Tag Archives: about

Updates, an Outline

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1a. I definitely went to bed at 9:30, and then got back out of bed at 10:30 and went and got sandwiches with Adam.  Being hungry like that makes me really sad and I had been hungry all day.  We watched Bones, ate Buffalo chicken sandwiches, and stayed up until 2am; it was fabulous.

1b. I kind of suck at the Challenge.  There is a recap to come at the end of November, but we’ve cheated so much it’s kind of ridiculous.

2a. I will not be running today.

2b. I haven’t really been talking about it but my legs (right in particular) hurt like crazy.  I haven’t run in 2weeks but yesterday I was limping because I was in so much pain.  Adam “diagnosed” me with tendonitis last night and I am planning on going to the doctor ASAP.  I am so sad about this fact that I have to leave it at that because it’s just too frustrating.

3a. I will not be posting a real post today.  I am turning my computer off completely for the day.

3b.  I woke up with some sort of bug today and am hoping that if my only activities are walking to buy Airbone and getting back into bed I’ll kill it off for this weekend.

4a. This post was lame as all get out.

4b. But I kind of had fun, I miss writing papers!  🙂

Foodgasms

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Good afternoon!  Today has been nice and productive; I mixed together a schedule of work and fun and this online stopwatch has been crucial. 

Amid the work has been the cleaning of the kitchen, the completion of the laundry, and a major chunk of Chemistry reading.

During some of the fun (NCIS watching) I shared a cup of tea and honey with the bears.

Did you know that Ulrick moved all the way from Brooklyn with us?  Unfortunately the tea didn’t really rock my socks.

I guess I only like Yogi if we are still talking about bears!

A bit later I had a strange snack that was exactly what I was craving (yes, in my dirty tea mug) –

Sliced bell pepper and 1/2C stuffing bread crumbs with 1T prepared pesto (from the Foodbuzz Festival!).  It sounds strange but it was a craving-fulfilling, 100ish calorie snack that held me over until lunch.

And what a lunch it was.  OhMyGosh.  It’s funny because Jenna and Brandi both talked about how much they enjoy food – like really really enjoy it, more than just ‘oh this is good,’ like foodgasms – in posts today and now I’m going to do the same.  Sometimes I get so excited about what I’m eating that I flap my arms like a deranged bird.  Today’s lunch was super simple and yet it elicited tons of flapping.

Today felt life-changing.  Today was the day I tried Sunshine Garden Herb Burgers.

Holy frick.  I didn’t think it was possible to get so excited about a veggie patty but I’ve managed.  This might be my new favorite food.  It’s not, because I love roasted brussels sprouts and broad rice noodles too much to demote them, but it’s close.

I microwaved one patty and ate it on white toast with Jack Daniels mustard.

One of the best sandwiches ever.  Chewy and hefty and the mix of flavors was to die for.  I love love loved the vinegary kick from the mustard and burger.  I almost got up and made myself a second sandwich.

And then I remembered dessert.

This is the best idea I’ve ever had.

Ricemellow, the filling scooped out of a slice of ‘Smores Pie, and a few chocolate chips.  Melted in the microwave for 20seconds.  It was like ‘smores x1million.

I love my readers.  I really do.  So I’m going to take this opportunity to remind you to make some good decisions.  #1 – Make ‘Smores Pie.  The recipe is here.  It’s from my grandma, it’s easy, and I’ve literally never met someone who didn’t like it.  #2 – buy this:

It’s vegan, it tastes like marshmallow fluff, and it is socks rocking.  I’ll be honest, even if it wasn’t wonderful I’d like it just because I’m in love with the packaging.  Seriously though, go buy it and report back to me.

That is all.  I got myself so excited I just may need to go lie down.  I will get up in time for class at 6:30 though, and I’ll see you for a dinner post this evening.

Is there a food YOU would like to strongly recommend today?

Wright Idea

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*I’m sure you guys are getting sick of these introspective posts, but I’m a list-maker at heart, it’s how I clear my head.

The last couple of days have involved entire boxes of mac and cheese and much undocumented challenge straying.  On a good note, they also involved a very positive meeting with a program head.  The only one of my goals I’ve really kept is my break from running, ha!

I feel out of control.  During my horrible teaching experience I became this negative, anxious person and it’s like I don’t know how to find my way back.  My head space very much reminds me of a quote I copied down in my notebook in 8th grade –

Somewhere in the dead of the southern night my life had switched onto the wrong track and, without my knowing it, the locomotive of my heart was rushing down a dangerously steep slope, heading for a collision, heedless of the warning red lights that blinked all about me, the sirens and the bells and the screams that filled the air.

That was from Richard Wright’s memoir, Black Boy.  It’s one of my favorite books; I turn down pages with passages I really enjoyed and that entire books is dog-earred!  Just thinking about that quote helps me feel more like me again.

