Oooooouch. Owwww. Owwieee. Owie. Owie. Owie. OW.

Thanks, Stewie, for ummm perfectly summing up how I’m feeling today after my brush with Body Pump last night!

I stayed at work during lunch because I couldn’t bear the thought of bending my thighs going down a flight of stairs to the parking lot.

I dropped a piece of mail coming into the house after work and left it on the ground for fear I would not return to an upright position after retrieving it.

I wiped a piece of splattered oil up off the kitchen floor with my sock while cooking dinner because – well, you get the idea!

I’m hurt!

The bad news is that I feel like I got run over by a truck, but the good news is that I’m not “hurt” hurt. Just sore. Thankfully I 100% expected this and was semi-mentally prepared for it. Change doesn’t come fo’ free, yo!

I just need a day to re-coop and hopefully I’ll be running with the best of ‘em on the treadmill tomorrow afternoon. Cross your fingers for meeee!!!!

ps: couldn’t you watch that Family Clip over and over and over?! BAHAHAHA!

No? Just me?

In other news, I have a (cow)girl crush and I don’t care who knows it. The Pioneer Woman can do no wrong in my book, especially when she posts recipes like the one I made for dinner tonight – Beef with Snow Peas!

Beef with Snow Peas

Print this recipe!

Serves 4

Adapted from The Pioneer Woman Cooks

Ingredients:

1lb flank steak

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup water

2 Tablespoons brown sugar

2 Tablespoons corn starch

1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons beef broth

1/4 teaspoon ginger powder

8oz fresh snow peas

4 scallions, chopped

2 Tablespoons peanut oil

Rice or thin noodles

Directions:

1. Slice beef very thin and on an angle against the grain (freeze for 10-15 minutes before slicing to make it easier.)

2. Whisk together soy sauce, water, brown sugar, cornstarch, beef broth and ginger powder in a bowl. Add beef slices and set aside.

3. Trim snow peas by zipping off ends.

 

4. Pre-heat a very large pan to high or an electric wok to 375 degrees with peanut oil (don’t forget to turn on a fan!) Add in snow peas and allow to cook for 1 minute, stirring a few times. Remove snow peas to a plate.

5. Allow wok or pan to re-heat, then add in half the beef. Let the beef sit in the wok until it starts to get golden brown on one side, then stirfry until it’s barely cooked, ~30 more seconds. Don’t let it burn! Remove to the plate with snow peas. Add in second half of beef with the green onions and let it get golden brown on one side.

6. When the first side of the second batch of beef is golden brown, add snow peas, first half of beef and remaining marinade back into the wok. Stir to mix everything together, then turn the heat off. The sauce will continue to thicken as it sits.

First buttery cinnamon rolls, then creamy artichoke pasta and now THIS?!

The PW knows her stuff and this dish could have been on the menu of any of my favorite Asian restaurants in town. The sauce was savory and thick – loved how the corn starch did that!

I served my portion over brown rice, but mixed Ben’s with angel hair pasta – which he loved and said he’d eat everyday. “Mmm. MMMM! What is IN this?!”

I even caught him whispering, “oh yeah!” after getting the perfect bite onto his fork. Another PW recipe for the books!

I have this dessert recipe of hers that I’m making this weekend for Ben and I’s 3 year anniversary on Tuesday (eek, really!? Three years??) that I am seriously THIS EXCITED for. Can’t wait to show you.

Sooo yeah, get to the PW’s website if you haven’t already, and make sure to have a drop cloth near by. You’ll need it to catch the drool dripping from the corners of your mouth as you fall in love with her luscious, insane recipes!

Too visual for you?

Off to hobble into bed and read all night (until Teen Mom, that is.) Unbroken is so good, I don’t want to put it down!

Oh, my Bridesmaid Bootcamp approved indulgence for the evening will be this Reese’s Peanut Butter Egg that Ben surprised me.

Reese’s eggs have the best ratio of peanut butter to chocolate out of ALL the holiday shapes, imo. I CAN’T WAIT.

Goodnight!

~~~~~

Finish this sentence: “My tolerance for pain is _______.”

My tolerance for medical-type pain is very high. I could get shots all day long and be fine with it. Body sore-type pain is a completely different story. I’m such a baby when my muscles are achy!