Christmas Recap Part 1

FYI, I do not have a smartphone and therefore the rate at which pictures can be added to my blog is less than ideal. I would apologize and promise to get a smartphone soon, but that would be silly!

Here are a few highlights of the last few days.

• I got a Garmin for Christmas! (which deserves its own separate post)
• In-law's flew into town last week; we have been spending a lot of time with them
• Three separate shindigs with the same group of people (my family, my in-laws, and my MIL's sister's family)... I'm sure everyone is partied-out
• Tons of food (and leftovers), sweets, and fun
• Everyone is healthy, safe, and happy. Couldn't ask for more this Christmas!

Sipping my yummy caramel latte from Panera Bread as we wait at the airport:

Finally! We got to enjoy the balsamic vinegar we purchased back when we went wine tasting during the summer. DELISH and I'm bummed the bottle is almost out...

Shindig #1: Parents sitting around the dining table while the young ones played Mario Party. Major laughter and competition going on.

The End of the World

We made it to December 21, 2012. Hooray!

What a better way to spend what would have been the end of the world than with our families. Tonight will be a small get together with our nearest and dearest.

Heartbroken, hopeful.

Friday's tragedy at Sandy Hook has hit me really hard. I feel so shaken by the reality of what happened. A ton of thoughts flood my mind: the heartache of these families, the trauma of the survivors, the questions of the nation. There are two blog posts I read the other day, which I was grateful for because I share the same feelings and thoughts of these writers:

I'm sorry.

Now.

And the read that really made my heart sink was written by a mother whose son struggles with a mental illness. She wrote this piece so well and it looks like it has gotten around. There is hope that more and more people are understanding that there is a bigger problem our nation faces. Hopefully leaders are touched with these cries for help, causing them to bravely point their efforts in a better direction to prevent tragedies in the future.

Here is the link: Thinking the Unthinkable

Sweet Tooth

TheHungryRunnerGirl is influencing me to eat sweets galore. Here are some delicious treats added to my life this past weekend.

#1: Hot chocolate cookies. HungryRunnerGirl told her readers we had to make them, so make them I did (you can find recipe on the link). YUM! Although they are super rich, so I can't have so many. The hubby on the other hand would have probably eaten them all if he didn't have to share with me and my sister.

#2: BJ's Red Velvet Pazookie. Picture says it all. I've had pazookies before, but thank you, G & M, for introducing me to this flavor!



#3: Cocoa Drizzled Kettle Corn. Bought this from Trader Joe's. Super addicting and tasting, although note to self: I can make this myself! My mom usually gets us kettle corn (tastes exactly the same) from the farmer's market and I can just drizzle melted chocolate myself. But thank you, TJ's, for the idea :)

12-12-12

Today is 12-12-12! The last day we will see repeating numbers in the date for a while. Pictures at 12:12 pm plus a reason to try new Trader Joe goodies...

 

Here I am at precisely 12:12 pm:

Mom took a pic, too!

And sister:

I am not always so professional looking... I had to give a presentation today at work! And what's a presentation without goodies? Amazing butter waffle cookies and salt water taffy from Trader Joe's. Love an excuse to try new things at my favorite store!

Yum!

Sesame Chicken

Tonight's menu: sesame chicken with roasted broccoli and brown rice. Dinner is served! Recipe below.

Lighter Sesame Chicken

Modified from Iowa Girl Eats

Serves 2

Ingredients

·         1/2 cup brown rice

·         2 cups broccoli florets

·         1 egg white

·         2 Tablespoons cornstarch

·         2 small chicken breasts (12oz), cut into 2″ pieces

·         salt & pepper

·         1 Tablespoon vegetable oil

·         2 Tablespoons sesame seeds

·         2-1/2 Tablespoons soy sauce

·         1/4 cup honey

·         1 garlic clove, minced

·         2 green onions, chopped

Instructions

·         Roast or steam broccoli until crisp tender, then set aside (directions for roasting from Can You Stay for Dinner?).

·         Prepare rice according to package directions.

·         In a large bowl, whisk together egg white and cornstarch until smooth.

·         Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper then add to egg white mixture and toss to evenly coat.

·         Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, then carefully add chicken. Cook for 3-4 minutes a side, or until cooked through.

·         Meanwhile, combine sesame seeds, soy sauce, honey, and garlic together in a small bowl then set aside.

·         Turn off heat and remove skillet from burner. Add prepared sauce and green onions then toss to combine. Stir in broccoli, then scoop mixture into bowls over cooked rice.

Long hair, don't care!

Or should I? I don't remember the last time it's been this long... Stay tuned for an after-haircut picture! (By the way, taking a picture behind myself was a challenge!)

RESULTS: Elk Grove 2012 5K Fun Run Series #4

This just in... I finished in 26:05 and placed first in my age division! I also had to tie my shoe sometime during mile 2. And I biked 4.8 miles on the way to the race from home (and had to bike back... whew!).

It was a super small, local race. Maybe not even 200 people? But it was a lot of fun and proceeds benefited the Elk Grove Food Bank. Always nice to help a good cause. I am so excited that I beat my goal time of a sub 30 and now I look forward to completing all four 5Ks in the series in 2013! However, I sure was POOPED afterward. I am going to stick to 5Ks for now. It is a good distance where I am not in major pain afterward and it will be fun trying to beat my time with each new race. I believe they say, "PR?" :)

I also want to add that Hubby is the best #1 fan in the whole wide world. He woke up to bike with me to the race, support me, and take pictures. He is even going to try and run the next 5K, too!

I'm running a 5K!

My first 5K race ever - I usually walk them. This is also my first race since the Shamrock. Here's the course I'll be running tomorrow! Super excited, anxious, and nervous.

Frosty December

Christmas, Christ's birth, more food, snowboarding, rain, wind, snow, hot chocolate, chai tea lattes, warm blankets, extra socks, the end of 2012, and New Year's Eve. December is here!

My new desktop background from Leelou's Blog: