It's amazing what you can get done...

when you don't sit down and watch TV at night!  Thank goodness for re-runs!

For a Monday, I was incredibly productive tonight :)  I worked out prior to coming home from work, immediately prepared a simple dinner...

Hot Ham & Cheese w/Sweet Potato Fries

Took Colby on a little shopping trip for new treats at Petco...

And a new toy (because mom's a sucker)!

Came home and did dishes.  Then ran to Target for a few last minute gifts!  Came home and made these bad boys...

Cinnamon Sugar Pretzels

Ingredients:

1 bag of pretzels (16oz)

2/3 c. vegetable oil

1/3 c. sugar

1 ½ tsp. Cinnamon

¾ c. cinnamon-sugar mixture for sprinkling

1 c. white chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Mix together oil, sugar and cinnamon.
2. Pour pretzels into a microwave safe bowl and dump in oil mixture. Stir until coated well.
3. Microwave for 1 minute on high, remove and stir. Microwave another 45 seconds more.
4. Spread pretzels evenly onto two cookie sheets.
5. While still warm, sprinkle cinnamon-sugar over top of pretzels.
6. Once cooled, melt white chocolate chips and drizzle over pretzels.
7. Store in an airtight container.

Topped off the night wrapping more gifts... almost ready for Christmas!!  Friday can't come soon enough :)

Christmas Likes!

Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?
Presents from Santa were always wrapped in our house :)

Colored lights on tree/house or white?
This year it was white lights on the tree.  In previous years, it has been blue, red, red & white, and I think one year I even had green.  I like to change things up :)  Although I do think that white is the most classic.


Do you hang mistletoe?
Nope!

What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)?
Cookies & Candy... oh wait, it says "excluding dessert" ;)  I would have to say Christmas brunch at my grandma & grandpas - and my grandma's homemade doughnuts!!  I also like a classic brown sugar glazed ham & cheesy potatoes :)

Favorite Holiday memory as a child?
Because my parents were divorced, our holidays were always very planned out so we could spend time with both mom & dad.  To me - a busy Christmas is always how it has been, and I don't know that it will ever change!  I do like Christmas Eve mass at church though - the decor, the music and mostly, my family.

Snow? Love it or dread it?
I love a white Christmas... and I like a nice 2 inches on the ground with snow covered trees.  Anymore than that I hate it.  Without snow, everything just looks brown and dead until spring.

Real tree or fake tree?
For the last 7 years I have had a fake tree because I lived in apartments & then when I bought my house, I didn't want to deal with a real tree myself.  However, this year Ryan & I went to cut down a real tree, and although I hated the process of trying to get it into the tree stand, I now love it. 

What’s the most important thing about Christmas for you?
Being with my family.

What is your favorite Holiday dessert?
Cookies & Candy!

What is your favorite tradition?
The last few years it's been my cookie baking day with my friends.  Otherwise it's just our family gatherings... I wish Thanksgiving & Christmas were further apart so it made them each more special to see everyone.

What tops your tree?
A clear metal star... bought at hobby lobby in 2004!


What is your favorite Christmas Song?
N*SYNC - Merry Christmas or the entire Mariah Carey Merry Christmas CD... and lately everything on Pandora's christmas stations :)

What do you leave for Santa?
Nothing now, but we used to leave frosted sugar cookies & milk!

Do you have a Christmas morning tradition?
Every year lately it has been different.  This year I am looking forward to waking up with Ryan & opening presents with each other before heading to my grandmas :)


Do you prefer to shop on-line or at the mall?
Online shopping!!!

7 days til Christmas!!!

In 7 days Christmas will be here and gone...
In 13 days I will be another year older...
In 13 days, another year will be done...
2011 has definitely had it's ups and downs... more downs than ups but I am ready for 2012 and a fresh start.

One of the "ups" to this year, is I have really started doing something for me, something I truly love... and that would be THIS blog, other blogs I read, and my love of cooking & baking.

