Tina 20-Something - The Life of an Iowa Girl

Pizza Night Date Night- sort of....

2009-08-20T21:08:00.005-05:00

Happy Thursday Everyone!!! How was your day?!?! Mine?! okay... I guess. I actually had a REALLLLLY hard time getting out of bed this morning and I didn't end up getting a work out in, but its okay.... some times you need a rest day! Right?!? I am a little bit mad at myself. Today was gorgeous and I would have loved to have gotten in a run in this fabulous weather. Tomorrow...

Tonight was ACTUALLY supposed to be a night at the Valley Junction Farmers Market but with the crazy weather I opted for plan B. Today was such a weird day. It was sunny and beautiful one minute and then down pouring the next. Gotta love Iowa.... :)

We ended up heading to Gateway Market for wine and bite for dinner. Gateway has $2 glasses of wine from 4:30pm- 6:30pm LOVE THAT!!! CHEERS!!!

We sat outside!! What a great night to sit outside and sip some vino!!! I had a glass of Chardonnay and Aaron had some Pinot Noir. I loooooooooooooooooooooooooove wine!! :)

For dinner we decided to split the Chicken Pesto Pizza. New to the menu!! And it was so delicious!!!! I am mildly obsessed with tomatoes so it totally made my night to get in a few on the pizza. AND I love, love, love pesto!!! Supposedly my parents are making some homemade tonight so... I'll let you know how that turned out for them.....

The crust was crunchy!! Aaron's favorite!!

MMMMmmmmm!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We love pizza!!! Isn't pizza and vino the best combo EVER??

My slice with some fresh basil!!!

I seriously LOVE Gateway Market!! The menu is so diverse and you can't beat a $2 glass of wine. For dessert- because dinner is always better with dessert we had some mini cheese cakes!

Just enough... I had chocolate chip and Aaron had mint something.... Both were SOOO good!!! Especially with a little sip of wine!

Almost Friday!!! TGIF!!! I can't wait!! Any big plans this weekend??? I will be spending a large portion of the weekend "shopping" for last minute things for our trip to Italy!!! I'll be out of town next weekend in Chicago for a wedding so this is really my last few days to get some stuff ready!!! We really are sooooo excited!!! Sept 4th can't get here soon enough!! PS- we never actually finished the movie last night... usually we aren't people that just turn movies off but last night was an exception. So, nothing to report! SORRY!!! Hope you all have an AMAZING and FAST Friday!!! Talk to you soon!! :)

Pasta and peanuts -- MMMMmmm good!

2009-08-19T20:06:00.006-05:00

Happy Wednesday!!! How is everyone doing?! Hope your week is going fabulously!!! Last night was a BIG BIG night!! My mom, aunt, and I made an appearance at the BIG Iowa State Fair!! So much fun!! We ate lots of YUMMMY things!!! Pizza, corn dogs, salted nut rolls, cup-o-cookies, wine, and much more!! ALLLL so good! I love the Iowa State Fair!! I didn't take too many pictures tho... still trying to figure out how to use the new camera. Here is a shot of my mom and aunt! They REALLLLLY wanted to make a debut on the blog!!

We had a glass of wine or 2 at the Iowa Wine tent!! Enough about the fair..... I don't have any fun pictures to post so... not as much fun to type about.

This morning I was worried it was going to rain on me so I opted for the gym. I did 2 miles on the treadmill 6.0 at 5.0 incline!! What a FREAKING workout!!! And I did another 20 minutes on the elliptical. I was drenched when I was finished but felt great after all the junk food the night before.

For breakfast I had my usual.... Quaker Oat cereal and blueberries. Lunch was a quickie- banana and Activia mixed berry smoothie so by the time I was home I was pretty hungry!!! I decided to make some pasta tonight for dinner!!

Aaron was trying out the new camera.....

I cut up some tomatoes and mixed it with some salt, pepper, garlic salt, and fresh basil for my "sauce." I also steamed some broccoli to add some veggies in as well.

Here is Aaron's plate. He just wanted some pasta with "jar" sauce.

He topped his plate with some broccoli too. Gotta get the veggies in....

And... Here is my bowl!! It was actually WAY WAY too much pasta but I did pick through and eat most of the veggies!! I topped it with a little Parmesan cheese. It was soooo yummy! I think I've mentioned this before but I've been pretty obsessed with fresh tomatoes this summer ESPECIALLY the ones from my grandparents garden!!

AND for dessert.....

These might be my new favorite treats!! They really aren't that bad and ONLY 120 calories!!

I had to get my sweet treat in- DUH!!!

Aaron had a cup-o-cookie I brought him home last night and this salted nut roll!! Sooooooo good!!!!

I might have had a little bite too!! This was AMAZING!!! Gotta love the fair food! :)

Tonight after dinner we ran a few errands and then rented a movie-Obsessed. I'll let you know how it is.... so far not so hot! Glad it was only $1!!

I can't believe its dark out at 8:45!! Wasn't it just a few nights ago when it was light until like 9:30!!!????? Where did summer go?!?!!?! Does anyone else feel like summer just FLEW by?? Seriously??!! I am soooo not ready for it to be over! :(

Okay, enough complaining... Hope you all have a great night!!!!!! Talk to you soon! PS- We are LOVING our new camera!! Can't wait to take it to Italy with us!! :)

Never fear... I'm still HERE!!!

2009-08-17T21:17:00.002-05:00

Hello EVERYONE!!! Happy Monday!!!!! How was your weekend?? How is your week going so far??! We had a busy weekend!!! Friday night was a fun dinner with friends and Saturday night we made the trip to Rochester for our twin niece and nephew's baptism on Sunday. Quick little trip but soooooo great to see everyone!! Today was a busy day as well... gotta love Mondays! I actually made a VERY yummy dinner and took pictures of it BUT we bought a new camera tonight and I want to play with that so.... no pictures tonight!! Tomorrow- Promise... well... may be NOT tomorrow... We are heading to the IOWA STATE FAIR tomorrow night so... probably Wednesday. Forgive me PLEASEEEEE and hang in there!! I'm VERY excited to use the new camera!!! I'll post lots of pictures next blog! Okay?!?!!... off to play!! Talk to you all VERY SOON!!! Have a great night!!

A Salad Eating Machine

2009-08-12T19:37:00.003-05:00

Gooooood Evening Everyone!! Happy Hump day!!! How is your Wednesday treating you?! I had an okay Wednesday! Work has had me a little bit stressed out but I'm hanging in there.... another day closer to Friday. So, I just realized that the 3 out of 4 meals (not including breakfast) have been salads the past few days!! Yummmmy!!! Tuesday for lunch I had a Cashew Chicken Salad from Culver's. Not pictured and really not that bad either. I was on the road and had few choices... Last night I met my mom for a glass of wine and dinner at Gateway Market! We both had a couple glasses of Chardonnay and the Market Salad!! LOVED it!!!

A GREAT mix of greens topped with some Feta cheese!! Yummy!! It was gorgeous here yesterday and this salad and a glass of vino was just what the I needed after a loooong day of work!! We did however; keep droooling over all the other fabulous dishes they were bringing out for other tables so I will probably try to branch out next visit.

Today I had an Activia Smoothie for breakfast!! I didn't work out this morning so I wasn't all that hungry but by lunch I was STARVING!!!!!! I actually hurried up and made an egg white sandwich with a little bit of cheese on a bagel. I know, I know.... bagels are grrreat for you but I've been craving them and finally decided to give in and by some at the store this past weekend and I've enjoyed every single bit I've had- thank you very much!!

For dinner we had a Mexican Fiesta!!! Aaron made beef tacos...

And I grilled some shrimp and tomatoes for a Mexican Shrimp salad. YUMMY!!! It was fabulous!! And the shrimp was AMAMZING!!!!

I topped it with a little bit of cheese and some salsa!!! So FREAKING good!!

A very light summerish salad!! PS the tomatoes are from my little tomato plant and they were really sweet and really yummy!! I'm very proud of my gardening skills!! My love for tomatoes has really grown this summer!

And for dessert......

I stole this bad boy from my parents house earlier this week!! Can you FREAKING believe Halloween candy is ALREADY in the stores!!!???!???! I love Halloween candy!! I also grabbed a bag of Candy Corn this week at the store too!! I've had a couple handfuls here and there! :) Aaron and I split this tonight and it really hit the spot!!! So delicious!! Not ready for fall yet but I will take advantage of the sweet treats while we have them.

