Quote from my trainer today:  We aren’t dogs.  We don’t need to be rewarded with food.

He asked me what my weight goal was for my wedding.  I told him that honestly I would be happy just not to gain any weight over the next two months.  It occurred to me my real goal is to be stronger and faster, not thinner. 

Granted, I don’t have to eat two breakfasts every day.  Or cheesecake every night.

Sundays’ brunch at Herbies.  And yes, I ate two of those pancakes as well.  And was still hungry :/

But I’ve been at this weight for a couple of months now, and I’ve been pretty relaxed with what I’m eating, and I’ve stayed here.  That’s not too bad. I could eat cleaner and I’d lose weight, but do I want to?  (Okay, we actually know the answer, but gosh darnit.)

We went to Pi last night with Vanessa and Russell, her boyfriend from out of town who I was meeting for the first time!  It was a blast—he was a really great guy.

After salad and pizza, we went across the street to Herbie’s for a nightcap and dessert.  (While relaying this part of the story to Mike, he asked if I always rewarded myself with food, and then said the thing about dogs.)

To my credit, THIS is the cheesecake I had been craving…well, since the last time I had it.  Maybe a year ago.  Maybe 8 months.  I don’t remember, but I denied myself for a long time.  And now that countdown begins again!

The other day I needed (wanted) to whip up a quick dessert to take over to our friend’s house for dessert.  They had invited us to grill and I said I’d bring dessert.  I had the ingredients on hand for cake batter blondies and knew they were really easy to make.

I didn’t plan on my vegetable oil being bad.  I didn’t notice until I had already mixed the ingredients together.  It smelled of plastic—it was the end of the bottle and I guess the container had started to break down or something.  I’m not sure how old it was.  So the blondies were ruined.  I didn’t want to go to the store (I was sore from my half-marathon that morning) and I didn’t have enough ingredients to make it again.  What to do?

I looked through the cupboards, and looked through my cookbooks.  I settled on peanut butter bars.  The recipe is from a cookbook my grandmother gave me years ago that was made for a fundraiser for the M.O.P.S. (mothers of preschoolers) of West Clinton Mennonite Church in Wauseon, OH.  The cookbook is called “All our favorites” and is filled with easy recipes to make.

The recipe was easy, and turned out to be really good!  Next time I might make it in a smaller container for a taller treat, but that would likely affect the baking time.  I’d had to experiment.  We had the bars with Edy’s Butterfingers Ice Cream on top and they were delicious.  They were also really good the next few days.

Recipe:

Chewy Peanut Butter Bars

1/2 cup butter OR margarine (I had margarine on hand to use up, so that’s what I used.)

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1 1/2 cup sugar

1 cup all purpose flour

2 eggs, beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large saucepan, melt the butter and peanut butter.  Remove from the heat; add sugar and flour.  Stir in the eggs and vanilla.  Spread into greased 9 x 13 inch pan.  Bake for 28 to 32 minutes or until golden and edges pull away from pan.

Yield: 2 dozen.

The fall weather we’re currently having is making me think about cookies, muffins, pies, and other baked goodies.  I haven’t baked in awhile, whether because it’s been summer (maybe) or because I just haven’t been that excited about it.  I was looking back at my blog and saw a couple of great recipes I made in the past.  Since I’m feeling a bit lazy and rushed today, let me just give you a few quick links!

There’s my “world famous” pumpkin bread.  Not truly world famous, but this stuff is foolproof, amazing, and I’ve been making it for years.  Last year I added chocolate chips to it and it was somehow improved!

I also made some delicious vegan pumpkin bars last fall.  I recommend!

I highly recommend the jam filled butter cookies from this post…

I need to use this baby more in the fall!  Hit me up with some “must bake” recipes, readers! What are your favorite fall recipes??

Barbecue means different things to different people.  To me, I first and foremost think of Hickory Hills Barbecue in my hometown of Clinton, South Carolina.  Right or wrong, it will forever be thought of as having both the greatest barbecue and the greatest sweet tea.  My brother worked there a couple summers in high school (or maybe just one) and for my birthday one year treated me and my sister to the buffet lunch.  I believe we each drank approximately a gallon of sweet tea and who knows how much meat.  I remember driving the ten to fifteen minutes home and being so ridiculously, uncomfortably full…such that I have never experienced again except perhaps on Thanksgiving.  Certainly I have never driven so full again.

Here in St Louis they serve an unflavored meat as barbecue and you evidently are meant to add your flavoring at the table.  You can tell I am not at all biased (some things about the south I love, such as barbecue and grits…everything else I hate with a passion) against St Louis style barbecue.  Maybe I am actually just not a gigantic meat fan (don’t twss me, please) and prefer side dishes.  I definitely do on Thanksgiving!

Last Tuesday Chris and I decided to go to Bogart’s in Soulard.  He had been several times before and raved about it to, and I figured it was a good lunch idea.

The view from our table.

We both ordered the same thing—the barbecue pork sandwich with potato salad and beans.  I also got a sweet tea, because it was an option and what else would I drink with barbecue??

The tea wasn’t as sweet as in Clinton.  You couldn’t feel your teeth rotting as you drank it.  This is a good and a bad thing.  Also note the excellent tablecloth and the paper towels.

Okay.  The meal.  Sides first:  the beans were to DIE for.  These were the greatest beans I have ever eaten.  Yes they also contain a lot of meat.  DELICIOUS.  The potatoe salad was really tasty as well.  I’ll have to try the cole slaw next time, as that was the other thing that I was interested in.  The meat…well you see I added my own sauce.  It was totally fine.  A bit too much bun.  I guess I just want some gross southern style hash on my sandwich…call me crazy!  Anyway, I still recommend you go to Bogart’s, and I will be back. 

Remember people, it’s barbecue with a "c".  I know I’ve mentioned it before, but barbecue is one of my spelling bee words.  I spelled it barbeque.  No wonder though, if you look at the Hickory Hills menu…