Tag Archives: about

Patriot Day

by

I’ve been missing the husband lately so I skipped my run this morning in leu of cuddle time.  Instead I did 15minutes of strength and stretch moves.  I finished on my yoga mat, with a few minutes of silence for the victims of September 11th.

I made a patriotic breakfast too.

I added blueberries into my Strawberry Danish Oats mix.  I used ~1cup of fruit total.

Hopefully that breakfast will fuel me well, because this weekend is going to be pretty freaking stressful.  Here’s a breakdown of what I need to do for next week –

Monday

  • Orgo – read and take notes on ch. 3
  • Orgo – hand in my recopied class notes
  • Anatomy – read and take notes on ch. 5 -6

Tuesday

  • Nutriton100 – read ch. 3 + 5
  • Nutrition110 – read ch. 1 -2
  • Nutrition110 – 20 post reading questions
  • Nutrition110 – article analysis
  • Nutrition110 – 15minute presentation

Wednsday

  • Orgo lab – flow chart and pre-lab questions

Thursday

  • Anatomy lab – quiz identifying 150+ bones
  • Nutrition100 – prelab questions and last week’s post lab

Friday

  • Nutrition230 – a personal philosophy statement
  • Orgo – read and take notes on ch. 4

Oh, and before I can start any of that today I have to go grocery shopping (at multiple stores), go to Target, go to the Post Office, and fill out a few financial aide forms.  {insert hyperventilation}  Think productive thoughts for me please!

Gourmand on the Go

by

I left the house more than 20 hours ago, good golly it’s been a full day!  Another clue that things were busy – 1o0% of my food was eaten on the go today.  I would say I’m definitely mastering the art of eating healthy on the fly.

This morning’s breakfast contained some pretty snazzy components –

DSC04825

a chocolate Oikos, 3 dried figs, 1/4 cup of homemade granola, and a plucot.  Things got less fancy in a hurry when I had to load those guys into a to-go cup –

DSC04826

Still delicious though.

DSC04827

I didn’t have time to finish before my first class started so I had to throw out some of my stellar combo, but breakfast on the go is a work in progress.

Lunch was identical to the other day; Whole Grain Sandwich Thin, Laughing Cow Queso Fresco and Chipotle cheese wedge, and three slices of turkey.

DSC04823

I hate to be repetitive but I see many more of this exact sandwich in my future; it’s just so good!  I thought I was going to hate the Arnold’s Sandwich Thins (I got them as a free sample from the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program), but they are actually exquisitely doughy.  They remind me a lot of when I was a kid and a I would mush a piece of bread up into a single, delicious square.

I did mix up my side though, a sliced cuc.

DSC04824

Classes were pretty intense; I finally attended my last nutrition lecture and it’s going to be a lot of work.  I’m taking 7 courses this semester (several are 1-credit labs) and I’m already feeling a bit overwhelmed.  As soon as classes were done today I curled up with my planner, binder, and a computer to map out my assignments for the semester.  Todoist was key.

I was stuck at school until 5pm (rain) so I ended up searching the food court for sustenance.  Thank goodness I gave it another chance, I found a build your own salad place.

DSC04828

Romaine base, 2 servings of roasted veggies, green bell peppers, carrots, red onions, and blue cheese crumbles with a bit of balsamic.  It came topped with a tasty breadstick.

DSC04829

DSC04830

We were only home a minute or two before we headed back out.  Our dinner plans were Korean night with a group of friends.

DSC04831

Gleesh our friends are good cooks!  My bowl was sticky rice with carrots, cucumbers, kim chi, garlic paste, nori, and an egg.

DSC04832

Yum!

Korean night eventually turned into boys’ only poker, and I sat on the couch catching up with the girls until after midnight.

Adam insisted on pizza on the way home (guess which one of use was drinking instead of driving?!) and I wanted to take part in the fun so I had him cut a slice in half for me.

