Waiting

When the Doctor regenerates into his 11th body, he crash lands in the yard of a house and meets a little girl named Amelia Pond. He promises Amelia that he will come back with his flying box and take her on adventures. So she waited for him.  He did come back for her, it just took a lot longer than she expected. 12 years to be precise.

Amy Pond is the girl who waited.

Patience is a tricky thing. I can wait on long grocery lines with a smile on my stupid face but would rather drive off a cliff then wait in traffic for 15 minutes. Three hours to bake a loaf of bread is no problem. Letting it cool, however, is something I don’t have time for; stick that shit in the freezer. Not for nothing, I think I have pretty decent patience and enduring long times is something I pride myself on being fairly decent at.

Where does the line begin to get fuzzy though? When does the wait become too much? Hope and optimism can take you amazingly far when you have enough invested. After a while though, I think your self-esteem, mental health and, depending the situation, your heart, start falling apart a bit. It gets to be too much. You become cynical about it. You start going nuts.

Some people can wait, patience of a saint and whatnots. Amy did and I think that was partially because of how fiercely spirited she was. Had that endurance and that self-awareness (not to mentioned she’s just a BAMF). Granted, this is a fictional show but the relation to real life is still there. You have to be bold, brave and dedicated to the idea of waiting for what seems forever for something you want. You have to forget that the wait could be for nothing. You have to believe, when it comes down to a single fact and the one thing to push you forward.

I want to believe I can be Amelia Pond, but I don’t think I can.

 

A year IS a long time, actually

I’ve been trying to create a post since July…

JULY. 

Everyday (or once every week, anyway) I pull up WordPress on my work computer, stare at the draft, maybe type a word or two and then end up closing it out. Because I’m an idiot, I’ll just say it. This blog is going to go through some changes.

(insert confusion/shrieks of horror/no interest what-so-ever)

Right, just some changes in direction is all. As a health food blogger, I bid thee farewell. To be clear, I’ll never quit Team “Healthy-Eating-Habits-And-An-Active-Lifestyle!” but I’ve realized that health food blogging, and forgive the cliche, just isn’t me.

Confession: Half the time, I simply didn’t post here because I was ashamed of something I had eaten/lack of exercise I had done. Or, I would just leave considerable amounts of stuff out and post the “happy”.  Who wants to read about negativity and self-esteem issues? Nobody

I’m far, far far far far, from being perfect.

Mistaken identity perhaps? I think so. Food blogging helped me during recovery and for that I’ll always be grateful. Gave me something positive to focus on instead of dwelling on the negative. But now,  looking back on my last couple posts (from over a YEAR AGO) it seems I talked more about cookies and men than I did about healthy food choices. No question, I MUCH prefer cookies and men. Both of them make me say, “Mmmmmmmmmmmmm”

Ahem.

The priorities, they have shifted.

*sherlockspeare.tumblr.com*

…well, that sort of ruined the “enlightening and deep revelation” feel I was going for. I’m only kidding myself though; I’m not a serious person and never have been.

Point of this post, assuming I’ll finish this in it’s entirety, is to say that blogging will no longer be me trying to be something I don’t think I ever really was. I’m not the ideal role model for healthy living and have no problem admitting that.  I can give you nutritional information and efficient methods to burn calories until the end of god damn time,  but if you try to take the kettle chips and white chocolate peanut butter away from me I will physically cut your hand off.

In summary:

1. No longer a health food blogger (although is something healthy happens to come up then so be it)
2. I promise no consistency. Maybe I’ll start blogging once a week again, maybe I won’t.
3. This is the last post that’s going to pop up on Fb. Nope.
4. I am still a giant toolbag of a woman.
5. I say “woman” because it’s safe to say I’ve officially transitioned into adulthood.
6. Apparently, chopping all your hair off and moving into your own apartment does funny things to the innerworkings of your brain.
7. In the best way possible, of course.
8. And while I don’t recommend it, totaling your car can have an influence too. Not getting killed has a tendency to change your perspectives on things a bit.
9. On that note, I have two major events that have become my main focus. Maybe I’ll tell you about them sometime.
10. I jest, of course. One of those things is actually going to be featured here a lot.
11. Not yet though, I like the element of suspense.

