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Nowhere To Dip My Crusts

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I’ve got my eye on a 6 am yoga class so I’m keeping my fingers crossed that Adam’s got an early bedtime going tonight.  The chance of me actually making it to 6 am yoga is about 50%, but if I make it I’ll be 100% happy.

This morning’s bowl of oats did not hold me over; I think the banana helps with satiety more than I realize.  My stomach was growling within an hour!  I ended up serving myself a small scoop of leftovers.

Plus a few big bites straight from the container.  And a glass of chocolate milk.

1 cup of skim milk with 2 Tbsp of chocolate syrup, over ice.

When I was a kid I would always serve my milk, chocolate or otherwise, over ice.

I went to school early to get some stuff done in the library.  On my walk, I stopped at Ashker’s for a double espresso.

With milk (cream?) and sugar.

It was so thick.  Ashker’s has not served us wrong yet!

School went well, I had a meeting after class and set up a meeting before class, so if nothing else I was productive.  And I got my copy of the Dietetics Newsletter … with an article by ME in it.

It’s possible I talk about the banana’s jacket (aka peel).

It was super cool to see my name “in print.”  One of the things I want to do with my degree is get freelance jobs writing articles for health and wellness magazines.  Or have my own column some day!

It worked out very well that I left my car on campus, because I ended up having to run a few car-necessary errands on my way home.  While I was out and about I picked up a peanut butter swirl brownie to split with Adam.

My half –

It wasn’t very good.  Boo.  Ever since the Co-op stopped selling that candy bar I was obsessed with I’ve been disappointed with them.

I had a salad of Romaine lettuce, sliced cucumber, and thousand island dressing.

And dinner was pizza.

Buffalo chicken pizza.

And it was so dang good that I went back for a third slice later on!

When I put pizza on the meal plan I forgot that I would have nothing to dip my crusts in.  The horror!  For the next two weeks I’m going without diet soda.  The horror!  As an assignment for school, we had to choose an item that we regularly consume to stop eating for two weeks.  Since part of our career will involve counseling patients who may no longer be able to eat certain foods, our teacher wanted us to experience what it was like to give up a favorite.  I’ll be honest, if I had known what the assignment was beforehand I probably would have picked a different item!

Have you ever stopped eating a certain food?  Why’d you give it up?  How long did you go without / has it been since you’ve had it?

This will be the first time for me, other than our past 2-week to 1-month vegan challenges.  And speaking of which, we are doing another vegan challenge this February.  I’d love to have any of my omnivore readers join us!

Cloud 6ish

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Holy crap!  It’s late at night and we just got some terrible money news so this post is going to have to be quick before it devolves into the blogging equivalent of sobbing.  Not pretty.

Statistics was fine, as of right now it seems like I can understand the concepts.  The hospital was fine, though we do have a lot of work to do.  My evening class was more anxiety ridden than fine; among other assignments we will have to create a 6-week staffing schedule for an imaginary clinic, figure out the budget for that clinic, and create an imaginary business plan.  Yikes!

We had an hour break between clinic and evening class when I could eat my packed lunch.  A turkey bagel sandwich.

That’s a toasted whole wheat multi-grain bagel topped with strawberry cream cheese and 2 slices of Applegate Farm’s roasted sliced turkey.

A baggie of roasted green beans.

And 4 gummi cola bottles.

The gummies were amazing, but I bought them in Toronto so it’ll be awhile before I can get more.

When I got home from class I ate a Voskos 0% Honey Vanilla Bean Greek Yogurt.

This was amazing.  Seriously.  The texture was pillowy like a cloud!  I do love other Greek yogurts but this was totally different and yet equally amazing.  If the sour cream-like texture of Fage bothers you, then I highly recommend trying out Voskos.

Which Greek yogurt variety/brand do you recommend for good texture?

Yucky Yogurt

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This (god-awful) photo sure feels official!

I had my first day of clinical practice this afternoon.  It went well, and wasn’t as scary as I was expecting, but we’ll see how I feel once we actually start doing stuff 😉  For now there’s not a whole lot to report.

