For the love of pineapple upside down cheesecake...

In this post, you will get:

• A review of Baked Lava's Spumoni Cookies.
• A link to Nom Nom Paleo's Perfect Hard-Boiled Eggs, as well as the Nom Nom Paleo Cookbook, and some mustards. (Please note that none of the recipes in this post are Paleo. However, Nom Nom Paleo is pure gold whether you're Paleo or not!) 
• A Sarha-original Pineapple Upside Down Cheesecake recipe.
• Some narrative!

Wow, it's been almost a year since I posted. It's been a busy year, but don't worry, I'm still gainfully employed far, far away, still regularly going to the gym, etc. I just haven't had any time to cook or bake or post (see being gainfully employed far, far away). My dinners, if I make them, come from a freezer or a slow cooker paired with Campbell's Slow Cooker Sauces, and desserts come from the ice cream place or the bakery. (Don't judge. Cannoli doughnuts are fantastic.)

I took the day off from work on December 24 to make goodies for my family's annual "Appetizers and Desserts" Christmas Eve dinner, and especially to fulfill my husband's request for a pineapple upside down cheesecake for his Christmas Day birthday.

For "Appetizers and Desserts" I planned to make Baked Lava's Spumoni Cookies because my mom loves spumoni and I wanted to surprise her. I also planned to make deviled eggs (some spicy and some not) like I do every year.

You're not allowed to read cookbooks in my house. It's even more forbidden than using a laptop!

The Spumoni Cookies required a little effort, as in chopping up cherries and breaking up pistachios (I crushed them a handful at a time between two glass cutting boards) and making sure every cookie had some of each yummy mix-in. My main issue was having to go to the grocery store a second time on Christmas Eve (at noon!) because I didn't think to check the first time that I had enough butter. Who doesn't have a stock pile of butter? Me! It took me fifteen minutes to find a parking spot and aggressive, reckless drivers were trying to take me out every two feet. Next time I will make sure I have enough butter and the cookies will be no effort at all. (I'll also buy more parchment paper because I ran out on my first baking sheet and had to line the other two with wax paper that got super greasy.)

The Spumoni Cookies were a hit. Absolutely delicious and a great mix of textures and flavors. Plus they were festive!

To satisfy the "Appetizer" portion of the night, I made two types of deviled eggs: One with Jim Beam Bacon Mustard for those who can't eat spicy stuff, and the other with Hit & Run Brown Horseradish Mustard. Both were tasty! Last year the spicy eggs were made with Jolokia (Ghost Pepper) Mustard and they were fantastic. I have my Nom Nom Paleo Cookbook bookmarked to the page on Perfect Hard-Boiled Eggs for all my eggy needs. (I am not sure if these mustards are Paleo friendly, but I'm obviously not Paleo -- hence the cookies and cheesecake, oh my!)

 

All right, so... The moment the internet has been waiting for (judging by the great lack of pineapple upside down cheesecake recipes):

First ever real Zumba class

Okay, so today I did my first ever non-virtual Zumba class that wasn't a demo. Is it normal to want to puke for hours after a class?

That makes 6 out of 8 required visits for January. It's January 13. I will knock out all of my required attendances by the second full week of the month. Not bad!

That's all, folks— Do something good for you today! ...Maybe even try something new.

Biometrics assessed January 9, 2014

My job opened a new, ginormous gym with fitness classes, personal trainers, three salt water filtered pools (lap pool, therapy pool, and spa pool/hot tub), etc... My membership is $50 a month BUT I get $20 back per month on my pay check (quarterly) if I attend the gym 8+ times a month. I've gone 5 times in January. If I didn't live 60 miles away, I probably would have already attended over 8 times because I would have gone on weekend days.

As part of my membership, I meet with a personal trainer twice every 6-8 weeks, and with a nurse every 10-12 weeks for a biometric screening. 

I had my nurse assessment January 9th, and here were my stats:

Biometrics
Girth Extremities Calf L (in.): 13.5	Girth Extremities Calf R (in.): 14
Girth Extremities Thigh L (in.): 17.5	Girth Extremities Thigh R (in.): 16.5
Girth Extremities Forearm L (in.): 8.5	Girth Extremities Forearm R (in.): 8.2
Girth Extremities Biceps L (in.): 9.5	Girth Extremities Biceps R (in.): 10
Girth Hips (in.): 37.5
Girth Waist (in.): 27.5
Girth Abdomen (in.): 29
Girth Chest (in.): 33.5
Hip to Waist Ratio: 0.73
BMI: 20.8
Height (in.): 66
Weight (lbs – clothes on, evening): 128.7
Systolic BP: 120
Diastolic BP: 60
Heart Rate: 60 bpm
Body Composition
Direct Value Body Fat Percentage: 20.7%	Ideal Body Fat Percentage: 16-24%
Lean Body Mass: 102.3 lbs
Fat Body Mass: 26.6 lbs
Excess Body Fat: 0.0 lbs
Hydration: 60.3%	Ideal Hydration: 55-60%
Frame Size = Small (wrist 5.5”)

I'll post an update in 10-12 weeks!

I usually do cardio as a warm up — seated elliptical or stationary bike — then do resistance/strength training. Check my Fitocracy feed for workout details, and friend me!

I don't track calories. Calories are dangerous with my slightly obsessive/addictive personality. I try to eat healthy and in moderation. I generally don't drink soda or eat fast food, but sweets are my downfall!

My goals are to get stronger, be healthier, and have more energy. I also want to look awesome at my sister's wedding at the end of May.

I hope you have a healthy and happy 2014!