"Treat Yourself" December 2021 Exercise Challenge

[Raya]

Joyous Yule everyone! Today is the Winter Solstice, which means that after today the light wins and each day will bring a little more sunshine. It's the big holiday for us, complete with a Yule log:



This year's looked better than it tasted - the cake was a little rubbery and dense, so I'm going to make a second one this afternoon. I hit the treadmill for 32 minutes this morning - less sucky than Sunday, but I definitely need new sneakers. If any of you are going to take up running for New Year's don't forget to get good running/walking shoes from a running store that watches you run ("gait analysis" which should be free)!

342/310 - 110%
342/465 - 74%

 

[ljcrochet]

12/16 26
12/17 24
12/18 23
12/19 36
12/20 21

 

[Twilight Sparkle]

Congrats to ljcrochet for a big color change to Pink Punch! She is this.close to Rolling Pin Red! Way to go!!!!

I do not want to take away from Raya's gorgeous creation, so we are going to take a pause from sharing recipes today and just appreciate her masterpiece. Raya, I applaud you! Your yule cake looks lovely!

I've been waiting anxiously for the solstice, too! I don't like the heat of summer, so I never want to wish the colder months away, but I very much like the extra daylight hours.

 

[Raya]

15 minutes walking in the sunshine at lunch. It's very strange to walk in the warm sunlight but still be cold - but 40' will do that!

357/310 - 115%
357/465 - 76%

 

[sophy1996]

+100

755/1200

 

[Twilight Sparkle]

125 minutes - horses, growwithjo Christmas dance party (so fun I might do it again), walking

1705/2200

 

[Twilight Sparkle]

Congrats to Twilight Sparkle (me) for reaching Pink Punch!

Anyone craving red velvet?

Holiday Whoopie Pie

CREDIT: COURTESY OF WORLD DISNEY WORLD

"Tis the season for red velvet everything, including this whoopie pie at Hollywood Studios with a piped cream cheese filling. You can recreate the soft, cake-like cookies at home with Dawn's Easy Red Velvet Sandwich Cookies."

By the way, the linked recipe includes a small amount of bourbon in the batter. Hoping someone with more baking knowledge than I have can tell me why and if it can be omitted or subbed for something else. We don't usually have bourbon on hand.

 

[Raya]

By the way, the linked recipe includes a small amount of bourbon in the batter. Hoping someone with more baking knowledge than I have can tell me why and if it can be omitted or subbed for something else. We don't usually have bourbon on hand.

"Here I come to save the day!" Okay, I know Mighty Mouse isn't the mouse usually heard from on this board, but I can totally answer this question! (Thanks brain injury that makes any form of alcohol strictly forbidden ) You can sub in vanilla for most alcohol in baking. The alcohol is meant to add a small bit of flavor 'depth' or 'dimension' which the vanilla can handle. If you hate vanilla any other extract will work. Personally I'd go for almond because I guessing it would play nicely with the chocolate notes in red velvet.

32 suck-tacular minutes on the treadmill this morning. here's hoping my runs get better after the holiday.

389/310 - 125%
389/465 - 84%

 

[PollyannaMom]

Thu-12/16 - 20
Fri-12/17 - 20
Sat-12/18 - 25
Sun-12/19 - 15
Mon-12/20 - 15
Tue-12/21 - 15
Wed-12/22 - 15
Thu-12/23 - 30
Fri-12/24 - 20
----------------------
total new minutes = 175

new running total = 420/500

(Sorry to catch up so many days at once. Just busy with Christmas stuff, but I have been sticking to my treadmill routine!)

 

[Twilight Sparkle]

Too busy baking yesterday, but we just returned from a short visit to the horses.

60 minutes

1765/2200

After today, you might not hear from me for the next couple of days due to Christmas stuff. Wishing you all a joyous holiday if you're celebrating!

 

[Twilight Sparkle]

Let's hear it for PollyannaMom for reaching Pink Punch! Hip hip hooray!

Our team broke 5000 minutes, too! Great job!

