Wed 30 Nov

Had a very hard time waking up and getting going this morning. Still don't feel quite on track. Struggled through exercise. Even chewing breakfast seems like work. Don't think I'm getting sick, just unusually tired. Not even really tired, just lethargic. Oh, well.

Thanks for the responses on the Christmas questions. It is undeniably easier to go with the Calphalon pan, but since I had not previously been aware of the Le Creuset option, I felt the need to offer it. The Calphalon pan is also more versatile.



Food:

7:00 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light original soy milk, 1/2 grapefruit, coffee
12:00 pm Vanilla soy shake, 2 slices cinnamon bread, 2 tsp soft margarine, Yoplait 100 cal parfait
3:00 pm Dove raspberry dark Promise, 2 chocolate pizzelles
5:00 pm 1 pc English toffee
6:15 pm 1 c leftover chicken casserole (light on the chicken), 3/4 c Carnival squash, 1 tsp soft margarine, 12 oz skim milk, 1 slice beer bread



Exercise:

4:50-5:50 am Brand New Butt DVD

Tues 29 Nov

Got back from Wausau last night and dropped Grandma off around 7:30 pm. As I was turning on to Center St, my pager went off and I ended up spending about 1 1/2 hrs on the call. Perfect timing if it had to happen. Was too tired after all to come record my food consumption.

Hope you made it home safely and are nestled into your apartment again. Thought for an additional Christmas gift: Would you like a small space heater to take the chill off those under-heated evenings?

I just got an online offer today (which I am getting for myself) from Le Creuset for a dedicated crepe pan set with rake tool and a package of crepe mix. Would you prefer this to the 8" Calphalon pan? (I expect I could return the Calphalon without too much difficulty.) Here is the link: http://cookware.lecreuset.com/cookware/product_Crepe-Pan-&-Crepe-Mix-Gift-Set_10151_-1_20002_50562__

Wow, was I hungry tonight. Guess half a pecan roll isn't a good lunch item to hold you through the afternoon. But the chicken casserole was yummy.


Food:

7:00 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light original soy milk, 1/2 grapefruit, coffee
9:45 am 1 Tootsie Roll midgee
11:45 am Strawberry/banana soy shake, 1/2 caramel pecan roll, 2 clementines
5:00 pm 1 Finn Crisp wafer
6:00 pm 1 c Fit N Active whole grain penne pasta, 3 oz chicken breast, 1/8 c green pepper, 1/8 c onion,1 tsp olive oil, 1/4 c Reduced Fat Four Cheese blend, 2 tbl Grandessa spinach/cheese marinara, 1/2 c asparagus, 12 oz skim milk, leaf-shaped chocolate bottom cookie



Exercise:

4:55-5:50 am Buns/Abs of Steel 2000 video

Mon 28 Nov

Today I take Grandma to Wausau for her eye checkup. She looks forward to being able to tell the doctor that she doesn't feel she sees as well as before, even though she knows there's likely nothing he can do about it. Winters are harder because her eyes function better with brighter light and the winter days are often gray and overcast. I hope they come up with a cure for macular degeneration before it hits you and me. I find myself trying to drink in all the beautiful sights I can while I know my eyes are still functioning, and also thinking about how to do things without vision if necessary. I have no wish to be helpless.



Food:

7:00 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light original soy milk, 1/2 grapefruit, coffee
12:00 pm Chocolate soy shake, 2 slices cinnamon bread toasted, 2 tsp soft margarine, Babybel gouda



Exercise:

4:50-6:00 am Jane Fonda Complete Workout video

Sun 27 Nov

Hope you are enjoying your respite from school and work for the last few days. If you have an opportunity to get to a Market of Choice and can manage to transport a box of the oatmeal spelt scones on the airplane, a certain mom would appreciate a few. You could stick some in your freezer when you get home. I expect we'll get down to Madison the weekend of Dec 10 or Dec 17. We have a choir thing at 10:30 am on Dec 10 but it only lasts about an hour. The weekend just before Christmas is still open at this time. (Next weekend is filled with choir concerts.)


