Valentine's Day and Chocolate Pie!

Well, I meant to put up the Sunday Scripture and Chocolate Pie posts yesterday, but I was so busy that by the time Mark and I had any time to relax together it was 4:00pm!  I realize that's not too late to post, but I wanted to spend the rest of the day with my sweetie...not the laptop.

I left for church at 9:05am and was there until 11:45am.  Father Farrell gave a great talk on the Eucharist.

Then I headed to my old apartment to clean and pack a few things.  And vist the washer/dryer.

My parents came down around 1:00pm to pick up some furniture that we don't have room for in the "condo".  Two stools, two club chairs, a bed, tv, and tv stand.

Mark showed up at 1:30pm to help my dad get things into the van.  Why was he late?  Buying Valentine's Day gifts perhaps?

Then we all drove (in seperate cars) to Penn Station for lunch at 2:30pm.  I love Penn Station.  It's a sub sandwhich place and they have the most mouth watering Philly Cheesesteak sandwiches!  Unfortunately I ordered the Club and it wasn't as good.

Shortly after 3:00pm we went to the "condo" for some chocolate pie!  Everyone loved it!  I was very rich.  I offerd a glass of milk to go with it but everyone passed.  After my parents left at 3:30pm I realized that I forgot to top the pie with whipped cream!

A travesty indeed!

Now without further ado...the Chocolate Pie!

This picture is to prove that I make my own pie crusts from scratch.  This one was in the freezer so I took it out for 20 minutes to thaw before rolling it out.

Great things are in your future young pie crust.

To make sure the crust doesn't puff up too much I lined the inside with foil and weighted it down with dried pinto beans.  Then I popped it in a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes.  Check on it after 25 to see if it's golden brown.

Don't worry!  You wont be alone much longer!

Next I mixed up the pie filling.  I dont have pictures of this part but here is a description of what happened.

In a small microwave safe bowl melt 4 oz. of unsweetened baking chocolate.  Let it cool.

In the meantime beat 1 cup of softened butter and 1.5 cups of granulated sugar in a large bowl until fluffy.

When the chocolate has cooled add it to the butter mixture.  Add 1 tsp. vanilla.  Beat until combined.

For the next 15-20 minutes your arms are gonna get wicked tired (unless your lucky and have a standing mixer, which I don't.)

You're going to add in 4 eggs, one at a time, beating 4-5 minutes for each egg. 

Here is the filling after beating it silly for 16 minutes.

Hey there smooth, dark, and handsome..

Now spoon the filling into the pie shell and smooth out the top.

Bee-you-ta-full!

Oh my.  Oh oh my.

Put this baby in the fridge for a couple hours (longer is ideal).  Then slice it up and top it with some whipped cream.  It is positively moan-worthy!

This pie is so naughty...be careful who you feed it to.

Sweet dreams!
Brie

The Apartment and The Condo: A Kitchen Comparison

I thought I would to a little picture comparison of my old apartment and the new "condo". 

BRIE'S NOTE:  Please excuse the mess.  I was moving in/moving out in these shots so it's in that disaster phase at the moment.

Also, "condo" is in quotations because it's not really a condo in the condominium sense of the word.  It is an apartment that was sold to Mark therefore it is a "condo".

I'll start off with a kitchen side-by-side.  After all it is my favorite room in any house!

Here is a picture of the kitchen in my old apartment (OA):

It is pretty decent sized.  I was happy it wasn't one of those gally style kitchens.  It had plenty of counter space which was awesome because I cook a lot and needed it.

Here is the one thing I miss the most about my OA.  The washer and dryer!  I am mourning it as we speak.  The "condo" has a community washer and dryer in the basement.  Boo.

Notice the refrigerator on the right side of the picture.  Here's what it looks like when you open it.

Yeah.  It hits the dang washer!  And here is what it looks like when you open the vegetable drawer.

It was kind of a pain in the butt.  But oh if I could have that wahser dryer back right now!

And here is a picture of the new condo (NC):

It's very open.  It has new cabinets from IKEA. 

But get this...no drawers! 

Nope not a single one.  WTH were the owners thinking? 

