Playing Catch Up

I feel like I haven’t posted in a while. To be honest, it’s not because I’m too busy. I just kept putting of each post until it got to the point where a week+ went by. Ah!

But don’t worry I haven’t gone anywhere 😉

There’s no getting rid of me!

Lately, I have gone out and enjoyed some adult beverages.

Blueberry Stoli w/Selzer and Lemon & Lime

Saranac Beer. When in Utica...

Along with drinking alcohol, I have consumed slightly healthier options.

Such as Kristen’s Green Monster Smoothie.

Holy Spinach!

I love blenders, especially ones that work very efficiently!

I had the idea to pour this smoothie into a bowl thanks to Kath!

Here is one of her delicious SIAB’s (Smoothie in a bowl).

I’ve also had a bunch of salads.

This one consisted of spring mix, wild blueberries, walnuts, feta, radishes, squeeze of lemon, pepper & balsamic dressing.

I enjoyed this the day after drinking a few too many cocktails, hence the huge jug of lemon water in the back.

***

And finally.

Last but not least!

The recipe I put to use tonight that gave me the push to post:

Pumpkin Iced Cookies.

Just make sure you have people to share them with.

Although it’s hard to let them go, it’s for the best…

Eating three trays of cookies in one night is never healthy.

Crap.

The best part – the icing.

I mean, what does icing NOT taste good on?

The house was smelling like Fall.

The weather is pretty Autumn-like so why not!?

Pumpkin cookies taste great any time of year in my eyes mouth.

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Icing

• 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 1 tablespoon melted butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves, and salt; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, cream together the 1/2 cup of butter and white sugar. Add pumpkin, egg, and 1 teaspoon vanilla to butter mixture, and beat until creamy. Mix in dry ingredients. Drop on cookie sheet by tablespoonfuls; flatten slightly.
3. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven. Cool cookies, then drizzle glaze with fork.
4. To Make Glaze: Combine confectioners’ sugar, milk, 1 tablespoon melted butter, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Add milk as needed, to achieve drizzling consistency.

I followed this recipe exactly and there are zero complaints! Well, besides the fact that I cannot stop :X Next time I make them…chocolate chips & maybe oats/pecans will be involved.

They are very soft and fluffy, sort of like muffin tops!

I am SO making these for Thanksgiving/Halloween next year!

***

Oh my gosh! Guess what??? I signed up for my first road race – The 15K Boilermaker! Over nine miles this summer, I can SO do this. I will make my way home from NYC for the weekend to run my heart out.

Motivation to run at its best.

SO excited.

***

Kay well I will try not to disappear again.

Maybe I should make more deliciousness to encourage my daily attendance.

K sounds good 🙂 TTYS

Happy 2012

I hope everyone had a wonderful NYE.

Whether you stayed in & cuddled or went out & partied.

I went to The Turning Stone Casino for dinner & danced the night away at Lava Club.

Sarah and I went to dinner & later met up with two other friends we shared a hotel room with.

8:30pm drinks:

Gin & Tonics

The dinner was buffet style and I enjoyed it.

I didn’t realize my camera was on the wrong setting whoops.

My favorite was the lamb (it’s the meat mixed with the cannellini beans) and the bbq lime shrimp. God I love meat haha. The pear & gorgonzola salad was nice, as well.

The dessert bar excited me!!! It had an ice sculpture.

I literally tried everything.

But don’t worry I didn’t eat it all. I was too full.

And they didn’t taste TOO fantastic. A couple nice bites though.

All in all, it was a fun night.

***

I came home & breakfast was waiting for me.

THANK GOD! I was starving.

Perfect breakfast after consuming alcohol all night.

Eggs, bacon, toast, hot sauce.

***

The pictures of food aren’t fantastic, I didn’t have the patience to make it look good.

SORRY!

I was more focused on having fuuuuuun & I accomplished.

***

This year I am hoping I can take my blog to the next level.

I also would like to say the things I want to say and do the things I want to do. Not in a rebellious way, but in a “if the world really ends this year, regrets aren’t an option” kind of way.

I’m excited for 2012!

