Happy Cyber Monday!

Will you be shopping?  I’m not a big online shopper (as in, I never do it), but I might snoop around the internet to see if I can find any good deals.

I really can’t believe that it’s Monday already and that this break has gone by so quickly.  The time off was much needed and I spent the majority of my days sleeping in late, seeing friends, doing homework, watching tv, taking naps, and in between it all- cooking, baking and getting some exercise.One of my favorite things about home is having a fully stocked kitchen.  I love cooking/ baking and experimenting in the kitchen, but it’s so hard to do at school.  Sure I could use the kitchen in my building, or cook at Russ’, but neither kitchen is stocked with the normal things like eggs, butter, flours, sugar, spices, milk, food processors etc.  So instead, I spend a lot of my free time browsing recipe blogs for recipes I plan to make at home, and when I get home, I do just that!  I took full advantage of the kitchen this week, by making plenty of food, from easy breakfasts, to more elaborate recipes.

Here are some of the things I’ve eaten this week:

Breakfasts:

Pancakes made by dad:  Banana-Pecan-Oatmeal, Banana-Pecan, Plain.  With a side mango.

Dad and I made Challah french toast with fruit salad (mango, banana, apple, orange)Fried egg, almond butter, cranberry sauce, pineapple, avocado and black breadPineapple, fried egg, homemade bread, the last of the pom.

Two cheese omelet with toasted french toast, banana and orange slices

Lunches:

I don’t really know what I ate for lunch every day.  I guess I had leftovers?  Whatever it was, I didn’t take any pictures.

Dinner:

On the first day I was home, I spent the day cooking.  I made a Fall Wheatberry Salad by Kath on KERF.  I also made a pumpkin roll, more Oreo-Cheesecake Balls, and bread.  The first three things came out well.  The bread did not come out how I had hoped, but once it’s toasted, it’s good.  The Wheatberry salad was perfectly chewy and had so many fall flavors- butternut squash and sweet potatoes, cranberries, pomegranate, arugula and a lemon vinaigrette.  It was lunch for three days!I think this salad would be great with crumbled feta or goat cheese for an easy and hearty lunch.Note to self, don’t put Oreos and cream cheese in the food processor and walk away.  It literally turns to silky smooth fudge.  Delicious, yes.  Easy to work with…no.The Pumpkin roll was so easy to make, and as always, the icing was the best part.  I think it’s safe to say that when cream cheese icing is involved, the cake is just a vehicle for the icing.  I could eat that stuff by the spoonful.

Dinners:

Fall Wheatberry Salad, homemade bread, beef brisket, veal sausageTurkey Croquette, kale chips, mashed potatoes with gravy, homemade cranberry sauceRoasted turkey, fresh beets, stuffing, Challah

Desserts:

I don’t even know where to begin.  Desserts were plentiful this week!

Dad made a delicious pecan pie.

Other desserts included Oreo-Cheesecake Balls, pecan pie and ice cream.

Snacks:Thanks to Trader Joe’, I now have tons of snacks to choose from.  This mix is Cheesy Spaceships, BBQ Habenero Almonds, and Sweet Potato Tortilla chips.  The almonds are from CVS (and they’re highly addictive).

Workouts:

Phew!  After all that food, it felt food to hit the gym and the pavement and break a sweat.

Monday: One mile run on the track, abs, 1/2 mile sprint, abs, 1/2 mile sprint, abs, one mile run, abs, triceps workout

Tuesday:  Three mile run outside, followed by a leg workout (lunges, squats, jump squats, 4 leg machines, then abs.

Wednesday:  Three mile run, followed by a chest workout and abs

Thursday:  One mile incline walk on the treadmill, four mile jog outside, three miles of intervals on the treadmill (10 seconds of each- speed 9.2, 9.4, 9.6, and 25 seconds of speed 6.0).

Friday:  One mile walk on the treadmill, three mile jog outside, biceps workout, abs

Saturday:  Three mile run outside, two mile walk with dad.

In two short weeks, I will be home for five weeks where I will cook, bake, run, and relax.  Woohoo!Have a happy week!