And Fruit for Dessert

by Emily

Hello from Ohio! I’m glad to be here, but getting here was a freaking disaster. There was an issue with our alarms, and we got a late start and a parking ticket! Ugh.

We had to stop at Wegmans on our way out of town, and hot bar brunch was a bright spot.

Lots of veggies,

and sweet and sour chicken.

I also snagged .12 pounds of yogurt pretzels.

On our first stop I picked up a coffee.

Half regular coffee and half (sweetened) white chocolate cappuccino. I’ve decided I pretty much only enjoy flavored coffee.

We spent the (looooong) trip talking and listening to music. All of our road trip cds come from the music that used to be on Scrubs. I know nothing about music now that there’s not Zach Braff to tell me who to listen to!

We reached my grandparent’s house just in time for dinner.

But first, a cheese course.

I also admired my grandma’s amazing Easter decorations,

including a ceramic bunny I made in grade school,

and snagging a mini-spoonful of jelly beans!

My mom cooked a fun medley dish; rice, chicken, celery, tomato, green onion, almonds, rice noodles, pineapple, cheese, and gravy.

With asparagus cooked in truffle oil (Adam was swooning!),

and fruit salad.

And we’re about to take a middle of the night trip to the store (my mom’s not crazy cakes, she just doesn’t live stateside anymore! Going to the store any hour of the day is more exciting to her and me than someone who grew up in America) so I’ve got to hurry off!

27Mar2011

You and Me Baby Ain’t Nothing But Mammals

by Emily

We head to Ohio tomorrow, and my mom comes to visit on Wednesday, so we woke up early to deal with our squalor. Actually, Adam woke up early to clean the house. I woke up at 9 to Adam’s amazement that I could sleep through the vacuum cleaner!

Once I did welcome morning, I started my morning with some fantabuous iced coffee.

Yesterday afternoon I bought a cup of caramel flavored coffee from a gas station, and brought it home to the fridge. This morning I mixed it with 1tsp maple syrup, Silk Vanilla Almond Milk, and ice.

Delicious! The almond milk has the best texture for iced coffee, it makes it so thick! When I’m back to retainers in a few weeks I won’t be able to have coffee ever, so I’m trying to enjoy it was much as I can.

The food part of breakfast was pretty fun too –

A Pink Lady apple dipped in the last of the marshmallow icing.

Holy yum this was a good idea!

Our next idea wasn’t necessarily good, but it was necessary… a trip to the zoo!

I bought a Groupon months ago (thinking that by April it’d be, ya know, Spring) that was set to expire so we bundled up and headed out. There wasn’t a lot to see because of the weather, but I did spend 20minutes or so mooning at the polar bears.

Awwww! My nickname for Adam is ice bear (German for polar bear).

On the way out we spotted a neat crepe place – we’re coming back next week with my mom! – and Mustachios.

Apparently Adam has been excited about taking me to Mustachios?!? We ended up coming home with two slices of cheese pizza.

We also hit up the hot bar to get in some veggies.

I got steamed broccoli, glazed mushrooms and carrots, sesame kale, white beans and escarole, and scooped a bunch of veggies and cashews from the cashew chicken.

It was a random but good lunch.

After my month of illness (I’m still coughing by the way), any meal with veggies is a good one.

Later in the afternoon I snacked on matzah with melted extra sharp cheddar.

I also did a bunch of nibbling, raw pasta, marshmallow topping, butter toffee almonds… No photographs, just informing you guys that my appetite is back 🙂

Dinner was quick and tasty.

I boiled up the last of the spinach and three cheese ravioli, adding a few big handfuls of arugula to the pot at the last minute. I topped my bowl with buttermilk blue cheese crumbles and a drizzle of honey.

Then we had single-serve ice cream for dessert.

We each at half and then switched flavors halfway through. Those single-serves are the best idea ever, the texture is so creamy!

I’ve still got to shower, pack, and do some school work… better hop to it!

What’s your favorite zoo animal? The cutest thing we saw today was the Egyptian Dabb Lizard. I pretty much love any creature with a big belly; Seth Rogan crush anyone?!

26Mar2011

Short On Dinner

by Emily

10pm is not technically late, but it feels late, and there’s really no good reason I’m not in bed already so I’ll keep this quick.

