Guess What Came in the Mail Today!!?

My boss flew to Missouri today for a deposition, my coworker/friend/pledge sister left for the beach, the runner started law school this week... I was left alone at the office today. I got a lot of organizing and work done. It wasn't so bad but I like having others in the office to talk to. I am glad the boss will be back in the office some tomorrow!

So I guess you are wondering what came in the mail today?! My gym membership card! After work I headed straight to try it out! It is not big like I am used to but I think I like it. It was quiet and only a few people were there working out. One of which I knew! I love running into people when I least expect it. Well at least some times. The gym had one bathroom it looked like with a shower. No huge locker room but I think I can manage since it is less than 2 miles from my house. Also, all of the equipment looked really new and clean.

When I go to a different gym for the first time my workout usually isn't very strenuous. I don't know if I am shy or what but I like to scope the place out and usually only do cardio for the first time. It is were I feel the safest. Call me it strange but its just what I do.

Today's workout:

• 15 minutes elliptical at level 4
• 10 minutes bike at level 4

Tomorrow I plan on diving in and trying out the weight machines. They looked like my old gym's so I should be good to go. I may or may not try to get in a workout before work. I'm not making any promises.

Sorry no pictures today but I didn't have anything to take pictures of and don't want to fill this blog with pointless pictures.

Ladies’ Night

Something you may or may not know about me is I am obsessed with Planners/Agendas. I have toned it down a bit in the past year or two. My one and only new years resolution this past January was to make a whole year with only one planner. I made it 7 months… Then I bought this beauty.



It is from Gallery Leather. I bought it at Books-A-Million in Mobile, AL . My new goal is to have it for a full year. Also, the pen is my absolute favorite. I bought it at the same time as the planner. Okay enough about that. I am probably one of the few people in the world that is a planner fanatic.

For lunch I didn’t have time to pack anything this morning so I grabbed a frozen meal, yogurt and granola.





Wasn’t bad but probably would not buy it again. At least for a long time.

After work I went to Chuck’s Fish with two of my friends. They have ladies’ night on Tuesday. This means $2 off sushi and half price house wine! Score! Excuse the pictures I did not manage to get any pictures of the food without first diving in.



We started off by splitting the shrimp queso dip. Amazing as you can see between the three of us we tore it up.



Next we all had sushi. I ordered the Super Crunchy Shrimp Roll add cream cheese. Angela ordered the same and Anna had the Spider Roll.


After dinner we decided we needed something sweet so we headed over to Gigi’s for some cupcakes.



Chocolate Cream Pie for me! I took one bite and couldn’t eat anymore. Their cupcakes are always so rich!

After leaving their I headed to Ulta since it is in the same shopping center. I came out with this!



Essie’s Knockout Pout. I took a million pictures and none did the color justice. It is a more neon bright pink.

Coconut Water

The only thing that happened worth writing about is me trying this coconut water. It is my new favorite drink!



Also, still no gym card in the mail yet! I am getting a little impatient!

Semi-productive Sunday

I have been cleaning all day. Well most of the day when I haven’t been taking a break from cleaning. I have been getting rid of all my notes and stuff I had been holding onto from college just in case I might need it. Which I never ended up needing so I know I won’t need it now that I have graduated. It feels so strange not having to do any kind of school work! Another reason why I think I started this blog. To fill the time I used to spend studying.
I finished Nantucket Nights last night. Not one of my favorite books. It is a mystery-ish book. I could have done without some parts. It seemed like everyone in the book was having an affair. Not what I had expected. Now I need a new book to read.
This afternoon I decided it would be a good idea to pre-pack some granola to go with my yogurt this week at work. I usually am in such a rush in the mornings I have no extra time to be packing my lunch. I must get in the habit of pre-packing my lunch. I can’t keep eating out everyday.


I have tried many different varieties of Greek yogurt but I just can’t make myself like the thickness of it. So I still just stick with my fat free yogurt from Publix. However, I do like cooking with Greek yogurt a whole lot.
For dinner I am going to cook this with some green beans and make extra so I can take leftovers for lunch this week.

• Have you read Nantucket Nights? If so, what did you think about it?
• Any suggestions on which book I should read next?

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookie Sandwiches

These cookies are amazing! I found this recipe from one of my all time favorite recipe website. Annie's Eats! I made these a while back but really wanted to share them with you! I have not made them since because they are so good and I can’t just eat one at a time.
Makes 16-18 cookies
Ingredients:
For the cookies:

• ¾ cup all-purpose flour
  
• ½ tsp. baking soda
  
• ¼ tsp. baking powder
  
• ½ tsp. salt
  
• 8 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
  
• ½ cup reduced fat creamy peanut butter
  
• ½ cup granulated sugar
  
• ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
  
• 1 large egg
  
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  
• 1 cup quick-cooking oats

For the creamy middle filling:

