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!!!

Catching up

I really, really liked the Education Law class I took.  I HATE writing papers.  The discussions and reading was usually fairly interesting but writing about it is the worst.  I have a 18-20 page paper due at the beginning of next week and though I understand what I'm supposed to do, I can't get past the first paragraph.  UGH!!  Any ghostwriters available?  (I totally stopped the blog here and picked it up tonight.  Just finished above paper and will mail it out in the AM!!)

Officer BF and I have gotten to see the nieces and nephews twice in the last week which was wonderful.  They really are 4 of the nicest kids I know, and I know quite a few.  We got to have them for Veteran's Day which made my vet extra happy.  We hung out at the house, played Wii games, had a great lunch at a Chinese buffet (everyone can find something they like!) and ended the day with burgers from a great place in town.  According to Officer BF, it's mandatory to have burgers on Memorial and Veteran's days to celebrate being American.  I can't argue with that logic, he's served in the Army and I haven't.

This past weekend was paper writing and rehearsals.  I also had an eye doctor appt so I'll have some new specs in the next week or so.  Pic will follow, promise.

I am continuing to be back on track with the workouts and weight control.  I won't call it loss at this point but I'm definitely tighter than I was a month ago.  I'm trying to focus on different goals, not just a number on the scale.

I tried a new chicken marinade (new recipe that was healthy!!) Friday night which turned out really yummy.  It's sort of asian in flavor, I had to combine a couple of things I'd found online and adapt to what I already had in the house.  I used light soy sauce, lime juice, vinegar, thai chili sauce and some oil.  It was just spicy enough to keep me interested without burning my mouth.  I made up some wasabi soy sauce to go along with that did!  I made this with brown rice and broccoli for a yummy healthy meal.

Saturday night was dinner out with my girls Linda and Heather.  We went up to Oliver's in Katonah for an excellent dinner.  It's sort of an upscale casual type place with the most amazing looking burgers and sandwiches.  I had a chicken burger with mushrooms and brie...awesome.  We split an apple crumble for dessert that was almost as good as mine, but not quite :)  We had great talks about school, guys, life, diets, all the usual girl stuff.  I am so lucky!

I am going back to work on chairing the Junior All-County chorus here in my county.  I don't know why I volunteer for this stuff...it's insane.  The selection meeting was seriously stressful but I haven't received any kooky e-mails yet so hopefully that trend will continue.

I'm happy to have more of my life back...just in time for the holiday performance season...

Law Class Kicks My Butt

I know I haven't written in forever...but the graduate class I've been taking is seriously HARD!!!  Educational Law is very interesting and I like it but it is more work than I have done in a long time.  The reading, the research....it's insane.  Then, to really throw me for a loop, the teacher suggested that I go to law school.  Yikes!  (P.S.  I want a cake like this one...or to be able to make one for myself some day!)

So, the weight loss has halted so I'm going back to the gym big time!  I've been doing strength training a couple days a week and trying to up the running.  I did 4 and half miles on Sunday and felt pretty good afterwords.

I'm in the middle of another good book, The White Queen by Phillippa Gregory.  I love her writing and the way she takes history and gives it a little twist. 

Officer BF has been away a lot lately and I'm trying to get myself ready for when he's gone for most of December.  We set up Skype accounts this week and I'm hoping that this will help us stay in touch.  It was fun to actually see him while we were chatting last night, even when he was making silly faces at me.

Okay, back to homework so that I can finish this class sometime in the near future!

I hate dress shopping

So, I have a wedding to attend next weekend and I could use a new dress.  I spent 3 hours tonight trying on what felt like a hundred dresses...with NO luck.  I feel totally awful.  Everything was just so unflattering and really not cute.  I don't want to look fat (difficult) or like an old lady!  I am soooo upset right now.  Time for some sit-ups...

Busy bee!

Two great weekends in a row!

Last weekend I went to the Oktoberfest at Bear Mtn with my friends Linda and Heather.  We had great food and the weather was perfect.  It really felt like summer again and reminded me how much I appreciate that time off.  We saw some great crafts, including clocks made from recycled liquor and wine bottles.  Who doesn't want to be reminded that it's always happy hour somewhere?

Saturday was spent just spending time with the bf.  He was away the whole week before in class so we just relaxed and enjoyed the day.  We watched Revenge of the Nerds, which I'd never seen.  It was pretty funny.  We went for a walk into town for lunch and ate in the park which I love.  It was like a mini-date and we enjoyed just catching up and planning the next week. 

Yesterday was day 1 of my Educational Law and Policy class.  This is NOT going to be easy, but the other people in the class are great so that should help.  I have some good friends now that I've been in the program for a while so that's nice.  We all try to help each other out and keep each other awake when we hit the "tired time" at 3:30 in the afternoon.  Yesterday's was particularly bad because we were going through the syllabus...which just couldn't keep me interested enough.  8-4:30 is just a loooong day to be sitting in classes!

This morning I managed to get myself up and out for a run.  3 miles that were certainly not spectacular but I'm proud of doing them.  I just needed to enjoy the fresh air and sunshine.  I also tried to really get into today's music to keep my mind occupied.  Proud Mary from Glee is a GREAT running song!  I also realized I need to update my playlist and will welcome any suggestions!

Officer BF is off at work tonight, so I get the TV all to myself.  I'm tempted to check out the new show about sister wives on TLC.  I love Big Love and find the whole lifestyle fascinating...definitely NOT something I could ever imagine doing.  I do NOT share.  Haha!