Showing posts with label #MicroblogMondays. Show all posts

#Microblog Mondays - Happy 2015 (Paleo Christmas Cookie Wrap-up)

Monday, January 5, 2015

#Microblog Mondays?  Read more about it here!

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It's been a while since I have been able to sit at a computer for more than 5 minutes at a time since daycare has been closed for almost 2 weeks and I have taken some time off of work.  It was nice to be away from the daily grind, but today it is back to reality.  I already miss my little B. 

Let's see, in the past 2 weeks, I have put on Christmas Day dinner for 10 people, hosted 5 family members at my tiny 1100 sq. ft. house for 5 days, hosted NYE for 10 people, won a race that over 500 people ran (1st female), and was able to get everything back together for today.  No, I didn't sleep much.

Lastly, here is a quick (and promised) update on the Paleo cookies that I made for Christmas this year... most of them were a success. 

Hope you all had a great holiday with family and friends!  XOXO



Recipe
Verdict
The lemon cookie turned out great, but the lemon-curd was TERRIBLE.  I remade it twice and both times it turned into a gelatinous and chalky tasting mess.  What I ended up doing was filling the cookies with fruit preserves (apricot and blackberry).  That was awesome.  They did not save well though and got terribly mushy after several hours.  I should have frozen them immediately.
AMAZING and easy.  They got rave reviews from even the pickiest eaters (my younger brothers).
These were kind of a pain in the @$$ to make, but they were really fabulous and most likely the best out of all of the ones that I made.  They tasted like a real cookie, not necessarily a samoa, but very excellent.
GREAT (and easy)!  I also got rave reviews from this and was asked by several people where I got the recipe.
These did not turn out as hoped.  The cookie was really hard to "roll" out and stuck like you have no idea (even on parchment paper).  The "cream" filling also did not work for me.  I ended up salvaging about half of the cookies and filling it with some homeade "Nutella".  I actually got asked for the recipe! :-)
Incredible, as usual.  This is a staple for me that I use to wow Paleo-naysayers.  The cookies always turn out great and you would have no idea that they were grain-free.  I think I have made 4 batches of these over the past 2 weeks.
I didn't make these, but instead subbed with a recipe from Danielle Walker's "Joyful" cookbook.  Normally I love her recipes, but this one fell short for me.  It could have been because I used sunbutter instead of almond butter, but my son did love them.  He ate most of the batch!
I didn't get here either.  
Paleo Marshmallows from Danielle Walker's "Joyful" cookbook
They were easy and tasted as good as marshmallows made with honey could taste.  The consistency was spot on.  
These turned out well, but didn't keep very long.  I was able to get these into the freezer.
Paleo Thumbprint Cookies from Danielle Walker's "Joyful" cookbook
These were easy to make and turned out great!  I froze a bunch of them for later.

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#Microblog Mondays - A case of the 'Mondays'

Monday, November 24, 2014

#Microblog Mondays?  Read more about it here!


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Glass is half-empty today...wah wah wah...Monday morning rant ensuing... 
 
I was up most of the night with a sick child (2nd night in a row).  Poor baby B has a bad cold and a fever.  He is staying home with Daddy today.  It will be nothing short of a miracle if we are all healthy for travel this holiday weekend.

It is pouring rain and my umbrella is broken.

I dropped my lunch and smashed my banana trying to juggle 2 bags, a coffee, an umbrella, and a security badge.

I have a hideous headache.

Work is sucking the life out of me.  Seriously.  Work.  You.  Can.  Shove.  It.
 
A co-worker of mine keeps taking candy from my candy dish to put into hers even though I have politely asked her twice NOT to do that anymore.  WTF?!
 
To try to better my shitastic morning...

Some 'Ladies and Gentlemen, The Best of George Michael' (yes, I'm a cheese-ball).
 
And this trio:
 
 Come on guys...help me out here.

Happy Monday everyone!

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#Microblog Mondays - I did it!

Monday, November 10, 2014

#Microblog Mondays?  Read more about it here!

