Author Archives: Emily

Even My Food Was On The Move!

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Oh boy!  I don’t have a lot to show for today because the whole day was crazy.  I was running around like a chicken with its head cut off from 7 am to midnight.  Going out-of-town for five days will make your to-do list a little insane.  And I haven’t even started to pack; mostly I was taking care of school errands.

Breakfast was an energy drink during class.

And I drank 4oz of Chamaeleon Cold Brew coffee over ice with skim milk and a chocolate pb magic straw on my walk to work.

Solid food didn’t happen until dinner; I was honestly too busy to eat all day!

Thankfully dinner was fun, filling, and a line through my to do list birthday goal list.  Adam came into the store just before we closed and told me to hurry because he had a surprise for me.  My bosses guessed a new puppy (if only!), I figured it would be something pumpkin flavored, and my co-worker had her money on booze.

None of the above.  He hurried me over to Delaware Park because he had spotted Lloyd’s Taco Truck and knew a food truck visit was on my list.

Thanks, honey!

I ordered the Tricked Out Nachos and was not disappointed.

White corn chips served with salsa roja, homemade Lloyd queso, chimichurri sour cream, brined jalapeños and pickled red onions, topped with stewed black beans.

Even with a day’s worth of hunger I couldn’t quite finish that monster serving!

For dessert we split the Puddin’ Cup.

Rich chocolate puddin’, dulce de leche caramel, and pumpkin seed brittle.

I guess I got my pumpkin after all!

Are you a food truck fan?  What’s the tastiest item you’ve gotten on the go?

Hello, Pumpkin Month!

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I realize that open season on pumpkin began a few days ago, but work with me here.  My first day of the month was so fabulous that I couldn’t skip blogging it, even if a few days have passed.

I did, however, have my giant (soul-crushing) exam that morning so I started my day with a coffee energy drink from the vending machines.

But then I moved on to the juiciest, crunchiest, crispiest Jazz apple of the year.

Once home, I put the first wave into the fridge.

And made myself a salad.

– romaine topped with a heaping Tbsp each ground flax, buckwheat groats, and peanut sauce –

And soup.

– seaweed ramen –

I picked up a short, non-fat pumpkin spice latte on my walk to work.

Adam met me at the end of my shift and we walked over to Blue Monk so I could get the beer I’ve been coveting since September.

Southern Tier’s Pumpking!

It is sweet and squashy and smells like the best dessert you’ll ever eat.  <– which is funny because I actually hate pumpkin pie

And then I was wasted because apparently I’m a light-weight like no other.  In spite of my obnoxiously loud giggles, we forged ahead and got food too.

An appetizer of marinated olives and pickled veggies with sourdough bread.

I ate ~25%.

And we split the veggie burger.

– Artichoke and chickpea patty with fresh tomato jam, cilantro aioli, on a whole wheat bun and sweet potato fries –

I ate 50%, minus most of my bun.

On the walk home we stopped at Spot for fallish desserts.

My caramel apple cupcake was old and stale (I ate ~33%), but it was still a fabulous end to the evening.

….

And then Tuesday was my first clinic day at the hospital and it was ridiculous and I ate all of my meals on the go, with no camera, the end.

Brain Overload

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Holy frick, guys, this weekend.  It was not the weekend that I was hoping for.  What I needed was to cram for today’s exam (<– the exam so hard my teacher warned us all that we should probably quit our jobs!).  But after a week of little-to-no sleep and several major assignments, I also needed to catch my breath.  In the end, I caught up on relaxation and sleep and hoped for the best.

Today’s exam was not “the best,” but I’m hoping that I didn’t score so poorly that I can’t make it up over the rest of the semester.  Fingers crossed.

I won’t be blogging next weekend either, since I’ll be in Philly for a professional conference.  Eeeeee!  But the rest of the week I’ll be posting on a normal schedule.  Monday through Thursday, here I come.