Guess we’ll see what the future behold, eh?

Self loathing, magic circular waffles and more cookies than I know what to do with

I’ve been a lunatic this week, although this is already kind of an established fact. Another instance (as if my crying fits weren’t enough?) is the song I’ve been singing the past week.

And obviously I replaced “Peter” with “Keri” to avoid hurting the feelings of any Peters out there. That would just be mean.

 

I feel better now though. Yay! And because I’m not [as] crazy anymore, let’s get some pictures a rollin’

 

Like that time birds tried to take over my backyard

And everyone wonders why exactly I dislike birds so much.

Whatever birds, cookies were made yesterday and that automatically fixes everything. This particular baking session was quite leisurely, mostly because I had an assistant

The best help money can buy these days, let me tell ya 😀

Our goal was nothing more than classic oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, requested for the birthday of a family friend. Girlllll, you don’t need to ask me twice to bake something for you.

The results were to the likings of all those throughout the land

Maybe I’ll throw this recipe up on Etsy just for the heck of it. I am overdue for a new addition. Maybe I should start compiling a recipe book. MAYBE I SHOULD DO A LOT OF THINGS.

 

hrrrmmph.

 

Purple oatmeal?

…purple with tiny rocks? HA. Ohhh blackberries, thou art so silly looking sometimes. Silly perhaps but delicious and very cheap. They were on sale in Corrados (<3) at 2 containers for $1.50! Word up.

 

And because I’m THAT colorful of a girl (hello, Rainbowlicious?!) why not have some orange waffles?

Around this time every year my parents generously buy me a giant box of sweet potatoes…it’s quite a wonderful time indeed.

I didn’t actually look up a sweet potato waffle recipe. That would have been the smart thing to do. Instead, I made the standard recipe and just threw a mashed sweet potato in the batter. There was probably more to it but sometimes, er, I just don’t bother? Hahaha, score one for making me look like a useful human being who does smart things like following directions.

 

They came out just fine

Except when the square-shaped waffle maker makes them into circles. MAGIC! Doesn’t matter though, I gave them a makeover and then they were looking fine and snazzy

Half a cut up banana and a topping of white chocolate peanut butter and plain Chobani. What more do you need when your breakfast is bitchin’ and fillin’? Nothing. You need nothing more.

 

Also, festive tablecloth has come back into circulation. Good to have you back brother, you’re a key component to appealing photography!

 

One more thing before I end the post…..drumroll please?

 

(silence)

Well, it was worth a try right? Anyway, my announcement is that I FINALLY made a sale on Etsy and just shipped out a batch of Chocolate Whiskey Cookies! I made twenty bucks so LOL/WOO. Here’s some pictures of the beauties before I sent them on their way.

Link to my Etsy shop is HERE

 

Take a look around, everyone can always use more cookies!

 

Going bonkers…taken to a new level

Can I be honest?

 

OK cool. I’m about to let the crazy out so you’ve been warned.

 

I forgot what it is like for hormones to render someone completely out of their mind. Seriously, I haven’t been acting this loony in….well, since 5 months ago. For instance, I watched Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging with Serena.

 

Quick summary, the movie is actually based on a truly hilarious book series about a fantastic basketcase pf a girl from England named Georgia Nicholson and her life/interactions with boys. I will FOREVER love those books and I recommend them to anyone who just wants some good ole’ guilty pleasure teen fiction.

 

I watched the ENTIRE movie like this

I really wish I was joking. While trying to suffocate myself with the comforter, I whined about how I couldn’t deal with how cute the one guy was…and here is his face

ALSO, I literally just found that out my crush on him is acceptable because he's born in 1990 so WOO for that!

And you know what? I cried during the end of it.

 

Seriously, cute boy said to Georgia, “Hold my hand you muppet!”  and I couldn’t control myself. The movie supposed to be FUNNY AND ROMANTIC. It is, under no circumstance, supposed to make a 22 year old woman cry.

 

My brain is not of this earth anymore. I think the Doctor may have stolen it. Is it weird that the idea of the Doctor abducting my brain is actually quite comforting?