We had to take our cars in to a shop this morning (nothing big, just yearly brake, oil, and other things I’m sure I don’t know because I’m such a girl) so we brought them both at once and made an event of it. Drive in, walk 8 blocks to Starbucks, study, walk back, drive home. While we studied I made sure to hydrate and caffeinate.

That is a big bottle, but it looks extra big because my non-fat latte is a short, not a tall. Did you know that all the locations in America carry short cups, they just don’t advertise them?

We had movie plans with friends so it was a quick turnaround once we made it home. I snacked on baby carrots on the drive.

The husband and I were both a little irritable at the thought of watching a movie without lunch but thankfully(?!) Adam got the time wrong anyways and we had an extra hour or so to kill at the mall. We ended up going to Jack Astors for lunch.

The husband and I split the Crispy Honey Sesame Chicken. This was chicken with carrots, green onions, snow peas, red peppers, and bean sprouts in what was billed as a Thai-honey sauce.

The chicken was tasty and the veggies were good, but the sauce ended up tasting like bad American-Chinese food. We cleared the plate though.

We also split some Reese’s Pieces at the movies.

Sucker Punch, by the way. The movie was visually stunning and the musical score was fantastic, but the plot was soooo slow.

Things took a bit of a downward turn from there productivity-wise, but honestly any day I spend with the husband is a good one. I made a major dinner fail.

I used the last of most of the ingredients, trying to make a mini pizza with sharp cheddar and an egg on top. First I had a cooked pizza with a raw egg on top. Then I had a cooked egg with a burnt hockey puck on the bottom. I didn’t even take a picture it was such a disaster.

But, good news – when dinner fails you can finally go get that ice cream you’ve been waiting for.

A kid-sized mint ice cream with Oreo from ColdStone.

Mint ice cream is my favorite, but only when it’s green 🙂

Maybe I should eat some fruit tomorrow?! We really did try to get me real dinner, but 40 frustrating minutes in the car later determined that Buffalo isn’t exactly a mecca of healthy take-out and I was better off just going to bed.

So I better get going to bed!

Did you know about the short, aka the”real” small, from Starbucks? What size do you normally order in coffee?

25Mar2011

Eeeeee!

by Emily

If I thought yesterday was exciting then I don’t even know what to call today – I WAS ACCEPTED TO THE COORDINATED PROGRAM!!!

That’s my I’m-excited-but-also-embarassed-to-take-a-mirror-self-portrait-like-a-teenager-on-Myspace face.

I wasn’t expecting to get in, and we weren’t supposed to hear the news until later, so the shock just adds to the thrill. I’ve been crossing my fingers and hoping for months, I’m not even sure what my plan B was going to be if I didn’t get in. Let me explain…

In order to be a Registered Dietician (a highly regulated job title in the US) you must –

take a certain set of courses
complete a certain set of clinical hours/experiences
pass a comprehensive exam – which you can only sit for after #1 & 2 have been completed

The Didactic program (what I’ve been in since this summer) is the typical course for most students. You complete the courses, then apply separately for the internship, then sit for the exam. It’s a great program, but the competition for internship spots is fierce. In the Didactic program, I would have had 2 more years of school, followed by a year of clinical work (if I got accepted to an internship right away).

The Coordinated program is not available at most schools. It has you complete clinical work alongside the required coursework. You complete requirements #1 & 2 as a set, and then are ready to sit for the exam. It is a very challenging program, but is helpful for people who learn better when pairing clinical and classroom learning. Doing the Clinical program means you don’t have to go through the carnival ride that is finding an internship.

Additionally (and for me most important of all), in the Clinical program I will have two more years of school until I’m ready to sit for the exam. 2 years, and not 3 years. And since Adam is done with medical school (not done done, but ready for residency done) in two years – and probably moving in 2 years – this is a very big deal for us. Yay!

I’m thrilled that now I won’t have to live in Buffalo for a year without Adam, I’m excited about starting clinical work, and I’m proud of myself for getting in to such a competitive program. This year was especially tough, because there were more than 40 of us applying for the 16 spots. I’m so glad I made the cut!

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Before we even knew there was anything to celebrate, a group of friends and I had plans to meet for breakfast at Panos before our last class before Spring break. I got a short, nonfat latte on my walk there.

Pano’s breakfast menu is amazing; I don’t know how I don’t end up there more often. I convinced the waitress to let me order the 1-1-1 (a kid’s meal).

