Is the fact that it’s staying light out until 5:30pm these days making anyone else deliriously happy?!

It’s even helping me get motivated to go to the gym more since it’s not dark when I leave work. Darkness makes my brain think it’s cozy time. It’s not, brain!!!

Tonight I worked it out with a shortened version of the treadmill routine I did last night:

So tonight I stopped at 32 minutes and 3.5 miles while yesterday I went for the full monty – 46 minutes and 5.0 miles. LOVED those 8.0/6.5 intervals! I think anything is possible for 1 minute and alternating between a moderate pace and a sprint makes the time FLY. Plus it totally works your buns and abs.

Something I need to start toning ASAP in order to squeeze into the skin-tight, majestic purple bridesmaid’s dress I’m donning in a wedding later this Spring. Eek! (I’ll gladly do it for you, Laura!)

How far in advance do you start working out with purpose before an important event? I always shoot for 3 weeks, which inevitably leads to 2 weeks, which ultimately ends up with me vigorously working out 4 3 2 days before the big day. Gosh! Right?!

In other news, it appears that bad things DO occur in threes – including in the kitchen. In the past two days I’ve experienced:

1. Exploding garlic 

2. Burnt roux

3. A terrible, no good, very bad slow cooker dinner!

It’s true! Yesterday my Slow Cooker Moroccan Brisket with Red Onions & Apricots hadn’t cooked all the way by the time I got home from the gym, resulting in a tough piece of shoe leather swimming in warm beef broth and red wine in my crock pot. Yeeeeah…

I let it cook on low for 3 more hours last night before putting it to bed, and it did finally shred. The one thing this dish did right.

Tonight I heated up the shreds, red onion and apricots with another splash of beef broth and tasted it. "It’s okkkkay…" I tried to convince myself as I briefly pretended that the brisket didn’t feel like little shoe strings stuck in my teeth.

"I bet it’ll be crazy delicious when it’s all mixed up with fluffy couscous!! Yeah!"

I reheated the parsnips that had also been tossed in the crock pot the morning before, added a flourish of parsley, closed my eyes, and dug in…

It was awful.

It was! So sad! Ben thought the parsnips were potatoes gone rotten!!! (That was actually pretty hilarious because he dug in thinking they were potatoes…)

I don’t know…I’m sort of obsessed with seasoning meat with cinnamon, but the combo of cinnamon, cumin, coriander and garlic in this recipe just did NOT jive. Plus I don’t think brisket is the best cut of meat for a slow cooker meal. I’ll stick to chuck!

To add insult to injury, the couscous I had romantically thought would turn the entire dish around turned out to be quinoa!

It was actually quite serendipitous because not only was it the only yummy component to this meal – re-kindling my love for the chewy, poppy, complete-protein – but Ben inhaled one and I couldn’t stop laughing.

It was soooo sad, poor guy!! He has this really unfortunate habit of inhaling the tiny little couscous and quinoa pearls every time I make them (I always tell him to slow down when he’s eating!) but I seriously can’t help myself when people get semi-hurt. I laugh until I cry!

I know, I know – terrible character flaw. At least I slapped him hard on the back while I snorted. He was very appreciative…

When the coughing finally ceased, a pizza was popped in the oven and all was right with the world. 

Until we meet again, slow cooker. Until we meet again.

Off to clean the kitchen – good night!

~~~~~

What are some of your bad habits?

Mine include laughing when people get hurt, and picking my nails when I get anxious. Oh also, obsessively vacuuming my house.