Author Archives: Emily

It Ain’t Easy Being Green

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Physical activity is a funny thing.  I went to a 60 minute hot yoga class today.  I was dreading it all morning, and sure enough, when I got there it sucked.  I felt like I was going to pass out the entire time and spent most of the class in child’s pose.  It was my worst practice to date.  But by the time I was done, I was so happy that I went.

When I got home from the yoga class that was both frightful and fantastic, I made a smoothie for breakfast.

1 cup skim milk, 1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese, 1 frozen banana, 7 oz frozen soursop pulp, and nutmeg (for garnish).

The flavor wasn’t quite right but the texture was luscious.

And nutmeg on creamy drinks, especially piña coladas!, is the best.

Adam and I ran a few errands in the snow and then it was time for a double-decker lunch.

On a hamburger bun with schmear of sour cream, 2 nacho turkey burgers topped with 1 oz of melted sharp cheddar.

It was totally swoon-worthy.  The burgers are nice and juicy but have this great chew from the chips too.

I’m glad I made the patties small and stackable.

For dessert, Adam and I each had a mug cake.

I followed the basic recipe, with the inclusion of a handful of chocolate chips.

Dinner was one of my older recipes that I decided to revisit.

Green Tuna Enchiladas!  I updated the recipe page too.

I had two enchiladas and some roasted brocoli on my plate.

It was a good, green meal.

But I wasn’t feeling satisfied.  In fact, I’ve had a gnawing hunger all day, and I know it’s not thirst in hunger’s clothing because this pitcher and I have been fast friends all day.

That h2o is spiked with limes and sugar cane, fyi.

So I honored my hunger and  finished up my dinner with some leftover beans and rice with sour cream and cheddar cheese.

Now I’m done.

What do you do when you’re hungry when you “shouldn’t be?”

Not Yo Mama’s Turkey Burgers

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Three posts in one day?!?  I’m on a roll!  And since I didn’t have it together to eat before late afternoon, this is actually everything I ate today.  Sidenote – my #2 goal for the next 30 days is to blog every single day/eat.  My #1 goal?  Involves my ass and the gym.

Since I waited too long to eat I was absolutely starving.  I ended up eating a 6-inch tuna sub, with vinegar and red onions, while I cooked dinner.

It was tasty, and it kept me from gnawing my own arm off.

Dinner was a good’un.  Quick, delicious, and it involved two brand-spanking-new recipes.

Emily- and husband-approved.

New recipe 1 was Nacho Turkey Burgers, makes 8 small burgers

  • 1 lb 94% fat-free ground turkey
  • 1 large egg
  • 60 grams crushed tortilla chips
  • 1/4 cup medium, chunky style salsa
  • 3/4 cup Mexican shredded cheese blend
  • 1 tsp evoo
  • 8 hamburger buns
  • guacamole (optional)
  • sliced cheddar (optional)
  • hot sauce (optional)
  1. In a large bowl, combine turkey, egg, chips, salsa, and cheese until a homogenous mixture is achieved.  Use your hands to shape into 8 equal-sized patties.
  2. Heat evoo in a grill-pan over medium-high heat.  Working in small enough batches as to not overcrowd the pan add patties to pan.
  3. Cook burgers until browned and fully cooked through; 5-8 minutes on each side.
  4. Serve cooked burgers and top as desired.

New recipe 2 was served atop the burgers, Citrus Guacamole.

  • 2 medium-sized ripe avocados
  • 1 tomatillo, minced
  • 1 small lemon, juiced
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  1. Place avocados in a medium bowl and mash with a fork, leaving some chunks.
  2. Stir in tomatillo, lemon juice, and salt.  Serve immediately.

Both recipes ended up turning out really well!

I love it when my kitchen experiments work out.

I had one nacho turkey burger, on a bun with citrus guacamole,

a serving of rice and beans (just rice with a can of black beans stirred in during the final minutes of cooking) topped with another dollop of guac,

and some roasted asparagus.

