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Now I can only hope that Gaga gets well ASAP and the rescheduled date fits on my calendar.  (Highly likely, I’m not that exciting)  I’ll be really disappointed if the show gets canceled because these were expensive tickets.  Don’t play a Love Game with me Lady Gaga.  Come back and perform in all of your crazy glory!

I had a small salad before dinner last night with spinach, green peppers, grape tomatoes, and cheddar cheese, topped with Italian dressing.

Jared made fettuccine and a meat sauce made with ground turkey.  It tasted delicious…but my stomach felt a little weird after eating.

Stomach strangeness temporarily ignored, Jared and I split a bowl of Coconut Bliss “Mint Galactica” frozen dessert.

No photos of me; Miles is a better example of what I looked like.  Cranky, tired, and uncomfortable.  By bedtime, my stomach was extra strange.  I chewed on 2 Tums and curled up, hoping to fall asleep and forget about it.

I woke up at 2 am with the most painful stomach ache ever.  I was curled up in the fetal position on the couch for an hour.  I can’t understand how Jared lasted 3 days with appendicitis before seeing a doctor.  My after dinner cramps were killer for the few hours that they lasted.  Beyond miserable!  (I can honestly say I would prefer nausea or the even grosser upset stomach affliction rather than straight up pain.)  But seriously, no complaining from me.  I just had to wait it out.

Eventually I fell asleep and woke up at 7 feeling a lot better, but pretty tired.  I had already requested a vacation day today, thinking I would be tired from the Lady Gaga concert.  My original plan was to go to work and save the vacation day for later, but after a lousy night’s sleep, I figured it was easier just to stay home and hang out.  No one was expecting me at work anyway so no biggie.

I used the last of my Asia Superfruit Spread and some Cinnamon Swirl peanut butter on wheat toast.  No need to put my stomach through a big test after such an eventful evening.

I scheduled a last minute eye doctor’s appointment for later this afternoon and then I’m going to a spin class.

Crofter’s Organic is sponsoring a giveaway for Crunches for Cupcakes readers.  Two lucky winners will receive:

• Asia Superfruit Spread: Yumberries and raspberries
• Europe Superfruit Spread:  Pomegranates and black currants blended with red grapes and morello cherries
• North America Superfruit Spread:  Wild cranberries and blueberries blended with red grapes and morello cherries
• South America Superfruit Spread:  Maqui berries and passionfruit blended with red grapes and morello cherries

To Enter: Visit Crofter’s Organic web site and take a look around.  Then leave a comment on this post telling me what type of Superfruit Spread or other Crofter’s product you’d like to try most!

*You can earn extra entries by tweeting about this giveaway and/or posting about it on your blog, and then leaving comments to let me know!*

I was most excited to try the Asia Superfruit Spread because I thought “yumberries” sounded like a fun ingredient.

I also learned the difference between a jam and a jelly while exploring the Crofter’s site.

Jam: Crushed, puréed or chopped fruit cooked down with sugar. A soft, chunk-free pulp.  Jelly:  Just the juice, nothing but the juice. And sugar. No seeds, whole berries or chunks of fruit. Clear and well-jelled.

Also… Fruit Spread: A recent addition to the jam aisle, fruit spreads began as reduced-calorie products made with alternative sweeteners and fruit juice concentrates.

The deadline for this giveaway is Saturday, January 16th.  I’ll randomly select two winners on Saturday morning.  Good Luck!

I woke up feeling SO much better than yesterday.  Not gonna lie, I did run to the mirror to see if maybe my tooth had magically fixed itself.  It didn’t so I’m still going to the dentist tomorrow afternoon.

I made a bagel with cream cheese and Crofter’s Superfruit Spread.  I’m always heavy handed with the toppings.  I couldn’t even finish both halves of the bagel!

There was leftover coffee in the fridge so I made myself an ice coffee to drink on the way to work.  For some reason, every time I took a sip, coffee spilled out of the mug.  I tried to keep the mess to a minimum.  Thank God for napkins in my glove compartment.

I snacked on a juicy Clementine around 11 am.

I really excited because some of my coworkers have decided to start a New Year’s Resolution group.  Anyone who has resolved to lose weight, stay in shape, eat better, etc. is welcome to meet once a week.  The group plans to share recipes, motivational tips, exercise ideas, and most importantly progress made towards individual goals.  When I e-mailed my boss and expressed interest in being part of this group, she was really psyched to have me on board and told me that she’s glad to have my “expertise and support.”  Awww!

