Let It Snow

I have never lived in a place with a significant amount of snow.  Well, I stand corrected; I lived in St. Louis, MI for a few years before I even started Kindergarten but don’t remember the snow, or living there for that matter.

Anyhow, there is just something about it that is absolutely amazing to me.

Maybe it’s how it lights everything up, or can show up in places like, well, the desert!

Anyhow…I was amazed at how much snow there was in the desert today!  It didn’t snow as much this weekend as the one before, but I guess the constant colder temps have kept it in the area.  I haven’t had a day over 45 in over a week!  It’s driving me crazy!

Alas, I still had oats this morning…BUT!  Look!  A different variety!

I soaked a 1/2C of the mixed grains overnight with cinnamon and vanilla, then cooked it this morning before topping it off w/ half a leftover banana, 1.5T of pb and some leftover cranberry sauce.  Twas quite tasty…but sadly not satiating.

Within a few hours I was hungry again and settled on the snack I brought for the afternoon…

Leftover unfrozen banana chocolate chip bread and an apple.

Frozen weeds later…and slipping and sliding in snow later…

I got done around one so settled on having my lunch at home, thank goodness because it needed to be warmed up and toasted to taste better!

It’s obvious that everyone is going to be eating Thanksgiving leftovers for days at a time, right?  Ok, so don’t kill me that I’m still using mine, at least I’m trying to vary it up, a little? I slathered on some hummus and 1/4 of a leftover avocado and mixed in roasted veggies and spinach.  It was tasty toasted and hot, along with the pear on the side.

I was totally unmotivated to go to the gym this afternoon but after having a snack of another piece of banana bread, I finally got my butt off the couch with my NEW MIZUNO RUNNING SHOES I got yesterday and downloading some new music (seriously, Marry Me (both Bruno Mars and GLEE versions) and Gernade are freak’n awesome; totally makes me want to dance!). I ended up running a slow and steady 3.5 miles with a .5 mile walk, then came home and did 25 minutes of abs and arms.  Muscles muscles!

Famished and cold, I decided to try my new vegetarian burger I got at TJ’s this weekend: Dr. Praeger’s Tex Mex Burgers!  Can you believe I’ve never had one before!?  Me either!

I wrapped mine up in 1/2 a TJ’s Lavash wrap with some cheddar cheese, mustard, tomato and spinach.  I thought the burger was ok, too soft for my tastes as it just smashed in my wrap, and not enough flavor.  I was expecting something with more heat…I’ll have to figure out how to use the others and add more taste to it!

Now I’m chill’n out with some Sleigh Ride Tea and my knee being iced.  I don’t want that sucker to get any worse (it’s been doing well the past few runs; yay!)

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Remember you have one more day to enter my Oh Nuts! Giveaway  Three chances to win!

Foodzie Box Winners!

Goodness you all wanted those boxes!!!  And I was so happy to see so many of you comment who’s blog’s I have yet to visit!  Come out of the lime light if you haven’t yet!
Anywho…Who are the two winners you ask???
Allie from Live Laugh Eat


[[Edited to add, Hallie from Healthy Twists, who won originally, actually won a box from another blogger, Kaitlin, so she offered to let someone else have the box!  Thanks Hallie!  Here's our new winner!]]


Amy @ ProudPatriot


Congrats ladies!  I snagged your emails from your blog and passed it along to the Foodzie people to contact you about your box!  I hope you enjoy all it’s delicious contents!!!  They have some awesome stuff!
And remember you can still win a $25 gift certificate from Oh Nuts! with my Oh Nuts! Giveaway that lasts until Wednesday!
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So, how was the rest of your Monday?!  I hope it wasn’t too bad after the long weekend and all the fun I’m sure you had!  I ended up not going to work with the snow at the points I need to go to, so I’m saving them for later in the week.  Instead, I ended up cleaning, doing laundry, going for a run at the gym, testing out my new boots and jacket, and trying to stay warm.  Such an exciting day eh?

While I was cleaning up the apartment I snacked on a few handfuls of non-salted pb pretzel nuggets before heading off to the gym for a nice warm run.  Sorry, I’m haven’t acquired all my cold weather running gear yet…
I ended up running a combined 4.5 miles, with a 1/2 mile walk afterwards, but I ran miles that were on average 9.15 and 8.31 with some slower paces before and afterwards.  It certainly felt good when I’m stuck inside with all this coldness!
By the time I got home I was starving and cold, so I warmed and cleaned up, then ate lunch that wasn’t so warm, but needed to be eaten to not waste food!
I mixed a container of plain greek yogurt with 2T of PB powder and some vanilla, then paired it with some leftover pineapple, strawberries, 1/2 a banana and 3/4 C Heart to Heart.

The rest of the afternoon was spent updating my Recipes and Side Notes Pages, along with catching up on blogs I’ve just found and of course the ones I love.
Before I knew it, it was time for dinner!  But not before folding all my nice warm laundry…probably sounds crazy but I love folding laundry; something about it is so relaxing.  Sigh…
I wanted something warm fast, so I threw together leftovers in broth with some tempeh and voila!  Tasty soup for dinner!