I had statistics before I headed to the hospital, but again I’m not quite sure what to make of it yet.  I do know that there is already a conflict with stats and clinic in February, but I’m hoping that knowing about it this far in advance will let me figure out a solution.

I didn’t eat anything after my little breakfast and I made it through the hospital without a hunger issue so as long as I have my retainers (probably another month or so) I’ll probably stick with that schedule on Tuesdays.  But on Thursdays with a 3rd class in the evening I’ll have to pack food.

When I got home this afternoon I made myself a Stonyfield Low-Fat French Vanilla Yogurt with a S’mores Cup crumbled on top.

This bowl was as big a fail as breakfast!  I just don’t like Stonyfield yogurt any more.  I love the company’s values and flavor offerings so I want to like it, but the texture isn’t right.  Checking the ingredient list I think it must be the pectin because the yogurt is thick in a gross goopy, snotty way.  It sort of reminds me of smoothies made with xanthan gum, and not in a good way.  I ate the top layer off – I wasn’t about to waste a S’mores Cup! – but had to throw away the rest of the yogurt.

Even though I was hungry, I managed to hop on another productive streak before dinner.  I cleaned the kitchen, did the dishes, and finished updating my clinic notebook.  And roasted some broccoli into perfection for dinner.

This easy leftover meal hit the spot.  A small serving of Orange Peel Shrimp, a 1/3 cup of rice, and a bunch of roasted broccoli all tossed together.

Yum.  But the rest of the day’s disappointing meals have caught up with me and I’m pretty sure I’m going to have to eat a snack before bed.  Right now I’ve got to hurry into the shower so I’m ready for the 9pm State of the Union.  FYI – The 2012 State of the Union is live-streaming here for those of us that don’t have cable.

Have you eaten a Stonyfield yogurt recently?  What was your opinion?

Schedules And S’mores Cups

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Can we just pretend that I’m not heading back to school today?  Just for a little while longer?

We can’t?  Darn!

As long as it has to happen, here’s a look at my schedule –

This semester isn’t terrible with the amount of time actually spent in class, but with six different courses there will be a lot to juggle.  And we were told that the work-load was going to sharply increase.

But as you saw, I don’t have class until after noon today, so can we think about happier things now?  Things like this –

S’mores Cups, makes 16 cups

[adapted from my S’mores Brownies]

ingredients for bottom layer

  • 10 sheets graham crackers (4 rectangles = 1 sheet)
  • 5 Tbsp butter
  • 2 Tbsp granulated sugar

ingredients for top layer

  • 2 squares Baker’s unsweetened chocolate
  • 6 Tbsp butter
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 large egg and 1 egg white
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup milk chocolate chips
  • 16 marshmallows

instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Farenheit.  Line two cupcake tins with 16 liners.
  2. Place graham crackers in a large freezer baggie and bang at them like crazy with a rolling-pin or sturdy plastic cup.  A few chunks are ok, but overall you want crumbs.  Add 2 Tbsp sugar to the bag and shake to combine.
  3. Place 5 Tbsp of butter in a large, microwave-safe bowl.  Microwave until completely melted.  Pour graham cracker crumbs into butter and stir until all of the crumbs are wet.
  4. Place 1 heaping Tbsp of graham cracker mixture into the bottom of each cupcake liner.  Use your finger tips to gently press it down, forming a bottom crust.  Set aside.
  5. Place baking chocolate and 6 Tbsp butter in a large, microwave-safe bowl and microwave until melted.  Do 30 second intervals on low-power, stirring regularly.
  6. Stir 1 cup sugar into melted chocolate-butter mixture.  Allow to cool for 1 – 2 minutes.
  7. Stir in eggs and vanilla extract.
  8. Fold in flour.  Then fold in chocolate chips.
  9. Spoon 1 heaping Tbsp of brownie batter into each cupcake liner.
  10. Press 1 marshmallow vertically into the center of each cup.
  11. Bake for 18 – 20 minutes, until a knife inserted into the center of a brownie comes out clean.

What is on your “happier things” list this week?

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?

