfortunately, due to my reserved first half pace I got stuck with a Chatty Cathy. Oddly, she didn't look like she was up for any kind of conversation and as I kept my steady pace I kept expecting her to fall back. She never did. Thankfully, she was only in for the 5K.

I rallied and stayed to the left to complete another loop. Telling myself it was just a training run. "Its just a training run...LSD. Keep a steady pace, don't surge" "Keep something in the tank for the last 1K". Strategy worked. I sprinted in on the last 500m trimming 10 minutes off my last 10K time. Phew! Thank God that was over. Oddly, the little shot of Scotch right after was actually nice.

I was even happier when I got home to find my troops all happy and excited to see my medal. It was just a participation medal but they didn't care. As far as they were concerned their mommy had won the race. When I look at them I know I got the gold.

Must Obey Craving....

I had posted earlier in the day and mentioned that I felt hungover. I'm not even sure how much/little sleep I actually had last night. I just remember laying there feeling very tired and listening to the sounds of my breath but unable to focus my mind into settling down.

I woke up tired but was again very happy to see the clear skies and sunshine peaking in through the kitchen window. Got my greens down with a shot of OJ. I think its getting easier to take them. Then grabbed my coffee and sat down and caught up with my family. Then I realized I was yet again in danger of not eating breakfast so I got up and quickly made an egg in the middle of a slice of my homemade multigrain bread. I just wish that I would have had a jar of roasted red peppers in my pantry. That would have totally made that awesome. As it was, it wasn't pretty but it tasted pretty darn good.

Husband attempted to take our idiot dogs to the vets. You ought to hear how ridiculous they are. Its like they are the dogs that they use to chase convicts in jailbreak movies. Because of this appointment I assumed that our grocery trip would be put off until after dinner. Oddly, our vet's office has moved into Pickering and we had to reschedule the appointment because hubby couldn't find the location. You'd think they may have mentioned moving office spaces? This freed us up to do our shopping trip much earlier. Which is great because everything is stocked and fresh.

Since my craving for the Thai Noodles from Jasmine Garden I've been daydreaming about Thai food. I was able to pick up all the ingredients for my Pad Thai. Its not my husband's favourite but he suffered through it like a real champ. I paired it with my new diet coke substitution. Perrier with a lime wedge. Not too shabby.

Man I love this dish. I left out the shrimp and tofu because I didn't want to purchase anything that wouldn't evenly split into the one dish. I'd wind up with leftovers of both shrimp and tofu and we just wouldn't use it up. This one just had chicken, egg, bell peppers, carrots, onions, garlic, rice stick noodles, bean sprouts and my pad thai sauce. I also like to add chunks of pineapple and a bit of shredded coconut, cilantro and chopped cashew (didn't have any peanuts on hand).

To keep from going back for seconds I tucked the rest of it away into the freezer for a night next week. I like that I'm already off the hook for making dinner one night next week.

Other than that today was a very quiet day. We've just gotten the boys to bed and I'm just going to finish up this blog and my cup of tea then head up for an hour of Moon Salutations then reading until 10 pm. I've got a pretty busy day tomorrow. It's the Haggis 10K race tomorrow and I'm hoping to beat 1:15. I should be able to. Most of the time when I run 10K its at a 7-7:30min/km pace. That's pretty pokie stuff. I'm just hoping that I will not be wiped out after. I'd like to make some bread/buns tomorrow evening. Yes I'm craving another one of those burgers.

Fab Friday!!

So much better than "Chicken Thursday"! Ok sorry, that's a big joke between me and the kids. Truly, it was a great day. I'm sorry that I wasn't able to blog but I was too busy having fun. I was up before 7 am. Bright eyed and bushy tailed. The changes in my sleep habits are starting to show. I like waking early and having that bit of energy I've been lacking for so long. Came down and got my Greens down. This time mixing them into a half a glass of slightly warmed up OJ. I powered it back like a shot of tequila. Still completely gag worthy but a little better.

Grabbed a cup of coffee and called the boys to come and join me. I love the way L. comes bounding down the stairs all happy to see me every morning. He is so precious. E. likes to lay in bed longer. It ususally takes him about 45 minutes to come down and join us for breakfast. I don't mind. Since normally we don't have any where we have to be first thing in the morning there is no reason why he can't transition into the day the way he likes.

