Quicker than the delivery may...

Wednesday Recap:

Breakfast:  Almond meal/flax pancake with peanut butter & syrup

Still my fave 'faux protein pancake' outta the bunch.  It's got great texture from the flax that I just L-U-V. (ps-I never add the extra teaspoon of sweetener from this recipe.  I'd rather save it for a drizzle of maple syrup on top.)

Workout #1:  Power Yoga

Starting to feel MUCH stronger after getting back to yoga at the end of December.  I still don't let myself work up into too crazy of an intense sweat (aka- doing modified chaturangas & skipping the jumps forward and back into plank), but have been working out a lot on my arm & leg strength...because I have no excuses for skipping thoseJ  But I DO take the pass to skip any intense ab workouts right now...and I'm A-OK with THISJ

Lunch:  Banana + 1/4 cup Coconut Cashews (160 calories)

Since I knew I was pretty much heading DIRECTLY from the gym to pick up my Mom & Katie for a quick Ash Wednesday mass, I packed a quick lunch to slam down right after class.  Although I got busted since Katie got in the car and said "I smell banana!"  The nose knows...J

And since Katie was so good while getting her "dashes," we took her for a reward trip to the kid's library...

...and for some fro yo.  OK-that's kind of a lie since a stop at my fav local yogurt place has become my post-power yoga stop for the last 2 weeks....despite the fact that it's February & has been FREEZING!  But we literally say "Namaste" and all I can think about is STRAWBERRY YOGURTJ

I TRY to stick to this small mix of strawberry yogurt, whatever fresh berries they have that day and a little granola & coconut for kicks...but post-FRIDAY power yoga sometimes finds a little hot fudge hidden under the rubbleJ  Sometimes a gal just can't help herself...but I try my best to reign it in during the weekJ

Workout #2- 2 mile Walk away the pounds with 4 pound weights (Scott stole my 8'sJ)

Dinner:  2 slices Broccoli Pizza + salad

OH, this was SUCH a good idea to use up a random container of steamed broccoli I had in the fridge.  As much as I LOVE going out or ordering in pizza, there's just something about the smell of homemade that is BEYOND cozy.  Plus, with a pre-made dough $1.19 from Trader Joe's this all came together quicker than the delivery man showing up at your door.

I toyed with the idea of topping the pie with caramelized onions and all of those fabulous things, but sometimes I just love the SIMPLE classics!  I'm the same way with pancakes, waffles and popcorn too.  I love a unique flavor, but sometimes this gal just likes a little butter & saltJ  Or in this case...a TON of sliced garlic...

...and some melted cheese.   ...which I never fail to CRISP these daysJ  Opps.  Still delicious, thoughJ

Dessert-  Angel food cake with strawberries

My Mom & Katie made this little cake last week and I finally remembered to pull my portion out of the fridge to have a slice for dessert last night.  Isn't it just too cute??

OK, I'm probably the only one who finds it SOCUTE, but I can't help myselfJ  I'm usually not much of an angel food cake fan, but given my crazy BERRY stage lately, I was all over this one!  (ps-I had a slice out of that above pic...not that whole piece of cakeJ)

So...we're slowly chugging towards the end of this week.  Emphasis on SLOWLY.  Probably doesn't help that I'm have our gal's annual Winter CHEESE party on Friday, along with a few other fun things.  2 more days, 2 more days....we'll make itJ.

Have a good Thursday, everyone!

What cabin fever??

 Tuesday Recap:

Workout #1: Tone it Up Full Body Workout (14 minutes!)
What I liked about this video:  It was SHORT & 4 easy, effective moves.
What I wasn't crazy over:  You did each move about 90000 times (prob around 20-30 reps in realityJ), so there wasn't much variety.  But you literally blink and it's over, soooo....

Breakfast:  "Magic Oats" with Banana, Chia Seeds & Peanut Butter

And what's chia seed oatmeal without a little MORE chia??  Like I said, I love texture, so toss some more on the oats and I'm good to go. 

Of course that whole bowl was far from mine since someone thiefed a bit... 

...and then asked for seconds.  Thanks, kid! 

But I guess how else does one fuel up a nearly hour-long session of playing on a homemade slide made out of cardboard??  

What cabin fever??