The citrus-salt theme was carried nicely throughout the entire meal.

For dessert I nibbled on a few chocolate covered pretzels.

We’re currently making our way through the “Aliens” movies, so “Aliens, 2” was our dinner entertainment.  Webster thought it was thrilling.

He’s such a cutie.

So, about that hair cut.  A month or so ago, this exchange took place on Yes I Want Cake –

Katie got her cut soon after, and it looked fantastic.  I’d just given to Locks of Love, but after some time enjoying my new hair, I was ready.  What do you think?

I love it!

Hello, Farewell

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The hello is from me to you.

I know I’ve been neglecting the blog like crazy lately, and I’m sorry.  My mom sent me the next seven books in the Temperance Brennan series and that’s been occupying my time.  Seriously, I’ve done little else.  Though I have gotten a lot of time with the husband lately and it’s involved a lot of pizza.  I do better when I have a schedule, and I predict that blogging will be a lot easier once I have more to do when school starts next week.  Sounds backwards, but the busier I am the more I get done.  And the less I have to do the less I get done.

The farewell is to this ‘do.

I’m off to get them all cut.  I will admit that I’m dreading the appointment and am already sure I won’t look cute when it’s all said and done.  But I’m feeling brave, so why not go for it?

Can you thrive with a free schedule or do you need lots of to-do’s to get anything done?

Window Shopping Wednesdays

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I am not much of a shopper, much to my mother’s chagrin. The woman can spend days at the mall, while I start to feel itchy after just a few hours. It’s not that I’m not materialistic, I totally am, it’s just that the thought of adding more stuff to my life makes it hard to breathe. But I like the idea of things. So I’m an avid window shopper. I browse catalogs I’ll never buy from and hold my breathe when I pass the window at J.Crew. So while I’m stuck at school all day Wednesdays, I thought we could have some fun via blog. Let’s window shop!

Here’s what I’m coveting this week –

1.  The floral cook and serve casseroles from Patina.

I love the idea of stove-to-table casserole dishes and the look of these is right up my alley.  The flowers somehow aren’t too sweet or girly, a good thing since the only dinner parties I’ll be throwing are with my male husband.  My only complaint is that the sizing is a little strange, 8 x 5.5 and 7 x 4.5.

2.  The equal tea towel from Studio Patro.

This towel is cute and useful.  I know I should know most of the exchanges (the RD exam actually tests you on some of them!) but I still get stuck on the whole pints, quarts, gallons thing.  The “cook” and “bake” towels are equally adorable.

3.  The kangaroo water bottle from Contigo.

The little flip-open compartment would be perfect for placing keys, id, and $ if I was on an outside run.  And for trips to the gym we have to carry a school id that I’m never quite sure where to put.

4.  The pretty plies ivory tulle skirt from Lulu’s.

I need this.  Preferably with an ivory, ballet pink, or black tee on top.  Or a racerback.  I’m not picky.  But definitely not with the shoes shown in the picture.  Yuck.

5.  Do Ya Think I’m Sexy by Deborah Lippmann.

I’ve decided that I’m all about the sparkle nail polish this year.  Sure, it’s a bitch to remove, but not as bad when you layer it on top of another color.  This would top pink for Valentine’s, blue and white for the 4th, and green for Christmas.

What’s on your shopping list this week?

I. C. U. P.

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Today has been (and is going to be, it’s only 2:00 for gosh sake) a good day.  But this morning did not have the most promising start.  More embarrassing than promising really.

I had planned to go to an 8am yoga class but as I flip-flopped around the idea in bed it got later and later.  At 7:40 I decided I did want to go, which meant I had to scurry to make it on time.  I got dressed, gathered my stuff, and was halfway down the block when it hit me … I hadn’t gone to the bathroom!  I knew that I could neither a) use the bathroom at the studio and still make it to class before the cut-off time, nor b) hold it for the next hour+.  So I sadly went home.  It sucks to miss a planned day within my unlimited month, but even a Groupon’s not worth risking having an accident on the floor like a dog during my downward dogs!