Breakfast was a simple affair of oatmeal, salba, sunflower and pumpkin seeds with a tablespoon of almond butter and a bit of agave. I still can't seem to finish a bowl of oatmeal. I wasn't all that hungry but since I've started eating breakfast every day I've noticed that my urge to eat and eat ridiculously during the day has really tapered off. I no longer rummage through the fridge and cupboards with wild cravings. The sugary treat cravings are gone. I don't even want to eat in the evening when I'm having my last cup of tea. I've lost 6 lbs since Jan 1st. So breakfast it is...each and every day!

We got down to work on our projects and passed part of the morning working on the lap books and then drawing treasure maps. Planning grocery lists and horsing around. I puttered in between refocusing E. on his projects and activities and cups of tea. I was about to pull something out of the fridge to start in on making dinner when husband mentioned that it would be nice to go out for dinner as a family. I had to agree. The boys really seem to enjoy the novelty of it.

For lunch I made up some tuna salad with half fat mayo and some minced sweet onion. Then decided that I just wasn't in a bread mood and didn't feel like waiting for a wrap to thaw (the microwave tends to dry them out too much). So a snack platter was created. In usual manner, the boys mooched some of my apple even after I gave them a quarter of it while I sliced it up! Maybe I should start putting liver on my plate and see how they like that! I grabbed up a can of diet coke but didn't drink it. I didn't even open it.

I've decided that its time to seriously cut down on my consumption of diet colas. I'm not sure there are many days when I haven't consumed at least one can. That's not healthy even if there weren't a question about the safety of diet sodas and aspartame. So how do I plan to proceed? Since its really the fizzy that I want so badly I think I'll just start buying Perrier or S.Pellegrino (non-flavoured) and pair those with lemon/lime slices. That ought to work.

After naps we head down to the station to pick hubby up and the off quick as a flash for an early dinner. We always aim to be at the restaurant for 5-5:30 so that there is no waiting and the service is faster since we are ahead of the dinner rush. We went to Montanas because its the boys' favourite place. Its so much fun to do this with them because they get into the place and they immediately start charming the waitresses. Then the get into the booth and start immediately to circle their choices on the kid menu. Its not like this ever changes. Still they are proud as anything to be deciding everything.

Our food arrived. I forgot to pack the camera so I had to lift this image off their website. I got the Mediterranean Chicken with a side of mashed potatoes but ignored them in favour of eating my vegetables before L. mooched them all. I was good...I shared my veg. Gahhh



I got home with enough time to relax for a bit. Then kiss my men good night and head out the door. Coffee at Laura's is always a blast. Especially, if Christine shows up. There are always laughs to be had. We got on about something last night that was so hilarious and I said I'd put it down as my facebook status today but when I got up I was drawing an absolute blank. Still for the life of me I can't remember what it was. Ack..doesn't matter. The laughter was good medicine last night.

I got in the door at 12:30 am and was bushed. I was yawning all the way home on the drive but by the time I got in the door I had such a chill from the cold steering wheel that I couldn't get myself warm enough to drop off to sleep. So today I'm feeling a little hung over. I have no regrets though. I just wish we could get together more often.

Something tastes like ass....

Um...yeah. Because I like to torture myself. I tell you at 6:45 (yes I was up early thanks to my new early bedtime ritual) this stuff is just NASTY! Of course I bought the one that is thinly disguised as tangerine. Yeah, a tangerine dug out of the bottom of the BFI bin in the back of a NoFrills in August.

I didn't have any orange juice on hand this morning so I just mixed it in hot water and once it was cool enough I attempted to slam it back. Ok so my water was a little too warm and it required taking big gulps. Not a good strategy, not at all. I don't think I've gagged that often in such a short period of time and prayed so hard that I wouldn't throw up. I could only imagine the horrors of that being repeated!

Once I got it down it stayed down but took nearly a half a cup of coffee to forget that traumatic experience. I do have to say. For the most miserable shit I could have invested my cash in, it actually had a near immediate effect. My whole morning I had a reserve of energy I haven't had in years. Really and truly, even eight hours of sleep doesn't make me feel like that. So ok, its likely going to be something that I grow to be more efficient at gagging back because the effects were definitely worth that 20 mins of agony. Lets hope orange juice improves that. *shudder*

I got some breakfast for the kids and while I had the eggs and cheese out I decided I'd switch up my breakfast. I made myself a lean verison of a Egg McMuffin. Ezekiel english muffin with one egg and a bit of low fat cheddar and two thin slices of extra lean ham. Half an orange. Yep you got it...L. mooched the other half.