Lunch:  CHOCOLATE Cherry Cake Batter Protein Shake 

I have been completely obsessed with ALL CHOCOLATE-CHERRY recipes on Pinterest lately.  Odd because I have yet, or have ever, made anything really that's chocolate cherry...???

That was until yesterday, when I modified my usual favorite Cherry Cake Batter smoothie a bit:

• 1/3 cup part skim ricotta
• Spinach (because:  Why not?  Can't taste it at all)
• 1 scoop chocolate protein powder  
• Drops of almond & butter extract
• 1 tablespoon sugar-free chocolate pudding mix
• 1/2 cup water
• 5 ice cubes
• 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk (or until reached desired consistency)
• 7-8 cherries (pitted)

 Hit the spot...and it was so thick, it took me a good half-hour to polish it off.  Can't hate on that!

ps-it was also a big hit with the toddler crowd

Snack: 4 Trail Mix Cookies + 4 strawberries 

ps-those strawberries were snarled after I realized those little cookies were NOT going to hold me over until dinner...and maybe, just maybe, someone was getting a little hangryJ  Thankfully, the strawberries carried me right over the slumpJ

Dinner:  Bacon & Brussel Sprouts Carbonara + Arugula salad 

Oh man...THIS was SNOW DAY FOOD: 101.  Cozy, comforting and chock full of flavor, I have this bizarre LOVEEEE for brussel sprouts + pasta.  Not because brussels are my favs, but because  they add a hearty (and healthy) boost to pasta without the usual brussels "dread."  Word UP. 

There may or may not have been another twirl added to that plate since my Grandmother always said 'the best serving was always at the bottom of the pot', since they're the spaghetti strands that get to soak up all the sauce & the last of the toppings.  And we couldn't let that go to waste now, could we?? 

Workout #2:  New York City Ballet Workout

It has been a minute and a day since I've done this ole video from my collection.  And since my planned gym class fell right when I was ready to make dinner (cause...ummmm, I was STARVING by 5!), I blew the dust off this bad boy and gave it new life right in the warmth of my own home last night...

I forgot how much of an arm, waist, hip and leg workout this was.  It's not crazy intense, but your legs certainly feel it when you're done.  And by "feel it," I mean you feel tight & toned...and who's gonna argue with that one??  It's also great for your posture too, because who has better posture than those perfect ballerinasJ

Dessert- Strawberry Cheesecake yogurt dessert 

Dannon's new line of "dairy desserts" are cheesecake flavored thick Greek yogurt smothered in dessert toppings (they also have pudding varieties).  This strawberry one is DI-VINE and clocks in at 180 calories and 8 grams of protein.  I actually couldn't finish this last night, so that made me even happier to bring the calories down even a bit more.  Plus a protein source is ALWAYS a good choice for a dessert option, since it helps rebuild your day's wear & tear to your muscles while you sleep.  Weeeeeeee....

So how bout it's ASH WEDNESAY already??  How the heck is Lent already staring us in the face?  Didn't I JUST put away my Christmas decorations??  (OK...maybe I actually did since my tree officially came down on the DAY OF the SuperbowlJ)  I think Post-Christmas depression is REAL.  I'm calling it here & now since my heart has had a small hole ever since my season of tinsel & joy wrapped up.  (probably didn't help that I spent most of the month of December in bed rahter than celebrating proper)...  Is it too early to start a countdown??  (I know you're with me here, Lea!)

Oh yeah, Ash Wednesday.  Sorry for my tangentJ  For all you winter-haters, it DOES give us the promise of spring in the not too distant future...and bringing us one month closer to Christmas.  Did I say that??J

Anyway...have a great one!J

A family affair...

Morning, everyone...and if you're on ANY spot in the north east:  Happy snow morning, as this is the view most of us are waking up to this morning:

I was hoping Scott was going to get another snow day with us, but no such luck.  Oh well...I think he at least will get done an hour early since he went in on time, despite a delayJ

Soooooo...anyway, after an EXCESSIVE amount of cake & a blog hiatus, we're back to our first "regularly scheduled post" this morning with a good ole daily food recap...and it turned into a much healthier one than we originally planned, thankfully.

Monday Recap:

Breakfast:  Pancakes with flax

OK...here's where we took a little bit of an "extended weekend liberties" since Scott was wishing for pancakes on his day off and I certainly wasn't going to argue with that ideaJ.

