Success!

Remember last Friday when my photos didn't save correctly? This was when I made fANNEtastic Food's awesomely yummy Almond Butter French Toast? Well today, I saved myself and made this fabulous dish once more, and I have the photos to prove it.

Last time I used Arnold's whole wheat bread, but I don't think it was thick enough to soak up the french toast mixture. This time I tried a 12-grain loaf from Whole Foods and the thickness was just right. Ryan isn't a french toast fan (I can't believe it, either!) and I made him a mini helping. He LOVED it!

I know I post a lot about leftovers, but I am guessing a lot of you do the same? Ryan and I try to stretch out food out during the week (as best as we can, of course) in order to avoid wasting food. Plus it's just us and that makes life a bit easier when you have your meals ready to go. So yeah, lunch featured Saturday's game-day hotdish, Buffalo Chicken Casserole. I also had a salad with herb greens, cucumber, tomatoes, and balsamic vinegar.

Tina at Faith, Fitness, Fun had a compelling post this morning about finding joy in each day. I feel like this is something I take for granted as I get into my daily routine. Taking time out to notice what makes you happy throughout the day should be a natural part of living, right? Anyhow, I thought she made some interesting points, which brings me to what I'm joyful for today: volunteering!

While I'm still feeling the affects of what seems like a never-ending recession and not having a full-time job at the moment, I am using some of my time to get back into the community. I did just this when I was caught in the first round of layoffs at Microsoft in March 2008. I was living in New York City at the time and needed something to intercept the usual job search rigmarole. Fortunately for me, I found iVolunteer (I have their widget listed at the bottom right), which is a non-profit group that places individuals with Holocaust survivors for weekly visits. I had the opportunity to meet with a lovely woman named Ruth up until my move to Chicago earlier this spring and the experience was incredible.

Anyhow, I'm getting carried away here. What I'm trying to say is that volunteering, at least in my experience, provides a positive outlet that's so separate from everything else. And today, I started the Book Buddies Program with Open Books. Here's my joy for the day, people! Book Buddies is a weekly program that provides elementary students the opportunity to meet individually with trained mentors for assistance in reading. I'm a book geek, so this is awesome! The students I met today were fantastic, bouncing off the walls with enthusiasm and bright and wide-eyed for what's coming up this semester. I could say the same for me.

Once walking in the door from my fun-filled hour spent with my two book buddies, Ryan had more leftovers ready for dinner. This time we had our second and final helping of Grilled Salmon with Cilantro-Yogurt Sauce and Red Pepper-Coconut Rice. Still so good!

I also had a hankering for some ice cream from Gyood. This stuff is 100% lactose and cholesterol free and low in fat. I enjoyed it, too, as I did 45 minutes on the elliptical machine today, plus 10 sets of 10 weights! Annnnnd I went over 10,000 steps on the pedometer, so I'm in good shape.

Another good day for the books, my friends. Thanks again for reading! xx

Have you volunteered before? If so, what was your favorite volunteer experience? Or would you like to volunteer?

Weekend Brunch, Football Hotdish, and More

This weekend had a little bit of everything: football, cooking, brunch, crafting, and more. How was your weekend?

On early Saturday afternoon, between my Michigan State game and his Michigan game, Ryan and I prepared Buffalo Chicken Casserole. This little gem is featured in the September/October 2010 issue of Eating Well under their "Hooked on Hotdish Casseroles" feature.

Ryan was keen on this particular dish because of the "buffalo" factor. At our house come fall, football Saturday has to have "buffalo" involved somewhere. Since I'm not a buffalo wings kind of gal, this casserole dish was a great alternative. It's a nice mix of whole-wheat macaroni pasta, chicken breast, celery and carrots. The sauce is made of skim-milk, a touch of cornstarch for thickness, and buffalo sauce. I paired mine up with an IBC Diet Root Beer.

Sunday was much more productive and we started things off with some brunch action at Bakin' & Eggs. This place is quite popular and this is the first time Ryan and I have been able to get a table before 11 A.M. The modern decor with vintage accents is super cute, plus some of the seating is actually in old church pews. Pretty cool idea! Their fresh selections of pastries, cupcakes, and other pies, too, look just as lovely.

I can't forget their menu, for it features a creatively healthy spin on your usual diner fare. Ryan ordered a sundried tomato frittata with goat cheese and potatoes. Holy yum! I had the whole wheat granola pancakes and those were just as delicious, with maple syrup and berry compote. We also tried a Black Bear, which is cocoa and milk mixed with iced coffee. Not bad.

