Hi! Did you make it through your first day back alright? 
I was suffering from RLS (restless leg syndrome) alllll day. I think it stemmed from having three, glorious days of wandering where/when I wanted vs being chained to a desk again!
I don’t think I ever told you guys, but several months ago a couple co-workers and I decided to switch our desks from sit down height to mid-chest height, with tall chairs, so we could stand when we wanted to during the day. Changed my life!
I used to get so sick of sitting down all day, that I’d stand up and hunch over my computer to do my work, just so I could get my butt out of the chair. Now I can stand whenever I like and don’t feel like such a lump at the end of the day. You should ask your employer if you can do the same – it’s worth a try! 
In other news, tonight’s dinner was inspired by the Food Network show Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives. It’s true. That shockingly tall/white hair is simply irresistible.
While Ben refuses to watch because it makes him too hungry, I will happily tune in to drool over the greasy concoctions so often featured on the show. I’m particularly glad I did last week because the episode I watched gave me the inspiration to make this EPIC Steak, Goat Cheese & Caramelized Onion Panini for dinner!
This sandwich is ALL about the ingredients. First I started with a loaf of fresh, Country Italian bread from a local bakery in town, South Union Bakery.
Several restaurants use South Union bread in their dishes, and it’s easy to see why. Fresh, chewy and fantastic – this loaf was honestly one of the best loaves of white bread I’ve ever had the pleasure of eating! FYI – it’s particularly phenomenal slathered with almond butter…mmmm…almond butter.
Anyways, I started with a slice of the country Italian bread,
then layered on some grilled flank steak. Some people may turn their noses up at flank steak, but it’s one of my favorite cuts. Left to soak up the BEST marinade overnight, I grilled this for a couple minutes on each side, on high heat, before slicing as thinly as possible.
Next comes the goat cheese!
Some garlic chive chevre that I picked up at the Farmer’s Market this weekend. Five seconds after I took this picture, there may or may not have been an IGE finger-shaped swipe on top. 
On we go!
Then, the piece de resistance – caramelized onions!
They were SO good the first time I made them, I knew I had to find a way to use them again soon. This sandwich gave me the perfect excuse!
On goes the second slice of bread, dotted with some extra virgin olive oil,
and onto the Griddler we go!
Seriously.
Seriously.
Seriously! No additional paninis need apply. Position FILLED!
Crusty bread, salty steak, creamy chevre and those ONIONS. Dear Lord, THOSE SWEET ONIONS!!!
When a sandwich upstages fresh, Iowa sweet corn, you know you’ve got a winner on your hands.
See? Watching tv IS good for something!
Dessert tonight will also be epic – a Peanut Butter Fudge Chip ice cream sandwich from Blue Bunny. Life altering. Run, don’t walk, and pick some of these up!
In other news, I went for a terrific run this afternoon after work! This weekend I decided I need to work on not “phoning in” my runs – ie stop looking at the birds and really get after it!
I went for a 3 miler on Saturday where I averaged 8 min 10 sec miles – maybe the fastest I’ve ever gone? Today was 4 miles at an average of 8 min 30 sec miles. I promise, I am no more able bodied than you, I just really pushed myself to the max. And I was fine!
There was sweat literally cascading off of my chin (hot!) but honestly, I was totally fine at the end. Like I always say, running is 90% mental!
Well, I’ve got a ton of stuff to do tonight, including returning emails and phone calls to a billion people. No, I’m not that that important, I just have a procrastination problem! 
I’m off - have a good night!
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I am so hungry and that looks so good!!!!
Funny that you mention that about your desk height. I’m about to move into our company’s brand new office building in WDM and one of the features of the desks is that everybody can change the height of their desk. Even to make it so high as to stand by it. I can’t wait to try that out! I definitely have those times when I can’t stand sitting in front of that monitor.
And I can’t wait to get my next batch of goat cheese. I meant to get some this weekend, but forgot.
now that panini sure does look epic!! whenever you make paninis they grill lines always look perfect. mmm those ice cream bars looks fabulous!
Drool. I love me some Diners, Drive-In’s and Dives, too!
I saw those ice cream sandwiches the other day and was so tempted at buying them. I may need to pick some up now!
Holy yum! I want those ice cream sandwiches!
What a great run! And that sandwich….wow. Looks amazing!
Caramelized onions – my fave!
oh my. you had me at garlic chive goats cheese…..OH YUM!!!!
I am drooling over that sandwich as I sit here eating my Fiber One bar for dinner… and believe me, I realize how pathetic that sounds! Haha!
(But I have an excuse… I just got back to my apartment today after being away for almost two months and haven’t had a chance to get to the store.)
Oh YUM! I don’t even like steak and that sounds amazing!
I LOVE that show!!.. that sandwich made my mouth water.. YUM. I will have to try it.
)
I, too was one of those “stuck” at my desk at one time in my life before baby… and I used to kneel at my computer just so I could get blood circulating back to my butt! Kudos to you for making the decision to switch your “sitting” arrangement.
Have a great evening!!
)
Wow, Blue Bunny makes some pretty fantastic ice cream products! I love their Banana Split cones!