Food:

8:15 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light original soy milk, 1/2 grapefruit, coffee
12:00 pm English muffin, spinach/mushrooms/tomatoes, 2 poached eggs, 2 tbl hollandaise, 1/2 c hash browns, wedge cantaloupe, wedge honeydew, coffee
3:00 pm 25 g English toffee
5:15 pm King's Hawaiian dinner roll, 1.5 oz turkey, 1/2 c homemade applesauce, 12 oz skim milk, slice fresh-baked beer bread



Exercise:

6:50-7:40 am Brutal ballet DVD

Sat 26 Nov

Nothing special on today's agenda except laundry. Will consider putting up the Christmas tree this afternoon. Actually looked longingly at fresh trees on the lot yesterday, but the urge passed. Maybe some year. Hopefully the pager will leave me alone - have had 2 calls this week but not too intrusive.

Ah, I'm enjoying all the old Christmas vinyl! Right now, Julie Andrews is Decking the Halls.

Got my new Jane Fonda tape in the mail today - Stress Reduction. Some of the aerobic routines are part of the Fat Burners montage. The overall tape is only 20 min aerobics (only one song that isn't in the other collection) but it has 20 min of good, slow stretching and a 10 min guided relaxation series. I felt relaxed but still needing more work when it was done, so I did the 50-min Prime Time Workout DVD (reads "meant for old people"). I don't know if I ever did the whole of that tape before. It is slower-paced but continuous in the aerobics section so your heart rate does rise a little. The combination of the two slower tapes was a nice relaxing Saturday workout.


Food:

8:00 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light original soy milk, 1/2 grapefruit, coffee
12:30 pm Vanilla soy shake, 2 slices cinnamon raisin toast, 2 tsp soft margarine, Babybel gouda, large apple, 1/2 tsp sugar
1:15 pm Last 1/2 pc cranberry pudding pie
5:45 pm 1 c lobster ravioli, 1/2 c spinach/cheese marinara sauce, 1 tbl grated parmesan, 1/2 c green beans, small slice pumpkin pie, Cool Whip Lite, 4 oz cherry wine


Exercise:

2:00-3:30 pm Jane Fonda Stress Reduction and Jane Fonda Prime Time Workout videos

Fri 25 Nov

I really enjoyed talking to you yesterday to share a little of our Thanksgiving together. You were missed in Wisconsin by all. Grandma is really looking forward to seeing you at Christmas. Our dinner was a little unusual in that everyone except Grandma and Leone ate in the living room with Rodgers and crew, grabbing our food between plays. Christmas dinner may be similar, depending on game time.

Dad and I will head out soon to do some minor Black Friday shopping. I'm hoping to get going shortly after 9:00 as several stores have extra discounts just til 11 am.

I tried to estimate everything I ate yesterday to the best of my remembering, and I actually stayed within my calorie range for the day. I also realized today that several people commented after lunch that they ate really well but didn't feel stuffed and bloated. I wonder if that is because my Thanksgiving fare tends not to be high fat?

My brother, Mark, would have been 60 years old today. Happy Birthday, bro!



Food:

8:00 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light original soy milk, 1/2 grapefruit, 1 Two-Bite pumpkin walnut scone, coffee
11:30 am 3 crepes, 1 tbl lemon butter, coffee
12:30 pm Red Tootsie Pop
2:30 pm Pumpkin pie, Cool Whip Lite
6:30 pm 8 oz Kristin Regale black currant sparkler
6:45 pm 4.25 oz turkey, 1/2 c stuffing, 1 tbl gravy, 1/3 c sweet potatoes, 1/2 c cranberry waldorf, 12 oz skim milk



Exercise:

4:50-6:20 pm Neighborhood walk w/Dad

Thanksgiving 2011

Happy Turkey Day! Hope the family gathering is a wonderful day - hugs to everyone! We will be a small group with Michael and Ali, Grandma, Leone and Mick. I tried brining the bird this year so I'm anxious to see if it adds layers of flavor. The pumpkin pie and cranberry pudding pies look yummy and all the accompaniments will hopefully be delicious, too. Take a photo of your Thanksgiving spread and send it to me. (Borrow someone's phone camera.)

Ate during the game (GO PACK!!!!!) and resultantly didn't really taste most of my food, but I think it was delicious. The brined turkey was very flavorful. I think I oversalted the gravy, but I'm not sure if I did it twice because I was watching the game or if I only salted once but the brine in the juices was also salty. Regardless, it still tasted good. And the Packers will be playing during Christmas dinner too!

Ooooh, of all the Thanksgiving goodies, the pumpkin pie most hit the spot. The brined turkey was delicious, too.


