fun times

It's been chilly here this week but the forecasters are predicting that we won't see another big snow storm until next winter. Let's hope they're right! So, it's been a good week for soup and oatmeal!
Monday: Oatmeal for breakfast & Corn Chowder for lunch:
I did a Cardio Blast class over the noon hour. I was craving some veggies for dinner and didn't have a lot of time to cook so we got Papa Murphy's Gourmet Veg. pizza. I spent the night finishing up my group's case analysis of Amazon.com. Around 11pm, I finished up and then headed to bed.
My favorite chef made my day by making my favorite oats for breakfast:
Lunch was a slice of veggie pizza and a side of yams. At 2pm I did a 50 minute Med Ball class. I'd forgotten how much I love that class!
I did a better job of packing enough food today so that I didn't need to eat so late after class. I had a bowl of soup prior to class and an Odwalla bar & coffee during our break. Class was SO boring... snoozeville.
Mikey and I shared the last 2 New Belgium beers from our Folly Pack- the 1554 black ale and an IPA. I decompressed by watching Family Guy with Mikey and then headed to bed.
Wednesday-
I decided to mix it up a bit for breakfast. I had Stoneyfield Strawberry yogurt with Third Street Bakery's Maple Almond granola. Love that stuff and also love that it's made 2 blocks away from our house! I couldn't help but add a banana to the mix. After all, strawberry-banana is a classic combo:
Wed. lunch was a repeat of Tuesday's lunch- one slice of pizza & the last side of yams.
I got a lovely phone call at 3:30pm from a giddy husband who scored some tickets to a wine tasting that night! So, I raced into the fitness center and got a 30 minute elliptical workout in prior to heading downtown. We attended "Raise a Glass", a fundraiser for an organization that promotes financial literacy for young people in Duluth.

M:
& M:
We had a WONDERFUL time! Mikey has gotten to know a lot of the MN distributors and so we did lots of chit chat with all of them to learn more about the wine industry in MN. There were 175 wines at the event but we probably only tried 20-30 of them. Our palettes have grown to be more discerning. We discovered a handful of new favorites. The wine that took the cake was the 06 Sasyr Sangiovese Syrah:
We both really enjoyed having a night out together. Mikey got some good insights for work and I made some new friends!
We planned ahead and took a cab to and from the event so that we could both have a good time. I love that a cab ride from our house to downtown is only $6. Totally worth it!
Once home, we both were hungry. We had only eaten a small plate of smoked salmon, cheese cubes & an asparagus/puff pastry thing at the event. In lieu of a gut bomb, we ordered "healthy" and got subs from Jimmy Johns. Their delivery really is Freaky Fast! It helps that we are literally 5 blocks straight up the hill from the store:) Mikey had a turkey avocado sub and I had the veggie sub sans mayo & cheese:

I love, love, love going to wine tasting events especially with my lovie.

This morning, I got back into my usual routine of oatmeal for breakfast and soup for lunch:
It's Thursday and so that means I got to go to my favorite class of the week- Athletic Circuit! It's the perfect way to end a work day. I managed to get home in time before the sun had set so I took Anna out for a 30 minute walk to take her edge off. It's super icy on the sidewalks in our neighborhood so the longer walks are saved for when we go to the beach.
Once home, we found Mikey had returned from the store with a new flavor of crack:
I LOVE Funyuns and these chips were basically Funyuns on steroids.
Look who managed to manipulate her parents and get fed dinner twice tonight:
Totally innocent right?
Mikey and I spent the night cooking dinner and watching Willie Nelson perform on PBS. It's been a fun couple of nights.
Now we're just waiting for dinner to finish stewing (and yes, it's 9:30pm already). We're having Pork & Poblano Tamale Pie. I'm certain it'll be worth the wait.

weekend

The animals were giving Mikey lots of lovin' on Thursday night while he was resting his foot:
But first, here's a recap of the day. I had strawberry yogurt and raspberry ginger cereal for breakfast:
Lunch was Cajun Bean & Ham soup.
Mikey baked up some yams for me with a new spice mixture (S+P, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, allspice & nutmeg) so I had them for a snack mid-afternoon. They were great!
I did my favorite workout-Athletic Circuit- at 4pm. Brittany does a great job of mixing the circuit up every week. My glutes burned after class. I had a long 10 hour day at work and so I didn't get home until 7:30.
Once home I had one beer while I worked on some school work. I tried the 1554 Black Ale for the first time:
It was in our "Folly Pack" of New Belgium beers. It was good but I would only have one due to its heaviness.
While I worked on my school work, Mikey made Tangerine Beef (which was actually Bison again due to the Coop being out of flank steak):
We woke up Friday morning really excited for the day but first I had to get through the work day. Breakfast was the same yogurt & cereal combination:
I did a Cardio Mixer class over the noon hour. Holy canoli! I jumped rope for three minutes at a rigorous pace... my calves and the arches (or lack thereof) of my feet are still killing me! I was a sweaty mess afterward but it felt good to get that in before the weekend.
Our cupboards were looking pretty bare so my lunch was just oatmeal, a banana and a carrot-apple muffin:
Due to my long day on Thursday, I got to leave work early today! We had a great night ahead of us. We met some friends out for dinner. We tried the new, highly raved about sushi restaurant called Hanabi. We split 2 sushi rolls and pork wasabi pot stickers. The place was hoppin' (thank goodness we had a reservation) and so the service was sub-par but the food was great. We'll definitely go back.
Looking stylish:
Poor toe!!
Then we were off to the DECC to see WILCO!! As expected it was a phenomenal show. They played for over 2 hours. We ended up having a pretty low key night since the DECC was selling 24 oz. Budweiser (3.2% we presume) for $6.75. No thank you. The only other option was either a wine cooler or a soda. So, we went with Diet Cokes! It was a cheap, well behaved night:)
The sushi didn't sustain Mikey and so he got a Jimmy John sandwich after the show. Of course, I couldn't just watch, so I had one too- the usual veggie sandwich sans mayo.

