Spin, Snow, Soup and Sandwiches

Tuesday night, I took an hour spin class at the gym.  The entire class was full and as a late arriver, I got the older model "reject" bike in the back corner.  Little did I know that I was also seated behind the class spirit queen.  The instructor was great, she had the best music, my old bike worked fine, and it was an awesome workout.  But, the girl in front of me felt the need to scream "Wahooooo" or "Yeaahhhh" each time a new song started.  I mean...seriously?  I just don't get it.

It was a snowy night and neither Kevin or I felt like cooking.  Soup and sandwiches to the rescue.

Lately, I have been obsessed with V8 soups.  So good.

I love the texture of this soup.  Much heartier than other tomato soups I have tried.

Grilled Turkey and Provolone on Rye for dunking.

Rye bread is my new obsession.  

Warm, filling and deliciously easy dinner.  


Fellow East Coasters: Stay warm during the "big snow" that is coming.  I plan to make french onion soup, drink my new favorite beer (Flying Dog In-Heat Wheat), shower my dog and cat with attention, watch too much TV, and hopefully do some sledding in the park. :)

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Changes

Hi all. As you should be able to see, unless you are viewing through Google Reader, I am working to change the layout of the blog. I have been wanting to do this for awhile now, but was scared about screwing everything up. I finally just went for it, and hope that my IT degree will prove useful.

I already removed a few items, by mistake, so those will be back along with a few new things! Please stick around through the transition period...as there will be a "cool" contest in the coming weeks after all the dust has settled.

Bee Pollen has been making a daily appearance in my morning oatmeal. It has a subtle sweetness, along with a little extra crunch.

My new favorite combo: oatmeal, skim milk, blueberries, cinnamon, agave nectar, bee pollen, almond butter.

My new favorite combo + white chocolate chips = even better. Dinner last night was outstanding. Spicy Mahi-Mahi. Grill marks make me happy for some odd reason. Kevin basically threw a bunch of stuff together to make a marinade and I wasn't keeping track. I do know there was soy sauce, EVOO, apple cider vinegar, and jerk seasoning in the mix.

Mashed Parsnips.

Added a little skim milk, smart balance, salt & pepper while mashing. FYI - these smell disgusting when they are steaming, but end up having a sweet flavor.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts.

Flavored with a little EVOO, salt, and pepper before baking for 15 mins at 400 degrees.

Work-out wise, it was a "model" Monday. I woke up early and did Jillian Michaels 30-day Shred Workout before work! Then, after work, I headed into my favorite spin class after a 2-week hiatus. It was a tough, sweaty workout - just the way I like them.

In case you were wondering, Oscar is mostly back to his normal self! The limp is pretty much gone and we have gone back to our regular, daily walks. (Minus the ball for now). We are thinking it was a sprain.

He has been enjoying his "Weight Management" food immensely. Since it is new, he thinks it is a special treat.

His quick recovery is mainly attributable to Lucy's nurturing ways.

These two have been attached at the hip. :)

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No Pudge Brownies (1.29.2009)

I think I have decided what I am going to get for dinner tonight...thanks to all your suggestions. Will do a full review tomorrow!

Last night, I took an hour spin class at the gym. My first Wednesday spin class and I won't be going back. The instructor didnt stop talking the entire time and said the corniest things. The worst "motivational" line of the night, "Ride like you stole that bike". Umm, no thanks.

I may be the last person on earth to try these, but I finally picked up some "No Pudge" Brownies. It says you just have to add yogurt. Easy enough. I added some chobani vanilla greek yogurt.The box also tells you that the batter will be thick. They weren't joking. My arm was aching from mixing this batter. Spreading it in the pan was challenging - the texture was like a thick, sticky icing.

I couldn't believe it, but they did puff up and came out great. I really liked how "fudgy" they were. No pudge, but fudgy? sold.I have to share my favorite new video of Oscar and Lucy. Lucy was playing with Oscar's rope and he gently grabbed it back. The tv show playing in the background is a guilty pleasure of mine. ;)

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I Got My Butt Kicked (12.01.2008)

What a way to start December! I have never...in my life...taken a harder spin class than I did tonight - and I loved every minute of it.

As I walked into the Merritt Athletic Club in Canton, I was completely overwhelmed. This place is huge. It was my first time working out here and I had no idea where anything was. The place is a bit of a "scene", if you know what I mean. Lots of people there to be seen. Plus, it was a Monday, so just about every inch of this massive gym was packed. Instead of fighting the masses for equipment, I decided to take a spin class. The spin room had at least 40 bikes in there - no lie.

The instructor had the best music - the really good old school hip hop that I LOVE. He was extremely hard core and didn't give us a second to breathe. If you wanted a break - you had to take it because he wasn't stopping for the entire 45 mins. I found this really motivated me to work harder. I will definitely be going back next Monday!

Dinner tonight was simple and delicious. I always have the coconut crusted tilapia on hand to throw in the oven for a quick meal. On the side, I mashed up some steamed cauliflower and mixed in skim milk, swiss cheese, light whipped butter, parsley, fresh ground red and black pepper, and a pinch of salt. YUM.Dessert was a mini fat-free, sugar-free cheesecake flavor pudding pie with a few milk chocolate chips on top.Lucy is now completely acclimated to the house and loves to explore. She especially enjoys chasing the moving arrow across the screen of my laptop. I tried to catch her in the act, but instead, got a close up of her coming towards me. She loves to rub against my face. What a sweetie.Speaking of sweeties - here is great shot of my main man - Oscar - watching the turkey bowl football game. love him.Hope everyone has a great night!

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