downward dog

today i switched up my routine and went to yoga over my lunch break .  holy cow.  it has been months since i've done yoga and it isn't something you can just jump right back into.  whatever strength and flexibility i once had is long gone. at one point the instructor had the entire class doing tripods and headstands, let's just say i didn't get anywhere close to completing either and was a huge embarrassment to myself. i just tried to hide in the corner so she wouldn't notice me.

after my disastrous yoga class i did what anyone would do, went a bought a snack. and when i say snack i mean i ate an entire bag of caramel crunch chex mix (first time trying this, it was delish...obviously) and a bottle of coke.  after doing the mental math (carry the two) i estimated i inhaled approximately 600 calories. there went all my calories i burnt plus some.

crossing my fingers that friday's class will be better and that no headstands are involved or bags of chex mix are consumed.

ring my bell

only one thing says the christmas season is here more than a red starbucks cup and that is a red kettle from the salvation army. when i was growing up my parents would hand me change to put into the kettle. at the time i had no idea what i was doing but it was a habit that stuck and i now look forward to seeing the red kettles and hearing the ringing bells every christmas season.

tonight jared and i volunteered ringing the bell for the salvation army at our local hy-vee.  while it was pretty chilly out, we had a great time.  i loved greeting people and wishing them a merry christmas.  i was amazed how many people donated money to us, anything from a few cents to a $50 bill. we also had a special guest stop by to say hello, miss nicole. it was great to see a familiar face.   

this morning when we were getting ready for work, the news did a story on how donations are very low so far this year for the red kettle campaign.  i suggested a great way to drum up business would be to dress up as a cup of soup and sing and dance like justin timberlake did, but jared quickly turned that idea down. maybe next time.

did you know that the red kettle tradition dates back in 1891?  i had no clue. the salvation army is still looking for volunteers this christmas season if you're interested, all you have to do is click here. 

on a side note besides enjoying my volunteer experience, i also loved the people watching. i'll leave you with a couple observations. frozen pizza was by far the number one item i saw in everyone's grocery bags.  makes sense to me, it is delicious.  do you remember that story from a few years ago stating that des moines is the largest consumer of the product?  also, parents need to put more clothes on their kids.  i saw children in t-shirts, shorts, no coats, no socks and flip-flops.  hello, it is cold out?!

thanksgiving recap

can you believe thanksgiving is here and gone? i had such a lovely break but i was a little slow and go this morning when getting ready for work.

thursday we had a delicious traditional thanksgiving feast. we decided to switch it up from last week and went with a ham instead of a turkey.  we prepared it with cherries and cloves and it was absolutely divine.  we also had my grandma ella's deviled eggs (no mayo here), roasted carrots, garlic mashed potatoes, rolls, dressing, yams with toasted marshmallows, coleslaw and green bean casserole.  for dessert raspberry champagne cupcakes courtesy of rachel and pumpkin pie courtesy of my mom (which didn't get eaten until saturday because we were all too full.)

when asked my favorite part of the meal it was a tough decision to make, but i finally decided on tie between the roasted carrots and the roasted garlic mashed potatoes.

in my opinion the hardest part of thanksgiving is not in preparing the food.  it is making sure it is all ready at the same time.  i decided the only way this was going to happen with one oven was to write out a schedule.  i knew i wanted to eat at 1:00 so i figured out how much time each dish took and at what temperature and then worked backwards. i then posted the schedule on the fridge so everyone could see what time each item needed to go in.  a little extra work went a long ways because everything was ready to go right on time!

later that evening we hit up the muppets at jordan creek.  i absolutely loved it.  i think i was smiling the entire time.  i especially enjoyed when they hit up pink's hot dogs in hollywood. waka waka.

i have so much to be thankful for! 

what a pretty ham

the delicious spread

rachel's beautiful cupcake creation

my wonderful family

black friday experience

every year my mom sister and i head out for some black friday shopping.  it is always a fun time and typically we score some pretty good deals. 