1 egg (sunny side up), with hash browns,

and 1 pancake.

I couldn’t quite finish it all (about 3/4), but it was nice to have any sort of breakfast appetite for a change.

I also ordered an extra-spicy Bloody Mary.

Yes, I’m the person who orders off the kid’s menu and the drink menu.

When we got to school and got our letters, after a lot of screaming and jumping around, I somehow decided more coffee was a good idea.

A grande nonfat latte with almond roca syrup (half amount of syrup). Can I just say, I pretty much shook and twitched my way through Biochem?!

Since we are so busy over Spring break I’m actually trying to get a lot of work done this weekend, so my friend Rachel came home with me after class for some studying and TV watching. I can’t even tell you how fun it was to watch “Grey’s Anatomy” with another girl for a change.

I had to show her how to get back out to the main road, so I took a random stroll down Elmwood to reflect. I ended up stopping at the Co-op for celebratory sushi.

Now I’m about to dig into a late lunch of veggie sushi with brown rice.

I can’t wait! I also feel that ice-cream should be on the agenda at some point today….

What was the last thing you applied for that required an interview? Are you good at interviews or do you seize up with nervousness? Apparently I rocked mine, because I don’t feel like I’m the best candidate on paper 🙂

24Mar2011

Breaks and Body Farms

by Emily

Today has been chock-full of excitement! Well, nerdy excitement; I’m feeling pretty jazzed.

First off, did you know that my spring break starts tomorrow? Of course you didn’t, I’ve been so busy being sick that I haven’t had time to get excited about it. Well I’m excited now! Here are some of the fun happenings –

March 26th – April 3rd: Adam and I both are on spring break
March 28th – 30th: we are heading to Ohio to visit my grandparents, and my mommy will be there too!
March 30th – April 2nd: my mom will be spending her spring break in Buffalo with us
also, on April 9th we are heading to VA to visit my in-laws

I have a lot of school work to do over break (being sick for three weeks will do that), but it’s going to be great!

I wasn’t hungry again this morning, but I was starving as soon as I got to campus so I think breakfast might be back. As soon as lab was over I dove into lunch, including a killer sandwich combination.

An Arnold’s Sandwich Thin with sliced turkey, maple jelly, and…

Queso Fresco and Chipotle Laughing Cow Light. The spicy and sweet made for a fantasmic combination.

With baby carrots on the side.

I ate with a group of friends and then we spent the rest of the afternoon banging out a bunch of pre-break work. I took an online midterm, finished 2 weeks worth of lab work, and started studying for an upcoming nutrition exam.

I was hanging out on campus waiting for piece of excitement #2 – attending a forensic anthropology speaker series. I spent 4:30 – 6:00pm Listening to Rebecca Taylor from University of Tennessee’s “Body Farm” talk about their studies in human decomposition. Eeeeeeee! We learned about adipocere, and skin slippage, and animal scavenging.

I love anthropology, particularly forensic anthropology. Did you know that if I wasn’t invested with having kids with the husband I’d probably be off pursuing a degree in Anthropology?! I’m fascinated by the subject and would love to help work on applying our knowledge of osteology to crime scenes (think Brennan from “Bones”).

I continued the glee when I got home, with Smarties!

Adam and I split the box.

And then I got started on an exciting new dinner creation –

Ravioli Lasagna, serves 4 (loosely inspired by something I spotted in Everyday with Rachael Ray) –

10-12 oz package refrigerated ravioli (we used a spinach and three cheese variety)
4 cups (packed) fresh baby arugula
2 cup marinara sauce
1 cup reduced fat shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat the oven to 350*. Lightly grease an 8x8inch casserole dish with cooking spray.
Place half of the ravioli in a neat, even layer in the bottom of your casserole dish. Top ravioli with 2 cups arugula. Top arugula with 1 cup marinara sauce, spreading evenly with a spoon.
Repeat layers once more. Top with mozzarella cheese.
Bake for 45minutes, until browned and bubbly.

I’m not actually that huge of a lasagna fan, so it’s too time-intensive for me to ever want to prepare. Plus, it’s expensive, the one I made for the husband’s 21st surprise party cost an arm and a leg.

This new lasagna was quick and cheap, but still cheesy!