• 3 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
  
• ½ cup reduced fat creamy peanut butter
  
• 1 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
  
• 3 tbsp. heavy cream

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
   
2. Place parchment paper or a silicone baking mat on cookie sheet.
   
3. In a bowl, mix flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
4. Using an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, mix together the butter, peanut butter and sugar until creamy (2-3 minutes). Add in egg and vanilla extract.
5. Add in the bowl of dry ingredients. Mix on slow speed until blended.
6. Stir in the oats.
7. Use a small cookie dough scoop to get the same portions of dough. Roll into a ball and place on cookie sheet.
8. Cook for 5 minutes then rotate cookie sheet and cook for another 5 minutes.
9. Let cool on cookie sheet for a few minutes then place them on a cooling rack to finish cooling.
10. One completely cool put the cookies in twos according to size.
11. To make the filling, place butter, powdered sugar and peanut butter in electric mixer. Mix until creamy. Add in the heavy cream and blend until smooth.
12. Using a pastry bag with a round tip or Ziplock bag fill with the peanut butter filling.
13. Swirl the filling on one cookie (flat side). Place the other cookie on top. Press down gently. Don’t put too much filling on each cookie or you may run out.

Whole Wheat Blueberry Glazed Donuts

I have yet to received my gym access card in the mail. I am hoping it will be here today! My exercise log is looking a little weak and so is my body…
This morning has been very lazy and relaxing. I started off by baking some donuts! While the donuts were in the oven I tried out my new granola with some vanilla yogurt and a glass of milk. I am new to buying granola but this is definitely good. I can’t wait to try other kinds.

Whole Wheat Blueberry Glazed Donuts
adapted from Healthy Diaries

Ingredients:
For donuts

• 2 cups whole wheat flour
  
• 1/2 cup sugar
  
• 2 eggs
  
• 1 overflowing cup blueberries (frozen or fresh)
  
• 1 tsp baking powder
  
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
  
• 1 cup organic 0% fat milk
  
• 2 tbs oil
  
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
  
• 1 dash cinnamon

For vanilla glazed

• 2 tbs organic 0% fat milk
  
• 1 cup powdered sugar
  
• 1/2 tsp vanilla

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla, oil, and cinnamon together. Add in flour, baking powder and baking soda.
   
2. Once these ingredients are mixed well, fold in blueberries.
   
3. Spray donut baking trays with cooking non-stick spray. Fill donut molds with the dough. I did this by using a small spoon. Do not fill to the top. Donuts will rise. My first batch almost didn’t have holes in the middle! I would say fill up half way. The picture below is the first batch and way to full!
   
4. Bake for 14-16 minutes. I also used a mini donut pan and cooked those for about 10 minutes.
   
5. Once they are golden brown I took them out of the oven and let cool for a few minutes before removing them from the pans. I stuck a toothpick in one of the donuts to check if they were done and when I pulled it out the donut came with it. So I continued using the toothpick to remove all of them and place on a cooling rack.
   
6. To make the glaze I mixed the powdered sugar, milk and vanilla in a small bowl. I used a small spoon to drizzle the glaze on top.
   
7. Let glaze cool completely before putting in a storage container. It should harden a little so it will not stick to the other donuts.

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

After work today I went to Belk to pick up a wedding shower gift for a friend. The shower is tomorrow night. It is a couple's shower bbq. After leaving Belk I went to Publix where I seem to always spend way more than I plan.

I spotted this granola and had to get it. Which led me to buying 10 things of yogurt to eat with it. I snagged a handful of the granola while cooking dinner and it is top notch!
My boss came in work this morning talking about how him and his wife went to dinner last night at PF Changs. That got me craving their lettuce wraps. The closest PF Changs is a good 45 minutes to an hour away from where I live. That doesn't include the wait once you get there... So what else was I to do but make my own! I googled recipe after recipe and this is what I came up with.
Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Ingredients:

• Iceberg lettuce
  
• 10 boneless, skinless chicken tenders, diced
  
• 1/2 sweet yellow onion, chopped
  
• cooking oil (enough to coat large skillet)
  
• 1 tbs minced garlic
  
• 1 tbs reduced-sodium soy sauce
  
• 1/4 cup Hoisin sauce
  
• 2 tsp minced ginger
  
• dash cayenne pepper unless you like spicy then go for 1/8 tsp
  
• 2 green onions, chopped
  
• 1/2 tbs red wine vinegar

Instructions:
Take lettuce and pull leaves apart, rinse and set aside to dry. Put in fridge to keep fresh and cool.
Dice chicken up into small bite size pieces. Put oil in skillet and heat up. Place chicken in skillet and cook till no longer pink.

Add chopped onion, minced garlic and soy sauce to skillet with chicken. Stir until mixed well. Stir in Hoisin sauce, ginger, cayenne pepper and red wine vinegar. Let simmer for a minute or two.

Stir in green onions.

Serve warm in lettuce cups.

*For more crunch add in water chestnuts drained.
I had a glass of White Zinfandel with my lettuce wraps.

And for dessert I bought these to try out.
For my mom:

Vanilla ice cream with chocolate covered potato chips.
For me:

This was absolutely amazing! I made myself stop after 4 spoons of it. I want to try every flavor they make it was so good!