Tyler’s secret way of saying ‘blog more so I can play video games?!’ Whatever, I’ll take it.
Merry Christmas!
Weekend Recap [& A Giveaway!]
It’s Christmas Week! Yayyy.
Whoa, that was entirely too cheery for a Monday morning.
So whatttttt did I do this past weekend….hmmm. I honestly have to jog my memory to remember!
Friday after work, Tyler and I ran a ton of errands. Super exciting. Then we watched Don Jon (ummm did NOT know that the movie was about a dude addicted to porn!), Runner Runner, a stand-up special by Kevin Hart and another by Russell Peters. Lots of couch time.
Apparently that was my patriotic winter garb.
Saturday was even more lazy time, grocery shopping for Xmas meals, a QUICK set of 4 tabatas, then dinner at Anejo. We didn’t make reservations and I called to see what wait times would be like and they said to come before six to have little to no wait. Fine by us! We got there at 5:30 and enjoyed some table made guacamole and unique margaritas. For dinner, we shared a plate of tacos (beef short rib, adobo pork, crispy snapper, and chicken) they were SO delicious. Accompanying sauces were hot sauce, a verde sauce and a habanero mayo. My mouth is watering just remembering this meal!
We each had 3 drinks (HEY, they were small!). I had 2 chili coconut margaritas, and one guava. Tyler had a Tequila caesar, Mandarin margarita, and a Mexicalita (I think that’s what it was called).
We really loved the experience there and can’t wait to go back again! The ambiance is really great, too.
Nothing like a wall of tequila and Nacho Libre.
We came home and watched SNL and a couple episodes of Revolution. Does anybody watch that show? I think it’s terrible, but Tyler likes it. That main young girl just annoys the living daylights out of me!
Sunday: Omelettes, naps, laundry, workout, paint nails, more Revolution. I just need it to be Christmas already, dang it!
This is the workout I did yesterday. Seriously try it, it’s…fun! I have been LOVING box jumps lately. Partly because they’re a great alternative to using cardio machines; partly because I feel badass doing them; partly because they yield some pretty amazing results.
OH RIGHT- I ALSO HAVE ANOTHER GIVEAWAY TO SHARE WITH YOU GUYS. Are you excited? The best part is: all Canadian & US residents can enter this one!
What’s the giveaway, you ask? A box full of lovely Kinnikinnick products!
Kinnikinnick sells Gluten Free products (and almost all products are also dairy free!) I was first made aware of the brand when my aunt and my mom were diagnosed with Celiac’s disease. For them to banish gluten from their diets was really hard- especially since they both live in an area that hadn’t quickly adapted to the needs of the disease. They both visited tons of grocery stores and sampled countless GF products before coming across Kinnikinnick (they passed on other brands because of high price and/or undesireable taste). Now, my mom and aunt both go to a nearby SMALL natural foods store and order Kinnikinnick products BY THE CASE so that they always have some handy (products are stored in the freezer). They love the quality of the product, the price isn’t too bad, and the taste is a close comparison to the foods they’ve always ate.
When the folks over at Kinnikinnick offere to send ME a box of GF goods to review and share with you AND offer another box for one lucky reader, I was pretty pumped! While this isn’t a new product to me, I was overwhelmed when I got the package in the mail last week. It included: One loaf multigrain bread, one loaf white bread, one bag (of 4) plain bagels, blueberry bagels, and cinnamon raisin bagels.
I know a lot of people don’t care for the taste of GF products over the ‘real’ thing, but to be honest- these taste no different to me at all! (I think it’s just a psychological thing most of the time). Tyler and I shared a cinnamon raisin bagel yesterday morning and the flavor and texture matched any other bagel you’d find at your grocery store. Mmm, I can smell it now that cinnamony raisiny deliciousness.
I already plan on eating up the rest of this stuff over the next couple of weeks with sandwiches and more sandwiches and hearty breakfasts! You can invite yourself over to share in this deliciousness, but give me at least 2 hours notice so I can sweep up all the dog hair that is constantly accumulating in the house.
