I am a pretty organized person. In some areas of my life. Grocery lists, menu planning, grocery shopping, cooking – that’s in my wheel house. Ask me to find any document in my office, and I’ll be the first one to get it for you.
I’ve mentioned before that our basement over time just becomes a dumping ground, and the piles get bigger and bigger, so much so that I almost don’t even notice it when I am doing laundry. I bee line to the laundry, turn around and come back upstairs.
Hannah, however, while a bit OCD, hates going into the basement – it basically makes her ill at ease just to be doing her laundry. She doesn’t start her second semester of college until January 17, and she doesn’t work until Friday this week. So she was on a mission! About 8+ hours were spent getting our basement organized!
- laundry area spotless – check!
- cooking equipment – check!
- Christmas decorations organized – check!
- my photography stuff – check!
- my closet and clothes? double check!
She was so excited to show me her hard work. First order of business? To promise to keep it this way! Second order of business? Um, turns out all the lounge pants in this drawer are not allowed to be worn out of the house, even to get the mail. (Um, turns out I’ve worn a few of those to the grocery store!)

And I actually thought that I didn’t have enough work out pants – but turns out if you have them stored in 5 different places it doesn’t seem like you have that many!

Thanks for all your help this week!
So I went to the gym this morning, and I don’t know if its because its the new year, but there were lots of people waiting for swim lanes. I did my 10 minutes of water walking in the therapy pool, and then decided to change into my workout clothes. I did 30 minutes on the elliptical at level 10, and then 10 minutes on the stair master.
My favorite granola bar is Nature’s Path Cinnamon Oats – its crispy, crunchy. I take about 5 units of insulin before working out, then 1 bar before working out, and 1 after – they cost me 5 points, but its worth it. It’s weird, but if I have a blood sugar of 110 before working out in the morning, if I take no insulin, it jumps to 300s! I guess you have to give yourself a shot just to kick start – it seems totally odd to me, but it works!
Once I got to work, I put together my breakfast quesadilla: 2 low carb tortillas (50 calories each), 1/4 cup refried beans, 1/4 cup egg beaters, 1/2 ounce goat cheese and a handful of baby spinach. I Pam fried it until crispy – delicious! 7 Points Plus.
I had a pear on the side too – love all the free fruit! 😀 I happened to read Lori’s blog post that had her strength training routine – she and I are about the same age, about the same height, so I just figured “I can do that!” Um, she’s a rock star because I did about 1/3 the amount of weight she could do – you rock Lori! And boy am I sore today. Especially my lower back and shoulders – I think I stimulated muscles I didn’t even know I had!
It took me 30 minutes to finish her circuit. I have to get out of the mindset that if I don’t do cardio its not a work out, so I ended up doing a mile run on the track at the gym – 13 laps was a mile and guess what time I did. . . 11:15! That’s the fastest mile I’ve run in a long time, and if I hadn’t had to go back to work, I think I could have done two! 😀
I made a soup recipe for my lunch, but I am not posting the recipe yet because its still a work in progress, but its close. Spicy roasted apple and butternut squash soup with a tablespoon of pumpkin seeds – I think it needs to be thicker for a couple extra points!
And I found this pumpkin bread at my store – its delicious and hearty and a giant rectangle of a piece is 3 points. I cut it in half to make my sammie – 1.5 ounce deli roast beef, .75 ounce Muenster cheese and jalapeno mustard – yum! Lunch comes in at 12 Points Plus.
One of the cookbooks I own is Tyler Florence’s Ultimate. While I won’t be buying two live lobsters to make lobster bisque anytime soon, I knew Tony would love this recipe – here is my version of his recipe:
New York Strip Steak with Brandied Mushrooms
Course: main meals
PointsPlus™ Value: 6
Servings: 4 Preparation Time: 5 min
Cooking Time: 15 min
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Course: main meals PointsPlus™ Value: 6 Servings: 4 Preparation Time: 5 min Cooking Time: 15 min Level of Difficulty: Easy |
Ingredients
1 pound(s) New York Strip steak, raw | |
1 clove(s) garlic clove(s), minced (medium) | |
1 Tbsp thyme, fresh | |
2 fl oz brandy | |
1/4 cup(s) heavy whipping cream | |
1 cup(s) mushroom(s) | |
1/2 tsp table salt | |
1/2 tsp Durkee Pepper, Black Ground | |
1 tsp olive oil |
Instructions
Sprinkle the steak with salt and pepper. Add olive oil and cook steak 8-10 minutes for medium rare. Remove from the heat and cover loosely with foil.
Bring pan back to medium-high heat. and spray with Pam spary. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring, about 7-10 minutes until golden brown. Add the sprig of thyme and garlic, season with salt and pepper.
Put the mushrooms on a platter. Take the pan off the heat, add the brnady, and cook until almost evaprated. Add the cream and cook that down 2 to 3 minutes until reduced by one-half and thickened.
Return the mushrooms to the pan with whatever juices have collected on the platter and simmer for 2 more minutes. Season one last time with salt and pepper ans serve over sliced steak.