Once breakfast was done I busied myself around the house. I put together a pot of chili. Got E. going on an assignment and just puttered about.



By noon the chili was ready and I had a craving for nachos. So I put together a lean version. A half cup of chili with a handful of nachos lightly sprinkled low fat cheese. This turned out to be an awesome lunch. Thankfully, I made extra because E. got into the spirit of mooching.

I've been battling a serious craving for this Thai Noodle dish from The Jasmine Garden. Its only getting bigger. Normally, I would just make it myself but I just really want theirs. I've even scoped out their website and noticed that they do take-out. Hmmmm.......

Dinner was supposed to be chili over sweet potato fries. I got them ready and into the oven. Put the timer on for 20 mins and then headed out for my run. When I got back the house smelled great but I got the news that the fries burned.

Oh well, sometimes that happens. Just means that we try that dinner again tomorrow and I'll stand by the oven and make sure they don't burn. Some days are just meant to be pizza delivery days. There is no picture but I got the veggie edge, 1/2 cheese more sauce. By the time that it showed up I was so hungry that half of the pizza found its way into my stomach before I could even think to take a picture. I'm now sitting here with my knitted blanket on my lap. My hands are cold to the touch and I'm fighting off a chill. I'm going upstairs to soak in a tub until I look like a lobster.

Sometimes the Mountain Blows

I'm sorry I didn't blog yesterday. I was actually dreading it. I was having a nice morning and was well on my way to having a very nice afternoon and evening. I was relishing in how some of the changes in my habits and attitudes has effected my sense of well being. That for once other than being intermittently tired that I was feeling better. That perhaps I was turning a corner. Then before I signed off to gather the kids for nap time I checked my email (it was from someone who had hurt me terribly). Then suddenly my blood pressure shot up. My jaw clenched and I felt the world tilt. If I was the mountain, that mountain just blew its lid. Definitely a Mt St. Helen's moment.

I could go into the whole story but would prefer not too. It does no one any credit to make a private matter a public one. The who, what, where and why isn't important either and in truth, at some point yesterday (while I was trying to calm down) I almost forgot exactly what had started the whole rift in the first place but then I remembered. The funny thing was that when I realized that I was almost drawing a blank on what the initial rift was about I had to laugh to myself. Then I realized something big. I realized that I had actually moved on.

You see, in order for me to have allowed that lapse it means that I stopped mewing on it. At some point in the last year or so, I've dropped it. I moved on. Likely because I found something positive to dull the pain. There are so many great and positive things that have taken up rent in my mind in the last year that I can hardly count them. Does it equal forgiveness? Um possibly.

My attitude toward that person had soften somewhat in the last few months but not in the sense that I was willing to forget all the ugliness and turmoil it caused but rather that I was able to spin my current thoughts in a more positive light. My thoughts of her had gone from vitriol to fogginess. No longer did I carry the passion of hate but rather a tepid ambiguity.

As soon as I had examined it, I calmed down and saw the situation for what it really was. I dropped it. Cold in its tracks. I didn't carry on for the rest of my day arguing in my head. I didn't think about it much at all actually. When I did think about it my concern was more for my husband than for myself. I was able to move on with my afternoon and evening. I had a lovely dinner with my family. The whole while my husband watched me carefully. He must have been wondering when I was going to blow my stack again. He must have thought it really odd that it wasn't even on the radar.

I went to bed relaxed from my run. Reconnected to my happy feelings and having spent some quality happy time with my husband. I slept like a baby.

Sheree is so right.... its good to be the mountain!

Domestic Mondays

Today most certainly felt like a Monday. I was tired despite having a great night's sleep. My legs have been sore and swollen today. I'm not exactly sure why. I took some Tylenol and it really hasn't helped.

I could have used this cup of coffee today. Now that I think of it, I only got the one cup today.