In the meantime, here are some nutrition-related articles I though y’all might enjoy –

Study shows that physical activity programs are not getting kids moving:  http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/nation/story/2012/09/27/physical-activity-programs-fail-to-get-children-moving-study-says/57849062/1

Five things to know about pediatric supplements:  http://www.stonehearthnewsletters.com/5-things-to-know-about-supplements-and-children/pediatric-health/

Is it possible to improve self-control with practice?:  http://psychcentral.com/news/2012/09/27/decision-to-make-healthy-food-choice-hinges-on-brain-competition/45211.html

Are celebrity health endorsements a good thing?  (I say no!):  http://www.latimes.com/health/boostershots/la-heb-celebrity-health-endorsements-20120925,0,2744476.story

Gluten-free diets are not for weight loss:  http://lubbockonline.com/health/2012-09-26/local-health-experts-gluten-free-diet-treats-medical-conditions-not-weight-loss

Tips for discussing weight with children:  http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-checkup/post/tips-for-talking-weight-with-kids/2012/09/24/6db37136-069d-11e2-9eea-333857f6a7bd_blog.html

The bacon shortage is unavoidable:  http://www.latimes.com/business/money/la-fi-mo-pork-bacon-shortage-20120924,0,5901787.story

Teenagers who cut back on sugary drinks slow weight gain:  http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/nation/story/2012/09/21/heavy-teens-who-cut-out-sugary-drinks-slowed-weight-gain/57821198/1

HFCS is misunderstood:  http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Science/Cardiologist-High-fructose-corn-syrup-is-one-of-the-most-misunderstood-food-ingredients

All I Need Is Popcorn

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I had to work this afternoon but I did manage to get in some nutrients first.  Cereal and milk (cereal and milk, cereal and milk!) for a late breakfast.

That’s 1 serving each Vanilla Almond Special K and All Bran Bran Buds with sliced plum and nectarine and Tempt Vanilla Hemp Milk.

I did co-op hot bar for a late lunch.

A tiny bit of bbq seitan, 1 stuffed grape leave, and 2 kinds of massaged kale salads.

Ahhhhhhhhhh, fruits and vegetables are so good!!

That’s not to say that I’m not still excited about junk.  Like this caramel apple cookie from the giant box my mother-in-law sent.

Or some of the Chocolove Salted Peanut Milk Chocolate Bar I bought for Adam.

Holy frick; guys, this tasted just like Cadbury’s Fruit and Nut chocolate bars from my childhood.  I loved it and definitely plan on buying more.

Something else I’m excited about?  I got to leave work early!  I pretty much look like a** and my bosses told me to go home early and get some sleep.  Instead of sleeping I’m staying up late to watch tv, but the extra time with the husband and dog feels precious.

Dinner was an Asian-style feast.

This baked sweet and sour chicken with sweet and sour sauce from Wegman’s,

roasted broccoli,

and Adam and I split a serving of Annie Chun’s Sprouted Brown Sticky Rice.

Everything was delicious!  The chicken recipe is a keeper (not exactly healthy but much healthier than the traditional) and the rice acheived perfect texture in 90 seconds.

My thoughts on tv?  Bones was touching, Grey’s was ridiculously sad, and New Girl seems like it is going to be awesome.  All that’s left to do is pop a bowl of ‘corn.

Yesterday I, Today I, Tomorrow I

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I’m almost done with my Study Hell Week!  Almost because I have one test to go on Monday that is going to eat my whole weekend.

I Enjoyed –

Mingling with local RDs at a meet & greet.

The free wine at a fancy hotel didn’t hurt.

I Discovered –

If you order a burrito “naked” at Moes, you end up with a slightly small, slightly cheaper rice bowl.

She even offered to add romaine lettuce to my base.

I Got Too Much –

Food! The following were all consumed en mass:

The only way I could stay awake was to keep eating, so I was popping bags of popcorn like they were Tic Tacs!

I Didn’t Get Enough –

Sleep.  At all.  Like, I’m going to die.  9 hours total over Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday night.  Yikes!  The more tired I got, the slower I moved and the longer things look and it just snowballed out of control.

Today I –

Got my free large (blue cup!) coffee from 7-11

and tried to pretend like I wasn’t still asleep.

