Testy Tuesday ...

Happy Tuesday!
I’m SOO sorry for neglecting you lovely people these past couple of days.  Please forgive me?!  I know I said I would try to post something every day this week; however, give me a few minutes and I will explain what has been going on and you WILL hopefully totally understand!

Let’s start with today…  I woke up at 5am for my Tone It Up booty call, made coffee and turned on my work computer.  As soon as the computer started up I was greeted with THIS...  “Computer failed; cannot find c:/ drive.”  I mean really, come on now!  And to make it even better, the screen was completely black and all of my files/programs were nowhere to be found.  My first thought was crap, not the exact word, but you know what I mean ;).  I grabbed my phone and called my dad, he is my computer go to guy; however, once I told him it was my work computer he so helpfully said, “Rachael its 5:30am, this is your work computer, go call your help desk!”  Not what I really wanted to hear, as you could imagine.  So, I quickly got ready for work and got to my desk (at 6:30am no less) and frantically called our help desk!  Normally I would love the idea of having no access to my e-mail for an entire day at work; however, we are in our final two weeks of a grant and moving at a very quick pace.  No time for slacking.  All-in-all the entire help desk (those guys are amazing) had my computer up and running by 11:00am!  First crisis of the day averted, check!

Second crisis of the day is now in full swing, well was up until about 30 minutes ago.  So tomorrow is our work “extended business meeting” because of course you can’t call it a holiday party even though our conference room is all decked out in holiday gear!  Anyway on to the good stuff…So last week after seeing these cute snowman treats on Julie's website, Willow Bird Baking, I signed up to bring them.  I mean how cute are they and how much fun would they be to bring to my holiday party, oops sorry “extended business meeting?” 

source

So on Sunday I went out and got all of the ingredients.  I also premade the base of the snowman and saved the rest for tonight, so that they would be fresh for tomorrow.  Don’t they look cute already?

HAHA – that’s what I thought too, just wait!  My first mishap was with melting the chocolate.  Normally an easy task, but apparently not for this girl!  I bought candy quick, just like the recipe called for; however, once that chocolate hit the microwave everything went downhill.  The chocolate was not melting all together and I ended up heating it too long.  So, what did I do?  Well, I went to Michael’s to buy the white chocolate saucers of course!   The chocolate was melting perfectly until it was time to dip the snowman balls in.  Once they made contact with the chocolate, again, everything went downhill.  I salvaged a couple; however, they are pretty sad looking and nothing like Julie's - she must be a magician, or I just have no skill.  I'm going to go with the I just have no skill option!

So, yet again, what did I do?  I threw those suckers out, keeping these sad looking ones, and went back to the grocery store. 

 

This time I purchased ingredients for a recipe I knew I couldn’t mess up…Fruit Pizza.  I literally make this dessert for EVERY function I go to.  Not only is it healthy, but it is SO easy to make and everyone loves it!  Tonight I will make the crust and tomorrow I will top it with fruit.  I promise to share the recipe and pics tomorrow :).

Now after ALL of that I either need a huge glass of wine or a good workout.  I am opting for the good workout – I’m doing the 7 Day Slim Down to look extra cute for my birthday this Saturday!  And a huge plus was coming home to Tone It Up’s Tuesday workout, one that is guaranteed to put you in a good mood!  These girls are seriously the best.  Have a great night (and workout) everyone! 

What is your go to recipe to bring to parties?

- Rachael -

TGIF, enough said!

Happy Friday! 

Can I just say THANK GOD IT IS FRIDAY!  I don’t know about you, but for me this has been one hectic, stressful, never-ending week!  I am finishing up one research grant at work, so we are trying to crank out paper/journal submissions left and right.  If I misspell anything in this post or my grammar sucks, I blame it on the long hours of editing and writing. 

Luckily my job allows me to work from home one day a week, which just happens to be every Friday.  I was especially grateful for today’s work from home day.  I really do enjoy rolling out of bed at 8am (the time I am normally at my desk at work), making coffee (lately it has been Starbucks K-cups for my Keurig) and checking my e-mails while still in my PJ’s!  Sounds wonderful, right!?  My favorite part about work from home Friday’s are the amazing breakfasts I make myself.  Today I was craving feta cheese, which meant GREEK omelet.  However, I was also craving avocado.   

Here’s how I mixed both my cravings together to make a mouthwatering, fantastic, yet healthy greek/California omelet:

1/4 cup spinach

1/4 cup mushrooms (portabella mushrooms are my fav)

1/4 cup diced tomatoes

1/4 cup diced red onion

1/2 cup egg whites

2 tablespoons avocado

1 tablespoon fat free feta cheese

2 tablespoons salsa (Trader Joes Roasted Fire-Roasted Tomato Salsa is my fav)

1.    Add spinach, mushrooms, and onions; cook on medium heat until onions are tender, stirring frequently.

2.    Stir in tomatoes.

3.    Pour egg whites evenly over spinach mixture.

4.    When eggs are almost set, sprinkle evenly with feta cheese and avocado.

5.    Remove from heat; and top with salsa.

6.    EAT and enjoy!

However, today my avocado craving didn’t stop at breakfast.  Lunch included a Tone It Up recipe, Black Bean Burger topped with avocado and salsa.  I had yet to make these burgers and boy have I been missing out. 

Yum, right?!  Thank goodness I have two left over and let me tell you, they will not last the weekend!

So, my goal for the next week is to try and blog at least every day, if not every other day.  So get ready for some fun posts – well at least I think they will be fun, I have been racking my brain all day to come up with seven original ones. 

I hope you all have a great night J!

Does anyone have any fun and exciting plans for this weekend? 

What ingredients have you combined to satisfy your cravings?