Great job on the run but how did you not die in the heat? LoL. If I would run like that any other time than first thing in the morning, I would collapse from heat exhaustion. I tried to take my dog for a walk and almost caught on fire tonight.
Enjoy your evening love.
I agree. that show makes me hungry too! lol
MMM! Try the Birthday Party sandwiches from Blue Bunny. SOOOOO GOOD!
I am also a big fan of South Union Country Italian bread! Besides the taste, I love that it is presliced (rare for artisan bread) and freezes so well. I’ll take a piece straight out of the freezer, cut it in half and pop it in the toaster, then rub it with garlic and drizzle with just a touch of olive oil. It’s the perfect accompaniment to a salad or soup and takes no time at all. Throw some chopped tomatoes and basil on top and you’ve got a quick bruschetta. But I’ve got to try that panini – and soon.
I lobbied to get a standing desk but nope, way too expensive. I am thinking about getting a ball chair because I sit pretty much all day!
That sandwich looks sooooooooooo good! I will have to show it to the boyfriend when he gets home. He is a sandwich fanatic!!! Maybe I will tell him he needs to buy us a griddler so we can make us some paninis!
I love getting inspired by the food network! That looks amazing!
Haha one of my friends and I used to watch that show all the time in the wee hours of the morning–our other two roomies refused to watch it bc it made them too hungry!
I have to say that looks like the best sandwich ever!
im staying with my sister and brother-in-law for the week because my parents are away, and we were planning meals for the next few days. we were talking about your paninis (both my sis and i are readers) and came up with our own: fig spread, gruyere cheese, and ham. i cant wait to try it. i told them all about your griddler, and they have one! they got it as a wedding present and have never used it. so thanks for inspiring our dinner!! ps – hearing your running achievements makes me totally think i can be a runner
and HOW do you have so many hours in your night??
I don’t even eat red meat and I’m still pretty sure I NEED that sandwich!
I LOVE Triple D!!!!!!!!!! It’s total food porn and I LOVE it. Guy is hilarious, too. Nice to know some other ladies like the show as well
What a great looking panini!! YUM!
i just had dinner but i would totally eat that right now. the ingredients sound sooo good.
That sandwich looks great! I love Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.
I love Guy! I love me some Tripple D. It’s all so intoxicating, though sometimes I’m turned off when the plates look like slop and the patrons are raving about the dish. I had a similar, but completely different sammie like that for lunch today. BBQ grilled veggies, pesto & goat cheese on two lightly toasted slices of bread.
Next time I’m out shopping for a desk I will look into getting a desk that I can adjust the legs so that it’s standing height. Love the idea. Simiarl to the treadmill desk, but way more practical with the option of sitting available.
…speaking of running being a mental thing. Today I did your HIIT Cardio Routine 1 (modified a bit – went 6 mph in place of the 5s) and sweat like I haven’t sweat in ages! It was such a great workout and i wanted to thank you for sharing!
Looks yummy!! I used the same bread for a wine party I hosted during Sips in the City.
I love working up a really good sweat during the summer on my runs!! The ice cream sandwiches sound like a perfect summer treat!!
That sounds like one EPIC sandwich!
Great job on the run!
Oh my what a yummy looking dinner! I think we’ll have to make that very soon!
Oh my gosh! If I could digest meat I would be all over that in a heart beat. I miss meat for reasons such as that.
I love that show so much that it was on my bucket list to go to a DDD place. I went after my 10K run to a diner in Connecticut and loved it!
OF COURSE i decide to read this post right before lunch. nothing i could have packed could compare to the mouth watering images on the screen. love your usage of SERIOUSLY!? ha. it def. applies.
good time on the runs kristin!! how hot has it been in iowa? its in the 90s here. borderline cut off run temp!!
That sandwich looks like my husband’s idea of heaven; he’d love it! I watched an episode of that show last night and they deep fried an entire burger – bun, cheese, patty – the lot! It looked gross but they said it tasted amazing. Not sure I’m convinced about that!
Words cannot describe how A-mazing that sandwich looks. I need to recreate one of those STAT! I am all about the food network
DDD is so fun to watch, but I agree with Ben.. it does make you hungry! I record the show 30 minute meals with Rachel Ray. I really like how laid back she is when she cooks. How it shows her going back and fourth to get all the ingredients and cleaning everything up afterwards. I know that sounds weird, but it makes it seem like she is more of a normal person as opposed to an intimidating master chef! Does anyone else feel that way??
yum–what a fabulous sandwich combo! I’ll have to try that sometime–looooooove panini meals
that’s so funny. i love that show, but my boyfriend doesn’t like watching it because he says it makes him hungry. i’m a food network-aholic.
I love being able to stand at work. My new office in WDM has desk that you can adjust yourself and put them at any height you want it is amazing!! especially when you are on a long call. you can stand up and move around and still work with out hunching over! love it!!
Oh my goodness! That sandwich looks amazing. I haven’t had lunch and that sandwich is making me drool. It’s too bad I am trying to stay away from bread.
Blue Bunny – I take it is only available in Iowa? The Peanut Butter Fudge Chip ice cream sandwiches look delicious. I am also trying to stay away from dairy. You are certainly torturing me!