Tag Archives: bar

Toasted Is Like Frosted

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I made it over the hump, it’s time to wind down the week.  I know it’s pathetic but I’ve got to admit – three days of actually doing things has left me exhausted!

I did have to hurry, but I managed to leave the house to walk to campus for my two afternoon classes on time.  We learned about Diabetes Mellitus for two hours, and then had the introduction to our class on integrative medicine/nutrition.  My packed lunch was a little weak though.  A mini box of Brown Sugar Quaker Oatmeal Squares (a HLS sample).

And a huge cup of iced coffee with skim milk and English toffee syrup.

Not enough food and too much caffeine made me very shaky and cranky!  Adam picked me up for a quick grocery trip after class and I’m surprised he didn’t strangle me in the frozen aisle.  It’s possible that I stood and stared embarrassingly longingly at the hot bar.

A Coconut Chocolate Chip Clif Bar did the trick when I got home.

This new flavor is an easy cranky killer.

I also had a handful of sliced cucumber.

Cucumber slices with a sprinkle of salt are legit better that potato chips, and I say that as someone who really loves potato chips.

Dinner started with a salad course.

Romaine lettuce with chopped cucumber and yogurt Caesar dressing.

Then more salad and veggie.

Roasted green beans.

And a salad of crock pot chicken, mayo, green grapes, and toasted pecans.

Guys, toasted pecans are ridiculous good.  And I’m telling you that because I told Adam three times during dinner and he hates me.

What’s your go-to ingredient for jazzing up chicken salad?

A Public Vow

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As soon as the clock ticked past 11:00 I knew 6 am yoga was not going to happen.  I actually was awake(ish) in time to go but the class, and the day, would not have been fun on so little sleep.  I am sucking at this 30-day pass!  Which is why I publicly vow to – attend the 9:30 am hot yoga class tomorrow.  Now you guys are holding me accountable.

Instead of yoga, it was another morning of awake from 4:30 – 6:30, then back to sleep until 8:30.  I’m going to be married to a doctor for the rest of my life, I’ve got to figure out a  way to make this work!

Another thing that didn’t work was my oats.

Sure they look good – they were expertly topped – but I didn’t cook them long enough and they were a little soupy.

Cooked (barely): 1/2 cup each water and skim milk, 1 small banana, 1/4 cup oats,  and a pinch salt
Stirred: 1/4 cup 1% cottage cheese
Topped: a chopped Nature’s Path MMMaple Pecan granola bar and a handful of milk chocolate chips

I could only bring myself to eat half of the bowl (the top half!).

It’s not an ideal day for a tiny breakfast, but what can you do?

I’ve got statistics this morning and then my first trip to the hospital for clinical.  Actually, it’s probably a good thing breakfast was small, because I’m so nervous I could throw up!  I really hope clinical goes well, sometimes I feel like I don’t know anything.  Wish me luck.

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.

Mallrat

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Second suitor: if we were making whoopee–

What’s whoopee?

Um, you know, if we were being intimate–

What? Like f**king?

The above is one of my favorite quotes from one of my favorite movies, “Mallrats.”  If you have yet to see that 1995 classic I urge you to put it on your to-do list.  That movie is all sorts of fabulous.

I thought of the quote today because I spent my afternoon wandering aimlessly around the mall.  I wasn’t there to shop, I wasn’t there to work, I was just there.  (<– movie tagline)

Backing up to this morning, I discovered that two wrongs can make a right.  The fact that I woke up after 10am made it way less weird that I started my “morning” by popping a Rolo pretzel bite into my mouth.

One of the boys brought the bites to Poker last night, thanks Patrick and Michelle!  I’d be feeling slightly more grateful if said poker game hadn’t run past 1am, but what can you do?

I continued the theme with a Zone Perfect Cashew Pretzel Bar for breakfast.

We were in the car because Webster has chewed through every single one of his toys in record time and we needed to make an emergency run to PetSmart.

