pantry & freezer week - day 5

Phew! Another day done.  Another day done without a run.  Let's just say I was not pleasant to be around. Sorry Nic!  The knee wasn't as bad today, but still hurt.  I am going to try to get in a run tomorrow to test the waters again - I hate not running!  I turn into a cranky biatch and I don't even like when I am a cranky biatch.

I also worked right up until 4:30 (after leaving the house around 7AM) gathering daffodil orders and getting everything organized and in the system.

After I wrapped that up, I headed to the Y to meet with a high schooler that I will be working with for the next three months as she takes steps to lose weight, gain strength and minimize pain.  I will be working out with her three days a week and really hope we can get some good results!

Today's breakfast was easy peasy - and delicious.  Sometimes you just need to go the simple route.  Toast with PB, orange and a banana.



A coffee was enjoyed on the road, as well as another banana before I made it home for lunch.

Lunch was a mix of leftovers - corn soup with some couscous mixed in and topped with black bean hummus. Served up with a simple salad with hummus dressing - well not exactly dressing, more like the last of the hummus mixed with a little water to thin it out - you can't waste good hummus!





I snacked on a chocolate peanut butter ball from last night and a bowl of Kashi with apple chunks and a blob of peanut butter.



Dinner was another pantry and freezer week winner!  This is what I had in mind when I decided to embark on this challenge.

Lentil Tacos - Kier style

I knew I wanted to use up some of the lentils we've had in our pantry for a while and decided lentil tacos would be a great idea.  I prepared the lentils with a few adaptations from this recipe (I used chipotle chili pepper instead of regular and water instead of stock since we had none).

We did not have any tortillas in the pantry or fridge, so I thought I would mix up some using the corn meal mix we had in the fridge.

In the mix::

• 1 1/3 cups corn meal mix 
• 1/2 t garlic powder
• 2/3 cup water (?? forgot to write it down)

Mix everything together and let sit for a few minutes.  Welp, it was a good thought, but this mixture was not really conducive to tortilla making.  My first attempt resulted in a crumbled mess. Instead, I cranked the oven to 450* and created thick cornmeal discs.  I brushed each side with canola oil and sprinkled with salt.  These were baked on each side for about 5 minutes, until browned.

We topped these crispy little discs with mashed black beans (1 can black beans, red onion, garlic and cumin), spinach, lentils, corn, carrots, and onions.



Seriously delicious!  Way surpassed my expectations.

Dessert was another combination of some leftovers and pantry/fridge staples.

Banana Couscous Pudding



In the mix::

• 3/4 cup cooked couscous
• 1 banana - sliced
• 1/4 cup soy
• 2 eggs
• 2 T maple syrup
• 4 T oatmeal
• 2 T sliced almonds
• sprinkle cinnamon
• 1 t vanilla
• dash salt

In a medium bowl combine couscous and banana. In another bowl, mix the next 8 ingredients and then stir into couscous.  Top with another generous sprinkle of cinnamon.  Bake in a greased baking dish at 350* for about 30 minutes.

My idea for this dish was a bread pudding type dish.  It was not as pudding-y as I would have liked, which makes me think I could have left out the 4 tablespoons of oatmeal. I got worried though as it looked a little too liquidy without it.

Despite that - once this came out of the oven I topped my serving with a drizzle of maple syrup and devoured it.  Amazing.  I am looking forward to eating the rest for breakfast...unless Nic steals it and takes it to work.  NIC - are you eating my breakfast??



Time to enjoy a small pour of wine before I hit the hay - talk about an exciting Friday night!

peace tree brewing co.

Yesterday afternoon Nic and I made the relatively short trek to Knoxville, Iowa for his company's holiday party.  The party is always a good time - there is just something about working for a small family company that doesn't compare with other larger companies.  While the general managers were reflecting on the last year and introducing their staff, it was mentioned that Nic has been with the company for over 7 years now.  Crazy, right?!  He started way back when I was still in college as the lowly overnight guy barely scraping by.  After about a year and a half of that shift + evening shifts, he was given the opportunity to take a promotion and move to Washington.  I guess the rest is history!