this year our black friday shopping started at walmart thursday evening at 10 pm.  every single parking spot in the lot was taken.  it was just insane. people were grabbing everything they could get their hands on (even if they weren't really interested) along with yelling, pushing, shoving topped off by budging in line. when we were waiting in line to check out (a process that took 45 minutes) a woman yelled at me because i moved her pan that she set on the ground with my foot.  i decided just to kill her with kindness and apologize which made her even more upset. 

walmart has been doing black fridays forever, you think they'd have it figured out by now but they don't.  no organization whatsoever, that's why i think they make the news every year for people getting injured or worse.  can you believe someone pepper sprayed the crowd just to get ahead in california? that is nuts.

after walmart we headed to target.  the line was four or five wide wrapped all the way around the back of the building. after about 30 minutes of people watching, we decided to just head home and get some sleep.

we were out the door by 7:00 on friday morning. we hit up valley west, target, nike (this store could be a problem for me, in love) and costco all before the iowa game at 11.  thankfully everything i wanted at target was still available that morning, including some dvds, a blanket and a set of picture frames. 

the key to black friday shopping is a good attitude.  i don't understand the people who get all bent out of shape and leave their patience at home. i don't know what they are expecting on a day like that.  i look at black friday as an experience, not worth stressing out about.

weekly menu posting

monday: cheese quesadillas, black beans with chips and salsa -- this is a staple quick meal at the holtgrewe house

tuesday: homemade cheese tortelloni -- last week we went to a cooking class and got to take the pasta we made home, can't wait

wednesday: chicken pot pie with puff pastry -- i found this recipe online, i typically just use it as a guideline and throw things in as i go

thursday: prosciutto-wrapped pork with sweet potatoes and pears

friday: star bar -- dinner with les before we go bartend

saturday: jethro's jambalaya -- we are going to a preview of the new restaurant and i'm so excited to get my cajun on

sunday: brunch -- tartine with kyle and sarah and for dinner -- slow-cooker spinach and ricotta lasagna

wheel of fortune fail

i love wheel of fortune and hope to make it on and spin the wheel someday.  les, got any tips for me? 

but for now, i will stick to watching it on television and playing the game on my ipad.

let's just hope if i do make it, this disaster won't unfold.  i don't know who i feel worse for the players, pat or regis?

change of plans

today was my first day off since i started my new job.  while i am loving my job, i will not complain about a day off.  i had a game plan of all these things i wanted to do, including a massage, manicure, movie, lunch out...sounds like a great day off, right? 

well there was a small change in how the day played out, i woke up with a terrible migraine.  i managed to make it to the massage but spent the rest of the day on the couch.  oh well, i appreciate the day off and the rest.

during my massage today i couldn't help but giggle and think of last week's episode of modern family.  hilarious.

TOMS

yesterday i received the latest TOMS holiday catalog in the mail.  i thought it would make for some good reading material in the car on the way to work today. as i was flipping through the pages, admiring all the cute new shoes, i couldn't help but stop and read the bios from children who have received a free pair of shoes. cue the water works. 

it is easy to forget all of the blessings we have, like shoes that fit.  sometimes my biggest worry of the day is which pair of shoes to wear, not the fact that i don't have any at all or a pair that is too small. 

and with that, a new pair has been added to my christmas list and then hopefully another child will be able to enjoy a pair as well.  go toms!

black friday

i am a huge fan of black friday shopping.  i can't wait to get the ads and a sharpie and make a game plan.  but to make things even better this year, rebecca black.  she just won't go away, which i might just be okay with.  the terribly good "friday" song has now become a commercial for kohl's, enjoy.

the stupid thing is already stuck in my head.




ps did you see her look-alike in the ad? i bet she never saw all of this coming.

brrr...

i am not a fan of the cold weather season for several reasons but i thought i'd try to limit my list to just five.  i know it is only going to get worse so i should probably just suck it up and starting dreaming of spring.