Well... that's all folks!!! I am really really ready for a relaxing evening!! I need it!! Trust me! Long week so far..... Hope you all have a great night!!! Talk to you soon!!

Working it, working it.....

2009-08-10T19:42:00.002-05:00

Hey Everyone!! Happy Monday!! Hope you all had a FABULOUS day!!! My day was pretty busy... I have a stressful and busy next 2 days ahead... AARRGGHHHHHHHHHhhhhhhhh!!!!!!! Oh, well... what can you do?! I'm sure a glass of vino will be in my near future.

I didn't really take any pictures today and I really didn't eat anything to terribly exciting either. Sorry!

Activia Smoothie
Grapes
Banana
Turkey Sandwich
Candy corn (yes, I just typed that- can you believe its in the stores already?!?! it isn't even fall yet!! but i love it!)

I don't have much time to blog tonight... just didn't want to NOT blog tonight!!! Hope you all understand.... Gotta get back to work- preparing for my next 2 days.

Have a great night!! Talk to you soon!! Pictures next time... promise! :)

A lazy rainy Sunday

2009-08-09T20:09:00.003-05:00

Hey Everyone!!! Happy Sunday!!! Hope you all had a FABULOUS weekend!! Seriously can't believe its almost over.... :( Today was a crazy day- weather wise. It was hot and sunny and then dark and rainy. And then at about 6:30 another storm blew in. Aaron actually grabbed the camera to take a picture and before he could he could even take the picture SERIOUSLY 60mph winds came out of NO where and then a BIG storm started. I love a good ol' thunderstorm but this baby was WINDY!!! Kind of crazy.... This weekend was pretty low key. Aaron was back in his home town for the weekend and I took advantage of the Tax Free weekend we had here in Iowa and did some shopping. I actually didn't get much but.... I sure did a lot of looking.

Friday night Aaron and I went to see Julie and Julia. Grrreat movie!! I love it!! Meryl Streep was AMAZING!!!! Hilarious! Fantastic!! And Amy Adams was adorable. Go see it if you get the chance.... I had Panera for dinner. You pick 2. Bacon Turkey Bravo minus the bacon and there garden salad. It was Fabulous!! I love Panera. No, picture. Sorry! And Aaron had some popcorn for dinner!! Nutritious of us huh?!

Saturday morning I was able to get in about 5 mile run/walk. I ran 4 miles and then walked about a mile. It was HOT. Not as hot as I thought it was supposed to be here this weekend but definitely not some thing I've had to deal with much this summer. We've been pretty lucky here in Iowa. The weather has been pretty freaking great this summer. Can't complain... great running weather for sure.

After my run I met up with my parents at the mall and did some shopping! I was on a mission to find some "comfy shoes" for our Italy trip but was pretty unsuccessful... I'll keep looking. We spent the majority of the afternoon shopping around and for dinner mom and I met up with dad and had some Los Cabos!!! MY FAVORITE Mexican restaurant EVER!! I had the chicken fajitas and AGAIN didn't take a picture. Sorry!! They were very yummy though...

Today I woke up pretty early and decided to get some Starbucks. I figured that since I was up I might as well get my grocery shopping finished. I did some "deep" cleaning after that. Felt great!! My house needed a good deep clean. So, by 11ish I had finished all my "chores" for the day and was READY to relax!!! I did just that.... I pretty much did NOTHING today!! Which felt AMAZING!!! I needed it too... I have a very busy week ahead of me... work-wise. I did get over to see my grandparents and they gave me some tomatoes, zucchini, and peppers from there garden!! YAH!!! Can't wait to start cooking with them....

And I did just that....

Tonight, I decided to make Brushcetta for dinner with tomato and basil. IT WAS SO YUMMY!!! LOVED IT!!!

I chopped tomatoes and fresh basil and added some salt, pepper, and garlic salt to make my topping. Gorgeous huh?!

Then I cut up a loaf of bread, brushed some Olive Oil on it, and put it on my grill pan. PS- Grill pan best purchase EVER!!

After I grilled the bread I topped the slices with my tomato mixture!! And ATE!!! It was so freaking yummy!!! I love, love, love brushetta!! Love it!! And its such a SUMMER type of meal.

So yummy!! I can't stop thinking about it.... I will FOR SURE make this AGAIN VERY soon!!!

Aaawww..... what a great weekend!! So low-key and SOOOO relaxing!! :) Sad, its over but I have a BIG week ahead of me and I am READY to tackle it!! Hope you all have had a great weekend!! Not sure how much blogging I'll get in the next few days but I'll try..... Hope you have a great night!! Have a great week this week!! Talk to you soon!

Chopsticks and Bedroom Furniture

2009-08-05T20:19:00.002-05:00

Good Evening Everyone!! Happy Wednesday! Hope you all had a fabulous Hump Day!! I did. My day went by rather quickly... love that. I did about 4.5 miles this morning. It felt grrreeat! I realized this morning that I hadn't ran since Friday morning. It was a nice break but I am glad to be back at it. :) I also decided I think I am going to run the Des Moines 1/2 Marathon in October which means I need to get my butt in gear REALLY quickly. I am excited about this. This will be my first race. Starting small... hoping to work my way up to a full marathon some day.

This morning I made ANOTHER fruit salad. Minus the banana. Just wasn't that hungry. So I decided to save it for later.

I had another Activia Fruit Smoothie (mixed berry) for a mid morning snack and was able to make it home for lunch again. I wasn't terribly hungry but I wanted something to stick with me so I had a banana and Barney Butter sandwich. MMMMMmmmmmmmmmmm!! What a fabulous combo.

After work I met Aaron and Homemakers AGAIN and we FINALLY pulled the trigger and ordered a bedroom set!! YIPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :) I am SOOOOOOOOOO excited!! I can't wait. 4-6 weeks for delivery. Not bad, not bad. I'll post pictures once it arrives!! Hopefully, this one will fit in our hallway this time! Fingers crossed. :)

For dinner I was CRAVING Z' Mariks noodle cafe. I first started eating Z' Mariks when I was living in Iowa City and have been in love it with ever since. It seems every few months I find a new obsession. Last few months I've been on a spicy kick. Tonight I had the Thai Stir-fry served over a bed of lettuce instead of a bed of rice and it was FREAKING AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!! I love, love, love, love this stuff. It had chicken, roasted peanuts, broccoli, and carrots sauteed in a Spicy Peanut Sauce and it was FABULOUS!! Again, no picture. Sorry! I went there straight after Homemakers and didn't get home to grab my camera. I think I need to just start carrying my camera with me at ALLL times folks. Seriously, this meal was so yummy and I really am disappointed I don't have a picture for you all to see and drool over. Next time...

Well, not much else to say. Dinner was great, my run this morning was fabulous, and we finally ordered a MUCH needed bedroom set. Today was a BIG day!! I'm off to finish watching Hell's Kitchen with the hubby!! Hope you all have a great night!!! Talk to you tomorrow.

I'm back!!!!! Sorry!

2009-08-04T20:59:00.004-05:00

Good Evening Everyone!! Happy Tuesday!! Hope you are all having really great week so far and had a fabulous weekend! SORRY I've been MIA. Its been a crazy week. I can't believe tomorrow is ALMOST hump day!! Whooooo hooooo!! I don't know about you but my week is FLYING BY!!! Nice! :) Closer to the weekend! This past weekend we had SO much fun in Boji! My husband and I went to a lake about 3 hours away from here with another couple for the weekend and we had a BLAST!! The weather was kind of crummy but we still had a lot of fun. AND I am REALLLY REALLY REALLY sad to say I didn't take any pictures. Not sure why... just kind of forgot about the camera. I need to get better at that. Sorry!!

Monday was a busy day. I was swamped with work stuff and then Aaron and I decided to meet at a light store (we are looking for some new light fixtures) and then we headed to Homemakers to look at some stuff. We ended up getting a new leaning mirror for the living room and we MIGHT have found a new bedroom set. I'll let you know for sure when and if we pull the trigger. After all that I ran to the store to get some groceries. We had NOTHING in the house!! So I am happy to say we FINALLY made something exciting for dinner.

For breakfast this morning I made a little fruit salad. Blueberries, strawberries, and cantaloupe. YUMMY!!! :)
I debated about cutting up a banana too but I wasn't that hungry and decided to save it later for a snack. Mid morning I had an Activia Smoothie!! LOVE those! Mixed berry flavored and a banana.