I have learned so much through other blogs I read.  Specifically:

http://sixsistersstuff.blogspot.com/
http://www.pbfingers.com/
http://www.hungryrunnergirl.com/
http://cleaneatingchelsey.com/
http://sweetandsavorybysarah.blogspot.com/

Well - I had read my favorite blog earlier this week and was absolutely captivated by one particular (very easy sounding recipe):  Chocolate Crinkle Cake Mix Cookies!

4 ingredients... I think so!  Well - I am not normally a chocolate cookie person... but these are quite possibly one of my favorite cookies I have EVER made!!!

Chocolate Crinkle Cake Mix Cookies

Cookie Baking 2011

Seriously one of my favorite days of the year came yesterday.  For 5-6 years now I have been doing a cookie baking day with friends, it's amazing and each year we get more and more efficient!  This year it was my cousin Katy & friends Jenny and Holly.  Four people was perfect because I don't have a huge kitchen, and every gets to take a good amount of goodies home with them!  This year I was a bargain shopper, I started early and watched for great deals :)  This is what we produced!

Oreo Truffle Balls

Lots of different kinds of chocolate candies!

Frosted sugar cookies - dough & frosting both homemade!

Peanut Butter reindeer cookies - thanks to Pintrest!

Peanut Butter Kiss cookies & Mini Chip Snowballs

Christmas Eve Mice Cookies (chocolate covered oreo, cherry & a kiss)!

 

If anyone sees something they want and would like the recipe for, leave a comment below and I'd be happy to give it to you!!

Chex Mix

One of my favorite parts about the holiday season is making chex mix (along with all the other goodies of course!)  Chex mix is so simple, delicious and a handy snack... sometimes it baffles me that it's not made other times of the year.

Chex cereals were on sale last week 3/$4.98!!!  And the seasoning mix was on sale.  I picked up a bag of mixed nuts, added some preztels and m&m's.  For time saving reasons, I decided to make the microwaveable version instead of roasting it in the oven.  It turned out the exact same!!!  And it saved me 55 minutes of cooking :)  DOUBLE SCORE!!!

My Workout Buddy

Last night I was preparing to go the Y to run... well my plans changed when I realized my ipod was completely dead!  I can absolutely not, no way, run without my music... I get too bored!  Thankfully, I purchase an elliptical this year, which serves it's purpose when I have no desire to drive to the gym.  I am also hoping that I use it a lot this winter, instead of having to go out in the snow to workout!

Here's my workout buddy...

Sorry it's a bit blurry... I was snapping the picture while moving :)

And here's how I pass them time... movie on the laptop :)

How do you pass the time while working out?

Do you have any at-home gym equipment?

So Inspiring...

The Biggest Loser is quite possibly one of my favorite shows on TV.  While my favorite part is seeing the transformation of the contestants... the other part of the show is that it is so inspiring to me.  Tonight as I am catching the end of the episode (I missed the first 1 1/2 hours b/c of volleyball), I find myself really relating to the things the contestants are saying as they are finishing a MARATHON!!!  People who were 3-400+ pounds are completing a whole marathon.  That in itself is inspiring.  The emotion that came from them making their goals and overcoming their biggest obstacles, brought tears to my eyes!

I sit here and think... while yes, they have personal trainers and a dedicated medical staff to watch over them, I am much smaller than they are, so why can't I push myself to run faster and farther.  I signed up for the GB Cellcom half marathon in May.  Tonight's episode affirmed something:  if these contestants can run a whole marathon, then I can dedicate myself and push myself to run a half marathon in 6 months.

The official training plan does not start until January, but for now I am keeping up with my running 1-2 days per week, spinning class, sand volleyball & elliptical workouts.  Saturday I ran 4 miles at the Y - which I dread.  I don't love running outside when it's this cold, so I am trying to enjoy or at least "tolerate" running on the dreamill or around the track at the Y.  If I keep pushing myself indoors, I just know I will appreciate running outdoors that much more come spring!

... here to 13.1 miles in 165 days! 

Sometimes dinner is all about creativity!

