-  I am writing this post in a new [to me] blogging software. I am to cheap to buy MarsEdit and don’t want to bother with Ecto, so I am trying out Qumana on my Mac. I will let you know how it goes. I would give Blogo a try but it doesn’t work with Mac OS X Lion. So far, so good but I am only on 1.

-  I really want one of these, specifically the pink and green ones. A couple of other bloggers have recently purchased them and I am looking forward to reviews.

-  I also want on of these.

Sadly, HM doesn’t have online ordering yet. Now I need a longish flowy skirt in my life.

- Falafel at home is so right.

Thank you Trader Joe’s

-  I took advantage of a coupon code at J Crew and got a couple of cardigans for a steal. I am so excited about these colors for fall!

I am glad I ordered when I did because it looks like the mustard color is no longer available.

I may have also ordered this. I am on a bit of a cardigan kick.

And these. This is one of those times that I am glad that B doesn’t read the blog.

-  I am also on a bit of an accessories kick….or I want to be at least. I have finally decided that I am ready to buy some fun [inexpensive] jewelry and I can’t find much that I like. I did find this though. I am also on the hunt for colorful skinny belts. Target has a mustard colored one that I love.

-  I may have a Vitamin Water problem.

- Isn’t she cute?

- I have decided that my laundry room should be a home office instead. The lighting in here is so nice.

- Ranch hummus is delicious…if you like the ranch mix that you choose to mix in. This one is just okay.

- I cooked a rack of lamb and farro risotto for dinner last week. It was delicious.

What’s up with you this Tuesday?

Any restaurant that serves a plate of hummus with tzatziki and pita is alright by me.

At Zoe’s Kitchen in Birkdale I got to enjoy a delicious lunch as well as the company of a new (to me) blogger friend. It was the perfect mid-day pick me up!

I heart Fridays….most Fridays, at least. This past Friday was a particularly heart-able day.

The evening started off with a tweet up at Dilworth Billiards and then ended with a relaxing outdoor dinner with B.

Although moving can be a stressful and expensive experience there is an upside, in addition to loving your new house and neighborhood, of course. Coupons! It seems that when you move into a neighborhood local businesses love to send you coupons to give you a warm welcome.

I love coupons. They are the reason that I eagerly await the Sunday paper each week.

Anyhow, Brixx is one such business that was on the coupon welcome wagon. We had a coupon for a free pizza and Friday night was just the night to put that coupon to use.

We started our meal with wood fired pita chips and three dips (classic hummus, roasted red pepper hummus, and black bean dip). So colorful!

There was also a flight of beer involved. I have no idea what is what except for the one on the end. It was Fat Tire.

And for our [free!] pizza we ventured outside of our box. Our box involves Margherita pizza and that is it. It is so good that we don’t like to mess with a good this. This time we ordered the Chicken Florentine. It was delicious and we we patting ourselves on the back for trying something new a different.

Remember last night when I mentioned I had burned the dried beans I was working on? Check out my pan!

I let it soak overnight, but I have a feeling that it is going to take some major elbow grease to get that pan cleaned up!

I may have been able to use pan scrubbing as my workout but talked myself into doing 30 Day Shred. I am still on level 1 and still can’t make it through all of the arm exercises. Who knew that the push up/shoulder press combo would be so tough, or that my arm strength was so week?

After my workout I decided to make a smoothie for breakfast. I has some fruit that was due to be eaten. I also decided to add some Amazing Grass. Since the plain superfood flavor was too grassy for me earlier this week I decided to try the pomegranate mango infusion Amazing Meal.

Handful of spinach, handful of ice, 3/4 c milk, 1/2 mango, 1/2 nectarine, some frozen blueberries, drizzle of agave, and Amazing Meal.

Looks good, right?

It tasted really chalky. Maybe some vanilla extract would have helped? Per the usual I was running late and I decided on a grab and go breakfast of a smoothie (that I was nursing while getting ready), Classic Glo Bar, and Cuties.

I didn’t make it into my real shoes yet again this morning. I did put them on at lunch, but that was only because it was raining outside and I didn’t want to get my slippers dirty.My morning snack was some raw broccoli, cauliflower and carrots with about 1.5 tbsp of ranch. And dried cherries. And a Doctor Kracker with TJ’s tahini free hummus.

Boy, I was hungry this morning!

When lunch rolled around I was having a craving for something specific.

