chocolate-y peanut butter-y goodness

Its no big secret that I love to cook.

I love grocery shopping. I always manage to lose an hour of my day wandering around getting things that will be delicious for dinner. It makes me happy getting my bright yellow cutting board out to chop fresh veggies. The smell of onions sauteing in butter might be one of my favorite smells of all time. When I bake, I get giddy with the prospect of putting on my floral/polka dotted apron. I love new recipes. I'm dying to try out the twice baked potato recipe I got from Phillip last night. New, interesting food makes me happy.

However...


A big bowl of Reese's Puffs cereal with vanilla soy milk never fails to disappoint! I'm so happy it caught my eye at the grocery store. I'm also so happy that I stumbled across this while searching for Reese's Puffs. Reese's Puffs cupcakes!! Chocolate and peanut butter cake with puffs baked in with a peanut butter frosting. I think I just found my next baking endeavor!

take me out to the ballgame

I went to my first Pirates game in a decade last night.



Adam called me (which never happens, he'd rather communicate with me via smoke signal, carrier pigeon, pretty much anything but a phone) giddy with excitement. He asked if I wanted to go to the Pirates game on Saturday. Giggling. I knew there was some ulterior motives, and promptly dragged out of him that Collective Soul was playing after the game since it was fireworks night. Yes, this Collective Soul. So, we bought some cheap bleacher seats and were set!

We headed down to Pittsburgh yesterday around noon. I was on a new brown sandal mission, as Jack decided my favorite sandals would be a perfect midnight snack. Jack = my Norwegian Elkhound. So we stopped in Robinson, and I grabbed another pair of not-so-perfect brown sandals, but they'll do.

After that we wanted to go down to the Mellon Arena to visit it for the last time, and check the Pens store, since everything was discounted. When we got there, we saw there was an equipment sale so we popped into that as well. It probably would have been really awesome the day before, when Pens that actually played things' were there. There was a lot of old Pens things, and players from the Baby Pens. I did get an awesome Pens shirt at the sale though!

We went to Lulu's Noodles to grab a quick lunch of Schezwan Noodles and bubble tea. I got regular milk tea, and Adam got peach tea. Bubble tea might be one of my favorite all-time things!

After an hour of visiting Adam's gram, we headed downtown. We forgot the Arts Fest was going on downtown, so we walked around there, and got an awesome print entitled "1 Zombie and 11 Penguins" Its going to make an awesome addition in our kitchen!


Then the game! They actually won, and we had a blast. The firework display was one of the best I've ever seen. Collective Soul was, well, Collective Soul. His voice was considerably less 90s grunge, which disappointed Adam a tad, as his favorite pass-time is singing like an awful 90s grunge singer. He has gigantic Eddie Vedder envy.

Lazy days

I just love a lazy day now and then.

Generally, I live by the philosophy, "the busier, the better." Today was not one of those days. I lounged in my pajamas, read Self, snuggled with my puppies until about 11:30. Grabbed a quick lunch of a delicious salad with pecans, strawberries, chicken, feta cheese, and mandarin oranges with my mom. Yum! After that, I ran to TJ Maxx for some new workout clothes. I was in dire need of sports bras and some new workout shirts for Insanity. Other than that, I've been cleaning, sorting dirty laundry, relaxing at home.

It's been a nice lackadaisical sort of day.

Insanity

Whew! I just got home from my first Insanity class. It wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be, but it was definitely a great workout. It's a muscle confusion class, remaining at high intensity, and having short 30 rest breaks. I've never done a class that was so intense, or that was 4 days a week. I'll be doing this class until June 26th. Right in time to go to the beach! I was talking to my friend Debby, and she is on day 15 of Insanity, and lost 8 inches already.

I need to take a before picture, and do measurements. I'm really curious to see how my body changes after the 2 months of class!

Exercise always makes me happy. Today was a chilly, rainy gray day and I was pretty blah all day. If you'll excuse me, I need a snack to refuel

a slice of deli heaven

Adam and I decided to grab a quick brunch before my busy day. We headed over towards Boardman, Ohio with intentions to go to The Flaming Ice Cube, which is an awesome vegan deli/restaurant. I'm by no means vegan nor vegetarian, but their food is great and their muffins are to die for. On the way there, Adam suggested we should go to a place closer - an equally awesome Jewish deli called Kravitz.

They have the very best bagels I have ever eaten as well as the best corned beef. I was in the mood to deviate from my usual Reuben, and ordered corned beef hash instead. Now, let me tell you, I've never had corned beef hash before. I've seen it, but never given it much thought. Oh my goodness! That might have been one of the dumbest things I have ever done. It was absolutely delicious, and I have no idea how I lasted the last 25 years of my life without such deliciousness.

Needless to say, my mind was blown.

For the last two years, I have been in a local dinner theatre group, and today was the auditions for the third musical I'll be in. I do the choreography for the plays, so I already had the music and script, and was 99% sure of my part. Today confirmed it, and holy cow do I have a lot of work in front of me. I need to figure how to Irish step dance and get my jig on. It'll be fun though!

a day of firsts

Today, I did my very first 5k. I really am not a running lover, but I jogged a good amount and finished in 42:50. I probably could have finished under 40:00 had I not had a blister the size of a Peep on my left arch.

Needless to say, I'm extremely proud of myself. Adam and I woke up at an extremely early hour, and headed to Amanda's house in Carnegie. We went down to the downtown area, and signed up. I thought 310 was a perfect first 5k number! Adam and Amanda both ran most of the way, and finished at 32:49, and 36:00ish.
It was about 50 degrees, and slightly drizzling most of the run, but it was a great temperature. Not too hot, not too cold.

When we got home, I hopped in the shower and replaced workout clothes with a skirt and heels, and headed to my piano student's talent show. It was my very first talent show, and I was so proud how well Abi played, and our duet sounded perfect!

The rest of my evening? Lounge in my new 5k tee shirt, eat chili Adam made, and watch the Pens!

april twenty-third

Hello! I'm Anna Marie. My life is really nice, and I'm in that married, twenty-something mindset. No wild & crazy lifestyle for me anymore - actually, I don't believe I've ever had that wild & crazy lifestyle.

Things that made me happy today:

• Dinner date with my husband, Adam. I had black pepper bourbon glazed salmon and a salad with walnut vinaigrette. Yum!
• Walking outdoors. We signed up for a 5k tomorrow in Pittsburgh with our friend Amanda and I'm still trying to convince myself that running isn't the most awful thing possible. It's not working, and running is down there with going to the dentist and large groups of fluttering birds on things I hate. I like walking in the park and saying hello to passers by. I don't usually use the word passers by, but it went well there!
• 99.33% on an exam.
  
• The fact that it's Friday. need I say more?
• The new Real Simple I picked up at Target today. I can think of at least two things in that last sentence that made me happy.
  
• Being in a middle school talent show. Okay, let me explain. One of my favorite piano students (I know, I know, I shouldn't pick favorites, but it happens) asked me to be in her school's talent show and play a duet with her. I happily said yes, and today was the rehearsal. Man, do middle school girls like awful music!
• Picking up the Polar Bear Club record. I needed some punk rock in my life today.
• Wearing this:
  

4.23 by am1032 featuring Michael Stars t shirts