I had to fight off Honey for it…

But she wanted the camera strap instead…

And of course I always have room for dessert. I warmed up an apple with some cinnamon, a bit of vanilla and a bit of honey then topped it off with some Ginger Cat Cookies from TJ’s.  Gingerbread apple crisp anyone?!  Oh yeah, and all made in 2.5 minutes!
Of course I forgot a picture of it…sorry.  Just imagine cookie kitties drowning in apples…ok, swimming?
Tehehehe…

Foodzie Giveaway Today!

Quick!  You could be one of two winners for a Foodzie Monthly Box!  Go to this post and leave a comment!  They have some awesome stuff in their boxes!  And if you don’t win on my blog today, they’re having Black Friday/Cyber Monday Giveaways too!

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So, of course I had oats this morning, but instead of just one bowl, there was three.  What, three bowls of oats?

No, it took me three different bowls to make my oats this morning…I think I may have moved to another level of blogging…because I am not one to make any more dishes dirty than I need to.

I posted yesterday about how I tried a new Oat Mixture and how it didn’t cook well with the apples mixed in. So this chilly morning I cooked the oats alone with some cinnamon, then a diced apple with vanilla in another, and assembled them in a third in the bowl above. Yep, three bowls.  The only thing missing in my picture: PB.  Don’t worry, I added I afterwards, when I mixed together all oats and apples…I like globs of PB versus it mixed all in…I like to taste it!

But check out how cold it is outside!  My grass even freezes!

My first icicles!!!!  So exciting!!!

And of course there is my mad cat.  I don’t know if you guys enjoy seeing pictures of her, but I figured it might give you a laugh…and break up just reading about food.

She’s in, what we call, “Her Mood.”  See those ears?  She’s currently crazy…

And chasing her tail like a dog.  I swear she was a dog in a former life…

P.S.  Along with my Foodzie Giveaway don’t forget about my Oh Nuts! Giveaway!  It ends this Wednesday!

Kitten Whipped

I guess it’s time for me to admit: I’ve turned into a cat person.
But, that’s now to say I spoil my cat…

I just want her to experience the real outdoors…wind, rain, SNOW…

And remind her that if she misbehaves, this is what’s come’n to her.
I kid, I kid.  She has a nice warm spot on my bed as she always will…
[[Reminder to enter my Oh Nuts! Giveaway ends next Wednesday!  And there is ANOTHER GIVEAWAY at the end of this post!!!]]
So, how was everyone’s weekend after all the feasting?!  I know the day after Thanksgiving was more food filled than the day before!  With my family and friends around it was an awesome afternoon.
The rest of the weekend was pretty laid back as it was obviously pretty cheeky and I wanted to avoid the cold at all costs.  So what did I do?  Watch movies…and TV…and read blogs…and more movies…some shopping…a long run and 90X Plyometrics (which btw, is freak’n intense)
Saturday morning apple oats…with some homemade cranberry sauce my mom made from Thanksgiving…I love the tartness from it!

I headed out to Bakersfield and the Kern River area since it was warmer and not as windy to do my long run for the week (this is week two of training for the Phoenix 1/2 Marathon in January!). I was supposed to run 7 miles but accidently turned around a bit too early, making my run only 6.5 miles long.  That’s alright though, as my knee was starting to tighten up and I didn’t want to push it.  I need the warm weather back; it totally helps all my muscles!
After cleaning up and heading out to get myself a serious warm jacket and Honey’s ID tag, Whit and I hit up TJ’s for lunch.  Nothing says TJ’s like their awesome pre-packed salads!  I got the SouthWest Salad and paired it with a pear.  I seriously love this salad and need to make it at home!  But most of all I wan the dressing!  It’s perfectly flavored!

Whit got some Lobster Sushi and a Chicken Wrap.  I’ve got a hungry boy on my hands.

We did some more shopping around and munched on handfuls of TJ’s Ginger Cats to keep our hunger and my exhaustion at bay before heading back on the highway to get to my place for the rest of the weekend…the snow was coming!
Dinner was of lots of leftovers that need to be eaten out of my fridge.  Mine included chickpeas heated in leftover mushroom gravy, roasted veggies, carrot slices, tomatoes, and green salad.  It was a monster I tell you, and awesome!

Of course there was a piece of Mom’s Apple Pie for dessert…with a littler bit of vanilla ice cream.  Great way to end the night with a movie.
I actually slept in this morning and omg shake your hands in the sky, I TRIED SOMETHING NEW FOR BREAKFAST!!!  Wait, it looks the same?  I promise, it’s not…

While at TJ’s I decided to try buy something other than Old Fashioned Oats and settled for a multigrain oat mixture from Country Choice, with rye, barley, oats and wheat. It didn’t’ turn out exactly how I would have hoped and will need to tweek the cooking time and what’s in it, since putting the apples in it didn’t let it cook thoroughly.  Alas, it added a new texture to my breakfast and I was a happy camper…
Honey wanted some of the action too:

I settle for with this winter wonderland to provide me with some scenery though..