Random but I cannot even begin to explain how hard this makes me laugh. AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA BYE DALEK BYE.

 

Arrhghghwa, quick apology to anyone that is still wondering where the “food” part of my food blog is. Because my body is a jerk it’s been craving sugar and carbs (stereotypical girl is stereotypical). Good thing I’m a baker, eh?

Just call me the queen of prototypes! Aesthetically pleasing it is not but this is essentially what I was trying to do with the creepy cookies from my last post. I just sandwiched them with chocolate and dipped the ends in sprinkles. And you know what?

Mine were 100% better than the one I bought from the bakery. I usually don’t give myself that much credit but they were damn good. I can guarantee you WILL be seeing these again.

 

I experimented with another cookie recipe the next day. What were originally suppose to be very flat “Cinnamon Pinwheel Cookies” turned into this

More like miniaturized cinnamon rolls if you ask me! The texture came out quite lovely though; good and fluffy like a real roll would be. Instead of just using cinnamon for the inside I mixed it along with brown sugar, graham crackers and red sprinkles. Again, it made the cookies seem much more authentic that way!

Next time they need more sugar and the powdered sugar glaze on top! I consider them to be a win though. They’re phenomenal with coffee and are kind of nice to look at 😀

 

*Cough linktomyEtsypageHERE Cough*

 

Thankfully, this is the end of my crazy post. Again, I apology to anyone and everyone who has ever felt personally victimized by Regina George.

 

….wait, what?!?!

 

FOUR FOR YOU GLENN COCO. YOU GO GLENN COCO!

Take you down to Gobbletown

Last year I made a Thanksgiving recap post. I suppose I should keep the tradition alive.

 

[Because I’m so wonderful being consistent with things?]

 

The night before, while normal people my age were out partying, I watched a holiday special episode of The Biggest Loser. Over the course of the episode, Bob kept talking about how bitches should exercise in the morning before Thanksgiving dinner. I take his advice very close to heart so I did as he wished.

38 degrees of pure bliss

You know me, I’m a cold weather runner. A nice 4 mile run did actually make me feel better about my soon-to-be fate of eating my body weight in food.  BRING IT ON.

 

The day proceeded as such:

Of course there were waffles. Why would you even ask such a thing?

 

THIS guy proved to be entirely useless…as per usual.

 

The sexy turkey was being sexy

Check out the tan. Ooh baby baby

 

Sexy lady was cooking said sexy turkey

Also, new haircut anyone? My mom knows how to rock a short style like whoa.

 

…I guess there was some Thanksgiving spirit? Well, for a little while anyway.

 

My nephew started getting impatient

 

MUSHROOMS!

Badger badger badger badger badger badger badger badger.....

They were out-of-control amazing.  Whatchu know about cheese, mushroom stems and bread crumbs?!?!

 

Gobble.

 

AND WINE, OF COURSE

I drank more of that white wine that I should have AKA I was the ONLY one drinking the white wine therefore it was basically a bottle just for meeeee.

 

Sidenote:  If possible, do NOT give anyone with the last name LaForge their own bottle of anything alcoholic to drink. Chances are, they WILL try to drink all of it.

 

And then it was feasting time.

Time to pile up…and you can beat that I did

A little of everything…right?!?! Turkey and sweet potatoes and cranberry sauce and stuffing and broccoli and cauliflower and YAY! For what it’s worth though, I only had one plate which I can’t help but find a little weird. I guess me last year had more of an appetite!

 

An hour goes by and then….well, you KNOW what it’s time for after that

The famous Aunt Cake triffle! IT WILL NEVER NOT BE DELICIOUS.

 

We still have half of it in our house…Chubby Chubby ate it for breakfast this morning…I’m going to eat some later…just saying…

 

Also, PIE!

Dean Winchester approves of the previous picture 😀

 

My mom’s cousin Debbie made the pie this year and it was exactly what apple pie should be. Slightly sweet with a good punch of cinnamon and wonderful homemade crust. You cannot go wrong with homemade crust; the frozen kind just does not compare!