Salsarita!

I got a small bare veggie burrito with veggies, black beans, rice, salsa, jalapenos, olives, lettuce, tomatoes, and guac. I topped with some plain Oikos when I got home.

Not much longer until the weekend arrives. 5 PM here I come!

What a day. I was going to split up some of my craziness and post some of my rant or whatnot on my new blog on Skirt.com but for some reason it won’t let me so you guys get it all.

My day started off well enough. I did manage to talk myself out of bed for a workout which I am pleased about. My arms were pretty sore from yesterday’s 30 Day Shred workout so I decided to use my new yoga DVD. I really loved it! I like the instruction that it gave an it didn’t have any poses that I couldn’t really manage with the limited flexion in my left knee. But now I am really sore. I am hoping I can talk myself into a workout tomorrow morning too.

I decided to do a bar and some fruit again for breakfast.

Sweet tea, PB&J Larabar, and Cuties. This Larabar held me over until 10:30 or 11! I was amazed, but as usual when I got hungry I got really hungry.

My morning was super hectic. As soon as I got in the door my coworker told me she wasn’t feeling well, which meant I was going to have to run the customer service department, one of the things I hate most about my job. Then the lady who does repair orders had to be taken to the hospital for chest pains, guess who is next in line for her job too. Me! Thank goodness Sal knows how to do it and offered to help me out. I may have had  nervous breakdown.

On top of all that, my boss who is based in TX is in town and we had a meeting. We are still working out kinks in our communication and I don’t think we quite get each other yet. I am encouraged by what he can and wants to do for a company, I just hope I can be patient enough for it all. Patience is not a virtue I possess.

When I finally got time to snack I ate my 3 Cuties.

Plus the same snack as yesterday, carrot and hummus and a Dr. Kracker cracker and hummus. I said it yesterday and I will say it again…this is such a filling snack.

By the time lunch rolled around (30 minutes later than usual since I was so busy) I still wasn’t particularly hungry, plus it was snowing. I decided I didn’t feel like driving home and decided to hit up a nearby fast food joint to grab something quick. I had been craving fish sticks so I ordered the closest thing I could think of, a premium fish filet sandwich from Wendy’s. I took off the bottom half of the bun and ate the filet with the top half. Along with a few dried cherries, this was enough to keep me going the rest of the afternoon (I almost typed “all weekend”, what?).

Some other stuff happened that has me feeling torn about my job. I wanted to post details, but after additional thought I do not feel comfortable doing so. If you follow me on Twitter you may have seen me tweet  about it yesterday and today, and things have changed yet again since my last tweet. I will just leave it at that. Do you ever feel torn or conflicted about something you want to say?

I really stayed slammed right up til the end of the day and I have a huge stack of my own work that I wasn’t able to get done. At least I can’t complain that I don’t have enough to do at work this week, but I am definitely hoping my coworker is back tomorrow.

My hubby was a sweetheart this morning and went by the post office for me. Guess what he went to pick up.

My Glo bars!!!!!!!

Now can you guess what I am having for breakfast tomorrow?

Guess what else my hubby did today. He went to the doctor and is now being treated for shingles. Eek! He doesn’t have any kind of rash so, if it is really shingles, they caught it early. Thanks goodness. Hopefully he won’t have to suffer of the discomfort like some of the shingles horror stories I have heard. Have an of you had any experience with shingles?

When I got home tonight I was really pooped from my crazy day and I did not feel like cooking dinner. But I could not justify eating out a 2nd time today. I really wanted chili, but the only beans I have are dried and they would have just taken too long. After a little thought I decided on a different comfort food for dinner.

Venison meatloaf and smashed potatoes (I was too lazy to pull out my hand mixer). I didn’t use enough binder though so it was kind of crumbly. It tasted amazing though. I feel bad that the only veggies I have eaten today have been a carrot, lettuce on my sandwich, and the peppers and onions in the meatloaf. Plus the only grains to pass my lips were the Uncle Kracker cracker.

It was definitely not a successful day nutrition-wise,  bit I feel that the day was successful since I made it home and appear to be blogging somewhat coherently.

Now I am off to soak my sore muscles in the tub and hop my tired rear in the bed.

On top of being in a super icky mood yesterday I was really ready to get off of work so I could head to a blogger meet up for dinner. Seriously, the anticipation of this meet up is what has kept me going this week. If that makes me lame I don’t care.

