Voracious Vorilee

Video Gaming

2010-02-08T23:51:17-05:00

The Boy surprised me with Little Big Planet tonight when I got home! I’ve been lusting after this game for a year now, even more so after playing it with Jessie at her and her husband’s place last weekend. I was super excited to start playing, but my stomach was grumbling for food.

The house smelled delicious and I was eager to enjoy what The Boy had prepared for dinner. On the menu was oven-roasted barbeque chicken, along with the leftover macaroni and asparagus.

It was delicious! I love barbeque chicken, and this was perfectly cooked and moist – a great meal with the leftovers!

Once we finished eating, I enjoyed a nice long conversation with my grandmother, catching up with each other. Once I was off the phone, The Boy and I headed out to the grocery store. We were running low on produce, and I was excited to replenish both my stock of fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as get other fun ingredients.

Because we were both eager to settle in and start playing with my new game, our grocery trip was a quick one, and before I knew it, we were both creating our very own Sackboy. Mine is pink with purple pigtails wearing an Elizabethan dress, and The Boy’s was an adorable Zombie! We ended up playing our way through three adventures tonight. There was lots of joking and laughter. I’m still getting the hang of the controller, so my Sackboy (girl?) ended up having a few not-so-tragic deaths along the way. I’m excited to continue to play!

Now, it’s time for bed! We were up late tonight playing video games, and I’m tired! I hope you had a great Monday, and I’ll see you tomorrow!

Question of the Day
What are your favorite games to play?

Sunny Sunday

2010-02-07T23:01:30-05:00

Today we slept in and woke up to the sun reflecting off the snow. I was slow to crawl out of my warm bed, and eventually made my way downstairs where I was eager to put together a tasty enchilada lunch.

I stuffed these with chicken and kidney beans mixed with some cheese and enchilada sauce. I ate mine on top of some mixed baby greens and loaded with some chunky salsa – so good! I love the crispy parts on the tortillas when I make these.

I enjoyed a Super Charge Me cookie for dessert, and eventually made my way outside to clear all of the snow off of my car so that I could head to the gym. Once my car was clear, I made my way out. While at the gym, I pushed myself for about 40 minutes on weights, doing a workout out of The New Rules of Lifting. Once I’d finished on the weights, I hopped on an elliptical for just over a half hour of cardio – getting my heart pumping. I finished my workout with ten minutes of stretching before making my way home for a snack and a shower. I fueled up with some protein-filled plain Greek yogurt and a banana, then enjoyed a hot shower before finishing up my housekeeping for the weekend.

Eventually, it was time for The Big Game and dinner. We enjoyed our meal in front of the TV tonight while watching the Super Bowl, and it was a good meal.

I made up some home-fried potatoes, meat loaf, steamed asparagus, and carrot sticks – YUM! I love making potatoes this way – they caramelize on the outside and are just amazing. The asparagus was simple – steamed with just a little bit of salt and butter and was perfectly crisp. This was a good and filling meal – one of my favorites!

We wrapped up our evening with the game and watching The Biggest Loser. It’s been a great weekend, and now I think I’m going to unwind before bed with a book.

How was your weekend?

Late, Fun Night

2010-02-06T00:54:37-05:00

Tonight was a fun one, full of good food and gaming. I’ll start off with dinner, which I actually started preparing last night. I had our dinner for this Friday planned since last weekend. I was making this recipe from Smitten Kitchen for macaroni and cheese, using smoked cheddar in place of the white. Because of the time involved, I wanted to have it oven-ready for tonight.

When I got home today, the house smelled delicious. It was a cold and wet day, and the hot and creamy macaroni was perfect to eat on a snowy evening.

We paired the macaroni with all-beef hot dogs, and I munched on some crunchy carrots alongside. It was a tasty, comforting meal that left me feeling satisfied when I finished. I loved the combination of flavors, and the smokiness that the cheddar brought to the macaroni.

Once we’d finished eating, we sat down to watch some TV before settling in for a couple of hours of Magic games. We hadn’t played since last weekend, and I was eager to break out my cards and challenge The Boy to a couple matches. While we played, I sipped on a bottle of Shiner Bock – one of our favorite beers. I love how smooth it is.

I don’t know who won most out of the three or four matches we played, but we did have a lot of fun – and I learned a lot more about the game this go-round, too. We finished playing after midnight - I can’t believe we played so late!

