All Packed Up!

Snack

I did all the tricks you're supposed to do before eating again: got busy packing, drank a bunch of water, gave it some time... but no dice. I decided to have ants on a log! Perfect little snack.

Dinner

I had a chef to chef consult with the head hancho, AKA big poppa! My dad made roasted potatoes the other night for my family and my mom just had to tell me about it since I've been on a roasting kick. And yup, you guessed it, then I had to make them! I decided to turn it into a vegan version of the classic dinner: Meat and Potatoes. He gave me the play by play and here it is!

• 1-1 1/2 potatoes per person
• salt
• pepper
• rosemary
• fresh garlic
• olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 425F.
2. 1/8th the potatoes or, in Dad's words, like large home fries.
3. Put potatoes in a bowl and mix with all the spices to taste. Don't forget to chop up the rosemary!
4. Smash a few cloves of garlic (don't be shy! this is where the flavor comes from) and mix that all in. Or, if you have minced garlic like me use 1/2 tsp or more per potato.
5. Drizzle with olive oil (or spray with Pam like I did to cut down on oil used) until each chunk is shiny.
6. Cover a lipped baking tray with tin foil and spray or grease the foil. Pile the taters onto the try and pop 'em in the oven.
7. Every potato cooks differently but should be between 25-40 minutes. You will need to stir them at ten minute intervals with a spatula so you can do what I did and just set the timer for ten minutes each time. I ended up cooking my batch for 30 min.

I also wanted to give this new, exciting looking flavored tofu a try. I cut the block in half and fried it in a pan with a little Pam. The last ten minutes of roasting the potatoes I added one white onion to the tray. When the taters were done I added them to the tofu pan with a little balsamic vinegar.

I heated up the rest of the leftover roasted broccoli and cauliflower too. Man, that's one loaded plate! I can't believe I finished it all. It was the perfect dinner though, no leftovers and I wasn't uncomfortably full afterwards. Unfortunately the flavored tofu was not as flavorful on its own as I had hoped. Maybe I didn't drain it properly? I guess I will just have to continue adding my own spices.

Workout

A few hours after dinner I decided to do Level 2 of the Jillian DVD and let's just say I was right in my anticipation about level 2. Definitely more intense!! Not impossible but I was breathing harder, sweating more, and shaky after! It's going to take some adjusting but I'm hoping by the end of ten days at this level it will start to get a little better. Wooo doggy it was hard!

Dessert

After a shower I had a nail painting sesh while watching Pushing Daisies. I enjoyed the last of the Fruity Pudding with a serving of cinnamon puffins. It's really hard not to go back for seconds but I have to just keep thinking: swimsuit by the pool at the hotel, crazy wedding food, fitting into that purple dress, meeting the other family who could potentially have members (boys*cough cough* ) my age, 108 degree weather... All my reasons for wanting to feel good this weekend and why I should not have a second bowl of pointless-eating cereal. Besides, I gotta go to bed! My booty's gotta be on the road by 9:45 tomorrow. Mamma's orders.

I've already prepared a bowl of overnight oats that is just waiting to be stirred and eaten. I'm packed except for the last minute additions like the curling iron I already know I will need to use on this mop tomorrow morning. So all I have to do now is gooo toooo beeeed!

Night!