Dinner wasn’t until so I had a snack to try to hold me over.

Surprisingly this orange held me over until at least 6:30 PM. For me, oranges don’t usually have that kind of staying power. Maybe I was just nervous at meeting these bloggers for the first time.

The occasion for dinner was not random, Holly the Everythingtarian is in town visiting so it was a perfect occasion to get some food bloggers together for dinner.

I came straight from work and got to the area super early and ha d over an hour to kill. I spent my time checking out Marshall’s, Rack Room Shoes, Ulta, and Books A Million, all that walking made me hungry. By the time 7 PM rolled around I was starving.

Me, Meredith (Whit’s sister), Whit, Holly, and Stacy.

Whit had been to this restaurant before, Blu Basil, and quickly ordered the hummus platter for the table.

This stuff was tasty. I love bread, especially when covered in hummus.

My good hair day was long gone by this point.

The menu looked great, but there was one thing in particular that caught my eye. There was a picture of their spaghetti and meatballs in the menu and I knew that is what I was having.

I also ordered a side of sautéed veggies.

The food did not disappoint. Plus there was so much! I brought at least half home to eat for lunch today. I had to save room for dessert.

For dessert we all split chocolate cake, turtle cheesecake, and tiramisu.

They were all good, but the tiramisu was definitely my fave. They also had some red velvet cake that looked amazing.

Thanks to Whit for getting this dinner organized!

I was really sad that I missed the fashion show at Marshalls, but this girl had to get home. I can’t wait to hang out again.

And while I am on a roll I will go ahead and show you what I had for breakfast.

Oats! I was going to call them AB&J oats but they are more than that.

I started by heating up 1/2 banana in my pot. I looked like it was melting. Then I added 1/3 c oats, 1/3 c water, and 1/3 milk. I seasoned with a little salt and some cinnamon. I topped 1/2 microwaved apple with my oats and then topped them with wheat berries, Nature’s Path granola, AB, and strawberry preserves. This was a great combo, nice and chewy.

This morning is flying by, thank goodness! And I have to get back to work.

I have not been able to motivate myself to do anything this evening. I wanted to take Piper on a walk but it is just too cold and windy.

Tonight’s eats have been very boring because I ruined my appetite with my after work snack.

Stacy’s Pita Chips and hummus. They were so good that I had a hard time putting them away. It is not a good idea for me to eat these guys straight from the bag.

All I have had the rest of the evening is some french bread. I put some spinach and garlic powder on one slice in an effort to get some veggies in.

It is now 8:30 and I am finally getting hungry for something more but nothing sounds good. Gah!! I am going to have to figure something out soon because I do not like to go to bed hungry.

I just got done watching Food Inc. OMG. I felt really bad when I saw the little chickies.This movie was really educational for me. I have never really thought much about the production of the meats I eat. In fact, I have just recently understood the value and importance of whole foods in my diet, and I am still working on reducing the amount of processed foods I eat. This movie is definitely going to make me reevaluate the amount and quality of meat that I eat in the future.

Now to today’s eats.

I snacked on some nuts before my morning conference calls.

Lunch was leftover from yesterday.

Brown rice, salmon, cheese, and salsa. Plus…

Tiny pickles, pita chips, and Sabra hummus.

This lunch held me over most of the afternoon, and good thing because things were busy. I ate this apple around 4.

It was so juicy that juice kept running down my hand. Yum!

So today was my first delivery from a local organic produce delivery service, Absolute Organics. I got the idea from Meg and Sarah who live in the Durham area and get produce delivered by Bella Bean Organics. All the produce is organic and they buy local produce whenever possible. Look at what I got!

From their website:

How it Works

We purchase 6-7 different vegetables and 4-5 different fruits each week based on season, availability and price.  Your variety produce box is based on your likes and dislikes.  For example, if on your likes and dislikes list you marked that you do not like cucumbers, you will not receive cucumbers, instead you will receive more of another item that we purchase that week.  Then simply tell us what size variety produce box you would like and how often you want it delivered.  You will receive a well balanced selection of your favorite vegetables and fruits at your door step, tailored to your tastes!  Our aim is the best variety at the best price.  All items are guaranteed.

2 eggplant, 8 red potatoes, 4  pears, 3 tomatoes, a bunch of spinach, 1 yellow onion, 8 clementines, and a big bag of carrots.