- Rachael -

I LOVE running…wait, what?!

Until about a year ago the thought of running for even more than five minutes made me sick.  I would step on the treadmill, walk about 10 minutes and then start running.  After about five minutes I would huff and puff, try to catch my breath and then slow to a walk.  Yes, this is what I counted as my exercise.  Pretty sad, huh?!

I’m sure most, if not all, of you have heard of the Couch to 5k Plan. Well, I hadn’t until one of my good friends shared this AMAZING plan with me earlier this year.  After reading a bit about the plan and tons of the success stories, I figured why not give it a try.  What did I have to lose, right?  Thank god it is based on the premise that you must ease into running gradually.  The first few segments of running were definitely a challenge, but after nine weeks I was able to run three miles – woohoo!!  Let me tell you running for 30 minutes is something I NEVER thought I would be able to do.

Running must have made me delirious because after I finished Couch to 5k I had this fabulous idea to sign up for a 5K Mud Run.  I recruited my brother and a friend to participate with me.  It didn’t take much to talk them both into it, especially after I told my brother I would pay for him to run in the mud.  Wouldn’t you be psyched to have someone pay you to run in the mud J?!  The particular run we signed up for was the Merrell Down and Dirty 5K Mud Run – Operation Gratitude.  It was a three mile off-road course filled with 8 military like obstacles, commanding cargo climbs, wild water crossings, mud, mud and yes more mud.  Also, throughout the course there were military personnel yelling cheering you on. 

This is what we looked like at the start of the race.  Don’t we look all nice and clean?

Well it only took two and a half miles before we looked more like this.  We were dirtier; however, they had us run through the ocean, which helped to clean off all of the mud we had caked on us during the first two and a half miles.   

And then the last obstacle was the mud pit.  You had to go through this pit on your stomach or else you were yelled at – no joke, can't you see them yelling, cheering us on?!

So, of course we got on our bellies and treaded through the mud pit and ended up looking like this J.

We all had SO much fun and couldn’t stop talking about what we were going to do next.  Seeing as though my brother (he could run circles around me) and my friend (who ran the Boston Marathon) are avid runners to say the least, I knew I would have to step it up for the next race.  Last week I started the Bridge to 10K program.  I am on my second round of the first week (I wanted to ease myself back into it) and I’m already running 9 minute miles - a personal best for me!!  I can’t wait to get on the treadmill and run more tomorrow – I LOVE RUNNING! 

Has anyone completed in the Couch to 5K or Bridge to 10K? 

Has anyone particpated in a Mud Run?


- Rachael -

Christmas in the Park

So, what is with this weather we have been having lately, I mean 60 degrees in December – seriously?!  Where is the winter weather??  Winter is definitely my favorite season, it means peppermint, Starbucks red cups (I mean come on, who doesn’t love coffee in a red cup), Christmas, family & friends, cute sweaters/boots, and of course my birthday!  So, let’s go winter, I am patiently waiting.  I know I may regret this objection to mother nature’s gift of 60 degree weather in December when I am knee deep in snow, but for right now my mindset is enough is enough “bring on the snow!” 

Anyway, given the gorgeous weather yesterday I was able to take advantage of it and run outside. I have lived in the New England area for about five years now and there are certain things I have come to love about the area, and the park by my first apartment in Pawtucket is one of them.  Of course I didn’t really take advantage of this park until I moved away from it, never know what you have till its gone right?

First off, I absolutely love this park – Slater Memorial Park in Pawtucket, RI.  It is definitely one of my favorite places to run.  It is clean, paved, hilly, safe, and has great scenery.  In the summer there are even swans swimming on the lake, so pretty. 

After my great 3.5 mile run (which counted for my 30 for 60 workout J) I stumbled upon TONS of people decorating trees lined up the side of the road.  Being the curious person I am, I parked my car and started walking around.  I asked a couple of people what all of the trees were for and boy did I love their answer.  Apparently, every year the park puts on a Winter Wonderland.  There are about 100 Christmas trees lining both sides of the street (Winter Wonderland Lane – appropriately named) and each tree is dedicated in someone’s memory.  Families and local businesses are able to sponsor a tree and are then responsible for decorating it.  There are also a lot of additional decorations making it look like a little Christmas village.  Not all of the trees had been decorated yet, only a few.  Luckily I grabbed my phone so I could take a couple pictures to share with you.  Some of the trees were decorated pretty creatively …

while others were more traditional looking. 

What a great idea, huh?  And to think I used to live in the park’s backyard for an entire year and I never knew all it had to offer.  I definitely plan on going back to see it completed, lights and all, later this week.  I may even stop by Starbucks for a Soy Peppermint Latte first, yumm! 

Oh and I love how all most of the blogs I follow end their blog with a question, so I am going to steal borrow that idea.  Hope you all had a great weekend!

What is everyone’s favorite thing about the Christmas/Holiday season?

- Rachael -

Ready, Set and GO!!!!

So, I have been following several blogs for quite some time now and have been toying with the idea of starting my own.  I live in Worcester, MA (which I despise, for reasons I am sure will come in another blog) and work as a Research Coordinator at UMass Medical School in the Law and Psychiatry Department.  I have always lived a very active lifestyle, participating in dance and cheerleading; however, upon starting grad school, about four years ago, I started to exercise less, drink more and not watch what I was eating.  I have always been what you would call “average” although I wasn’t very happy with the way I looked or felt.  Over the past couple of months I have started to take control of my life again.  I am hoping that this blog will not only help me stay on track with my exercising and eating, but also help others stay motivated on their own path.  So I will record what I eat and post some recipes and workouts to share.  I hope you have as much fun reading along as I plan to have sharing with you!  Enjoy :)