Then I gave a major presentation and took a Microbiology exam, all within a 2 hour span!  My presentation was on a study that looked at the effect of fat supplementation in an enteral diet for the early stages of sepsis.  It went very well.  My Microbio exam was on god-knows what and didn’t go quite as well.

Now I’m off to eat something with nutrients!

Spinach And Artichoke Egg Pie

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I know I promised you guys this recipe yesterday, but just wait until you read my recap post tonight.  Mostly you’ll just feel sorry for me and/or think I’m stupid.  But I promise, this recipe was worth the wait.

Spinach and Artichoke Egg Pie, serves 8

  • 10 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed
  • 13.75 can artichoke hearts in brine, drained
  • 15 oz fat-free ricotta
  • 1 cup shredded 2% sharp cheddar
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 8 large eggs
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Farenheit.  Prepare two 8-inch pie pans with baking spray.
  2. Get as much liquid as possible out of the both spinach and the artichoke hearts.  If your artichoke pieces are large, break them up with the side of a fork.
  3. Place all ingredients in a large bowl and stir until well-combined.
  4. Pour into pie pans, filling each tin about 75% of the way full.
  5. Bake for 45 minutes.  If you have a small oven, or an oven with hot spots, switch location of pie tins at the 20 minute mark.

Carbtastic

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After only 4 hours of sleep last night I had to pull out the coffee Big guns Gulp this morning.

Actually, that’s only 4 oz of Chameleon Cold Brew; the rest of the cup was filled with ice and skim milk.  I know it looks like chocolate milk and I swear to god it tasted like chocolate milk too!  <– still love, love, loving the Chameleon Cold-Brew; winter is going to have to pry my iced coffee from my cold, blue hands!

I also packed a Honeycrisp apple with a packet of The Peanut Butter Co’s The Bee’s Knees.

That combo was tasty and fun to eat but it did not fill me up.  By the time we got out of our final class I was so hungry I was salivating.  I had to stop at Wegman’s on the way home and I ended up buying trail mix to eat in the car.

A .15 lbs mix of honey roasted, Cajun, and wasabi from the bulk bins.

I also had dinner’s carb early as a lunch appetizer because I couldn’t wait for my food to cook.

A rosemary roll dipped in evoo and pink salt.  I’m not even going to pretend like I didn’t consider eating another roll when that plate was done!  I didn’t (at that point!), I’m just admitting to wanting to.

From the oven came roasted green beans,

and a toasted sandwich of Applegate Farms sliced turkey and strawberry jam on a cheddar-jalapeño bialey.

Delicious.

This lunch did fill me up.  Except then when I got home from work 6 hours later I did eat that 2nd roll.

I’m an embarrassment.  But I was so hungry on the walk home that I thought I was going to cry.

I know hunger fluctuates but I’m assuming that today’s feelings were really due to sleepiness and/or hormones because I was uncomfortably hungry every minute of the day.  Yuck.

For dinner Adam made a tweaked version of my spinach egg pie.

It was our best variation yet and I promise to share the recipe tomorrow.

I also may have edged the cake…

The plan was to stay up late studying tonight but I’m still hungry and super tired so I’m going to cross my fingers and hope that an early wake-up works out tomorrow.  Good night!

P.S. How cute is Webster with his new, big bone?

Crazy Cakes

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Crazy-cakes is one of my favorite expressions and for the post title I’m using it both figuratively and literally.  It is crazy stupid that I’m blogging at 1:30 a.m. on a Sunday.  Things have been crazy busy and the next two weeks are only going to get crazier.  Finally, I fulfilled a birthday list goal and made a crazy good cake.

The past few days have been crazy on the healthy living front but I want to blog them because I don’t live a healthy living blog, I live my life.  And in my life 90% of what I’ve consumed in the past week has been pizza.  I’ve decided that attempting to work out over the next week would actually be unhealthy because I’m already getting so little sleep (my planner is workout-free until October 10th).  I’m super stressed and not doing the best job of balancing school work with too many hours at my job.  But again, this is my life.