On Mondays, normally I eat a late dinner after cycling class... however, tonight when I got home from work, I was so hungry that I decided to make dinner before class. 

It was one of those nights where you have to start using a few things in the refrigerator before they go bad... for me, that was italian sausage, a green pepper and half an onion.

I cooked up the meat, threw in onion, green pepper & a can of mushrooms... topped that off with a half jar of spaghetti sauce and served it over some pasta... AMAZINGLY good!

Italian Spaghetti

1lb ground italian sausage
1/2 green pepper, diced
1/2 onion, diced
1 can mushroom pieces
1/2 jar spaghetti sauce, any flavor
cooked pasta

Brown italian sausage on stove.  Add diced onion & pepper.  Once onions and peppers are soft, add canned mushrooms and sauce.  Cook until heated through.

Cook pasta separate.  Serve sauce over noodles & top with a sprinkle of mozzarella cheese!

Something I may have to make again :)

Christmas Tree 2011

We went and cut down our tree today!  The first picture is just to show you how tall it was to start... in the house it's about 6 feet :)

Apple Bars

The weather was so dreary yesterday that we ended up not getting our tree.  Instead, we got lots of Christmas shopping done, had a nice dinner (made by Ryan) of Teryiaki Chicken & Rice.  Sorry, I forgot to take a picture!

Then I browsed the cookbooks to find another apple dessert recipe... well I found one for Apple Bars.  Here are some pictures for your enjoyment! (p.s. don't be jealous of my Saturday night baking clothes ;))

 

 

 

Recipe:

Apple Bars

Crust:

2c. flour

½ c. margarine

½ c. sugar

2 eggs, separated

Apple Mixture:

½ Tbsp. Brown sugar

8 apples, peeled & sliced

¾ c. sugar

1 tsp. Cinnamon

¼ c. flour

Icing:

1 c. powdered sugar

½ tsp. Vanilla extract

1 Tbsp. Milk

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees. Mix flour, margarine, and sugar. Beat egg yolks into mixture. Divide mixture in half and press half into bottom of 9x13 greased pan. Combine apple mixture ingredients. Arrange apple mixture over dough. Crumble remaining dough over apples. Slightly beat egg whites and brush over mixture. Bake for 50-60 minutes. Cool partially then drizzle with icing. Serve warm or once cooled.

Enjoy!!

Pictures are back Pt. 4... Smoothie Fix

Over the summer, I made a protein smoothie for breakfast every-single-day. Then I hit a wall and couldn't drink them for a while... too much of a good thing is BAD they always say :) Well, just recently, I was able to start my morning protein smoothie routine again. Boy did I miss them. The only difference now, is while I am driving to work, I blast the heat otherwise the smoothie makes me colder than I already am with our brisk WI morning temperatures nowadays!

1 medium banana

1 T. creamy peanut butter

½ scoop Protein Powder (I use brownie batter)

1 ½ c. ice cubes

½ c. skim milk

Blend, pour, enjoy :)

Pictures are back Pt. 3... Thanksgiving Pie

It has become a Thanksgiving tradition in my family to have me make my famous Peanut Butter Pie. Years ago, my mom would always order a peanut butter pie from Perkins Restaurant to bring to Thanksgiving. However, one year, I found a recipe for a very similar peanut butter pie, so I gave it a shot. It was a HIT! For the last 3-4 years now, it has been my responsibility to bring my pie. Here's the recipe for you to enjoy :)

 Peanut Butter Pie

1 c. peanut butter, creamy

1 8oz cream cheese, softened

½ c. sugar

12 oz. Cool Whip

2 pie crusts (chocolate or graham)

1 jar hot fudge ice cream topping

Beat peanut butter, cream cheese and sugar until combined. Gently mix in 3 c. cool whip. Spoon half of the mixture into each pie crust; heat hot fudge jar in microwave (follow directions on the jar). Once heated, pour enough over each peanut butter layer to cover the pie (Reserve about 2 Tbsp for later). Refrigerate for 1-2 hours or until fudge is set. Spread tops with remainder of cool whip. Drizzle 2 Tbsp hot fudge & 2 T peanut butter over top of pies. Use Reese mini peanut butter cups to decorate the tops!

