We plan...

Snow day! recap:

8:00:  Coffee with creamer

9:30am:  Breakfast- Apple with peanut butter

...and snowJ

12:30pm:  1/2 Tuna fish sandwich on wheat toast and handful of tortilla chips 

I swear there's tuna under all those lettuce leavesJ

And then Scott & I spent our 'snow day/Katie napping afternoon' watching THIS:

I think I said "Oh my God" about 82 times and Scott fell over laughing at least twice.  HIL-ARIOUS, ya know, if you like that sorta thing...which we obviously doJ

While we watched, we snacked on a few chips with a little of this hummus... 

I can't say the "everything" spices were BURSTING at the seams, but it was still super tasty none the lessJ

6:00pm:  Dinner...CARB HEAVEN!

So, like I mentioned yesterday, I spent all week thinking about what I wanted to make to warm our bones for the snowy night.  But my options narrowed as soon as THIS came in the mail: 

UMMMM...ALL BACON ISSUE???  YES, PLEASE!

So I made a dish I REALLY never thought I'd make in 10 zillion years, Spaghetti Carbonara or Bacon & Egg pasta...

As I may have mentioned several billion times, I'm NOT a fan of eggs (scrambled, poached...shudder).  But after reading through the recipe and realizing the eggs mix with bacon and cheese to create a SAUCE rather than scrambled eggs in pasta...well, that I can get behindJ

And it was SUPER easy, heating up 3 slices of diced bacon, 1 sliced onion and 4 minced garlic cloves until the bacon was crispy...(let the bacon come to near-crisp first before adding in the onions & garlic.  You DEF don't want the garlic to burn and become bitter) 

Then, while the pasta is cooking, add about 1/2 a cup of the starchy pasta water to 2 whisked eggs to help temper the eggs and prevent them from scrambling once added to the hot pan. 

Once the pasta is cooked, drain it and add it directly to the bacon/onion mix and give it a toss.  Next SLOWLY add in the egg and toss quickly as you go to FURTHER prevent scrambling... 

Then toss in 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese and enough salt & pepper to taste.  Toss it all around for a couple more minutes to cook the egg and create a creamy sauce.

KNOCK. YOUR. SOCKS. OFF. DELICIOUS.  But I mean, how can they not be??  Bacon, cheese, garlic, pasta (oh yeah...and eggJ)??  Perfect carb comfy coziness to the last drop.  

Oh yes, and on the side:  MORE CARBS!!!!  I normally only serve pasta at home with a side of green salad, but the snow just COULD NOT stop me from thinking about a nice slice of bread hot out of the oven with a little drizzle of olive oil & sea salt...YUM!

I used the NO FAIL Jim Lahey No Knead bread recipe and after those 17 hours of resting...

...it came out perfect as usual...

The crust is SOOOOOOOO shattery & crackly while the inside is soft & chewy.  Try that recipe and I swear you will NEVER make bread any other way again.  It's just too good to be that easy!!

8:00pm:  Dessert- Sea Salt Fudge Truffle ice cream

Yes, I was PLANNING on making some hot chocolate for dessert last night butttttttttttt how can you pass that ice cream up??  Even in the dead of winter!

And in other news...HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!!!!!!!!

Do you know that saying "we plan, God laughs"??  Well, he must have been laughing when my planned morning of Scott making me breakfast while I snoozed away came to a halt when I heard Katie crying around 5:45am and walked in to find out she had gotten sick.  And then after cleaning her up...she got sick all over meJ  True Love, I tell yaJ  So needless to say, by the time she woke up a little while later, she wasn't exactly impressed by the Valentines surprise Cupid had left for herJ

 Oh wellJ  Hopefully she at least feels better as the day goes onJ

Hope you guys have great plans with ALL of your loved onesJ  I have a 'classic Valentines' dinner planned for tonight, but given the way plans have worked out already today...it might just dissolve into dueling bowls of cereal on the couch by days endJ hahahahhaaJ

Have a great weekend and a HAPPY Valentines day!