Since the school gym doesn’t open until 10am on weekends I had to replan my day a bit, but I think it all worked out.  I went home (and peed!), did the dishes, made my grocery list, and ate a wonderful breakfast.

This oatmeal bowl had the best mix of textures.

I brought 1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup skim milk, and 1 small thinly sliced banana to a simmer in a small pot.  Then I added 1/4 cup oats, a pinch of salt, 1 Tbsp chia seeds, and 2 Tbsp raisins and stirred, stirred, stirred.  When the oats were cooked I took the pot off of the heat and stirred in 1/4 cup reduced-fat cottage cheese.

It  was delicious.  Though you can barely call it oatmeal, of the bowl’s ~ 375 calories only 75 calories actually came from oats!

After breakfast I finally got to workout.  A bit later than planned though because this was happening in my lap and I couldn’t bear to move him.

I actually waited so long (11:30) that I ended up getting hungry again.

That’s 3/4 of a Chocolate Chip Cherry Torte LaraBar topped with a schmear of Justin’s Maple Almond Butter.

Once I digested for the 2nd time, I set out for the gym on foot.

Trudging through the snow was basically a workout in and of itself, but I did 40 minutes on the elliptical, random level 6 too.

My multiple layers and shoe changes made the whole process take forever.  Now that I’m finally home, I’m putting off the grocery store for later so that I can get some lunch!

Do you have to use the bathroom the minute you wake up or can you hold it?  I normally can wait, so I get up and deal with the dog before I even think about the bathroom, but holding it through a yoga class would have been too much for me.

Minus One Bite

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My lunch didn’t quite cut it so this afternoon I ate a leftover slice of jalapeño pineapple pizza.

Minus one bite 😀

Dinner was my AnTEAoxidant Pasta.

I updated the page for that recipe today too.

Not my absolutely tastiest dish ever, but definitely one of my healthiest ones.

Dessert was supposed to be my horchata can.

But it didn’t suit my fancy and I ended up swapping with the husband for two cookies.

Much better.

Since I didn’t go to the gym today I did some strength training intervals throughout the afternoon/evening instead.  I told myself I had to complete 20 minutes total for it to count as a workout.

In two-minute blocks I did 2 sets of arms, 4 sets of abs, 5 sets of legs, and 3 x 1-minute planks for 25 minutes of strength training total.

Fun fact about the husband – when eating any food by hand, ie french fries or sandwiches, he always leaves behind the part his fingers were touching.

We Don’t Need No Stinking Plates

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We’ve been warned about inclement weather and woken up to 40+ degree days so many times this winter that lately when the forecast calls for snow, I just chuckle. 

Dear Weather Gods – I am so sorry I scoffed.  Please make it stop.

This morning I woke up to this –

I also woke up to this,

but that is beside the point.

Actually, I woke up to pitch black because when the husband left the house at 4:30 a.m. I got up with him.  Well, not got up necessarily, but woke up and pulled my laptop into bed with me.  I spent an hour or so doing computer work things, an hour or so doing computer fun things, and finally an hour or so finishing sleeping (we got in bed after midnight!).

When I woke up for good at 8:40 I took one look at the window and decided to skip the gym for the day.  Unfortunately, by the time I realized that I had to go outside and move my car it was too late to change into workout gear without getting a ticket.  But it was just as well in the end because when I drove past school the main road that leads to the gym was totally untouched by both snow plows and tire tracks.  Since I had to circle the block to repark my car I took a quick detour to Wegmans and came back with goodies.

I’ve had an intense craving for creamy drinks lately; my fingers are crossed that it’s not a sign that I’m getting sick!

Speaking of which, has anyone tried the International Delight Iced Coffee yet?

I’ve been obsessing over it for days but I can’t bring myself to shell out 5 bucks without knowing if it’s good.

Breakfast was waiting in the fridge for me at home.

