My after work outfit!  I wanted to be warm and comfortable to go to the movies so I wore a hooded sweatshirt and a scarf.  I like the colorful combination.  Annnnd this picture is a reminder that I need to clean the bathroom mirror.

Before going to see Hot Tub Time Machine, Jared, Chris, and I went to Rock Bottom Brewery for appetizers and a round of drinks.  We ordered chips with guacamole and mini-quesadillas.

I did NOT enjoy HTTM, but the guys thought it was great.  Wow…  They laughed out loud the whole movie, while I sat with my head in my hand, annoyed by how stupid it was.  I like comedies; I’m all about dumb humor.  But this was too much for me to handle.

Post-movie, we grabbed dinner at Remington’s.  Remington’s is above the Beantown Comedy Vault.  I had a big house salad with grilled chicken.  It was really basic, but I wasn’t very hungry so it worked out well.

Rise and shine!  I didn’t photograph the small bowl of cereal I ate before driving over to the reservoir in Chestnut Hill.

I met Lauren and Emily for a relaxed run.  Definitely a great cardio workout to jog and talk nonstop the entire time.

It’s a chilly day in Boston despite the sunshine.  But with a few layers, it wasn’t too cold for running.  We covered 4.9 miles in about 55 minutes.

After standing around and talking for 20 minutes when we were done running, I was COLD.  I sprinted back to my warm car, thanks to my parking space in the sun.  I drank a container of passion fruit flavored coconut water to rehydrate.

The guys enjoyed a lazy Saturday at home while I was working out.

I was SO hungry and couldn’t wait for lunch.  So while it was cooking, I tried a few carrots dipped in Barney Butter.   A weird flavor combo, but it worked and I liked it.  Though after a few bites I put the vegetables aside and helped myself to a spoonful of the most amazing almond butter I’ve ever tasted!

Finally lunchtime.  Spinach and cheese tortellini with olive oil and Parmesan cheese.  Simple, easy, and tasty!

I have some fun *news* to announce to you guys.  I’m really excited to share it…but you’ll have to wait until I write the post! 

I seriously needed to rehydrate so I made a smoothie with:

• 4 ice cubes
• 1 cup of frozen blackberries
• 1 container of blueberry yogurt
• 1/2 cup of Mango coconut water

I had trouble getting everything to blend.  4 ice cubes might’ve been too many.  But once everything was finally mixed together, this smoothie tasted great.  It wasn’t very sweet or overly fruity.  I appreciated the light flavor, and the electrolytes from the coconut water.

I was really excited to make Buffalo Chicken Calzones for dinner.

I used a recipe from Lauren’s blog, Healthy Food for Living.  I set my laptop up on the kitchen counter so I could follow the directions exactly as Lauren typed them.

2 little calzones waiting to go into the oven.

Spreading the whole wheat dough.

Ta-da!  My masterpiece!

Healthy little calzone and a side salad.

Mmm!  This recipe was SOOOO good.  Jared, Mark, and Maggie all enjoyed it.  I was proud that it turned out so well.

I don’t cook very often for a variety of reasons.  My kitchen is too small, I’m lazy, I’m afraid my recipes won’t turn out well.  But this was a boost of confidence.  I’m going to try to cook 1 new recipe per month.  While this one wasn’t exactly from scratch, I worked hard and I’m already browsing for my next cooking challenge.

I was excited to try Zico coconut water in a smoothie this morning.  I blended…

• 1 container of Zico coconut water
• 2 ice cubes
• 1 cup of frozen berries
• 1 tablespoon of blueberry flax seed
• 1 packet of truvia

Though the smoothie wasn’t going to be very filling, I was thirsty and it did the trick.  I also liked the subtle sweetness.  I wasn’t in the mood for something to taste over the top sugary.

After leaving my smoothie on the table so I could finish drying my hair, I returned to find that the coconut water had separated from the rest of the mix.  With a few swirls of a spoon, everything was blended back together.  I made sure to drink it really quickly so I could finish it before it separated again.

