Personal Training
Memory Monday & Homemade Cranberry Sauce!
For today’s memory Monday I wanted to talk about my (late) dog, Jersey
My Family and I got Jersey when I was in 4th grade. We went through numerous interviews with the breeder and after my family and I were ‘checked off’ as a nice, kind hearted family, we picked out the cutest pup. The Name Jersey arose because at this same time, my dad was going to be re-located for work to New Jersey. We had already started looking at houses and I had already started having nightmares about what my first day in 5th grade would be like in a new school, with new friends, new atmosphere. Yeah, at age 10, that was a BIG deal. Moral of the story is…he didn’t end up having to be re-located, we got our dog at the nick of time and Named him Jersey!
Naomi, age 10. Jersey, 3 months. Isn’t the cutest!
Jersey-12 years old.
He passed away when he was 13 1/2. He lived such a great life, brought me and my family so much joy. My mom didn’t stop crying for a few weeks and still gets teary eyed when it is brought up. This december would have been a year without Jersey and i hope this coming spring, my parents finally get a new puppy!
Q: Do any of you have pets or had pets that you were/are attached to?
———–
Yesterday started out with a delicious bowl of oatbran (new love, still)
1/3 C oatbran, frozen berry mix, 1/2 banana, cinnamon, truvia.
My mom and I then went to the mall on the hunt for a pair of boots for me. I found the perfect pair!! They are on their way to my house because they didn’t have my size. We stopped (obviously) at Lululemon.
ahhh, Lulu…how I love thee
Free goodies! (Larabars and trail mix!) How I love thee even more.
Cashew cookie sample size (who knew they could make them even SMALLER than they’re already minute size?) This was eaten today with some chobani.
Later in the day, I met one of my best friends for lunch. We went to Shaws and made salads at the salad bar, and we also found a persimmon!!
Verdict: Never again will I eat this fruit (veggie?) I should have video taped what it looked like when we each took a bite. First, the flavor was just not there. It was bland and strange tasting and it made our mouths feel like we had eaten a ball of wax. We couldn’t stop this strange feeling, it almost felt numbing! Bottom line, I did not enjoy my first persimmon. So Sad 🙁
A delicious salad was eaten however. Romaine, carrots, cuke, tomato, ‘shrooms, honey maple turkey breast (amazing!) roasted red pepper, artichoke hears, feta. WOWZA delicious salad!
Later that night I cooked up some delicious, comforting turkey chili. If you remember my pumpkin turkey chili (in my recipe section) I just used this recipe but didn’t use the canned pumpkin.
with a sprinkle of shredded cheddah.
- 1-1.25 lb lean ground turkey
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 can kidney beans
- 1 can canneli beans
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 can diced tomatoes
- 1 C diced yellow onion
- 1 diced green pepper
- 1 diced red pepper
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 3 healthy shakes of cayenne pepper
- 1 1/2 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp coriander
- 1 can pumpkin
- 3 cloves garlic
Directions
- Sautee onions, peppers and garlic in olive oil until they brown up (about 10 minutes)
- Add in the ground turkey and break it up with a wooden spoon and let it cook (about 5 minutes)
- Add in the diced tomatoes, pumpkin, beans and spices ( I also added some water to the pot)
- Cover and let simmer up to 5 hours!
With some corn bread on the side. To make this corn bread, I healthified it. I took half the TJs cornbread mix and I just used 1/4 c egg whites and 1/2 C almond breeze. Thats it! I didn’t use the oil or real egg. This was the most amazing thing ever. I had my mom take it away from me because I was going to eat the entire loaf.
Just a typical night at my house, my mom looking for a coveted flavor of tea she couldn’t find. She thought she would find it if she did this. she didn’t. so sad
———————–
Today, I hit the treadmill for 4.2 miles this morning. I changed up my speeds and inclines about every 1-2 minutes
Later in the day I had a training appointment with my trainer and he kicked my butt! I cannot even describe the things we do, because they are so intricate and unique, but one of these days I will bring my camera to video tape!
Cranberry sauce was then made today. 1 bag of these little buggers
1 Cup of organic turbinado cane sugar
bring to a boil with 1 cup water, then add orange, diced apple and spices
I made this beautiful naval go bald by micro-planing it into the cranberry pool
after the juice and zest of the naval. I then added a few shakes of nutmeg cinnamon and ground up fresh ginger.
- 1 bag cranberries
- 1-1 1/2 C organic sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1 diced, cored and peeled granny smith apple
-
juice and zest of 1 orange
- optional: cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger
Directions
-
Bring first 3 ingredients to a boil. (about 10 minutes) or until the cranberries begin to pop
- add in the zest & juice of 1 naval orange and the diced granny apple
- add spices. continue to simmer for 10 minutes and you have some delicious, healthy cranberry sauce!
