The Pants

by Emily

What, I drop that mega-post on you and then I just disappear? Sorry about that! I was in a terrible mood yesterday and it just didn’t seem right to subject anyone but the husband to me. Plus, I was actually in such a terrible mood that I couldn’t even get it together to make dinner so there wasn’t a whole lot of foodage going on.

A lot of times a bad day is just about a bad mood, and even though I know that I still couldn’t shake my rain cloud yesterday. possibly because I had to get up at 6:30 on a Friday. I rolled out of bed early, but on the wrong side of the bed!

I had to get up early to attend a meeting about an honor society I was invited to because of my summer school grades. What I didn’t learn until after the 7:15am meeting is that I’m actually not eligible until after a 3rd semester at my school.

The minute we left the meeting I was starving. Not just hungry, stomach-growling, headachey, starving. Nothing was open until 8:30. I buy a medium coffee with skim milk.

I wait. I get really psyched about an oatmeal bar in the food court. It turns out a bunch of people called in sick and actually nothing is open. I could go get food from the coffee place though. I know it doesn’t make sense to some people, but I get more picky as I get hungrier. If my stomach feels like it’s eating itself I want something good; I don’t want a dried out bagel or a mass-produced croissant.

I ended up wandering around campus for 1.5hours in futile search, getting hungrier by the minute. Finally, minutes before class, I found this cup of grapes.

The grapes lifted my mood considerably. But then in class I learned that the portfolio assignment due next week has to be turned in in an actual portfolio. An actual expensive portfolio. I’m sorry, I realize it’s not exactly cool that I have to budget for a binder, but it pisses me off that I’ve had to spend so much money on school supplies this semester.

After my 2hour class I went straight to a group meeting for a project. We didn’t finish until it was time for Orgo, good thing I had eaten those grapes! 😉

I had absolutely no understanding of what we were talking about in Orgo. None. I started freaking out about the next test, and being super angry with myself that I let myself get behind on the reading. By the time Anatomy was done I just wanted the day to be over. I didn’t even go to the gym as planned, I just went home. Sidenote – I do realize that the gym would have certainly lifted my spirits, but I was still starving.

I poured myself a serving of Terra Chips Blues.

The plan was to refill the bowl with some food-food as soon as I was done. Yeah, about that; I never got off the couch! I just let my bad mood spiral out of control. Not doing any errands, or doing anything fun, certainly didn’t make me feel better and it just got worse and worse.

This morning I was determined to have a good day. Really, it’s all about attitude. When the alarm went off at 7:40 I read a magazine in bed before getting up. I took a much-needed shower. I cleaned the apartment – that one’s not actually that fun, but the mess was stressing me out.

I made a healthy, tasty breakfast.

A serving of Special K Red Berries with skim milk,

and some leftover fruit (papaya, mango, grapes, watermelon) I brought home from food lab.

Adam and I went on errands and took care of business (including buying that portfolio!). When we got groceries we also got smile-inducing hot bar and a diet pop.

Who doesn’t love hot bar?

A bunch of green beans with a little bit of eggplant tomato salad,

cashew chicken with a tiny bit of fried chicken,

roasted veggies.

To round out the good mood vibes, I got a fun package from my parents. With seasonal gifts.

And “the pants.”

Some background on the pants – When Adam was a freshman in college (I was a sophomore) his mom sent him a great pair of pajama pants. They were super comfortable and I borrowed them often. As time went on I eventually just stole them. I was wearing the pants the Christmas morning that Adam proposed. I wore them through recovery from all my various injuries. The pants are the item I would save if the house was on fire.

The pants have been getting thin (they are old and I wear them a LOT). I hardly ever wash them, and my mom has done many minor repairs. Well, a few weeks ago I tore a huge hole through the left knee. I sent my mom the pants in tears. She rocks, and now I guess they are “the capris.”

When I mailed the pants, I threatened my mom several times that I would stop loving her if she threw away any of the fabric. Instead, she made the legs into a pillow (dont’ worry, she also saved the scraps!) –

Adam and I love it.

I guess the point of the very long, whine-filled post is that today is a better day. It always is. And this took me so long to write that I took a snack break and ate a Brown Cow 0% Strawberry Greek Yogurt with homemade chocolate pb.

The end.

Do you own anything like “the pants?”

7Oct2010

Random Sampling

by Emily

There are two things you need to know about today going into this post – 1. It was an all over the place day; 2. It was chockfull of samples. Edited to add – whoops, make that three things – 3. I’m in a terrible, corny joke mood!

