Vanilla Icing

Planet Smoothie Pittsburgh

Years ago, when I lived in beautiful Monterey, California, I became acquainted with two things that Pittsburgh didn't have at the time:  coffee shops & smoothie shops.  I spent many, many hours in the former and as for the latter?  I met my civilian boyfriend at the smoothie shop he worked at and we often would grab a smoothie to go after he got off of work.  When I returned to Pittsburgh a couple years later, coffee shops were just arriving.  Smoothie shops were no where to be found.

Pittsburgh is sometimes a little slow compared to other cities but I waited patiently and soon enough I was rewarded.  Planet Smoothie in Shadyside opened its doors in August 2011 to welcome old smoothie junkies like myself and also many new fans.  I jumped at the chance to attend a tasting event that Planet Smoothie hosted for local Pittsburgh bloggers.

They offer thirty 300 calorie or less smoothies and an additional thirty five  smoothies with two grams of fat or less.  Or, if one prefers, Planet Smoothie will customize one to the customer's specific desires.  Personally, I like to start with one of their flavor combinations and then 'pump' it up a bit.  Planet Smoothie offers different 'blasts' to add to your smoothie to increase its nutritional content.  Immunity, Multi-Vitamin, Fiber, Energy, Fat Burner, Workout, and Protein Blasts are all available to add to your smoothie.  I'm always looking to add a little extra protein to my diet and like to add an additional Protein Blast which is 6 grams of lean, non-fat whey protein.  Unlike those barrels of powdered protein you can buy at your local vitamin shop that taste like chalk, Planet Smoothie's Protein Blasts blend tastelessly into the smoothie.

Planet Smoothie uses LeanLeaf which is a blend of Agave & Stevia for a low calorie sugar alternative.  It's a good source of sweetness and has a low glycemic index for people who need to watch their sugar intake but I like it because it helps reduce calories in the smoothie.  

The Acai smoothie features acai, apple, strawberries and bananas and helps support a healthy immune system.  The apple disappears a little in this smoothie but the blend of the other fruits are a little bold for the humble apple.  The Last Mango is chock full of mangos, peaches, bananas and orange sherbet and drinking it immediately transported me to a sandy beach on the ocean. The flavors were intensely tropical and though this smoothie is called The Last Morning I can't help but think it should be renamed to 'Good Morning, Sunshine!' and given one of those little drink umbrellas.  Frozen Goat is a mix of coffee, bananas, cocoa, nonfat milk,yogurt and an Energy Blast.  It's a perfect pick me up for those who like their coffee cold.  I prefer my coffee hot but the blend of banana and cocoa reminded me of a popsicle I used to enjoy as a child.  I wouldn't mind the Frozen Goat sans…the goat.

   

Chocolate Elvis.   Mmmm.  What's not to like?  Cocoa, Peanut Butter and bananas blended with nonfat milk and yogurt and kicked up a notch with an Energy Blast.  It reminded me of the King spiked milkshake at Brgr but a non-spiked healthier alternative.

    

The Leapin' Lizard has a Fat Burner Blast added to sweet peaches and strawberries that is delicious but simple enough for those trying out their first smoothie.  The Planet Pro smoothie is a basic blend of strawberries and bananas but then a full meal replacement packet is added to the smoothie.  It's high in protein and perfect for after an afternoon workout when dinner is still a long way off.  This smoothie was a little thicker than the others but strawberries and bananas are my absolute favorite smoothie combination and I thought the thickness made the smoothie almost like a milk shake.  

Planet Smoothie generously gifted us with coupons, a t-shirt and a 2 week pass for X Shadyside gym.  And then, I won an additional 4 week pass to the gym.  Do you think they know that I'll be unable to resist stopping for a smoothie every time I leave the gym?  Probably?  If that's their plan, it's a good one because the smoothies are delicious and by choosing the right smoothie and adding the proper blasts I'll really be able to maximize the effects of my workout.  And I might just make a few stops in to grab a smoothie…without the workout.  Shhh!

 

The Last Ten Days

I get a surprising amount of email asking me how I 'can eat all of the stuff I bake.'  I've never taken the time to answer those emails because I couldn't decide if they were asked in curiosity or maliciousness.  (There were one or two that were written rather meanly).  But today I've decided I'll answer in three parts.

