I think we’ve had the earliest below zero temperature in like 18 years. Yesterday morning it was 3 degrees when I got up, but with the wind chill it felt like –15. It’s days like yesterday that I don’t miss working in Chicago. At the last firm I worked at it was a mile walk from the train station – not fun in that kind of weather!
I had more breakfast tacos with Chobani. I literally could eat this meal every day and never get sick of it.
I just love how crispy the tacos get in the toaster oven – crunchy goodness!
I had to run out to pick up lunch again yesterday for a client and some of the attorneys. This time I went to Noodles & Co. Hannah was telling me the last time she went her friend Melody got this Thai Hot Pot. She texted me the picture last week and said “Mom, you would love this soup – it’s so spicy!” They describe it as “Our 30-ingredient curry broth, fresh cabbage blend, sprouts, Fresno peppers, shiitake mushrooms, a sprinkling of rice noodles, pulled chicken and pork. Finished with a lime wedge and a sprig of cilantro and served with a side of toasted Asian flatbread.” The whole bowl is 560 calories.
But the $8.49 cent price tag for soup? Couldn’t pull the trigger on that. As I am looking at the soup I kept thinking “I could make 3 pots of that soup for $8.49 cents!” So I am going to search for a recipe and make it next week for lunches. Turns out I like spicy shit.
I signed up for 8 days of Fitmas at my gym. It started on Monday, but I worked through lunch and missed that day – each day you are handed an activity and if you do it, you get a small prize. I missed out on a water bottle Monday. Yesterday my task was 100 crunches.
I got a cute tin of breath mints – perfect for the car.
I was SO happy to get back to the gym. I hadn’t been since last Thursday and I was already beginning to feel . . .squishier? But then I took this picture and realized a few days away from the gym didn’t really change much, but I realize how important exercise is and two jobs or not, I need to find the time to get that in.
- Barbell Squat: 30 reps
- Leg Press: 30 reps
- Stiff-Legged Deadlift: 30 reps
- Barbell Lunge: 30 reps
- Calf Press in leg press machine: 30 reps
That routine took me 40 minutes to complete. With the barbell lunges, I do my right side, then my left side – and that’s one rep. Um, 30 reps is a lot people! I was actually sweating!
I got back to work and heated up the rest of my noodleless lasagna soup – two whole cups – and had half a toasted bagel on the side. I actually don’t miss the noodles!
I have to thank everyone who let me know that the sriracha plant in California is closing. My blog reader friend Peggy left messages both on my facebook page and by email telling me to stock up and blog reader Aimee said she saw this recipe and immediately thought of me. WHISKEY SRIRACHA CARAMEL CORN! Um, yes please!
Which brings us to another episode of texting with Tony! You may even note that I changed his name on my phone – ha!
My family loves spicy stuff, so this may be made this weekend!
Since I worked over the weekend I never did a menu plan. I knew I had leftover chicken from the roast chicken we did on Sunday night. I told Tony what his choices were “chicken tacos, chicken quesadillas, chicken naches, or pasta with chicken and alfredo sauce.” What did he choose? Plain spaghetti with butter and Parmesan cheese. Only one tiny problem. We are out of Parmesan cheese. So he ended up having buttered noodles with salt and pepper. I said “how about a blue cheese alfredo sauce?” to which he said “blue cheese and pasta don’t go together!” I beg to differ.
[amd-zlrecipe-recipe:11]
I do have to tell you that I used gorgonzola cheese, not blue cheese. There is a difference. Blue cheese is a category of cheese that has just spots or stripes of mold. Gorgonzola has green/blue marbling of mold and is much more crumbly than blue cheese. They actually insert metal rods over the course of 3-4 months to promote the growth of mold, and interestingly enough, has no saturated fat like blue cheese. Can you tell I love cheese?! Look at all that moldy goodness!
While the picture sucks ass, this was so good. And now as I look at this picture I should have crumbled a bit more over the top of this dish for some extra kick. I puffy heart cheese.
Stats for the Day:
- 1553 calories, 56 fat, 169 carbs, 96 protein, 19 fiber
- 43% of calories from carbs, 32% from fat and 24% from protein
- 40 minutes of legs for strength
- average blood sugar 147
And based on everyone’s comments yesterday, I have to admit . . . Tony was right. No one except my family knows Lit’l Smokies as Weenie Winks. Hurts to say Tony was right though! 
I am off to shovel and scrape snow off the cars – we probably got another two inches of snow overnight? Make it a great day!
Fitmas! I loooove that name and idea!
You lost me too on the blue cheese, I can’t seem to stomach the stuff. Wish I did though because it looks and sounds delicious, but nope, can’t do it! 😀
I love the Fitmas idea at your gym. And I know your feeling. I haven’t worked out since Monday 9th and I’m starting to feel it in my back. But I am so freaking tired at the moment I just can’t get my you know what out of bed in the morning to work out. My plan is to pick it up this weekend again.
We are having a typical Dutch winter so far: not to cold, no snow and not much rain. Hopefully it stays like this all winter because I can keep on doing my long walks with Bella that way.