DSC04833

Tasty bbq chicken pizza, without undoing my day’s worth of healthiness.  I mostly wanted a taste anyways.

It’s another busy day tomorrow, Bedtime, Bedtime, Bedtime!

Have you ever tried Korean food?  What’s your favorite dish?

First Day Flops

by

I have a hard time coping when things are not just so.  I’m working on it.

For example, I wanted my first day of school to be perfect.  I’d go to bed early the night before, get up for an early run, review all my materials, have a great brain food lunch; perfect.  Do you think it all went down like that?  Actually, Adam stayed up super late studying for his first test of the year, and then we stayed up super later while he dominated me in Word Feud (Scrabble for cell phones).

This morning I hit snooze a billion times and lamented my lack of the “perfect” start to my school year.  Breakfast just might have been eaten on the couch…..naked……and consisting of a mini container of cookie dough ice cream.

But then I pulled it together and went out for a run.  It sucked, of course; I hadn’t fueled or stretched properly and it was way too hot.  I had to take so many walking breaks that my 2+ish mile “run” ended up taking 23minutes. 

But that’s ok.  I’m still proud of myself, in fact.  I did something, and that’s better than nothing.  And even though I walked earlier than I wanted, I didn’t stop until I reached my planned distance.  I’m learning not to be so all-or-nothing.

But I won’t be proud if I’m late to my first class, gotta scoot!

Age Math

by

Eeek!  All sorts of excitement in the lunch post.  I did not supplement breakfast.  I did snag a small dark chocolate from my BlogHer swag,

but I refuse to file that as breakfast.

Then I was sprinting out of the house because I found out I could pick up this beauty –

I earned a new phone rebate more than a month ago and I have been patiently waiting driving Adam crazy waiting for my new phone to come in!  I’m not that important (at all) but it’s still exciting to be able to check my e-mail on the go!

I’m also a genius (just a bit) so I wanted to share my great idea with you; when I borrowed Adam’s phone in NY I discovered that the old standard I-Pod cases fit the EVOO perfectly –

My phone is protected, it looks cute as all get out, I didn’t have to buy a new case, and I repurposed an old case that would have gone in the trash!

Speaking of dorky and phone related updates…

I resisted for months when my friends begged me to try g-mail and that ended up being a good decision, so I figured I should cave on the Twitter issue too.  I have no idea what the heck I’m doing on there so pretty please go follow me so I don’t feel like such a dork?

While I was out and about I took a phone survey with Moe’s and earned myself a free lunch, love that place!  I got a Moo Moo Mr. Cow –

Moooo, I ordered my baby burrito with rice, black beans, tofu, corn salsa, and cucumbers.

I asked for just a few chips (I proved last night I can’t resist them!) and got some guacamole as my side.

Since I ordered off the children’s menu I also got a cookie, white chocolate macadamia.

I bring in coupons like I’m 70 and order a kid’s meal like I’m 7; does that average out to 25?

Can you help me with twitter?

  1. What the frick is a hashtag?
  2. How does the whole @specific_person thing work?

Baking and Buddies

by

I did not work out today (I told you I can’t take a day off, 1 has turned into 4, eek!) but I did manage to do a ton of creating.  I feel like I’ve spent the whole day mixing and stirring, and that’s a fabulous feeling!

First I whipped up a batch of natural spider repellant.

It’s h2o and lemon essential oil combined in an old spray bottle.  I went spritz-crazy all over the house.  I’ll let you know if it actually does any repelling.

Next I cooked up a batch of Maple Coconut Granola.

I used Kath’s recipe but substituted unsweetened shredded coconut for pecans.

Then I tried my first smoothie in a bowl!

First I put a Siggi’s Vanilla in the bottom of my bowl.

Next came my smoothie.

I mixed 1cup frozen strawberries, a packet of Chocolate Infusion Amazing Meal, and water.