Moss No More

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Hello again, long time no see!  After a solid month of basically being a sloth, today was my first productive day in a long time and it felt good.

I spent four hours shadowing an RD who does nutrition counseling for some of the local public schools.  Such a neat job!  I got to sit in on several sessions, including one with a parent.  I had a great time learning more about another new job possibility, but I have to admit that being back in a public school setting did make me miss my teaching days.  Actually, lately I’ve been thinking a lot about teaching.  I’m not sure where I’ll end up at this point, but I do know that I have to finish this degree before anything else happens!

I did have time to eat before I left, but when I got home Adam and I split this persimmon.

This anniversary gift was finally ripe.  We scooped the flesh out with a spoon.

Very tasty, though not quite $5 tasty.  I’m glad I got to try this guy as a present.

I also had a salad for greens.

A romaine base topped with peanut sauce, craisins, and buckwheat groats.

And I did a bit of nibbling while I cooked up dinner.

Tonight’s meal was a blog-inspired affair!

Olive oil crackers from Yes I Want Cake.

Sweet Chicken Chili from Iowa Girl Eats topped with a bit of parmesan.

Those girls are so good, both recipes were delicious.

I’ve made the chili many times in the past (even the beef chili from the chili sale was inspired by the recipe) and I am so glad that I decided to be brave and try the crackers.  They had the perfect balance of crunch and chew!

After dinner I cuddled up to this bag of popcorn.

And now the kitchen is officially closed for the night and my retainers are in.  I’m off to paint my nails!

How many different types of jobs have you held?  If you’re a career-switcher, do you ever miss your old gig?

My list at this point includes editor, retail worker/cashier, ice cream scooper, waitress, note-taker, and teacher.

Off With A Thud

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2012 started off with a resounding … thud!  We headed out this morning for a grocery trip, ran over a nail and saw blade (wtf?!), and spent the rest of the afternoon changing the husband’s tire and getting it patched.  Whoops!  In the spirit of being a more positive person, I found a few Pollyanna-type takeaways from our flat –

  1. Thank goodness the tire wasn’t rusted to the axle like the ones on my car, and we were able to change to the spare by ourselves (in the Wegman’s parking lot!).
  2. Since we were spending the afternoon at Mr. Tire we took my car in as well for winterizing, a task we had been putting off.
  3. I probably wouldn’t have spent the day cleaning the entire house, working out like a madman, or changing my entire life anyways; and having the excuse of being stuck with the car means I don’t have to feel bad about not doing those things!

Before the bad thing happened, I made myself a cup of White Christmas tea with skim milk.

I was starving at the grocery store and I’m glad I managed to grab some food from home before we headed out for three hours at Mr. Tire.  Adam and I each got a 1 oz serving of Lord Nut’s spicy bloody mary peanuts.

The nuts were a Christmas gift from my mom. 

They were good; the flavor was spot on but not too spicy for Adam.  My 2nd snack was also a Christmas gift.

Lara Bar kindly sent me some samples of their newest flavor, Cappuccino!

I think it is actually my newest favorite flavor.  This tasted the least like dates (my only complaint about Lara Bars is that some flavors are too strong with date) and the coffee flavor was there without being overwhelming.

We spent part of our wait-time wandering around outside in the rain, and ended up at Mustachio’s for slices of cheese pizza.

Also fun, when we stopped at the Co-op on our way home I managed to snag a sample of mint swirl brownie.

Sweet!

Since 2012 didn’t have the most auspicious start, I’m glad we ate a dinner geared towards bringing us luck.

We followed Jenna’s recipe for Hoppin’ John, with a few changes –

  • mixed everything together rather than making a relish
  • replaced two of the plum tomatoes with tomatillos (<– I highly recommend this change, it gave the dish a nice citrus flavor)
  • substituted brown rice with forbidden black rice for extra luck!

And if it wasn’t lucky, at least it was healthy and tasty.

Our plans for the rest of the evening include Netflix Instant Watch and this skillet cookie my sister-in-law gave us for Christmas.

2012, bring it on!

How’d you spend the first day of the new year?