2011 December

Yesterday was one of those days that I wouldn’t exactly call productive.

I did some grocery shopping and laundry, but other than that there was a lot of time spent on the couch and a little too much time spent in the bed…

I’ll also say that coming back from the holidays is NOT the easiest. Meaning, I’ve had a few bites of fudge and eaten Beth’s famous braciole. I even ate biscuits and gravy on this trip home! Admittedly, I’ve crossed over to the dark side temporarily, but I’m home safe now.

The best way for me to get back on track is to get together a plan of action – - and make sure I have plenty of healthy snacks on hand! While I did VERY little yesterday, I knew I needed to peel myself off the couch and get my butt to the grocery store. I think I have a LOT of good ingredients for healthy eating this week. So, I’m giving you an exclusive peek!

Inside the Fridge

Knowing that I was inviting people to visit, I should have straightened up the fridge a little… but knowing we’re all friends, I’m assuming you won’t judge.

Top Shelves:

Honeycrisp Apples – Is there a better apple out there? I think not!
Reduced Fat Buttermilk – You should see this guy featured in a WW recipe over the next few days. Stay tuned!
Skim Milk – A staple – - A girl needs her calcium!
Brita Water Pitcher – Another staple. It’s been in my fridge since college. Seriously.
Marinating Chicken – I’m going to grill this chicken up for salad lunches over the next few days. I have it marinating in Fat Free Italian Dressing — Yum-o!
Very old Red Bull – From my housewarming party 2.5 years ago. Do you think it’s expired? (Throwing it out immediately)

Middle Shelf:

I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter Spray – Great alternative to butter, and delish on Mashed Cauliflower!
Cherub Grape Tomatoes – I bought these for salad, but I bet they get eaten before they ever swim amongst lettuce.
Roasted Garlic – Because it’s the best and is added to everything I eat.
My Favorite Veggie Dip – I’ve posted the recipe here. It’s my go-to for veggies and dip!
Israeli Vegetable Salad – I found this recipe for a tasty cucumber and tomato pico de gallo-like salad on Pinterest and made it tonight. So tasty! Planning to eat it with that marinated chicken I mentioned above.
Sugar-Free Jello and Natural Applesauce cups – Again, great handy snacks.
Laughing Cow Cheese – Excessive amounts in the drawer, but you REALLY need all flavors on hand at all times, don’t you??

Bottom Shelf:

Thomas 100 Calorie Multi-grain English Muffins – This sounded like a fun alternative for breakfast.
Cut Cauliflower and Cucumbers – These are for that veggie dip. I’ve already enjoyed some tonight!
Crockpot Ready to Fire Up This Morning- I pre-prepped my dinner for tonight. I’ll add a few ingredients this morning and then voila! This is an old fave WW recipe. Stay tuned for details….
Diet Sodas – I rarely drink them, but they’re there….

In the Crispers:

Onions – Again, they go in everything.
Tomatoes – Because I always have good intentions with salads, even though most are just butter lettuce and dressing.
Brussels Sprouts – For roasting this week.
Butter Lettuce – I bought 2 bags because I love it so.
English Cucumbers – If you love cucumbers, try Costco. Their prices are so great on the English variety!

With all these healthy options on hand, I know that I’ve set myself up for success and I’m planning to bounce back nicely from the holidays. I’ve got my eyes set on my 75 lb. reward, which hopefully will be here in time for my birthday next week!

QUESTION: What’s in your fridge these days? What do you need to get back on track post-holidays?

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Holiday Travel Fun – Westbound Edition

Oh, I enjoyed my Eastbound travel SOOOO much more than the Westbound travel. Even with the flight cancellations and 18 inches of snow, round one was SO much better than round two.

Leaving King Hayden behind didn’t make it any easier…

It started early. I was at the airport by 8:45am and ready to fly. My plane, however, arrived late. This created a super-tight connection in Dulles – - 18 minutes. The gate agent was “sure” I could make it because the gate was “just down the hall.”

When we landed in Dulles, we literally had 15 minutes to get off the plane and get to the gate. I decided to run for it, thinking I could surely make it. Um, that was the longest “hall” of my life. I arrived at D15 out of breath and there was a plane I could see out the window but couldn’t get to.

That meant I had an additional 3 hours in Dulles to kill. What to do, what to do. After I caught my breath, it became entertaining.

It was about 12:30pm, so it was time to get my lunch on. Airports have TONS of choices, and conveniently there was a Subway RIGHT next to the gate I ran to. That seemed like the right thing to do, but I really wanted this….

Beth’s Famous Patriotic Turkey Dinner Leftover Panini.

Just one more bite of stuffing is all I wanted!

I even debated walking down the concourse to see what other healthy options were around. Surely, there was something. I think we both know that would have led me astray. So, I walked back down to Subway and ordered a sandwich.

I splurged a little and got the Chicken Teriyaki sammie instead of my usual Veggie Delite. It was AWESOME. I also added a local topping to the sandwich that I’m now officially in love with.

Check out that hot pepper relish!? How do I get that in Colorado?

Must find a recipe!

After lunch, I had 2 hours and 40 minutes remaining. Hmmmm… How convenient that the Subway was right across the hall from this place…

HOW CONVENIENT!

Now, I certainly didn’t need a 10 minute manicure, as I was trying to kill time. I went with the “Travel” manicure and got it done in Essie’s Barefoot and Topless color. Just a light natural pink. So cute!

The crazy part about the quick mani is that the guy who did my nails was totally a psychic! So fun! We talked about my future and Chinese New Year. Apparently, I’m a Dragon after YEARS of believing I was a Snake per chinese restaurant placemats. Also, per his prediction, this blog should be peppered with info about my new man in the new year (when he decides to appear.)

It’s the year of the Dragon this year…. quite appropriate if you ask me!

I finally caught my flight and arrived happily in Denver about 5:00pm. Hmm…. but where-o-where was my bag? Apparently 3 hours wasn’t long enough to get my bag on the plane, so United put it on a later flight.

The “good” news was that they would deliver it to my house between 9pm-1:30am. My bag arrived at 3:45am.

I stayed up until 1:30am to open the door, but there was no way I’d have made it until 3:45am. The good news is that my bag is here, the laundry is spinning, and I’ve got these folks on the TV.