This morning I’m headed to campus with Adam to do some catch-up reading in the library.  I’m also meeting my friend Katie for coffee at noon.  I’ll be back this afternoon!

Have you ever felt ‘off track’ like me?

Goal Setting

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Thanks so much for the advice and support many of you gave me last night!

I layed in bed this morning and thought up some goals.  Starting with unpacking my damn suitcase, but thinking more macroscopically as well.  There are some issues that inform these goals (isn’t it amazing that I have complaints I don’t tell you about, I feel like I complain a lot) that I’ll share first –

  • My legs hurt like crazy.  My calf/shin issue makes me scream when Adam brushes my leg and makes stairs horrific.
  • I’m exhausted.  All the time.
  • I have literally not had a bite of fruit this week.
  • I feel stiff, and awful, and old.
  • I haven’t been studying Chemistry enough and I feel my A slipping away.
  • I weigh about 10lbs more than I would like, and have been planning on dealing with this since NYC.

Ok.  Issues aired, here are my goals for the rest of November –

  1. Go to bed by 10:30 at least 4 days a week.
  2. Do NOT do any cardio for the next 7 days.
  3. Stretch at least 5 days a week.
  4. Eat more fruits and vegetables.
  5. Use Caitlin’s idea to waste less time on the internet.

That said, I’m actually not going to be posting today.  I have another foot appointment this afternoon and a Chemistry quiz I’m not ready for before lab (which runs until 9pm).  Plus, you know, the damn suitcase!

Adding to My Happy List

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I discovered several new things I enjoy today.  If I had to make a “happy list” it would be a bazillion pages already but it’s always good to find new things. 

Volunteering went well, there was more for me to do than usual, which is always nice, and it was good to spend time on my feet after the car and plane trips of the past weekend.  One of the nurses gave me a piece of “Canada candy.”

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It was surprisingly good, I thought I didn’t like milk chocolate but maybe I’ve been lying to myself.

In challenge fasion, I used my lunch voucher to bring Adam home pizza for his afternoon snack.  For my snack I had two servings of Quaker Quakes Kettle Corn Rice Cakes.

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I thought I didn’t like rice cakes, but apparently I was wrong about that too!  I bought this last week because I had a coupon and was pleasantly surprised.

I was rushing out of the house and I was a little worried that I ended up looking like I was rocking my pjs.

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I think the (amazing, far nicer than anything I’ve ever owned before, handed down from my aunt this weekend) jacket salvages it don’t you?

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I was hurrying because I had a meeting with a professor at UB’s anthropology department.  She couldn’t answer all of my questions – the big one being do I want to be an RD, an anthropologist, or a turnip – but it was informative.  Afterwards she asked if I’d like to sit in on her class that afternoon (4-6).  It was amazing!  She had a guest lecturer – a previous student who now is a policewoman/csi.  She talked about evidence collection and showed all sorts of crime scene photos and generally thrilled me.  I seriously sat there for two hours with a big grin.  I don’t know which career path I’ll choose, but I do know that I find forensic/anthropology fascinating.

My Chemistry class is at 6:30 and it was all the way across the campus so I ended up having to speed walk there with my huge bag.  I was sooo thirsty by the time I got to class.  I ended up buying Lifesavers to suck on from the vending machine.

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Challenge Balance – 60cents.

When I got home I had a Zevia to drink immediately,

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and then I started on dinner.

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Oven Baked Chicken Salad from the October issue of “Family Circle” (click the recipe for the link).  There were several ways to make this recipe healthier, but due to time and budgetary restrictions I chose to follow it as is – minus onion salt which I didn’t have.  However, here are my suggestions for a healthier dish-

  1. Substitute 1 chopped, sauted real onion for onion salt.
  2. Substitute half or all of the mayo with plain Greek yogurt.
  3. Skip the “topping” bread crumbs and cheese.
  4. Add additional chopped veggies – broccoli, cauliflower, cucumber.

I ate my portion alongside some oven roasted broccoli and butternut squash; both cooked with salt, pepper, and fresh ginger.

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It was all seriously so fricking delicious!  I always forget how much I love roasted broccoli and the casserole was shockingly good.

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Mmmn.

I need to hurry to shower now, as starting my gym routine back up in the morning is pretty much a necessity.  I hope everyone else has a good night.

Where do you find recipes?  I have a long list of things that sound good on other blogs, but for the most part I get my recipes from magazines.  I am subscribed to “Cooking Light” and “Everyday with Rachael Ray,” but the healthy living magazines have a lot of great recipes too.  The ‘older’ magazines my mommy subscribes too (she sends them to me) have yummy recipes that aren’t quite as healthy, but can easily be modified like my suggestions tonight.

Happy 80th Nana!