ONE

I don't buy a lot of pre-made things.  This means that I bake all of our bread items (bread, rolls, english muffins, bagels, etc.).  I bake/make almost all of snacks  that and this ranges from cookies to muffins to ice cream and juice popsicles to pretzels to popcorn.  The only snacks I don't bake/make are fruit, veggies, nuts and crackers.  I can't find a satisfying cracker recipe.   I do think homemade items from wholefoods are by far more healthy than over processed foods even when it might be the 'same thing.'

TWO

I count every. single. calorie. I use Spark People to keep track of everything I eat.  I eat between 1200-1500 calories a day and YES, that is using real butter, whole milk and full fat yogurt among other things.  When I roast veggies I drizzle them in extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle them with fresh ground pepper and coarse sea salt.   When I toast an English muffin I baked, I spread softened butter all over the top of it and if the butter is dripping off that piping hot muffin all the better.

Now that sounds like I'm all about the olive oil and butter.  But, when I eat that English muffin for lunch, I'll also have raw carrots on the side.  I'll have a banana for a snack later.  When I'm eating those roasted veggies I'm also having a small portion of rosemary grilled chicken.

I'd rather eat a slightly smaller portion of something delicious that is a whole food or made from whole foods rather than an overprocessed 'low fat' tasteless item.  And since I've started eating this way (the last two years) my already good cholesterol went down another 20 points.  My already good blood pressure went down too.  So for me, this way seems to work--and taste good!--very well.

THREE

I exercise.  EVERY day.  A minimum of thirty minutes.  I realized some time ago, that if I made sure to find the time every day, that 30 minutes of exercise is actually less time than the time I'd spend feeling negative towards my body if I didn't do anything at all.  I try to get my workout in in the morning.  Sometimes, things crop up and I have to move it to the afternoon or the evening but I always fit it in.  Rare are the things that crop up that can't wait 30 minutes.  I put a priority on my workout.  To me, it's just as important as brushing my teeth or washing my face.  It's part of my routine--it's getting done.

I've found that making it a priority and trying to incorporate it into 'extracurricular' activities makes it easy.  I thought I'd share the last ten days of what I did:

5/23 --Bike ride with Rick, 60 minutes
5/24--Bike ride with Rick, 120 minutes (with a nice stop for a quick 'picnic' lunch!)
5/25--Treadmill, incline setting, 35 minutes  (Watched the Tudors while using)
5/26--Treadmill, incline setting, 30 minutes
5/27--Treadmill, incline setting, 30 minutes AND Trail Running at the park, 30 minutes (hills, yikes!)
5/28--Treadmill, incline setting, 35 minutes  (Watched part of Casablanca while using)
5/30--Treadmill, incline setting, 30 minutes
5/30--Bike ride with Rick & the kids, 50 minutes
5/31--Bike ride with Rick & the kids, 100 minutes (and 13 miles!! not bad for the kids!)
6/1--Rollerblade, 76 minutes

To some (certainly not to all), this might seem like a lot of exercise, but it's what I've been able to build up to.  When I first started, I coudn't jog for 5 minutes and I hadn't biked or bladed in years.  I just started slowly and built up to a level where I was comfortable with.  It's a level that I'm comfortable with that keeps me healthy and fit but is not so much that it overwhelms or consumes me.

Now, sure, I have 'mess ups.'  There are times when I go over my calorie level by a little bit but it doesn't happen as often as it used to.  If I know we are going out to dinner later, I try to eat lighter meals earlier in the day and/or plan ahead of time what I'll have at the restaurant.  Or once in awhile, time will escape me and I can't seem to manage to drag myself on the treadmill (not often, I'll use it at 10pm if I have to but it DOES sometimes happen) and I don't get a workout in.  And if any of these things happen, I'll try to be a little more careful the next day with what I eat or add on a little extra time to my workouts.

But most of all, I forgive myself and don't let my mistakes make me give up.

....and if I'm working out and wanting to quit before I'm finished, I remind myself how good 'x' will taste guilt free...because who can have guilt when you are being mindful of what you eat the majority of the time and are exercising?