Mark made one drawer and it's for cooking utensils.  How annoying! 

I didn't really gain any counter space here, but the island is nice if there isn't crap piled on top of it.

This is the oven.  I dislike it for two reasons.

1.  It's tiny. 

2.  It's electric. 

Oh and it's FILTHY!  Goo!

I used it today to bake a pie crust.  You can see it tomorrow!

Love,
Brie

What Will You Give Up?

The Lenten season is fast approaching which has led me to think about what I want to give up this year.  Last year I gave up the internet.

The internet.

It was very difficult which was part of the reason why I choose to do it.  I limited myself to only checking my personal email twice a day and of course anything work related was allowed.  My work day is 10% work, 5% lunch, 85% playing on the internet.

I tell you what, I sure had a lot of extra time to pray!

I'm considering doing it again for Lent this year.  My prayer life needs some work and I think it'll be a great opportunity to memorize some prayers. 

Fat Tuesday is next week and I love to indulge in sweets on this day (and the days leading up to it!).

This year I am going to make a chocolate pie (a Pioneer Woman Recepie).  I'm a little leary of the 4 raw eggs in it, but it looks so creamy and yummy!  Plus I have a frozen pie crust that needs to be used...so.

Stay tuned for that post this weekend! 

What are you giving up for Lent this year?

Workout Day 10?

I've already lost count on what day we are on.  All I know is that we are still on track and feelin' great!

I can finally walk up and down stairs without wincing in pain!  That's progress people!

The leg workout last Thursday was particularly brutal and I felt 80 years old all weekend trying to walk, get in and out of cars, get off the couch, and the worst...getting off the toilet seat.

I've never wanted a padded toilet seat so bad until that day.

In diet news, I'm still watching what I eat.  I'm very careful to eat every 3 hours. 

As you know there was a certian event last Sunday that included beer and lots of junk food.  I displayed some self control by only drinking 2 beers. 

And a couple handfulls of reduced fat potato chips (Cape Cod Reduced Fat Potato Chips rock!)

And some meatballs.

And three chocolate chip cookies.

And I don't feel bad about it.  So there.

I probably wont update too much about P90X on here anymore, but if we have some breakthrough or injury we'll let you know.  And I'll be sure to show the before and after shots when the 90 days are up so stay tuned!

Brie

Still Blessed

I just found out that I'm getting a paycut at work.  3%

My boss came into my office, shut the door, and started talking about profit loss and letting employees go...I thought I was losing my job for a second!

That's would have been fine with me because I hate this job so much. 

But I realized that I'm blessed to have this job.  For whatever reason God wants me to be here now.  He knows there is something I need to learn from this experience.  It's a daily struggle for me to be here, but I show up every day on time and try my best.

The good news is I'm only here for another 12 weeks.  After that I'll be going back to school to earn my Radiography degree!  (if i get into the program!)

Pray for me!
Brie

The Gospel According to Luke 5:1-11

While the crowd was pressing in on Jesus and listening
to the word of God,
he was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret.
He saw two boats there alongside the lake;
the fishermen had disembarked and were washing their nets.
Getting into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon,
he asked him to put out a short distance from the shore.
Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat.
After he had finished speaking, he said to Simon,
“Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch.”
Simon said in reply,
“Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing,
but at your command I will lower the nets.”
When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish
and their nets were tearing.
They signaled to their partners in the other boat
to come to help them.
They came and filled both boats
so that the boats were in danger of sinking.
When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at the knees of Jesus and said,
“Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.”
For astonishment at the catch of fish they had made seized him
and all those with him,
and likewise James and John, the sons of Zebedee,
who were partners of Simon.
Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid;
from now on you will be catching men.”
When they brought their boats to the shore,
they left everything and followed him.

Don't be afraid to do things you know are difficult for you.  Jesus will always be with you.
God Bless
Brie

Workout Day 5: Legs and Back

I did the Leg and Back workout by myself last night after work. 

I emphasize by myself.

Mark was too busy purchasing supplies for our bathroom remodel to be bothered to workout yesterday.

Don't get me wrong, I love his sudden inspiration to get the bathroom redone before I move in.  However he does this alot. 