1. socks -- i despise wearing socks, i'd much rather run around barefoot all year round.
2. getting up early -- in the winter months i need to budget an extra10 minutes in the morning. it takes way too long to bundle up with my coat, scarf and mittens.
3. kleenex -- i hate blowing my nose especially with others around and i'm already battling my first cold of the season.
4. dry skin -- i don't know why as soon as november hits my skin starts to flake off but i have to double up on the lotion to keep up. 
5. cold house -- jared is a stickler when it comes to the thermostat so beware if you come to visit, wear an extra layer of clothes. 

weekend recap

this past weekend was so much fun. jared's family was in town to celebrate an early thanksgiving and we had such a great time!  here's a short recap:

friday:  jared took the day off and installed our new blinds and christmas lights.  both look great.  we went to dinner at cosi and then headed to wicked at the civic center. it was the second time i've seen the musical and i just love it.  the music was fantastic and after elphaba sang defying gravity, i could have gone home, it almost brought me to tears.

saturday:  we watched the hawks get a win on the road, did some shopping and celebrated thanksgiving with a delicious meal.  we had turkey and all the traditional fixings including a homemade pumpkin pie.

sunday: church, jethro's and the iowa basketball game.  even though the hawks got smoked, we still had a fun time cheering them on at wells fargo.

snacks for the iowa game including shrimp cocktail, spin dip and veggies

the beautiful turkey

turkey, brussles sprouts, mashed potatoes and gravy, dressing, green bean casserole and rolls with homemade jam

the holtgrewe's

weekly menu posting

nothing too spectacular this week, my apologies in advance.  i'm trying to utilize my leftovers as much as possible. 

monday: leftovers from our weekend thanksgiving feast -- it was delightful and it deserves a blog post all to itself
tuesday: cooking with alessandra class -- we're cooking up tortelloni filled with cheese topped with red sauce
wednesday: mudd honey sandwich -- leftover turkey, roast beef, cheese, bacon, bbq sauce and horseradish, yum
thursday: thanksgiving take two  -- this time instead of turkey we're making a bone-in spiral ham
friday:  english muffin pizzas -- these are great because people can make them however they so choose
saturday: ham and scalloped potatoes -- i figured this would be a good way to use the leftover ham
sunday: biscuits and turkey sausage gravy -- i don't do breakfast food for dinner too often, but this is one of my favs

"let's all feel superior"

i ran across this article on my brother-in-law's twitter feed and it peeked my interest so i thought i'd share.

what would you do if you ran across a situation that you knew wasn't right?  would you say something?  i think we would all say yes (that's what the statistics say) but i guess until you're in that moment you don't know.
 
just something to ponder...

who wants to be my friend?

i'm looking for a friend to join me at starbucks later this week.  starbucks is offering their annual holiday bogo november 17th-20th from 2-5 p.m. when you buy one holiday drink, you'll get another one for free. yes please.  this is almost as good as the frapp happy hour that starbucks does during the summer months.

you can choose from your most-loved holiday beverages, including peppermint mocha, caramel brulée latte, gingerbread latte and eggnog latte. i love them all so this could be a hard decision. 

"let's merry."

iowa food and wine expo

this past weekend jared and i went to the iowa food and wine expo.  it was so much fun. they had over 200 wines to sample along with 150 beers.  they also had a variety of foods, most of which were cheeses.  my favorites were a raspberry balsamic cheese and a sweet white wine by mad housewife.

the highlight of the evening was meeting chef art smith.   i became a fan of art smith while he was on top chef masters, he has also been seen on top chef and iron chef.  he is most famously known for being oprah's chef.  his most recent project is a restaurant with lady gaga. on friday evening he did a cooking demonstration of chicken and dumplings and made it look super easy.  he took time for questions so i asked him, his favorite thanksgiving food? in which he answered "all the sides," perfect answer in my opinion.  jared asked him his favorite place to eat in des moines?  his response was "centro."  ( i often wonder if famous people just google the #1 restaurant in the area they are going...but i'm going to take his word for it.)

