Tony made breakfast/lunch for me both Saturday and Sunday morning. He’s told me that I can’t tell him how awesome his eggs are because then he won’t make them for me anymore. But I can tell you guys, right? 
I’ve watched him make them, I don’t know what he does, but they are light, fluffy and airy!
Saturday’s breakfast with buffalo scrambled eggs.
And yesterday was scrambled eggs with mango salsa, and hash browns made out of leftover baked potatoes. Yumz.
It took us about 2 1/2 hours to mow our lawn on Saturday. Tony would go over about 20 feet of yard before it was time to empty the bags on the riding mower. I had every intention of going to the gym on Saturday, but after that workout, I considered that enough.
And we lit our fire pit! I am not sure how this picture will show how tall this fire was. The height of the sticks before we lit it was taller than me, and I am 5.2”!
It was chilly on Saturday too – 40 degrees so it was nice to have the warmth of the fire for a bit. We still have that fallen tree to the right to cut up and burn, we’ll just do a bit at a time.
I didn’t think I would be hungry after the big breakfast I had, but we worked up an appetite. I made us some brats to tide us over to dinner. I maybe had a bit of mustard on mine. 
While we were putting our mower and tools away, Tony noticed this burnt leaf:
After I took this picture, I tried to move it, but it was complete ash – so cool.
I’ve been making bread for my SIL for the week when I bring her her food for the week. Last week it didn’t turn out, and her family was so disappointed, so I made sure she’d have some this week:
Dinner on Saturday night? We actually had Wal-mart steak! I had to get my eyebrows threaded (still hurts like a bitch!) and picked up two steaks called “sirloin petite steaks” for $6.23. We ended up splitting one steak, we split a baked potato and had some bread on the side. They weren’t too bad!
Sunday mornings I usually spend an hour putting food together for my SIL for the week. I realize I have to cook her stuff that I don’t like, but she does. Case in point: Brussels sprouts! She and my MIL absolutely love them. Me? I’ve tried and I am not there yet. I have learned that you do need to parboil them for a few minutes before pan frying to get the right tenderness.
Brussels Sprouts with Whole Grain Mustard
- 1 serving (or two!) 147 calories, 7 fat, 15 carbs, 7 fiber and 6.5 protein
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups Brussels sprouts, cut in half
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons whole grain mustard
Heat a shallow skillet with 1 cup of water. Once it comes to a boil, add the Brussels sprouts, cut side down, and cook for 3-4 minutes. I had to do this in two batches. Drain the sprouts.
Heat olive oil in a pan over medium high heat. Place the sprouts cut side down and cook for 2-3 minutes, until they start to brown. Remove from heat and stir in the mustard. I started with 1 tablespoon of mustard, but decided to add one more. Of course, I couldn’t taste this dish, so Jody, you’ll have to let me know how they are!
I love the mustard seeds clinging the the sprouts! I could eat whole grain mustard right out of the jar though. 
And Aimee (winner of my 1 million page view giveaway) and Christine (highest bidder in the Suzie blog bake sale) I made your Baja fresh salsa yesterday!
Even in November, the smell of the charred tomatoes and jalapenos just smells like summer. I’ve been known to brush off six inches of snow on my grill to make this in December!
And while I was at the gym and grocery shopping yesterday afternoon, reason 2,056 I love Tony. He was flipping through the channels and taped the Michigan/Penn State field hockey championship for me – thanks Tony! So while he watched his beloved football in the living room, I watched my field hockey!
So if you’ve made it down this far, you are probably wondering what my 21 day challenge is!
21 Day Challenge
- 4 miles a day**
- strength training 3x a week
- getting water in, even on the weekends
- adding more fruits and veggies to my diet
- keeping my carbs under 130 grams per day
- no alcohol for 21 days
- only fruits and veggie snacks after dinner
My 4 miles a day challenge actually came from my friend and blog reader Jody. She’s been walking 5 miles a day since June, along with portion control, has managed to lose more than 30 pounds. My 21 day goals is to get myself trained enough by running more/walking less and by day 21, I hope to run 4 miles without stopping.