Oh, and Katie wanted to say "Hi"...J

Lunch:  Kale Fried Rice with chicken 

While breakfast was an easy sell, lunch proved to be MUCHHHHHHHHHHH more difficult of a choice.  To the tune of it taking me about an hour & a half to decide what I wanted (blame the reoccurring nausea that's been hanging around this week...UGH!)  We toyed with the idea of going out for lunch, but leaving our house (and our PJ's) to venture in the 12 degree high of yesterday didn't sound too appealing.  Take-out was also tossed around since I've been craving an Italian Hot Dog like woah for about a month...but knew that was a good idea IN THEORY, but doubt it would help with feeling lousy.  So then I went for my SECOND NO-FAIL dinner pick of late (behind ANY Italian food...hence that lovely chicken parm from the weekend):  SCOTT-MADE Asian entreesJ 

Kung Pao Lettuce Wraps (so good) and Basil Chili Garlic Chicken (sooooooooooo good!!) have been two MAJOR hits around here lately, and the return of Kale fried rice was met with the same amount of HAPPY.  Not only was it delicious, but I swear my body was humming from eating something GREEN after what felt like an excessively indulgent weekend.  

Workout #1:  3 mile Walk Away the Pounds
So my new plan is to get Scott & I to sneak in these quick workouts as many times a week as we can squeeze them in.  As I've said probably a zillion times on this blog, these videos were what got me started in exercise to begin with, since I always thought "in the 30 minutes I could debate about whether I wanted to work out or not: I could be done."  They're just that easy & accessible, which is KEY to having a workout you can STICK with (Proof:  these are still in repertoire after 10 YEARS!)  

Plus, we have ZERO excuse since Katie actually thinks it's a game and joins in with us...could you just die from this (sideways??) cuteness??

Of course she also decided she needed a few breaks and promptly plopped in the middle of us with her markers...and workout matJ 

Dinner- Green Cherry Cake Batter Smoothie 

So this MAJORLY hit the spot after the workout, especially sine it's one of my very favorite, favorite smoothies.

And made even happier served up in my NYC glass... 

...because HOW FABULOUS was the SNL 40 show on Sunday night??  I laughed till my face hurt...except during the tribute to my Sweet NYC, which prompted me to burst into tearsJ  Paris & San Francisco may have stolen pieces of my heart, but NYC will always be MA SOUL <3 p="">

Workout #2:  Beginner's Power Yoga

Which felt like one huge stretch after the 3-mile walk...so great!

Snack- Small bowl of Cheerios (not pictured)

Because hunger + nausea do not go well together.  That is all.

Alrighty...well, off to start this snowy day.  I'm torn between two cozy dinner options (one a soup, the other a pasta dish...what sounds better to you??) so we'll see what wins out.  Hope you have a good one and STAY SAFE if you're in the area.  

Valentines Recap: 2015...

Morning...well, AFTERNOON, all!  Hope you guys had a great weekend.  Happy to say ours is extended by one more day, thanks to ye ole PresidentsJ  But before the day gets away with me, I thought I'd give you an update on our Valentines Weekend: 2015.

Which started off with red pancakes (which Katie is STILL requesting to be 'shaped' like Rudolph...which may or may not have anything to do with the use of whipped cream and M&M'sJ...)

...and learning about the beauty of candy jewelry, courtesy of a little Valentine's exchange at dancing school... 

...and then it was off to our "road trip"...aka.-40 minutes south of usJ  We've had our eye on "The Kibitz Room" menu since mid-January and KNEW it was going to be our "Valentines destination du jour."  Cause what else says "I love you" rather than a Jewish deli???...

(photo source...since I didn't get a photo in the snowJ)

I'd suggest perusing their menu before heading in, since you have to order at the counter and your head is likely to spin from all of the options if you aren't well prepared...

Thankfully, we knew just what we wanted when we headed in and hit up the pickle bar while we waited for our order to be brought to the table (by Peggy, the awesome waitress)...

Not that it was even in the SLIGHTEST sense of the word 'necessary,' but we just HAD to start with the brisket fries since I'm deeming Scott & I the 'somewhat connoisseurs' of meat-topped fries.  I know.  Don't be jealous by my self-given honors....

Tender brisket + melted American cheese + caramelized onions + crispy fries.  Can this even be bad??

And next it was time for the big guns.  And OK, I lied a bit.  I was TOTALLY torn between 2 options for a main course, but given that THIS selection of stuffed cabbage came with a choice of TWO sides, I had to go with this pick...