So that, my curious email senders, is how I can 'eat what I bake.'  =)   And for the record, in no way do I claim to have a fitness model body--I'm far, far FAR from it.  But, I'm 25lbs lighter than I was 2 years ago and I consider myself fit and healthy and happy.

Yay Boston!

No, unfortunately I'm not going back there....at least not until October!  Anyways, I was on my PC scrounging around specifically for this picture:

2 years ago..and thanks to that !#@%ing treadmill (and my rollerblades, running and biking and most of all SPARKPEOPLE!!!)...roughly 25 lbs ago.  Yay me!

Okay I'm sorta done patting myself on my back...hang with me...

I sign into flickr to upload it and find an email stating that Schmap (some tourist-y map thing) would like to use one of my Boston pictures in their map/guides!!!!

This picture to be precise:

It's a restaurant in the North End called Assaggio that we ate at.  I guess all it needs it a final approval but they had to wait on my permission to use it first..so keep your fingers crossed that it gets used!

Okay, I'm done tooting my own horn now...I promise!  Here's a few things to remind me not to be boast too much:

1--I slept in AGAIN today, thereby causing myself to dash madly about this morning getting everyone ready and cramming lunch money into my children's hands instead of making them a proper lunch.

2--I banged my hip--HARD!--on the filing cabinet at work today.

3--Which happened right after I got a paper cut while opening the mail.

4--Which was  20 minutes before I nearly crashed into Bob in the hall.

5--I disconnected at least one person I'm sure of--maybe two.

6--I called some company repeatedly asking for a form to be re-faxed over...that was never supposed to be faxed over in the first place!

7--And I hid in the basement folding laundry so Rick would have to do the bedtime routine because I could not abide reading Curious George another time nor searching for Waldo again. =(

8--Finally, I'm going to get an awfully short night of sleep again because I simply MUST wake up early tomorrow and didn't go to bed early tonight like I planned and will probably have a similar repeat of today!

My last bit of rambling here is this...it is really nice to look over a list like the above and be able to appreciate that none of it was truly bad.  I am very lucky and blessed to be able to say that!!

And grateful too!

Combatting Boredom

I've been finding new ways to divert my attention while doing other things.  For example, at the office, I've little to nothing to do.  I enter in some information, send a fax or two, make a phone call and answer the phone when it rings (which doesn't happen over much) and if I'm lucky I might get to scan something in or type up something.  The amount of work I have to do--or maybe more accurately--the work I don't have to do is because of a few things.

1.  I'm still 'new.'  <----It is the 5th week.
2.  Maybe the people there don't want to overwhelm me?  <----Very thoughtful.
3.  Because I work a 'short' day maybe it isn't worth it to teach me something else?  <---- Probably can't teach me much until I get licensed.
4.  Perhaps I'm in some experiment where someone unseen is observing me to see how well I can appear to be busy?  <-----Yeah.  Number 4 has to be it.

Well Mr. Unseen, remember this morning when I was bent over my desk studiously writing something?  I was very hard at work.  Very hard.

I just couldn't get this darn sheep to look like a sheep!!!  I must have rubbed him out with my eraser ten times to start over again.  I was just about to add a cow to my menagerie except the phone rang and it made me forget--do cows' ears stick up? out? or down?

Hopefully, over Thanksgiving Break I'll get these little guys embroidered onto something.  It's been awhile since I've done anything crafty and this will be my first time embroidering something of my own (extremely amateur) design.

It's been nearly 2 months since the majority of my workouts have moved inside.  Now that I'm at the office 5 days a week, I haven't anytime to exercise during the day which means I have to do it at night.  By the time I get the kids, we do some things together, I cook dinner, we eat and clean up after the meal it's too dark to go outside.  The treadmill was REALLY getting boring.  It faced a wall in our office.  It took no time at all to get bored of all the songs on my ipod--all 1876 of them--and to get cross-eyed trying to read while working out.  Last night Rick helped me (okay, he did it and I pretended to help) move it into another room on our 2nd floor where we have a television.  I'm not a big television watcher (I watch Prison Break and now that's not on again until January) but with remote in hand I can flip through several shows at once to keep me distracted.  Today I watched America's Next Top Model, Sell this House and Mama's Family--that 'last' button on the remote really helps when alternating shows!