The big one of course is ditching my beloved wine. But it has to be done, so I am considering this a 21 day cleanse so to speak. I’ve just gotten into the habit of pouring a glass while I cook dinner at night, which leads to another glass or two after dinner, which leads me to making popcorn!
It’s only 21 days, so I know I can do it. If I can meet my 170 mile challenge, I can do anything!
Let me know if you have a 21 day challenge you want to meet – I’ll check up on you to help me stay motivated!
Off to the gym – I love that it’s sunny out when I leave for the gym, but it will be depressing that it will be dark when I leave the office.
And congratulations to my daughter Hannah who starts her new job today!! She got a job at Panera and has her first orientation today after school. I know you’ll do great!
Happy Monday!
A friend of mine worked at Panera for years and now she owns her own confectionary…so who knows where this might lead Hannah! That fire pit is so cool, I would have just wanted to get as close as possible and chat around it for a long time. Love fire, esp the heat in the cold. Good luck with your 21 day challenge! That’s how long it takes to make new habits so it’s a good amount of time for a challenge. 🙂
Woo, congrats Hannah and best of luck! That steak looks tasty!
i sure do love the sound of buffalo eggs, YUM! your yard still looks so pretty and green!
What a fund busy weekend. I agree yard work is a work out! My mother in law use to make the best scrambled eggs I had ever eaten. She beat the daylights out of them with some milk added in and then she put them in her electric skillet on a medium heat setting and she moved them around the pan constantly stirring them.They were so light and fluffy. I have never been able to make them like that. Some people just have a nack for certain things.
Great goal setting. Congrats to Hannah on her job at Panera. Lots of tempting goodies there!
I saw the field hockey on TV and was going to text you!
Thanks anyway Jenn!
Love big bonfires like that, we do the same thing here. This time of year is great for one! Your gonna’ rock the 21 day challenge! Your breakfast made me want to make breakfast for dinner tonight. I wasn’t sure what we were having until I seen your pics 🙂 Congrats to Hannah on her new job!
I had your lasagna soup again for lunch today – it was so good! 😀
It should be called crack soup! 😉 I’m making chicken noodle soup tomorrow, it’s really feeling like winter now!
You will so kick that challenge Vat! You go girl! The fire picture made me want marshmallows. I’m weird. Congrats to Hannah. Take care!!!
I would definitely call mowing the lawn for that long a workout. My 11 year old mows our lawn, it’s nice to have little helpers that can truly help. This weather is definitely bread making weather.
I love the fruits and veggies only after dinner! Such a fabulous idea. I think I’ll join in on that part of the challenge! The mowing sounds like a ton of work! Hooray for fresh bread. Buffalo eggs? Trying this!
Congrats on your new job, Hannah!!!
I love brussels sprouts! And my most favorite way to eat them is with bacon! 😀
Um, everything is better with bacon!
When I pan saute brussel sprouts, I clamp a lid on the pan when they are first started to sort of steam them a bit before getting color on them. Saves the parboiling step.
That fire is awesome, although it was missing the marshmallows 😀
Ah, that’s a good idea Lori, I didn’t think of steaming them first – thanks!
Those eggs do look amazing!
I am not the best egg maker in the world which is probably why I don’t make them all that often.
Congrats to Hannah! That is so exciting! 🙂
That 21 Day Challenge is a great idea! I think 3 weeks is a really great timeline to set – totally feasible, but long enough to get some real progress.
Best of luck to Hannah!
Congrats and good luck to Hannah!! You are going to rock the 21 day challenge!
Congrats to Hannah. I had two kids that worked at Panera and it’s a great place to work while in HS or college. Hope she enjoys it. I have a goal of running a full 5K (no walking)
Your 21 day challenge sounds great! I’m sure no wine will be hard but doable!