 

And there were the, er, creepy cookies…

The day before I was trying to replicate a typical bakery shortbread sandwich cookie, you know, because I think it’s fun to do things like that. However, my cookie press didn’t have the shape I wanted and they ended up being prototypes I did not particularly want to share with company.

Apparently everyone really liked them though so HUZZAH to that! What I realized also is that why would I want to make an exact replicate of the typical anyway? That cookie press has some good designs to offer and I can make some badass cookies. Keep a lookout for my revamped version!

 

Kids, always think outside of the box and strive to be different!

*insert appropriately timed wink*

 

Public service announcement. Every post should have one. Well, that’s kind of the end of the post anyway. Thanksgiving was simple, lovely and one of those instance where typical is totally OK 🙂

2011 Seaside Heights Half Marathon Official Recap!

It’s been almost a month. Whoops? I guess I should probably post my recap  SUPERAWESOMEHALFMARATHON

Hey...you probably shouldn't be sleeping while you're running.

This post can almost be seen at CLICKTHISLINK which is the blog of the super lovely Diana’s. I had commented on a post she had written concerning pre-HM tips and advice. She then contacted me and asked me to guest post with my adventures in running. Wheeee it was so nice of her to ask and thank you again for asking Diana! You rock 😀

Let’s start from the beginning.

So blah blah blah I picked up my race packet at 5:30 the day before and let me tell you, that was complete chaos. The pre-registration area, a restaurant called Spicy’s, was located on the second level and there were no signs informing anyone of that. I made friends with a tiny older lady who was running it too and her husband found out where we had to go. Then there was the typical waiting in line and general confusion for fellow line goers. Also, the swag bag was lacking and aside from papers advertising races I wouldn’t be able to attend, this was about it.

I don’t know why but I find the TD tissues to be REALLY funny. MORE BANK, MORE CONVENIENCE….FOR YOUR NOSE! Bwahahahaha. But otherwise, Good Chips are good and I have wanted to put one of those stickers on my car for so long…for obvious bragging rights.

Afterwards, I indulged in the traditional dinner before the race.

Roast beef and ham/provolone with a romaine pile topped with the grilled Shoprite veggies that I LOVE.

Not really the stereotypical pasta-bonanza-carb-loading. I’m not a big carb eater as it is so I can’t imagine having had eaten a plate of spaghetti the night before. That’s my own preference though so, as always, it just depends on what works for you! As long as it’s considerably healthy and not something you don’t normally eat, I’d say its fine in my book.

Like Diana, when it comes to races I become a big ole’ anxious mess. But thanks to Diana, I was able to put myself at ease when remembering the half marathon tips. They REALLY helped and I suggest anyone running a long distance race should read through them! (CLICK THE LINK ABOVE!!)

I headed to bed around 9 PM (after watching 3 episodes of Two and a Half Men) but before I did, I set up everything I could have possibly needed for the next day.

Race tag, all my clothes (my shirt was new but I made sure to run in it once before to be sure), IPod, headphones, watch, deodorant, etc. etc. etc. Also, you can’t see it but on the floor was my gym bag FULL of provisions. From band aids to toilet paper to sunscreen to my race chews, I had everything but the kitchen sink. Having too much stuff is better than not having enough!

I had 3 alarms set on my Itouch and made my niece set an alarm on her phone, just in case. Turns out, however, that the moment the first one went off at 5:55 I shot up out of bed and was AWAKE

I made it smaller because it's actually a very frightening picture of my face.

5 minutes later I was in eating mode.

Wheat bagel with a packet of Justin's Honey Almond Butter (Thanks Sam!) and a banana

I wanted to eat as early as possible in order to give myself enough digesting time. Everyone has seen the photo of the runner with the, err, explosive problem. And if you haven’t, click THIS LINK and see what I’m talking about. It’s gross and not for the weak of stomach. I’m a dedicated runner but not THAT dedicated. *shivers*

My mom woke up 10 minutes after me and immediately left the house to go to 7-11 and I could barely contain my jealousy.

While on the topic of GI problems, as much as I love it, I avoid coffee like the plague when running is involved. My digestive system gets turned upside down when I mix the two but some runners function better after having coffee. Gotta know your body kids, that’s the only way to perform the best!