Stats for Tuesday:
- 38 points (including wine) 15 flex points remaining and 37 activity points earned
- 10 minutes water walking
- 30 minutes elliptical
- 10 minutes stair master
- 30 minute strength training
- 11:15 minute mile 😀
I have decided that there is no way I can keep up this workout schedule, so I’ve decided to make Wednesdays and Sundays my rest days. While I like to think I have the body of a 20 year old, my 42 year old body is telling me other things! Do you take rest days?
Make it a Great Day! 😀
Loving that breakfast quesadilla!!!!
Rest days: I take Sundays off. Everyone needs at least one rest day a week 🙂
Jen
Whoops forgot to comment on the organized basement! I love the metal rack for all of your kitchen stuff! Such a great idea for the huge overflow items!
Maybe try stirring some greek yogurt into the soup to thicken it? Would be a lot healthier than sour cream or heavy cream!
Love the pumpkin seed idea! I put pine nuts on my squash soup but they’re expensive as hell lately!
Also that bread looks so friggin’ good! Yummy!
Do I take rest days? Bwahahahahahaha! Lately, I’m lucky to get in two workouts a week. When I’m going strong, I do take 1-2 days off a week. That’s great you have an OCD daughter to keep you organized–LOL!
So Hannah is sweet, loving, smart, AND loves to clean? Wow, she really is the perfect daughter ever! 😀
Send Hannah to Washington state, I will keep her busy!! 🙂
I rest on Sundays, but my 58 year old bod has a hard time! I’m also thinking of cutting back one day. Maybe just do some stretches.
I can’t wait to try the mushrooms, I’m not a big meat eater, but those mushrooms rock! 🙂
Rest days are definitely a good idea, not just for your muscles, but so you don’t burn out with a busy schedule as well. I think taking Wed/Sun off sounds perfect, especially if it works in your schedule 🙂
Dear Hannah, Vancouver is lovely in the winter (if you don’t mind rain). You are welcome to come and visit my husband and I any time. Yours in Clutter, Roz and Dennis xo
Dear Biz, Please send your daughter! We’ll take good care of her and return her in no time!!! Yours in need, Roz and Dennis xo
PS: Your photos are awesome!!
1-I need a Hannah! Your drawers look so organized!
2-That steak is making my mouth water and I’m already full from dinner. I will have to give it a try ASAP!
I think rest days are necessary. You workout for your sanity. But you also need rest days for your sanity. Way to go Hannah! She’s a rockstar!
I simply love having everything organized and it its proper place. It just makes live so much simpler and prettier looking.
Hooray for Hannah! You have to keep your Kitchenaid in the basement? We leave ours out because we use it a fair amount.
LOL at the lifting. Keep in mind I have been lifting for a few years now, so I have built up a lot of strength. You’ll get there. Congrats on the speedy mile, too!
I missed your blog… You cook the best foods!
can i adopt hannah for the weekend? she could teach me a few things, i’m so unorganized, it drives even me nuts!
love the strip steak, especially how “inexpensive” it is!
Rest days are essential – your muscles need time to regroup. That said, well done on your workout yesterday!!!
Hannah – I think we bloggers could keep her busy for an entire year. If only we could magically transport her to each of our houses!
I need Hannah!! I worked out 3 days in a row and earned 18points. I lifted weight each day and decided yesterday to take the day off. I burn myself out if I work out too many days in a row. I’m raring to go today though so the day of rest was good.