Have you ever tried roasting brussel sprouts? I used to HATE brussel sprouts (too bitter for me) until my boyfriend came home and raved about a roasted brussel sprouts dish his coworker had made for a potluck. My jealousy probably got the better of me, and I set out to create an amazing brussel sprouts dish, even if I didn’t like it. To make a long story short, I am a total convert. Like with all vegetables, roasting transforms their flavor and makes them a lot sweeter. I still loathe steamed or boiled brussels sprouts.
I based my dish on this from the Pioneer Woman: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2011/12/brussels-sprouts-with-balsamic-and-cranberries/ I didn’t feel the half cup of sugar she called for was necessary, so I left it out. I also cut my brussels sprouts in half to give them extra crunch and char – make sure they get really dark (not burned, of course). I also added some toasted pecans for extra crunch.
I may have to give that a try version – I like cabbage, so maybe with a hint of sweet and balsamic they would taste better – thanks for the link!
Here in Texas, we don’t bag lawn clippings – we just mow over them, mulching them back into the grass. All of that bag emptying sounds like a massive workout, not to mention a pain in the …
Good luck on your 21 day challenge. I think if you can just give up the wine, the food stuff will be easy, because unfortunately, we all know how glasses of wine lead to snacking. But hey – if you can get 170 miles done, you certainly can do this one!
My step-son Joe says he does the same thing, although he says that he still has clumps of grass – do you rake as well?
Yeah, the wine is a problem. It leads to other things. In my case, chocolate.
My 21 day challenge…not get sick!
Your 21 day challenge sounds awesome, Biz! I know you can do it!
You can do it. Although, I can’t imagine running 4 miles a day. You need rest days, so I’m glad you are adding walking to the mix.
I am doing the 21 day challenge through http://www.TheChocolateMile.com Something to keep me going to the next holiday! So far, I’m doing okay.
P.S. That bread looks phenomenal!
I may need to bring it down to a 5k a day – I am not very fast and my lunch hour went by way too fast today!
I can’t believe you’re going to give up wine even on Thanksgiving! But good luck with that. I guess we all have to start somewhere, right? Plus if you repeat it, that will take you through the worst of the holiday eating – i.e., cookies, etc.
Tell me about the bad wine habit. When I continued reading your challenge, the wine thing struck me most. I do exactly the same thing and usually for about 6 days a week. Good idea to do a 21 days challenge. Going to drink less myself too.
I love your complete challenge, 21 days is totally doable. It’s not too long and you probably will stick to it. And if you like it, you can make another 21 day challenge after this.
Love your new blog layout Fran!!
Biz, are you going to do your 21 days through thanksgiving? I think this is an awesome way to get healthy before the holiday craziness sets in.
Somehow in my head I thought my 21 days would end right before Thanksgiving, but it ends the Sunday after Thanksgiving – I can do it! (I think I can, I think I can!)
First, I’m so jealous of your fire pit. I want one!!! But I need a yard first. 🙁
Second, your 21 day challenge sounds awesome! You can do it!!
I so hope you do well on your 21 day challenge. I feel bad that every time I start something, I fail miserably. I have gained SO much weight and have totally fallen off the exercise wagon. I’m seriously disgusted with myself and depressed. I have goals, I have plans, we’ll just see if I can stick with them! 🙂
My kids would love that bonfire! That’s the one thing we’re missing here is a fire pit.
Debbi
Hang in there Debbi – if you want an accountability partner, I am in! 😀
Looks like a good list you’ve got there! Just remember, it’s only three weeks so NO excuses 🙂 I will for sure call you out on them! Maybe you could come up with some sort of consequence system to keep you accountable, like 1$ in a jar if you miss your workout or drink wine. Then you could donate it or something, but the idea of it might help keep you from wanting to cheat 🙂
Thanks Errign! I hope you had a great weekend with the boy! 😀