As I prewrote these posts in my head I had a lot to say, but now that it’s been 4 days since I last blogged I think we shall go WIAW-style for the recaps.  Note – there is no recap from Thursday because I took the day off from everything, took no pictures, caught up on “Awkward” and “Covert Affairs,” and ate pizza and Chinese food for dinner.  It was both necessary and delightful.

The Next 2 Weeks

  1. (9/26)  3 homework assignments are due
  2. (9/27)  the 4 major assignments from my community clinical rotation are due
  3. (9/28)  I’m presenting a journal article for my research methods class.  It is a 25 minute Powerpoint presentation and it makes up a large percentage of our grade.
  4. (9/28)  we have our first Microbiology test
  5. (10/1)  we have our first MNT test <– it is going to be so difficult that our teacher recommended that we all quit our jobs if we can
  6. (10/6)  two friends and I are driving to Philly for 4 days for a professional conference  <– fun, but also holy frick, when am I going to pack?!

Friday

Breakfast on the walk to school.  Zico Chocolate Coconut Water.

Muller Blueberry Bliss Frut Up.

Blueberry Bliss Luna Bar.

China Breakfast Tea with skim milk and a pb-chocolate magic straw while at work.

A See’s candy that my bosses brought us back from their trip to California.  (I had never tried See’s before and now I am a fast fan; soooo creamy!)

A caramel apple non-fat latte as I geared up for a late night.  (Cafe Aroma, Buffalo peeps.)

Wegman’s frozen cheese pizza and a sad salad of romaine and 1000 island dressing.

Cake!

One of my goals for my 27th year was to bake a cake from scratch.  I figured I’d only do this once, so I wanted a recipe that was delicious but didn’t call for cake flour.  After much pondering and Googling, I settled on this Hummingbird Cake recipe from Serious Eats.

If you’ve never had Hummingbird Cake before (I hadn’t!), it is a yellow cake with chopped pecans, crushed pineapple, and mashed banana in the batter that is frosted with cream cheese icing.  This combination of ingredients ends up being amazing.

I made the following changes to the recipe and they all worked out –

  • light brown sugar instead of dark brown
  • low-fat buttermilk
  • canola oil instead of vegetable oil
  • 1/3-reduced fat cream cheese

I baked the three cakes when I got home from work on Friday night.  This activity, of course, included a sprint to purchase more eggs at the co-op 10 minutes before it closed.

Then Saturday morning I layered and frosted helped Adam frost the cake.

His surgeon’s hands came in very handy.

It ended up being a big success!

I brought the cake to book club and it got two-thumbs up all around.  If I ever have to make another cake in the future I will definitely think of hummingbirds.

Both of my book club offers were pineapple-based, because I also made my Tropical Fruit White Sangria.

This batch was made with –

  • 2 cups chopped pineapple
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup Cruzan Guava Rum
  • 1 bottle Rosebud Gold (a local sweet white wine)
  • 10 oz lemon seltzer water

Saturday

Eaten before my 10 am shift at work because I had been up since 5:00 frosting and studying.  Leftover bbq chicken pizza and sliced apple.

Popcorn with Smart Balance Light.

A Zevia Cola at work.

A pizza bagel on my break.  (The Spot uses the very best tasting marinara sauce; it is super zesty.)

My friend picked me up from work and I immediately guzzled two giant glasses of sangria instead of helping her set up.

Book club food, a slice of cheese quesadilla with guacamole and mango salsa, plus two toasts with shrimp dip.

A slice of cake.

Drunkenly eaten at midnight, my 3rd serving of pizza for the day and carrots with french onion yogurt dip.

Sunday

Homemade cole slaw.

A slice of cake.

A See’s candy at work.

Dinner while grocery shopping.  Sweet and sour chicken plus wok-seared veggies.  (This was randomly really tasty and the best hot bar meal I’ve had in a while.)

A medium, non-fat (no whipped cream) Apple Steamer during our class study-session at The Spot.

Baby carrots and french onion yogurt dip while I wrote this post.

An Important Question

Don’t you think that the dog sort of likes like Oprah when he sits with his arms crossed like this?