maintain, don't gain update

after 8 weeks or so the numbers are in for the maintain, don't gain challenge. i don't know if i should be happy to announce it or not but my weight stayed the exact same. ha. i guess that was the name of the game, but i was hoping to shed a few pounds.  since starting at nw, i've gained 7 pounds, how...i have no idea?!

even though i didn't lose any weight it did get me in the habit of going to the gym on a regular basis.  and now that the challenge is over i have decided to keep myself more accountable by attending a fitness class twice a week.  the first one starts tuesday and it is a mini boot camp...this should be interesting.

el chisme : restaurant review

last night some of my friends and i hit up el chisme in valley junction for dinner.  before anyone calls me out for not following through on my menu we had the sesame chicken for lunch today.  as for our dinner, overall it was a disappointment.

when we sat down i wished i would have brought a coat, a scarf and maybe even mittens. i honestly think they forgot to turn on the heat.

one reason i like el chisme is that they have something for everyone.  their menu consists of pizza, pasta and mexican...my top three food groups.  after finally deciding on what to order (i went with a veggie quesadilla) we waited well over an hour for our food to arrive.  and when you wait that long in the cold,  it is hard to be impressed by whatever comes out.

my last beef with the the place is their prices. they are overall too high and make absolutely no sense. and after looking online it looks like their prices are all increasing by $.75 and they are just waiting for their new menus to be printed up.   

i think it will be awhile before my next visit and i'll have to remember to dress warm.  and maybe i'll be brave and order the "Chef's Special- A creation that is a surprise to not only you, but also the chef. $29.75."

winter warm up

the past few days have been so nice i almost forgot it was winter.  i haven't been wearing a coat or socks and even treated myself to a couple "summertime" drinks.

some are super disappointed in the warmer temperatures and lack of snow but for me i'm enjoying every moment!  what a nice way to bring in 2012.  

caramel frapp from starbucks

an icee from walgreen's -- it had been years and it tasted oh so good

movie marathon

 i spent most of my christmas break relaxing and watching quite a few movies.  here is the list of all i saw:

a christmas story -- the last one on my must-watch list of christmas movies and i couldn't wait for the TBS marathon to start.

young adult -- charlize did a fantastic job per usual but it was very awkward watching her try to break up a marriage. 

the help -- nicole and i went and saw this one in the theater but i couldn't wait to watch it again on dvd with my family.

the girl with the dragon tattoo -- a great suspenseful story but way too graphic and disturbing for me.

my week with marilyn -- amazing acting and i felt like i went back in time for a couple of hours. not super thrilling but worth seeing.

midnight in paris -- i will admit i had not even heard of this movie until the golden globe nominations came out.  it was an interesting story but overall i found that it moved at a super slow pace and never got going like i thought it would.

dan in real life -- jared got this for me as a christmas gift and it continues to be one of my favorites.   

i also rented my first red box movie over break...i know i'm two years behind.  it was a pretty easy process but unfortunately i didn't get to watch it. one, we "pre-ordered" our movie to be picked up in indianola via the red box app since we were in town visiting the sievers' but forgot to get it on our way out of town. oh well, i decided just to eat the $1.00.  we then found the same movie at the closest red box to our house, brought it home and it was so scratched up it skipped nonstop. guess it wasn't in the cards, maybe next time red box.

alternative workout

while home for christmas break there was a lot of eating that took place and very little exercise. which could prove to be problematic when i have to weigh in this week for the maintain, no gain challenge.

but i did get one workout in that was unplanned, just dance 3 for wii.  oh my gosh, such a fun game but it definitely kicked my butt.  i could barely move the next day. another reason i liked it so much is because for three hours i actually thought i was a really good dancer.

if you're looking for a way to switch up your exercise routine, check it out.

#iacaucus

tonight i participated in my first caucus and what a thrill.  we arrived an hour early and volunteers were still hanging signs and handing out pamphlets encouraging you to vote for their candidate of choice.  there were reporters from everywhere ranging from japan to CNN.  rick perry even showed up at the last moment to encourage voters to back him. as i cast my vote the person monitoring the ballot box said "smile you're on international news."

i was fortunate to hear most of the candidates speak in person at work including: bachmann, gingrich, perry, santorum.  it was a great experience to listen to them all and even meet some of them in person. i am grateful to work for a company that encourages its employees to be involved and provide a platform for the candidates to make their case.

what made the event even more exciting was following the #iacaucus on twitter.  i just loved refreshing my twitter feed and seeing all the tweets revolve around an event so close to home.  it made it all much more real and entertaining. 

on a side note, did you know they serve up nachos at these things?  there was seriously a concession stand selling snacks. i saw a man being interviewed on national news with a plate of nachos in his hand...you know this clip will end up somewhere. sir for the love, please put down the chips; at least for the interview.

no matter what your political preference may be, the caucus is an opportunity to showcase our great state.  #proudiowan.

starbucks christmas

i received a couple more even after this picture was taken.