Other varieties of Kinnikinnick products that I’ve tried (and loved):
- KinniKritter Animal Cookies
- Graham Style Cracker Crumbs
- Pancake and Waffle Mix
- Chocolate Cake Mix
- Tapioca Rice English Muffins (my mom’s favorite!)
Check out their website (link above) to see the wide range of products they offer AND locations where they are sold- you can also order online.
Thanks, Kinnikinnick!
Ok, so if YOU want to enter to win a box of goodies (I’m thinking similar, if not the same, as what I’ve recieved) here’s what you have to do:
COMMENT BELOW answering the following question: Have you ever tried Gluten Free products? If so, what’s your favorite? (pasta, breads, desserts, etc.)
For extra entries (leave a separate comment for each):
- follow them on twitter and tell them @nutcaseinpoint sent you!
- dance around the Christmas tree (or, if you do not have a tree or celebrate Christmas, dance anywhere in your house.) Let me know what song you danced to and who was watching.
- tell me a holiday joke.
Giveaway ends Friday, December 27th. Remember, both US & Canadian residents are eligible!
Good luck, and Happy Holidays friends!
Latests 12/20 {& Giveaway Winner!}
I love a lot of things. Right now, what I’m loving most is the number of Xmas gifts under our tree. There’s only 2 of us! Yayyy for Christmas morning.
Wow I sound selfish. Whatever. At least I have a job this year so I can actually buy GOOD gifts! (Don’t worry mom and dad, yours will be in the mail shortly- and they’re pretty good gifts, too)
I really want to post all the goodies I’ve bought for others here, but it looks like that’ll have to wait until next week. I’m really good at spoiling the surprise, so I MUST stay tight lipped until then! But what I CAN share with you are some of my other favorite things as of late:
Gingerbread cookies. I am 27 years old and this is my first time making them. I’m such an idiot that I didn’t even buy ginger for the recipe [GINGERbread, Jen!] and had Tyler run out last minute to pick some up. The verdict? They came out pretty perfect! The dough tasted a little too spicy (obviously I tried it) but the baked end-result had the perfect flavor, texture and color. Yayy for a first time success!
Spaghetti Squash Ricotta Casserole from Athena. The flavor of this bad boy was amazing, but my end product was a tad watery–maybe I should have pat-dried the squash before mixing with all the ingredients? Meh, whatever…it still tasted divine (Athena, even Tyler loved it! And there was no meat in it! YAYYYYY). I highly recommend this dish if you want a healthy alternative that doesn’t lack in flavor!
Naps on the C-train. Yes, I am that awkward lady all bundled up and head bobbing every which way until I arrive at my stop. I love these little cat naps though because a.) it’s a much better thing to do than make eye contact with odd fellow commuters, b.) it makes the ride go by faster, and c.) it makes me less likely to nap at work or right when I get home (most of the time).
Christmas Pajamas. I get these every year. More specifically, I get THESE every year. I bought Tyler a pair (NOT from Victoria’s Secret) so he can get in on the tradition as well.
Crossfit style workouts. I’m not sure what the OFFICIAL format needs to be to make it a crossfit-esque workout, but I think it fits and so does Tyler. Therefore, we are correct. I did some heavy weight tabatas earlier in the week, then there was the 4×100 workout I posted on Instagram, then there was the reverse ladder sets I did (posting that next week!). If you only KNEW how sore my glutes and abs are..But I LOVE me some soreness, means I’m working the muscles that needed working the most!
All the while, my dogs have been lazy turds. Layla is seriously turning into a fat little porkchop because the temps have really limited her outdoor time. Reggie, on the other hand is always a little turd. His most recent victims were a tube of chap stick and a bag of sesame bagels. Gross little a-hole. But cute.
GREEN SMOOTHIES CAME BACK. I was doing cereal in the morning, but it was starting to wreak havoc on my digestion (and carb intake), so I decided to suck it up buttercup and revert back to the cold breakfast during the cold weather. Staples in the smoothie are: unsweetened almond milk, ice, spinach, chocolate protein powder. Rotating fruit add-ins: blackberries, pears, apples, raspberries. So far, it has really helped. My energy level is up, I have been sleeping like a BABE, and I feel better in the evenings when I workout. Oh, and my GREEN smoothies aren’t really all that GREEN.