See the remote in the cup holder?  It has usurped the ipod. =P

Oh No! It's Halloween!

(Maia at age 2ish at old rented house because I have no picture from yesterday!)

Yesterday was a very full day. From the 6:30 am start to the 11 pm-ish close it was full of go!go!go! BreakfastOrdealofdressingeveryoneGrocerystoreOfficeKidspickupStartinnerandlaundryanddishwasherMakesugarcookiesandFinishuproastingpumpkinseeds(we like ours coated with cinnamon and sugar)---big breath of rest while Tristyn and I somehow sneak in a game of BattleShip---GetmaiafinishdinnerstraightenupGotostoreforcandyandschoolsnacksBackhomestraightenupmoreSqueezeinsoemthingtoeatasImisseddinnerReadbooksforbookreportHelpwithbookreportswhilerunningontreadmillOverseebathsshowersGivetuckinsPackcostumesPacksnacksPackbackpacksPacklunchesTerrorizehouselookingforvelcrostrips
Forgetlaundry--

!!!!!

I'll stop right there not because I want to spare anyone from squinting out the screen trying to figure out what I typed but because I didn't realize I had forgotten the laundry until I typed that! I just dashed downstairs to throw the load of clothes I started yesterday into the dryer because otherwise Tristyn will have no pants to wear to school.

And with that---I hear footsteps coming down for breakfast....Gotta go!

Making Jacks

Today was filled but nice nonetheless. Except for one small part--the part where I got another 'no, I don't want to see your ms.' in the mail today. That makes 3 'nos' in about 5 days. I think I like my rejections staggered out a little more.

Anyways.

My quads were killing me today. I have been trying not to bore everyone with my daily workout reports but yesterday's workout was pretty good--enough that I'm still feeling it more than 24 hours later! I did intervals on the treadmill for about 30 minutes but I really pushed myself so that my two uppermost speeds were significantly faster than I normally run. I spent all day being psyched at yesterday's workout. =) Tonight I toned it down some--still ran for 30 minutes but kept it all at one pace (which is only a little bit higher than the average speed I have been running at the past couple of months) except towards the end I put the treadmill on an incline for about 5 mins. There is definitely something to be said for finally sitting down to relax and type this up.

Tristyn, Maia and I were invited up to Cathy's to play for awhile, or rather the kids played while Cathy and I chatted. There were some pretty good forts and secret hideouts being constructed by the kids. I think Tristyn and Havoc's fort outdid the girls' secret hideout. We came home with barely enough time for me to start dinner before Rick came home. It's easy to lose track of time when with friends. =)

The kids were really excited to carve pumpkins and were all for putting them on the table among the remains of dinner to get started. It was difficult, but I convinced them to hold out just a little while longer to give me some time to clean up. They did their homework faster than normal--too bad I don't always have a pumpkin to dangle in front of them to speed them along!

They drew the faces they wanted on their pumpkins and I carved out the top. That's about as much as I think I'm capable of. I do best on pumpkin seed making and clean-up crew.

No one likes doing this but since Tristyn and Maia aren't old enough to carve this job falls to them.

Rick does a pretty good job of carving and following the lines the kids drew.

We had to carry the jack o'lanterns outside to test them out. That's very important. Tristyn's is on the left--Maia's is on the right.

A simple but fun decoration to use on our mantel.

Finally, a rousing game of Candy Land to cap off the night. Tristyn elected not to play because he wanted to scope out the kitchen to see what I had tucked away for dessert. It didn't take him long to find it either--neopolitan ice cream sandwiches. He and Maia each had one before it was time to get ready for bed. You can't have too much Halloween--we finished the Junie B Halloween book and they fell asleep to their new Halloween CDs.

I'm not sure how they fall asleep listening to the Ghostbuster's theme song.

Relaxing Randomness

Weekends become much more precious when you are sitting in an office 5 days a week. Not that I'm complaining, because I'm rather enjoying being at the office, I'm just trying to make the point that now I'm enjoying my weekends even more than usual.