during the meet and greet jared asked him if he's ever been to roscoe's chicken and waffles in los angeles (because that's what his most famous dish is.)  his response was my absolute favorite. he said he hadn't but has drove past and has met the owner.  then this millionaire chef pulls out his beat up wallet which only had a crumbled up five dollar bill and hands us his business card and tells us to try his chicken and waffles at his chicago restaurant, table fifty-two.

it was an amazing experience and i'm already planning a trip to chicago to try his chicken and waffles during the sunday brunch.

weekly menu posting

monday: lemon poppy seed chicken -- my dear friend calista shared this one with me and it is oh so good
tuesday: arugula-prosciutto pizza -- i love trying new pizza recipes
wednesday: oven baked tilapia with roasted carrots -- these roasted carrots are one of my favorite things ever
thursday: tsing tsao -- girl's night out
friday: cosi cucina -- headed to cosi before going downtown for wicked with jared's family
saturday: thanksgiving dinner with all the fixings -- i will be attempting my first turkey, here goes nothing
sunday: jethro's -- headed there before the iowa creighton game at wells fargo

capital pub and hot dog

this week for lunch i got to try out capital pub and hot dog located in the east village for the first time.  it was a very cool place.  for starters it is a hawkeye bar so that is an added bonus.

i went with the chicago dog, my favorite part was the poppy seed bun.  i can't seem to find anywhere in des moines that sells them, so i was super excited. the hot dog was good, but no where close to an actual chicago dog from the windy city.

next time i hope to try the mobayashi, it has some of my favorite things about sushi on a hot dog, including wasabi.

all their hot dogs range from $5.00-$6.50. you can substitute any dog with a turkey dog if you're trying to save a few calories. they also have a variety of sandwiches, salads and apps to choose from. 

i think this would be a great place to hit up to watch an iowa game or before heading out to see the icubs.

chili cook-off

this past weekend we hosted the first annual chili cook-off and i have to say it was a success.  we had four different varieties, all very different but all very good.

the judging was done by DH, who did a marvelous job.  he used a variety of criteria ranging from taste to aroma.

LW came up the big winner with a corn bread base, traditional tomato chili with a variety of beans topped with sharp cheddar cheese.  

in addition to all the great chili we also had a corn cupcakes, cinnamon rolls, veggies and some perfectly brewed hot apple cider.

already looking forward to next year!

maintain, don't gain

yesterday i signed up for a fitness challenge at my office.  i figured if i blogged about it, it might make me more accountable to actually follow through.  it has been months since i've been to the gym or done any exercise. i figured it was time to get back into a routine.  my workplace has a free fitness facility that all employees can use so i should have no excuse for not going.

the challenge is "simple." between now and january 1st, you need to maintain your weight within two pounds. you also need to work out sixteen times over the course of eight weeks.

too bad i love the holidays and all the goodies that come with them, so this could be a challenge. 

wish me luck.

menchie's

it is no secret, i am a huge fan of frozen yogurt.  ever since my first trip to LA and tasted the oh so wonderful pinkberry, i have wanted to open one up in DSM.  unfortunately it takes way more money than i have to do so. your net worth has to be $800k or more and you have to have $400k in liquid capital. holy smokes, who knew you had to have so much cash to open a store that serves up swirly goodness.

thankfully slowly but surely over the years frozen yogurt shops have hit the city. none as good as pinkberry--but hey, i'll take it.

last night i tried the newest yogurt shop in west des moines, menchie's.  it was very good.  they had my favorite flavor, tart, which is the most important piece of the puzzle. they also have most of my favorite toppings including fruity pebbles, strawberries and raspberries.  if only they had cap'n crunch and pineapple then i'd be set.

this place reminded me the most of pinkberry and was the cheapest i've been to so far. another added bonus is a rewards card, which i love being rewarded for frequent visits.

they also support good causes. for example, this weekend they donated 20% off all their profits to meals from the heartland, how cool is that?

auto incorrect

autocorrect on cell phones and email is typically very useful but today it provided me with a laugh so i thought i would share with you all. 