Saturday:
I was hoping my favorite chef would have made my favorite stove top oats, but alas he had to work. So, I made my own. It turned into raspberry peanut butter oats. Kind of a weird combo but I liked it (but not as much as the Chef's):

My snack was the last apple from the fridge with some p.b.:
I worked all sucking day on a financial analysis for my Policy class. Total brain drain! I think I did some more snacking throughout the afternoon... dark chocolate squares, handful of peanuts...
I did get Anna out for a 45 minute walk/jog on the Lakewalk.

Mikey arrived home with dinner:
Falafel sandwich & fruit for me; Cheeseburger & fries for the Mr.
I worked on my class stuff until midnight and then headed to bed.

Sunday:
Mikey worked bright and early again so I was on my own for breakfast.
I had more of my favorite breakfast combo- yogurt & cereal but with leftover fruit added in:
For lunch, I boiled up a package of Butternut Squash ravioli. I topped it with pepper & parm:
I worked on my class stuff for 4 hours and then decided to take a break.
I had 2 huge yams to bake up for the week.
Chopped:
Tossed & seasoned:
Baked to perfection:
They are my favorite veggie!
For dinner, Mikey made a batch of Corn Chowder and I made a pan of corn bread:
Dinner and leftovers for the week for $29!!
Night night...

time's flyin'

February is flying by! There's never a dull moment here and this week was no exception. Mikey managed to break his toe on Sunday. It was from pure klutziness. He kicked the ottoman in our living room. So, he's been laying low for most of the week.

I started out the week by taking him to the doc but not before I had my breakfast of greek yogurt & strawberry ginger cereal:
Lunch was a veggie sandwich from Jimmy Johns. We split some chips and a diet coke.
I headed to work for the afternoon while Mikey chilled on the couch. He did surprise me by making the dinner we had planned on making on Sunday.
Dinner was scallops on a bed of asian dressed soba noodles. There were snap peas, carrots, cucumbers, bean sprouts, mint, basil and cilantro in the noodle mix:
Mikey said his valentine's gift to me was a healthy dinner. I couldn't ask for more (really!):
Tuesdays are long days with having class after work. Due to the long day, I have to pack breakfast, lunch, dinner, my workout clothes, my backpack and my laptop. I'm the bag lady!
Breakfast was oatmeal with blueberries;
Lunch was half a cup of soup and a Clif bar.
I squeezed in an elliptical workout at 4pm and re-fueled with another Clif bar prior to class. I had to meet with my group at 5pm to work on our 2nd case study. Class then went from 6-9pm.
Class was kinda long but I got my first case study back and I got one of the highest grades in the class so I was pretty happy to hear I am on the right track.
After class, Mikey and I had to run to Target and neither of us had eaten dinner so we were both ravenous. We ended up getting quarter pounders from McD's. Not good.

It's now already Wednesday and the day flew by.
Breakfast was oatmeal, a banana & coffee:
Lunch was a cup of Cajun Bean & Ham soup and some carrots and hummus:
I had a busy afternoon of meetings and so I didn't get a workout in. I'm really bummed when I don't work out on a day during the week. I crave it now and feel "off" when I don't fit it in.
However, I was delighted to see Mikey had cooked up a scrumptious dinner once I got home. He made Stir Fried Bison with Shallots. It was really good. It was the first time I've had bison. The thai marinade and sauce was perfectly balanced.
We paired it with an inexpensive but delicious white wine:
We're now catching up on the Olympics. Hooray for Lindsay Vohn winning a gold medal!