Food:

8:15 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light original soy milk, 1/2 grapefruit, coffee
1:30 pm Turkey, gravy, stuffing, sweet potatoes, cranberry waldorf, baked corn, roasted asparagus, sauvignon blanc, slice pumpkin pie, Cool Whip Lite
5:30 pm King's Hawaiian dinner roll, 1.55 oz white meat turkey, slice pumpkin pie, Cool Whip Lite

Wed 23 Nov

I don't do the Kathy Smith workout often because she overloads the muscles enough to make them sore. I'm feeling it already.

Gotta plan to come home tonight and bake pies, chop veggies, start cranberries. Hope the pager doesn't demand too much time. I spent an hour yesterday evening on a call.

I was thoroughly confused by your response yesterday until I finally realized today that I was not clear that I was asking about your piano keyboard. Do you know what brand/model it is and do you have any recommendations regarding a PIANO keyboard for Michael?

Busy afternoon. Tired. Two pies, prep for cranberry salad, prep veggies for stuffing and baking sweet potatoes still to go tonight.



Food:

7:00 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light original soy milk, 1/2 grapefruit, coffee
12:00 pm Blueberry soy shake, 2 slices cinnamon raisin toast, 2 tsp soft margarine, clementine, Babybel gouda
3:15 pm 1/2 pkg Trader Joe's seaweed snack
5:30 pm Super slice Rocky's Rococo-style pizza, 12 oz skim milk, leaf-shaped cookie



Exercise:

4:50-5:50 am Kathy Smith Weights DVD

Tues 22 Nov

Hope you have a safe and wonderful trip to Oregon today! Hugs to all the fam from us! Relax and enjoy yourself...you deserve it.

Do you know the make and model of your keyboard? Michael would like a keyboard this Christmas and we need to start looking. Would you recommend one like yours? What features have you found most useful and what features are unnecessary?

I hope you have arrived safely in Portland and are resting in the bosom of your Western family. Love you!


Food:

7:00 am Caramel pecan roll, 1/2 grapefruit, coffee
12:30 pm Chocolate soy shake, 2 slices cinnamon raisin toast, 2 tsp soft margarine, 1 clementine, 5.3 oz siggi's Icelandic style skyr (orange & ginger)
5:30 pm 1 chocolate leaf cookie
6:30 pm 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light original soy milk
7:00 pm 1 large apple, 1/2 tsp sugar, cinnamon



Exercise:

5:00-5:50 am Jane Fonda Original Workout video

Mon 21 Nov

Back to routine for a few days. Felt good to get up and work out today, even though I really didn't feel like going down to work out at the hotel. Hope you are feeling better and getting everything together for your trip. I hope you have a wonderful time, but think of us, too!

Just heard from Megumi and they won't be joining us for Thanksgiving. They have been driving into the Cities every weekend for Yuki's lessons and orchestra rehearsals and are craving some time at home (smashed into Yoshi's 2-bedroom apartment). Megumi said she hasn't met any other Japanese in Brainerd. The other kids initially thought Yuki was an exchange student; now they think he's the brother of another kid with black hair. Sounds like adjustment is slow.

We had a nummy supper tonight, though you wouldn't have liked it. Pork chops were the main feature, seasoned with a spice blend and baked over sliced apples lightly dusted with cinnamon sugar. I roasted some wedges of organic sweet potatoes that had been brushed with olive oil and dusted with seasoned salt. Green beans rounded out the plate.

Food:

7:00 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light original soy milk, 1/2 grapefruit, coffee
12:15 pm Vanilla soy shake, 2 pc cinnamon raisin toast, 2 tsp soft margarine, 2 clementines, 1 Babybel gouda
2:45 pm 1 chocolate pizzelle
4:45 pm 30 flying saucers
6:45 pm 4 oz pork chop, 1/2 large sliced apple, 1/4 tsp sugar, cinnamon, 1/2 c green beans, 3 large wedges roasted sweet potato, 1 tsp olive oil, 12 oz skim milk


Exercise:

4:50-6:00 am Jane Fonda Complete Workout video

Sun 20 Nov

Had a wonderful time in Minneapolis. Sorry your midterm trumped the massage; I'm sure it would have been wonderful. Oh, well.

Ate lots of good food and did not follow through on hitting the exercise room as we should have. Just didn't seem to be enough time. Did get a start on the Christmas shopping, though. We will need you to direct us regarding the pedals for your mountain bike as we don't have a clue which ones would be best.

Love you!

Thurs 17 Nov

Enjoyed Thoroughly Modern Millie at UWSP last night. The lead female had terrible vocal tone though plenty of Ethel Merman-type volume and good pitch. The tone was occasionally grating. The comedy with the Chinese laundry guys was hilariously politically incorrect, but when they broke in to an Al Jolsen "Mammy" in Chinese, you couldn't help but laugh.