How I spend my days...

Wednesday Recap:

8:00am:  Coffee & Meta-D

9:30am:  Breakfast- 6 Chocolate Covered Almonds  (not that hungry)

10:30-11:45am:  POWER YOGA

About 1/4 of the way into this class, I was starting to regret my 'only almonds' breakfastJ  Particularly when I toppled out of a side arm eagle balanceJ  Graceful: 101J

12:30pm:  Lunch- Life cereal

I know, I know.  Yesterday was not the wisest & most balanced of food days, but this bowl of cereal was calling my nameJ  (and maybe an extra 1/2 bowl tooJ)

5:30-6:30:  BODY JAM

This release is JUST. SO. FUN!  I think I danced all the way to my car afterwardJ

7:00pm:  Dinner- Baked Potato Soup

If you're in the Northeast, this fabulous recipe would come in GREAT handy on a day like today!  (more on that in a sec!)

8:00pm:  Dessert- THIS: 

Found this at the grocery store yesterday and KNEW it had to come home with meJ  The best part???  CRUNCHY parts of SALTY chocolate truffles!  = HEAVEN!

And since it's 'full fat' ice cream, I always bust out my 'portioned controlled' mini ramekin...even if the ice cream is peeking a bit out the topJ 

And in "other news"....here's our view from the front window today!  All blinds have been opened to take in all the snowy beauty.  We're all lucky to be home safe & sound, so as long as the power holds out, I say "Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!"  (yes, I'm perpetually 5 years old and skipped around giddy last night in anticipation...just ask ScottJ)

And in anticipation of Blizzard 2014, I've spent nearly the ENTIRE week wondering what I'm going to make for dinner to celebrate the storm.  YES.  THIS is how I spend my daysJ  It was a tough call between a bubbly casserole or (more) homemade pizza, but I think I may have found the perfect cozy and decadent meal that you can only eat when you can pretend there's no calories involved (which happens when it snows, don't cha know??J) 

Until then, here's a preview of 1 partJ  Any guesses??

Stay safe, New Jerseyians and have a great Thursday!

Potential best meal of the week, month, year...

Tuesday Recap:

8:00am:  Coffee & Meta-D

12:15:  Brunch???  - Tomato & Red Pepper soup with white beans

So yesterday was a weird day.  I had made this for breakfast because I was FREEEEZZZZINNNGGG, only to take a few bites and realize I wasn't really hungry.  Then I managed to keep myself busy enough that I didn't realize I was REALLY hungry until noon.  Usually waiting till I'm THATHUNGRY will set me off on a binder, but since the soup hit the spot perfectly, I was just able to eat & be done.  A rarity in my worldJ

5:30pm:  Snack- 6 Chocolate covered almonds

I went to go put the finishing touches on dinner and realized I was going PAST HUNGRY.  So I had a couple of these to 'quiet the beast', so to speak, so I didn't sit down to dinner like a raving lunatic.  It worked like a charm.

And OH...speaking of THAT DINNER, it could be the best one you've had ALL MONTH! ...

6:00pm:  Dinner- Crockpot Honey Garlic Chicken lettuce wraps with brown rice mix

O to the M to the G...these things were OUT OF THIS WORLD!  And as simple as simple could be!  I just adapted this recipe and mixed:

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (what we had on hand)
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup hoisin (happened to be GARLIC hoisinJ
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 minced garlic cloves
• 1/2 cup diced onion

Popped it all in a slow cooker and cooked it on low for about 6 hours, or until you can remove the chicken and it shreds apart at the seamsJ

Next, mix up a tablespoon of cornstarch & 3 tablespoons of water.  Take the rest of the honey/soy sauce cooking liquid and pour into a small saucepan along with the cornstarch & water.   Bring to a boil and cook on medium high until reduced and thickened.  I LOVED this step because it made the sauce rich & thick!  Toss the sauce with the shredded chicken and add in some sesame seeds & diced scallions.  JUST. SO. GOOD! 