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Hello, hello, hello!  Sorry to skip out for the weekend but I had a fabulous time.  I flew to Ohio (with a bunch of other family members) to celebrate my grandmother’s 80th birthday.  We did party/family time all weekend, which meant TONS of cake!  I missed the husband a lot but I had a great time, my family is so funny!  This post won’t be as detailed, due to length, and if you get too bored skip to the bottom to find the winners of the Zevia contest.

Friday we had to get up nice and early to make it to the airport for my 6:35am flight.  I was hungry when I got to the airport but it seemed early and I knew I would sleep my first flight so I decided to wait.

On my layover I got egg and cheese on a cheddar jalopeno bagel.

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It was very tasty but I dropped half on the floor so I only ate half of it.

I was so excited when I finally got in to the Dayton airport!

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My mom and grandma picked me up and we drove over to Tipp City to do some shopping (also the location of my grandmother’s surprise party!).  We saw all sorts of fun things.

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Nana (grandma)  was impossible to get to her surprise party, she kept insisting the chosen restaurant was too nice, too slow, etc.  I finally had to pretend I was going to pee my pants if we didn’t at least go in to the restroom!  When she saw all of her friends she was so surprised she cried!

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My mom and my aunt (who flew up with my mom a few days earlier than me) did such a good job planning and decorating!

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We did a party lunch at Coldwater Cafe and it was very nice.  I got a bloody mary to drink.

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And for lunch I split – more halfs! – a turkey pannini (with artichoke spread and cheese) with my mom.

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I ignored the chips but the sandwich was great.

My grandmother cried when she opened her presents and again when they brought in the cake!

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I am not really a chocolate cake fan so I took a small bite and then packed up the rest to bring home to Paps (grandpa).  I also packed up all the bread from the table baskets.  My family teased me but they are either going to use it again, ewww, or throw it out, wasteful.

We got to go home long enough to pick up my grandpa and then we – me, my mom, my aunt, my grandparents, and the dog – squeezed into the car for a long drive to Toledo where my uncle lives.  I seriously can not handle how funny my family is, we had such a good time!!

We were running late when we got there so we had a quick dinner from Wendy’s.  I got a baked potato with broccoli and cheese.

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I also ate one of my pumpkin cheesecake cupcake/muffins, so good!

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My uncle is a high school football coach so we went to watch his team.  It was their last game of the season, against their biggest rival, and they whooped them, so it was a lot of fun.  My uncle had the marching band play happy birthday to Nana and she cried again!

After the game we went to a ‘end of season’ party my uncle was throwing for the other coaches.  I had a small vodka and coke,

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and a small slice of pizza.

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And then there was more cake and more tears!

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Quite a night was had by all 🙂

For Saturday breakfast I had an English muffin with homemade strawberry jam and scrambled eggs.

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We spent the morning having family time before we headed to another birthday party, this one for my cousin’s baby!  Lunch was buffet style at the party.

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Cheesy potatoes,

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fruit,

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and veggies.

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And of course more cake – I just ate the icing off this piece. 

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Over the course of the party I sipped a beer

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and had a good time hanging with my mommy and grandma.

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My mom, aunt, and I (all Virgin Islanders) walked to and from the party because it was so exciting to be cold!  It was sad saying goodbye to my cousins but then the six of us packed back into the car and headed back to my grandparents’ house.  More uproarious fun was had, including the hilarious/horrifying realization that my grandmother – who was driving – talks with her hands a lot!

It was Halloween, so I broke out some fancy chocolate I bought for the occasion.

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We all had a small piece.

When we got home we had to rush to get dressed before meeting my grandparents’ best friends for dinner.  It was  a great last meal.  I had a bloody mary again, to which I added a ton of Siracha and sizzled my mouth off!

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My grandmother shared her side salad with me,

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and she and Rose gave me their martini olives.

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They are both amazing and both happen to read the blog, hi guys!

I also had a small piece of bread.

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I was torn on ordering but when the waitress said unlimited toppings on the flat bread pizza I was sold!  I asked for roasted red pepper, green peppers, red onions, caramelized onions, tomato, spinach, and mushrooms.

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Mmmn.  I ate 3/5 pieces.

It was another late night and I think we left my grandparents thoroughly exhausted!

This morning my mom and I both had 6:50 flights so it was another early trip to the airport.  Goodbyes were easy; I see my grandparents for Turkey Day and my mommy and aunt for Christmas!

For reasons explained in the next post, I packed my own breakfast.  A banana from my grandmother’s house,

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and a seasonal Pumpkin Spice Cliff Bar from home.

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My flights were all blissfully uneventful.  I was very excited to see the husband at the airport.  Apparently he went to a Halloween party last night so I’ll have to track down some pictures of his costume.  He made himself spaghetti this weekend so I had a big bowl of that (doctored with mozarella and red pepper flakes) while I wrote this monster post.

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My fingers are exhausted, it is definitely time to say Goodbye!  I will “see” you all this evening, hope everyone else had a good weekend!