Before the party, we made a pit stop at Peace Tree Brewing Company - our new favorite micro brew.



The tap room is amazing.  Hip, urban, industrial, yet cozy.  Nic and I each ordered a pint of something we haven't had before - an Imperial Dark IPA for him, and the best cream soda that ever touched my lips for me, of course.  We also had a few tasting samples of a few others - Lemon Grass Ale, Black River Gumbo Stout, Nitro Stout and my all time favorite, Red Rambler.







We could have sat at the bar for hours, but left shortly after we arrived for the party.



The party was fun.  Four six-packs of Peace Tree beer were the hot gift of the season and kept getting stolen.  We ended up with two of them (after having all 4 packs for a while).

And then we went back to Peace Tree.  Along with everyone else from the party.





Nic was nice and got me a t-shirt.  There are at least 4 more that I must have.



Be sure to check out Peace Tree's website.  And if you are ever in the area, make sure to swing in for a quick pint or two....or three or four.  You'll be glad you did.

pray for me

I am feeling a little like this today...



You see...a few months ago, I thought it would be a good idea to step outside of my comfort zone at work and volunteer to become a trainer for a new certification program our division is piloting.  There is a lot riding on the success of this program - if all goes well, we are hoping to roll it out to National.

No pressure.

A few weeks ago I facilitated my first conference call. No sweat - people can't see me and can't call me out for reading off a page of notes I was given. Easy peasy (although still, honestly - terrifying!).

Today...today is different. For six hours I will be like a monkey on display at the zoo. I have to actually facilitate in front of a group of people. This is my worst nightmare come true. What was I thinking?

I am scared shitless. :)

Thankfully I am co-facilitating the class, and we have the developer of the training in the room in case we get weird stares from the class wondering what the heck are they trying to say.

In an effort to calm my nerves, I am promising myself several things IF I SURVIVE. That is key.  I very well could have a heart attack in the midst of saying "Good Morning." Seriously, it might happen.

My first strategy - build up an exterior that makes me look confident, beautiful and smart.

An outfit from Express seemed to fit the bill quite nicely.  A cute ruffled tank layered with a chic black cardigan.


And the Editor pants have made a return to my closet. These were my FAVORITE dress pants I have owned, but the two pair I have been wearing were about 4 sizes too big.



And possibly my favorite part of the outfit, some ruffled heels from where else, Target!  Umm, how perfectly do these match the tank?



My second strategy is to bribe people. Seriously, I think people will overlook my horrid training if they have a sufficient supply of chocolate displayed in a cute halloween bucket. Am I right?

Okay, now that I know I will look good (I did get Maddie and Brenna's seal of approval), I have an ample supply of chocolate, and I at least read over the materials once (really, I spent all day typing up my own notes), it's time for what I get IF I survive.

#1 - I am going to treat myself to a nice long 10 miler, with Maddie rollerblading with me.



#2 - Out with the healthy foods....



...and in with bottles and bottles of wine,



that I will be sharing with my two favorite people.



And knowing the three of us, it is very possible that there might be some chocolate involved.



So please, pray for me today will you?! I am hoping that my nerves will remain calm and I seem knowledgeable on my topics of presentation.

Oh - you could also pray that the weather forecast improves while I am inside...I really would prefer to run in better conditions than this...

the never ending list

My list of things to get done for work keeps growing and growing and growing...

Thankfully I was able to get a ton of stuff done today, but have a lot more to do tomorrow AFTER we interview four candidates for an open position. It sounds like the four candidates are all very qualified and will fit in well with our team, and I am glad I get to do the final round of interviews as I will most likely be mentoring the new person.

I did all of this while rocking out my awesome yellow pearls that Jen got for me from China! This has been dubbed my "Iowa Sweet Corn" necklace...

Jen, Andy and the kids just got to Minnesota today for an extended (6 month!) visit to the US. I gave her a $50 pearl budget to spend before she came home, so I am looking forward to see what she picked up for me!