It's not pink, but it is punch and perfect for Elsa and Anna fans:

Frozen Snowball Punch



https://4sonrus.com/frozen-snowball-punch/

 

[BonnieF]

Merry Merry Day After!!!! Hope everyone celebrating had a wonderful Christmas Day! - lol! A quiet one here - but today's the day everyone will be here so I'm posting in before the crazy starts! Adding 100 minutes over the last few days - I'd get out in dribs and drabs. (235/500)
Twilight - these recipes look wonderful! I have to try the frozen hot chocolate!
Raya - love your Mighty Mouse reference! That was my favorite cartoon!

An update on my husband - we got good results - his cancer is undetectable on the scan! But since his bloodwork says there is something going on, he'll have to have treatment. So, we have a bit of a slog ahead - with sunshine at the end. It'll be a 6 month journey so I'll really be looking forward to summer.

 

[BonnieF]

Merry Merry Day After!!!! Hope everyone celebrating had a wonderful Christmas Day! - lol! A quiet one here - but today's the day everyone will be here so I'm posting in before the crazy starts! Adding 100 minutes over the last few days - I'd get out in dribs and drabs. (235/500)
Twilight - these recipes look wonderful! I really have to try that frozen hot chocolate!
Raya - love your Mighty Mouse reference! That was my favorite cartoon!

An update on my husband. We got good results - his cancer is undetectable on the scan! But since his bloodwork says there is something going on, he'll have to have treatment. So, we have a bit of a slog ahead - with sunshine at the end. It'll be a 6 month journey so I'll really be looking forward to summer.

 

[BonnieF]

sorry for the double post -my wifi is wonky today

 

[sophy1996]

Hope everyone had a great holiday (or non-holiday) weekend! DH is out of isolation, so we’re doing better here.

+ 150

905/1200

 

[Elizabeth Smith]

Kept busy all last week preparing for a week away to visit family. Had a quiet Christmas at home, binge watching netflix with the hubby. Now we're currently half way through a 10 hour drive to Tennessee. I managed to get 280 minutes (I think) since my last update, bringing me to 700 minutes. I hope that I can eke out another 100 minutes while we're visiting family to reach my goal!

700/800

 

[Raya]

Good morning! Yesterday was a crazy day - ran in the morning, took down all the decorations, yoga at night. I'm hoping adding some flexibility training in will help with all the running related aches and pains. 38 minutes running, 30 minutes yoga brings me up to almost at my stretch goal. Go me!

449/310 - 145%
449/465 - 97%

 

[Twilight Sparkle]

180 minutes since last check in - horses, walking, obe, heavy duty cleaning up after our plumbing flooded part of the downstairs Christmas night (thank goodness it wasn't the upstairs!) - I worked up a good sweat and increase in heart rate, so I am counting it - lemonade out of lemons, and all that!

1945/2200

 

[Twilight Sparkle]

Way to go Elizabeth Smith, sophy1996, and the TEAM or reaching Pink Punch!

Hope you all had a lovely and safe holiday weekend if you were celebrating.

@BonnieF, so glad your husband received some good news.

@sophy1996, happy to hear you guys are out of isolation. Hope there are no lingering effects from the virus.

@Raya, congrats on doing well with your running plan!

@Elizabeth Smith, I'm in TN! Hope you have a great trip! Are you getting out and exploring while here?

Here's a recipe from the Canada pavilion in EPCOT for those of you with leftover turkey from your holiday meal:

Turkey Dinner Poutine

CREDIT: COURTESY OF WALT DISNEY WORLD

The chefs at EPCOT have taken a Canadian staple and smothered it with an American classic. Meet Turkey Poutine French Fries. This boat of fries starts out with the regular cheese curds, but then it's topped with turkey gravy, roast turkey, cranberry sauce and, yes, crispy onions à la green bean casserole. This is one of the best food mashups I've ever seen. And you can make it at home with this Real Poutine, this Rosemary Roasted Turkey and this Delicious Cranberry Sauce.

This is making me miss The Daily Poutine at Disney Springs. Perhaps not as festive as the above dish, but I do miss their mushroom poutine!

If you have turkey and all the fixings on Thanksgiving or Christmas, what is your favorite way to use up leftovers?

 

[Twilight Sparkle]

We are coming up on the end of the month and the end of the year. Does anyone want to host our first month of 2022?