Before I start I want to address the samples. “Hello, Samples, how are you?” Ok, ok, bad joke! I just wanted to say that I respect my readers (you guys!) and try to give you the content you deserve (bad jokes aside), and I hope that this blog never feels like a commercial. That said; I think part of my job as a food blogger – especially a healthy food blogger who also relies on a high volume of packaged foods – is to try, discuss, and introduce new and tasty products. I hope you know that I would never sugarcoat a product that contains too much sugar (hyuck, hyuck), and that I always share my true opinion. If I seem like I really like something, it’s because I do, not because I’m trying to impress a company. And if it seems like I really, really like something, it’s because I’m kind of overeager and I’m pretty much always jazzed about something! 😀

All of that is to say that I started my morning with a sample.

Other than my diet soda addiction, I tend to shy away from “diet” products, so when Zone Perfect contacted me I figured it would be for a product that I should turn down because I wouldn’t purchase it on my own. Then I realized that the products were cookie dough protein bars and all bets were off! The bars came in a cookie jar (too cute!) –

And the packaging was adorable.

I decided to start with the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough flavor; could it stack up to Balance Cookie Dough Bars (my very favorite product of all time)?

Yes! I’m not going to diss BCDB’s by moving them to 2nd place (not a chance), but I’m pretty sure these firmly tie for my new favorite! The flavor was mild but the texture was exactly like cookie dough. The fact that there were chocolate chunks (instead of chocolate coating) made the experience seem 100% real. I sort of felt like a naughty baker all through breakfast! Are they healthy? The short answer is, it depends. Obviously all protein bars have more chemicals (and saturated fat) than a plate of waffles or scrambled eggs. But tastewise this would make eggs its b***h. If you don’t currently eat protein bars, I wouldn’t suggest throwing out your real food to buy these. But if you do, then stock up immediately because these are amazing. Note – I’m only taking CCCD here, I’ll let you know when I try the other flavors.

The reason I was eating an on-the-go breakfast in the first place is because I had to be at school at before 8am to meet with a teacher. Afterwards I did some final studying and then I headed off to the big scary Anatomy Lab practical exam. Phew, glad that’s over! I dont’ think I got an A, but I did alright; and I’m very proud of how much I learned.

In between classes I did more errand running related to my transfer credits. Please cross your fingers for me that it’s all sorted out soon. I also finished a big chunk of work for a project, freeing up my afternoon.

Today’s Food Lab is one we’ve all been looking forward to for weeks – fruit!

There were triffles, crumbles, crisps, and an awesome variety of fresh fruits (papaya, mango, horn melon..). My group made applesauce; it was delicious and I’m hoping to remake it at home soon.

I ran a few errands around Elmwood this afternoon and then Adam set off to multiple mail locations. I got a fun box from Sahale Snacks that you’ll be seeing soon. Also, Random Integer Generator picked #9,

congrats Monica! E-mail me (emilyhwaxATgmail.com) with your address and phone # so I can get you your prize.

I also got a fun mystery box! When I was at BlogHer I had a long talk with the Terra Chips guys about how much I loved Blue, and I was thrilled to find this in the mail today!

Thanks Terra Chips! We immediately tore the bag open and I had this handful x 3.

They are just regular potato chips but they taste so amazing! The chips are extra thick and crunchy and the husband and I are both obsessed with them.

Next we headed to the mall where I confirmed the death of my i-pod, tear. It wasn’t all bad though, I did have a coupon (I am on the mailing list to basically everything) for Aunt Annie’s Pretzels.

Jalapeno and Cheddar Pretzel? Yes, please!

Cheesey and spicy and awesome and about a billionth of the calories of the jalapeno cheddar nachos I scarfed all last year (I looked it up, the pretzel has 300calories). I ate a little bit more than half.

Finally, we made the evening a full-fledged date and headed to the movies.

We’ve been dying to see “Easy A” for weeks and I’m so glad we caught it while it was still in the theatres! If you get a chance, see it! The movie was funny and touching at the same time and the music and casting were awesome. The dialogue was amazing and Adam and I pretty much want to grow up to be the main character’s parents.

I crunched my way through the movie with some prepacked snacks; a Gala apple,

and a cucumber.

We rounded out the date with a walk around the neighborhood when we got home. Two things – 1) I am so glad I married someone who loves to walk with me; 2) I am so ready to go to the gym tomorrow!

When we got home I finished up dinner with a final sample of the day.

Special K Red Berries cereal now has more fiber, and I was sent a sample as part of the Foodbuzz Tastemakers’ Program. Nutritional –

I poured myself a heaping 1cup serving with skim milk.

Fab-u-lous! I dont’ know why I don’t eat cereal more often, I’m always in love with it when I do. It’s been a long time since I’ve bought Special K, but I’m putting it back on my grocery list. The flakes were just sweet enough and they kept their crunch, even through a long soak while I unpacked my binder. Plus (especially for 110calories!) I found that a serving really filled me up.