Then Adam and a friend went to see a movie and I joined them for a trip to the mall! “Mission Impossible #2,458” took a little over 2 hours so I had plenty of time to mall-walk.  I didn’t snap any pictures, but I do have a couple of take-away tips:

  1. The samples at The Gourmet Chef are out of control while they roll out new products for the new year.  I didn’t snap any pictures for stealth’s sake, but I ate at least a mini meal’s worth.
  2. Bath and Body Works is having a gigantic sale right now.  I snagged some great smelling hand soaps for less than $3 a pop.

After my loop, I settled in with a book for lunch.  Lunch’s location was an unexpected bonus – Five Guys!!!

Five Guys’ fries make the top 20 list of things I miss most about living in Brooklyn.  They did not disappoint today either.  Squishy yet crispy, a proper amount of salt, and with the option of endless bottles of malt vinegar.

I ordered a medium but that bag was basically stuffed to the brim!  I didn’t finish them all, but I did a good enough job to make myself a little ill.  Totally worth it.

I also got a veggie sandwich.

The veggie option is basically just a hamburger bun with any/all of the available toppings.  You can also get it with cheese.  I ordered mine with mayo, lettuce, tomato, sautéed onions and mushrooms, and jalapenos that I eventually admitted defeat to and peeled off.

I passed the lunch hour munching and reading (my fourth Kathy Reichs book this week) and it was just great.  This afternoon brought more of the same, only this time the dog read with me.

Love him!

Dinner was easy.

A salad of Romaine, chopped celery, tomato, and 1.5 Tbsp of peanut sauce, topped with some leftover chicken (cooked in the crockpot with a gooseberry sauce from back home, then shredded).

And an onion roll with a bit of SmartBalance Light.

We watched the impossibly sad returning episode of “Grey’s” while we ate.

And I ate a Pep Bar (the British/Canadian version of a York Peppermint Patty) for dessert.

Now I’m looking forward to cuddling with the husband and catching up on Private Practice and Modern Family as well, with big bowls of popcorn in our laps.

five questions for Friday

  1. Have you seen “Mallrats” yet?  Favorite scene?
  2. Ever been to a Five Guys?
  3. What do you dip your fries in?
  4. Do you partake in store samples?
  5. Have you read any of Kathy Reich’s books?

Presenting ..

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I had an important test today (it didn’t go well, but that’s another story) so I got up early to do some studying at Starbucks.  Just as I was about to head out, Adam called.  He’d left his pager at home and needed me to wait for him.  At first I was annoyed; I needed every minute of studying I could get.  But then I realized that he had a pager because he’s going to be a doctor, and that’s amazing.  So I got over it.

When I finally did get to Starbucks at 6am I got myself a gingerbread latte.

Actually, I ordered a plain non-fat latte and added 1 Tbsp of gingerbread syrup from home.

Shhh.

When I left at 7:30 I did buy an actual fancy drink though, a short, non-fat, salted caramel hot chocolate.

The flavors in this feel very complex and gourmet for a coffee joint, but it’s pretty rich so the short size is perfect.

I also ate some leftover fruit salad.

Then I failed took my test, got myself in a tizzy applying for several jobs and internships, and did my group presentation on cultural food patterns.  Our country was Ireland so we all dressed in green.

We also brought in Irish soda bread for the class to try.

In addition to my slice I ate a Peppermint Stick Clif Bar.

This flavor was good, but not great like I was hoping it would be.

After class I had so much nervous energy I needed to burn off that I actually went to the gym!  30 minutes on the elliptical, level 6 random.

I got home at 3:30 and had to unpack, shower, change, and eat dinner before my 4:15 orthodontist appointment, so this meal was quick but good.

My amazing turkey sandwich was 2 slices of toasted rye with cranberry relish, 2 slices of Applegate Farms roasted turkey, and 1 oz of reduced fat cream cheese.

Cream cheese on a sandwich is where it’s at.

I also had a pile of roasted green beans on the side.