He is an expert at finding "legitimate" excuses to avoid things he knows he should be doing.

Don't get me wrong, he's not lazy and I know he's committed to P90X right now.  However he needs help in the time management department. 

He knows this, because when I called him out on it...he laughed.

Don't get me wrong, I love him to death.  However...however...

I love him to death!

TGIF
Brie

p.s. my legs felt like jelly last night, today they are like beef jerky. 
i know...my food analogies need some work.

Wedding Food and Yoga

Yesterday at 4:00 Mark and I had a date with our chef to taste some dishes for our wedding reception.  I was good and hungry by the time I left work.  Thoughts of savory beef and chicken clouded my head and made it very difficult to find parking downtown. 

I can never find parking downtown.  I hate it.

Mark and our wedding coordinator Rene were already there waiting for me. 

I'm never late for anything.  I hate it. 

We talked for a little bit, then Chef came out with the food!

I planned on having Mark bring the camera so we could take pictures, but I would have felt weird doing that in front of the chef, so I "forgot" to tell Mark to bring it.  Sorry!

The first dish we tried was: Slow Roasted Strip Loin Medallions prepared medium rare and served with a wild mushroom and peppercorn demi-glaze.  It also had a side of Smashed Redskin Potatoes and Sauteed Green Beans with Tomatoes and Shallots.

This was really good!  I loved the demi-glaze and the potatoes the best.  The meat was very tender and the vegetables were crisp and not rubbery.

The second dish we tasted was: Chicken Breast stuffed with Herb Goat Cheese, Oven Dried Tomatoes and Spinach served with Asiago cream sauce.  It came with an Au Gratin Potato Wedge and Sauteed Asparagus. 

Oh yum!  I loved the stuffing in the chicken and the plate looked gorgous!  I also liked the au gratin wedge and asparagus has always been a favorite of mine (stinky pee aside!).  I ate all this up!  My favorite for sure!

The third dish was: Sauteed Whitefish rubbed with lemon and garlic and served in a lemon butter sauce. 

This was our least favorite.  The fish had a "fishy" taste like maybe it wasn't fresh?  Also I'm pretty sure I told Mark I wanted to try the Almond Crusted Walleye.  He sent the email with our requests to Rene so maybe he wrote down the wrong one?  I forgot to ask him. 

We left with the idea of serving our guests a combonation plate of chicken and beef served with sauteed asparagus and smashed redskin potatoes.  Rene will get us the quote sometime next week so we can see the numbers.  I would be ok with just doing chicken for everyone.  Yummy!  I want more!

At my sisters wedding they served everyone chicken and I ate mine and everything my sister left on her plate.  One of the benefits of being the maid-of-honor and sitting right next to a nervous bride!

We didn't get to taste any of the appetizers being served at our cocktail hour.  I was bummed because it's likely that we wont actually make it to cocktail hour because of pictures and what-not.  Oh well. 

Our wedding is almost 4 months away now!  I have to get my butt in gear with all the details now.  I've been draggin' it for awhile.

Yoga!
Mark and I did the Yoga X dvd last night.  It was a little over an hour and a half long!  It was tough too!  Lots of challenging poses and there were some that we couldn't do without falling over. 

"Do your best.  Forget the rest."

Brie

Workout Day 3: Shoulders & Arms; Abs

Mark and I did this workout before he went to work last night. 

I really like all of these workouts.  They are challenging enough that I know we'll be doing them for months to come. 

The Ab one was super difficult though.  My stomach resembles a deflated clown balloon, so I think it'll be awhile before I can do every crunch along with the dvd.

My arms are sore and a little tight today, but it feels great to know I'm using those muscles that don't get worked too often.

I'm gonna have some mad guns to show off in my wedding dress!

In Other News...

Mark and I have our menu tasting with the caterer today at 4:00pm. 

I get to leave jail early today!  Yay!

We will be tasting our appetizers, entrees, and potato side dish.

I'm skipping afternoon snack today so I can be extra hungry for all the tasty food!

Happy Hump Day!
Brie

Workout Day 2: Cardio

"It's time to get rid of the gristle and gunk!"