Dinner was SAVORY OAT BRAN! my first go at this! I whipped up some oat bran, added 1 laughing cow wedge, tofu, snap peas, eggplant and broccoli. (is it normal that I can never spell broccoli correct?) Twas yummy!! I need to get more used to the savory taste, but it was very enjoyable!
What new item are you planning on trying this Thanksgiving?
Are there any typical thanksgiving foods that you just hate?
Have a great night everyone!
Click here to win some PB from Luckytastebuds!
I had a dog named Nikki. He was great although my Dad didn’t like him at all. 🙁 When I left for college my brother took him outside and forgot to bring him in. He (the dog not the brother) got run over by a car. That was such a sad time for me.
As far as Thanksgiving food, I really don’t like pumpkin pie, cranberry sauce or stuffing! That’s probably why I don’t stress too much over eating too much Thanksgiving food because I don’t like most of it!!
Fabulous food pictures!
GREAT post!! i want a lulu!! all those things look amazing. and so does that salad!!
This thanksgiving-im planning on trying to eat what i WANT to eat and not what i SHOULD
I HATE stuffing..weird.. i know!
Jersey sounds like a great pet. Thank you for sharing that memory with us. My Montana is getting up their in age and that scares me, but I’m so happy about the time I’ve gotten with him and the time I have ahead of us
Jersey=adorable. I had a turtle growing up…. names Fluffy. After having (her?) for 11 yrs, my brother and I set her free in the woods behind our house. Hmm I often wonder how she is fairing.
Lulu AND free Lara samples.. nice!!! 🙂
I used to despise cranberry sauce, and stuffing as a child. Now they are two of my favorite things! I love them.
The turkey pumpkin chili sounds and looks delicious. I haven’t had any chili yet this season! I want it, now.
I must try that chili! Anything with pumpkin in my book is a winner!
Your oats always look so volumous! i love it!
you and your puppy are so adorable. i’ve never had a pet that i was attached to. i had the typical fish, and i did at one time have a dog but we had to give him away. i think jersey is the cutest name ever!!!! 🙂
i’m so looking forward to my aunts cranberry apple cranberry sauce, and me and my brother make this amazing stuffing. just today i was lookin around for some new recipes!! i can’t wait till thursday! 🙂
love u girl!
Dinner was SAVORY OAT BRAN!–
Love the green vegggies in there, nice!
Lulu AND Lara all in one trip-dang girl. When I Was at lulu last week and dropped 3 benjamins i didnt even get a glass of water, let alone free cute mini laras. What did you buy (or not buy)? Cant wait to hear.
P”simmon. Yes, an odd fruit, sorry u didnt enjoy.
Cranberries looking good, i always make my own too but think i am skipping it this year b/c i dont enjoy 2 lbs of cranberries for JUST me and Scott. LOL leftovers til xmas usually 🙂
My dog and cat right now are my babies. I know when the time comes I will be very sad and I sherish every moment I have with them even if they are being bad. I did have a dog in high school with some major problems and we had to give him away and that was tough.
I want to make cranberry sauce but I am not sure I will be able too. I of course hate all meats and things made with meats for Thanksgiving.
aweee.. pooch photos always make me happy. and so do mini laras!! i tried a bazillion new things for thanksgiving, which i had yesterday!!
Awe Jersey is soo cute!
i have a puppy whom i am very acctached to. he is actually quite old now.. if he ever passes, my family would be devistated. He is definatly considered family!
I had the SAME experience with a permisson. I HATED it! my tounge was weirdly numb
Losing a pet is ridiculously hard. Jersey was such a cutie too! I lost my chocolate lab, Mackenzie, a few years back and still miss him dearly. I have no idea what I will do when I lose Frank (don’t even want to think about it).
Lulu is awesome- that is so cool that they were giving away laras. Great chili and cranberry sauce (one of my favorite parts of tgiving!!)
Have a good day girl
Wow – that tea selection is INSANE haha!! And that cranberry sauce looks yummy…it makes me so excited for Thursday! Have a lovely day…!
I lurked on O2 and remember when you had to put your dog to sleep. 🙁 So sad. Our first dog died the day after Easter this year. It was terrible, but she did die at home.
I want a LuLu so bad around here!!!
Man I need to find a new pair of boots as well!
Free Larabars??!! heck ya!
That chili looks great. I need to try the pumpkin one. I love my chili with sweet potato.
Have a great Thanksgiving 🙂
~Justine
My doggies are my children! They get treated better than a lot of people. lol. I have a black labradoodle, Licorice, and a goldendoodle, twix. I don’t know what I’d do w/out them in my life. We had a poosle groing up named Fancy. SHe died about 4 years ago. Soooo sad. My mom is just now considering getting another one, finally. I can’t wait till she does.