Speaking of late, it’s almost one, and we’re both ready to head up to bed for some rest. I hope you all had a great Friday and I’ll see you tomorrow!

Nom Nom Nom

2010-02-03T22:52:10-05:00

I had another early morning at the gym today. Before I left, I had some toast with peanut butter to fuel my cardio workout. While at the gym, I took in the morning news during my 40 minutes of ellipticizing – one of my favorite machines. I was sweaty and HUNGRY when I finished, and was eager to come home to fix up a different sort of breakfast.

Peanut-butter cheesecake oats! I got the idea for these from Kath! I made up a batch of oats using 1/3 oats to 2/3 milk, and stirred in brown sugar and 1/4 cup of cottage cheese near the end of my cooking time. Once my oats were done, I topped them with a blob of peanut butter and a small handful of crunchy cereal for the crust. This was delicious – sweet, with just a hint of creamy tang from the cottage cheese. It was filling too – love the protein boost from the cottage cheese!

I was amazed at how quickly today went by. It was a gray and misty day, and a little too chilly out to walk around, but I was on my way home before I knew it. I was hungry and excited for what was on the menu tonight, and started mixing it all together as soon as I walked in the front door: falafel.

I fixed dinner using a boxed falafel mix that I’ve loved since I was a little girl. It only takes a few minutes to whip up, and the ingredients are all simple. About a half hour after I started fixing dinner, it was ready to eat.

I enjoyed my falafel stuffed into two pita halves with sliced cucumber and hummus. Alongside on my plate were some sautéed mushrooms and asparagus – yum! I can’t remember the last time I fixed this dish, but love it every time I get the opportunity to sit down and enjoy a batch. We couldn’t finish it all – the package of mix makes A LOT of falafel - and I’m excited that we have some leftovers tucked away in the fridge for another day.

We worked on getting some housework done after dinner, cleaning up our bathroom and kitchen, and running through a load of laundry. Once that was done, I settled in on the sofa with The Boy to watch some TV.

I think it’s time for us to head up to bed, though – it’s been a busy day and I’m tired! I’ll see y’all tomorrow!

Early to Bed, Early to Rise

2010-02-02T23:16:26-05:00

Good evening everyone! How was your Tuesday? Mine was busy and fun! This week, I’m working on retraining my body to go to bed and wake up earlier. Today, I was up early and ready for a trip to the gym by six-thirty – something I haven’t done in a while.

It was nice to make it to the gym so early – I was able to make it through my weight routine and be home for breakfast in just under an hour. Before the gym, I enjoyed half a banana with a hefty blob of peanut butter, and after, I put together a yogurt mess.

This bowl held a container of blueberry Greek yogurt, a hefty amount of some GoLean, and the other half of the banana. I stirred in a bit of milk to thin things out a bit and went to town. This was the perfect post-workout breakfast, as it filled me up and was so refreshing! The protein helped fuel me through most of my morning, and I loved the mild blueberry flavor of the yogurt.

My day was busy and fun, and I came home this evening ready to fix a quick and yummy dinner. We had some leftover steak in the fridge from dinner on Sunday, so I decided to be creative and incorporate it into tonight’s dinner, whipping up a quick, delicious, and veggie-filled stir-fry dish.

The recipe for this suggested wrapping the marinated and sautéed mixture of pepper, onion, and steak in lettuce leaves, instead of serving it over rice. Curious to give it a shot, I improvised a bit, eating mine over some bagged salad instead of some rice. The lettuce added great crunchy texture to the dish, and I savored every bite, loving the combination of salty, sweet, and savory flavors in the dish. We definitely want to make this recipe again - it's a keeper for sure. I followed dinner with a small dish of cookies and creme ice cream to satisfy my sweet tooth and hankering for some dessert.

I spent the rest of my evening relaxing. I caught up on some reading, played with the cats, and ended the evening watching an episode of South Park with The Boy. Maggie was feeling snuggly tonight and spent the better part of the episode we watched curled up in my lap, purring away. I really enjoyed the extra time that waking up early today gave me this evening, and I’m eager to see if I can continue to be an early riser.

Well, it’s time for us to head to bed. I’m beat and ready to curl up for some z’s! Have a great night!

Question of the Day
Are you a morning or a night person?