Mom and I headed to the boardwalk (a 20 minute drive) and arrived around 9. I stretched, we people watched (because pre-race runners are seriously the most interesting people to observe EVER) and the rest of my family showed up at 9:40 and picture taking ensued.

Those are two kittens playing in case anyone was wondering why I took a picture of a random blur

Thanks familyyy! After a bunch of good lucks I headed to the starting line at 9:50. I was towards the middle-back, amongst a team called “Brooke’s Miracle”, 3 high schoolers and a pink bandana-ed man. Quick pledge of national anthem singing was lovely and then we were off!

LOL I am not in this picture.

It's safe to say that I will forever be that guy who gives thumbs up in all pictures. Also, mmm Zeppoles.

As for the next 13.1 miles, I shall break down for maximum experience benefits.

Mile 1 & 2 = We ran on the boardwalk and then took to the streets. I was keeping my pace slow but steady and my legs were feeling good! There really weren’t too many spectators (aside from a man playing the trumpet) so I had to keep myself entertained with music and my own thoughts, “WOO I’m really running this! I feel so awesome right now. The boardwalk is so cool, I wonder if Snooki is here. Hey, a water station, eh I’m not going to take it, I don’t need water right now. I don’t want to have to pee in a bush.” Apparently, I’m paranoid about the bathroom. Yikes.

Mile 3 = I realized that it truly does help to break down a half marathon into separate races. Once I hit this I was like, “I just finished a 5K! Now I’m running a 10K!” 13 miles doesn’t seem as daunting this way.

Mile 4 through 10 = The street route took us runners onto a long stretch of road AKA Seaside Park. The turnaround point was at mile 6.5 and otherwise there was NOTHING but road and plants. This is a perfect example of how much of a mental test running long distances is. There were several times were I was just bored. Main points of these miles included:

• I saw a man pee in a bush and a woman pee in a bush…ahem, at completely different times mind you!
• An older woman, who was a vocal feminist, chatted with me for about half a mile about how she was distraught that the leaders of the race were mostly men.
• The turnaround point was through a parking lot at which point I took 4 of my FRS energy chews. I even managed to run and chew…although I was chewing like a cow which I can imagine wasn’t very attractive.
• I drank a cup of water AND a cup of Gatorade at every station, except for the first. Oh man did those help. Not just for the hydration but I designated these as the times to walk. I grabbed the cups, walked while drinking, threw the cups in the trash and then started up again.
• Throughout the entire span of the race I walked for maybe a minute at the most.
• Oh, I also grinned at an older man carrying an American and he yelled, “Now THAT is how you’re supposed to run a race!” That made me happy.

Mile 11 and 12 = At this point I started feeling many different things. My right knee started aching and although it wasn’t super bad, it didn’t help that I still had a couple miles to go. However, at the same time I was now in uncharted territory and had officially bypassed my PDR!! That fact alone filled my blood back up with adrenaline. Also, getting off of that long stretch of road was the BEST feeling…I think I actually said “Thank Godddd” out loud. It was back on the streets and back on the boardwalk!

Mile 13 = This was tough, I can’t lie. My knee was steadily hurting and my ponytail was soaked with sweat. However, my brain was yelling, “ONE.MILE.LEFT. YOU’VE GOT THIS!” and that’s essentially what pushed me through. Also, doing the last mile on the boardwalk was great. More spectators had appeared and the people sitting at the bars were hollering everywhere and were ULTRA encouraging.

I saw my sisters and niece in the distance and not too far from them was the finish line.

That’s when the runner’s high kicked in.

Now I’ve had my fair share of runner’s highs but this one was something else completely. I took off into a full on sprint and crossed the finish line at 2:21:04.

If you’re wondering why my hand is by my neck it’s because before the finish line a man was holding up a sign that said “TAKE YOUR HEADPHONES OFF” so I was spazztically trying to do that while sprinting.  That messed up my groove a bit but, for the record, my iPod was playing “Hold Your Dream” from the FAME soundtrack which, as you all know, is the song I ALWAYS listen to when I finish a race.