I was able to run home for lunch and I decided to grab a 100 calorie pack of pretzel chips before I was off to target to spend the rest of my lunch break searching for a new lamp. No luck and No picture. Sorry!

Dinner was FABULOUS!!! Aaron and I both LOVED this!!! We were talking on our ride home from the lake with the couple we went to Boji with and they gave us a great idea for a new chicken dish. So, I will admit this wasn't my idea. Thanks Jeremy!!

I baked chicken tonight with fresh mozzarella, spinach, fresh basil, and some of my cute little baby tomatoes. SOOOOO YUMMY!!! Even Aaron like it!! YIPPY!!! :)

Aaron had a glass of wine with his dinner. This was a new bottle we purchased at Costco a few weekends ago. I had a little sip! Pretty tasty!!

Here is my plate. I had my chicken with some broccoli. YUMMY!! Seriously, I was so proud of myself... this was REALLY good.

Not so clear. SORRY!

Here is Aaron's plate. He had some bread sticks, corn, and broccoli with his chicken. And he LOVED this meal too!

So, I'm trying... I was so proud of myself tonight for making this. It was REALLY easy and it was so tasty!! I will definitely be making this again.

Well, I have a little bit of work I need to do before tomorrow. Seriously, I can't believe it is almost Wednesday.....what a crazy fast busy week. I didn't work out today.... just too tired. Looking forward to getting in a good run tomorrow morning. So, I need to try to get to bed early. Sorry its been a few days since my last post. Hopefully this week will be better. Have a good night!! Talk to you tomorrow!! :)

A glass of wine and a trip to the mall makes a girl happy

2009-07-30T20:52:00.006-05:00

Happy Thursday Everyone!! It's ALMOST TGIF!!! :) How is your day going? Hopefully FABULOUSLY!! :) So, Aaron and I were just chatting and we just realized that the ONLY night we had dinner this week was Monday. SAD!!! We are both sitting here STARVING but, its too late to eat something now. So, we will have to go to bed hungry! I'm not really sure what the heck we were doing this week but, we never really got around to making dinner which STINKS!!! :( Hopefully next week will be much better..... hopefully... So, tomorrow we are heading up to Okoboji for the weekend with some friends so we will be MIA. I'll have to update you on Sunday or Monday about our weekend. I will tell you I am SOOOOOOOOO excited to get away. Hopefully the weather will be SUNNY and warm.

This morning I did a 4 mile run and for breakfast I had some fruit and an english muffin with some I can't believe its not butter.... which was a mistake. I should have put some PB or Barney Butter for some protein because by 10 am I was STARVING!!!

I made a mix of banana, cantaloupe, and blueberries. YUMMY!!! My fruit supply is running low... sad. I'll get some more on Monday for next week. And here is my pretty english muffin. LOVE IT!! Would have loved it more with some PB on it though.

This week I was given a FABULOUS gift.... 30% off at Banana Republic, Gap, and OLD NAVY and because I'll be out of town this weekend I felt it was necessary to get my butt there tonight and shop, shop, shop!! And I did just that.... my mom came over and we headed to the mall. LOVE IT!!! Did a bit of damage but, most of the stuff I got I needed for our upcoming trip to Italy. LOTS of black!! :) Aaron went out with a few friends after work for a drink so by the time we both made it home tonight and AFTER I finished up some work I needed to do it was pretty late and dinner wasn't going to happen. SO...... we decided to have a glass of wine. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE wine!! I threw a couple of blueberries in my glass too!! I love putting raspberries and blueberries in my wine. I swear it makes the wine better! :)

NOT VERY CLEAR!!! SORRY!!! Not a very expense bottle of wine but, we really like it!

Well, I really really hope you all have a great rest of your night!! I am sooo ready for the weekend I can't even tell you... I'm off to pack for tomorrow. Jeans and a sweatshirt FOR SURE. It might get a bit chilly this weekend. I'll be sure to take lots of pictures this weekend and let you know how the festivities go. Have a great night everyone!! :) Talk to you in a few days!!

I've been a BAD blogger

2009-07-29T20:49:00.002-05:00

Let me first start by saying I think I was just punished by the computer b/c I've been a VERY bad blogger lately. I went to grab the computer and it shocked me. Literally, shocked me. Not just a little shock, but a BIG one!!! It actually still kind of hurts.... So, the blogger gods have spoke and let me tell you I will listen. Ouch! It still hurts! I will try to be better... SORRY!!! So, anyway... HAPPY HUMP DAY!!! How was is your week going?? Mine has been very busy!! Very, very busy! I don't have this exciting list of things I've been doing. In fact, I'm not sure what I've been doing but, I've been busy. Time has flown by the past few days. SERIOUSLY!! Does it feel like a Thursday to anyone else??! I've been thinking its Thursday allllllll day today. I think I'm just ready for the weekend. Any exciting plans for the weekend? We are thinking we are going to be heading to Okoboji this weekend but, there are few kinks we still need to smooth out. Working on it....

So, Tuesday was a very busy day. I had a lot going on for work and then when I finally got home from work I had MORE work to do. I spent the majority of the night last night WORKING!! BOOO!!! Oh, well... some times you gotta do it. For breakfast Tuesday I made a mini fruit salad. YUMMY!!! I was so full after this baby. Isn't it colorful?

It had banana, blueberries, strawberries, and cantaloupe. Perfect mix of flavors! I was actually able to get home for lunch on Tuesday afternoon as well. I love getting to go home for lunch. I actually met Aaron there and I made a wrap with some of the leftover chicken strips I made on Sunday night. I was so full after this.

I actually threw this baby on the grill pan. I wanted a grilled sandwich instead of a microwaved wrap. Much better option! :)

We actually didn't do much for dinner at our house last night... I was busy working and Aaron was busy touching up still from the painting we did this weekend and then we moved all the furniture out of the living, dinning, and family rooms because we were going to have the carpets cleaned today. And when I say "we" I mean Aaron. :) So, dinner pretty much consisted of me snacking on some more fruit and I had a package of pretzel crisps. I love those things!

This morning I ran 4 miles. I know, boring... I'd like to get up and run more but, its been hard for me to get out of bed in the mornings... and FINALLY figured out why- it isn't bright and sunny in the mornings like it used to be a few weeks ago. SAD!!!!!!!!!!! :( That means summer is coming to an end... the day light isn't as much as it used to be in the mornings. That depresses me. I'm just NOT ready for summer to end. BOooooo!!

So, for breakfast a I had a bowl of cereal with a banana and blueberries and for lunch I was traveling so I didn't get much to eat. I did have an Activia Smoothie again mid-morning.

This might be my new favorite breakfast. I love the cereal mixed with the fruit and I REALLY fills me up for the morning.

I didn't have a whole lot for dinner either or NOTHING really worth blogging about. I did have a little bit of turkey with some pepper jack cheese when I got home from work and I did have some cantaloupe before I left the house to go visit my grandparents and Aunt but, other then that nothing to exciting. I have a pretty good feeling I will be STARVING in the morning especially since I am pretty hungry right now. I hate to eat this late so I am refusing to do so. So tomorrow's breakfast will surely be a big one. :) Well... I am going to get ready for bed. Sorry, I've been a bad blogger and SORRY I haven't really eaten anything worthy of blogging about the last few days- I PROMISE tomorrow will be better. Promise. Hope you all have a great night tonight!! It's almost Thursday..... That much closer to Friday! YAHHHHhhh!! :) Night, Night!

Me vs the Green Monster

2009-07-27T20:30:00.002-05:00

Good Evening Everyone!! Happy Monday!! How did your Monday go?!? My day was good. A Monday. Pretty uneventful. So... I am thinking I might just have to blog once a day. My mornings get a little bit hectic trying to blog so.... I'm going to try doing it in the evenings for a while and see how things work out.

This morning I popped out of bed rather easily! Which is a bit surprising because I had a really hard time falling a sleep and didn't sleep very well last night. May be it was because I was sooooo excited to try a GREEN Monster!!!??! :) I did a little over a 4 mile run this morning and then came home and whipped this bad boy up!!

I will admit I gagged a bit. NOT because it wasn't tasty because it was but, because I kept thinking I was going to swallow a piece of spinach whole or something.... I dunno. May be I am crazy. I will make it again but, my first try was a bit rocky... Here is what I put in it.