I had less than 8 minutes to shovel my food in and this still tasted good!  And I’m glad I did an earliest bird dinner because my teeth don’t feel like chomping with my new retainer set.

Webster and I are going to take a walk down Elmwood to pick up a friend and then she’s coming back here so we can work on yet another presentation.  Exam week won’t be fun, but I still going to be so relieved when we have our last class of the semester on Thursday!

Which “fancy drink” are you going to Starbucks for this winter?

Hello, Bob

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So, this morning I looked like this –

and now I look like this –

I like it, I think!

I always sort of hate my hair whenever I get it chopped, but I’ve gone short several times now so apparently that’s not holding me back!  I ended up having 14 inches to give to Locks of Love, which is great.

A friend and I went during a long break between classes and it was fun to see people’s reactions when we got back.  “Wait, didn’t you have a pony-tail this morning?!?”  I surprised Adam too.  He picked me up from school and his mouth fell open when I walked out to the car!

BC (before the cut) I ate half of this Coconut Chocolate Chip Clif Bar for breakfast.

And AC (after the cut) I bought a great green juice.

This was blend of spinach, kale, carrot, and cucumber; from a new spot just blocks from my apartment.

This was so good, and “only” $4.  I predict I’ll be there more often than I can afford!

Adam picked me up after school so we could make a quick grocery trip.  We each picked something from the cookie bar for funsies before we did boring stuff like toilet paper.

I chose cinnamon nut rugala and I’m now on the hunt for a rugala recipe to make at home.

While I was fixing Adam’s dinner I snacked on some canned pineapple over 1% cottage cheese.

My dinner was supposed to be some of Monday’s “leftovers,” leftover.

A heaping bowl of pasta, shredded chicken, and tons of peas, topped with parmesan, cranberry relish, and a drizzle of evoo.

I love this bowl so much more than I do anything I eat on Thanksgiving.  But I got up to do something halfway through and when I came back there was a dog face in my bowl!  Webster’s sort of an asshole.

Instead I ate this Smart Ones Brocoli and Cheddar Roasted Potatoes.

Not as good as the dinner I shared with the dog, but not as bad as it looks either.

Have you ever given to Locks of Love?  If you have long hair – how many times have you gone short?

Best Ever

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It’s a good thing I decided not to blog after dinner yesterday because we ended up staying out for drinks!  It was a late, fun night.

We started our evening with dinner at Las Culebrinas, Adam’s favorite Cuban place on the planet.  They have rolls with the best garlic butter.

We also ordered some appetizers to share.

Fried plantain with shrimp in red sauce and mozzarella sticks.

For dinner I got Mahi Mahi crusted in corn flakes and topped with a honey mustard sauce.

It was a little too fried for me but the sauce was so good.

And it came with a side salad with great dressing.

We did lots of sharing (though no one went near Adam’s beef because he was moaning so loudly – and whispering sweet nothings to his chocolate flan – and we were all a little afraid).  I ended up eating the equivalent of 3/4 of my plate.

Afterwards we walked around Coconut Grove for some more people watching.  And somehow ended up at Uncle Moe’s for drinks.  Like the Cow Tipper.

Here’s a shot with my hand for size comparison.

My mom and I split this one, obviously.  It was tasty, but not as strong as it sounds.

Which is good, because I was feeling good this morning.  I decided to skip the hotel breakfast, which was lackluster yesterday, and get in a quick gym trip instead.  15 minutes on the treadmill for a bit over a mile.

I ate my stolen pear for breakfast.

Along with a NuGo Dark bar packed from home.

And we stopped by our old favorite Thai place for a bubble tea smoothie.

Strawberry coconut smoothie with bobba.

So freaking good!

Plus a few peppermints for freshness.

Amid the day’s exploration we also spent some time at the mall. I know shopping seems like a strange vacation activity, but my parents live on an island so it’s more exploratory for them than the beach. My dad shared a pretzel with me while we were there.

I ate about x2 what’s pictured. We were practically frozen so I also bought an earl grey with steamed skim milk.