Another reason I’m glad to be joining this group:  My boss organized a knitting group a while ago.  I do NOT know how to knit or do anything crafty.  I tried to learn how to crochet so I could join in on the fun, but it was a diaster.  My mom ended up crocheting the blanket I had planned on making.  I’m glad this newly formed group is something that I’m better at.  I can talk about health and fitness topics all day!

I feel like I’m at the North Pole right now.  It’s been COLD in Boston.  Yesterday we reached a high of 24 degrees and when I left my apartment this morning, it was 2 degrees.  I was crying from coldness by the time I got to my car!  And those low numbers don’t even include the wind chill factor; it actually felt MUCH colder!  Boston has a lot of wind tunnels which make walking around brutal in the winter time.

As a city dweller, I feel more justified to complain about the cold.  While those in suburbia run to a cold car parked in their driveways, I hoof it 4 blocks through the frigid air to my car.  Aside from driving to work, I leave my car parked in my rental space and walk everywhere else.  Hauling groceries in a real pain when it’s cold out! Walking anywhere is a real pain when it’s cold out!  And don’t even get me started on how crappy city living can be when it snows.  There’s no where to put the plowed snow so it makes walking, street parking, and driving difficult.

Breaking the fast: I had a waffle topped with Crofter’s Sueprfruit Spread.  I love the spread, but the waffle itself was bland so I should’ve added a 2nd topping.

See above rant for reasons why my Ugg boots and jeans can be justified as work appropriate today.  And I think it’s becoming obvious that I love skinny jeans tucked into any sort of boots.  That’s my go-to look!

In between typing, I’ve been warming my fingers by my space heater.  Brrrr!  Tomorrow is supposed to be a bit “warmer” and then Boston may get some snow on Sunday.  White Christmas perhaps?  There’s even been an early prediction for snow on Christmas Day.

I refused to open my laptop while Glee was on.  But at least I photographed my nibble of Newman’s Own Organics Milk Chocolate.  Mmm, But definitely not for dogs!)

Glee was great!  I laughed; I almost cried.  I can’t wait for it to return in the spring.  I’m sure I’ll get the DVD as soon as I see it in stores on 12/29.

I made my vanilla Chobani turn into a berry flavor by adding a scoop of Crofter’s Superfruit Spread, and some granola too.

An apple today cuz I wanna keep the doctor away.

I had a steaming hot bowl of turkey chili from the HealthWorks Oasis Cafe.

I also ordered the Cafe’s salad of the day:  Greens with chicken, black beans, corn, and avocado topped with balsamic dressing.  I don’t usually eat avocados, but I’m going to try a little bite today.

Just a note to my family who may be reading this post:  Jared’s family has sent 2 Christmas cards already.  You guys need to step it up!

Yeah, I left my cable at work last night so I couldn’t post anything.  Sorry sorry sorry for the delay!

When I got to work yesterday, I snacked on a 2nd Clementine.

I was starving at 11 am so I gobbled down leftover chicken, couscous, and asparagus.

For dessert, I had 3 Newman’s Own Herman cookies.  Mmmm!

I went to the gym in this outfit.  I feel like my thighs look too big in those skinny cords, and the shirt looks too short.  Not my best combo?  When I left I had to wear my shower flip flops because it was much to warm out to put my boots back on.

I brought New Moon to the gym.  I read for 25 minutes while I rode the bike.  It was a great workout while I fell more in love with 2 fictional characters.  Yup, I’m torn between Edward and Jacob right now.  I used the foam roller…so painful but it really does hurt so good.  I feel so much better after I use it.

I had to rush back to the office to help with file cleanup.  In the midst of our cleaning, I snacked on a Luna Bar.

I was SO hungry when I got home so I ate a VitaBrownie to hold me over until dinner.

I walked Miles to Back Bay station to meet my friend Cara when she got off the train.  Cara needed to spend the night so she could catch a flight out of Logan this afternoon.

Cara, Jared, and I went to Picco for dinner.  Jared was starving so he ordered a bruschetta appetizer.

Jared and I split a Neapolitan Pizza:  tomatoes, mozzarella, fresh basil.

Cara had a combo of 2 different styles.  One was topped with bacon.  I’m pretty sure the other had goat cheese.

Jared took over the TV to watch the Bills game.  Cara and I chatted and caught up.  It was great to learn more about the t-shirt company that Cara is launching, the Azu brand!

I had to rush a little bit to get ready for work.  I toasted an Arnold Thin and topped it with Crofter’s Superfruit Spread.

