A Belated Happy Birthday to Me--and Dark Chocolate Truffle Cupcakes with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

Hi, guys! I celebrated my birthday this week! It was on Monday, the 21st, and I had actually drafted a blog for you--it was like a "year in review" kind of thing. However, it got to be pretty lengthy--and then the week was SUPER busy--and now, here we are, Saturday morning...ugh, sorry!

Stuffed Zucchini Boats

Hi, friends! I've got a couple of things to report! 1) Feeling adventurous, I took a Pilates class for the first time ever last night in place of my normal Zumba class, and today, everything hurts. Pilates is a body conditioning routine that emphasizes developing a strong core and practicing good breathing. It also helps to improve muscle strength and flexibility, endurance, blah blah blah.

Though the objectives are lofty and lovely, the point is, today, I cannot laugh, cough, sneeze, or perform any actions that may accidentally engage my abdominal muscles because they hurt. *Sigh* Oh, and so do my inner thighs...come to think of it, my lower back, shoulders, and triceps are sore too. Sheesh. It's a good hurt, but it still hurts. On the brighter, less painful side, 2) I've lost a little more than eight pounds in the past three weeks :) I know it isn't much, but I think it's important to celebrate small victories. I'm excited and encouraged! :)