You totally lost me at Blue Cheese( gorgonzola). Gag, gag, gag. I feel the way about blue cheese, the way you feel about onions
Okay, I’ll keep the blue cheese and you can keep the onions! Hope you are feeling good Randi! 😀
Sounds like Chicagoland and the Omaha area are very similar with the weather lately; we’ve also had negative #s (with wind chills) and some snow. I can handle the snow, but the bitter, bitter cold makes me a grumpy bitch. 😉
I’ve started walking through the building on a more consistent basis, though, because it’s too cold to do laps in the parking lot!
When I worked at Sears corporate headquarters, I walked inside too in the winter – it would take about 40 minutes to walk between all the buildings!
That Fitmas idea is so cool! I love the little prizes as well.
We are getting that nasty ass cold weather here now. Ugh. Good thing I have the bike trainer inside and feel good enough to use it now.
Yep, I know once it comes to us, it’s only headed your way – but I think you get WAY more snow than us!
The fitmas at your gym is so cute….!
That cheese sauce sounds absolutely amazing. Too bad M won’t eat gorgonzola! I know, he is insane.
Yep, our men are crazeballs!
I love the little Fitmas idea! So cute!! Sriacha whiskey caramel corn?? Yowza!!! LOL at Tony’s “that’s what they serve in hell” text. You two are hilarious.
That was the cleanest of the texts I could post online! 😀
oh my…now that you turned me on to Sriacha hot sauce and now the plant is closing??? Geez I better stock up.
No I am not much of a blue cheese fan. But Tony’s plain spaghetti with butter and parmesan sounds good, JP might like that too. You have such good ideas, my “food” horizons have been broadened 😉 Have a great day!!!
So glad I can steer you into the land of hot sauce Louise!
Sriacha caramel corn? Holy cow!! Mind blown.
I’ll let you know how it turns out Lisa!
3 degrees….awh hell no. I’d have to move!! It was 34 this morning when I got in the car. My car windows were frosted. I bitched. lol My in laws live in Indiana & love cold weather…Hubby hates it. Guess that’s why we only visit in the summer. lol
The Hot Pot soup looks good but your blue cheese alfredo pasta chicken dish looks yummy!! Stay warm!! 😀
Yep, each and every winter we question why we live here!
I love the Fitmas gig at your gym – super fun idea.
I have to say – blue cheese icks me out!!! I always sub Feta!!
Yeah, I think that blue cheese/gorgonzola is a love/hate – either you love it or you hate it!
The soup sounds good. I can’t wait to see your version. I know you will “healthy” it up a bit so it isn’t quite so many calories. I am way to frugal to spend that much money on one bowl of soup. Brr… it is really cold there. 84 degrees here yesterday. I am hoping some cooler air moves in soon. I’m going to have to find some little boots and earmuffs for Kyle. She must be chilly.
84??!! Lucky! Ha, I am sure by now Kyle would let me put boots and earmuffs on her!
Yeah, that soup looks good but I couldn’t pay $8.49 for it, either. Looking forward to seeing what you create for an alternative!
Your gym sounds so nice – love that they do these fun things to promote working out during this busy time of year. BTW, your temps? BRRRRR. I honestly would have a hard time leaving my house, probably for months!
Well, it’s good and it’s bad Shelley – on the one hand they have Fitmas, and on the other hand when you swipe your card? There’s a sign that tells you what the happy hour specials are – yep, there’s a full bar at the fitness center!
It was so cold here this morning my car door were frozen! So thankful I don’t usually have to go out in it.
You are looking good, girl!
I’ll bet my family would like that popcorn. Me, not so much as I don’t do hot and spicy well.
When I make it I’ll let you know what I think of the popcorn! Wow, your door was frozen where you live – yikes!
Good morning! Missed your post yesterday – my Yahoo mail is all effed up and the notifications are going to spam and blah, blah, blah – anyway, I know where to find you so there’s really no excuse:) Can’t wait to hear about the Spicy Hot Pot if you make it – we would love that! Never called them ‘weenie winks’, but I do think it’s a cute name so I’m going to start using it;) Gorgonzola is Italian Bleu Cheese and it totally goes with pasta and anything else you want to eat it with – Love it! Glad to hear you’re feeling good after your hectic last week – stay warm!
Thank you for agreeing with me that blue cheese goes with anything – Tony thinks steak and possibly a salad, and that’s it!
Yep, we are bundled up!
I like the Fitmas idea! That’s cute!
The blue cheese alfredo sounds pretty good. I think I’ll have to bookmark that!
brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! Stay warm!!!! That is quite pricey for soup. I’ll be excited to see your version. Please leave out the mushrooms (ick ;)). I adore the fitmas idea!!
I agree, I’ll leave the mushrooms out for this one – I like mushrooms with steak, but that’s about it!
I know you’ll probably fall over in a dead faint when i say this, but I finally made that lasagne soup and I don’t like it. At all. I tried it with and without the cheesy goodness and nope, it’s just not for me. In fact I threw all of it out after I ate it the second time and still thought it wasn’t good. I make an Italian Sausage Soup that I think is 10000 times better tasting 😉
I find it very hard to be enthused about exercise in the winter but every day I just tell myself that I have to do 30 minutes of something and then after that I’m free. Generally that works really well to keep going.
Oh no! I can’t believe you don’t like it! But now I need to ask for your Italian Sausage soup so I can make a comparison!
That’s a good plan – starting is half the battle when it comes to working out!