Peel of the outer leaves off a head of iceberg lettuce, pile in some saucy chicken & chopped peanuts (a last minute executive decision that proved to be wondrous!)

And CHOW!

These things are 100% COMPLETELY awesome!!!  Kelly has herself one incredible recipe!  Try this out tonight...it very well could be your favorite meal of the week, month, yearJ

And for our side of rice, I just boiled up some brown rice along with a 1/2 bag of frozen peas and stirred in about 1/4 cup of the honey/soy sauce to bring all the flavors together.   Super simple!

Do I need to repeat??  MAKE THIS TONIGHT!!!

8:00-9:20pm:  Gentle Yoga

Alrighty, I'm off to get to my WEDNESDAY morning yoga class that was cancelled last week from the ice storm....as we gear up for the next 'big snow storm' (squeeeeeeel!)

Have a great Wednesday!J

Those yoga/life metaphors...

Monday Recap:

8:00:  Coffee & Meta-D

9:30am:  Breakfast:  Pancakes

I can NOT get enough pancakes lately!  It's all I want pretty much every morning.  And I figured as long as I keep my portions in check, there's nothin wrong with that!

• 1/3 cup pancake mix
• 1 tablespoon ground flax seeds
• Water, to desired thickness

Makes 2 perfectly portioned 'cakes that are small enough to enjoy nearly every day.  Would wheat or multi-grain mix be better?  Sure.  But these work too.  1/3 mix won't hurt ya.  Weeee!

10:30-11:30am:  Body Flow class

I always forget how tough this class is until I'm DYING through one of the killer ab sections.  It's all nice & flowy, but just occasionally, a little brutalJ

12:00pm:  Lunch- 3/4 leftover Mafalda's manicotti

This was just STARING me in the face.  Nothing was going to fit the bill for the afternoon unless the manicotti were taken care ofJ

2:30pm:  Snack- Cinnamon Life cereal  

Maybe not the most 'balanced' day in the carb & protein scheme, but oh well- some days are just off balanceJ

5:30pm:  Dinner- More Carbs  aka- Roasted Cauliflower & couscous salad

So we've now had this dinner twice in 2 weeks because it is SO. DAMN. EASY & SO. DAMN. DELICIOUS!

A mix of 1 (drained & rinsed) can of chickpeas along with the juice of a lemon and chopped dill & green onions... 

+ 1 cup of couscous cooked in 1 cup of chicken broth (aka-the easiest grain to cook on planet earth!) 

+ 1 head of roasted cauliflower (roasted at 400 degrees for 30 minutes in a coating of olive oil, salt, pepper & garlic powder) 

+ an extra drizzle of olive oil & some salt and pepper to taste and you are GOLDEN!  

Scott actually said "I can't wait for roasted cauliflower...and I never thought I'd say those words."  Man used to HATE cauliflower!  If you have a cauliflower hater in your life, let em try it out like this.  I guarantee you'll change their minds! 

Not to mention, it's a hit all around...even if it's a MESSY oneJ  I was still finding couscous ALL around this morningJ 

6:30-9:15pm:  Beginners Power + Yin yoga

The new Monday combo for the February schedule swaps my usual gentle class for yin.  After an hour of 'powering up' your muscles, spending an hour+ STRETCHING them was both relaxing and SUPER intense.   It was questionable if I was going to even be able to get OUT of the poses at some moments...yeeeeeeee!

And speaking of yoga poses....I learned how to balance THIS last Friday...(which apparently is called a 'split-leg arm balance')

...which was exciting cause I had NO clue I could do that until my legs & head managed to levitate off the ground like a random miracle.  AKA- I had NO CLUE what I was doing, but it somehow worked outJ  Again with those yoga + life metaphors!!!  I'll stop nowJ

And on another note, ummmm....is anyone else excited for the alleged blizzard that's heading this way??  Anyone???  Just me???  OK, I'll stop now tooJ

On that note, I'm headed out today to get all of my Valentines dinner ingredients just in case we are snowed in until next weekJ  Have a great Tuesday, everyone!!