Daddy's Birthday Get Together

Today, Jorge and I woke up early again and we went for a powerwalk/jog. It was nice. I'm still not crazy about the running, but I feel great knowing that I did it!

Then I worked on organizing our home videos -- I'm almost done! I'm transferring all of our home video tapes onto DVDs and I have just 2 more to go and I'm caught up! Woo-hoo! I love finishing projects!

Afterwards we rushed to church and then ran some errands.

Since my Dad's birthday is on Wednesday, December 10th, Cathy and I planned on celebrating it today. So we invited him over for dinner and I made some steamed veggies with brown rice and lentils. Cathy brought over some sugar free pudding instead of cake, which was perfect. I considered renting a movie for us to watch, but then I thought maybe it would be best if we got a little exercise! So we went to walk down to the beach and saw all the Christmas lights. It was a little chilly, but it was nice! Then we came back and we sang Happy Birthday and then had some pudding. Lovely time!

Bake December: Pumpkinammon Bars

So I woke up at 8:30 this morning and went jogging around my neighborhood. I jogged about 2.4 miles. I didn't love it. It was hard at first. But I did it anyway. And it didn't take me too long, only about 40 minutes. The weather was perfect -- nice and cool.

Then we went to pick up Blanca from the airport. She just arrived from her vacation in Dubai! She stayed with our friends Reuben and Gaby there. Sounds like she had a wonderful time! We picked up Bailey from doggy daycare and then had lunch at the Euro Cafe near her place. Bailey is such a cutie!

Then Jorge and I went to Sawgrass Mall to see if there were any deals. We shopped for a bit, but then I got a killer headache -- I mean KILLER -- and we went home. I hardly ever get headaches, but I swear, I think that's the worst one I've ever had. I fell asleep on the way home and I felt a little better when I woke up. When we got home, Jorge brought me a Motrin, tucked me into bed and then made us dinner. He was so sweet! I love how he takes care of me! I slept while he cooked and when I woke up, the headache was gone. Such a relief!! Since I felt better, I went ahead with my plans for what we now call "Bake December" where I make some baked goodies every weekend in December.

For this weekend, I decided to make Cinnamon Pumpkin Bars. I got this recipe from my coworker, Beth. A few days before Thanksgiving, I went to her house for lunch and she offered me some of these Pumpkin Bars her neighbor had made. I was reluctant at first because I'm not a huge fan of pumpkin, but when I took a bite, I melted... seriously, they are sooooo good. I couldn't stop thinking about them over the Thanksgiving holiday and on Monday I asked her to track down the recipe! I was so happy when she emailed me within the hour and she'd found it!!



My first attempt came out really good -- I'm so happy I made them! I think next time I'll use half as much oil so they aren't so greasy. But OMG, they are soooo yummy! Here's the recipe! Give them a shot! You won't regret it!:)

They are actually more cinnamon flavored than pumpkin flavored, so I've been calling them Cinnamon Pumpkin Bars. Jorge is bent on calling them "Pumpkinammon Bars." If you hear him say that, this is what he's referring to. They are yummy any way you call them!

Inspired

Jorge and I hung out with our dear friends Stefan and Pinar, who were in town from Turkey. We met up with them and our friend Mily at Hollywood Vine in Hollywood. It was a cute little place, perfect for talking and catching up! We had a lovely time! It was great hanging out with them, since the last time we saw them was over a year ago!

And, I must say, Pinar looked amazing! She is so toned! Honestly, seeing how in shape she was really inspired me! It has really motivated me to step it up. I want to be toned too! With muscles. Grrr! Jorge and I have been going out for walks 3-4 times a week, but I think I'll start jogging now... Maybe I'll start going everyday! And with my 28th birthday around the corner (in 4 weeks!), it only reminds me I'm only getting closer to 30. I've always wanted to have kick-ass abs and a toned body! Watch out, I'm gonna get pumped!! :)

Christmas on Las Olas

Last night Jorge and I went to the Christmas on Las Olas, which is kind of like a fair. It was nice. We walked all the way down to Cheesecake Factory, had some Cheesecake (yum!), and then walked all the way back. There was a skiing lesson machine, a sledding slope, even an ice-skating rink for the kids! Well, it really wasn't ice though. It looked like wax. And they had a snow machine, but I think it was really soap. It was a great walk, although it was a bit cold. But it was worth it: the cheesecake was delish! And seeing the carolers and the lights really made it seem like Christmas!



Click here for more pics of Christmas on Las Olas.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas ...

Jorge and I spent the day today getting in the Christmas spirit! We put on Christmas music, put on our Santa hats and we set up the Christmas tree. Then I made Christmas sugar cookies, which turned out to not be as tasty as we expected. :( So I'll have to make them again, probably for Christmas weekend. But I have to find another recipe.

But it got me thinking: I really enjoy baking, and I know how much Jorge loves baked goods and how much we love Christmas, so I thought it would be a good idea to start a new family tradition to bake something yummy every weekend in December until Christmas! Of course, I told Jorge the idea and he loved it! We'll see what I make this weekend. I love this new idea!! Here's a some pics of us setting up the tree.







Here are more pictures of us setting up the tree.