The kids were away this weekend and Rick and I had a relaxing weekend doing errands at a leisurely pace and going out to have a bit of fun. On Friday, we had a light dinner at Panera, followed by coffee and a shared slice of lemon loaf at Starbucks. Then....I earned Chick Flick Credits...at LEAST two...by seeing '30 Days of Night' with Rick. There were a few parts of the movie that were too gruesome for me and I had to hide my eyes (I'm a wimp) but all in all it was one of the better horror movies I've had to see recently. Rick really liked it and plans to add it to his zombie/vampire movie collection when it comes out on DVD.

We both slept in a little bit on Saturday and spent some time around the house doing nothing much at all--which I think we both needed! I put together a few query envelopes/packages to send out on Monday. Then, we took the dogs for a walk.

Obligatory dog with autumn leaves picture. =P I took this picture (Rick was inside Adam's place talking to him) to amuse myself. Errands came up on our list next and we took Riley and Bob with us while we: went to the office to search for Rick's missing debit card (found it), got gas for the car, got envelopes, paper and copies made at Office Depot for queries, picked out a coat tree at the furniture store and snagged some groceries at Giant Eagle.

Some friends of ours were going to a bar down the Strip and we decided we would get ready and go there too after getting some dinner. On our way to Bloomfield for dinner, Becky, my sister-in-law texted me to show me her and Nate's (her husband) Halloween costumes.

Here's Nate looking snazzy with a headful of curly hair and 'stache. He is some character from a television show that I've never seen which is why I can't remember who he is being.

Becky is being Sandy from Grease after she gives up the good girl image. I've been wondering how long Becky tolerated the long blond hair! Her and Nate were planning to spend their evening in way that was similar to ours--too bad they have to live all the way in Philadelphia. =(

Rick and I didn't exactly dress up in costumes. I wore an outfit that um...isn't the sort my family normally sees me wearing but it was very appropriate for Halloween and a bar scene! Though, at Alexander's in Bloomfield for dinner I was too embarrassed to take off the long wool coat I had on. Too bad I couldn't hide my boots so well! They did get a couple of looks. It's fun to dress up. =)

The place we went to is called the Altar Bar and it's on Penn Avenue in the Strip District. It's an old church that has been converted to a nightclub/bar that has a pretty cool atmosphere. The above picture was taken while Rick and I and a couple of friends were lounging on one of the couches on the balcony. There was a band playing on the stage below and lots of people dancing. Probably about 60% or a little more was dressed in costumes. A lot of costumes were really good but the sort you would expect to see. My favorite one that I didn't expect to see was a girl dressed as a peacock. She had plummage that would have made a real peacock quite jealous!

Today has been mainly a catch up day. We slept in after coming home so late last night and spent most of the day relaxing. Chores finally reared their ugly head. I had to go through my clothes and weed out the things that no longer fit that I've been putting off for ahile and we also got the house pulled together in preparedness for the upcoming week and Rick spent a fair amount of time raking up leaves in the backyard.

I've been sparing everyone what my daily workout has been but today I got a really good interval run in on the treadmill and it made dinner (delivery pizza) all the better for it! Last Sunday night we had missed 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' so we watched that while we ate to get all caught up for tonight's episode.

It's a little past the kids' bedtime but I was waiting for the KidzBop Halloween CDs to burn for the kids (they like to listen to music to fall asleep) so now it's time for me to go read bedtime stories and give tuck-ins. =)

Not Too Cold to Swim!

Since we were out of town this week, I had to drive over to Bloomfield to drop off a check at Maia's dance studio for her tuition and her costume for the Christmas recital. Not something I was really in the mood to do, because I was busily enjoying the new location of my couch and surfing on the internet while curled up under blanket. But---I dragged myself up and out and brought along Riley and Bob.

Poor Riley was squished because of Bob's wide--um--bottom and not very comfortable in the car. However, by the time we got to the park he soon forgot about his foot that must have fallen asleep underneath Bob.

The park was really beautiful today although a bit chilly.

Not too chilly for swimming though.

Crazy dogs.

