I Need the Sun

All week we had rainy, overcast weather.  FINALLY yesterday the sun came out, although it didn’t last long.  I drive past this tree on my way to and from work – I always tell Tony it’s my favorite tree.  He just thinks I am crazy to even declare that I have a favorite tree!  In a few days all the leaves will be gone.  It’s pretty while it lasts though!

So we had bosses day treats yesterday.  There were bagels, and I made more breakfast cookies at the request of the one attorney who ate two the first day I brought them in, and the named partners favorite – whiskey bread pudding.  Bread pudding is a favorite of Tony’s too, so when I was making it, I made a small ramekin for him.  I used day old bread from Jimmy John’s, and used this recipe.  I gave everyone fair warning that this was NOT a healthy dish by any means – 2 cups cream, 1 cup sugar one STICK of butter!   I never did take a picture of it, but I had a small mason jar of the whisky sauce on the side with a note that said “whiskey sauce for the bread pudding.”  Then one of the attorneys brought this out!  “Alternative Whiskey Sauce!”

I ended up bringing my own breakfast though – I cooked up one sausage link with my egg whites, spinach and cheese and had an English muffin bagel sammie.

On tap for strength was legs, and my knee still feels great – woop!  Since I got into work a bit early to set up the breakfast, I was able to get in a 2.5 mile run/walk.  I would walk 4 minutes and run 1 minute – felt good!

I brought some leftover tomato and red pepper soup from the freezer, but that was it, and when I got back from the gym I was hangry!  I had an apple in my lunch bag, and you know I always have cheese, so I decided to make a panini with one of the breakfast bagels – I picked a honey whole wheat one, which according to Bruegger’s nutritional website, comes in at 330 calories.   I flipped it around so the inside of the bagel was the top and bottom since it was flat, added some thin sliced apples and some Cabot cheese Alpine cheddar.  I used about a teaspoon of margarine then let the panini machine do it’s work.  You guys should really bring a panini maker to work – so many possibilities!

I’ve always loved the apple/cheese combination – I think the only thing that would make this sammie any better would be to add a slice of prosciutto – but holy balls, this was delicious!  Crunchy bagel, sweet apples and of course, the melty cheese.

I asked Tony in the afternoon if he felt like steak.  He didn’t, and suggested I just pick up a take and bake at Jewel.  You all know I don’t think twice about having party pizza Friday, so I jumped on that grenade.  Except all the take and bake ones had onions – and the evil purple onions to boot!  So I picked up a frozen cheese pizza, bought one Italian sausage for $1 at the meat counter, picked up a $1 can of sliced black olives and added a bit more cheese at home.

Well, you get a shitty picture for a pretty shitty pizza.  I mean, it was okay, but I think even a Domino’s pizza would be better – this was Dijorno’s “pizzaria” thin crust pizza.  That doesn’t look like a thin crust to me.  So I can’t wait to try out some of the pizzas and dough recipes in the book T.J. gave me.

I did get all my steps in and then some – so close to 12,000!

And Lori, I thought you would get a kick out of this – it was outside our grocery store – why it has a sign that says “Go Broncos” when our team is the Chicago Bears, I haven’t a clue!

Guess who I get to see today?  Hannah!  She said a couple months ago she just took random Saturdays off to get some sort of a weekend, and forgot that today was one of those days!  She works every Sunday, so she asked if I could meet her for lunch – yep!   We are meeting half way in Schaumburg, and Tony reminded me about Yu’s Mandarin, so we are going there.  And maybe hit up a few thrift stores in the area.  It’s another dreary day – I think I am one of those people who needs to get a light lamp – I need the sun!

I am most likely going to get this Taiwan noodle bowl I got before with Tony – it has such a depth of flavor and the most tender beef:

Hope you have a great weekend and the sun is shining where you are.  Make it a great day!