Here’s our little Christmas tree, waiting to be decorated when I get home from work later tonight.

And here is the bane of my existance:  Jared’s mess of boxes and wires that sit on either side of the TV!  There must be some way to organize, or at least hide, everything!

It’s sunny, a little muggy, and over 60 degrees in Boston today.  It didn’t feel right listening to Christmas music on the drive to work.  It felt great to snack on a Clementine though.  My smoothie didn’t keep me very full and my stomach was growling!

Here are 2 shots from the tree lighting in Copley Square because despite the weather, it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

I took the dog for a walk around 5 pm.  It felt good to get out of the house, and Miles really appreciated it.  We reached Copley Square just in time to watch the tree lighting ceremony.  I even snagged a free container of eggnog that I’m saving for when I’m convinced that I’m 100% back to normal.

I have photos but my camera is charging right now so those will wait until tomorrow, along with photos of Jared’s and my first Christmas Tree together!  We bought a little 3 footer from the flower shop by Back Bay station.  I’m waiting for the branches to fall.  Tomorrow I’ll add lights and other decorations.  Love the fresh pine smell!

Thanks to Jared’s i-phone, I was able to get a photo of my dinner.  I didn’t want to get too crazy so I just had a piece of chicken and fusilli tossed in olive oil.

Now, Zico:  The Facts

Zico Natural contains 100% natural coconut water.  Zico Mango and Zico Passion Fruit also contain citric acid and natural fruit flavorings.

Nutritional Highlights

• Low in calories.
• Zero fat or cholesterol.
• Lots of electrolytes.
• Natural hangover remedy.  The electrolytes and glucose in coconut water greatly reduce nasty hangovers, as they helps cleanse the body of toxins while providing hydration and nourishment.
• More potassium than a banana.  The high potassium content stops and prevents cramping, helps regulate blood pressure, and more.
• Low sugar.  Since there is no added sugar, the natural sugar in coconut water is largely glucose.  It is safe for diabetics.
• Low acidity.  Coconut water is easy to digest and easier on tooth enamel.
• Beneficial antioxidants.  Drinking coconut water can rid of the body of free radical and stimulate cell division.  This will improve hair, skin, and nails.
• Natural energy drink!  The natural glucose and electrolytes in Zico provide sustained energy without the crashing effects of caffeine or added simple sugars.

Zico is an  environmentally friendly company.  Their packaging is 100% recyclable.  Even if someone does not recycle his or her coconut water, Zico packages collapse in landfills so they take up less space.  Zico has worked hard to make sure they leave a minimal carbon footprint!

I’m going to try mixing coconut water into my next smoothie.  I want to seem how it tastes and I can’t ignore health benefits like that.  I’ve stayed far away from sports drinks since I realized how many calories and sugars they contain.  I can’t wait to try blending Zico once I get back into long distance running next spring.  I’m glad Zico sent me several containers and flavors to try!

I snacked on some Chobani with a spirnkle of Trader Joe’s trail mix and a spoonful of PB Loco’s Jungle Banana flavor.  I’m so glad PB Loco sent this delicious sample.  I never would’ve tried it because I’m not a huge fan of anything claiming to be banana flavored.  But this was really tasty, with a subtle hint of banana mixed with the PB taste.

I didn’t actually use my fingers….but I did dive back in for another spoonful of PB Loco’s Jungle Banana.

I finally got around to trying some coconut water that Zico kindly sent to me.  How classy when served in a wine glass!

I enjoyed the passion fruit flavor.  Zico cocnut water has a thicker texture.  It almost reminded me of Dreamy Cloud sake, which has a chewiness to it.  I liked the sweetness of the passion fruit flavoring

We went all-out with dinner tonight:  grilled chicken, couscous, asparagus, and Morningstar Farms spinach and artichoke bites.  Yum!

Plus a bottle of red table wine from the Prejean Winery in the Finger Lakes region of NY.

I watched part of the Biggest Loser and did my Whittle My Middle exercises.  Now I’m reading/watching the VS Fashion Show and then getting some Zzz’s.