I only made it through one and a half of those pancakes, but man, they were *awesome*! I think I'm going to dream up my own concoction.

Once done with brunch, some errands, and an open house, we ventured to Wicker Park for the eighth annual Renegade Craft Fair. Wow, the festival has grown exponentially since it's inception in 2002. So many vendors, and soooooo much to choose from.

I am a stationery nerd when it comes to events like these (holla, BUST Craftacular!) and buy as many cards and postcards as I've budgeted for that day. I fell in love with these recipe stationery cards from Bison Bookbinding & Letterpress. They came in a pack of six, but here's a snapshot of my four favorites. Check out their Etsy store more awesomeness.

Also included below is a cookbook marker by Tartella. These came in a pack of three and talk about helpful and pretty! Now I no longer have to earmark my favorite recipe pages or consult the Internet to verify more obscure measurements. Check out Tartella's collection for additional food-inspired products like wine bags, napkins, and recipe cards.

I'd like to give a shout-out to KIND Healthy Snacks, for they were the first table I visited upon entering the festival. They so kindly hooked me up with a reusable bag and some health bars. I've never had them before, but my friend Linda says they're great! Blog friends, have any of you tried 'em?

Ryan and I also escaped the heat and the crowd to have lunch at Via Carducci La Sorella, a quaint and cool little spot that serves rustic southern Italian food. We shared Carpaccio di Salmone, which is thinly sliced smoked salmon served with arugula, capers, and olive oil over bread. We also shared a margherita pizza.

A great end to a great weekend, but I'm looking forward to getting back to my weekly routine. Cheers and thanks for reading!

Hooray for Friday and Almond Butter French Toast

The weekend is nearly here, hooray! Are you ready for the weekend?

Today was a pretty normal day with my usual email upkeep and list duties. For breakfast, I tried fANNEtastic Food's recipe for Almond Butter French Toast with Cinnamon Apple Yogurt Topping.  I love french toast, but I've never made it before. Anne P. of fANNEtastic Food makes it look so easy, so I decided to give it a try.

Two words: *Truly awesome!*

Unfortunately, my pictures for most of today were deleted! Aaarrrrrggghhhh! I am SO BUMMED! I hope to make this dish again on Monday, so I'll make sure my photos are saved.

It would have been even more awesome, too, had I tried a thicker bread, but there's always next time, right? Anyhow, I served mine with some strawberries and raspberries on the side.

Some of my late-morning duties required a trip to the post office, so I hopped on my bike for part of today's workout. It was gorgeous outside and getting 20 minutes in was exactly what I needed. Once I got home, I added 25 minutes on the elliptical.

Sadly my lunch photos were also lost, but I think you've seen enough pictures of our turkey-style taco salad. After lunch, I snacked on some of my hemp granola trail mix. Love this stuff!

For dinner, we met up with the fabulous Tracey of Veggies, Cake and Cocktails and her husband, Patrick. I had the pleasure of meeting this lovely couple at the Healthy Living Summit here in Chicago in August.

Ryan and I had an absolute blast with them, and as longtime Chicago residents they suggested several cool spots for food and drinks. We met at Firkin and Pheasant for dinner and this little place ended up being a Michigan State bar. WOO HOO! Go Spartans! Ok, I'll pipe down now. Anyhow, we each shared some appetizers, with some popcorn shrimp and the Scotch Egg, per Patrick's suggestion. The Scotch Egg is truly one of a kind and really tasty. For my main entree, I had the grilled chicken wrap with brie and apple, plus some tomato and cucumber salad.

After a few drinks at Crossroads Public House, we ended our evening at The Wiener's Circle. Chicago is famous for their hot dogs and until tonight, Ryan and I had yet to have one of the Windy City's celebrated dogs. Let me tell you, the hot dog we had was out of this world. Topped with mustard, a pickle, tomatoes and hot peppers, SO GOOD! Plus, the waitstaff was a riot with their surly and bossy behavior. A perfect end to a fantastic night!

Happy weekend everyone! What do you have planned? It's more football, cooking, and baking for us. Thanks again for reading!

Rainy Thursday

Clouds and rain set the tone for Thursday and it was definitely one of those mornings where you wanted to stay in bed forever. Isn't Hurricane Earl the craziest thing? My husband is in awe that it's the size of California right now and is glued to The Weather Channel.

Anyways, here we are at Thursday and college football kicks off tonight. I'm holding out to celebrate until Saturday. To me, that's the official day and I'm going to be cheering on my Michigan State Spartans WOO HOO! More about that later this week. What plans do you have coming up this extended holiday weekend?