Oh Tony you have such a way with words.

I did the cardio routine yesterday.  I thought it was really great!  I paced myself this time and when I couldn't stay in tempo with everybody, I just went slower. 

There was just a few minutes left of the workout when Tony called out my least favorite exercise...

The Dreaded Superman Banana!  Dun-Dun-Duuuuun!

This torturous exercise has me lying on my stomach with my back arched, arms raised out in front of me, and my legs raised off the floor about 4 inches. 

That is the Superman part.

Then Tony yells, "Banana!", and I have to use my core muscles to flip over on to my back then raise my feet and arms up about 4 inches.

Sounds easy enough but when I'm in the Banana position I can't get my legs off the floor one millimeter!  It's like they suddenly weigh 2,000 pounds! 

Then Tony starts calling out the positions faster: "Superman, Banana, Superman, Banana, Superman".  Anyone who walks in and sees me at this point would think I'm either having convulsions or trying to put out an imaginary fire.  It's really quite humorous.

I am a bit sore today, but it's a good sore. 

The diet is going well too.  This has been the best week yet as far as tastiness goes.

Breakfast:  Protein Shake (chocolate flavored of course)
Morning Snack: Mozzarella Cheese Stick
Lunch: Chicken Salad over Baby Spinach and a cup of Vegetable Soup
Afternoon Snack: Protein Bar (the Zone bars are really good)
Dinner: Talapia with Pesto Sauce, Green Beans, and Wild Rice

Brie

Workout Day 1: Core

For Christmas this year Mark and I decided to forgo all the expensive presents and give eachother the gift of 6-pack abs and a tight butt.

We bought the P90Xworkout program, weights, resistance bands, pull-up bar, and yoga mats.

We are just now getting around to using them! 

If your not familliar with P90X it's that crazy workout infomercial you see on the weekends.  It was created by Tony Horton and it's 90 days of intense workout and dieting. 

There are different levels to the program.  I am doing P90X Lean.  It focuses more on cardio and building lean muscle mass.  It has less upper body exercises, which is good for me 'cause I can't do a pull-up to save my life!   Mark is doing P90X Classic, 'cause that's the kinda guy he is.

My workout yesterday was Core Synergistics.  It focuses on the core muscles of the stomach, back, glutes, and hamstrings.  How do I know that?  Because I'm sore in all those places!  I had a hard time doing a few of the exercises and sometimes I could only do it once.  I was tired halfway through and I breifly wanted to shut it off, but I didn't and I'm glad I made it through to the end!  I know I'll look back in 90 days and think "I thought this was hard?"

Mark had 2 workouts his first day!  Chest and Back and Ab Ripper X.  I could hear him grunting and groaning the whole time, while I was cleaning out my bedroom closet.  I also heard him laugh a few times.  Tony Horton will say the most off-the-wall comments sometimes and you just have to laugh!

"Superman!  Banana!  Superman!  Banana!"

Brie

The Word of the Lord

Every Sunday I will post the daily scripture that spoke to me in Mass that day.  I'm a day late, but I didn't have access to a computer yesterday.

A Reading from the First Corinthians 13:4-13

Brothers and sisters:
Love is patient.  Love is kind. 
Love is not jealous, it is not pompous,
It is not inflated, it is not rude,
it does not seek it's own intrests,
it is not quick tempered, it does not brood over injury,
it does not rejoice over wrongdoing
but rejoices with the truth.
It bears all things, believes all things,
hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never fails.
If there are prophecies, they will be brought to nothing;
if tounges, they will cease;
if knowledge, they will be brought to nothing.
For we know partially and we prophecy partially,
but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away.
When I was a child, I used to talk as a child,
think as a child, reason as a child;
when I became a man, I put aside childish things.
At present we see indistinctly, as in a mirror,
but then face to face.
At present I know partially;
then I shall know fully, as I am fully known.
So faith, hope, love remain, these three;
but the greatest of these is love.

The Word of the Lord

Love is one of God's greatest gifts to us. 
He gives it freely to us as we should give it freely to Him. 
And we should always remember that we are deserving of His love.

God Bless!
Brie