Review challenges and highlights

Review of 2012 Challenges
1. Get in shape to run the Get in Gear 5K in April.
-- Did sort of do this one. I didn't get in shape but I mostly walked the Get in Gear 5K and came in with a time under 60 minutes (my goal) so I consider this one, Challenge completed.
2. Create and maintain this blog.
-- Did decent on this one. I have over 100 posts. Yay me! Challenge completed.
3. Keep little monster's baby book/calendar up to date.
-- Did okay with this one. Kind of fell off on the calendar because nothing was really happening, but picking it up again lately so will be documenting more. The baby book needs work because I haven't taken the time to scrapbook in a while. Consider this, Challenge Accepted.
4. Find a job I'll enjoy or find a way to enjoy my job.
-- Somewhat enjoying my work environment but not so much the actual work that I do... Consider this Challenge Accepted.

--Possibly work on #3 and 4 for the next few months...


Highlights of 2012
1. BFL is expecting, due in February!
2. Little Brother home twice.
3. Monster's abilities moving along nicely.
4. New nephew born in July.

Challenges for 2013
1. Quit caffeine totally. 
2. Learn more about/put into practice clean eating/whole foods/veganism.
3. Take me time every week and date nights/2 of us time every week.
4. Run (actually run at least part of) the Get in Gear 5K in April. 

Santa Baby...

Slip a sable under the tree for me. I've been an awful good girl, Santa Baby, so hurry down the chimney tonight...

Tonight dinner and presents with my parents and brother, tomorrow Santa presents and breakfast with my little family of 3 and then dinner and presents with MIL and Little brother and then on Wednesday, we're doing a special gift for my MIL, a trip to the cities and visit to the science museum and Mall of America.

Hope your Christmas is merry and bright!


Happy Holidays.

low back pain... what a pain

So I've been dealing with some low back pain for a while now. Like seriously burning/stabbing pain that lasts for hours and doesn't easily go away. I went to the doctor for some osteopathic manipulation (think chiropractor but with muscle energy). What did she tell me? That I was fat and out of shape with no core strength and this would be a chronic problem if I didn't do something ASAP. Well actually, the word was obese and I did not enjoy hearing that one.

My advice to those mamas out there... lose that baby weight as soon as you are able and keep your core strengthened... do pilates, stretching, and yoga along with all that cardio/weight training work.

PSA over.

Back to my sedentary lifestyle of staring at a computer screen for hours on end. :-) Maybe 2013 will be the year that the weight/get in shape resolution actually sticks?

shepherd's pie... cottage pie...

A proper shepherd's pie is made with lamb. The same dish made with beef or other ground meat is a cottage pie. My take on this recipe is a little different because I add different vegetables than the standard carrot, onion, and peas.

I had the best shepherd's pie of my life in Prague, of all places. We visited Prague while studying abroad and went to an English style pub. Go figure. Anyway. It was delicious.

Caitlin's Cottage Pie

Ingredients:
1 pound ground turkey
1 16 oz bag frozen mixed vegetables (carrot, peas, Lima beans, green beans, corn)
2 cups prepared mashed potatoes (use leftover or make your own)
1 Tbsp and 1-2 tsp Worcestershire sauce, divided
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp flour
1 cup chicken stock
Seasoned salt (or salt) to taste
Mrs. Dash (or pepper) to taste
1/2 cup shredded cheese (if desired)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350* Grease a baking dish and set aside.

In a large frying pan, brown ground turkey and season with salt and pepper and 1-2 tsp Worcestershire sauce. Add bag of frozen veggies to ground turkey and heat through. In smaller pan, melt butter and add flour. Cook together for 1 minute. Whisk in chicken stock and 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce. Cook until sauce has thickened a little bit. Should be the consistency of gravy and coat the back of a spoon. Combine sauce and turkey-veggie mixture. Pour into greased baking dish and top with mashed potatoes. Can top with shredded cheese or leave plain. Bake 25-30 minutes. Take out of oven and let sit for 10 or so minutes. Enjoy.

Happy 100th!!

This is my 100th post. Crazy. Didn't know i had it in me. And in less than a year. Anyhoo here's my tree,

Can I just say that I love Christmas music? I was so excited to find out that all season one of the radio stations around here is playing all Christmas all the time. Yay! I've heard everything from the classic "Christmas song" to N*Sync...

listening to N*Sync just makes me feel young... I always was a 98 Degrees kind of a girl though. What about you? Backstreet Boys? N*Sync? 98 Degrees? Or something different?

Anyhoo, back to the Christmas music... my favorite CD of all time is the Amy Grant "Home for Christmas". I play it every year and sing along... loudly!! :-)

At my last job, I sat right underneath one of the overhead speakers and from the day after Thanksgiving until New Year's I loved it because they played Christmas music. The rest of the year it was just in the background.

Some of my favorite decorations,

 

Happy Holidays Friends!!

want some cheese...

with that whine? Pardon me for a moment while I complain... Today started out like that kids book, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

Monster was being more monstery than normal. Damn babies teething... augh.
It was raining, hard, and I couldn't find my umbrella, i have to walk 2 blocks from the parking ramp to my building, and there's a hole in my shoe. Did I mention my foot hurts? Then I found my umbrella and it stopped raining...
My cats suck. They fight, run around, crash into things, make lots of noise, shit on the floor, and try to eat my gloves.
People cannot drive well. Did they forget how or just not learn? Stop at a green light, go at a red light? Really?
Oy.

Oh yeah, my cube-buddy at work? Got a new job and is leaving soon. Now who's going to make me coffee? and make me laugh?

What a shitty start to this day. This, my daughter, is what is called when you're a grown up, a bad day. Can I start this day over again please?

And now, back to your regularly scheduled blog reading. Thanks.