Thanks for all your comments on my post yesterday. You know how sometimes you just need to gripe about something? That was me. I am not changing anything, but I just needed to get that off my chest. 
Rant over.
Breakfast today was the banana bread pudding. I haven’t had this one in a while since I was on the steel cut oats kick.
Topped with coconut butter. I have to confess just eating this stuff off a spoon.
You know I usually end up with pretty serious Fridayitis, but I decided to buckle down and really work hard today. Often times I will cut my day short on Friday and work some Saturday morning to make up for it, but I decided I wanted an entire 2 days off this weekend.
I did take a break for a pear mid morning.
Today was one of those dreary winter days. Now is that long span until spring with not much happening. I do need to make an announcement for next month’s Healthy Heart weekend, though!
Back on poultry again. Turkey for lunch.
Funny, my mother asked me if I was tired of eating chicken. It probably seems like that is all I eat – and I do eat a lot of it. You can do a lot of different things with chicken. I get tired of beef or ham quicker than poultry.
I got in a nice one mile walk after lunch. I was just trucking down the street pretty fast and I looked up to say hello to someone passing by. Normally people will just ignore you, but I try to make a point to acknowledge someone. Well, I look up and this man had a great big grin on his face and said “Hi!” before I even got it out. 
I said hi back and walked just a bit faster LOL!
John and I did our usual Friday hooky. Coffee Planet it is! I had my coffee stamp card filled and got a free latte.
All my pictures today are kind of gray because that was just the dimness of a damp and cloudy day. Good day to sit in a coffee shop, though!
There was more poultry to be had for dinner. I made some maple mustard chicken. It’s super easy and very tasty.
Mix together:
- 1/2 cup yellow mustard
- 1/4 cup of maple syrup (the real stuff – don’t even tell me if you use fake stuff)
- 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar.
Pour over chicken breasts or thighs – about a pound of them. Bake at 450 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes until the juices run clear. I actually prefer the chicken thighs, but this is quite a tasty recipe.
It has a good mustard flavor and not too sweet. I imagine using honey instead of maple syrup would work fine as well. You just need a thicker sweetener so the sauce isn’t watery. It might be pretty awesome on the grill, too.
I just finished up this workout, which Biz posted on FB:
Dang! I can’t remember the last time I did 130 jumping jacks. This took about 15 minutes to get through and I was quite out of breath. Good workout for a short time!
Now time for a granola snack and some Friday night relaxing!
Have a great weekend. And Go Broncos!!! Playoffs, baby!!
Yummy food!
Oh that chicken does sound good! I bet you will be happy tomorrow that you don’t have to work and can enjoy the entire weekend work free. Looks like a good work out. Jumping jacks? Haven’t done any of those in years!
The chicken looks wonderful! I just might give it a try!
Are you going to unfriend me if I tell you I prefer fake syrup over real maple? I have a container of maple in my fridge I wish I could get to you – along with that jar of coconut butter I don’t like either…
Oh Helen, that makes me so sad…
I love sprinkling cinnamon on everything! I love the scent and the health benefits are just an added bonus. My mom literally made me bring back bottles of it when I visited in Taiwan this winter break.
I hope you have a great weekend.
That chicken does sound good and I don’t normally go for anything with a mustardy taste. I came back from New England with a lot of “real” maple syrup. When it runs out, I’ll have to come back!! LOL! It’s about to be time for another King Arthur’s run anyway!
I mentioned to John that when we take our New England trip this year that I might want to swing by KA’s shop!
Lori,
I’m catching up on blogs (busy is good, but keeps me away from blog reading..hmm..) and I feel your pain about the weigh maintenance. I’m glad you are open about things like that, because it makes me feel more normal.
Being someone who is not at goal I have nothing to say except that I am learning age, being female and being a person who wants a life outside of hours on end at the gym I totally understand. I am mentally preparing myself that if I have to “starve” and spend hours at the gym to get to my goal weight, then I will have to settle ten pounds above. I know I can still lose more because I don’t eat as well as you do. I tell myself, “If you’d eat like Lori, you’d start losing again.” 🙂
Anyway, I admire your success in your health and thank you again for your honesty no matter if it’s happy thoughts or sad thoughts.
I’ve been meaning to ask you for a while: how do you make that ground turkey that you eat over a potato? It looks so good- so…shiny! LOL Do you just brown it in a frying pan? Any spices or sauces added? It just looks really yummy and easy.
I cook in in a fry pan and then add BBQ sauce. One of my staples!
Hmmm, I’m not sure I’d like the maple-mustard combo. I only buy maple syrup in small containers, so I’m real choosy about how I use it. Maybe you could just mail me a piece of maple-mustard chicken so I’d know for sure? (Didn’t think so. 🙂
Have an awesome 2-day weekend, Lori!
Well I can’t eat quite that many carbs, but your breakfast looks so yum and the cinnamon on the pears is perfection, too. I appreciate how much effort you put into posting pictures so frequently, I can barely manage one every few months! As a result your blog is much prettier than mine 😉
Gripe away, by the way. We all need a safe space to vent on occasion, and getting it out is better than letting it linger and poison your entire outlook.
I can’t believe how far behind I am in reading & commenting!!! Lori, here too, some people will just not say hi.. I even initiate. I kinda expect here in CA but where you are in that smaller town.. It makes me sad when people will not say hi, So glad you got a smile!!!
OMG on the mustard! I use TJ’s hot/sweet mustard all the time but maple syrup with it – YUM!!!!!!
I agree on chicken, you can use that in so many dishes and variations. I usually eat it at least once a week. Besides that it’s cheaper than lean meat.
Well done on the short workout, it sure looks intense to do it.
I think it wold take me 15 minutes just to do 50 jumping jacks. Lol impressive!