I could have gotten some lettuce and apples but I already had some of each and opted to get more of some of the other goodies instead.

I put some of my new produce to use right away.

I sliced one of the potatoes tossed it in olive oils, S&P, and dried rosemary and then roasted at 400* until fork tender.

Plus a wrap with Sabra roasted pine nut hummus, spinach, slice tomato, and a sautéed chicken breast. The are the same tortillas that Heather mentioned in a post earlier today.

I was still a little hungry after dinner so I fixed myself a huge plate of dessert.

1/2 sliced pear, 2 clementines, a piece of Nature’s Pride multigrain toast with PB.

Watching that moving really ate up my evening so now it is time to unplug. I have to try to get in bed earlier tonight so I will get up to workout.

Good Morning! Boy and I sore. I was sore this morning before my workout but now it is even worse. But it hurts so good.

Last night I did have a bedtime snack.

Ghirardelli dark chocolate squares with caramel filling and some milk.

I got up on time this morning, thanks to a grumbling dog. I wanted to set up the internet to work on the Wii so I could do a yoga workout online, but that was a no go. I will have to try to address that again tonight.

I did a modified version of Emily’s workout (the same workout that inspired yesterdays workout).

Do you like my stick figures? I knew I wouldn’t remember all of the moves so I tried to do some drawing to jog my memory.

My chest was so sore when I got to the diamond pushups that I could barely do them. Also, I modified the pushups and plank so that I was on my knees. I have to work my way up to the real stuff.

I loved this workout just as much as yesterdays. With all of the changing up I barely noticed the time going by. I think this combined with some yoga may be just right for me.

Breakfast was an almost repeat of yesterday.

1/2 diced Fuji apple, 1/3 diced banana, 1/2 container Chobani peach Greek yogurt, and a Kashi trail mix bar crumbled on top.

Something was way off about this breakfast. I am not sure if it was the yogurt or the granola bar or the fact that I mixed it up before I left the house and ate it one I got to work but something was off. I ended up picking around the granola and forced myself to eat the rest.

After my workout I was still pretty hungry so I also scarfed down a piece of toast and PB that a brought with me.

This really hit the spot.

My morning has been busy and has totally flown by, but I did manage to eat a snack before my 11 AM meeting.

This was a super tasty snack, but I didn’t have enough hummus to finish my crackers. Oh well, lunch will be soon enough.

Is it bad that I didn’t consider the new year really beginning until I came back to work? I guess work means that the vacation and holidays are over and the reality of “real life” in the new year are just beginning for me. Coming back to work after a long weekend is hard. I do feel kind of refreshed though, and I am ready to get back into a more normal routine.

Last night after wrapping up my blogging I headed for the tub, which is probably one of my favorite parts of my normal routine. Having a knee replacement my body often feels out of whack and a nice long soak in the tub always makes me feel nice and loose.

After my bath I slathered on a little bit of my new lotion.

This stuff smell so good. Light and powdery.

And climbed into my new PJ’s.

Cute and comfy.

Before lights out I had a bedtime snack.

Multigrain Club cracker sandwiches with Laughing Cow and Hummus and a Clementine. I got some new hummus at Costco yesterday so I am trying to hurry up and use the older stuff so I can crack it open. Sabra Hummus with Roasted Pine Nuts. I can’t wait!

I did manage to get myself out of bed early for a workout. I think I need to get out of bed about 5 minutes earlier tomorrow though. I decided to try a circuit training, inspired by Emily,  this morning since getting bored while working out is one of my biggest struggles with working out. This is what I had planned.

I ran out of time after the lunges. And the chest press was actually more like a chest fly.

I really like this workout. I didn’t have an opportunity to get bored and the time flew by. I will definitely be doing this, or a variation of this, again. I really like working out in the comfort of my own home, especially when it is on 20* outside at 6 AM. Brr.

After working out I was starving for breakfast. So I guzzled down some water while I threw something together.

1/2 Fuji apple, 1/2 banana, 1 container (7 oz?) of 0% Fage with strawberries.

I like this but it had a bit too much yogurt for my liking. Next time I will probably only use 1/2 the container.

Breakfast only held me over for a little while. I have been sipping on sweet tea and managed to put off snacking until 10 AM. And of course, I had some Clementines.

I am still feeling hungry so snack #2 will soon follow.

See you for lunch!