Oops, I forgot to answer the Thanksgiving question. I’m trying Tofurky! And there are no foods that I don’t like. haha.
Your Monday Memory reminds me of my dog Spiggy, who’s still alive today (but he’s getting gray in the snout). My mom bought him from the flea market when I was 13 and it was love at first sight. He was a pup and fit in the palm of our hands. He’s a weird, adorable, and sweet dog. He lives with my Dad now in CA, where he can roam freely in a sizeable backyard. Much better than being imprisoned in a cramped NYC apartment.
Persimmons raw aren’t so great. But don’t give up on them! They’re really delicious in cookies and baked goods!
not trying anything new that I know of! I’m going to my parents’ house, so I’ll just be helping with the normal stuff.
I wish I had water proof mascara on lol. I just teared so much because I have had my dog for 15 years and just the other night we were sleeping and I could hear his soft snoring and it hit me that one day I wont hear it anymore….
I had a cat named Fuzzy who passed away last year. It was super sad! Fuzzy was about 16 years old though I think, I lost count. So he had a full and wonderful life. But still. Its always sad when that happens.
Woohoo for the savory oatbran!!! Doesnt it rock? Its just such a comforting food I think.
That would be awesome if you could tape some of your training sessions! Im a cardio fiend but I really need to step up my weight training routine a bit and would love to learn some new things. =)
Everything looks so delish btw! Thanks for the chili recipe! It looks awesome!
If the Persimmon made your mouth numb that means it was underripe. You should try it again – just make sure it is slightly squishy. They’re pretty tasty!
Glad you found some boots 🙂
WHAT! My LuLu never has free Lara Bars on offer! Maybe that’s a good thing – last thing I need is another excuse to go in there!!
Your cranberry sauce looks super yummy :O)
Wow you have the best Lulu ever! I want Lara samples!!
Sorry about your puppy! I had a cat that lived to 22 years old I had it from the time I was born till I was 13. It was horrible when he died!
Your cranberry sauce and chili look delicious!
Oats with frozen berries is the BEST!!! I still need to try oatbran though, i’ve always been an oatMEAL girl!
And hmmm i’m so excited for some mashed potatoes but will not touch the….i dunno, actually! really can’t think of anything 🙂
The cranberry sauce looks so delicious!! and aww, Jersey looks so sweet. I cannot imagine life without my puppy (she’s actually 9, but she’ll always be ‘my puppy’). Unfortunately, she won’t be with us someday, but until then I will enjoy every single tail wag and slobbery kiss. 🙂
I’ve never had a pet- well, not one that I could pet- I had fish and birds- bleh!
Girl, you ate the wrong kind of persimmon! That kind needs to be eaten soft. You need to get a fuyu persimmon! Those don’t have the cotton mouth taste!
Those little bars are so cute, I have to order my Larabars online (I’m from Europe…) and they don’t sell those little bars, too bad!
What a cute dog, I can imagine you must miss him!
xxx Julia (Taste of Living)
Those lil sample larabars are too cute
Your trip to the mall looks fun! Always love a trip to Lulu 🙂
I tried a persimmon today, too, and I, too, was not impressed.
I’ve had mixed results with persimmons. I hated my first one – overripe i think. A year later I tried one again and it was pretty good. Still, I can’t stop thinking it tastes like a tomato and a pumpkin combined 🙂
I have a few pets that I still miss 🙁
I’ve only had persimmon in puddings and that’s tasty 🙂
Not sure if there will be anything new. We ALWAYS have the same thing.
to say that i’m attached to my dog is an understatement! i’m totally obsessed with him.
OH he is so cute! Still very attached to this adorably fluffy cat that is begging for my attention right now.
To be honest, I don’t like pets. 🙁 The only pet I ever had was a beta fish that I can’t recall the name of because it died within a day. We also had some goldfish that also eventually died because we put them in sink water! Sigh. I was traumatized by those experiences, and now I won’t let myself get a pet. >< I'll probably kill it! Yesss. Oat bran is where it’s at! 🙂 Creamy and absolutely fabulous. Sorry that you didn’t like the persimmon though :/ Perhaps you ate the stringent variety?… if so, then you need to wait till it’s super squishy. Ooh, was the cornbread moist even without the oil? If so, I’ll definitely try that out! Cranberry sauce looks delishhh 😀
Woah what a jam packed post! I didn’t know they had treats in Lululemon!! I’ve never been inside one, only quickly passed by one unfortunately. Now I know 🙂
I want one of those I <3 running Siggs that they have though!
Thanks for being the persimmon guinea pig. I was just feeling bad the other day for never trying them and now I don’t really feel like I have to.
Happy Thanksgiving!