Spinach
frozen banana
a handful of blueberries
a handful of strawberries
a little bit of Barney Butter
milk
ice

For a snack later that day I had ANOTHER smoothie. A strawberry Activia one. Dinner tonight was a late one. After work we went over to see my Grandma and Grandpa and pick my brother up from the airport. For dinner we all went to Francies. I had a grilled chicken salad and the boys (my brothers and hubby) had sandwiches and burgers. YUMMY!! I love that place!!! No pictures tonight.... We left in a hurry and I didn't grab my camera. SORRY!! Well... I am going to go watch the end of the Bachlorette and get ready for tomorrow!! Hope you all have a great night!!! Talk to you tomorrow! Night, Night! :)

A weekend recap

2009-07-26T20:22:00.004-05:00

Whoa, what a crazy busy weekend we had!! How are you? How was your weekend? I can't believe it is almost over. BOOO!!! :( Sunday nights make me so sad. But, enough about that... lets recap the weekend. Friday night we stayed in and tried to finish up painting. We were up pretty late working but, did exactly finish it just yet... a few touch-ups are needed!! Saturday morning we woke up pretty early to get going on some of the touch-ups. I had the last of the blueberries while Aaron ran to the store to get some Starbucks.

I had a skinny latte. I love STARBUCKS!!! What a way to start a Saturday huh?!

Aaron also surprised me with a bagel. YUMMY!! :)

I cut the bagel in 1/2 and toasted it. I topped it with some I can't believe its not butter spray. BORING!!! I know, but I love it!

Here is Aaron taking some of the tape off. Isn't that color FABULOUS!! We love it!! I am very happy with how it turned out. I just wish my couch would FREAKING get here!!

Our formal dinning room.... Don't worry, we are getting a new light fixture!! I'd like to go looking for one this week but, we will see.

Saturday afternoon I did a 4 mile run again and it KICKED my butt!! It was TERRIBLE!! It was so freaking windy and it was hot and I have a REALLY REALLY REALLY hard time working out in the afternoon. I would way prefer a workout in the morning to the evening. How about you??! Saturday night we went over to one of Aaron's co-workers house for a cook out!! We had a lot of fun!! We brought some chicken and steak over to grill and they supplied the sides. Some fresh fruit and pasta salads! It was yummy!! No, pictures though.... SORRY!!! I forgot my camera at home.

This morning I wanted to use some of the eggs and the bread we had so I made Aaron some breakfast!! The kitchen smelled so good!! Sonoma wasn't sure what I was making but, she sure wanted some.....

We love her.... she got a few bites don't worry!!

Isn't that french toast beautiful!?!? Aaron made some bacon while I whipped up the french toast.

I had the other 1/2 of my bagel with egg whites and some cheese!!

Today we ran around like crazy people!! We went to Costco, Homemakers, Slumberland (Yep, still looking for a bedroom set), and HyVee and before we knew it was 4:00 and we were starving!! I decided this morning that I wanted to try and make some of the Planko crusted chicken strips. They were REALLY REALLY good!! But, first when we were at the store and were VERY hungry Aaron decided he wanted to get some bread to dip in an olive oil balsamic mixture. This was our little appetizer and was VERY tasty!

While the chicken strips were baking I grabbed a couple of the baby tomatoes off my little plant on the deck. She is getting so big!! I am so proud of her... and the tomatoes are so yummy!!

My salad. I actually mixed up a little bit of bbq sauce and fat free ranch for some dipping sauce. I love, love, love that combo.

I really liked how crunchy these strips were!!

Here is Aaron's salad. He added some Parmesan cheese and some raspberry vinaigrette dressing to his salad.

One more of my salad all mixed up!! We made a lot of the strips so I'll some how have to eat them tomorrow for leftovers! May be a wrap?!?! We will see....

Well, I need to get going and get prepared for the work week! :( Plus tomorrow is a BIG day!! I am planning on having MY FIRST EVER Green Monster Smoothie!! I can't WAIT to try it... Hope you all had a great weekend!! Have a fabulous rest of your Sunday night!! Talk to you tomorrow!!

Crazy paint lady

2009-07-24T20:58:00.002-05:00

HAPPY Friday EVERYONE!!! TGIF!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :) So sorry I've been MIA!! Last night I wasn't feeling all that great. I didn't do much for dinner. I met my parents at Palmer's Deli and shared some pasta salad with my pops!! I would've taken pictures last night but, I just wasn't feeling it. This morning I did get up and get about 4.5 miles in but, I was in a rush to get ready for the day before ANOTHER CC. After the call I rushed out for the day and by the time I got home my parents were at our house helping us paint. AND that's about ALL we've done tonight. A little bit boring but, once its all done its going to look great. We are still in the process of painting.... hoping to finish it all tonight. We will see..... For dinner we carried out Wok In Motion!! Yum, Yum, Yum! We had a couple of different kinds of sushi, pot stickers, egg rolls, and crab Rangoon. It was an AMAZING dinner!! I love Wok In Motion!!! Well, I hate to cut this short and not post any pics but, I have to get back to taping/painting!! Hope you all have a fabulous Friday night!! I'll be better about blogging this weekend!! We just want to get this paint project OVER!!! Talk to you tomorrow! Night, Night!

A cup of joe kind of morning

2009-07-23T07:59:00.002-05:00

Happy Thursday Everyone and Good Morning!! It is almost Friday!! YAH!!! :) This morning I really wanted a cup of coffee. I needed a little bit of a pick up!! MMMMmmmmmm coffee!! Do you guys drink coffee EVERY morning or just every once in a while. I am an every once in a while kind of gal. Some times I need it and other days I don't. So, Aaron and I were talking this morning and trying to figure out what we are going to do this weekend. Originally, we thought we'd be going to Okoboji for the weekend but, that isn't going to work out. BOOO... :( May be next weekend though. So, we are thinking we are going to start taping our formal living room and dinner room and then paint, paint, paint away!!! No, we never taped the other night we I said we might. So, may be tonight... or tomorrow!?? Not sure yet but, we are ready to start the project!! This project is going to be just a little bit bigger then kitchen one last weekend. Hopefully, we are mentally prepared to do this....

I also had a banana with some Peanut Butter and another Activia Mixed Berry Smoothie for breakfast. Pretty much think PB and banana is the most amazing flavor combo EVER!!

Okay everyone- gotta run. Gotta get to work. Hope you all have a grrrreat Thursday!! :) Talk to you tonight!

Hump Day needs to be celebreated with a glass of wine

2009-07-22T21:01:00.004-05:00

Happy Hump Day/Evening Everyone!! How was your Wednesday? Sorry I've been MIA today... I had a really early morning CC and then my whole day was thrown off. SORRY! I woke up early to get a work out in before the CC. I did about a 3.5 mile run and then had to call in. I did a few sit ups and push ups while listening. During my call I grabbed some breakfast. I didn't get a picture of it this morning but, it wasn't exactly anything new. I had a banana, cereal, and blueberries. I LOVE this combo for my breakfast but, I talked with a friend of mine earlier this week who said she tried a GREEN Monster and now I am thinking I REALLLY need to join the club. May be this weekend...

So, I've talked to a TON of people today and earlier this week who have all said they are really tired this week. What do you think it is?? Something in the air may be??? I dunno... Wish I had a magic pill I could take and STOP the tiredness but, that doesn't exist. BUT I will say, I do feel better knowing that other people out there are feeling the same way.

Enough about me being tired..... LUNCH

I had a pretty busy morning but, managed to get home for lunch today. I made a quick salad and had an Activia Smoothie. I cut up a little bit of pepper jack cheese and had a TINY bit of turkey on it too. It was yummy!!!

This week I bought the mixed berry smoothie instead of just the strawberry one!! I think I like the mixed berry one better!! I LOVE THESE THINGS!!!! :)

So, all this afternoon ALL I could think about was how badly I wanted to go and sit outside tonight and have a glass of chard. So, I asked Aaron VERY sweetly if we could go to Gateway Market. He agreed a glass of wine sounded fabulous too but, when we drove up it was PACKED and there was NO way we were going to be able to find a seat so, we decided to go to Fire Creek
instead. Here is my glass of wine.

LOVE IT!!! I love Chardonnay!! LOVE IT!! Not to mention it was FREAKING beautiful outside tonight!! I didn't want to go home! So, we decided to have an appetizer for dinner.

We ordered the shrimp scampi. It was sooooooo good!!! And it was just enough for Aaron and I to share.

The bread they served it with was soooo yummy too! :) I love carbs!! Yes, I just said it!!! I love carbs! But, I just had one slice and Aaron had 2. I was very restricted.