In summary – 1) Today was a lot of fun; 2) I think this post just goes to show that it is possible to eat a healthy diet….in a hurry…..while still having a lot of fun (although my veggie consumption today was pretty sad!).

Have you seen “Easy A” yet? (No, why the heck not?!) What’d you think?

6Oct2010

Getting the Grade

by Emily

I’ve got to keep this quick because of tomorrow’s big Anatomy Lab practical, so let’s cover the important things first –

1. I did not need to fret about the weather nearly as much; in fact, I was a little bit hot on my walk home!

2. How cute are these new shoes????

My mom has good taste! Although the back of my left heel got rubbed completely raw and now I’m limping 😦 (Yes, Mom, I will wear socks instead of bare feet next time!)

In between classes I snacked on this Primal Strips vegan jerky.

Orgo lab took forever, and by the time I limped home it was already 9pm. Thankfully Adam had already put my dinner in the oven. I snacked on a small plate of Halloween candies while I waited.

Yuuum. I love the light brown ones, they taste like caramel! Eaten with the funny Halloween card my grandma sent me –

Finally my dinner – an acorn squash – got done roasting in the oven.

We cooked it face down at 350* for 30minutes, then flipped and cooked another 20minutes. During the flip I filled the cavities with Newman’s Own Organic Raisins, Sahale Snacks BBQ Almonds and Tuscan Almonds (last day to enter the giveaway), and a drizzle of real maple syrup.

I also ate a Jimmy Dean turkey patty french toast sandwich thing.

The husband and I studied Anatomy while we ate, and now I’ve got to shower and get to bed!

Before I forget; all of my grades from hell week are back. Dun, dun, dun! 100 exam – 91%; 110 quiz – 80% (I’m contesting this though); Anatomy exam – 90% after the curve; Anatomy quiz – 90something% after the curve; Orgo exam – 65% (before the curve). Not terrible, but nothing to get excited about either.

6Oct2010

It’s F-F-F-Freezing!

by Emily

Actually, that title’s a lie, my thermostat says it’s 65*. But I feel pretty darn cold! Right now (according to the thermostat and my phone) it’s 65* in here and 51* out there. This leads to a couple of thoughts –

If I’m so cold in here, how the heck am I going to feel when I have to go outside? And when I walk home from class at 9pm?!?
How much longer are we going to be able to push back putting on the heat?
Can I really wait until Sunday to switch out our summer and winter clothing?
Should we sign up for the October 30th 5k, or will the weather not permit the wearing of fun costumes?Th

My numb feet told me it was a good time to open up the Blueberry Cream Coffee I got on super sale at Wegman’s.

The flavor was good, although not at all blueberry. Sadly, I didn’t realize until post-brewing that we are out of skim milk. My Silk Almond Milk curdled 😦

I only managed a few sips of the mug and I still got a caffeine headache! (Btw – my Orgo Lab tonight actually deals with decaffination.)

My tasty leftovers lunch made the headache seem like not such a big deal.

A big slice (~1.5servings) of Wegman’s Veggie Pizza, with ranch.

We got this we a free coupon for dinner last night and we pretty impressed; the quality was great for frozen pizza. The veggies included peppers, broccoli, and black olives. My only complaint is that I would have like MORE veggies on the pizza.

What at what date/temperature do you turn your heat on?

6Oct2010

Pumpkin Powered

by Emily

Happy Hump Day! Sorry for bailing on you guys yet again, apparently I have not quite kicked my cold – I spent yesterday in another hours long afternoon nap! On a similar note: I have not been to the gym in more than a week (and it’s killing me) so at this point I might as well wait until I am fully well; my back to sweat date is Friday. I might try to sneak in some strength/stretching before then, but no walking home in sweaty gym clothes!

I had to get an immediate start on work today so I made myself a bowl of “power-up pumpkin” for breakfast.

I topped a 1/2cup of 0% Plain Oikos with 1/4cup canned pumpkin, a bit of homemade chocolate pb, and two small crumbled pumpkin butterscotch cookies.

The flavor combo was divine! My favorite part is the awesome texture of cookie crumbles melting into the yogurt. Plus, maybe it’s a mother’s love thing, but don’t even try to tell me this bowl isn’t still pretty once it’s stirred –

It’s like pumpkin tie dye!

I think it helped to power me up too; I took notes on the online lecture we had to watch and finished my Orgo Lab work for tonight. Gotta get back to work!

P.S. Don’t forget to enter my giveway!

4Oct2010

My Goodness My Guiness

by Emily

I hope you’ve already entered my giveaway, because I’m going to rave about the nuts now 😉 Just to remind you; Sahale Snacks sent me these products to celebrate the fact that 2oz bags of Sahale Snacks are now being sold at Seattle’s Best Coffee. I am a fan of the company because the ingredients are always real and the nutritionals are excellent (duh, they are just nuts!).

