Friday Ramblings...

I am so happy it's Friday and can't wait to get this weekend started. We don't have anything huge planned but still should be lots of fun. I'm hanging out with the girls after work and Brett is coming with me to a special ed dance tomorrow night. Other than that we are expecting some warm weather so we'll be able to get out with the dogs and we'll head to the gym and do a bit of cooking. It was mid 50s yesterday so we were able to walk the dogs for about an hour! They loved it and the fresh air felt great!

I recently finished a book my Mom recommended and I would definitely pass on that recommendation if you are a dog lover. The title is "the art of racing in the rain" by Garth Stein. The book is written about a dog's life from his perspective. Warning: have tissues close by. Speaking of reading, Jodi Picoult has a new book out this week. I am on the waiting list at the library but who knows how long that will take. I plan on going to her signing when she is here. March 15 in Oak Brook or the 16th in Naperville. The Naperville event sounds like it may be a bit more in depth. And, I am still waiting for May when Jen Lancaster's new book is out. For now I stick to her blog which provides lots of laughs!

Well today is the second Friday of Lent and I have yet to drink a cup of coffee! Yeah! I have however had my fair share of tea lately. Tonight I have a yummy Cod recipe planned for dinner. There was a chef cooking at Whole Foods last week and I am going to mimic his recipe. Seems pretty easy- basically Cod fillets topped with crushed Ritz crackers. We'll see how it turns out!

Conrats to Brett! Although he did not lose nay weight last week and I know he is bummed, he is down 9 lbs. Good for you buddy!

So, we obviously have been trying to eat much healthier lately and have been doing OK. It is just hard when you have down right ridiculous cravings for sugar, carbs, chocolate, grease, pretty much anything that you shouldn't have. I caved yesterday and had a handful (OK 2) of M and Ms and 3 reduced fat Oreos. Now I know this sounds almost comical because what is the big deal, but it seems that as soon as I eat something like that I crave it the rest of the day. So, for the rest of the night I was wracking my brain for what else I could eat. Ugggg! It didn't help that Brett kept teasing me about not being a team player and telling me how he didn't eat M&Ms and Oreos ( well, you ate a peanut butter egg a few days ago!). Anyway, we really have been trying. I have switched to soy milk in my oatmeal and I have been trying buy more organic produce. I found an interesting article listing "The Dirty Dozen". Basically they are the top 12 fruits and veggies that you should NEVER buy unless they are organic because of the very high level of pesticide residue found on them even after they are washed. Here's the list: Apples, Cherries, Grapes (imported from Chili), Nectarines, Peaches, Pears, Raspberries, Strawberries, Bell peppers, Celery, Potatoes, and Spinach. Here's the list of things they say it is OK to buy if it is not organic: Bananas, Kiwi, Mangos, Papaya, Pineapples, Asparagus, Avocado, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Corn, Onions, Peas. I found this all quite interesting am going to try a little harder now to buy organic. For more information, check this out. And, if you need some inspiration, there's a blog Lesley...Living Life with some good stuff. Lesley seems pretty cool and I love all the pictures of what she and her husband eat. One more if you want some yummy sounding healthy recipes: Oh She Glows.

Lastly, I cooked dinner on Wednesday because Brett worked late so our usual PB and J at the gym didn't happen. It turned out delicious except that I was so hungry there is no picture, BUT, here's the recipe. Enjoy!

Turkey pie

1 lb. ground turkey or chicken
1/3 c. bread crumbs
1 egg
Pizza sauce
Mozzarella cheese
2 tomatoes, half green pepper, half red pepper, half onion all coarsely chopped and mix with Oregano, basil, garlic salt to taste

1. Mix the first three ingredients together and press into deep dish pie plate sprayed with cooking spray. You want to press the meat mixture up the sides to form a “crust”.
2. Spread a thin layer of pizza sauce in crust and top with cheese. Place in oven on 400 for about 10 minutes.
3. While pie is baking, sauté veggies in pan until hot and partially cooked.
4. Remove pie from oven and top with veggies. Return to oven and bake 10 more minutes.