Breakfast was another love affair with my yogurt. Seriously, will never buy store bought again! Oh wait, I've said that already. Oh, I don't care. I still mean it. Had the Kashi and blueberries on top. Added in some Salba and hemp and agave syrup.
After breakfast I did several loads of laundry and started making multigrain bread. I had a great recipe for it once but with so many things in my life, it has been misplaced. I did a quick scan on the web and came up with one. I did a quick scan and almost changed it completely. After kneading it for 15 mins I popped it into the oven to proof while I got on with making some soup for dinner.

Into the crock pot went the fixings and it did its thing all afternoon. Once that was done I stopped and paused for a break. Kashi granola bar and a cup of tea. Did not allow myself to sit longer than 15 minutes for fear that I wouldn't get up again. Man did I ever make a mess making that bread. I just got that round of dishes and the floor swept when it was time to make the kids and myself some lunch.

I like leftovers. I'm seriously in love with these mushroom burgers. I couldn't help it. I had to have it for lunch. Once lunch was finished I popped in more laundry and then divided the dough into the tins to proof for the second time. I tried to sit down for a bit after but it seemed that the boys just kept me hopping. Now it likely wasn't the best idea in the world to keep them up from their naps. They were both pretty wired for most of the afternoon.




With the smell of soup and the smell of baking bread I just about wanted to chew my arm off. I have to say nothing smells as good as freshly baked bread. Unfortunately, my mood soured a bit when I tried to turn the bread out of the pans. It seems that they've received a bit too much wear and required a coating of oil before I put the dough in. Sadly they sure did stick. My mood got worse and worse as I had to fight to get them to release.





Didn't seem to matter. The boys found them delicious. You know what? They were delicious. Paired with my soup and some cheeses it was the perfect meal for tonight. The off thing was that L. was falling asleep in his dinner plate. I ate my dinner holding on to him while he drowsed on my shoulder. I didn't mind in the least. I don't get to hold on them as much any more. They are both growing up and becoming more independent and don't really want Mom slobbering on them all the time. So I steal just about every opportunity I can. Once dinner was over I brought him upstairs and tucked him in. He barely made it to the end of his Thomas story. Now I sit here in the quiet, blogging.

The plan for the night once E. is in bed is for me to do an hour of moon salutations. I'm really hoping that helps me with the aches in my lower legs. Then I'm going to read until 10:30. That's the plan. I'm sticking to it.

Exhausted

Its supposed to be winter but it sure doesn't feel like it. The high for the day was 2C and it was overcast but gorgeous. I keep looking to the sky waiting for the dump of snow to hit. Its going to come....I can feel it. This is too good to be true.

The alarm clock went off at 6 am. It took me a few moments to realize what that was. I was actually dreaming that an alarm clock was going off. Of course, I hit the snooze and rolled right back over without skipping a beat. I was chatting with Martha Stewart about which way to hang the toilet paper. I'm an over the roll girl. She had other opinions. Eyes pop open. Damn, it was 6:36 and I was already behind schedule.

Popped my Spelt Blueberry Pancakes into the microwave and managed to put a half decent pot of coffee together. Before I turned out my light at midnight (yes, I was up too late reading in bed again, bad, bad habit!) I asked hubby what the magic formula was and managed to actually remember it when I would not have been able to recall my own name. It was torture having to stand there and wait for the coffee to trickle down into the pot.
Then I turned on my laptop and ventured back upstairs to collect the kids. Got comfy on the couch with coffee and breakfast and logged in to discover that my run partner, the ever wonderful Sheree was still under the weather. I was half disappointed and half relieved. I was scraping rock bottom for any sort of energy and I would have been the weakest link today. I did go out for my run. Left the house about 9 am (the boys were off to the gym to swim in the pool) and headed south. A simple out and back. 9km. I know I was only supposed to do 8 but what the hell? Got back in the door just after the guys returned home. Soaked in a hot shower for what felt like forever then had a nice yogurt, blueberry kashi parfait.

Lunch was leftovers from last night. Half a roasted chicken breast with balsamic bell peppers and Camembert mashed potatoes and broccoli.

I ate this lunch while hovering over a pot of navy beans that I was boiling. I plan to use them in a Navy Bean Turkey Sausage Soup tomorrow. I almost forgot that I had been soaking them. Yikes that could have been gross!