Then. I saw the stupidest looking thing that I've seen in a long time. Two daschunds in these strange chariot like contraptions running/rolling down the trail. It frightened Bob so much that he had a bit of an accident. It was all I could do to contain my laughter and suppress my disgust for the man who would torture his dogs by putting them in these things. I even called a friend to tell them all about the dogs. Then, my friend told me just why the dogs were in them. Then--I felt really stupid. =(

I found this little video on YouTube showing a dog using one of these.

Anyways, I spent the afternoon playing in my kitchen, walking to Giant Eagle to get a few things I needed and playiing in my kitchen some more. Rick and I left the house together today only long enough to grab a bite to eat and to roam around Barnes & Noble where he hit the book jackpot. He found not one, not two, but three books he liked. The last couple of times we have been there he's not been able to find anything that he really liked a lot. I spent my time absorbing information from various bread baking books. One in particular I think I'll have to splurge soon on and get: The Bread Baker's Apprentice.

Juggling

Tristyn and I went to Crazy Mocha in Bloomfield while Maia was at dance. We had lots of time to kill because she was taking a double class. We talked for awhile (about Star Wars, school, and Cub Scouts) before he got down to the business of doing his homework.

While he did his homework, I read the City Paper. There was an article about a show that some guy is putting on in Pittsburgh about solidiers who have returned from the Middle East. I read the article with quite a lot of hesitation because I fully expected the article's authorto have dug up the few disenchanted soliders that could be found but I was pleasant surprised to see that this wasn't the case. It seemed that the author of the article/show is trying to do more with his show than just a way to make a political statement. Who knows what will really be the case when watching the show but it was shocking (in a good way) to see this article written in the usual liberal-y City Paper way.

Rick had to come over to Bloomfield and 'swap positions' with me so I could make it to Churchill for this meeting I needed to attend. It took me nearly 40 minutes to drive through the traffic from Bloomfield to Churchill. I was very irriatated by the time I arrived 10 minutes late (I HATE being late!) and it took me a few minutes to be able to settle down and get rid of that rushrushrush! feeling. The meeting last 2.5 hours and I was glad to be done with it. The subject matter wasn't very exciting and not a little overwhelming either.

Wednesday was a busy, dull day. I spent all day cleaning the house. Literally from 8:30 am to 2:15 pm. I took a 10 minute break for a quick bite to eat at about 12:30 and then resumed doing housework. When I finally finished, I had just enough time--barely--to get in 30 mins on the treadmill (did 65 on Tuesday), take a shower and fly out the door to collect the kids from school.

We hurried home, they ate a quick afterschool snack and we left again. Maia needed a near pair of tennis shoes for when she has gym at school and we needed milk so we stopped and got these things before Tristyn's piano class. After piano, it was hurry home again where I cooked dinner and we ate before I took Tristyn to Cub Scouts. Maia tagged along and her and I colored while he had his meeting. By the time the meeting was over, bedtime routines completed it was pretty late and I was exhausted!

A little convincing...

Saturday was one of those busy but not rushed sorts of days. The kids and I visited my dad in the morning and he gave me half of the largest zucchini I've ever saw to take home. It is probably four times the size of the smallish ones I usually purchase at the store. My family is not going to be overly happy with me as I am really the only fan of that vegetable here.

After the kids were picked up a little before noon, Rick and I headed over to Frick Park for a run. We kept it realatively easy in anticipation of something he managed to convince me to do on Sunday.

He convinced me to run The Great Race!!!!

We went home from Frick, showered and left to go register. On the way, we passed a house next to the primary school that was on fire! The flames shooting out of the roof were fantastically high in that awful, gut sickening way. As of Monday, we haven't heard if anyone got hurt (I don't think so, it was the middle of the day) but the whole roof is gone and the amount of smoke damage has to be astronomical. The primary school, while it didn't catch or sustain any damage, is cancelled for today.

Anyways, we stopped at the Race Expo to late register and get our numbers, chips, etc and then we went to Station Square. Rick and I did a little shopping and then got some dinner at the Chinese restaurant. We ended our evening early, but in a typical fashion--coffee and book browsing at the Barnes & Noble in the waterfront.