Heading out to Minneapolis for our annual excursion today. Looking forward to a few days R&R with good food and a nice hotel. Hope to hit the Expo at Midwest Mountaineering which is happening this weekend.

I see by your Twitter feed that coughing continues to be a struggle. Take good care of yourself! Hugs!!!!


Food:

7:00 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light original soy milk, 1/2 grapefruit, 6 oz OJ, coffee



Exercise:

5:00-5:50 am Jane Fonda Fat Burners video

Wed 16 Nov

Well, if there was a cold or something coming on, I've hopefully staved it off as I feel fine today. I was raring to get up and exercise today after not finding time for it yesterday. Hope it lasts.

We have our office Thanksgiving brunch today at 9:00 am. Always awkward because I really can't skip breakfast that long and when I have a meal at that hour, I don't know whether to skip lunch altogether or what. If I do, I'm famished by dinner. It usually means I get more food than I ought today, not just because of the bountiful buffet, but because of the disruption in the eating schedule.

Groupon is reminding me that you only have 9 days left on your massage coupon. I think you said you had the appointment scheduled, but please let me know when you use it. Thanks.


Food:

7:00 am OatFit maple/brown sugar instant oatmeal, 2 oz light original soy milk, 1 wedge med cantaloupe, 6 oz OJ, coffee
9:30 am Scrambled eggs, slice ham, sweet potato casserole, creamed veggies, cranberry waldorf, pineapple chunks, fruit kebab, spinach casserole, pumpkin mini-muffin w/cream cheese frosting, slice pumpkin bread (May have been some other things, but that's all I remember)
1:00 pm Jam-filled cookie
3:00 pm Scotcheroo
6:30 pm 3.9 oz Costco chicken breast, 1/2 c heirloom rice blend, 1/2 c cranberry waldorf salad, 12 oz skim milk



Exercise:

4:50-5:50 am Brand New Butt DVD

Tues 15 Nov

Woo hoo! The day of recall approaches! Let's hope all Walker's Koch-funded dirty tricks cannot usurp the good intentions of Wisconsin's still-progressive citizens.

Check out Shirt.Woot today - it made me think of you. Would be perfect for the Portland Thanksgiving bash, but unlikely to arrive in time. Also short sleeves would be cold.

Stayed up late to watch my beloved Packers finish the game last night, and chose to sleep in this morning as I feel the vestiges of a cold lurking on the sidelines waiting to sack me at an inopportune moment. I want to start some Cold-Eze zinc lozenges today and take care to eat well to ward it off.

I haven't yet done much thinking about my own Christmas list either. If you could find a nice wine that resembled that Loire Valley Chenin Blanc without being too pricey, I would enjoy that. Maybe a nice Oregon wine would be similar? Dad could use liner socks for his boots, size 10.


Food:

7:00 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light original soy milk, 1/4 small cantaloupe, 6 oz OJ, coffee
11:45 am Strawberry/banana soy shake, slice Country Hearth 100% whole wheat bread, 1 tbl Peter Pan Whipped PB, 2 clementines
12:45 pm 1 mini York pattie
2:15 pm 1 small Tootsie roll
7:00 pm 3.5 oz Costco chicken breast, large slice boysenberry swirl bread, small banana, 12 oz skim milk, 40 g chocolate covered peanuts

Mon 14 Nov

I have a sore back today, presumably a result of that Pilates tape using some different muscles on Saturday. It usually takes a couple of days for new sorenesses to show up in my body. I also had sore hips and shoulders in bed last night; couldn't find a comfortable position to lay. Don't know if that's related. Just hope I'm not getting sick as sometimes soreness can be a precursor. We're heading out on our Mpls trip on Thurs and I want to be in good shape.

For once, I used fresh produce right away while it is still fresh! Helps that Dad cleaned the fridge on Sunday so I can see where everything landed. We had fresh salad greens with fresh green pepper and mushrooms. Even the burger buns are still fresh!