For happy hour they had $4 martinis. So, After our appetizer Aaron wanted to try a martini. He tired the April Rain one and it was REALLLY yummy!!

I finished up my glass of wine and then we headed home.

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE summer!! I am so sad to think that it is almost over. Sitting outside and enjoying the beautiful weather is one of my favorite things to do in the summer. What about you?? What are you favorite summer activities? Well.... I told myself I was going to try to research some places to stay while Aaron and I are in Rome tonight so... I am going to check it out!! Hope you all have a great night. Just think- the weekend is just a few more days away! THANK GOODNESS!! Hope you were able to get out and enjoy this amazing summer night! Talk to you tomorrow!! Night, night!

Veggie Pasta Experiment

2009-07-21T18:42:00.006-05:00

Good Evening Everyone!! How was your Tuesday??! My day wasn't too bad. I had to stay home most of the morning to sign for my new work computer. And was pleasantly surprised when the NEW computer Aaron ordered last week came at the SAME time!! YIPPY!!!!! We have a new computer to play with tonight!!! LOVE IT!!! Don't you just love NEW things!? So, this post will be quick... gotta get to the new toy downstairs!! :)

For dinner I decided to try something new..... It turned out okay.... just okay though. Here is all I put in it:

Broccoli
whole wheat pasta
zucchini
tomato
I Can't Believe Its Not Butter spray
Parmesan cheese

I steamed the broccoli in the steamer and grilled the veggies on my grill pan. Here are my veggies before I mixed it all together.

YUM, YUM!!!! They actually were REALLY good!! I just put a little bit of PAM in the pan. Nothing to exciting... but the tomatoes were really good and gave the pasta most of its flavor!!

It was pretty simple to make and I liked that I was able to get in some veggies. I love pasta and usually don't eat it much in the summer. That is, unless it's a pasta salad but, because it was a cooler day today I figured it might be a nice change.

AND of course I had dessert!!!

This little puppy was a Skinny Cow Skinny Dipper!! The box has both vanilla and caramel favors dipped in a chocolate coating. Isn't is the cutest little thing ever??! Just 80 calories. It totally hit my sweet tooth spot! I would HIGHLY recommend trying these babies out. So, I am trying guys.... this pasta was sort of a quick fix but, I AM TRYING!! At least I decided to try something new instead of having a boring turkey sandwich like I was thinking earlier. How do you guys come up with things to eat for dinner?? Do you try out new recipes? Do you just put something together quickly? Or do you really think about it and plan it all out? I am just trying to figure this cooking thing out... and keep it healthy along the way! Okay, I want to go play with the computer. :) Have a great night!! Talk to you soon!!

A GLOOMY Tuesday

2009-07-21T08:25:00.002-05:00

Good Morning Everyone!! Happy GLOOOMY Tuesday!! Hope your mornings are going well.... I am waiting/working from home this morning for my new work computer to get delivered. Thank goodness... my old one is in bad shape!!

I'm so sad... that last few mornings I've woke up its been dark outside. BOOOOO!!! I don't like this rain we are having here today!! It stinks!!! So, I had to go to the gym for my workout this morning AGAIN!! I was really looking forward to running outside but, hopefully tomorrow will be better and I can get out and run. This morning I did 45 minutes on the elliptical. It was a nice change... but I didn't feel like I got as good of a work out. Do you ever feel like that?!? I almost felt like it as easy.... Oh, well... may be taking it easy isn't such a bad thing every once in a while.

For breakfast I had another bowl of cereal with a banana and blueberries!! It was delicious!!! I love blueberries!! I just can't get enough of them....

Well.... I better get some work done. oh, I almost forgot!! I actually had a really good night sleep last night!! THANKFULLY!!! I needed it.... What sort of things do you guys do if you have problems falling asleep at night?? Or if you've had a bad night sleep will you do something differently the next night to try and catch up?? Hope you have a great Tuesday!! Talk to you soon! :)

Yep- those tomatoes on my shrimp skewers are from my tomato plant!!!

2009-07-20T19:40:00.005-05:00

Good Evening Everyone!!!! How are things!?? How was your Monday?? Mine, was okay. Sort of went a little bit long.... I broke my work computer. Well... sort of broke it. It is still usable but my swivel doesn't work. So... there I was meeting with one of my providers and POW!!! It totally falls apart on me!! LOVE IT!!!!! Oh, well... what can you do!? I'll get a knew one tomorrow. Thank goodness!! I've needed a new one for a while and I've just been putting it off. So, after work I went to the grocery store. I got a bunch of different things!! Veggies, fruit, shrimpies, steak skewer, chips, bread, turkey, Skinny Cows, milk, Activia smoothie, pepper jack cheese, and some more Scooby treats. :) There was more but... I just can't remember now! SORRY!!! I'm sure you will see pictures this week.

For lunch I brought Tasty Tacos again! No, pictures- again! SORRY! I did eat the chicken and lettuce out of the shell even tho.. I REALLY REALLY REALLY wanted to eat the flour shell!! It looked SOOOOOOO yummy but, so bad for you. After work and the trip to the store I went for about a 2 mile walk with my mom. It was so cool and beautiful outside I just couldn't sit inside! It SERIOUSLY feels like a fall night- NOT A MID JULY night!! WHERE IS SUMMER??!! Where is the heat?? Seriously?! Regardless, the walk was very relaxing and I wasn't just sitting at home waiting for Aaron to finish mowing the lawn so we could grill. Yes, that right!! We grilled tonight!!
Here are my shrimpies!! I put 2 tomatoes from my tomato plant on the skewer. I just realized I should I have taken a picture of my plant for you all to see. It is just a little guy but, there are already tons of baby tomatoes growing! So excited about it!!!!

I decided to just put the shrimp over a salad!! It was delicious!! Isn't that a bright colored, yummy looking salad right there??!! AND I wasn't just stuffed after eating it.

Here is Aaron's dinner:

Aaron grilled steak and had salad and corn. YUMMY huh???

Well, that's it for Monday.... I've felt sort of out of it today so I am hoping to relax the next few hours and then hit the sack EARLY!! I still haven't been sleeping well and I'd really like to get a good solid night sleep before tomorrow!! We might and that is a very BIG might start to tape off the living room so we can start painting that room this week but, I am pretty tired and I sort of just want to relax!!! So... may be that will be a project for tomorrow night. Hope you all had a great Monday!!! Have a relaxing night.... I will talk to you tomorrow! Sleep tight tonight! :) I know, I am hoping I do....

About 300 calories for breakfast

2009-07-20T08:06:00.005-05:00

Good Morning EVERYONE!!!!! Hope you are all having a fabulous Monday so far!!! It is so nice here this morning. I love this sunshine and 70s we've been having here for the past few days. BUT- it doesn't really feel like summer. Summer for me is 80-90 degree heat!! Where is the heat at???? Oh, well... I'll enjoy it while we have it! I can't believe it is Monday morning already.... :( BOOOO!!! I have a very busy day today. This weekend just flew by. SAD! This morning I went to the gym. I did 3 miles on the treadmill- 2 miles at 2.0 incline and 1mile at 5.5 incline! I was a sweaty mess after I finished. GROSS!!! But, it felt so good. I decided to cut the run short this morning because I wanted to do some weights.... I'm still trying to figure out my way around that side of the gym but, I did do a few arm weights and few push-ups!! After all that I was pretty hungry. We don't have much in the house so... I settled on egg whites, english muffin, and an apple. ALL that for breakfast and less then 300 calories!

English muffin- 100
2 Egg whites - 60
apple- 80-100 (not exactly sure)

And I FEEL REALLY satisfied!!! :) Should keep me full for the morning.

Well... I gotta get going. BUSY day today! Hope you all have a great Monday!! I'll let you know how the grocery shopping goes, what I do for lunch, and what we will have for dinner later today!! Talk to you soon!! :)

A Green Weekend

2009-07-19T19:26:00.013-05:00

Hey Everyone!!! Sorry I've been MIA!!! It has been a VERY busy weekend!!! Hope your weekend is going GRRRREAT!!!! Saturday afternoon Aaron and spent the day putting different shades of green up on the wall and FINALLY Saturday night we made the final decision... that story will come later! Aaron played golf with some friends in the afternoon and after a couple of hours at the mall I decided it was time for a work out!!! So I went to a lake by my parents house where there is a trail and had an 8 mile work out!! YES!!! 8 miles!!! The first 2 miles I walked with my Dad!! Fun times!! And after he left I decided to do another 6 on my own. Running!! Yes, I ran another 6! I was pretty proud of myself!! It is a pretty flat surface there so the run wasn't that bad!! AND it was beautiful here so... I couldn't help but want to keep going in the 70 something degree weather we had!! After I got home I was STARVING!!! I tried to wait awhile to eat with Aaron when he was going to get home but... I just couldn't so, I had to settle for a Lean Cuisine!! It actually wasn't that bad...