I'm not sure how this became part of my Italian Grandmother's repertoire, but stuffed cabbage is and has always been one of my ALL-TIME favorite foods since she used to make them for me as a kid.  This variation was a bit on the sweeter side, but STUFFED with meat, rice & spices.  FAB!

And as for those sides, they did NOT disappoint!  Potato pancakes was a no-brainer.  These were SO crisp and heavenly.  As good as I had hoped...

And my second side pick was one I was just DYING to try:  Kugel.  I went with the cheese variety (rather than the fruit) and was surprised to find that it was still sweet and.. 

...COMPLETELY out of this world DELICIOUS!  I was OBSESSED.  Truth by told, I only ate 1 of the stuffed cabbages so I could throughout enjoy both sidesJ

Kugel was tasted just like our Italian Easter tradition of Pastia/aka. noodle pie.  It's so interesting that cultures & nationalities all sorta have the same traditions, but with different names.  Pastia is to Kugel, as Dumplings are to raviolis and to pierogies.  It's as interesting as it is delicious.

And Scott went the traditional deli route with their corned beef sandwich... 

I stole a couple bites and it was just DROP DEAD DELICIOUS, as the bites just kept getting better & better as you got more & more flavor.  We both agreed that it's something neither of us would rarely select (except when in MontrealJ), but definitely worth going out of the comfort zone.  DI-VINE.

And after lunch, it was time for even BIGGER guns, given the fact that The Kibitz Room's dessert cases were OUT OF CONTROL... 

We all made our selections, Katie's being the MOST clearJ... 

...and when the (very nice and helpful!) guy handed me the cake prepped in a take-out container, I could barely believe the WEIGHT!  And once I opened the package, here's what we were met with... 

I mean...clap it up for great parenting, AMIRIGHT??  Everyone that stopped in after couldn't stop cracking up over the little pigtailed girl with the HUGE slice of cake!  It was enough cake for about 19 people.

And despite it's INSANE proportion, it was actually REALLY delicious.  I sometimes think LARGE desserts are more novelty, without any attention to taste, but not here.  The vanilla cake really had great flavor, while still staying moist with allllll those layers of frosting, so ya really got a great cake/frosting ratio....which is really the most important thing on the planet, no???J

I was also surprised to find out all of the cakes (except for one) were baked in house, giving this deli even MORE of a home-y feel knowing all of their recipes were classic and traditional.

And because we're idiots lovers of 'samples', we still each got our own slices cause we're ridiculous curious... 

Scott's carrot cake was absolutely beyond.  The cream cheese frosting helped balance out the sweetness of the cake...which was packed full of carrot shavings, raisins & walnuts... 

...but I must say my choice of German Chocolate Cake was slightly a bit of a flop, only because it was SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO sweet.  Like, WAY too sweet.  As of my typing this post, I think I've still only managed about 4-5 forkfuls.  It might have to be divided and shared with some friends, cause it's seriously just a bit TOO much. (says the girl who ordered her own GIANT slice...so I think that's saying a lot!)

Probably also didn't help that Scott thought that German Chocolate would have been my LAST choice, given all the cake options, since I'm not normally much of a chocolate cake person.  What can I say?  That coconut frosting was calling at the timeJ

But we both gave The Kibitz Room thumbs up as big as those slices.  The home cooked food combined with the friendly (and a few classic 'rough around the edges' characters) service made this places feel so warm & welcoming, along with being traditional and delicious.  Definitely give it a chance if you're in the market for CLASSIC deli fare...in epic portionsJ

And in Valentines day, Part 2 on Sunday night- our other tradition of me cooking a dinner with some sort of memory had to take a backseat this year to something that my stomach could tolerate.  And in bucking tradition, part 2- Scott had to make this one since I was just too queasy to stand over the stove last night to make dinner.  BLEH. 

Thankfully this dinner of chicken parm and Parmesan polenta hit the spot...especially since I got to lounge on the couch while it was being madeJ  Now THAT says L-O-V-EJ 

Alright...that was a LOT for one dayJ  Hope you guys liked our weekend recap.  The goal for today was to go quite a bit LESS, but we'll see what today brings since it's sort of a weekend extension.  I know ONE thing it will NOT include:  CAKE!  And one thing it definitely WILL:  THE GYMJ

Have a great Monday!