What do you do with an almost empty jar of Biscoff?

Quietly weep until you buy more make overnight oats.

Last night I combined 1/3 cup oats, 1/3 cup skim milk, 1 Tbsp chia seeds, and 1 dash cinnamon with the last 1 Tbsp or so of Biscoff left in the jar.

Before serving this morning I stuck it in the microwave for 30 seconds and the Biscoff got all perfect and melty.

My drink was also served in a jar.

I chilled the coffee, then put it in a big jar with the So Delicious Vanilla Coconut Milk and 2 tsp of sugar, and shook shook shook.  Plus ice and a straw.

I’m thinking shaken coffee might be my “thing” until this creamy beverage craving is licked.

In another meal without a plate, lunch was consumed straight from my mini casserole dish.

Into the dish, baked at 450 degrees Farenheit for 30 minutes, went layers of –

  • 1 sliced zucchini
  • 1/2 cup marinara sauce
  • 1/4 cup parmesan cheese

It was similar to my cheesy eggplant bake, but this got a little bit watery.

Still good though.

I’m hoping to continue my productive streak with work on school stuff and my binders project, but with new episodes of Grey’s and Bones available we’ll see how it goes!

They Were All The Best

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What was the best thing you ate today?  If you’re a normal person you probably answered that pretty quickly.  But if you’re me, every single thing you ate was “the very best thing you ate today!”  If pressed, I guess I’d say the juice.  But that choice wasn’t easy.

My morning started off perfectly with a 60 minute hot yoga class.  I picked up a 30-day unlimited pass to Evolation Yoga on Groupon and I am so excited to get my yogi on this month.  Minus one child’s pose during the camel pose, I managed to huff and puff my way through the entire hour.

It’s a good thing that working out kills my appetite for a bit, because my day got away from me and food didn’t happen until the afternoon.  The husband was home from a night shift when I got back from yoga and I just couldn’t resist crawling into bed with him and the dog.

At 1:30 my friend Kim came by to pick us up and we set off for the hospital that we’ll be doing our clinical practice at this upcoming semester.  We’re all getting pretty nervous and we wanted to do a walk through to set our minds at ease.  I even put on my working-lady clothes so it would feel more like the real thing.

When we got home, the husband and I headed out to Ashker’s.

<– Fraggle Rock; love it!

He got a perfectly thick espresso and I got a juice!

My mother-in-law had to mail me a gift receipt and she sweetly included some fun $ with it.  As you’ll see, we took full advantage of it.

Ashker’s was great about letting me go off-menu and build my own juice.

Kale + spinach + cucumber + carrot.

So dang good.  Veggie juice might be the only thing on the planet I find more refreshing than diet pop!

Then we got Chinese take-out.  Beef and broccoli for Adam, a ridiculously giant plate of crab rangoon for me.

Holy frick you guys, I love crab rangoon so much.  Too much, in fact; I ate it at least once every other day during the first week of the new year.  Now you know why I wasn’t blogging much then 😉

That plate is special too.

Pink glass, which my mom actually collects, from right here in Buffalo.

Pretty nifty.

But I could have basically eaten off of the floor,

with rangoon it’s all good.

My late afternoon was spent on Pinterest.  I’ve been trolling people’s pages for weeks, it was high time for me to finally create my own account.

I made myself feel so full and disgusting with Chinese food that I thought I’d never be hungry again.  But several hours later we were out running errands and suddenly I was ready to gnaw my own arm off.  I made a 1 oz bag of trail mix and devoured it before I could even think about getting home to my camera.

The mix included sesame sticks, peanuts, and honey roasted sesame seeds.

And when Adam found a $10 pizza deal for any pizza with any toppings, I totally bit.  And totally ate a slice in the car on the ride home!  We had a nice dinner.

Romaine topped with celery, buckwheat groats, and yogurt Cesar dressing.

Pizza (3 slices total) with jalapeños and pineapple.

Totally delicious, thanks for the inspiration, Kath.