I couldn’t eat lunch today because of the door maintainance debacle, so I grabbed a mixed baggie of all three varieties to eat during Orgo.

I just want to say, in general, that whomever came up with the idea to throw cheese into the mix should probably get a medal! Perhaps one carved into a blog of cheese….

Barbeque Almonds with Mild Chipotle + Ranch

These had a good amount of spice, I think too much on an almond would be overwhelming; they had a bit of sweetness that helped to balance them out.

Tuscan Almonds with Parmesan + Herbs

This kind tasted the most cheesey. The coating was thicker, and gave them a candied nuts texture. These were the husband’s favorite – he described the flavor as robust.

Southwest Cashews with Chili + Cheddar

This kind was my favorite, probably because it used cashews. These were definitely the spiciest.

After Orgo and Anatomy classes were finished I headed to the library for an hour and then to the Anatomy Lab for a 2hour review session. Our big exam on Thursday includes skeletons, cat muscles, and sheep brains; all of which were out for us to review this afternoon. I didn’t leave until after 6 and I’m finally feeling a bit more at ease, although still pretty darn nervous!

The nuts held me over for a long time, but from 12:30 – 6:30 they did not! I grabbed 1.5 Butterscotch Pumpkin cookies the minute I walked in the apartment.

By the way, Adam is pretty picky about “strange” desserts and he loved these. He took some to school today and said his friends were fans as well. If you’ve been eyeing Rachel’s recipe, make it!

For dinner we made Mushroom and Provolone Patty Melts from Cooking Light.

We followed the recipe pretty closely, but made a few changes –

we used 94% lean turkey meat instead of sirloin
we subbed white button mushrooms for cremini
ate the topping in 2 servings (doubling the amount)
I ate my melt deconstructed, with the bread on the side

We used Guinness for our dark beer which was a nice touch, but overall the recipe was pretty flavorless. Honestly, my favorite part was the side (2servings) of Simply Rustic Bread from Pilsberry (I had a free coupon from BlogHer).

I was starving all evening so I did a lot of snacking while we cooked.

I’ve got an early morning tomorrow, and tons of studying to be fresh for, good night!

What is your favorite kind of nuts? I’d probably go with cashews or brazil nuts.

4Oct2010

This is Nuts! A Giveaway

by Emily

I was all excited about lunch today and then there was some apartment living drama-rama that ate up all my lunch time! We had to have our bathroom door replaced – don’t ask – and instead of a quick switch it ended up being a noisy 1.5hour ordeal. I couldn’t get my school reading done, I couldn’t get into the kitchen, but I did have time to think about unethical journalism and the bigger blog drama of late (see this post from Meals & Miles for clarification).

I had a giveaway in the works already. Sahale Snacks – who I’ve worked with before and have a minor food-crush on – sent me three of their new flavors to review.

They wanted to let me in on the celebration about their newest expansion –

Last week, Valdosta and Sing Buri nut blends debuted at Seattle’s Best Coffee counters in convenient 2-ounce pouches — enough to share with a friend over coffee or to satisfy a morning and an afternoon snack craving.

Sahale Snacks’ rich and peppery Valdosta Pecans pair especially well with Seattle’s Best Coffee winter beverages, like Vanilla Cinnamon Latte. The spicy and exotic Sing Buri Cashews make a lively accompaniment to tea, espresso, and brewed coffee drinks.

I’ll share my thoughts later, but we wanted to share the excitement with you guys in the form of a giveaway!

To win a prize package of Sahale Snacks all you have to do is the following –

Leave a comment (see below) on this post by Thursday evening, October 7th.
For a second entry, link back to this giveaway from your own blog.
For a third entry, link back from Twitter.

What do I want you to comment about? Please share one positive thing you have learned from the healthy living blog community!

One thing the healthy living blog community has taught me, is that pumpkin in yogurt is fantastic!

4Oct2010

A Sick Day from Life

by Emily

Welcome to the work-week! Sorry to leave you hanging, I had to take a “sick day” from life this weekend. The Heart Walk was a ton of fun, but ultimately a bad idea. I started with a fever and after spending that much time outside – you’d be surprised how long it takes to walk a 5k – I was done. I slept for 4.5 solid hours Saturday afternoon! We did manage to have a bit of fun this weekend though….

Trying out this “Hurricane Simulator” at the Mall – strange! – while getting plain tart froyo.

Using the food processor to whip up a batch of homemade chocolate peanut butter (no recipe as of yet, it still needs tweeks).

Eating tons of Butterscotch Pumpkin Cookies.

Mostly we cuddled up on the couch and watched tv though; it was heaven! ❤

I knew today needed to be all about school work – I have a huge Anatomy Lab test on Thursday – so I started my morning with a cure-all (hopefully!) yogurt mix bowl!