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It was incredibly challenging due to the really high winds, but I finished the NYC marathon!  I have been slowly creating a post about it over the past week, but I have been so incredibly busy at work and at home that I haven't had time to finish it.  I'm glad it is over with because my body is tired and is welcoming the rest, but I feel like I have a huge hole in my life right now where I spent so much of the last 6 months!  No goals or new challenges right now, which I tend to thrive on.  In trying to come up with something over the weekend, I came up with one that may be impossible, but who knows...a sub-19 5k.  Stay tuned!   

I made the New York Times!!

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#Microblog Mondays - Can I do this?

Monday, October 27, 2014

#Microblog Mondays?  Read more about it here!

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T minus 6 days and counting until the NYC Marathon (gulp).  To say that I am anxious about this coming weekend would be a huge understatement.  I am a basket case.  Second guessing all of my many months of hard work and dedication to this...  

Going to bed early EVERY Friday.  
Getting up early to run miles upon miles EVERY Saturday.  
Running before work.  
Running after work.  
Running while at work. 
Running while I should be working.
Eating healthy.  
Carbo-loading.
Sacrificing time with my baby and husband.
Sacrificing get-togethers with friends.  
Running through injury, illness and sleep-deprivation.  
Running in the rain, the heat, the cold, the wind, the daylight and the darkness. 
Running with blocked ducts, sore nipples and/or leaky boobs.
Obsessing over running (Did I run far enough, hard enough, long enough, smart enough?).
Washing the same pairs of $25 double lined socks thrice weekly because I love to wear them so much.
Wearing the same Lulu Run Swiftly t-shirt and black Lulu clearance shorts.
Dealing with my own headcase the past 2 weeks due to this "taper".

My lowest of low goals is to beat my best time of 3:52 back in 2007.
My goal is to qualify for the famed Boston Marathon is 3:35.
My goal based on what I think I can do is 3:30.
My reach goal based on my training and what it predicts is 3:25.
My former coach thinks that I can do it in 3:15-3:20.  This is my super-reach goal.

My positive mantra: "I can do this.  I will do this.  The pain is temporary.  The satisfaction is forever."

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#Microblog Mondays - Some random thoughts

Monday, October 20, 2014

#Microblog Mondays?  Read more about it here!

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Random thought #1 - Sooooo busy
Apologies for not keeping up with this (or my blog...at all, for that matter) for the past 2 weeks.  My life has been an insane whirlwind of late.

Random thought #2 - Marathon tapering sucks
I thought I would be loving this drop in mileage from a high of 50+ miles a week to less and less before the marathon in 13 days, but it is totally killing my self-confidence.  I am questioning my abilities and feel like there is no way I can meet my goal of 3:20.

Random thought #3 - My baby had a bloody nose in his sleep last night
When I went in to nurse him this morning, I saw that his white sheets had blood all over them and his nose was all blood-crusted.  Poor baby!  He is just like his Daddy, with the bloody noses.  time to bring out the humidifier again.

Random thought #4 - People in my office eat an ungodly amount of candy
No, really.  It is disgusting.  There are 3 candy dishes in very close proximity to my desk at work.  They are refilled at least twice a week.  I can honestly say that I never have any, but I do have a bowl on my desk so I guess I am contributing to the obesity epidemic.

Random thought #5 - Public transportation is disgusting
Ebola, Enterovirus D-68, Norovirus, flu, colds...I dread taking it every day, which is why I drove last week and spent almost $70 over 3 days (not including gas), compared to my normal $15 a day (not including gas).  People are just so gross and have no sense of common decency.  Coughing without covering their mouths, touching their mouth/nose/eyes then the rails, and loudly blowing their noses.  SO.  GROSS.

Random thought #6 - Paleo chili is AMAZING!
I made a paleo turkey chili last night and it was awesome.  Sauteed some onion, garlic, red pepper, jalapeno pepper with some ground turkey.  Added chili powder, cumin, coriander, cayenne, salt and pepper.  Added that with some diced tomatoes and crushed tomatoes into the crock-pot.  Three hours on high and boom!

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#Microblog Mondays - Happy haircut!

Monday, September 29, 2014

#Microblog Mondays?  Read more about it here!

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I took the plunge this weekend and chopped off my quite a bit of my security blanket.  I mean hair.  Like 4 inches.  I haven't gotten a cut like this in quite a while, but I was definitely due for a change. 

