Home at Last!

Heeeeeey my dear readers, are you out there? I've really missed hanging out in the blogosphere. Many thanks for those who have left friendly comments and messages. I greatly appreciate it.

Well, why the break? I guess I needed one. Work got kind of crazy during the first two weeks of November and didn't entirely let up until the Thanksgiving holiday. Fighting the Pudge has been in the back of my mind throughout my time away, as has working out. I must be honest -- I haven't worked out in what seems like ages. I've done yoga a couple of times, but that's it. With the insanity of work, I let all of my focus go toward that. Nasty habit, I know. But it's December and with the holidays coming up quickly, my spirits are high. I'm getting back into it.

As for the food, I suppose I burned out on photographing my meals three times a day, five times a week. For those who also do this, do you find yourself sick of doing that from time to time. For me, though, I found that I missed it somewhat. It's really helped me with my weight-loss journey. I've found it keeps me on track in a positive way. So here I am, again, back at it :) But I have to give a big shout out to my Mom. She surprised recently, as she informed me that she missed my blog and that I need to get back into it. Thanks Mom, you're the best.

Let me cut this long (boring) story short and start again. Just a warning: it's going to be a week of simple meals. Today for breakfast, I resorted to my favorite Love You Man Steel-Cut Oatmeal. I also paired it up with a banana and an iced coffee.

Before getting into today's lunch, I'd like to share that on Sunday, my hubs referenced a Whole Foods recipe for a wonderful Butternut Squash Soup, which was meant to last us all week long. Well, Ryan wasn't a fan of the soup's consistency, so we chucked it. I hate hate hate wasting food. So instead, we resorted to turkey sandwiches (and some veggie sandwiches later on this week) for lunch. Today's selection has a slice of provolone cheese, spinach, a slice of roasted red pepper and mustard. I also had a McClure's spicy pickle and an orange.

Remember how I've been volunteering for the awesome non-profit literacy program, Open Books, this semester? Well today marked my second to last session with my student. Next week we're supposed to have a fun farewell/holiday party.

Anyhow, Ryan prepped some fantastic parmesan encrusted tilapia. We also had some green beans with cranberries and walnuts on top. Awesome!!

Since I mentioned the holidays above, I figured why not share some of our holiday set up. Also, check out the winter wonderland that hit Chicago over the weekend. Enjoy!