Zevia Winners

I used a random integer generator to choose the winners.

Runners Up who receive a mixed six pack

  1. (#18) Annalene – i actually have tried Zevia before & I have to say that while they may take some time to getting used to the flavor after the initial drink or 2 these are actually quite good! my favorite is the lemon lime
  2. (#5) Jenny – I would love to try the all-natural diet sodas. I work the night shift, and am obsessed with my diet Pepsi….but always feel guilty about the weird ingredients and colorings.
  3. (#17) Erin – I really want to try this stuff since I love the occasional diet coke.
  4. (#2) Holly – I’d love to win – this soda has been all over blogs and I’ve never tried it!
  5. (#14) Erin– Zevia sounds great!

Grand Prize Winner who receives a mixed case

  1. (#9) Molly – Sounds good!

Winners – shoot me an e-mail (emilyhwaxATgmail.com) by Tuesday morning to claim your prize!

Dreams of Root Vegetables

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Whew, Tuesday is almost over!  My meeting went well, I still have no idea which career path I’ll choose but it is exciting to learn about the options.  After my meeting I swung by the house to pick up the husband, who graciously offered to go along on my printing/mailing resume errands.

True Story – while we were driving he got annoyed that I don’t know what I want to do and said – “You’ll never know what you want to do.  Next thing I’ll know you’ll want to be a turnip!  Do you need to go back to school to be a turnip!?!”  And now he has called me Turnip for the rest of the day.  Holy cow I love my funny husband!

On our way home – resumes successfully mailed, hopefully I will be substituting at some point – we stopped in The Spot for coffee.

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I got a small  Chaider; steamed apple cider and chai tea.  Mmn, fall!  I actually think I’m going to head back to the Spot to work tomorrow, I haven’t been getting much done at home 😦

I was feeling sick with hunger when we got home so I got a snack while I worked on my lab (which I can not do without help, boo!).

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A bumped log,

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with Granny Smith slices with cinnamon caramel apple dip.

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I had a coupon for the dip and you know I’m a sucker for all foods fall.

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After struggling with Chemistry for forever I moved on to making dinner.  On the meal plan was a recipe from the November “Everyday with Rachael Ray” ‘lightened up’ moussaka.

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I can’t share the recipe but if you bought the magazine and are planning to try it here are the changes I made:

  • used 99% lean ground turkey instead of beef
  • skipped the food processor and used low fat whipped cottage cheese
  • used half graffiti eggplants
  • add 1/2 pint mushrooms

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We actually got busy and didn’t even eat dinner so I’ll have to review the recipe tomorrow!  I have a busy day planned tomorrow – no room for headaches! – so don’t be surprised if I don’t post until dinner.  Night!

Don’t forget to enter my Zevia giveaway!

Moving Forward Monday

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I know it’s not really Monday, but a killer migraine ate my whole yesterday so let’s pretend 🙂  I set the alarm for 5am this morning to get myself back on track.  If nothing else, I have accomplished a gym session today.  I did a painful but easy run on the treadmill – 3.7miles, 40minutes.  Followed by stretching and strength training – 100 abs reps, 50 arms reps.  Once I walked home my heart rate monitor read 1hour, 503 calories.

Post gym, I took a quick shower and actually cleaned the house before Adam even awake!  We have a lot more to do, frankly we let this place become a wreck!  Among the headache fun yesterday, was when I attempted to cook some wontons and basically exploded the microwave.  The catastrophe was actually a good thing though – a) we now know that our apartment has no working smoke alarms, and b) in dealing with the smell the apartment now smells like yummy pumpkins.

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I’m icing my legs as I write this post so breakfast was quick and easy –

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Almond Protein Plus Boomi Bar.  This is my favorite flavor.

I was flipping through my day planner this morning and I kind of can’t belive how much excitement is coming up!  Here is a short schedule of the rest of 2009 –

  • October 30 – fly to Ohio for my grandmother’s birthday
  • November 6 – fly to San Fransisco for the Foodbuzz Blogger Festival!
  • November 9 – big Chemistry test
  • November 12 – Chemistry quiz
  • November 14 – semi-formal at Adam’s school
  • November 25 – drive to Ohio for Thanksgiving
  • December 3 – Chemistry quiz
  • December 5 – Reindeer Run 5k
  • December 11 – Adam’s 24th birthday  (and the start of Hanukkah)
  • December 19 – Chemistry final
  • December 21 – fly to St. Thomas for Christmas break
  • December 24 – my family’s annual Christmas Eve party
  • December 25 – Christmas
  • December 28 – Adam and My 2nd anniversary!

Even busier?  Today!  I have so much to do this week it makes my head spin.  Which is why I’m going to go hop to it.  Peace!

What was your last kitchen catastrophe?

Don’t forget to enter my Zevia giveaway.