Word has it that the Buffalo Wild Wings in Duluth will be opening on March 22nd... just in time for March Madness! Bring it!!

groove

Hooray for getting our groove back! I made time to get some groceries and household stuff:
Happy Valentines Day to us:
I've been reading about Agave nectar for some time now. There happened to be a coupon for$1 off in the Coop coupon book so I decided to try it:
I also got the fixins for a taco salad:
I love spinach as a salad base. I added tomatoes, red onion, black olives, cheddar cheese, taco meat, green salsa, sour cream and a few tortilla chips.
For brunch, I had stove tops oats with a banana and peanut butter added to the oats.
I took Anna for a walk through the Park Point forest in the afternoon. It was the best walk ever! Anna got to play with a german shepherd, poodle, golden retriever, cavalier king charles, black lab & a husky. It was totally doggie paradise out on the Point. Anna played nice with all the dogs and didn't growl at any of the humans. Progress?? Let's hope so!
After our walk, I ate the the leftover sweet potatoes and then ran my errands.
Dinner was obviously a taco salad and I made a new mocktail that was pretty tasty:
I wanted to use up our frozen bananas, carrots and apples since it won't be long before our summer produce arrives. So, I boiled these:
down to this:
Homemade unsweetened apple sauce:
I needed applesauce to make banana carrot muffins. To healthify the recipe, I subbed 1 c. applesauce & 3 T. oil for 1c. oil. I also halved the amount of sugar (due to the natural sweetness in the apples). I also used half whole wheat/half all purpose flour in lieu of all white flour.
I got to try out my new mini loaf pans (thanks Dianne!):
The ingredient substitutions were a success. The muffins turned out moist, sweet & delicious:

I put the mini loaves and half of the muffins in the freezer for future on-the-go snacks. I want to run the nutritional stats to see how these turned out.

It's now Sunday and we're having a low key day.
Breakfast was a banana carrot muffin and lunch was a taco salad. Mikey's already been to work and now we're off to get some stuff for dinner before he has to go back again. He's on day 14 and hour #55 for this week. There is a break in sight mid-week!

date night

I thought you all might enjoy a picture of the construction taking place outside my office. This is the ice rink replacement project:

Wednesday was a really fun day. I had a low key day at work. I finished up the last bowl of Potato Leek soup for lunch. The fun began in the evening...
I got home before 5pm so we took Annie out for a walk on the beach. She thoroughly enjoyed it.
Afterward, Mikey and I headed down to the Zeitgeist Arts building to take in a cocktail and movie.
I had the Gin Gin June cocktail. It was like a mojito on steroids. There was gin, mint, simple syrup and ginger beer in the cocktail. It was very tasty. Mikey had a pint of Bells Two Hearted:
Zeitgeist Arts Cafe has such a cool vibe:
We then went to a one time showing of the history of Ski Jumping in Duluth's Chester Bowl (our backyard essentially) at Zinema 2. It was neat to see footage from the 1920s. The money raised was a fundraiser for the Chester Bowl improvement club and PBS. We love supporting two of our favorite things in Duluth!
After the movie, we decided to head across the street to Black Water lounge. I had $15 in gift certificates for the place. The vibe at BW lounge is swanky but the clientele is not:
It felt like we were at a casino with horrific jazz music. None the less, we had fun making up profiles for the people at the bar.

Mikey tried a glass of scotch and I had a blueberry mojito (it was the worst mojito I've ever had... mojitos should taste minty!)
For food, we shared two of their small plates: Kobe Beef sliders and blue cheese stuffed shrimp.
While eating, we found out that the band Two Many Banjos was playing at Pizza Luce at 10pm. So, we ditched Black Water and met some friends at the show. It was a great night!! I totally conked when we got home after midnight.

Thursday morning came way too soon. Thankfully, I wasn't hung over. I've become pretty good at pacing myself and drinking lots o' water throughout the night.
I had bloody oatmeal again for breakfast (oats, honey, raspberries):
For lunch I had a veggie sandwich from the food court at work.
For a snack I had an apple before doing an athletic circuit fitness class. It is by far my favorite workout currently. It's like getting a personal training session for free.
I got home in time to shower and let Anna out before heading up to Chester Creek Cafe for dinner and music. Mikey was working and invited one of his former coworkers up to catch up. The band Nice Bears was also playing from 7:30-8:30pm. The current menu at CCC is jewish fare. I had a mixed green salad that had red onions, avocado, oranges and smoked salmon on it. It was dressed with a wonderful honey citrus dressing. Here's the band playing in the wine bar:
I enjoyed a couple glasses of Earthquake Zin:
It turned into another late night with me not getting home until 10:30. I went to bed before Mikey got home from work. He had an exhausting night as the wine bar was packed! We're really running ourselves ragged but it's been fun!

TGIF!!! I had another bowl of bloody oatmeal for breakfast (thank goodness the scones are gone). I attempted to go to Cardio Kickboxing this morning but the class was full. So I did a 45 minute elliptical interval workout instead.
After that I was ready for lunch. The coffee shop was out of veggie sandwiches but they did have an egg salad sandwich:
Egg salad sandwiches are not my favorite. I was reminded why it's been like 4 years since my last one.
I signed up to be one of the on-call people for facilities management during holidays and weekends. So, I had training all afternoon on how to handle campus emergencies and trouble calls. It'll be nice to put my critical thinking skills to test:)
For dinner I scrounged up the fixins for a grilled cheese sandwich:
and baked sweet potatoes:
I'm taking it easy tonight by just having an Oatmeal Stout while watching the opening ceremonies of the winter olympics. The ceremony is rather dull compared to the Beijing opening ceremony. Mikey just got home from work and so I'm going to end this in order to catch up with him.
G'night!