happy monday!

text conversation with my mom in regards to thanksgiving and if i should pick up the boneless ham or if she should:

me: the coupon for hy-vee is for a homeless ham, do you want to bring one up or should i grab one at costco?

mom: i know it is still early stacy but we can invite the homeless ham if you want i am sure we could find one laying by themselves in the back of the store's freezer.

homeless ham, really?  

cheap date

tsing tsao - waukee, has the cheapest lunch in town (other than a costco hot dog.)

for less than $5.00 you get an entree, soup, crab rangoon and an egg roll. can you believe you get all that food for that price?  to make things even better, not only is it super cheap but it is also delicious. 

today i went with the hot and sour soup, fried rice and veggie delight with cashews.  yummo.

weekly menu posting

this week's grocery total was the lowest i've EVER had, $24.36.  i did take advantage of some things i already had in my pantry but was very impressed with my final total. 

monday: pork-sweet potato quesadillas

tuesday: mojo's on 86th -- i have a groupon and les told me they are posting their new winter menu tomorrow.  wasn't super impressed the first time we visited, but i am always willing to try again.

wednesday: five-spice pork with roasted oranges and broccoli -- the most expensive item i purchased at the store today was five-spice ringing in just under $5, good thing it will last awhile.

thursday: wild wally sandwich -- i can't find the recipe online but it is essentially a turkey sandwich with blue cheese and hot sauce, two of my favorite ingredients

friday: iowa's premier food and wine expo -- an event i've wanted to go to for years and this year's celebrity chef is art smith, whom i love.

saturday: chickpea chicken-noodle soup 

sunday: leftovers -- not a huge fan of leftovers but when sunday rolls around we usually have a fridge full of food that needs to be eaten, so i decided it needed to make the menu this week

top chef

tonight is the season premiere of top chef, one of my favorite shows on television.  i can barely contain my excitement!  it is full of fabulous food, intense competitions, different personalities, cooking techniques and a little drama. 

this season is taking place across the state of texas and they are starting out with a record twenty-nine chefs. they are also adding chef emeril lagasse as one of their regular judges. BAM!

to add to the fun, jared and i always pick who we think the overall winner will be. we wait until after the first quick fire competition and then make our selection. this is usually a difficult decision to make because you have to choose between someone you like or someone who you think will actually win. last season we both picked the same chef and were both correct because he won. we'll see if we agree this year.

tune into bravo tonight at 9:00 pm, you won't be disappointed.

'tis the season

it is officially the holiday season. why you ask?  the red cup has arrived.  thank you starbucks. it is one of my favorite days of the year.  when i see that red cup i get so excited because i know the holidays are near.

today not only did i have my first red cup of the season but also my first egg nog latte. since it was the first one i could jusitfy ordering it full on instead of with skim milk.  let's get real, it is egg nog, does it really matter either way?  to make it even better i got to drink it outside and savor every moment of one of the last nice days we will have before the cold and snow hits.

i enjoyed every sip and it made me so excited for the upcoming months.

happy holidays!

weekly menu posting

jared did a great job filling in for me last week while i was out.  i love traveling but eating out every meal for a week straight can get a little tiresome. excited to get back into the swing of things.

monday: spaghetti and garlic bread -- doesn't get much simpler or more delicious

tuesday: dinner at the sievers' -- so excited to see them and miss madelyn mae

wednesday: rigatoni with grilled peppers and onions with a green salad-- tried to find a recipe with peppers and onions that didn't include mexican food or eggs, trying to add some variety

thursday: cobb salad panini -- really into paninis right now for whatever reason, i never use to be a sandwich person

friday: dinner at simon's -- date night at one of our favorite restaurants

saturday: chili cook-off -- should be a fun time with some great food

sunday: tuna noodle casserole from scratch -- i had something similar at FnB in Scottsdale and have wanted to try to recreate it ever since.  instead of bread crumbs on top, i'm going to use potato chips