I Walk In This World

<—-This girl was born 31 years ago today!

I started off my birthday morn with a Happy Birthday breks…

• egg whites
• faux sausage
• American melty cheese
• hot sauce
• ww english muffin
• coffee in my supa fun tin lobster mug

Last night Hubby and I nursed our Steelers-not-making-it-to-the-playoffs wounds and had total comfort food for Din…

• tuna casserole with peas
• ginorm spinach and green leaf salad with dried apricots, cinnamon/cherry goat cheese (OMG), cukes, tomato, carrot

We spent the night watching Maria Full of Grace.  Decent short film…subtitles and such if that’s your liking.

Hey.  I made it thru Day Three of no drinking at home!  We are going out to dinner tonight and I do plan to allow a single fabulous glass of white wine to accompany my meal.  ‘tis my birthday after all. 

We spent the whole afternoon with football.  And sinking hearts.  Oh well, let’s hope 2010 is the Steelers’ year!

Sunday Breks!

• egg and homemade sausage atop rosemary toast and melty cheese all broiled in the toaster oven
• orange slices
• coffee

Ok, this gal has got to work.

Ciao!

Er

Because my birthday is nearly here (Monday) and conveniently adjacent to a weekend, I got to have a lot of pre-birthday celebrations with family.  We’re all here in PA but spread out.  PA is a big state, lol.

Saturday, Dad and his wife came here to celebrate with a birthday lunch at Macaroni Grill and prezzies!  And a baby carrot cake leftover from our NYE party.

Hello…spa gift certificate!  And the start of a new double-chin…apparently…

Friday I got to celebrate with my sista and brother-in-law before they had to move on to his family’s post-holiday-holiday celebration. 

Hello lots of fabulous new clothing and Starbucks gift card!

Lots of singing and merriment!

[Yes…I did spend the day in my sweats…twas the day after loads of drinking after all.]

It’s already been such a fun birthday and it’s not even here yet.  We’ll see what Monday has in store for Erin in her 31st year.

Backing up to Friday, New Year’s Day, we had traditional Pennsylvania pork and sauerkraut to ring in the new year.  The pork was from a local humane farmer that Hubz got at the Farmers Market Thursday.  Sorry for the horrid lighting.

I made it in the crockpot with an apple and smidge of brown sugar to cut some of the sour from the kraut.  I whipped up some mashed taters on the side, and had the perfect accompaniment…

Musselman’s Chunky Applesauce!

Yes I was sent this to review.  But I woulda bought it anyway cuz I totally dig Musselman’s (yeah PA companies!)

And a mocktail to round out the evening.  In my effort to be faithful to my New Year’s Ressie, I just went ahead and left the vodka out of this club soda and lime.  Was just as delicious!

We spent the evening lounging around and watching LOTR - The Fellowship of the Ring.

<——–TO-tal LOTR geek

Ok, I gotta go root for my Steelers and hope to hell that the Jets, Texans, and Ravens ALL lose their games. 

Ciao,

Er

My Steelers Lost Again last night.  They are so terrible right now.  And I’m one f#cking pissed off fan. 

If only I could spread the Steelers love.

Some people aren’t afraid. 

Since I’m too f#cking bored to create a more interesting breakfast, and because I love this and don’t care if it bores people to see, I had eggwhites on a bagel.  Again. 

Shoulda had a side of cottage cheese….

Dinner = awesome.  You’re jealous.  I can tell.

• pesto veggie pizza on whole wheat crust
• spinach salad with dried apricots, peanuts, rasp/walnut dressing

adding on sautéed peppers, onions, mushrooms

top it with goat cheese and sheep’s milk pecorino (if my husband would buy me the farm I want, this cheese woulda been Really Local)

Yes.  I want a farm.  Kinda.  More like a big yard with a fence.  That I don’t have to really farm, but can make me Feel like I’m farming.  And I want goats.  And chickens.  And fun things like a llama or an alpaca. 

I went to a state fair once, and they were selling alpacas.  Do you even know what they cost?  Like.  $6000.  Yeh.  I’m making pizza at home for dinner b/c I’m too poor to eat out.  And I’m thinking a $6000 Alpaca is a good idea. 

