The Things I Know

• I need to drink more water, but sometimes it’s a struggle.
• I should work out on Mondays, but should not wait until after work.
• I’m good at writing to-do lists, but not so good at actually completing the tasks.

So the goal tomorrow is to drink 3 litres of water even if it kills me, go to the gym in the morning, and bang off at least half of my to-do list.  I’ll report back, but I’m determined now.  Maybe the start of a new month is just the kick in the pants I need.  Project Energize can wrap itself in a festive scarf and wear a Santa hat.  :)

This morning began with the usual half-caf…

No more egg nog in the fridge, so back to skim & demerara for now.

Breakfast was an old favorite with a new treat…

Toasted whole wheat English muffin with peanut butter & bananas…

And a fun fruit new to me…Persimmon!  I used to see these all of the time when I was a grocery store cashier, but if I’ve ever tried one I don’t remember.  These have been around the supermarkets here for about a month but every time I picked one up they were mushy and gross…but last week I found some nice hard ones at Pete’s Frootique.

Meaty like a peach on the inside, but not as juicy.  More like a banana in texture.  While the skin is edible I didn’t care for it, so I just ate the fruity flesh inside.  Sweet and delicious.  Nice for a change of pace!

At lunchtime I got to enjoy a leftover Chicken Enchilada.  Even better the second day.  Deeeeelish.

Afternoon pick-me-up of a few TJ’s peanut butter pretzels and PC Organics chocolate animal crackers…

Don’t these poor cookies look sad?

I had plans to try to get to the gym after work so I had a little pre-gym snack to tide me over…

Astro Original Organic vanilla yogurt.  This was a great find.  Thick and flavorful like our beloved Liberte but not quite so pricey. 

With sliced banana and a crumbled Roasted Almond granola bar.

Of course, by the time I finished work and completed a couple of personal tasks I had absolutely no desire to go to the gym.  It’s dark out, our Christmas tree is lit, FH is comfy on the couch, and I’m happy here in my slippers.  The world will not end if I miss a workout…right?  :)

FH had already eaten because I had said I wasn’t going to be here, so I just made a quick salad topped with some leftovers from the fridge.

Spinach, grape tomatoes, red onion & mushrooms drizzled with EVOO and s&p…

Topped with the Zucchini & Black Bean Pasta from Friday night…

We are now cozied in with some tea, some dry roasted peanuts, and Video on Demand.  Sounds good to me!

When life gives you leftovers…

…make Sunday brunch!

Steak & mushroom omelette with sauteed mild Italian sausages & zucchini and warmed ciabatta.

Serves two:  2 eggs, 2 egg whites, splash of skim milk, s&p, sprinkle of dill.

Cook in a sprayed non-stick pan until firm and fill with browned steak, onions and sliced mushrooms and a sprinkle of old white cheddar cheese…

The baguette got a little hard overnight, so I sliced it up and spread a little Becel between the slices.  Wrapped in foil and heated in the oven while the omelette cooked.

Served with Starbucks Christmas Blend that I picked up on Saturday…

Yummy for the tummy!

Later, I turned the leftover chicken into enchiladas!

Quickly poached the chopped chicken in a non-stick pan with some of the ‘failed’ fondue chicken broth and finished off with some of my homemade Mexican seasoning…

Mashed some navy beans…

Added the chicken and shredded it…

Mixed with a scoop of salsa, a splash of enchilada sauce, about 1/2 oz of shredded part-skim mozzarella, and some green onions…

Rolled the filling into 6 small corn tortillas…

 

Sprayed and lighted coated a small glass baking dish with enchilada sauce and laid the rolled tortillas in line…

Topped with remaining sauce and sprinkled with another 1/2 oz of mozza and the last few green onions…

Bake in 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes, until melty and bubbly…

Deeeeeelish.  nom nom nom.  Honestly, so good!!  Drizzled mine with light sour cream…

Leftovers never go to waste around here!!

Hooptie doo and dickory dock…

…and don’t forget to hang up your sock…

*dances around*

Last night was the beginning of our Christmas.  Christmas carols played while we decorated our Christmas tree.  We set everything up a week early this year because FH is leaving for Winnipeg a bit sooner than last year.  We wanted to be sure to get some enjoyment out of our Christmas decorations before leaving for our family time.  FH spends the season with his son, and I head home to Victoria with family and friends.  We come back to spend New Years Eve together.

‘Tis FH’s year to use his Santa topper on the tree.  We take turns.  I used my angel last year.

 

Don’t ask about the pipe.  lol.  He just feels it’s a festive touch.  :)

I wait all year to wear my Christmas socks!

And this year we decided our tree wouldn’t be complete without bendy Elvis…

I also added to the Starbucks ornament collection thanks to a birthday gift card from Tasha…

We have 10 now!  I told FH I might have to get a separate mini-tree next year just for the Starbucks collection.  We can call it the ‘corporate whore tree’…lol.

While we danced around the Christmas tree we nibbled on a fondue feast!  We used to fondue fairly regularly but since we moved here (almost two years ago!) we hadn’t even unpacked all of our fondue stuff. 

In trying to keep it a little on the healthier side, I asked FH if he would mind trying a broth fondue instead of the usual boiling oil.  He agreed.  WooT! 

I Googled a super easy recipe… chicken stock & white wine…adding a garlic clove, onion chunk, and bay leaf to the simmering pot…

 

Also made a 1/2 pot of beef broth…splash of red wine, beef stock, garlic clove and lots of fresh cracked pepper. 

The concept was great, but the broth just doesn’t stay hot enough to really cook the meat and veggies…so we did end up switching the chicken stock for oil after all.  The beef one worked OK because it was a smaller portion in a smaller pot.  (The chicken had to be able to properly cook the raw chicken and we weren’t taking any chances.)

        

Super duper yummy.  If you have never fondued, I highly recommend it.  All you need is a good pot, some fresh veggie oil, meats of your choice (we chose chicken, steak, and mild Italian sausage), fresh veggies (FH must have mushrooms, I heart zucchini), and some tasty dips to finish each bite.

I made garlic aioli (I recommend trying roasted garlic, this was pretty strong with raw garlic), honey mustard mayo, and pick your favorite BBQ sauce (we found a Bulls Eye made with Guinness!).

Add some bread and cheese to round it out, and open up a bottle of wine…et voila, fun fancy dinner.  :)

Finish with chocolate of course… milk chocolate almond bark in our case…

We then cozied up on the couch for the first our favorite Christmas movies…Love Actually!  :)

Do you have a traditional meal for you decorating day/night?