Little Miss Muffet Sat on Her Tuffet

Eating Her Curds…

Bean Curds That Is.

Okay, okay, when my husband read the menu to Little Chinese Kitchen over the phone as I was sitting in 5:00 traffic trying to get home this evening, I honestly had no clue what I was ordering when I said I would take the Vegetable Bean Curd Soup.  So once I got home with our take-out, I popped open my quart of soup expecting to find some sort of bean soup and to my surprise there were no beans per se, but I found vegetables and tofu floating about the brothy liquid.  I proceeded to google bean curd on my iphone to ensure I had the right soup and found that bean curds are nothing more than tofu—curds separated and pressed from the whey in soy milk.  Subsequently, I realized I had in fact eaten bean curds before just never knowing it by any other name.  I ate half of the quart and plan on having the rest for lunch tomorrow.

Additionally, I wanted moo shu chicken, but when I picked up the food the lady said moo shu pork was ordered, not chicken.  Chris said he ordered the chicken, but the woman sounded busy while ordering so maybe she misunderstood.  Luckily, it was mainly stir fried cabbage with small amounts of pork.  I topped two of the thin pancake sheets with the stir fry mixture and a drizzle of hoisin sauce.

Wrapped up like a burrito.

I have way too much moo shu pork leftover; hopefully Chris will eat it later in the week.

As for breakfast, I have yet to get a new jar of peanut butter, so have been using almond butter (which is about gone also) and Peanut Butter & Company Dark Chocolate Dreams Peanut Butter. 

Really, this Dark Chocolate PB is not my favorite and I could do without, but it served the purpose topped with half a plum and cinnamon.  The other half of the plum was consumed on the spot.

Lunch was thoroughly enjoyable today.  I ate a turkey wrap with reduced fat vegetable cream cheese and sliced celery pieces.  On the side, I enjoyed my fave Fage Greek Yogurt with Honey.

Let’s see, I also snacked on a Trader Joe’s Nutty Chocolate Granola Bar after school and just finished up a mug of hot chocolate.  I shared my snack bars at the meeting I hosted after school today and they were a hit.  The Kind Bar seemed to be the one everyone preferred.

Until next time, good night!

The Eyelash Predicament

I know that sounds weird, but I have been having this little predicament within the tiny strands above my eyes.  For a couple of months now, when it turns dark out my eyelashes begin to itch.

It doesn’t happen every single night, but more often than not.  What could it be?  Is it my makeup?  It still itches even after I wash my face at night.  Could it be a sign that I am tired?  I took a nap today and they still itch.  Perhaps it is my contacts?  I have been wearing the same type for many years and this just began recently.  Has this ever happened to you or should I be worried?

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Today was a lazy day at a math workshop, which left me completely sluggish.  I thought starting with breakfast would be a good thing, but it did not keep me full for long.  My stomach was growling at 9:00.  My unfilling breakfast consisted of:

A Cereal mix of 1/4 c Bear Naked Vanilla Almond Crunch Granola, a few raisins, a small handful of Kashi Vanilla Squares, 4 sliced strawberries, and 1/2 c 1% lowfat milk.  I also had hot chai.

Since away from school today, my work friend was very nice and offered to treat me to lunch at Boudreaux’s Road House.  I ordered the soup and side salad combo.  Spicy chicken and sausage gumbo was ordered for warmth since the meeting room was so cold with a lettuce, tomato, cucumber, purple onion, and honey mustard simple salad.  Thanks again to Vickie for treating me to lunch!

When I got home I was feeling hungry/snacky so I started with a Satsuma picked from my sister’s tree…

Followed by a peanut butter on whole wheat tortilla wrap.

As for dinner, Mom cooked Monday Red Beans on Tuesday, so I ran drove over to her house [with containers in tow].  For some reason, Chris thought Mom omitted sausage from her beans and he picked some up at the store to grill.  So we had lots of sausage, red beans and rice, and cornbread.

The real deal…

I could have done without all of the extra sausage, but it was scrumptious nonetheless.

It’s the Thought That Counts

With Christmas right around the corner, so much emphasis is placed on shopping, gift buying, giving and receiving.  I say it all the time; the actual gift makes no difference.  It is the thought that counts.  But truthfully is it really just the thought or does the gift matter? 

This afternoon as I picked up my fourth grade students for my last math class, one student says, “I have something for you.”  I acknowledged him, but I no longer get too excited about receiving gifts from my students because it is usually the same old smelly lotion, candy, used ornaments, or the favorite teacher gift of all time—a mug, sometimes with goodies in it and sometimes without.  So sure enough I thought to myself it was going to be another one of these to stuff in my kitchen cabinet and add to the pile that my husband says, “You really need to get rid of some of those.”

We made our way to the classroom and the student was then called over the intercom to check out early.  Just before he left he said, “Do you want your gift now?”  Of course I did.  He then asked, “Which color do you like best—white, baby blue, or dark blue?”  Okay, maybe this is something, my excitement evolved slightly.  I went with baby blue and emerged from his pocket was this…

A decorative bead, a baby blue bead.

I smiled and accepted whole heartedly as he handed it over and thanked him so much.  He had a grin from ear to ear.  It was the joy that he handed over to me; it wasn’t about the gift at all. 

What’s a girl to do with a baby blue bead?  I will place this in the third drawer of my jewelry box with other student mementos and on the rare occasion that I see it I will remember and smile. 

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Not that it is as special as my gift, but today’s meals…

Oatmeal with crumbled gingerbread cake and a mug (from a student) of tea.

Lunch was a salad of romaine, tomatoes, carrots, turkey, feta, ranch light, and some chobani greek yogurt.

I did make it to the gym, but did NOT feel like being there at all.  I did 20 minutes on the bicycle, followed by 20 minutes on the elliptical, and 12 minutes on the stair stepper.   I ended with some stretching.

By the time I got home I was hungry.  I snacked on crackers (shared with the dogs)and honey flavored goat cheese that has been sitting in my fridge.

On Monday, Mom stopped at my house to let out my dogs since Chris and I both worked late and she snuck some leftover Chinese takeout in my refrigerator.  So dinner was composed of fried rice.

I also had a piece of gingerbread cake.  I guess my body was craving some carbs. tonight.

Have you ever received a gift that meant a lot, but wasn’t exactly something you would want or could ever use?