95% mental....

Tuesday Recap:

8:00am:  Coffee with creamer

10:00am:  Breakfast- Banana with pumpkin spice almond butter

12:30pm:  Lunch- Salad with olive oil, sea salt, 2% cheese stick & mini turkey pepperoni

2:00pm:  Snack #1- Coffee with creamer  (my 'nap time/unwind' excuse yesterdayJ)

3:00pm:  Snack #2- Wheat toast with butter and flax

6:00pm:  Dinner- Five-spice chicken with HALLOWEEN NOODLES!

This wasn't my original plan for last nights dinner, but was SO glad it was our 'final destination' because it just hit the spot!  I used this recipe (which neither Scott or I could BELIEVE it had been THREE years since we last had this dinner.  Leave it to us to use FOOD to really show us how fast TIME FLIES!J) and it came together in NO TIME!

While a pot of water boils for the pasta, I just mixed some diced chicken with a little salt & some five-spice powder, tossed it in a pan drizzled with olive oil and cooked over medium heat.... 

Then whipped up a quick sauce of... 

• 4 minced garlic cloves
• 1 diced orange pepper
• 1/4 cup peanut butter
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 15 oz. can of pureed pumpkin
• BLACK sesame seeds....MWAHAHAHA!

I think this one is really cute AND really delicious!   Scott voted to make this with chicken rather than shrimp from here on out (ya know, when I make it in ANOTHER three yearsJ) 

It was a hit all-around... 

Peanut butter pumpkin noodles for ALL!

And after dinner, we got to the REAL business of HALLOWEENJ

Or at least one of MY favorite partsJ  Katie sat through MOST of it...although I think she liked the part where Snoopy danced to Linus playing the piano the mostJ

(what?  You don't watch TV while precariously balancing on a toy car??J)

8:00pm:  Dessert

Well, my BIG PLANS for baking in honor of CANDY CORN DAY descended into NON-motivation around 2pm (hence, that extra cup of coffee!), so I had to settle on a small handful that I found in a bag my cousin had given Katie for Halloween.  Ceeeellleebrate good times, COME ON!

And then it was time for THE BIG GUNS:

This was the ONE candy I actually bought for us this year since it's the first year we're not handing out candy, but rather taking Katie out for the FIRST TIME instead (weeeeeeee!)  And I must say: I don't think I'm a fan of the PUMPKIN cups!  Sure, they're cute....but I got a littttllleee queesy about 3/4 of the way through and there's just something about that black wax paper that gives it an extra boost of flavor, amIright??J  Not to mention, what's a cup without ridges??J

Is that too much analysis about a Reese's pumpkin??

Don't answer that.

9:00-10:00pm:  Body by Bethenny (40 minute yoga + 10 minute arms + 5 minute "Booty Blast")

This was EXACTLY what I wanted to do last night, and because of that, it was the ONLY reason I had motivation to fit it in even at 9pm.  All day I had been bouncing back and forth over what workout I wanted to do and at one point I had settled on a tougher DVD I knew I didn't really WANT to do.  And what happened??? Within 10 minutes, I had convinced myself I didn't need a workout because I just didn't want to do that DVD.  HOW DUMB IS THAT????  When I finally said "no, THIS is the one I want to do and THAT'S THAT!" I got myself off the couch and got it done!  Would you rather FORCE yourself to do something you're not interested in only to (probably) eventually skip it...or would you rather do something you ACTUALLY LIKE AND GET IT DONE???  The answer is OBVIOUS and I STILL need the reminder on some days!  Seeshhhhh...weight loss REALLY IS 95% mental.  It REALLY is!

ANYWAY, since we'll be busy, busy, busy tomorrow night, we're planning on doing all of OUR traditional HALLOWEEN 'events' tonight to spread out the holiday love...and to that I say: WHY NOT?!J

Have a great Wednesday!