Can’t wait to share my latests [PRESENTS] with you next week!!
PS: The winner of the OMG’s Candy giveaway is.. Fiona! Congrats! Email me your mailing address and the people at OMG’s will send your case!! My email is jennifer(dot)L(dot)Linton(at)gmail(dot)com.
Pssssst, guess what? I have ANOTHER giveaway for US and Canadian residents that will be posted this weekend!!! Don’t forget to check it out and enter to win!!
Winesday Wednesday 12/18
Yes yes yes, it’s Winesday Wednesday!
As I mentioned earlier in the week, I’m a crappy blogger, so I really haven’t given myself the time to actually sit down and write out these posts (as short as they are, they actually do take a while to put together! You should probably send me a gift for that.)
But let’s forget the past. I’m here now so everyone relax.
PS: it’s the holiday season and I know plenty of you are indulging in holiday temptations- one of which should include alcohol. SO HERE’S YOUR ASSIGNMENT. It’s so freaking easy. Send me a pic of a holiday drink you or someone you know has had! I want to see your eggnogs, your hot toddies, your cranberry martinis, bailey’s, EVERYTHING. That way, when I’m bored after opening all my wonderful presents next Wednesday, I’ll be able to throw a festive post together for your holiday reading pleasure.
Or not.
But please do.
OK, so what do we have to share this week. How about the submissions I received and never published? Yep.
Keith emailed: Last time we had this, I focussed on the stopper. This time the bottle showing a bit of dust. Down at the bottom you get a hint of the deep amber colour this wine has. It went very, very well with a roast chicken dinner, stuffing, baked spuds, and the salad you see. Sort of a modified waldorf, with a honey dressing and pickled ginger as one of the ingredients. I’m drinking the wine while contemplating the wine order to phone in tomorrow. Such a soft and gentle wine this time, whereas the last pinot grigio was a fruity wine with a bit of a bite to it. Maybe an affectionado would say we’ve left it too long, but then, I don’t really care what the wine snobs say.
Then there’s these babies:
Oh yeah, and my parents got us this thing for Christmas.
I used it for the first time last weekend when I opened a bottle of Cinnamon Mead (more on that) and the thing works amazing! Of course, it took me a few tries to get it right, but now that I know how to operate it, I’m a pro. Calgarians: invite me to parties and I can entertain your guests with my bottle opening skills.
Booze we’ve sampled lately:
Village Brewery Gardener Ale- where the ingredients are locally grown/sourced. Pretty sweet! It’s similar to an IPA (which aren’t on the top of Tyler and my list) and it was pretty tasty. I think even more so knowing where it came from!
Fallentimber Meadery- we picked up a bottle of cinnamon mead after having a sample at the local liquor store. It was actually pretty tasty and I LOVE me a local vendor! The guy turned out to be the owner of the place and he invited us out to the property to take a tour of how they brew/harvest honey. Not keen on bees, but definitely keen on mead. We’re going.
Samuel Smith’s Cider– super sweet, but very light and yummy.
Grizzly Paw Winter Cranberry Ale– more like a porter! It was a very dark beer and had a rich, deep flavor.
The Tin Brewery Chocolate Cherry Porter- the taste lived up to it’s name!
Whistler Brewing Company Chai Maple Ale- OOOOOOOOMYGOD. So deliciously lovely I want to drink it all the days of the week. It’s seasonal though, so that’s sad 😦
PS: Friday is national sangria day. I think I can do my part and indulge in a glass or two….can you??
Crockpots and Kettlebells
So I asked on FB what topics I should write about on here (I am seriously SO boring. All I do is go to work, workout, drink beer and smoosh my dog’s faces) and I got 2 responses- Kettlebells and Crockpots. Good stuff, here I go—->
Kettlebells. Yes, let’s address the fitness portion before moving on to the food. Kettlebells. They’re pretty awesome EVEN THOUGH you can essentially substitute a dumb bell for each exercise. Anywho, the piece of equipment itself looks pretty rad and it’s a nice way to make tiny adjustments to your normal workout routine.
