Baking Cookies

Good evening all!
Sitting here just waiting for the next batch of cookies to come out of the oven. Not such a great idea to start them so late but can't stop now.

Today was my Friday for the work week so I'm pretty stoked about that! Volunteering tomorrow until around 3 then going to hit a local bank here to see what kind of bargain they can give us on our mortgages. The interest rates are crazy so may as well take advantage right now and cut like 10 years of payments off! Who do you get your mortgage through? Do they offer online access?

Workout wise, I squeezed in a almost 45 minutes session of the gazelle again today. Am I going to get all 6 days in again this week? I KNOW SO! I am thinking about buying a CoreFusion DVD, anyone ever done it before?

Today's eats was pretty normal except we went to dinner out with a friend! Menu plan FAIL!
Breakfast: Gala apple and bagel thin with laughing cow cheese wedge
Lunch: Chicken Tortilla Soup with roasted Brussels sprouts (the last of them so sad)
Snack: FiberPlus Dark Chocolate and Almond fiber bar
Dinner: Chicago Speakeasy--see pics below

We really like this place not only because its 4 blocks from our house but because we have never been let down here! Tonight was no exception; actually we were outdone by our waitress who FINALLY allowed us to order the "lunch" fries instead of thick, non crispy steak fries that we just don't love. I definitely recommend a visit sometime soon.

 Started off with the hubby's all time favorite onion rings, not so much for me.

I like mine thick sliced!

 My salad bar trip. Words CANNOT describe what this salad bar is all about. Of course the salad itself is top notch but I also love the crab salad, macaroni salad, a weird yellow pasta salad, and the Oreo fluff. New addition since last time we went there was a new crouton type, soft and garlic-y like it was leftover garlic bread, which theirs is also TO DIE FOR! The husband and I are known to go here just for the salad bar. LOVES!

 My meal: The Speakeasy which is a piled high french dip with sauteed onions and Swiss cheese galore. I actually had 3 slices of cheese on and they were all the way ooey gooey so I actually took so off. I know me, the purebred American CHEESE FANATIC! I just couldn't had that many calories on Swiss. Now you had Havarti or Muenster or white American on there, WHOLE 'NOTHER BALL GAME FOLKS!

 The husband ordered the special of the night: BBQ Pork Ribs, a whole rack for $12.99. He didn't eat much so I plan to make a BBQ pork rib panini with onions and pickles sometime in our near future.

Our friend ordered the Alaskan king crab legs! This was her first time here and she had heard good things about these(I've never been with anyone who ordered them) so she bravely went there. And they didn't disappoint. Quite possibly the biggest crab legs I have ever seen and I've been to Seattle folks!

Oh the drawn butter! Butter holds a special place in my heart.
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Buzzer just went off for the cookies, gotta make the swap and keep the assembly line going. These cookies will be posted about tomorrow but are soft and cloud like, I may make a whoopie pie or two out of them just for shits and giggles.

Oh, and forgetful me forgot to weigh in this morning so will be posting something before heading out to volunteer tomorrow morning. Riveting I know but stay tuned!

Thanks for reading! I need to sleep!!!

Happy Thursday...oh wait, Tuesday!

Last day of work this week TOMORROW! LOVE IT!

We celebrated Tuesday tonight with a short version (darn elections) of the Biggest Loser Weekly Dinner party with Lindsey, Sara, and Matt...and it went down in STYLE! Thanks Lindsey!

First things first, the daily eats:
Breakfast: Triple Berry yogurt and a honey crisp apple
Lunch:  Roasted Brussells sprouts and a big salad
Snack: FiberPlus Almond and Dark Chocolate Fiber Bar
Dinner: Avocado BLTs with Steamed broccoli and apples/oragnes
Snack: WINE! with a few random chips and dip

Right after work I went to VOTE!  ROCK THE VOTE Peeps! Then came home and busted ASS on the gazelle! Highest mileage yet. 60 minutes for 4.4 miles!!! Something like 986 calories burnt! HOLY SHIT BALLS! I was sweatin' like a w**** in church!!! Oprah makes it a bit easier because I had count 'em 44 episodes to watch so I am flying through them!

Oh the dinner! It was a nice spread! Prepare yourself for jealousy:

 Apples and organes!

 Toms and avos!

 Best toast ever, steam broc, and micro bacon!

 Toaster oven sure does a good job!

This is your brain on wine and working out!

If you've never placed a slice if delicious avocado on your BLT I highly recommend that you run to the grocery store to get said ingredients and throw something together because it is A-MAZ-ING!

