Hola, Mi Amigos and Amigas!

Despite a mutual hatred for lines, cranky children and obnoxious adults, on Friday afternoon, Lucas and I braved the day-after-Christmas sales — BOY were we exhausted when we were done! I worked from home yesterday, which was nice because I got a nice long run in first, and, since Lucas had the day off of work and could watch the doggies, I actually had the office to myself for most of the morning and early afternoon.

So, once I was done with work, we decided to head out and run a few errands. We needed new picture frames, a rug and some curtain rods, and found some great deals at Target. It’s so funny to see the bargain shoppers go nuts over the 50% signs. I swear, you could put those signs on almost anything, and people will jump all over each other to get the stuff in their carts! Oh well, I guess the economy needs it.

Here’s the inspiration board I’m working on for the bedroom, using Polyvore.com:

Some of that stuff exists … the black dresser, the TV, the bed … and the beige stripe with the black stripe inside. The rest of the items are just ideas — what do you think? We have turquoise and beige in the guest room, so I might switch that out. And the damask bedding might be too busy. We’ll see.

Luckily, my newest oatmeal concoction held me over all morning for all that work and shopping!

I used:

1/2 C old-fashioned oatmeal
1 1/2 C water
1 granny smith apple, diced
2 T sugar-free caramel syrup (I used the Starbucks brand that normally goes in my homemade lattes!)
2 t cinnamon (I think pumpkin pie spice would be even better)

I made it on the stovetop, stirring on medium-low heat until I got a nice thick consistency. Then, I stirred in about an eighth of a cup of light soy milk at the end and YUM — ate it up! It tasted kind of like a caramel apple, so I’m calling it caramel apple oats. It wasn’t as sweet as I normally like my oatmeal, so next time I might stir in some splenda or some of the raw honey my brother sent me for Christmas! (It’s the real deal, just like the maple syrup he sent … it pays to have relatives living in Vermont!)

I also made myself a salad wrap for lunch with three hard-boiled egg whites on the side.

We thought about going to see Marley and Me, since it’s one of my favorite books, but I wasn’t in the crying mood, and I knew it would make me bawl my eyes out! So we laid pretty low … knocked out some projects, got grocery shopping and cleaning out of the way, and tried to clear out the DVR.

Dinner was Cuban style … Roast pork, baked plantain and green beans (Lucas had some black beans on the side, made with garlic, onions and some adobo seasoning.) That explains the post title.

I washed it down with an Amstel Light:

And for a snack a few hours later, I tried the new Orville Redenbacher Lime & Salt Popcorn … meh. The flavor was good, but the popcorn was really greasy. I don’t see the product on the company Web site yet, but keep an eye out!

Drumroll please!! LUCAS (dear husband) will be appearing on this blog more often, as a stand-in food reviewer!

We both love trying new things, and want to share our thoughts, but I’m not that comfortable doing it myself. I’m a journalist, and while I don’t do any news stories about food, I’m concerned I could have a conflict of interest if I review a product that I get for free or discount. So, Lucas has graciously offered to be the official reviewer for this blog. I won’t offer my opinions, and will make it clear when I do post the reviews that they are not my own. And unless I say otherwise, we will be buying the foods ourselves. If we ever review a sample for free or discount, I will make that completely transparent.

So, here’s a tease … tomorrow, Luke’s first review: Patio’s frozen chicken burrito.
He picked it thinking it would be a quick go-to meal or snack with decent nutrition. Stay tuned for the results!

Today was a wonderful day — I met Caitlin and Meghann at the park and we rented these beautiful blue bikes and rode all through Blanchard Park. It was hot and a little windy, and the place was packed with people … Caitlin tried her hand at off-roading, which may not have been the best idea less than a week before her wedding! Luckily, none of us wiped out, although I was prepared with my super-cute pink helmet. I had a really nice day with them and urge you to check out both of their blogs if you haven’t already!

I’m still re-working my makeup collection for 2009, so I’d love to hear your must-have beauty picks … leave me a comment or send me an e-mail!