I made it to work just in time to start a workshop focused on the Myers-Briggs type inventory test.  (I’m an INFJ…but I already knew that because I took the test last spring)

BC catered our lunch after the workshop was over.  I just inhaled a turkey sandwich, chips, and a pickle.  I was SO hungry.

Now it’s time to actually get some work done!

I made American Chop Suey for dinner using spinach penne, ground turkey, and a can of corn.  I forgot to cook the corn before adding it to the mix, but I resolved the problem by putting the HUGE serving bowl into the microwave for 30 seconds.  I ate my American Chop Suey with a small salad.  A great dinner and TONS of leftovers!

I managed to take 6 minutes to Whittle My Middle before heading to bed.  I couldn’t sleep; I tossed and turned for at least an hour.  So what’s a girlie girl to do?  I thought about clothes and decided I absolutely NEED to own a pair of brown ankle boots.  Too bad the ones I really want are back-ordered on J.Crew’s web site.  I’ll figure something out!

I made a PB&J yogurt blend using my Crofter’s Asia Superfruit Spread and a sample of PB Loco White Chocolate Raspberry peanut butter.

Delicious!  And I loved the white chocolate chips that were buried in the peanut butter.

Giving Thanks

Including today, I have to make it through 3 more boring lunches before my big Thanksgiving feast.

I’m also very thankful for my father!  My dad is one of the only people who loves Disney as much as I do.  He’d take a trip to Orlando in a heartbeat, especially if Disney was offering the free Dining Plan.  My dad is a dedicated sports fan.  He follows NU, BC, and Skidmore: where I went and Skidmore is where my brother goes to school.  My dad also supports family and friends.  He’ll spend weekends at high school hockey games, Assumption College field hockey, or town league soccer games.  My dad recently discovered his love for taking pictures.  He was in charge of the camera during our family vacation to London and snapped over 1,000 pics in 4 days.  He takes food photos and sends them to me.  I think he should start his own blog!  I love my father and I’m very thankful that he’s made a full recovery after suffering a heart attack when I was a sophmore in college.

Posing with one of his dream snack foods!

Jared and I went to dinner at Pops Restaurant, another restaurant that’s really close to our apartment.  We shared a bottle of Sangiovese.  For the past few months, I’ve been saying I was not a fan of Sangiovese wine, but last night I realized I had gotten confused with Montepulciano.  Whoops!

I ordered the Confit Duck.  It was cooked in a red wine chocolate sauce that added a subtle sweet and delicious flavor.  I was disappointed with the bland wild rice risotto.  But the duck was good enough to make the dish an A+ in my book!

Jared ordered Kobe meatloaf with mashed potatoes.  It was really good but couldn’t hold a candle to the duck confit.

We met Mark and Maggie at Johnny D’s in Somerville to listen to some live music.  Maggie gave her review of New Moon.  I really need to read the book so I can check out the film.  It’s supposed to be much better than Twilight.

When we got home, I realized that the duck hadn’t been overly filled and I needed to eat before bed.  I hate waking up extra early because my stomach is growling.  We ate bowls of Pacific Foods’ tomato soup and grilled cheese while watching SNL.

I was able to sleep late and didn’t wake up feeling famished.  When I finally got around to eating breakfast, I had a bowl of Peanut Butter Puffins cereal and an Arnold Thin with almond butter and Crofter’s Superfruit Spread.

I chose the Crofter’s Superfruit Spread from Asia.  It contains raspberries and yumberries with Morello cherries and red grapes.  I’m really glad that Crofter’s sent 4 jars for me to sample.  I’m psyched to try the other flavors.  I’m also going to make a batch of cupcakes filled with the Suprfruit Spread.

Lunch was simple.  I am trying to use up the fresh foods in our fridge before we head out of town on Wednesday.  I had a turkey sandwich, a few Baked Ruffle chips, and some strawberries.

My parents came to pick up Miles.  He’s staying with them until after Thanksgiving.  I’m crossing my fingers that my mom will bring my dirty dog to get groomed.  But she might be too busy…I also sent 3 trash bags filled with dirty laundry home!

Giving Thanks

With today  marking the beginning of Thanksgiving Week, I am going to post 1 thing I’m thankful for at the end of every blog post.

I’m very thankful for my mom!  Not just because she offers to do laundry for me, but for everything she has done to help my brother and me over the years!  She’s always willing to help out.  My mom takes extra hours at work so her coworkers can take personal days or call-in sick.  She bakes muffins for my cousin and sometimes hand delivers them.  My mom is always willing to take care of Miles!  Shes my hero for those reasons and many many more!

Momma Bird feeding the Baby Bird