Each pie serves 8 :)

Have you seen how adorably mini these are?!?!

Pictures are back Pt. 2... Fall is the perfect weather for chili, soups and stews

When I make chili, I follow the directions on the back of the McCormick chili seasoning packet. It makes the perfect chili in no time at all. It freezes great. We had this chili a few weeks ago, and then froze the rest. Well on Packer Sunday, there's nothing better than warm chili or soup. We cooked up some elbow noodles and served our chili topped with cheese and fresh bakery bread on the side! Perfect fall Sunday :)

Last week, we decided one of our weeknight meals would be beef stew. Anyone in my life who knows me well, knows that I am just not a beef-eating or making kinda gal :) However, I know it's something Ryan really likes, so I try! I have never made beef stew before... so I resorted to my good friend, “McCormick” for help :) This had to be one of the easiest recipes I have ever made, and it actually turned out incredibly yummy. It also made my house smell of Beef Stew for 2 days. I am willing to bet Colby felt like he was being tortured all day while I was at work and the stew was simmering away in the crock pot.

 Tortured Colby...

Pictures are back Pt. 1... Apple Crisp

So I finally got the last few months of pictures uploaded to my computer.  Here's a recipe round-up for your enjoyment!!

My dad's Apple Crisp recipe has to be one of the best recipes in the world, and one of my personal favorites! This is another recipe that I love to make on fall days... warm and hot right out of the oven! It's even better served with vanilla ice cream... but since I don't keep ice cream in the house, we had to make do without :)

Dad's Apple Crisp

6 medium apples, peeled and cored

½ tsp. Cinnamon

¾ c. brown sugar

1 ½ c. old fashioned oats

1 stick of butter, melted (¼ c.)

¾ c. flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread apples on the bottom of a 9x13 greased glass baking dish. Mix cinnamon, brown sugar, oats, butter and flour together. Spread over top of apples. Bake for 40 minutes or until golden brown.

 

Workouts you Like

So Ryan has been trying to talk me into starting the P90X series like he has been doing for the last few weeks.  I am totally proud of him for sticking with it and he actually really loves doing it.  I, on the other hand, do not love to sweat it out in my living room for more than a few minutes.  But I really want to give it a try.  The problem is, P90X is about an hour and 15 minutes long everyday!!  That is just too much time to devote when I have other workouts on my schedule during the week.  So, I decided that if I can start with shorter videos, maybe I can learn to like a longer workout video like P90X.

I am a HUGE lover of hulu.com... seriously, I watch more TV on there, than I do when the shows are actually on.  Well in the search box, I typed "exercise" and ExerciseTV came up.  Low and behold they have a whole channel of exercise videos that you can use.  Some are just demo videos and then you need to carry the moves out afterwards, but some are a bit longer and give you short 10 minute workouts to complete.  You should check them out, here.

Tonight - after 12 minutes on the elliptical, I completed about 18 minutes of videos:
-Sexy Legs

-Ab Trimmer
-Very Sexy Arms
-Rear View

So it wasn't the longest workout in the world, but surprisingly after the lunges & squats... I was feeling the burn in my legs!  Apparently I need to start strength training again!


I feel like I need to establish a typical workout routine.  I know that I go to Cycling on Monday's & I play volleyball on Tuesday's but the rest of the week is usually random.  For the last 6 months I have been running on Saturdays and typically one other day of the week.  I know with the Cellcom Green Bay 1/2 Marathon training starting soon - that I will need to pick up my running to 3-4 times per week.

EEK... I can't believe I registered to run 13.1 miles in ONE day... or rather... 2 hours and 30 minutes (goal time).  And you bet, as soon as I finish... I'm getting myself one if these!!!

What does your typical workout routine look like?

What motivates you to stick to a routine?