This was my first smoothie using water as the liquid and I still adored the Chocolate Amazing Meal!  It wasn’t too grassy or too sweet but it totally helped to fill me up.  No weird graininess either.

Finally I topped my SIAB with 1/4 cup of my new granola.

Delectable!

I think smoothies via spoon instead of straw will definitely be the new thing in this house.

I may not have done any exercise, but my blender sure got a workout!  Next it had to tackle hummus.

I don’t have exact measurements, but I blended up chick peas, evoo, balsamic vinegar, salt, and water.

I wanted fresh hummus for lunch, but I also wanted … purple?

I ended up creating a pretty plate.

Purple bell peppers,

purple cherry tomatoes,

a dollop of hummus,

and some pita pieces; a take-home from dinner with my parents the other day.

Lunch was good, but nothing could top my afternoon snack.  I’ll give you a hint…

I cobbled together a couple recipes and my memories of Oko in Brooklyn to create Honey Greek Frozen Yogurt.

I didn’t have any fresh fruit (the horror) but enjoyed this bowl sans toppings just fine!

Make.This.  The texture is a tad bit softer than regular ice cream and the flavor is unlike anything I’ve ever tasted.  There is a bit of tang and a bit of sweet, but the olive oil totally comes through at the same time.  Click here for the link to my recipe.

Dinner was also a winner, and I’d say that even if it didn’t rhyme.

Chicken with figs and blue cheese (follow the link to the recipe, you can click to enlarge).

Soon I’ve got to head to the airport to pick up my friend Camile!  She’s flying in today and then tomorrow we are driving to NYC for BlogHer.  So excited!  The only sad this is that our friend Kristen was supposed to be meeting us in Buffalo on Sunday but due to some personal issues her trip got canceled.  I’m feeling a bit down about the breakdown of our trio visit, so indulge me in a little reminiscing?

Our senior year in college –

My 2007 visit to Miami –

Their 2007 visit to NYC –

My 2008 visit to Miami –

Their 2008 visit to NYC –

Their visit to STT –

My most recent visit to Orlando –

Do you keep in touch with any of your college friends?

A Grass Powered Day

by

It’s been one of those run-around errands days and I’m not gonna lie – it was nice to have a busy day that didn’t involve carrying things!

I drove the husband to work this morning and then drove to Barnes and Nobel and perused the “For Dummies” selection.  Sadly I didn’t find quite what I was looking for; I’m updating the blog this summer and I’m feeling very overwhelmed.  Does anyone with technical know-how feel like taking on a charity case???

Mid-errands I snacked on a Green SuperFood Chocolate Whole Food Energy Bar.

During vegan month Brandi kindly got us some samples from Amazing Grass.  Disclaimer – any AG products you see on the blog for the next bit will have been free samples.

This was my first time trying the AG bars and I actually quite liked it –

There was a good mix of “green” and sweet that balanced perfectly and I loved all the nuts.  Plus it had 5grams of protein and was loaded with micronutrients.

Next I headed to an out of the way mall to see if this rumor was true –

It was!  It was! It was!

I have been lamenting the lack of froyo in Buffalo for months (ever since I got self-serve froyo in Orlando) so this rocked my socks.  It was no Menchies, but still pretty fantastic.  I got a small serving of tart (plain) with strawberries, mango, kiwi, and oreo.

Smile indeed!

My errands took me to the bank, the drugstore, the co-op and finally to my kitchen table where I laid out the plethora of clippings for the magazine binder.

My goal is to get all of that in before school starts in September.

I pulled out another AG sample for the rest of lunch.

Pomegranate Mango Infusion Amazing Meal.  I smoothied it up with 1/2cup frozen strawberries, 1cup Silk Almond Milk, and 1/2cup water.

I thought I was going to hate it but I totally didn’t!  Be warned though, it was a bit chalky, you definitely needed some extra liquid.

I also spent some time at the stove, whipping up a batch of fruit topping for waffles and yogurt throughout this week.