I'm not sure if any other mommies can relate, but my hair seems to be one of the things that has gotten the most neglected since having B.  I normally throw it up in a ponytail or bun...literally...EVERY...SINGLE...DAY.  My hairdresser even commented that I have a permanent ridge in my hair from doing that.  Oops. 

Last night I did a french braid before bed and slept in it.  (Even though you can't really tell from this picture) it looks great compared to what it was.  It feels nice to NOT be wearing a bun to work today!!  Happy Monday!

Apologies for the poor picture quality!

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#Microblog Mondays - Magical boobies

Monday, September 22, 2014

#Microblog Mondays?  Read more about it here!

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12:14 AM.

I hear the familiar cry of my 17 month old from the room next door. 

We have never been the CIO type and would much rather deal with the effects of night upon night of sleep deprivation, instead. 

We are unsuccessfully trying to night wean so I poke my husband and tell him that he's on duty. 

I hear the door slowly open and, during that moment, B is quiet. 

As soon as Daddy pokes his head in and B realizes that it is Daddy with a cup of water and not Mommy with her magical boobies...

I wait for the crescendo...

"Mommy...Mommy...Mommy...GLEE*!  GLEE!  GLEE!  WAAAAAAH!" he screams louder and louder.
*Glee=breastmilk/nursing in B (language).  Such a long story.

 Daddy tries his best at rocking, soothing, and providing a drink of water, but with no luck. 

Tired and defeated, my husband puts B back into his bed (who at this point is angry and agitated) and passes me the baton.

I enter the room and immediately the crying ceases.  The pass* gets thrown on the floor.  The arms raise for me to pick him up.  "GLEE!"  he promptly states.
*Pass=pacifier in B (language)

We sit in the rocker and I cradle him in my arms.  He quickly relaxes and starts his usual nursing behaviors (trying to pull out my nursing pad, rubbing/squeezing my arms, scratching my chest, etc.).

When done on the right side he pops off and says, "GLEE?" even though he knows that it is time for a diaper change first.

Diaper change completed.  Back to the chair for part deux of our midnight nursing sesh.

All done.  Back into bed.  Kiss from Mommy, check.  Doggy, check.  Monkey, check.  Blankie, check.

Magical boobies... your never-ending nightly job is complete.    

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#MicroblogMondays

Monday, September 8, 2014

She probably has no idea who I am, but I feel like I know her well.  She is one of the main reasons that I started blogging in the first place, drum roll, please...

Melissa Ford @ The Stirrup Queens. :)

She came up with the great idea of "#MicroblogMondays" as a way to help bring people back to their blogs (from other social media mechanisms like FaceBook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.).  Check out her post detailing what to do here.  I have decided to give it a try to see if it can set my brain and fingers in motion and help me to put some words on my neglected blog.

One thing, before I start this actual post, I just want to again, thank Mel for all of the great work that she does.  She is always inspiring and her words are so comforting to read.  She really helped to pull me through a very tough time in my life.  She connected me with other women that were going through similar issues and is the glue that keeps the ALI community together.  For all of this (and a lot more), I will be forever grateful.

Mel- if you are reading this... THANK YOU!!  

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This may not seem like a big deal, but I can honestly say that it was one of the most proud mommy moments that I have yet to experience.  Last night, my baby of 16 1/2 months peed on the potty for the first time.  Yes, I know it was a combination of good timing and good luck, but he did it just the same.  We aren't even really doing serious potty training yet, just some low pressure "trying" once a day.  So this, to me, was amazing!  

 Here is how it went down:

 We sat him on his race car potty before his bath, like usual.  I told him to "push the pee pee out", which I can remember my mom telling my younger sibs to do when she was potty training them.  He kept saying "pee pee", which was so freaking cute.  Then he stood up and bam.  Pee in the potty.  

 I squealed with elation and yelled down to my husband.  B was excited too, and pointed into the potty saying, "pee pee".  Then we called all of my relatives.  No...seriously, we did.  We had a call with one grandma and a FaceTime with another.  Then a couple of texts and a PhotoStream update.  Big news, people.   

 One.  Proud.  Mommy.  Moment.  :)  



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