Body art

What to do. What to do. With leftover butternut squash.

Roast it obviously!

Give it a good coat in EVOO, salt, pepper, and roast for 30 minutes.

I mashed half the batch so I can make butternut squash pancakes one of these days.

Lunch: Salmon, squash, and a side of sriracha swirled jasmine rice. I promise it tasted better than it looks. Looks like a bloody random mess!

I sprinkled some cinnamon and poured some maple syrup on top of the squash. Brings out the sweetness of the veg. YUM

Halloween is coming up! Any ideas for costumes? I think T and I are going as bikers. Perfect time for a new tattoo you say? Why yes, I was thinking the same thing! :o) I'm seriously debating about getting this done (pending authorization from the hubby)

I told myself I wouldn't get a tattoo until I found inspiration for another one. When I was in Hawaii, there was an unusual amount of locals with body art. Love loved seeing what inspires people to get permanant artwork on their bodies. Also in Hawaii, I realized where I felt most in my element. Being surrounded by water is when I feel the most calm and at peace with myself. I love running or walking along it, watching the sun set into it, and being out on the water is the greatest feeling in the world!!

and..after all, I am a water bearer :)
http://www.astrologycom.com/aqu.html

 Grocery corner.

pure laziness right there

Who needs to actually walk to the grocery store when you can have groceries hand delivered?!

Lots of healthy goodies!!

But seriously. Could they make these fridges ANY smaller?

I like to keep my breads cold so they stay fresh longer but there is no more room :(

Time to work it out: Chest and Shoulders

How far I've come

My new shoes took me on a short journey to the gym

these shoes are so light and comfortable to run in

Nike, you're the best! I love your shoes, workout clothing, and accessories. I love it ALL! If only I could afford everything I want :( sad face.

These shoes are designed for "trail running" but I don't see a lot of these around me.

Oh rolling trails, where art thou.

My gym commute there and back is under 2 miles. I've run in some crappy weather conditions already from windy to rainy, to freezing cold. I've got my fingers crossed for a mild winter season!!

Workout agenda this morning: LEGS
3 sets of 15 reps on each exercise

• Ballet squat
• Dumbbell lunge

• Barbell Squat
• Stiff legged deadlift

• Assisted dumbbell lunge
• calf raises

• Abductor machine
• Adductor machine

• Leg press

I felt so much personal satisfaction today from holding my own in the weights room full of jacked men (I was the only girl in the room!!). The shy voice inside my head was screaming "leave this place immediately!!" but I fought the urge to run and hide. Definitely the right choice. I think the key is knowing your workouts in advance, finding a clear space to do your workouts, and staying focused on the task at hand. There are definite benefits to a weight room. One major bonus is that there are mirrors everywhere so you can work on your form. Also, free weights are a good way to vary your routine from the standard strength training equipment. It's true what they say, variety is the spice of life!

Post workout protein shake:

handful of fruits

half a banana, ice, cup of soy milk

thickness shot!

crunchalicious

Breakfast this morning: More of the same and yadda yadda yadda

Song of the day: Josh Kelley "Almost Honest"

Happy news of the day: ARFIE is finally flying home on Sunday.

What up

Butternut squash soup is what's up!

I literally didn't know how to get started so I watched a tutorial online.
http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-make-butternut-squash-soup-2
yeaa..... CJ! He was my favorite on Top Chef ;-) ;-) ;-)

Did ya know there were seeds in the bottom half of these buggers? I DIDN'T! The mush feels exactly like when you reach your hands into the innards of a pumpkin.

The scooping part got a little dirty. My hands were all gunky!!

The best I could do..

 

The peeling was the hardest part. I think I need a sharper vegetable peeler. I'm sure it makes all the difference.

 

The peels were flying EVERYWHERE!!!

Chop chop chop away into cube size pieces.

 Sauteed some onions in EVOO..

Sooouuup...is that you? I can't see you!!

Much better!

Added the squash, 3 cups of vegetable broth and 1 cup of water. Simmer until the veggies are tender.

A sprinkle of this, a dash of that...

Blend it all together 

 

Return to stove top, add in some creme fraiche and you have some lunch!

Nothing better on a chilly, rainy fall day than BNS!

Whole wheat toast w. laughing cow cheese and honey

Workout today: Zumba

Post workout shake:

Into the Vitamix:

-scoop of protein powder

-1 bananer

-1 cup of soy milk

-handful of ice

Out of the Vitamix: Frothy chocolate banana protein shake. Mmm.. lip smacking good!

 

The foam roller and my sore muscles had a meeting this afternoon. 

Foam rolling is such a bad idea at the time but you feel Sooooooo good afterwards. 

Hold the roller where it hurts most. Painful yes. But totally worth it

I received some bad news today. RIP PAUL. :)

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20436926,00.html

Remember to drink your eight 8 oz glasses of water a day!

Snack yesterday:

These kiwis were so ripe and sweet. Kiwi's are another good way to get your VIT C fix on. They are also high in fiber and antioxidants.

Fruit and nuts to hold me over til din din.

When the Thai craving hits:  http://hungryhouse.co.uk/

Chicken pad thai

SHRIMP FRIED RICE!!.. SHRIMP FRIED RICE!!

Actually.. it was prawn fried rice but all the better than those lil shrimpies. This fried rice was especially tasty because it wasn't overly oily and they used heartier vegetables instead of just the standard peas and carrots.

Tamarind duck

The duck was very tender and the sauce sweet and delicious. Mmm.. Boy choy also makes any dish shine!

Green beef curry with aubergines, courgettes and my favorite- bamboo shoots!

Breakfast this morning:

I made porridge thinking that it would turn out like oatmeal. I must have only had one eye open.

Ahh.. at least it brought back a familiar child hood story. :-D

what can I say, mine was juuuust right!

I digress...

Because this sludge is not oatmeal! Still warm and comforting though.

On the stove top:
1/3 cup of porridge
1/3 cup milk
1/3 cup water

Bring to boil, simmer, then add bananas to warm.

Crumbled cinnamon muffin from yesterday on top. It was a perfect way to spice up my porridge without actually using any spices. I loved the additional crunchy bites from the dipped cinnasugabutta on top of the muffin. YUM!! Very satisfying breakfast.

a few ice cubes to cool it off

So I was thinking to myself this morning that maybe my recent skin problems are due to not consuming enough water. I've been working out more lately and that probably means I should be hydrating my body to replenish all that is lost through sweat. Regardless, I know drinking lots of water is a good habit to get into.

Cheers big ears!

Mexico flashback song: Juanes "A Dios le Pido"