Turkey Dinner!

This past weekend I tried anther new 2 recipes!  I made my very first turkey and sausage stuffing.  I have never made either of these things before and it's amazing the amount of advice that people will give you.  I was told to brine, not brine, stuff, not stuff, season, use butter, use olive oil, baste, don't baste....the list was endless.  In the end, I did not brine.  I seasoned with salt, pepper, rosemary, sage and olive oil, made sausage stuffing that I put in the bird and in a casserole and basted it and little less often than recommended.  Well, I should amend that.  I was at a performance in Yonkers, so my wonderful BF basted the turkey for me.

I had 4 performances last weekend.  Thursday was the COPD Foundation awards dinner, followed by the Roerich Museum Friday, Bronxville Library on Saturday and The Hudson River Museum on Sunday.  They were all great shows...and considering the personnel issues that we've been having with Sing We Enchanted, that was an accomplishment.  We had some fantastic substitute tenors and it made all the rehearsals worth it.  I remembered how much I enjoy the performances, something that has gotten lost in past years because I was so much busier.

So...even with the turkey, potatos and minced meat pie, I was down another .6% this week.  My cardio workouts have been increased (yay!) but the food stays the same.  If I can stay controlled this weekend in NC I think I'll be good.  I woke up this morning with sore shoulders thanks to Trainer Mike and I'm looking forward to tonight's workout.  I think I may have crossed into the insanity zone!  I have to say that it's nice to know that I have actually LOST weight this holiday season so far.

I am off to Raleigh tomorrow morning for Amanda Watson's wedding and I'm excited.  I picked up jewelry from my mom's last night (it's great having family to share with) and I think I know what I'm wearing.  With the rehearsal and wedding itself being very dressy parties I had some stress.  Oh, and I'm singing at the wedding so that makes me nervous too.  I just want to help make her day perfect.  The plan tonight is to figure out how to pack everything in one carry-on bag.  I'm flying back Sunday morning because I have my last concert Sunday night in Nyack and don't want to have to waste time in the baggage claim.  I HATE packing!

Next week...my b'day and Christmas!!!

Let the season begin!

The holidays are DEFINITELY here!  The kids are nutty at school, the cookies are everywhere and I have singing galore.  School is the biggest challenge...you don't want to crush their holiday spirit, but no, we can not have a "day off" because Hannukah started yesterday.  Nor, can we sing about Santa and his reindeer every day.  We have a concert in January that we're preparing for!  Anyway, rant over.

Life outside of school is good.  I was down 1.8% at the gym this week and feel like I'm finally making progress.  My goal is to have another good week before the insanity really hits.  (Wedding, b'day and Christmas all in 1 week!)

Saturday was my first concert of the weekend.  The Hudson Voices is a small a cappella group associated with The Rockland County Choral Society.  We sang for 3 different nursing care facilities in the area.  It was both wonderful and sad.  It's nice to bring some holiday spirit to the seniors in our area but also sad to see how many were alone.

Sunday night I made a really yummy stew with venison that was a gift from a friend.  I don't hunt myself, but I have to say that it is nice to have friends who do!  I prefer not to actually see the source of my meal...I know it's a bit wimpy but that's how I am.  Venison is great because when it's cooked well it has a nice mild flavor and is REALLY lean.  It's almost as lean as chicken so it makes for nice variety on the diet plan.

My big accomplisment for the week was getting into the gym 5 days and going for a good walk on another.  I think 6 sessions in a week is part of the reason I was successful.  I also tried another new class at the gym.  (Finally getting moving on that resolution!)  Solutions is a circuit training class for a half hour.  You get a quick strength training workout and there is someone there to assist if needed.  I did that Saturday morning followed by a half hour of cardio.  Yay!  I am hoping that along with my 2 sessions with the trainer I'll start to see even more results.

I have 4 concerts this weekend with Sing We Enchanted and will be cooking my first turkey on Sunday.  Wish me luck!!  We're having a small "holiday" dinner with some friends that we didn't see for Thanksgiving and won't see for Christmas.  It's sort of a 2nd family type thing and I'm looking forward to it as well as being terrified.  I'm doing the turkey, stuffing and a mincemeat pie.  Everyone is bringing something else to make the dinner amazing.  I'm really looking forward to trying some other peoples traditions.

Have a great week everyone and I'll check back next week with another update!

'Tis the Season

Happy belated Thanksgiving!  I was lucky enough to start that day with a (slow) 5 mile jog at Rockland Lake with my sister and end it with an amazing dinner with my family and Officer BF.  The Turkey Trot is an annual event here and I think they said there were 2900 people running!  It's such a great way to start off a HUGE eating day and I love that even though I haven't run in ages I got out there anyway.  I'm proud of that.

I'm now getting ready for my busiest time of year, which I'm sure can be said for just about everyone.  I am singing two performances every weekend between now and Christmas including a wedding in North Carolina.  I'm so excited for Amanda and Nick!  It usually means that I put on a few lbs because I'm running here and there and don't think about what I'm going to eat.  The parties and receptions don't help either.  Have I mentioned how much of a sweet tooth I have? 

For my local peoples...Nyack Library, Dec. 19th @ 7pm  BE THERE!! 

To combat the food and insanity involved, I've started something to help myself be a "better me" this holiday season.  I have committed to working with a trainer at the gym twice a week and I'm working with a nutrionist as well.  I haven't lost much in the last 2 weeks since I started but I can feel a difference in my muscles and my energy.  It also keeps me honest.  When I have a "bad" week (Thanksgiving leftovers??) I know it and have to be accountable.  My only issue at this point is that I'm a little bored with the menu.  Last night we discussed some different dinner choices and the plan is to add different lunches next week.  It would be nice if this helped me finally reach my 20lb goal for the year but I don't think that's going to happen by Dec. 31.  I'll take 10 and be happy with that...and promise not to re-gain it next year.  Hopefully I'll have some good "recipes" to share in the coming weeks.  Tonight I'm just looking forward to sweet potato instead of brown rice.  Yippee!!

There is one downside...the stupid calipers I have to subject myself to each week.  I hate the damn things!  I try to think about the people on Biggest Loser and remember that their journey is way harder than mine so I have nothing to whine about, but it doesn't help me hate it any less.  Who really wants to know exactly how fat they are?????

So, I'll try for another entry this weekend and then on Wednesdays in December I'll check in with my fat % loss for the week.  Here's to a great last month of 2010!!!