I’d probably name her Tina.

 pizza = baked

pizza = eaten

Even though it was minus 1000 degrees last night, Hubby and I ran our asses walked to the gym.  I did cardio.  I also saw the reflection of my legs in the gym window.  And wanted to die.  See my cottage cheese thoughts up above.

Breakfast yesterday.  I know what you’re thinking.   Ohmygod-Erin-ate-something-different.

Oatmeal.  Which I hate.  But if you glob enough maple peanut butter on something, it’s manageable. 

And look at Santa.  Is it me or is he kinda jonesin on my oats?

Hillybean says Good Morning Blog People.  Here’s my mouth.  Even this is adorable.

Hi.  Duct tape on my chair.  I have officially reached white trash status.

Oh.  I.Am.Totally.Klassy.

Striking my best model pose to show off my new hair cut.  Work it girl.

I need Botox.

Vegetarians, if you read this blog be warned that you should skip this next part unless you Love Tacos Like I Do and think eff it, pictures of beef tacos are Worth Seeing Because They Are Too F#cking Delicious.

For future reference, I love tacos more than most things on earth.  They rank up there with recycling, judging people, and cursing.

Dinner 2 nights ago.  Beef and black lentil tacos. 

There, Veggies and Vegans, just ignore the beef and enjoy the lentils.   

Look! Little Corn Envelopes (name that TV show and episode!)

$9 bottle of wine.  Klassy.

Heck yes we use Subway napkins.  Klassy.

And I don’t know which part of what’s below makes me the Klassiest?  The fact that I’m eating 3-month-stale animal crackers with no legs or the fact that I’m eating 3-month-stale animal crackers with no legs AND drinking my third glass of $9 wine.

???

You can decide.

I have to go do Klassy things now.

xo

Erin

Gooooood morning friendie type people.

Work is keeping me tre busy today, so here we go.

Breks! My sis and her hubby stayed at our place Saturday night and my super-sweet bro-in-law brought me a jar of my beloved TJs punkin butter from his Philly TJs.

I continue my affair with this spicy pumpkin spread.  Love.

• TJs Pumpkin Butter!
• maple flavored veggie patty
• on a cinn raisin muffin
• with a side of coffee (special Hawaiian blend my sis brought me from her honeymoon!)

You can see that I’ve got some holiday gear sprouting up there in the background.  I’m trying to shed my Holiday Grinch.

 We take STEELERS games VERY seriously in our house…

Too bad our Defense sucks donkeyballs right now.  I can’t even get started…it’s too frustrating.

In the pics you can see my Mother-in-law (MIL), hubby, Father-in-law (FIL), bro-in-law (BIL) sista, Hillary.

All decked out. 

About the blog title!

Saturday night Dad and some of his family hosted a birthday dinner for his wife.  And did I ever eat well!!  A total gourmet meal tucked into this fabulous country inn in the middle of nowhere PA.  I forgot my camera *gasp* so these pics are all blackberry.

Started of with a Spanish Grenache…

I ate one teeny biddy little nook of heaven.  Cornbread with chives and corn.  Maybe even a hint of jalapeno.  Magnificent!

I split an appetizer with Dad’s wife…the heirloom beet salad with a smoked trout crepe and horseradish cream.  It was marvey!  The beets were not pickled, just steamed or baked, I don’t know.  But AMAZING!

Dad gave me one of his oysters on the half.  I’ve recently discovered a love of freshity fresh fresh fresh oysters.

My menu selection!!!

…the scallops, NOT the veal!!!

Look at this gorgeousness!   I ordered a white Bordeaux to drink with this.

And since it was a birthday dinner, we had to have dessert!  I got the dark chocolate (warm) banana cake with chocolate ice cream and banana sauce.  I didn’t eat the ice cream but drizzled HEAPS of that banana sauce over the cake.  Warm, banana-y, chocolate heaven.  And you can see my glasses for scale.

It was a fantastic birthday dinner!!

Good thing I managed to squeeze in yoga Saturday morning and spent all day shopping (read, cardio) with my MIL!

Regular eating resumes today, lol!

Happy Monday friends!