Food:

7:00 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light original soy milk, 1/4 med cantaloupe, Clementine, coffee
12:30 pm Chocolate soy shake, blueberry scone, large Fireside apple, cinnamon sugar
3:15 pm 2 chocolate pizzelles
5:15 pm Frozen carmelized onion chicken burgers, bun, 1 tbl peach pineapple salsa, fresh salad greens, 1/8 c chopped fresh green pepper, 1/4 c chopped fresh mushrooms, 1 tbl bleu cheese crumbles, 12 oz skim milk, 2 halloween oreos



Exercise:

4:50-6:00 am Jane Fonda Complete Workout video

Sun 13 Nov

Newman is doing a benefit today for Casey Davis. He is a young man from our parish who worked for a landscaping service and had a tree fall on him (pinning his running chain saw to his groin area) a couple of months ago. He sustained extremely serious injuries and is in rehab in Colorado at present. Lower spinal cord injury means he will most likely be a paraplegic for the remainder of his life, but at least he seems to not have sustained serious brain injury.

I guess that makes me feel lucky for the aches and pains in my own feeble body from doing ballet this morning on the heels of that Pilates tape yesterday. I can definitely feel muscles that were not too active in the past, especially in the lats area.

Benefit was well-attended. Many parishioners made desserts to complement the hot beef and beans donated by Michele's. I could wish they would have divided up the parishioner donations so some would have made salads. There were plentiful sweets but no veggies. Nice basket raffle also so I hope they made good money for Casey. He and his wife appeared via Skype on the big screen to thank folks.

I am sorry to hear that you are feeling ill yet. Hugs!

Food:

8:00 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light original soy milk, 1/4 med cantaloupe, 167 g strawberries, coffee
11:30 am 3 oz hot beef, bun, 1/2 c calico beans, 3 cheese curds, peanut butter bar, large scotcheroo, 8 oz skim milk
3:45 pm 34 g chocolate covered peanuts
5:15 pm 3 oz extra lean ground beef, bun, 2 small slices Roma tomato, 1 tbl ketchup, 4 med baby carrots, 12 oz skim milk
5:45 pm 3 oz white wine (last of bottle)




Exercise:

6:50-7:40 am Brutal ballet DVD

Sat 12 Nov

There are things going on today that we likely need to check out although I'm having extreme wishes to stay at home and do nothing. Responsibility will win out, I fear. Need to do the Community Day coupon sale at Younkers as I usually find good deals on Christmas things for Grandma such as sweatshirts and stretchy pants that she likes. Ski swap is today if we want to get cross country ski boots that fit or possibly look at snowshoes. Sigh, onward.

Actually had a good time doing the Younkers thing. Not nearly as many items on sale as other years (so we didn't spend as much). Did find a new winter coat for Grandma that has both a zipper and toggle buttons so if the zipper proves too difficult, the buttons should be sufficient. It is a wool blend 3/4 length in a nice not-too-bold plaid. She had so much trouble with her coat last year that this should be a welcome gift - I hope. I had a free eye shadow demo at the Clinique counter which qualified me for a free full-size eye shadow palette, and purchasing a bottle of a fragrance I had run out of got me a whole bunch more freebies from Estee Lauder. We tried out the new Brunch Kitchen that replaced IHop. I had heard that it was decent and we were quite pleased. They modified their special for me and got the requests correct which pleased me. I had them leave out the scrambled eggs and viniagrette from my chicken crepes. Should have axed the hollandaise also; it was very tasty but I could have done without the calories. Dad got a salad with his lunch and they brought a big bowl of fresh mixed dark greens with a light toss of viniagrette so there was enough for me to share.

I ordered a set of 3 Pilates videos that came with a toning ball and 2 resistance bands from Woot. I did the one with the toning ball today and I consider I made a good investment as it had me groaning and sore. Each one is 50 min plus so I should be able to use them in the morning.


Food:

8:15 am 2 eggs over easy, 2 slices cinnamon raisin toast, 2 tsp soft margarine, 1/4 med cantaloupe, 124 g strawberries, coffee
12:15 pm 1/2 portion of salad w/chopped tomatoes and viniagrette, 2 crepes, 1 c chopped chicken breast, 1 oz Swiss cheese, 1/2 c spinach, 1/4 c chopped tomatoes, 1/4 c hollandaise sauce, coffee
6:45 pm 1 c Sweetened Wheatfuls, 1/2 c light original soy milk, large Fireside apple w/cinnamon sugar, 32 g (small) chocolate croissant


Exercise:

5:40-6;30 pm Pilates Toning Ball DVD

Fri 11 Nov

I was pleased that they altered my second leg of the conference to meet in Tomah instead of LaCrosse and to meet 9-1 instead of 8-12. Means that if I hit the road before 7:30, I should make it fine and I'll still be home by the normal day even with lunch at Burnstad's. Hope to pick up the final Harry Potter DVD for a cheese fries Friday night.