Today for breakfast I was craving my open fruit sandwich with chia seeds. This dish is so simple and filling, I seriously can't get enough. I've only made this with a banana and strawberries, so I went that route again today. The cantaloupe was a bit weak, so I drizzled some agave nectar on top and that definitely did the trick! YUM!  It's a nice switch from honey and with far less calories.

Since the week is winding down, so is the food in my refrigerator and pantry. I decided to keep things simple and use up any perishable items for lunch. I grabbed some Bumble Bee albacore tuna in water and the last of my cucumbers and cherry tomatoes from my Green City Market trip, and voila: Lemon Dill Tuna Salad! Sometimes simple gets the job done right, right?

I also had a nectarine, as I'm trying to squeeze in these seasonal fruits before fall arrives.

As I sifted through email and readied some job applications this afternoon, I snacked on a Frigo part-skim mozzarella string cheese and some cherries.

For dinner, I met my friend, also a fellow Spartan and longtime Chicago resident, Sarah at Rios D'Sudamerica for Peruvian food. What a GORGEOUS restaurant! The South American accents and paintings were eye-catching to say the least, and their virtual tour on their website is just a glimpse at how truly cool this place is. The quality of the photos are slightly dark as the lighting inside went for the ambience factor. Can't blame them.

Sarah and I shared Empanada al Horno y Chimichurri, which is a light Argentinian pastry filled with a mixture of beef, raisins, olives, and onions, with chimichurri drizzled on top. I cannot tell you how great this was, seriously! We also had some freshly baked bread with jalapeno sauce.

For the main course, I was in a seafood mood and ordered Arroz con Camarones, otherwise known as rice and shrimp cooked in Brandy, green peas and peppers. FAB-U-LOUS!

Sarah says "cheers" to Rios D'Sudamerica! You can never go wrong with good friends and good food!

I almost forgot! I've made a comeback in the exercise department this week and completed 45-minutes on the elliptical trainer earlier this afternoon. I'm three for three this week and plan to kick it again on Friday and Saturday. So much better than the last two weeks of August.

Thanks a mil for reading Fighting the Pudge and for your support as I continue to chase my goals in getting fit and healthy. xx

Running with the Weekend

When it comes to the weekend, is it challenging to keep things on track? How do you keep your meals healthy? Do you exercise consistently? I have struggled with keeping a weekend routine ALL SUMMER LONG! It's not that I'm not eating healthy because I am ... for the most part. I have also squeezed in some quality cardio time throughout my summer weekends. But I feel like my weekends are just not as organized as my five-day week. Maybe it's summer, maybe it's the gorgeous weather, the barbecues and baseball games, I don't know. This weekend wasn't any different. Ryan and I opted to explore some more of Chicago in search of open houses and houses for sale. Am I really this old to be doing this? Haha! I feel 16!

This recap post is going to be very much like the theme in above paragraph: random. Please forgive me! I am trying to keep myself accountable for my weekend nutrition and exercise and I know I have failed miserably with posting on the weekends. But moving on ...

Saturday breakfast included a spinach omelette with cherry tomatoes. Ryan uses one egg with two egg whites when making this dish. I also had some homemade carrot, celery and apple juice and an iced coffee.

We spent much of the afternoon in our car, so we went to Qdoba for lunch. I kept things lite with a naked burrito with black beans and pico de gallo. For dinner, we tried The Village Tap, where I had chicken tacos. These were very clean and satisfying with lettuce, salsa, and corn tortillas. The chips were also baked.

We hit the pavement again on Sunday and once more we found ourselves eating out. Ugh. But for breakfast, I filled up on a two eggs on a multi-grain sandwich thin from Arnold and some watermelon with blueberries. Ryan and I also had a small glass of carrot, celery, and apple juice and an iced coffee.

Subway was our lunch option, where I had my signature six-inch turkey on wheat with lettuce, tomato, pickles, and mustard. We also stopped by this *awesome* coffee shop in Andersonville called The Coffee Studio. The sleek, modern decor was a lovely match to its health-friendly menu. Very cute place! I wish I'd taken some photos, but it was a quick stop in before an open house.

After several more stops, Ryan and I switched up to our usual Sunday grocery duties. We called it a day at Whole Foods. We were both too tired to cook anything. I had a salad with veggies, plus some lemon dill tuna and some lime and cilantro quinoa. I cannot pass up the tomato basil soup either.

How was your weekend? Thanks for checking out Fighting the Pudge!