Friday Eve Bliss...Or Something Like That

It has been an interesting work week...hell, it's been an interesting week in general.  A couple of  work-related temper tantrums, a come to Jesus (not literally) talk with my administrator & more than a healthy dose of snarkiness dished out to just about anybody that crossed my path, makes this chick very ready for the weekend.

The family goal this week was to eat at home at least 75% of the time and so far we have succeeded.  K helped me make a super tasty meal the other night that I thought I'd share with ya'll...and even better, it was almost better for lunch the following day:

Parmesan Crusted Salmon - melt in your mouth delicious!  I have used this same recipe with tilapia and flounder but the salmon, by far, was a huge hit with the fam.  The stronger flavor of the salmon combined with the parmesan (mayo based) crust was tantalizing for our taste buds...yum!

http://shecookshecleans.net/2012/05/19/oven-roasted-salmon-with-parmesan-mayo-crust/

We served this with a very tasty Creamy Garlic Pasta - which was super easy to make, full of flavor (pasta cooks in the chicken broth, not water, therefore there was tons of flavor in every bite!)

It was so easy to make I passed the buck on to K - she made the pasta and I made the fish.  And as corny as this may sound, especially for those of you that know me, I have really begun to enjoy spending time in the kitchen with the fam...when it's all on me to put the meal together, I think I get a little bit resentful.  But when we're working together it is fun & doesn't seem like such a chore.  Damn, too bad I didn't learn this sooner, right?  My pocketbook & my belly (that resembles an ostrich egg, profile view) would be in different states...the former a bit more full & the latter, a bit less full - live & learn, right?


Here is the recipe:
 http://thecheesepusher.tumblr.com/post/2719857351/creamy-garlic-pasta

These recipes are not of my creation and I do not claim to have done so, thus the reason for the links rather than me typing out the recipe.  Okay, and maybe I'm a bit lazy when it comes to typing numbers & symbols, so cutting & pasting the link is how I am going to roll...and it gives the original bloggers props.

On other healthy news - I've been drinking at least 64 oz. of water per day & I'm getting in at least 7,000 steps per day...the goal is 10,000 but 7,000 is more than 0, right?  Oh yeah, and I've been drinking my Plexus pink drink everyday...just as effective as a bowl of bran flakes and way less mushy.

And on that note, peace out - enjoy your Friday Eve my Superior peeps!

Lavinder's Going Lean

We've all got dreams, aspirations, shit we'd like to do, right? But there are obstacles that get in our way, taking the wind out of our sails and causing us to give up.  I cannot count how many times I've started a diet or a budget, only to have a crap day where I've dropped every ounce of self-control and went back to old, bad habits:  stopping for McDonald's value meals because it was quick & easy or shopping for a new blouse because I felt like I'd earned it.

I have dream, a dream that will allow my family & I to be a part of something that we not only love, but that we believe in and will allow us to become a contributing member of our community.  But in order for this dream to become a reality it will take some financial finagling meaning we need to create a hard core, no nonsense budget and stick to it.



First on the list of changes is eating at home...thank goodness for Pinterest or I'd reach my frustration point real quick!  This is what we had tonight and it was delish:

Cheesy Chicken and Rice

Note:  I used fat-free cream of celery soup instead of cream of chicken (I feel like it has a bit more flavor) and I substituted a shredded rotisserie chicken instead of cut up chicken breasts.  DELISH!

Now as for the budget, stay tuned to see how we do it...it's going to be good, it's going to be real good.

Exercise Anyone?

Happy New Year, 2015 is here & it's time to get the show on the road.  And by show I mean get my dead arse off of the sofa and get back to exercising.  Now friends, I am 45 and although I proclaim to be trapped in a 30 year old woman's body, it is NOT in the condition of an actual 30 year old woman.  

Gravity has taken over and there is no going back...although how cool would that be, just rolling that shite up and stuffing it back into its original place?  

 Jumping rope, an excellent workout: quick, convenient & minimal skill needed (especially if done in the comfort of your own home as no one would be around to see you make a total jackarse of yourself - i.e. tangled in the rope, tripping, falling on your face, unable to jump more than twice consecutively...not that I've done any of THAT!).

But there is the issue of the peri-menopausal woman...we can't freely jump rope, no matter how skilled or cardiovascularly fit we may be! Why, you may ask? Too many hot flashes, you say? Hell no, it's all about incontinence people! While I believe in the benefits of Poise pads (sorry to the 12% of dudes following this page), I do NOT want to HAVE to use them DAILY and for those of you that know my "issues" (ssssshhhh, I know there are many) I cannot hop consecutively, period, because this would be the internal monologue:

Me: (hop) Damn! (dribble)

Me: (hop) Oh shit! (dribble dribble)

Me: (hop, hop) Mother F'r! (runs to the nearest bathroom to change "shield")

And so, I can knock off "spokesperson for Poise pads" off of my list for potential jobs...