I was handed my medal and then suddenly all my brain could comprehend was “OHMYGODIACTUALLYDIDIT”

Hey cheeseball heyyyyy! Also, see my useless bandana tied around my arm? I was able to run a mile before the damn thing slipped off my head and didn't even bother trying to tie it back on.

After reuniting with my family and chugging a bunch of mini-water bottles, I ended up walking in a circle at least ten times. It’s very peculiar. You would think after running for so long you would want to sit but gentle walking was all I wanted to do. Good thing our car was parked half a block away!

The organization of this half marathon seemed pretty wonky and I was unable to find any avaliable food or any extra water for that matter. That really bugged me, especially when I overheard other runners saying that they didn’t feel well. My own eneergy levels were slowly dissappearing so the fam and I left and proceeded to fulfill the obvious priority, celebration food stuffs!

Hulloooooooo there! I’ve heard nothing but fantastic reviews about Surf Taco and knew it was one of the ultimate “down the shore” spots to go so when my mom suggested it, naturally I was on board.

I got a HUGE chicken burrito and to be honest, it was typical. I thought ordering a old fashioned burrito would suffice but it didn’t. Too much rice, not enough chicken or cheese and I ended up seriously missing my veggies.

When I don’t finish something in it’s entirety, you know something’s up. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not knocking this place down in any way, shape or form. The rest of my family loved what they had purchased so next time, I’m going to go with my first choice and diverge from typical. I will say though, the tortilla chips were pretty awesome!

The rest of the day consisted of the best shower of my life, a celebration brownie (whee!) and a night of Netflix and knee icing.

Also, an icing mishap.

That awkward moment when you accidentally tattoo your leg with the ice pack instructions. Hedwig looks unamused.

THAT is the recap of my first half marathon and and here I stand. Err, here I sit anyway.

Once upon a time, a girl was angry at the way a boy had treated her so she registered for a half marathon without batting an eyelash. 8 weeks later this girl, and her eyelashes, have emerged triumphant! I trained like a wonky wonk and was presented with road blocks along the way that came in the form of randomly painful knee, a swollen foot and Hurricane Irene. Roadblocks be damned though, I can now say *coughbragaboutcough* that I finished the Seaside Half Marathon and couldn’t be more proud!

…chicka chicka yeah chicka! 😀

Running out of time

My first long distance race is in 2 days and I’m trying very hard not to let myself get super nervous. The only thing that’s really bugging me is whether I’ve trained enough. My speed training has been next to nothing and I didn’t even realize that I don’t have a goal pace in mind. YIKES.

 

Just finishing is the top priority I guess. I ran 3 miles yesterday with strength work and am going to do a very slow 2 today. And then my legs get a small break and I begin the waiting game. BOO, waiting games are the worst. Good news for Sunday though.

Alas, PERFECT running weather. Now just hoping Mother Nature doesn’t decide to change her mind at the last second!
This post isn’t very picture heavy. It’s more like me spewing out randomness. You know, like Max yelling at us that he deserves to have a spot at the dinner table

Dog, what are you doing? You don’t even have an silverware.

He wasn’t happy with the decline of his request.

SOMEONE has a bit of a bad temper.

So he just decided to be his own man and follow his own rules.

…what a jerk 😀

 

Also, I made it look like I stuck my hand in a blender…because I have absolutely nothing better to do with my time.

Not too shabby eh? I think I’ve officially perfected the art of making regular ole’ chocolate look like blood

 

Yes, I AM proud of such a fact.

 

And now, a word to the masses. Know what you’re doing before putting Kale in a smoothie.

I'm in LOVE with the color

In the mix:

• Maybe 2 cups Kale?
• Frozen mango
• Agave nectar
• Vanilla protein powder (almost time to restock!)
• A bit of almond butter
• Mango Chobani

Children be warned, Kale is not a leafy green to mess with. The taste is STRONG and in no way comparable to the subtlety of spinach. That prominent iron-esq. bite is tricky to mask, even with the addition of other strong flavored ingredients. Although interesting (and somewhat unappetizing) at first I quickly developed an actual like for the earthiness and am probably going to have another one later today.