The peanuts were an indulgence to keep me awake on the drive home. (Excuse.)

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt 2 has been successfully viewed. Wonder how many other households were also watching it tonight.



Food:

6:15 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light original soy milk, 1/4 med cantaloupe 135 g strawberries, coffee
9:30 am 1.5 c fruit salad
11:00 am Plain bagel, indiv container strawberry cream cheese
1:00 pm Cup tomato soup w/1 shrimp, 3 slices sausage, 1/2 roasted veggie wrap w/spinach
1:30 pm 2 frosted cookies
2:30 pm 3.5 oz chocolate covered peanuts
5:45 pm 4 cheese fries, large apple, 5 oz Sauvignon Blanc

Thurs 10 Nov

It was fun to have a real snow for our first taste of the season yesterday. I am, however, prepared to let it melt and wait awhile til the next installment, preferably after our Minneapolis trip next week.


Food:

7:00 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light original soy milk, 1/4 med cantaloupe, 133 g strawberries, coffee
11:30 am Slice maple walnut apple coffee cake
12:45 pm Strawberry/banana soy shake, 2 slices cinnamon raisin toast, 2 tsp soft margarine, large Fireside apple w/cinnamon sugar
5:30 pm 1 c whole wheat spaghetti, 3 oz extra lean ground beef, 1/2 c arrabiata sauce, 1/8 c onions, 1/4 c green pepper, 1/2 tbl shredded parmesan, 12 oz skim milk, Jello Mousse Temptations chocolate mint




Exercise:

4:45-5:43 am Kickboxing DVD

Wed 9 Nov

Finally remembered to change the time on the automatic thermostat this morning after being awakened early every day this week from the heat blasting in my face from the register next to my bed an hour earlier than usual. The first few days, I finally fell back to sleep once the house got up to temp and the blower stopped so I would forget to change the thermostat when I came downstairs. Today I made myself remember so I don't continue to have this problem.


Food:

7:00 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light original soy milk, 1/4 med cantaloupe, 108 g raspberries, coffee
11:45 am Vanilla soy shake, 2 pc cinnamon raisin toast, 2 tsp soft margarine, 215 g Fireside apple, 1/2 tsp sugar, cinnamon
3:00 pm 2 chocolate pizzelles
4:45 pm 1 c caramel corn
6:15 pm 1/2 pasty, 1/2 c homemade applesauce, 12 oz skim milk



Exercise:

4:50-5:45 am Kristi Yamaguchi workout DVD

Tues 8 Nov

I have my panel presentation at Kalahari this afternoon. It is a little weird in that the client just officially relocated to Fond du Lac so I am technically no longer his case manager and today will likely be the last time I see him unless he stops in to visit if he's in Point. My boss agreed that I could do the presentation since I had committed to it far in advance.

Presentation went okay. It was a little nerve-wracking talking about self-directed supports to an audience heavy on people working actively in the programs. They gave me a couple slides to present that were a little out of my current area, but I don't think I said anything stupid. We had a large turnout for a breakout session but I think it went well.


Food:

7:00 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light original soy milk, 1/4 med cantaloupe, 80 g raspberries, coffee
8:45 am Slice maple walnut coffee cake
12:00 pm 1 c penne pasta w/fairly light alfredo sauce, 1 pc broccoli, 3 pc cauliflower and a couple of red pepper strips, small dinner roll, 12 oz 2% milk (One of the skimpiest conference lunches I've experienced.)
3:45 pm Small McD's peppermint mocha w/skim milk
6:00 pm 2.7 oz Costco chicken breast, 1/2 c mashed sweet potatoes, 3/4 c sauteed parsnips, 1/2 tbl butter



Exercise:

4:55-5:45 am Jane Fonda Original Workout video

Mon 7 Nov

Any ideas yet what you'd like for Christmas (besides the crepe pan)? We'll be starting the shopping when we go to Mpls next week, and even now I'm starting to look out for things. I'll be doing Grandma's shopping, too so ideas are most welcome.