Three questions for Thursday –

What subject, that is not related to your career, thrills you?
Smarties or M&M’s, pick your poison?
Are you a lasagna fan? Do you cook it often?

23Mar2011

Biochem Makes Bad Bloggers

by Emily

I’ll leave the correlation between fences and good neighbors to Robert Frost, but in my experience Biochem makes bad bloggers. Especially Biochem exams one has not adequately prepared for!

Yesterday’s post was sacrificed to a cramming session. Unfortunately, the cramming session was then sacrificed to a orthodontist appointment and subsequent headache. You can’t win ’em all! Our teacher is very, very kind, so I probably ended up with a B anyways. Sidenote – I swear I’m usually not such a terrible student, my (22day!!) sickness is really taking its toll.

I am blogging today though, with pictures and everything, but there’s the problem of not having much to blog. My involuntary breakfast ban continues, but I did get coffee.

A grande non-fat latte with almond roca syrup (2pumps instead of 5).

I was hungry for lunch – my brain used up all my glucose on the exam – but I hadn’t done a great job of packing. I brought a Revolution Foods tropical fruit packet.

And the newest Fage, 0% with Mango and Guanabana.

Oh. My. God. Did you know that Gaunabana is the formal name for Soursop, my favorite fruit of all time that I almost never see outside of the Caribbean?!? When I was saw the flavor at Wegmans I was so excited I bought two right away (and did a fairly embarrassing dance in the aisle!). It was divine!

Yogurt perfection aside, I hadn’t packed enough food! Thankfully the vending machines in the Dietetics building are stocked with mostly healthy things, so I was able to get this packet of tuna salad and crackers.

It was a little strange – I don’t usually add water chestnuts to my tuna salad – but it did the trick of holding me over through my last nutrition class.

I spent my break between classes working on my lab assignments and watching the snow pile outside. Then, wonder of wonders, my night class so cancelled!

Eeeeeee!

I came straight home (the husband picked me up) and dove face first into a plate of Granny Smith apple with a serving of Smuckers Natural PB with Honey.

Then we got started on dinner.

Lemon Chicken Fricassee with Biscuit Topping from Rachael Ray.

We followed the recipe except –

substituting olive oil for shortening
substituting chicken breasts for thighs
using a frozen peas and carrots mix that also had lima beans, corn, and green beans
using some packaged frozen biscuits rather than making them

It was ok. Only ok. Adam said 6 out of 10, I said I won’t be eating any of the leftovers.

Plus a side salad.

Arugula topped with leftover roasted butternut squash, craisins, buttermilk blue cheese, and Newman’s Own Lite Raspberry and Walnut Dressing.

The salad was tasty at least.

The meal might not have been very good, but the entertainment was; season 5 of Futurama is finally on Netflix Instant Watch!

Did/do you watch Futurama?

15Mar2011

Also

by Emily

I forgot to mention this morning that my fancy new breakfast bowl came courtesy of CSN Stores.

Adam and I both love the square shape of it.

Adam and I both also love these –

Like a lot. I ate one shortly after what I deemed an acceptable amount of time after breakfast.

Also lunch.

Tasty, tasty lunch. All this grilled cheese does is win.

On two slices of rye I skillet cooked thousand island dressing, 1.5 ounces of extra sharp cheddar, the last of the sauerkraut, and 2 slices of 2% swiss cheese. It was epic.

Also baby carrots dipped in blue cheese.

Also from CSN Stores.

Also, would someone cross their fingers that my sinus headache goes away so I can study?

1Mar2011

Furtive, Unfathomable, and also Enigmatic

by Emily

I’ve been away from the computer all day, it feels good to get back! Only for a minute or two though, I’ve got a major exam tomorrow!

I think I’ve also got a cold. Not to worry, I still blame all my tiredness on inconsiderate barking dogs, but I’ve got some definite sickness symptoms as well. My interview went great (I don’t want to get into more for privacy reasons) but the minute I left the office I was practically shaking with exhaustion. My neck/throat are so sore and puffy too. Not to worry though, the husband decided that with my swollen nodes I look like a bullfrog when I shrug my shoulders; this has delighted him to no end all day long.

Thank goodness Adam didn’t have school today, he could drive me to and from my interview, and also to Wegman’s for a study session. Thank goodness I packed a comfier outfit than my suit to change in to.