Heads up in the next few days (if all goes as planned :) )

• Butterscotch Pumpkin Cookies
• Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Icing
• SpongeBob Square Pants Cupcake Cake--I'm thinking funfetti cake dough
• PIZZA! My love!

On that note, this cutie was waiting for me when I got home: TO DIE FOR!!! besides his crazy eyes

WEIGH IN TOMORROW MORNING!

NIGHT ALL!

One Day Down, Two to Go!

Good evening readers!

TGIMN! Thank goodness its Monday night! I had a horrible, no good, very bad day at work today. All of our operating systems went down simultaneously, including our website, so we were BACKED UP to say the least and the callers were NOT happy! I mean, wait on the phone for like 30 minutes then  we can't even tell you anything. I'm lucky someone didn't berate me! Either who, I only work 2 more days this week so I can't be bothered with dwelling on the past! SUCKAS!

I volunteer again on Thursday (last time of the year *TEAR*) and then have Friday off so I can master a SpongeBob Square pants "cupcake" cake for my niece's birthday party. I have NO idea how to do it but it can't be too hard, right?

Overall, a pretty healthy food day:
Breakfast:  Chicken Tortilla Soup--hey I had to eat it before I had to throw it
Lunch: Italian Wedding Soup from the cafeteria and some popcorn
Snack: Yogurt Dill Dip and celery sticks (all gone---making more tomorrow---stay tuned)
Dinner: Whole wheat pasta with chicken and pesto cream sauce with roasted Brussels sprouts

This was my first time with roasted Brussels sprouts and I must say I'M HOOKED!

Tedious to cut off the ends of them but so worth it. Mist with olive and sprinkle with garlic salt and put into 400 degree oven for 30 minutes or so and they are AMAZE!

Downside= @ $1.99/lb these babies are dense so add up quickly. The taste is so so so so different than those of steamed Brussels sprouts, which I also adore. IDK why! Next to try, kale chips! Maybe next week.

We had a really good weekend also. Friday night date night took us to Encore Pizza in Johnston; Chris wanted pizza and I wanted to use a coupon as it was the last weekend of the 2010 Entertainment book. I had heard decent reviews from Chris's parents so we gave it a go. Overall pizza was great, I thought. Appetizer of mozzarella sticks are enough to bring us back alone. Handmade on site, can't go wrong! He got cheese and I got BBQ chicken. We will be back!

Saturday started bright and early with a quick 30 minutes on the gazelle, shower and get ready (BOO!), patty up 10 lbs on hamburger(what I do for a sale price!) then headed out to the last farmer's market of the season with the Waughs. The weather was great, sun was shining, a bit nippy for the kiddos but overall a good time and lots of peeps to stare at (my fave!)

 Who doesn't taste wine at 10am? Came home with a bottle. Pretty good JW Edelweiss. And only $9.50!

Kiddos started to bother so we went to Legend's for lunch, right on Court Ave. Whattya know? We both had a coupon! This year I am writing down in the book how much it saves me to make sure its worth it, which I know it is!

My Honey BBQ Wings-I also had a side salad in which I scarfed down before pics

Chris's Buffalo Chicken Strips with Waffles Fries

Sara's Chicken Parmesan

Chad and his legend burger

Then we all split up(us to grocery store and Waugh's to car shopping) where we then met back up for a friend's surprise 30th birthday party and cheering on the Hawkeyes(to a massive victory!) Somehow, this is the only picture I ended up with from then....

I'm tired! Weekly Biggest Loser dinner tomorrow night @ Lindsey's...think it's Avocado BLTs, which are so delicious! A couple of things I want to point out:

• I worked out 6 of the 7 days last week. HOLY SHIT BALLS! Even if a few of the days were only for a half hour, I stuck to my plan and got it done! Same goal for this week!
• Fellow blogger Katie is hosting a sweet giveaway on her blog that ends this week. Check it out! Who doesn't like free crap, especially right before the holidays! I want to review things CSN!

Almost forgot Menu Plan Monday:

• Monday: Chicken and Pesto Cream Sauce over whole wheat pasta w/ Brussels sprouts
• Tuesday: BL Night @ Lindsey's
• Wednesday: Buffalo Chicken Paninis with Fries
• Thursday: Chicken Taco Salad for her and Chicken Walking Tacos for him
• Friday: Launa's Birthday party--> pizza and cake, hopefully a salad along with the pizza

I'm toast. Good night all and thanks for reading!