Pattern Weights or Panini Press

I love a good grilled cheese. I don’t eat them often unless I have a taste for them, but they have to be super melted, with grill marks & at least 2 cheeses. Tonight I was making tomato basil soup for dinner so the grilled cheese had to be up to par. I grabbed some colby jack, sharp and American cheese from the market and was ready for the cheesy goodness.

But I don’t own a panini press and I had to blend the soup to make sure everything was done at the same time. I couldn’t mash the grilled cheese and blend the soup so what to do.

I ran (walked) upstairs to my office and grabbed 2 of my pattern weights. I washed and dried them, wrapped them in foil and did the thing!

They were perfect! So now we know those expensive pattern weights can be used for more that just sewing!

Sidebar

I sautéed some mustard greens from this weeks farm share delivery with onions & put them in my grilled cheese & it rocked! Everyone else had regular sandwiches.

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Humpday Post Workout Smoothie

Today started off horribly! I set my alarm for 4:00AM last night to get up in plenty of time to teach my Wednesday morning SPIN class at 5:45AM. Funny thing happened, when I woke up, the sun was coming up and I glanced at the clock and it was 5:12AM!!!

WTH!!! I overslept!

I jumped up, cursed and scared my poor husband! He saw me set my clock and even commented, “Why 4:02?”. I replied something smart and closed my eyes. I still have NO idea why I overslept, why my alarm didn’t go off (or better yet, why didn’t I hear it). Thank goodness everything was ready to go! I made it to the gym with 5 minutes to spare.

Texted this photo as soon as I got on my bike

After an intense morning with a great calorie burn (600+), I had to make a smoothie that could stand up to the morning I had and put a big old smile on my face. Today is a chocolate peanut butter banana smoothie!

 

Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie

• 1 scoop of chocolate whey protein powder
• 1 small banana or 1/2 large banana
• 1 heaping tablespoon of freshly ground peanut butter (nothing added, just nuts) like the one from Whole Foods
• 1 cup of almond milk
• ice cubes

I always add the ice last since I’m at work using my magic bullet so it can get crushed pretty good.

 

What a delightful, dessert-like treat! After the morning I’ve had, this was just what I needed to put a big ole smile on my face!

 

Happy Hump Day all! Make it an Amazing day.

What are your plans?

I was just scrolling through my Twitter feed and this quote just caught my eye.

“Make no small plans for they have no power to stir the soul.” – Niccolo Machiavelli

— Great Minds Quotes (@GreatestQuotes) May 21, 2014

 

It made me stop and think about what plans I have for myself; short term or long term. If you think about it, this is spot on. The plans you make for your life, be it financial, travel, educational, plans to enrich your mind, body or spirit, must be filled with confidence, built with a firm grasp on what you’re trying to accomplish and pursued with such fervor and passion that anyone looking from the outside will be able to palpably feel what you’re doing. Everything about you will speak to that power.

People with tangible goals are the type of people I’m attracted to. Someone on the outside should be able to feel what you’re trying to accomplish. Of course, that is no small feat. Most people keep their plans to themselves, but some bold and courageous individuals don’t mind putting their plans out into the universe in the hopes that it’s keenly listening.

Here is a little litmus test:

If your plans do not move your soul, stir your mind into a frenzy and feed your passions, then you, my friend are not doing it right.

Dream bigger, write it down, stare at it, follow it where it takes you, share it with other like minded folks and most of all, let it stir your soul.

Image by Todd Quackenbush via Unsplash.com

Have a fantastic Day on PURPOSE!!

Jay-Z may need to rewrite 99 Problems

Before you read any further, this is NOT about Solange and Jay Z in an elevator. This is about losing your liberties. Still interested, keep reading.

Remember when a cop needed a warrant to search your car during a traffic stop???? Well, that is OVER. Did you know (or even care) that the PA Supreme Court ruled that in our state, all a cop needs now to search your ride is a “good faith belief” that a crime as been committed.

So, we should now have a lower expectation of privacy in our cars than we do our houses. For now, cops still need a warrant to search your premises. (I said, for NOW)

So all my weed smoking, unregistered gun toting friends and every other person in the state, time to get your mind right. There is no expectation of privacy ANYWHERE! Time to clean out those cars now, isn’t it?

Jay-Z, if you’re reading, may wanna start that REMIX for your PA fans. Things done changed my man.

 

Lyrics from “99 Problems” from AZlyrics.com

So I…pull over to the side of the road

And I heard “Son do you know why I’m stopping you for?”

Cause I’m young and I’m black and my hat’s real low

Do I look like a mind reader sir, I don’t know

Am I under arrest or should I guess some mo?

“Well you was doing fifty five in a fifty four”

“License and registration and step out of the car”

“Are you carrying a weapon on you I know a lot of you are”

I ain’t stepping out of shit all my papers legit

“Do you mind if I look round the car a little bit?”

Well my glove compartment is locked so is the trunk and the back

And I know my rights so you gon’ need a warrant for that

“Aren’t you sharp as a tack are some type of lawyer or something?”

“Or somebody important or something?”

Nah I ain’t passed the bar but I know a little bit

Enough that you won’t illegally search my shit

Article from Cherri Gregg on CBS Philly.

Never too grown up

I’m the mother of two super cool young men, Steven (24) and Christian(17). Gone are the days of kissing boo-boos or cuddling on my lap, but it never ceases to amaze me how much I long to be “mommy” again. Don’t get me wrong. My nose and butt wiping days are OVER! I don’t ever want to do that again. However, when they aren’t feeling well, mom is who is there to make it better. That is one part of my new mom role that I cherish. Whenever you need me, I’m right here.

Christian is in the ER today with a swollen knee. He’s a b-boy and spends most of his time performing death defying moves on various part of his body.

He was performing at school Friday and ever since he’s been sidelined. He never made a big deal out of it, just kept his leg up with ice on it all weekend. Last night before bed, he walked over to me and said, “Mom, feel my knee.” As soon as I touched it, I yelled, “you have water on your knee!” It was all spongy & huge. There was definitely a doctor visit in his future.

I called the the pediatrician and they said to take him to the ER, he’ll need an x-ray. With two boys, I’ve seen the inside of many an ER. Broken bones, huge white meat cuts, fevers, tummy aches and the like, they both have needed me by their side to help them get back to health. There are many joys of parenting, but one of the best is being needed. The older they get, the less they need me. I’ve become less of a parent and more of an advisor. I truly treasure that role because at this age, they do what they want. You can only hope you raised them well in the ways that they should go and hope to God they never stray too far from it.

As I sit here and watch him sleep after being poked and prodded, I think back to when he was my little “Pootie” and loved being hugged and kissed. He has grown up so fast, but he’ll never be too grown up for mom’s love.