Today's eats::

So that all looks good right?  I only had a swig of beer and a few of the semi-healthy mixed nut butter oatmeal cookie bars pictured at the bottom. However, I totally complained to Nic before eating that I had eaten too much fruit for the day and I had no idea what to prepare for dinner. Really Kier - too much fruit?? Get a grip! {Looking back, I probably didn't even eat enough fruit. Guess that is what's nice about documenting what I eat.}

Lunch could have been my favorite ever - roasted carrot and zucchini fries, dunked in spicy pasta sauce and mozzarella toast.  There was a time in our life that we ate pasta every day for lunch, pretty boring, but I can never get enough of garlic toast dunked in my spicy pasta sauce. It is that good!

Workout::


Yeah - see on my list above that I included "run" and "YMCA"? Well I got in a crappy run - just a bit over 2 miles and definitely did not go to the Y. I had a terrible side ache during my run and could not get rid of it.  I think it might have been due to my lack of water intake today. It's looking more and more like this Red White & Boom! Twin Cities half marathon that Maddie and I are signed up for on Sunday will turn into more of a fun run. That okay Maddie?

Morning walk with Maia:
2.84 miles
51:15 minutes

Run:
mile 1 - 7:56
mile 2 - 8:10
mile 2 - 2.18 - 7:48 pace
Total distance - 2:18 miles
Total time - 17:31

I think tomorrow morning I am going to try to get my run in before I walk Maia and then see if I have enough time to take her. I feel bad doing this as the morning are so much cooler and she gets hot sooo fast because of her thick coat, but I am just not getting my runs in lately and I need to get back in the habit.

I think I just need to go to bed way earlier and start waking up at 5AM. This will give me an hour to work out (5-6AM), an hour to walk Maia (6-7AM) and then an hour to get ready for work.

I am also hoping to get in three sessions of pilates a week after we get back from vacation. I am hoping this will help to strengthen and lengthen my core and help with my flexibility.  I think these classes are M-W-F from 6:45 - 7:30AM...which might make it hard to get everything jammed into my mornings.

...we shall see!

productive husband = happy wife

I need to get out of the house more often! While I was in the mother land last week Nic got gobs of stuff done around the house; mowed the lawn, cleaned the office, cleaned the office, cleaned the office (yes, it was that bad), vacuumed, swept, cleaned the bathroom, laundry, swiffered...I walked in the door on Sunday afternoon and was im.pressed. Now, if only I could train him to do that while I am home...suggestions?

When I got home from work tonight (after 9:00!) I was impressed before I even walked in the door! Check this out - Nic has already started packing for our camping trip set for next week!





Two tents to choose from, frisbee golfing discs, water, sleeping bags, camping chairs, propane tanks, long leashes for Maia...we could leave tomorrow and be set! Good husband.

Rewind to earlier today - work was crazy! It was so busy that I didn't get a chance to eat my lunch until after 3:00. But a good lunch it was! I made a pit stop between meetings at a park and enjoyed my lunch on a bench next to a beautiful garden.

Left over bruschetta from last night's dinner (made with some funky looking basil from our CSA!) served with some crunchy sesame pita chips. Spring greens with carrots, cucumbers & peppers from our CSA, and some hummus rounded out the meal.

I snacked on a banana before heading to the library to use up some of their free wi-fi to get some more work done.

Dinner was supposed to be at a fun coffee shop & bakery in town, but it closed at 4. Bummer. I didn't feel like picking up Subway, so I headed to Hy-Vee. I walked out with some good stuff for a mish-mashed dinner.

Marsala roasted chickpeas, er not so much. They kind of tasted like eggs. Weird. I picked them up because of the wonderfully awesome chana marsala I made the other day and was hoping for a delicious crunchy snack. Oh well, it won't deter me from making that dish again for dinner tomorrow!

The TLC cookies called out my name and when I saw they scored a 40 on the NuVal system (pretty good for a cookie!) I picked them up to satisfy my sweet tooth. They were pretty tasty!

Even though today was a loooong day, it was a good one. Some great views on my drive home were icing on the cake, and the awesome weather we are having (AC free night tonight!) is the cherry on the top.





Getting a nice long run in tonight would have been the perfect way to end the day - but hey, sometimes life gets in the way. There is always tomorrow.