I've been toying with a vegan diet. I'm not sure I could give meat up entirely but I see no harm in making my diet mostly vegan. So to get with the spirit I made these wonderful brown rice mushroom burgers.

All I could say upon first bite was OMG!! I did it again. This even trumped my homemade yogurt! They had exactly the same mouth feel of ground beef and were moist like a good burger. I can honestly say that I might not ever go back to a beef burger now that I'm making these. They were that freaking good. I paired it with some green onion yogurt chips. Ah heaven. Have I mentioned that I'm hopelessly addicted to food. Well who wouldn't be when it's this good.



I'm still really dragging my butt and my legs are a bit sore. I could only think it was because the sidewalks were so icy that I had to alter my stride to keep from landing on my head. My plan for the rest of the night is to soak in the tub with my book. Hopefully, I can put it down at a decent hour so that I can catch up on my sleep

Middle of January

It's really hard to believe that its the middle of January. This weather almost feels like a cruel tease. When I used to live in Bloor West Village there were florist shops on every corner. In January it seemed that every one of them had spring flowers displayed. You couldn't swing a cat without it hitting tulips or daffodils. Irises and Narissus. It was too cruel. I'd start dreaming about spring and then next thing you know. Five feet of snow. I'm expecting for the beautiful weather we are getting now there will be a big frosty price to pay.

I was up until 2 am reading the last of that book. Sadly, I didn't get to sleep later as a result. It was a lovely but predictable sample of chicklit. I awoke to L. screaming and E. protesting. Both boys were fighting over trains and not quiet about it, at all. The good news is that hubby got to sleep until 7 am which is not a half bad hour.

I sat with a cup of coffee for a few minutes but then realized that if I didn't make breakfast right away I was in definite danger of not eating breakfast and that likely would have caused a bad cascading effect for the rest of the day. I took my spelt pancake recipe and added in frozen blueberries, flax and hemp seed. A lovely effect! Everyone joined me. I managed to save four of these dollar pancakes for tomorrow's breakfast.

After breakfast we cleaned up and headed out to chapters. I was looking for a good book on nutrition. Something really "granola". I couldn't find one to fit my expectations. I was likely looking in the wrong section and instead of the food section, I should have been searching in the health section. Apparently, to large chain stores, (and this should come as no surprise) nutrition does not necessarily mean food. I grabbed a kashi bar on my way out the door and treated myself to a Grande decafe non-fat latte with cinnamon while I browsed for a new book. I came home with this one. I had heard a good deal about it.

I'm not looking for a "drop the weight" diet. I know that my weight will only be corrected with hard work and vigilance. I also know that there is something keeping me from feeling well and was hoping that it might shed some light on what I might be able to do to support my efforts. If there were a way of eating, not less or but rather, better. In a strategic way to boost my energy over the course of the day.

We didn't get home in time to eat lunch nor we were terribly hungry. The coffee having filled us up. I took that opportunity to try my home made yogurt. Topped with kashi cereal, blueberries, hemp and honey it was SINFUL!!! OMG I'll never buy store bought yogurt again!



Dinner: Roast Chicken with Balsamic Bell Peppers, Camembert Mashed Potatoes and the obvious steamed broccoli. I sure made up for not having lunch. This portion was in fact, much too large and half was leftover for tomorrow's lunch. Which is nice because I'm not sure how much energy I'll have in reserve tomorrow after a long run.

I should dash off now and help get the kids to bed. The plan for the rest of the night is a cup of green tea, one hour of moon salutations and thirty minutes of reading. Then by 10-10:30 pm, lights out!

Hola Friday!

Today was such a nice day. The morning started off with a bit of a butt drag as it was cloudy, grey, bland and those kinds of days I just find myself walking around with a little cloud over my head. Decided to whip up a quick breakfast even though I was not hungry. Not even a little bit. I wonder when I'll actually start feeling hungry when I get up. No matter, I'm staying true to my promise of eating breakfast one way or another. Greek yogurt with kashi cereal, frozen blueberries and a drizzle of honey, hemp seed and cinnamon.