Whit and I watching the Invention of Lying (which I thought was hilarious) after the power went out for a few hours and we couldn’t really go anywhere anyhow.  I should have worked on my Christmas cards, but alas, I did not.
I snacked my way through the day with a few handfuls of mixed nuts and chocolate trail mix and carrots, wheat thins and hummus for ya know, some nutritional value.
I was going to go to the gym but didn’t want to have to scrap the ice off my car, so I stuck to the P90X videos to get my heart beating. An hour of Plyometcis and I was whipped!  My butt and legs are gonna hurt so bad tomorrow!
I was hangry after that and quickly worked on getting dinner together for Whit and I.  We settled on some mixed fruit leftover from Thanksgiving…

And an open-faced Lavash Wrap with leftovers, cheese, tomatoes and avocado.  Was a pretty tasty pizza like thing!

And of course, apple pie.  I can’t stay away, and besides, mom left all of it with me.  I can’t let it go to waste!
Off to get a good night’s sleep before work tomorrow!  Should be an interesting and cold day!
But wait, if you’ve made it this far, don’t go away yet!  I have ANOTHER GIVEAWAY for you, but it’s only for a day!

One of the vendors at Foodbuzz, Foodzie, contacted me about a giveaway for my bloggers of not just one of their Tasting Boxes but TWO for all of you to try!!!
All you have to do is leave a comment about your favorite Christmas dish and I’ll pick a winner by tomorrow at 5PM PST!!!
Good luck!!!  I’ve even got another giveaway coming soon after these!  Keep an eye out for them!

Slaughterhouse

Yes, this is a vegetarian blog, but I cooked a turkey today. 

A whole turkey.

 

All.By.Myself.

The only mishap?

I melted this beauty that I got in my Foodbuzz swag bag…oops.  Thank goodness mom provided me with an old one, just in case…

And not only did I cook it, I tore it to shreds too.

Don’t mistaken that smile as someone who is having fun.  I felt bad for that bird…and having my mom help me carve it and hit me with turkey juice in the face?  Ew.

So, the day started off like every other, except this time I was playing with a turkey in the sink instead of out in the field.

Alas, after 6 hours plus of cooking, I was ready to feast!

I did of course snack on lots of cucumber slices and baby carrots with edamame hummus to keep me going as we didn’t get to eat until almost 2pm!

But the big spread was the best:

• Roasted Turkey
• Cranberry/Pear/Cherry Sauce
• Mashed Potatoes
• Stuffing
• Green Beans with Caramelized Onions
• Roasted Butternut Squash and Cauliflower
• Crescent Rolls
• Turkey Gravy
• Mushroom Gravy

The last item was the one I was super proud of. I have never in my life made my own gravy and I was super excited with how well this one came out!  And it was so much easier than I thought!!!

It tasted better than it looks.  There was barely any left by the end of the first round!

Of course you know what I filled up on: VEGETABLES!

I ended up with the squash and cauliflower, some rice with mushroom gravy, and green beans with lots of onions.

So.Freak’n.Full.

Of course, there is always room for dessert after a bit of time to digest!

Mom made an apple and pumpkin pie, my running buddy brought over another pumpkin pie and some carrot zucchini muffins,  my brother brought the fruit platter, and I bought the Cool Whip.  Hey, I did all the savory cooking!

As I do every year, I had to have my Mom’s Apple Pie.

Just sweet enough for me with the bit of Cool Whip on top.  This and my Grandma’s recipe for Applesauce Cake is the only things I ever have with Cool Whip.  It’s just tradition.

I also had a handful of Peanut M&M’s.  My day is never complete w/o chocolate.

Before I knew it it was time to pack up all the leftovers…

Clean up all the messes made (serious pet peeve: dirty tables.  This sucker was cleaned asap after dessert!)…

And said goodbye to my family/awesome company…

(My parents are going to kill me for this photo…bahahaha!)

Whit was there too. Got to meet the family!!!

No, I’m snacking on some more fruit and some Japanese Crackers…I’ve got a mean headache from…god knows what, so I’m taking it easy tonight.  Tomorrow will be a day of running, shopping for necessities (like a collar, tag and leash for Honey) with the sales that are left, and getting some Christmas shopping done!  If I can get it finished now that would be great!  It always makes me so anxious; I’m not a fan of crowds!

Snow’s coming back this weekend so I’m excited for that! Up to 4 inches baby!  Yow!!!

Thanksgiving?

Alright…

Who forgot to tell me I didn’t have to go to work today and was supposed to be celebrating a foodie holiday?!!??!?!

Oh, no one?  Severe mind lapse on my part.

Hah.

Turkey day lunch or dinner for me?  Nope, I went with a cereal mix for dinner.

Instead, the feast comes tomorrow when this group shows up at my house, plus the parents:

Instead I spent the day out in the field watching all the hawks and reflecting on what I was thankful for:

• Working a job I love.
• Having family, friends and blogger friends (aka Blends) available whenever, whatever and however I need them.
• The food I have, make, and can experience.
• My beautiful Honey; I can’t describe the place I would be in right now without her.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!!