Happy New Year XOXO

The Lotus Garden

Tonight my Mom and I went out to dinner. The Lotus Garden is a restaurant in Utica, NY and I would say that this place definitely has top notch Asian food. Especially for this area.

We ordered two entrees and shared them both.

But first, the appetizer.

It’s BYOB so we brought (and finished) a bottle of red.

The calamari was absolutely delicious.

I ordered the special with chicken:

Chicken, red & green bell peppers, bamboo, baby corns, pineapple – all in a coconut/lemongrass sauce.

At this restaurant, you choose your own heat index. It’s 1-5, 1 being mild and 5 being hot.

I chose 3 even though my mom recommended 2 because of previous dishes she’s had here. I’m not sure if it was the wine, but this dish was not spicy to me at all! I liked this but I liked what my mom chose even better.

Good thing we shared them both.

The funny thing is, she was so worried about mine being too spicy for her – but what she ordered was waaaay spicier than mine…and it was called “Lotus Garden Sweet Shrimp.” SWEET. No, more like spicy. The perfect spicy.

Thank GOD we shared.

BEST. SHRIMP. I’VE. EVER. HAD.

Seriously.

Come here and eat this shrimp. Now. Or forever hold your peace.

And invite me.

After we headed to Walmart to get ice cream. We ended up full out grocery shopping. Food for days, I was smiling big as we loaded up!

***

It’s Complicated is on and I just enjoyed some ice cream.

Love this movie. Love dessert.

Edy’s Fudge Tracks!

I’m exhausted and I cannot wait to fall asleep.

Wine headaches make me feel woozy.

***

Tomorrow is Friday and I want to go out but I also want to feel 100% great on Saturday (NYE). So we’ll see what happens, it’ll probably be a chill night.

I hope you all had a wonderful Thursday!

Nighty night.

PICP

Seriously today I ate all meals out. Mostly.

I woke up at about 10am and was hungry of course. My sister, Hannah, texted me at 11am before I even got up out of bed telling me that we were going to Bennu (a nearby wonderful restaurant) for lunch.

I had some yogurt to hold me over…with PUMPKIN!

Mommy bought this for me after I told her I wanted to make some pumpkin oatmeal! How nice she is! Thank you, Sandy. I added it to yogurt and not oatmeal because oatmeal fills me up and I didn’t want to be filled up for lunch, ya digg?

• Oikos 0% Yogurt
• Pumpkin
• Blueberries
• Salted Almonds & Pecans
• Honey
• Packet of Splenda (needed more sweetness)
• Tons of Cinnamon

I like to call this PPY (Pumpkin Pie Yogurt).

Here. Try some.

Then I took pictures of Izzy. Here’s one.

A couple hours pass and it was time for lunch.

Hello, gorgeous.

We ordered Sweet Potato Fries with the amazing zingy dip for the table.

I could live off of this stuff.

I ordered this:

Anything spicy catches my eye. What happened when the waiter brought my food you ask?

“Alright here I have the Hot Tamale.”

I said, “That’s mine, thank you.”

He replies, “You are what you eat!” and then ran off.

Thanks waiter dude.

There she is.

My sister was embarrassed that I kept taking picture of our food. She’s just jealous, obviously.

***

Fast forward to Dinner with my best fraaand, Sarah …Sushi it is!

I ordered a salad to start (not pictured because I forgot, silly me), some random sushi plate (above) along with a Salmon Skin Role (below).

I am so thirsty after this meal, musta been real saltaay!

We had no problem demolishing.

Alas, we always leave room for dessert.

Our favorite: MOCHI ICE CREAM!

Have you ever tried it?

They are like pillowy ice cream pods (PICP???).

PICP…nice one.

You haven’t lived until you have tried this. Next time you got out for sushi, get this. TRUST.

***

I may have had some more snackies later on. I feel as though I consumed too much sugar and salt today. That’s whatchya get for eating out, especially the sodium.

Tomorrow is a new day and I plan on going to the gym & eating well. I want to run so badly but the weather suuuuucks.

***

We bought New Years dresses at the mall today. Who knows where we’ll be, but Sarah and I are determined to find something extravagant to attend…haha. Suggestions?

Alrighty time to start reading The Hunger Games on my Nook.

#Excited

#Goodnight