 

I usual tell others to try everything once but I do not recommend this for people….well, except myself 😉

 

Last thing, check out what just happened to make it’s way onto my HM playlist.

I guess it makes sense. It seems most appropriate for a race taking place in SEASIDE HEIGHTS, NEW JERSEY.

Diglett

Things I’ve been digging lately:

• Marking a new mile record for myself on Sunday. My training schedule said 11 miles and 11 miles is what I did. WOOOOO! The weather was perfection, brisky and not a trace of humidity.

Typical prerun food. Slice of multigrain bread with PB and banana. The fuel of champions!

I kept my pace fairly consistent most of the time from what I could tell. I stopped twice, once at mile 5 to eat a few pieces of candy corn (I NEED TO INVEST IN SOME GU!) and again at mile 9 to get some water/eat some more candy corn. It did give me the sugar rush I needed but chewing those things while still moving quickly is a nightmare. Pretty sure I looked like a moo-cow while I was eating them!

The aftermath was a little rough. Luckily my calves are now being well-behaved but my right knee is being a little funky. My mileage is low for the rest of the week (no more than 2 or 3 miles a day) so now, it’s a waiting game.

MY HALF-MARATHON IS IN 4 DAYS. OH MY GOD.

• The upcoming ESPN body issue, ahem, for obvious reasons

Let’s take the gorgeous nakedness out of the picture for a moment, shall we? His muscle definition is incredible and if nothing else this picture proves that Apolo is one hell of a dedicated athlete. He works hard and it shows. Seriously, try following him on Twitter! He posts motivating and inspiring mantras frequently and is always keeping active 24/7. Guess I forgot to put a PG-13 disclaimer in this post?!?! WHOOPS.

• ETSY! I’ve become a member of the Etsybloggers Street Team and am super excited to help promote other sellers! I’m going to be writing posts about Etsy and all things associated. I think I’m becoming quite obsessed loyal to the website.
• Speaking of which, I have two new cookies up and ready for selling!

I tried very hard with the presentation for this one

So because I’m having a hard time giving up on my “catch” these are essentially Supernatural themed as well. What we have here are Demon Blood Drizzled Florentines. Florentines are brittle but develop a nice chewiness after a bit of time.

The "blood" is a combination of melted chocolate, powdered sugar and red food coloring

They’re simple to make but time-consuming. Lots of on the stove boiling and you can only bake 8 cookies while using one pan at a time. They have to be constantly watched. Kind of like babies.

 

…………not that you bake babies in the oven or anything.

 

Er, baby baking aside, these cookies are pretty perfect for Halloween. Just saying. *coughBUYMYCOOKIEScough*

• THE RETURN OF PUMPKIN OATMEAL

Oh how I have waited for this return! Pumpkin is a little more expensive this year but my love extends far beyond the prices that THE MAN has established. A 1/3 of a cup and a couple generous shakes of cinnamon turn this into a wonderful bowl of fall goodness.

But it doesn’t stop there, when there is a LaForge, there are waffles

You know how I do. Pumpkin waffles with oats and topped with my favorite Chobani/AB mixture AND apple butter. That just might be the only thing that could possibly be more fall appropriate. Apple butter is on it’s own level. In it’s own universe. Be still my heart.

And that’s my post. I’ve got A LOT more internet stuff to take care of tomorrow so I PROMISE I’ll be back. Have a goodnight everyone!

Library lovin’

I haven’t sat in a library to do work since April but here I am; the Garfield Public Library to be specific. The wifi connection is bitchin’ here and to be honest, my “office” started getting a tad depressing to be at actually.

I love it, don’t get me wrong, but I definitely needed a change of scenery. Although, the library doesn’t have delicious snacks.

Dannon Oikos Greek Peach Yogurt with some Special K cereal

As a Greek yogurt enthusiast, there always seems to be a new brand appearing every week. Everyone is jumping on the bandwagon and although I haven’t done much reviewing about them, I’ve been constantly on the prowl.

So, I’ve discovered that there is both Dannon Greek and Dannon Oikos Greek.

