Crackle, Pop, Boom

After writing an article and digesting, I hit the road for the gym on bike, per usual. On the way there I heard a loud POP. I thought my tire had blown! But looking down at the sidewalk, I realized there were those little white garlicky firecrackers scattered about. Scared me to death!

Working out after lunch is so different for me – I think having more fiber at lunch just makes my stomach sit heavier. Oatmeal, cereal, yogurt and smoothies don’t bother it when I go at 11-12 but even my lighter lunch felt kinda hard on my tract. But it was a good workout none-the-less with 30 minutes of Stepmill with Natural Health and then some pull-ups and dips.

Just as I got off the Stepmill, the power glitched and a whole row of cardio machines just stopped. I heard a BOOM and just knew that I’d have to wait out a severe thunderstorm before biking back home. But when I peeked out a window, the sun was shining! Turns out the glitch was a fluke and the BOOMwas someone dropping their 50 lbs weights on the floor

I came home craving a beverage other than water and made a soy milk + Amazing Meal blend.

This was the chocolate one. This stuff doesn’t taste bad (so long as you mix it with a form of milk and not water!) but the smell is something like dog food. Seriously. Still refreshing though.

But the drink alone didn’t fix my hunger – I needed to chew – so I split this Luna Cookie with Matt (so as not to spoil my dinner appetite) while we watched last night’s Conan.

Dinner came ‘round early tonight because he’s baking sweets in the AM, which means up and out at 2:45AM. When I was in New Orleans I was craving a Croque Monsieur and never got around to finding one. When my family traveled to Paris when I was in high school my sister and I ate them all week because it was the only thing on the menu we recognized as “safe” (we were vegetable haters at the time). So when I picked up this ham at the grocery store, I decided it was a good time to make one! (I don’t buy deli meats that often, but when I do, I get Applegate Farms or Hormel to avoid the nitrites and for their general superiority in quality.)

And luckily we had this delicious freshly baked Seeded Sourdough to work with:

And then I searched for a recipe and found this one: Croque Monsieur Video.

They turned out awesome!!

Each sandwich had 1 slice ham, 1 slice cheese, mustard, and was dipped in a batter of 1 whole egg and 1/4 cup milk -

We seared them in a pan with cooking spray and this lovely dollop:

Don’t be afraid of using butter sometimes folks!! A little goes a long way.

SOOO good!! I loved the eggyness of the batter

On the side we blanched some green beans in simmering water for 2 minutes and then tossed them with a bit more butter, salt and pepper.

FYI, I’ve been photographing outside, but it’s waaaay too buggy out there to eat – they mosquitoes climb on me while I’m taking my photos! So we’ve been eating at the kitchen table.

Matt says it’s intolerably hot either way

After our early dinner we went for a walk – about 40 minutes through the neighborhood. Loved it!!Came home to this:

88* in here!?! It honestly doesn’t feel that bad.

Then Matt went to bed at 8 and I’m down here watching Vanity Fair on Netflix online with this cheesecake Karen brought over on Monday (don’t ask how I didn’t eat any yet – I think I just forgot it was in there). Mmmmm berries!

Tomorrow marks the first Saturday in AGES that I haven’t had a to-do list, school work or traveling to do. I’m SO EXCITED!!!!!!!!! When I worked full-time before the days of KERF began, I used to love Saturday mornings because I had the whole day to just relax. I used to go out shopping and to lunch by myself. I’m not sure what I’ll do tomorrow (Matt’s at work till noon and then brewing beer all afternoon) but I want to plan the perfect Saturday morning. I think I’ll visit the farmer’s market after breakfast. Maybe read by the pool?! We shall see what my mood calls for!

Goodnight!