some people get a lot of dvds, clothes or books for christmas but for me i always hope for starbucks gift cards.  sounds strange, yes i know.  i enjoy going to starbucks but always feel a little guilty for spending so i always ask for gift cards for christmas.  

this year jared got a couple starbucks gift cards as well and shared them with me because i always buy his coffee. i'm sure he'd like me to point out his coffee is $1.50 while mine is $3.98, details.

every year i look forward to walking into starbucks and cashing in all my gift cards and receiving the grand total.  the person behind the counter always says,"these were all holiday gifts?"  and i just love saying, "yes!" 

well the grand total for 2011 is in...$170.00!  woo-hoo, thanks everyone!  this will last me at least through january...just kidding.

weekly menu posting

now that vacation is over, it is time to get back to reality and back into a routine.  here is this week's menu, enjoy! 

sunday: casey's pizza -- enjoyed some casey's taco pizza with the sievers' fam

monday: broccoli and cheddar baked potatoes -- i loved baked potatoes and i don't eat them very often.  this was such a great meal for a lazy day around the house.

tuesday: smokey row -- we are in need of a quick meal and i have a groupon that expires on tuesday (win-win if you ask me.)

wednesday: slow-cooker sweet potato and lentil soup -- i'm going to try and utilize my crock pot as much as possible this winter season, i just love coming home and having dinner done. 

**apparently it is national spaghetti day so i have decided to switch it up and have spaghetti instead!**

thursday: slow-cooker chicken tikka masala -- i'm not super familiar with indian food but thought why not give it a try?
  
friday: sesame chicken with broccoli stir-fry -- a stir-fry is one of my favorite meals, you can make it with whatever you can find in your kitchen.

saturday: open-face philly cheese steak sandwich -- i can't find the recipe online to share with you but i promise no cheese whiz is involved.

a year of new recipes

in 2011 i really focused on eating more at home and trying out new recipes.  i went through my blog and pictures i have taken and thought i'd be fun to share my favorite from each month with you.

january : homemade pasta : last year for christmas i got a pasta machine and couldn't wait to try it out.  it was definitely a fun adventure but still think for a week night meal that a box is easier.

february : fresh pasta rollatini with spinach and ricotta :  probably the most labor intensive dish i made all year but so worth it.

march : feta-stuffed chicken breast with lemon and tomato white bean spinach salad : this dish was super simple and i just love feta cheese.

april : baked spinach and pea risotto : this dish is by far my favorite from the entire year.  it was absolutely delicious and can be made in one pot.  if you're looking for a simple, tasty meal pick this one. 

may :  ginger-marinated steak and noodle salad : probably one of the most unique dishes i made from the past year.  it was full of flavor and even though it has noodles and steak it was still a surprisingly light dish.

june : creamy avocado chicken salad : this dish was so easy and i almost always have all the ingredients in my pantry.  this was the perfect summer dish, very refreshing. 

july : honey soy grilled salmon with edamame : i love summer because of the many things you can just throw on the grill, including fish.  this dish was full of so many of my favorite asian flavors.

august : chicken gyros : great summer dish that provided a ton of leftovers and to make it even better i served it with grilled corn on the cob.

september : salsa verde pizza with goat cheese and bacon : this recipe is from my favorite chef, rick bayless.  might sound like a strange combo, but don't knock it until you try it.  i also cheated and used a pre-made pizza crust instead of making homemade dough.

october : tomato soup with roast beef, cheddar and horseradish panini : it is hard to beat soup and a sandwich.  i loved the flavor of the homemade soup, definitely worth the extra effort.

november : pork-sweet potato quesadillas : who knew a sweet potato would be good in a quesadilla?  it was a great change up from the typical cheese version.

december: my mom's lasagna : not a new recipe but a classic. a great meal to serve for a group of people because it makes a ton and it is a piece of cake to make.

i am looking forward to trying even more in 2012 and cannot wait to share. 

recipe recap : lemon bread

the other day the doorbell rang and our neighbor brought over a piece of my mail that had been mistakenly delivered to their house.  i was ecstatic because it was a postcard from starbucks for a free drink. i know it is just a little thing but i work hard for those free drinks.  :)  most people probably would have gone to straight to starbucks and used that drink for themselves, but not my neighbors.

to show them my appreciation i baked them some lemon bread.  i was pretty jealous, i couldn't dig into it myself. it smelled absolutely divine. 

 lemon bread recipe:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
6 tablespoons butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
grated peel and juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup poppy seeds
1/2 powdered sugar

preheat oven to 350 degrees.  grease and flour 9x5 inch loaf pan.

whisk together flour, salt and baking powder.

in a large bowl, cream butter, sugar and eggs together until light and fluffy.  add milk alternately with the flour mixture in 2 parts; mix well.  stir in grated lemon peel and poppy seeds.

pour batter into prepared loaf pan.  bake for 60 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.  let bread cool in the pan for 5 minutes.

mix together lemon juice and powdered sugar to make a glaze.  remove bread from pan.  pour glaze over warm bread (if you poke holes in the bread first, it will absorb more glaze.)

this recipe is super easy and i almost always have all the ingredients in my house.  enjoy!