Straight up Dannon has the protein and nutritional value of your typical Greek yogurt but the consistency and taste just wasn’t the same. That thickness just wasn’t there and on a personal level, that’s a key factor and deal-breaker. Dannon Oikos, on the other hand, had the thickness and was more similar to the actual Oikos brand that it was modeled from.

 

Conclusion? Grab the Dannon Oikos, much more authentic and just better tasting.

 

Also, after rereading that paragraph it seems that the moral of the review is that I like things thick.

 

No, I’m not saying it. I’m not. I’m putting 13 year-old boy me in timeout.

MOVING ON. This book-filled atmosphere is a lovely working environment though. Much less distracting than being at home and the librarians are talking, well, now they’re kind of yelling, about salads, hamburgers and restaurants in general. My librarian brethren have been found and clearly I’m meant to be here. No need for headphones!

Speaking of hamburgers (because I never speak of them, obviously) that was my choice of dinner last night

Just like the librarians we talking about. Burgers and fries and salad, oh my!

George Foreman-ified ground beef with some swiss cheese and on a multigrain English muffin. The burger craving hasn’t gone away yet and it’s been about 5 months now. Can anyone say “permanent obsession”? Oh and as if I haven’t ingested enough sweet potato fries lately. Again, an obsession that is never going to go away. Ditto for the cherry tomatoes.

 

To end this post, here’s a humorous picture of me looking like an assbutt.

Long story short, I bought a strawberry seltzer water and it sprayed everywhere. And of course I was waiting at a stoplight and yelled, “SON OF A BITCH!” and this old lady in the car next to me gave me a dirty look. Oh, and my shirt is still wet right now. I wonder the other library patrons are judging me right now.

 

“Why yes! I did just get finished taking part in a wet t-shirt contest! No, I didn’t win…I wore two tank tops by accident and was disqualified. It’s OK though, I still had fun.”

 

…normal.

What I’ve been thinking about

Things to consider:

• The way I want to spend the rest of my life

Cookie recipes, pineapple Chobani and pretzels

• Retro Fitness does not want to hire me because they think I’m a spy and will tell all their secrets to my wonderful second home that is Blink Fitness.
• The fact that the only time I wanted to be a spy was when I saw Harriet the Spy. That lasted a whole 24 hours.
• How to cook pizza like my mother

It's just so beautiful!

• Why anyone would even consider Summer to be the dominant season over Fall

She's got the right idea

Adorable caramel apples FTW

• The fact that animals photograph so much better than humans

A man and his toy resting after a long day

She who pees on everything

•  Breakfast is, and will always be, the absolute best meal of the day. Hands down.

A Monte Cristo with sweet potato fries courtesy of a fabulous place in Montclair called ‘Toast’. How can you go wrong with ham and swiss on French toasted Challah bread?!?!

• Why the Candlewyck Diner stopped being the lovable greasy place we all knew and loved. Instead, it has become an oxymoronic fancy diner. Yikes.

Doilies?

The spinach dip was actually REALLY good and tasted like there were several kinds of cheeses used in it. However, I didn't realize that they were only serving bird sized portions of pitas now.

A burger with broccoli rabe and roasted red peppers. Again, props for being super tasty but the fries weren't sweet, were mushy but in a bad way and tasted a tad burnt actually. And I was convinced I would never met a sweet potato fry I didn't like. Sorry buddies, I didn't like you.

•  Why I’m still so hell-bent on selling my nerdy cookies on Etsy despite my current lack of success.
• Oh, and the fact that I’m going to be running 13.1 miles in less than three weeks. OH MY BISKY.
• Whether or not there’s a reason the ginger trainer at my gym knows me by name

Yep, all things important. And by that, I mean all things that kind of aren’t. Whatever keeps me going though right?

 

P.S. Today is a wonderful day indeed! It’s my roomie’s 23rd birthday! Happy birthday a truly incredible human bean! You know when you meet one of those people and know you’re going to be friends with them for life? Yep, that’s how I feel about her. I think my post about her last year definitely trailed into the mushy and gross category so here’s a picture. WHEEEE I LOVE YOU MANDYYYYYYY.