Time to hibernate

It's about that time of year, weather getting colder the hot chocolate cravings start up, that's not really the case where I am, but for other people it is. Every once in a while it gets down in the 60s here, if that counts. It's time to pick up a Starbucks drink, if only because it has a cute winter scene on it, it's like an accessory + caffeine.

That also means it gets dark really quckly. So, whenever I get home from work, the sun is basically down. That means all I want to do is sit on the couch and veg. Game over. I still have Halloween candy hanging around that I continuously munch on (gummy body parts, in case you were wondering) all I want to do is make really thick, buttery, starchy food and I don't want to work out. That basically means it's time to hibernate for the winter. It's getting cold anyway, so a layer of fat would do me good <--- said no one ever (except maybe Eskimos.)

So, every other day I attempt to drag my sorry self to the gym at my apartment complex, because running in the dark is terrifying. When I first started running in Florida I was jumping at every rustle of branches and leaf noises because I thought alligators were going to jump out and snap me up. "Jump" really isn't the correct word. I know that alligators can't jump, per se. But I did think they were going to run up to me and bite my leg off, or that I'd end up wrestling around on the ground with one Crocodile  Hunter style.

 

I had to, I love/miss Steve Irwin.

And that was during the day. At night there are creatures and fiends and rapists and muggers and ghosts or Blaire Witches or something. I run with pepper spray during the day, at night I'd need to run with a cross bow. 

Sometimes when I'm feeling especially lazy and I don't want to make the (maybe) 4 minute walk to the workout room, I just do those squat, lunge, jumping jack, wall sit things that you find on Pinterest. The problem is then I'm scared the people downstairs will come knock on my door and complain about the noise from me jumping. You just can't win during the winter. 

Might as well just accept our fate, right? We can always start working out in the spring to lose weight for swim suit season....which is all the time down here. Whatever. 

Here's a really delish recipe that would be groovy for a football related gathering or just because you like buffalo chicken flavored stuff. Bonus: It's slightly spicy depending on what kind of sauce you use (yay! because it's cold out probably), and you can bulk up for the frigid temperatures because it has a ton of ranch, potatoes and cheese in it. You know that sounds good and you want to make it now. Don't pretend. 

The recipe comes from the blog Holy Cannoli Recipes.

Buffalo Chicken and Potato Casserole

• 1 1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch strips

• 1/3 c. Franks hot sauce

• 5c. red potatoes, grated w/ box grater 

• 1 c. light ranch dressing/ blue cheese

• 1/2 c. cheddar cheese, shredded

• 1 (10 oz) can condensed cream of chicken soup

• 1/2 c. panko

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 13x9-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Grate potatoes and lay out and pat with a paper towel to try to get some of the moisture out.
3. In medium bowl, stir together chicken strips and buffalo sauce. Spoon into baking dish in a single layer.
4. In the same bowl, stir together potatoes, dressing, cheese and soup. Spread over chicken. Sprinkle panko evenly over the top.
5. Cover with foil. Bake 30 minutes; uncover and bake 20 to 25 minutes longer or until potatoes are tender and juice of chicken is no longer pink when centers of thickest pieces are cut.