A few stops later, and we were at my favorite place on the planet.

Where I made the biggest cup of froyo I’ve ever eaten.

Everything chocolate and caramel, smothered in marshmallow.

Heaven. Pure heaven.

And the evening only got better. The plan was to go to Joe’s Stone Crab, but a 2-hour wait scared us away. The disappointment was very serendipitous, because we ended up having a best ever dinner at Joe’s less formal take-away spot next door. You ordered your food at a counter and brought it to the booth yourself and it ended up being just perfect.

To start, Adam and I split a seafood bisque.

It was creamy and tangy with big chunks of fish.

Then the four of us split an order of stone crab.

Stone crab is like the best crab you’ve ever had, on steroids. It is meaty, yet tender and buttery.

I got most of two claws, dipped in butter and mustard.

I drank a spicy bloody Mary with my food but I was too excited about the crab to remember to photograph before a few sips in.

For the rest of the meal, my mom and I split two sandwiches.

The shrimp po boy and the lobster Reuben.

The po boy was good, though I mostly ate the shrimp out of the bun, dipped in remoulade.

The Reuben was out of this world. Everything that’s good about a Reuben but with the added amazingness of lobster.

Everyone kept laughing at me for chewing with my eyes closed but I just couldn’t help it. The big pieces of meat were absolutely perfect.

I thought I couldn’t be happier, but then Adam bought me this t-Rex juice container.

Best trip souvenir ever.

My favorite activity in any city is bike riding, and for the hour after dinner that’s just what we did.

It was so much fun, though our times in the sand basically left my thighs burning! Then we spent another hour walking down the club strip on South Beach for the ultimate people watching. It was the best vacation day ever.  The best.

He’s Back!

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No, not me (I’m a she if you didn’t know!), my computer!

He’s back from the place that drained my wallet Best Buy’s Geek Squad and feeling better than ever.  I’m glad to have a working computer again, though I did learn a few things in his absence –

  1. If it’s not Google-_________, WordPress, Slate, Hotmail, or another of the select few, I’m not opening it on my laptop.  That’s what fancy cell phones and school accounts are for.
  2. I need want to spend more time away from the computer.

How much of your free time would you say you spend staring at a screen (tv, computer, or cell phone)?

I spent 7:30 am – 9:30 pm out of the house and my eats today were decidedly pathetic.  Cheese, and carbs, and hey I did the best I could on the run!

Breakfast, consumed during a break in class #1, was a leftover serving of mac ‘n cheese.

And lunch, consumed during the break between class #2 and 3, was a Cookie Dough Balance Bar.

And after all my raving over how this bar is my favorite thing ever, I’m pretty sure they’ve changed the recipe!  This was overly chemical and just not good.  What gives?!?  I don’t even know how I’m going to break the news to Adam.

In between lunch and dinner, insert a group meeting, an hour spent writing my personal reflection on the Chili Sale, a trip to the mall in torrential downpour to pick up my computer, and three-hour shift at work.

Unsurprisingly, dinner came from the frozen section.

A Newman’s Own White Pizza, purchased with a free coupon from the Foodbuzz Tastemaker’s Program.

I ate my single serving on a too-big plate so that we could reuse the plate for Adam’s big serving and save a dish.

Soooo good.  The portion didn’t feel very big but it was less about being unsatisfied and more about really wanting to keep eating the delicious flav-a.  If I’m not going deep dish, I want my crust to be crispy and this definitely delivered.  The cheese had a great sour, tang to it that I couldn’t get enough of and the red sauce wasn’t missed at all.

For my side I tried to recreate Saturday’s salad.

Romaine base topped with crumbled blue cheese, chopped Gala apple, groats, and Wegman’s Yogurt Casaer Dressing.

It was very good, but I realized too late that dressing with honey and vinegar probably would have taken it over the top.

Dessert was two coffee malt cookies.

I’m going to be up half the night chipping away at schoolwork and it’s likely I will continue to do some snacking.  I’ll update in the morning as need be.  Good night!