Food:

7:00 am Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light original soy milk, 1/4 med cantaloupe, 83 g raspberries, coffee
12:00 pm Strawberry/banana soy shake, 121 g frosted pumpkin scone, 132 g strawberries
3:00 pm Sucking on pumpkin pie candy cane
5:15 pm 1 c Grandma Edna's caramel corn
5:45 pm 95 g La Pasta Asparagus & Gruyere ravioli, 1/4 c arrabiata sauce, 1/2 carnival squash, 1/4 tbl butter, chili powder.lime juice, 12 oz skim milk



Exercise:

4:45-5:55 am Jane Fonda Complete Workout video

Sun 6 Nov

Fall time change is always fun - gaining an hour of sleep is far preferable to losing it in the spring. My new bedside alarm clock is smart enough to change itself.

Have to be on call starting Tuesday for a week, off a week, then on again over Thanksgiving. It was nice to schedule a long period in between since my last stint, but these two will be more frustrating since they significantly reduced the compensation for on call when the contract expired. USWP is putting on the musical Thoroughly Modern Millie and I thought the only time I would be in town during performances would be when I was on call, but thoughtfully they scheduled a performance next week Wed, the day after my on call expires.

GO PACK!!!!



Food:

7:45 am Small pumpkin scone, 1/4 med cantaloupe, 77 g raspberries, coffee
12:00 pm Crepe, 2 scrambled eggs, veggie mix, coffee
2:00 pm Slice cinnamon crisp toast
2:30 pm 25 g dark chocolate coffee meltaway
5:00 pm Bowl salmon red potato soup, slice Italian bread, 12 oz skim milk


Exercise:

6:45-7:35 am Brutal ballet DVD

Sat 5 Nov

Woke feeling much better this morning. Our room at the inn was the Solarium, meaning there were windows from the center of the ceiling down to nearly the floor in a 5-foot wide strip over the bed. The inn was a really lovely place from the mid-1800s lovingly restored. Each room was quite unique and most (including ours) had a fireplace and a whirlpool tub. Fireplaces had the fake log-in-a-bag, but it puts out a nice fire to look at without the need to tend it. Since all I was capable after supper last night was to lay on the bed, look out the solarium window at the evening sky, and look at the fireplace, it was very adequate.

We had our breakfast at the table in the front parlor with the morning sun coming in. First course was a grapefruit half topped with sliced strawberries and a blueberry and surrounded by thinly sliced apples. They had heated everything and very lightly glazed it with brown sugar so it was only slightly sweet but very nice. Main course was an oven-baked apple panakoeken with a side of the most amazing thick applewood-smoked bacon that seemed to also have been glazed with brown sugar and peppered. Coffee was also very delicious.

I ate a lot of things that were sweet today. This week must be a week of atonement, except of course we bought goodies at the local bakery which may make atonement difficult.

Toured a Hastings mansion from 1860 that was having an art show. Beautiful building, some cool old clothes on display in the closets.


Food:

8:30 am 1/2 grapefruit, 3 thin strawberry slices, 1 blueberry, 1/4 c thin apple slices, 1 tsp brown sugar, 1 puff pancake w/apple slices, 1 tbl real maple syrup, 3 slices hearty bacon, coffee, 8 oz apple cider
9:45 am 1/2 c chocolate chocolate chip ice cream (I wanted to eat that last night but couldn't)
11:45 am 16 oz chocolate shake from Dairy Bar in Hastings, serve yourself from machine for $1
12:45 pm Large Fireside apple, eaten while walking around grounds of nature conservancy
1:30 pm 1 c caramel corn from local confectionary shop
3:00 pm 1/3 hoagie w/roast beef, cheese, tomato, and lettuce on whole-grain bun, cup tomato florentine soup, coffee
7:30 pm 1.65 oz creamy soft cheese, maple pershing roll from Emily's bakery

Fri 4 Nov

I love days off for fun stuff. Heading to Mpls/Hastings today for lunch at Highland Grill and exploring a winery and shops in Hastings before heading to the B&B. Didn't hear back after calling in the dinner order which I take as a good sign as I expect they would have let me know if they didn't have a reservation for me.

That recipe does look yummy. I have quite a few parsnips on hand so perhaps I will try it and let you know. Thanks!

Trip was very nice indeed. The inn did have our reservation and was very lovely. Unfortunately, my stomach did flips during supper so I had to stop short of the wonderful salmon stew. I ate the lovely salad and most of a slice of crusty bread but had to stop dead or risk nastiness. Thankfully the inn staff packed up the remaining soup in a portable container so we can have it Sunday night for dinner before choir.