Aaron brought himself home Chinese, this brownie mix, and a movie for us for the night! We hurried up and put the mix together.... I know, I know!! Pathetic.... I should be doing this from scratch but... I didn't go to the store with him and I figured it would be easier for him to just get a box then several different ingredients!!! They were actually pretty good!! I had one during the movie! We rented Knowing staring Nicolas Cage. I probably wouldn't watch this again and I am REALLLY glad we didn't pay movie theater prices for this one... not the best I've seen!!

This morning I got up and cleaned the house- dusted and vacuumed!! I love a clean house and started on the laundry too... I usually go to the grocery store on Sundays but we decided it was time to start the PAINT PROJECT!!!!!! :) And before I knew it I was starving and there was NO way I was going to go the store that hungry... I would have bought the whole store up!! So I ran to Quiznos and grabbed a salad!! I love there chop salads!!! Isn't it so pretty??!! So... we didn't really do a whole lot of "cooking" this weekend but... we were VERY productive and finished our paint project!!!

I had another brownie for dessert!!! I love a little something sweet after I eat!! And the brownie totally hit the spot!! I wasn't able to take a picture of the brownie tho... I ate to fast so that I could get back to painting!!!!

Here is the beginning of our painting project.... We just did the small eating area in our kitchen!! Here is Aaron and my dad!!

We decided we needed to do some more taping before we could go any further.... :)

Isn't that green AMAZING!!!! I LOVE IT!!! Love, love, love it!!! :) We are so happy with how it turned out!!!

Our little fan trying to dry it up before I did some touch ups!!!

AND.... THE FINAL PICTURE!!!!! Isn't it GREAT!!!????? It actually makes our kitchen area look bigger!! And it really adds a modern touch to the kitchen!! I love green too!!! I just LOVE this color!!! I am so happy with how it turned out!! :)

So... overall the weekend was a success!!! I might not have made or ate the most exciting things to blog about... but we sure did get the kitchen adorable to start cooking MORE in!!! I am sooooo tired!! I am ready for bed!!! But... its still pretty early so.... I am going to try to relax and read some more of my book. Tomorrow will be a VERY busy day again and I'll have to make time to go to the store tomorrow sometime. I am going to try to plan a few things to cook this week BEFORE I go to the store. Hopefully I will have LOTS of exciting FOOD to blog about this week.... Hope you guys all have a great night!!! Enjoy the rest of your weekend!!! Did your weekend fly by too?? I get so sad Sunday nights... not sure where the weekend went! Talk to you tomorrow!! Good Night!

Date night and paint colors

2009-07-18T13:15:00.004-05:00

Good Afternoon Everyone!! Hope you are all having a VERY relaxing/productive Saturday!! Sorry no post last night!! The night got away from me. I spend most of the day yesterday out of town. For lunch I grabbed a Yo plait Smoothie and a Fiber One bar from Target while I was shopping around on my lunch hour. I also got some new running shorts and tank tops!! I love shopping at Target!! Probably one of my favorite stores EVER!!!!

Last night Aaron and I had a date night!! We had dinner at Mezzodi's and went to see Away We Go at the Fleur Cinema. I don't have any pictures of dinner though... I totally forgot my camera at home!! SORRY! We split a pizza 1/2 Margherita and 1/2 sausage and pepperoni. It was so yummy!!! I REALLY wish I had a picture to show you all because it really was such a pretty pizza!! I also had a glass of Chard and Aaron had some beer!! After dinner we headed across the parking lot to see the movie! It was a great flick!! Too funny!! I loved the cast too! I would totally recommend it! I don't want to say too much... in case you want to see it yourself but, totally worth the ridiculous price movies are these days!

This morning we had some coffee.... Aaron made it for us!! Here is my cup in my Denver mug!! We visited some friends that live there this spring and got this mug on the trip!! :) That was such a fun trip!!! Ever been to Denver? Such a beautiful place!!!

So after my coffee and sitting outside -enjoying the BEAUTIFUL weather we are having here today we decided to go to Sherwin-Williams and pick out some paint samples!! Right now we have a couple different shades of green up on the wall and a gorgeous taupe I think we are going to FOR SURE go with... still not decided on the greens though! We will let you as soon as we make the decision!! I did get us VERY excited to start painting!!! It will be a huge project but totally worth it! Not sure what I will be doing the rest of the day... Aaron is playing golf with some friends and I am thinking about hitting up the mall and then a loooong run/walk this afternoon! Gotta get out and enjoy this weather!! I'll try to post later tonight and let you know what are plans are and what it is we end up having for dinner. Lunch will be left over pizza!!

Enjoy your Saturday!!! Talk to you soon!

TGIF!!!!!!

2009-07-17T08:10:00.004-05:00

Good Morning Everyone!!! HAPPY FRIDAY!!!!!!!!! I am soooo ready for the weekend!! It was a long week!!! A Very long week!! Okay guys.... I did it!! Well... I sort of did it!!! I decided to go to the gym today and try the whole running at an incline thing!! WHOA!!!! Intense!!! I started mile 1 at 2.5 and then mile 2 move up to 5.5 and that pretty much kick my butt!!! I was dying.... but... held on for the WHOLE mile!!!! At mile 3 I took it down to 2.0 and then about half way through I took it back up to 3.5 and FINALLY finished up mile 4 at 1.5. Needless to say.... my legs will be VERY sore tomorrow! I can already feel it but... it just made me think that I REALLLY need to start mixing up my workouts again. The challenge was good!! Not sure I will be working my way up to 8.0 incline anytime soon but... at least I have a goal I'd like to try and hit sooner then later!! :)

For breakfast I had some more of the cantaloupe and blueberries. YUM, YUM!! And an english muffin and PB!!! It was a great flavor combo and I feel very full and satisfied!!!!!

The blueberries are gone now. SAD. I'll have to pick some more up at the store this weekend. Hopefully they are still on sale!!

I hope that today goes by quickly... I am really looking forward to the weekend!! Not sure what we will be doing tonight or what we will be having for dinner but, I'll be sure to let you know!! Hope you all have a GREAT Friday!!! Talk to you soon!

A 50 cent a rose surprise

2009-07-16T18:36:00.014-05:00

Good Evening Everyone!!! How was your Thursday? My day just seemed to DRAG on FOREVERRR!!! So.... you know what that means.... I needed to have a glass of wine! Pinot Grigio to be exactly.... normally I would go for a Chard but... I accidentally grabbed the wrong thing at the store! WHOOPS!!! Oh well! It was good- regardless and totally hit the spot!

So... after blogging this morning I all the sudden got really hungry!!! So... I decided to cut a Cliff bar in 1/2! I wasn't dying.... so I didn't need the whole thing but... just a few bites!! Have you ever tried a Cliff bar? If so, what is your favorite?

This bar literally tastes like a chocolate brownie!! LOVE IT!!! AND fills you up! Totally hit the spot this morning!! :) Today I had a lunch and my counterpart ordered Tasty Tacos!! Ever heard of them?? Or had them??? She also ordered the flour tacos- Yum, Yum!! But TERRIBLE for you!!! I decided to pass on the tacos myself so no picture but I did grab a handful of chips with some salsa!! I am pretty sure I told you guys earlier but I LOVE salsa!!! I've been working REALLLY hard on portion control and today I was very proud of myself as I walked away from the chips!! Just a few was all I need to satisfy my craving!! I'm trying here people!! I'm trying.....

So... the last few times I've popped in the local grocery store I've noticed they are having a HUGE sale on roses!! I think its like 50cent a rose!! WHAT A DEAL!!!! So... I have been hinting to the hubby but no roses.... BUMMER!! I love fresh flowers!!! They just put my in a happy mood!!! Wouldn't you agree?? And today he FINALLY surprised me with a beautiful bouquet!! Aren't they soooooo pretty!??!?!

Am I a lucky girl or what??? Love you Aaron!!! Thank you!! You totally brightened my day!! :) You are the best!!! Love them!! And pink is my favorite flower color!! So.. after a glass of wine on the deck we started to grill. Did I mention that today is just GORGEOUS?!!! It's so nice outside!!