This batch included a mix of plums, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries; I can’t wait to dig in tomorrow.

I came back to Adam’s school to pick him up and stopped in the computer lab to register for my final course (there was a waiting list that just opened up).  Now that my schedule is complete I’m a bit nervous: 16credits including Organic Chemistry and Anatomy, yikes!

Our final errand of the day was grocery shopping, so you know dinner came a la Wegman’s hot bar.

I was hungry, my plate ended up beyond loaded!

An assortment of Chinese chicken (aka fried and unhealthy),

roasted veggies,

chili garlic eggplant (not fried, I don’t know why it looks like that),

and raw kale salad.

All de-Lish!

I’m actually blogging on Wegman’s wifi, I’ve gotta go get my groceries!

Do you prefer ice cream or frozen yogurt?  I’m a froyo girl all the way.

Happy Birthday To Me!

by

*This post was prewritten and scheduled last night; today is my big 2-5 but more importantly it’s also moving day, so there is no way I have time to be on the computer!

Quarter of a century is a big birthday, so waking up at 6am to pick up a moving truck and then spending the day stuffing it full doesn’t seem all that celebratory.  I have had birthday week though so it’s hard to complain.  Plus, I’m a big fan of the fresh start, so starting a new year and moving to a new place all on the same day pretty much rocks my socks 😀

Here are some of my goals for the next year –

  1. Lose 15lbs.  It’s not a race though, more of a revamping of our lifestyle, it did take me a year to gain the weight, it’s not coming off over the weekend.
  2. Actually train for, and run another half marathon.
  3. Slowly move our bedtimes and alarm set times so that I am going to bed and waking up on a more adult schedule.
  4. Update the blog and move to self-hosting.
  5. Read 25 books.
  6. Be able to do 25 push-ups.
  7. Work my butt off and do a job I’m proud of in my first year back at school.

What is your birthday cake request?  I usually go for key lime pie.

Pros and Cons

by

Today was the day of my final exam.  My big, important, time-sensitive final exam.  First my computer went all wonky and I had to run a complete security check.  Next our internet inexplicably required me to use our password, and thus spend an hour digging through all of our packed boxes.  Finally, after 10minutes of blissful functionality, POOF, the internet wasn’t working.

Wah, wah, wah!

Those are my “wtf?!” faces.  And yes, I did dress like a watermelon to cheer myself up.

It wasn’t all bad though.  I walked the .62miles to The Spot, bought a diet cola to gain access to their wifi, and then rocked my final.  I’m pretty sure I aced it!  I also got to get a Mike’s Bagel Sandwich for breakfast.

Gooey gorgeous.

And I’m going to get something decadent from Starbucks for my .62mile walk home (birthday week!).  Now that I’m done with school the rest of the day involves baking cookies and doing lots and lots of packing.  I’m hoping the husband will work his boy magic on the internet when he gets home but otherwise I’m not sure when I’ll post next.

I’ve gotten a few questions about the move – which is just across town – so I figured I’ll leave you with the pros and cons of our spot-to-be.  You’ll notice one list is much shorter 😀

cons –

  • the whole apartment, while still a 2bedroom, is a bit smaller than our current place
  • the kitchen is tiny; like laughably tiny – we had to purchase shelving just to have a place to put our plates

pros –

  • the apartment managers don’t seem like evil, irresponsible morons who will let dirty dish water leak through our ceiling for two days in a row (ahem, Clover Management)
  • we live one block away from Elmwood Ave, the “cool” spot in Buffalo with all the bars and restaurants
  • it’s an 8minute walk from our front door to my campus, I’ll never have to drive again
  • the walls are a calming blue green color
  • there is exposed brick in the kitchen and living room = love!
  • we have a fireplace and a mantel
  • it’s a fresh start!

Where do you live?  An apartment, a condo, a house, a houseboat, your parents’ basement?