Gangsta Style

I'm so sorry I forgot to put up pictures from Halloween.  I wasn't in a ton, but here you go. 

That's me and my co-gangster, we kept things in line.

Unhealthy treat

Here's a sweet recipe for a gray Monday.  Not at all healthy, but tasty and easy.  A good recipe to make and then bring with you to a party or get together.

Saltine Chocolate Toffee Bars (not sure of their real name)

4oz saltines
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375.
Grease a jelly roll pan (aka a baking sheet) and then arrange the saltines in one layer. (I used cooking spray.)
In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and add the brown sugar, stirring constantly.  Bring to a boil for 3 minutes.  The mixture will be bubbly and aerated.
Pour sugar/butter mixture over the crackers and spread to cover all crackers.  Put pan in to oven and bake for 5-7 minutes, until toffee mixture is bubbling.
Remove from oven and sprinkle the chocolate chips over the toffee.  Let sit about 5 minutes to allow the chips to melt.  Using a knife, spread the chocolate over the toffee.
Let cool, then put in freezer or fridge to complete cooling and hardening.
Cut in to squares.

Do you have an easy sweet treat that you break out around the holidays?  If so, please share!

the white devil

Imagine you wake up in the middle of the night insanely nauseaus.  You head to the bathroom only to get that feeling of "should I sit on the toilet or face it?".

What's the first thought that enters your mind?  Food poisoning would be mine.  Very little has woken me up from a sound sleep other than food poisoning or a very bad stomach flu.

That said, what causes these symptoms for me?  Garlic.

The bulb that almost everyone LOVES.  The ingredient that is so common it isn't always listed on menus.

Well my friends, that little white bulb is my arch enemy.

I always knew that garlic bothered my stomach.  A little.  However, as I've gotten older, this has apparently gotten worse.  Only within the past year or so did I realize that if I ate too much garlic, I'd wake up with the same symptoms as food poisoning.  Thankfully I wouldn't actually get sick, but I would very much feel sick.

Let me tell you how annoying this is.  Eating out has become a pain because everything I order must be followed up with "no garlic", to which I usually get weird looks.

But, it is what it is, and those who love me (and cook for me) have learned to make the concession.

Any other odd food problems out there?

Love laughing!

I seriously LOVE this stuff!

I use it as a spread on my veggie burgers and it makes them taste so much more indulgent.  Plus, with only 35 calories, it's better than most spreads.

Am I alone in this fan club?

Working is alot of work

Who knew?

And I don't just mean the working part (i.e. the 9-5).  Today is my 8th day back in the working world, although the first 3 don't really count since I was out of state and living out of a hotel.

I promised myself that my gym routine and eating habits would not suffer.  If anything, I hoped that maybe my eating habits would improve a bit as dictated by the structure of a work day.

So far it's going OK.  I've been bringing lunch.  Now who doesn't want to eat the exact same thing for 3 days in a row?  I've made it to the gym 3 out of the 4 completed work days.

However, it's been rough.  By the end of the day, I'm TIRED, so my motivation and energy are a bit off.  Gym routines just haven't had the same intensity as they did before.  I'm hoping (maybe even praying) that this is temporary and just a case of my body adjusting to a new schedule.  I've done the hardcore nighttime workout consistently before, it's just been a looooong time.

To help me along, I pack my gym bag the night before, that way I don't have to come home between work and the gym because that has NEVER worked for me.  I've also been trying to take classes more, which gives me a guaranteed workout.  I'll then arrive at the gym a little early and squeeze in whatever extra activities I can manage.

I think I'm doing OK, but there's definitely room for improvement.  Any tips?  I'm thinking maybe green tea around 3pm. 

Happy Friday!

And happy December.  Weird, right?  I'm so not ready for winter.  It snowed while I was in PA, I hated every minute of it.

I'm so glad it's Friday!  I'm exhausted and can't wait to relax and maybe even let loose a bit tomorrow.  Girls night out!

I need to get back in to the work routine, which for me means preparing and making lunch.  My usual is a veggie burger on a sandwich flat and maybe some veggies.  However, this gets old, plus it doesn't always keep me full.

That said, I'm looking for some suggestions.  The requirements are that it be tasty (most important), but also easy, healthy, and filling.  So if you have any tried and true lunch ideas, please let me know.

Have a great weekend!  Hoping (fingers crossed) to put together another spin ride in the next week, so stay tuned.

Here I am

I had hoped that maybe I wouldn't actually go MIA, but apparently that wasn't the case.

I'm still adjusting to this new and busy schedule.  Plus my first three days were spent out of state at a hotel, which always complicates a routine further.

I woke up Tuesday at 5a to hit the hotel gym.  Better something than nothing, but it was limited and as a result it sucked the motivation right out of me.  Back to the gym tonight, after work, so we'll see how that goes.

I had always gone to the gym after work, but it's been years now so it might take some adjusting.

It's also weird that I haven't been on a spin bike since Saturday.

So I'm thinking about trying Insanity.  Anyone tried it and want to share their experience?  My "friend" wants us to do it together, so I'm considering it.  If I do do it, I'll totally share my experiences with you guys. Maybe even post some before and after stats...maybe.

So let me know about Insanity or any other similar program you've tried.  Thanks!