I marinated my salmon in some Newman's Own Low Fat Sesame Ginger dressing. It was the perfect fit with my salmon!! Have you ever tried this dressing??

I decided to just put the salmon over a salad. Pretty boring... I know!! But the flavor combo was pretty much AMAZING!!!! I will definitely put this dressing on my salmon again?? Do you guys use salad dressings as marinades?? I've found it to be more economical- I can then use the dressing for my salads!!

Here is Aaron's plate! We both agreed he needed some more color but.... he didn't really want any salad tonight! Aaron's salmon had a jerk marinade and he put some pineapple over the top of it. He is it was good but... I didn't try any myself so I can't really say for sure! But it sure smelled delicious!!!

Okay, I have a confession.... I on occasion will eat like a child!!! I have a HUGE sweet tooth and normally like to have a little or a lot of something for dessert after I eat!! :) I'm trying to work on portion control on this one to guys.... I swear!!! So... tonight I decided to have a few Scooby sticks for dessert!!! They totally look like dog treats but... pretty much test like a Teddy Gram!!! Only, they are better b/c they look like little dog treats!!

Aren't they cute??? So yummy!!! I will say my favorite thing to do at the grocery store is find new treats like this and buy them up and try them out!! This was a good pick!! You should for sure try them out.... even if you are an adult!! :)

Well... I think that's it guys!! Not a whole lot left to say for today... hope you all have a great Thursday night!!! We have NOTHING planned for the evening but I am planning on reading my book! Update: I LOVE this book!! You should give it a try if you are looking for a fun summer read!! Hopefully I can get a big chunk of it read this weekend! In between paint samples that is... Have a good night guys!! Hope your dinner was as delicious as ours!! Talk to you tomorrow!! :)

Thirsty Thursday!!

2009-07-16T07:57:00.002-05:00

Good Morning Everyone!! Happy Thursday!!! Just ONE more day and its the WEEKEND!!! YAHH!!!! I am SO ready!! Last night we went over to my aunt and uncle's house to discuss trip plans and for the most part we have them all hammered out!!! So EXCITING!!!!!! :) Can't wait!! We will be finishing up the trip in Rome, Italy and still have to figure out where we want to stay there.... if you have ANY advice PLEASEEEEE send it my way!

I was also talking with one of my cousin's friends last night about her fitness routine. She is AN ANIMAL!!! This girl was telling me she runs 5 miles on the treadmill rotating it at like an 8.0 and 5.0 or something CRAZY like that at in incline!!! Do you run hills?? Or run at an incline on the treadmill?? I decided I would give it a try BUT not this morning!! I figured I might need some time to recoup after that workout!! Today I did 4.5 miles. It was gorgeous here this morning and I decided to push myself a little bit harder then usual and run a bit faster!! It made a big difference ESPECIALLY up some of the mini hills I run!! Typically when I get home from a run like that I am STARVING but, today not so much! I was just REALLLY thirsty!! So, for breakfast it is pretty boring....

Yes, that is ANOTHER strawberry smoothie you are looking at!!! BUT I love them!!! I also had a banana with it and a handful of blueberries but... I figured they weren't very pretty and didn't need a picture!! Sorry!

Well.... I have to get going! Busy day today! We are thinking we will grill again tonight! Its supposed to be gorgeous and sounds like PERFECT outside grilling weather! So... I'll let you know what we decided to go with... I am thinking salmon!! Do you guys like fish? Thoughts on salmon?? What is your favorite way to prepare it?

Hope you have a great day! Talk to you soon!! :)

Wrap # 2 and Sonoma

2009-07-15T17:47:00.012-05:00

Good Evening Everyone!! Hope your Hump Day is going well. Sonoma asked VERY sweetly this afternoon if she could please, please, pleaseeeeeee be pictured in the blog!! She was very excited when I agreed!!! She even sat still for the photo which, is a BIG DEAL!!! Isn't she cute??? We just love her!!!

Sonoma sitting next to me while I blog!! LOVE HER!!!! :)

I was able to come home for lunch today! I had some blueberries and cantaloupe!! It was so yummy!! The cantaloupe was very juicy!!

I was still hungry after the fruit bowl and decided to munch on some pretzel chips, hummus, and salsa!! I love salsa!!

My hummus is almost gone so I was literally scraping the container to get some more out!! I've tried some of the different flavored hummus but so far the classic is my favorite!! Any recommendations for flavors to try??

I know, I know it was totally necessary to photograph the salsa jar but I have to tell you I just recently re-found this kind. I was mildly obsessed with it a while back and then all the sudden it just disappeared!!! I couldn't find it ANY WHERE!!!! I went to several stores all over town like a crazy women trying to find it and it had VANISHED!!! Finally... I gave up!! But a few weeks ago I found it again at a random grocery store and I was SOOOOOOOOOO EXCITED I bought 3 jars!! I think I like am so obsessed with this salsa b/c it is so liquidy!! Just like at the restaurants!! Probably why its in the name huh?!? Smart girl!! :)

So... sad to say it but dinner wasn't all that interesting. I hadn't had any veggies today and a salad didn't sound very good to I decided on broccoli but, just plain old broccoli didn't sound very appetizing either so.... I decided to make it a wrap!! I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE a broccoli and cheese wrap!! Have you ever tried one?? If not you MUST!! Its super easy!!! I just took the same tortilla I had last night put a little bit of cheese on it and topped it with some steamed broccoli.

Isn't it pretty?? So cheezzzzzzzzzzzzzzy!!! I love cheese!! Wish I didn't love it so much!! Moderation is the key! For dessert I tried some of this new honey popcorn I found at Target!! It was actually pretty good and satisfied my sweet tooth!! I have a HUGE sweet tooth! In fact its an addition!! I'm trying really hard to get it under control but, sometimes its just too strong!! Do you guys have food weaknesses??? Things you wish you didn't like as much as you do??

Well... I must go!! We have BIG plans for tonight!! We are first going to go visit my grandparents and after that heading over to my aunt and uncle's to finish- well.... TRY to finish planning our Italy trip!! We are SOOOO EXCITED!!!! Can't wait!!! September can't get here soon enough!! ACTUALLY I take that back! I don't want to wish summer away AT ALL!!! I just can't wait for our trip!! Hopefully our dinner tomorrow night will be more interesting then it was tonight.... hang in there with me... I've had a busy week!! I promise these food posts will be more interesting!!

Have a great night!! Talk to you tomorrow!!!

Happy Hump Day!!

2009-07-15T08:28:00.004-05:00

Good Morning Everyone!!!! Happy Hump Day!! Hasn't this week gone by fast?? Just think... 2 more days and it is the weekend!!! I love my weekends!! I've been so tired this week for some reason.... I'm having a terrible time falling asleep and an even worse time getting out of bed in the mornings. So... This weekend should be very productive as we need to get busy figuring out paint colors BUT I am hoping to get lots of R and R!! What are you plans for the weekend?? It is supposed to be gorgeous here too- so hopefully we can get outside and enjoy the gorgeous 70s!!!!

Even though I was so tired this morning I still managed to pull myself out of bed for a 4 mile run!! I was starving the entire time and couldn't wait to get home and make some breakfast!! For breakfast this morning I had an english muffin with PB and banana!!! YUMMY!!! I love nanas with PB!!! My favorite!! I also had the Activia smoothie that I DIDN'T have yesterday!!! I know, I know.... I should be making my own homemade smoothies but... I haven't really had the time this week to do so! May be this weekend...

Well I have to get going.... Lots of work to do!!! I should be able to get home for lunch today. I'll let you know tonight what I decided to go with!! What are you planning on having for lunch?? I cut up a huge cantaloupe last night so I am sure that will make the menu. Have a great Hump Day!!

Talk to you soon!!!

Tomato and Couch Potato Tuesday

2009-07-14T18:32:00.011-05:00

Hello Everyone!! Hope you all had a fabulous Tuesday!! Is it just me or are these summer days just flying by??? I love summer and am so sad to see it going by soooo quickly! :( Today was a BIG DAY!!! Besides being EXTREMELY busy with work we managed to order a NEW laptop!!! Well, Aaron ordered a new lapton for us!! A MUCH NEEDED ONE!! We've been having problems with our current one for a looooooong time now! Can't wait for it to come!! And I FINALLY got a call that my couch is in. Well... I wouldn't really say that it is "in" but is in the Chicago area ready to be shipped and will be shipping to ME mid-August!! So... I still have to wait a VERY LOOONG time until I get it but, at least I have a date. So... that means project!!! Paint project to be exact. I am going to start looking at some colors this weekend!! Fun, fun, fun!I want to paint our formal living room and dinning room before the couch comes. I'll let you know what we decide to go with...