I realized that I'll be all out of yogurt far before I'm ready to go to the store so I decided to make some of my own. So, into the kitchen I went and got the and got the equipment out and measured out my milk and scraped as much starter yogurt as I could from the container that I was almost finished. Fished out my heating pad and crockpot insert and got the process under way. Heated my milk. Brought the yogurt to room temp. Popped my heating pad into the bottom of the crock pot insert and turned it on. After I had heated my milk and mixed in the starter I set the mixture to do its thing. Nested in the crook of the heating pad, with my digital meat thermometer and a dish towel it sat, and sat and sat. 7 hours later..... This is my litre of 2% organic yogurt. Lovely, isn't it? I plan to have some yummy breakfasts and a nice batch of Tzatziki out of this baby. It was actually so easy I don't think I'll ever buy yogurt again.

Of course, while I was waiting that whole seven hours I got the guys busy on their projects again. Its amazing. I was fishing out the incomplete flags from the file. I honestly could not pick out any of these flags from a line up but as I pulled them from the folder E. was telling me which was which. Do you know what the Australian flag looks like? How about Cyprus? Do you know why Cyprus was named that? It was named after the latin word cyprium for copper because the island is rich in this metal. That is also the reason why its depicted as an ocher colour. I realize today that not only am I educating E (or he educating me) but I'm also getting a pretty good rounding out.

Lunch was a simple affair. Onion soup with mushroom and kale. A ham and greens Ezekiel wrap and some carrots. Shortly after I through a flank steak into the crockpot with some chili powder, cumin, cilantro, salt pepper, garlic and onion and a can of diced tomatoes. I had an idea....beef burritos.



But not until after naps and picking hubby up at the station. Once we were home I sauteed up the peppers and onions. Got the spelt dough ready and then started rolling out the tortillas. Husband, my unwitting assistant manned the skillet and cooked the tortillas. He did a most excellent job. By 6:30 dinner was on the table. E. and L. actually ate one each (ok one tortilla cut in half and filled).

I was so impressed with dinner that I've vowed to never buy tortillas again. These were just too easy and way too fresh and delicious.

On top of the tortilla I've got refried beans, shredded steak, sauteed onions and peppers. Low fat cheddar and some salsa. Too damn good. What makes it all that much better? Why don't you know me at all?

Yeah right, like you didn't see that coming! LOL

Did I mention how much I love Burrito/Corona Fridays? Olé!

Thursday

I like Thursdays. It means its one day closer to the weekend. Which really shouldn't matter to me since I haven't had to be out in the real world for over five years now.

Breakfast was a little different today. Not...ok so it was a 7 grain bagel with lite strawberry cream cheese and about a third of an apple. Yes, L. struck again!

We were headed out to an early playdate today so that I could pick up some tips for making math fun for the boys. A super fun play date. Picked up some great tricks. Got confused by some new math but then I can't make simple change without feeling the need to take my top off. On the way home I totally resisted the urge to pull into McD's to get the boys their lunch. Which is a good thing given that its not healthy. Not even close, plus it was money that I so didn't need to spend given that they were completely happy with the lunch that I made for them when I got home.

Mine was a chicken and tomato on Ezekiel bread. A large orange and a glass consisting of 1/3 orange juice, ice and club soda. Ok so I'm trying to cut back on my diet coke addiction. It really wasn't the same but it wasn't all that suckie either. I bet it would be better with a splash of pineapple juice. Must experiment a little.

A bit before my run I wolfed down a kashi bar and a green tea. Got my guys all ready to go to karate then grabbed up my gear and headed out for a fabulous run. I started out fast but couldn't seem to slow myself down. I should have known it would bite me in the ass on the way home. On the way back in I was running against the wind and going up hill. Still going faster than my usual pace but feeling it. Hit 7k at the bottom of my street and called it a day. Managed to get in and cleaned up and started dinner just as the boys were returning from their outing.

Because it was run/karate night dinner was a mishmash of leftovers for the guys. For me I just opted for a gross tasting lean cuisine. I didn't even bother to make a salad or a veg to chase it down with. I really wasn't all that hungry and it so wasn't worth the effort of being more creative. I did however treat myself to an apple with some almond butter and a green tea. My mean husband actually poked a box of Turtles under my nose but I had the better sense to realize that I was a little hungry and there would be no stopping at one of those bad boys.

I'm sleepy now so I'm going to skip the yoga and opt for 30 minutes of my newest chicklit book. I was up until 12:25 am last night reading it. I promise only 30 minutes this time. I swear!