I don’t have any specific kettlebell-centric workout (although they exist elsewhere on the internets) but I do have some exercises that I rotate through some of my workouts on the regular. Here they are:
Kettlebell swings. Duh. They work your whole body. Both double arm swing and single arm swing. I’m not going to define it here because that’s what Wikipedia is for, but it really does engage a ton of muscles while also increasing your heart rate. Heck, do a million of them and you won’t have to jump on that beast of a ‘mill! Ok don’t do a million of them, but the movement alone- with the added weight of the kb- can be done anytime….anywhere. First person to do it in their office kitchen or in line at the grocery store and sends photographic evidence gets a prize. #squatandthrustinpublic
Clean and Press. Again, no defining here. HOWEVER, this bad boy will test the strength and range of motion of your shoulder as your grip rotates throughout the move. These have been more frequent in my workouts lately and guys, my shoulders are the bomb dot com. Should have done more of these before my wedding. Or the other millions of times I were tube tops (which is never).
Figure 8’s. Hadn’t really thought to do these because they seem silly. BUT. They can be no joke. I chose a heavier KB than I normally use and got myself in a pretty low/wide stanced squat and threw the sucker around for an entire 4 min tabata. Yup, glutes and arms were barking by the end. Barking for more.
Lunge with Pass Through. Not only is this good for lower body (thights, glutes, quads, yadda yadda) it’s a true test that your core exists. The split stance and the movement of a swinging weight will force your core to engage. Think: ‘someone’s about to punch your gut’ mixed with a little bit of ‘oh my dress is too tight and I just ate a big lunch better suck it in,’ And don’t fall over.
Upright row. The KB’s shape is much more condusive to this move (ummm, the rounded handle…did I lose you?!) You can even throw in a plie squat if you want to make it a compound exercise. Don’t be afraid to chose a heavier KB for this one. Or add a squat. YOU CAN DOOOOOO IT.
How’s that? Good? On to Crockpot meals…
I like to stick to the basics when it comes to crock pot meals. The whole point is to make it an easy meal, so why complicate it with a ton of ingredients and multiple steps? Amiright?!!
Here’s what I generally stick with:
-Pulled pork: Throw in a tenderloin or two with some chicken/vegetable/whatever brother and turn on low for 6-8 or high for 4ish hours (depends on if the meat is frozen or not). Once it’s ready, I shred it all and use for meals like Pulled Pork Sandwiches, Burritos, Quesadillas, various Pasa dishes and sandwiches.
-Pulled Chicken: Same as above. Love using pulled chicken for chicken salads (the kind mixed with mayo/greek yogurt, celery, mustard, cashews, etc.)
-Hawaiian BBQ Chicken..more like Sweet and Sour Chicken: This one is kind of fun. Hawaiian BBQ sauce (or closest variation you can find), chicken, pineapple chunks, green pepper. Cook on high 2-3 hours or low 4-6. Shred chicken and allow to sit in sauce for an additional 20 min. Serve over rice. BOOM.
– Veggie Turkey Chili: Which reminds me, I need to make this again soon. No measuring with this one (depends on your taste and how many meals you want to get out of it!). I generally use ground turkey (cooked before puttin gin crockpot), tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, beans, zucchini, carrots, peppers, corn, cayenne pepper, chili powder and paprika. You really can’t mess up chili.
-Pot Roast: Throw a big ol’ hunk of meat in the crockpot with some potatoes and carrots and cream of mushroom soup. Turn it on. Go to work. Come home. Eat delicious food.
Lo siento for the lack of crockpot pictures.
So THAT my friends is what I have to share with you. Anyone have any awesome kettlebell exercises or crockpot meals they’re dying to share? Comment below!
P.S.: Don’t forget to enter my OMG’s Candy giveaway! You have until Friday at noon mountain time 🙂
nutcaseinpoint 