Tonight we decided to grill. Aaron opted for steak and potatoes and I made a chicken, tomato, cheese, and basil wrap. YUMMMMY!!!!!!! We were both very satisfied after our meals. Pictured below is Aaron's plate. Doesn't it look yummy?? I know I said I was going to try to cook more but... doesn't grilling count??!!

How pretty is that plate??
Pictured below is my beautiful sweet basil plant. I have both a basil and tomato plant on our deck... baby steps people, baby steps!!

I found these wraps this past week at the store and I am kind of mildly obsessed!! They are ONLY 80 calories and have 12 grams of fiber!! Have you ever tried them???

I grilled both the chicken breast and the zucchini. I then placed the grilled chicken in the wrap and on my panini maker!!! SOOO YUMMY!!!!! I love these flavors together! I must say dinner was very satisfying!! I AM SOOO FULL!!

So whats on the agenda for Tuesday night.... not a whole lot at our house. I will probably try to play around with the blog and figure it all out. I haven't had much time to do so!! I also started reading a new book this week Julie and Julia Project by Julie Powell. I'm not very far into it but, so far I AM LOVING IT!! Can't wait to see the movie!! Do you ever read books and then see the movie and feel disappointed?? Or vice-versa?? I hope this one won't disappoint!

Hope you all have a great night!! Talk to you tomorrow!

New Coffee Maker Tuesday

2009-07-14T07:59:00.008-05:00

Good Morning Everyone!!! Happy Tuesday!!! This morning we FINALLY decided to use the NEW coffee maker we got about a year ago at our wedding. We've been drinking coffee since then but we had an old one we were still using and it wasn't until this past weekend that I decided it was time to upgrade!! This mornings coffee was perfect!!

Here is my cup.... MMMmmmm!!! So good!! And I am in need of the coffee fix this morning. I had a very hard time waking up!! This mug Aaron and I got in San Fran while on our honeymoon!! We decided that everytime we go on a trip we will be a new mug to add to our collection. This was mug #1. I love it!!!

Breakfast today was a repeat of yesterday minus the banana! Aren't those blueberries gorgeous!!! So yummy too!! Blueberries were on sale at the grocery store to a had to grab some!!

I will be on the road all day today so I decided I would bring the nana along for a mid- morning snack. I will probably have another Activia Smoothie for a snack too but.... not sure yet. Depends on how hungry I get. Do you have to have snacks throughout the day? What do you typically grab?

Well.... I have to get moving this morning- BIG DAY DRIVING IN THE CAR!!!! Hope you all have grrrrrreat days!!! I'll be sure to post this evening and let you know what we are going to have for dinner. What are you going to have for dinner?
Talk to you soon!

MANIC Monday

2009-07-13T20:25:00.005-05:00

Hello Everyone-

WHOA!!! What a crazy Monday I had..... We had orignally planned on grilling out tonight but, that didn't go as planned. I ended up having to do some work before my hair cut appt. this evening. So... what I have for you is what Aaron made for dinner. Aaron had some tacos!! Don't they look yummy!! I didn't have any b/c I had to hurry up and leave before he was finished making them but, they sure look yummy!! And I wanted to post something for you so this is what you get. Hopefully tomorrow will be more interesting!!

My lunch today was provided for me, as I was in meetings all day! I had some salad and some chicken filled with spinach and sun dried tomatoes!! Not bad... but not the best meal I've ever had. I didn't have time to take any picture of it!! SORRY!!! So... you get my snack!!! I had an Activia Strawberry Smoothie!! I love these things!! I didn't really eat much for dinner tonight either. Like I said before my day was CRAZY busy!!!

Well... I have a some more work I need to get done before I can read my book so I have to run but, I promise tomorrow will be a much better post! Sorry not very interesting!! Or YUMMY! :( Hang in there with me.... I promise this blog will get more interesting!!

Have a great night!! Talk to you soon!

Breakfast and and the Bee

2009-07-13T08:36:00.001-05:00

Good Morning Everyone!! Hope you all had a great weekend and Sunday night! I didn't sleep very well last night.... not sure why. But when the alarm went off and it was time to get up and work out I did debate about shutting it off and going back to bed, BUT I have a busy day and night and I HATE to work out at night so I pulled myself out a of bed and put my shoes on! I did a 4 mile run this morning!! I love running outside! I prefer it over the treadmill for sure. Well... at about mile 2 a had run in with a bee or what I thought was a bee! It was some sort of a bug and I hate bugs!! I started running around in circles to get the thing AWAY from and it wouldn't leave me alone. I started kicking at it and swinging my arms and NOTHING! It wasn't until I tripped in a crack in the sidewalk and my ipod when flying that it left me alone. One of those moments when you hope no one just saw.... of course someone did!! I looked behind me as I picked up my ipod and there is find a cop car!! GOING REALLY SLOW and I am sure watching the WHOLE thing!! How embarrassing!!! Has that ever happened to you?
Now for breakfast! I love breakfast foods!! This morning I decided to go with some ceral, blueberries, and a banana. Do you eat breakfast? What are your favorite breakfast foods? I have to eat breakfast in the morning especially after I work out or I'll be starving by 9:30.

Not exactly sure what is on the menu for lunch or dinner. I have work meetings today so... I'll let you know what we do for lunch and as far as dinner is concerned NOT A CLUE!! We are probably going to grill but... not sure about sides!! Do you plan meals ahead of time or just figure it out when you get home! Let me know if you have any good quick dinner recipes!! I'd love to try them out!!

Happy Monday! Talk to you soon!!

A few pics from the weekend

2009-07-12T21:14:00.000-05:00

I wanted to post these pics in the 1st blog but we were having some techinical difficulties!! Here are a few pics from Saturday night.

Hillary and I at dinner at Taki

Jeremy (birthday boy), Hillary, Me, and Aaron at Drink

Aaron and I after dinner.

I'm off to read my new book Julie and Julia. Hope you all had a great Sunday night!! Talk to you tomorrow!!!

My first EVER blog post!

2009-07-12T18:22:00.000-05:00

Hello!! Happy Sunday! So... I FINALLY decided to start blogging!! I am very excited about this! A lot of my friends and family don't live in the Des Moines area and I thought this blog might be a great way to stay in touch and keep everyone updated on our life. I've also been telling my husband for a while now that I am going to start cooking more and that hasn't happened yet... So I am hoping this will help with that as well!! :) We had a big weekend this weekend!! It was actually the first weekend in a while that we weren't out of town. I was very excited about spending the weekend in Des Moines. Friday night was pretty low key. Aaron and I went to see Public Enemies which was a really good movie. Would recommend it! You will soon find out Aaron and I see A LOT of movies!! I'll try to blog about our thoughts on the ones we see. Saturday was a BIG day! Woke up and cleaned out both spare bedrooms while Aaron did some man work- yard work! After that we ran a couple of errands Bed, Bath, and Beyond, Home Depot, Target, and HyVee. Aaron and I decided to switch out ALL of the brass gold light fixtures, door knobs, and door hinges with brushed nickel ones this past week. A HUGE project but... we are ALMOST finished!! We are super excited about it and it made huge improvements!! Saturday night we celebrated my friend Hillary boyfriend's 30th birthday with dinner at Taki and drinks at Drink. Yes, this is the same bar Aaron and I met in and I am pretty sure we have MAY BE been back there a handful of times. It was so much fun!! Today has consisted of Starbucks this morning and trips to Lowes, Costco, Best Buy and HyVee. We thinking about buying a new camera and possible a new laptop any suggestions? Send them our way! Well.. I am planning on making dinner a few nights a week and blogging about the experience and I am looking forward to any comments or ideas or suggestions you might have to help me out with this "learning experience." I'm not a TERRIBLE cook but... I could use some work. :) This is it for the first post. I'll try to blog daily! I am very excited about this!!! Oh, I almost forgot!! Aaron and I have booked a trip to Rome, Italy in Sept. and we are clueless!! We are trying to plan most of it with my aunts and uncle who will be going as well but... ANY advice would be much appreciated!! Things to do and NOT to do- anything would be helpful!! Have a great Sunday night everyone!! Talk to you tomorrow!!