Food:

7:30 am 1/8 apple crisp, 1/4 med cantaloupe, 130 g strawberries, coffee
12:15 pm Brisket sandwich at Highland Grill, open-faced w/tomato, garlic aioli, and house-made ripple chips on the side. Free birthday dessert was a huge portion of bread pudding with a yummy praline sauce shared with Dad.
3:30 pm Wine tasting at Alexis Bailley. The Seyval Blanc, first wine we tasted, was quite nice so we bought a bottle for supper. I had to finish most of the glass I had poured on Saturday due to above-mentioned stomach issues. The winery had one nice red blend and an interesting sangria-like citrus-infused dessert wine that we actually purchased.
6:30 pm Lovely mixed greens salad w/strawberries, blueberries, real bacon crumbles, light viniagrette, 1 slice fresh crusty Italian bread, 2 small nibbles salmon chowder, 2 oz white wine


Exercise:

Short walk (30 min?) around the historic downtown area of Hastings before dinner



Exercise:

5:00-5:45 am Ball/band video, level 2

Thurs 3 Nov

Ordered our Simple Supper at the inn for tomorrow night, but I realized they never sent me a reservation confirmation email. I hope they respond to the supper reservation request so we know for sure before we take the day off and drive to Hastings, MN that we actually do have a room reservation also. I didn't have to give a deposit since the room is under a Living Social voucher, but the lady I spoke with took the voucher number when we spoke and it seemed definite to me. That was quite a while ago.

Got home a tad early because of working late Monday and was in the mood to cook. Baked a fresh apple crisp and found a SparkRecipe for delicata squash with chili lime butter that was delicious! Also a technique I've not previously used to bake the squash. Cut it open, scoop out seeds and put face down in glass pan with 1/4" of water to bake 30 min at 350°. Then I mixed 1/2 tbl butter, 1/2 tbl lime juice and 1/2 tsp chili powder, nuked them to melt together and drizzled over the cooked squash halves. The spice and lime was an excellent contrast to the sweet squash.


Food:

7:00 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light original soy milk, 1/4 med cantaloupe, 122 g strawberries, coffee
12:30 pm Blueberry soy shake, slice multigrain toast, 1 tbl Peter Pan whipped PB, small SweeTango apple
2:30 pm 1 chocolate pizzelle
6:00 pm 3.5 oz grilled pork chop, 1/2 c mashed Yukon potatoes, 1/2 delicata squash w/chili lime butter, 12 oz skim milk, 1/8 apple crisp



Exercise:

5:00-5:40 am Crunch Pilates DVD

Wed 2 Nov

Feeling better today, less tired and not troubled by the lower tract issue. Hopefully this will hold for the weekend as we are going to a B&B in Hastings, MN for Friday night. It's a Living Social voucher I bought last spring that's due to expire soon, so we're taking the day off Friday and coming back home Saturday evening. The little getaways can be just as relaxing as long ones.

Good to know the best option for Christmas crepes. Care to share your recipe?

Oh my goodness, the quiche from Clasen's is amazing! We will have to get this again and make sure you get some, too!


Food:

7:00 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light original soy milk, 1/4 med cantaloupe, 84 g raspberries, coffee
11:45 am Vanilla soy shake, slice multigrain toast, 1 tbl Peter Pan Whipped PB, 94 g Roma tomato
3:00 pm Gingerbread biscotti
4:45 pm 3 Musketeers fun-size bar
5:00 pm 6 oz Gewurtztraminer
5:15 pm Harvest vegetable quiche square, large slice boysenberry bread



Exercise:

4:50-5:10 am Coach Nicole's kickboxing workout w/warmup and cooldown
5:10-5:50 am Jane Fonda's Workout with Weights video

Tues 1 Nov

Seem to have some kind of intestinal bug going on today, but so much necessary stuff on work schedule that staying home is not an option. Hopefully the addition of a protective layer and heightened awareness will suffice to keep things under control, at least until I get my problem child resettled back in her apartment in Rosholt. Need to think positive.

Even surprisingly had time to come home for lunch, albeit at 1:15. I'm even going to squeeze in a quick nap.

Too tired after taking Grandma to Mass to eat a regular supper. Need sleep.


Food:

7:00 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light original soy milk, 1/4 med cantaloupe, 77 g raspberries, coffee
11:15 pm 2 chocolate pizzelles
12:45 pm Cranberry muffin
1:15 pm Bowl chicken soup, 10 oz skim milk
2:15 pm 20 g angel food candy
7:30 pm 1 c Sweetened Wheatfuls, 1/2 c light original soy milk




Exercise:

4:55-5:45 am Jane Fonda Original Workout video