Some Shrink, Some Grow

by Emily

Here is what our afternoon looked like –

While I was studying I ate a mini bag of kettle corn.

And I ate a cheese stick when we got back from our walk.

I made Adam’s dinner this afternoon and my meal was quick to assemble this evening. Earlier this week I cooked a big pot of lasagna noodles and all I had to do today was chop them up and the base of my meal was complete.

I gave the chopped noodles a quick stir-fry with 1 Tbsp canola oil, 2 cups frozen spinach, and 4 oz cream goat cheese. Half of the finished product went into a tupperware for tomorrow and the other half went into my belly.

It was a great meal, but I sort of hate how tiny greens get when cooked.

You know what grows with heat?

Marshmallows, the opposite of spinach in every way! They look funny because I microwaved them with a bit of cookie butter. This might be my new favorite dessert.

It’s a busy day tomorrow but we are deeply enjoying our Stargate: Atlantis marathon; I’m hoping to strike the right balance of fun and function with a 1am bedtime. Catch you in the a.m.!

20Apr2012

The Have Nots

by Emily

I am so flipping excited to be back to blogging! In fact, I’m excited about doing pretty much anything. You see, I’m getting over a case of the “have-nots.” It was a nasty one. The past week I have not:

blogged ~ washed my hair ~ cooked ~ done any school work beyond what was immediately due ~ worked out ~ read any books ~ cleaned my house ~ eaten anything with any real nutritional value ~ been nice to my husband ~ taken a moment to appreciate my life

I told you it was bad. I finally got so sick of myself that this morning I started getting back to doing. I did three hair washes in the shower. I made and ate two healthy meals. I took a walk. I went to school. I finished a major assignment. I pre-made Adam’s dinner. I took a moment to reflect.

My plans for the weekend are big but doable – 1. spring clean our storage containers. 2. switch out our summer and winter wardrobes. 3. eat lots of fruits and veggies. 4. get in some strength training. 5. make notecards to start prepping for exam week. 6. read the 2nd Hunger Games book. #6 is the only task that’s really urgent 🙂

How do you get back in gear when you’ve got a case of the have-nots?

Back to blogging? This morning breakfast was pink, pink, pink.

I blended together 1 cup of skim milk, a 0% plain Yoplait Greek yogurt, 1 cup of frozen blackberries, and 1 Tbsp maple syrup.

Tangy but tasty. I froze a bunch of blackberries when they were on super-sale a few weeks back so I expect to have this again soon.

When my class was over this morning it was too pretty out to go home so I extended my walk up Elmwood to the Co-op. I perused some fun looking products but came away with only one.

A Relax drink from Solixir. With blackberry, chamomile, passion-flower, jujube, lemon balm, and hibiscus.

It didn’t really have much flavor but for 50 calories and no added sugar I’m not complaining.

My food was feeling preppy so to go with breakfast’s pink lunch was green.

I started with a Crispin apple.

Then I had a green-on-the-inside twice baked potato with basil and cheddar.

Recipe is down below. But I have to show you what I used for my basil –

I bought this Gourmet Garden Basil Herb Blend the other day on a whim but I think it’s going to become a kitchen staple! So much easier than cutting up my own basil or throwing out my own basil when it rots in the crisper. I see a lot of herbs in this week’s meal plan future.

Finally a big pile of roasted green beans.

Better than french fries! <– and I can tell you that for certain because I ate french fries for dinner two nights this week *whoops*

Basil and Cheddar Twice Baked Potato

6 oz baking potato
1 heaping Tbsp finely chopped basil
2 oz 50% reduced fat sharp cheddar

Microwave potato to desired doneness according to your microwave’s specifications. (my potato took 7 minutes at full power)
Cut two thin slices of cheddar, about 0.5 ounce worth, and then roughly dice the remainder of the cheese.
Cut potato in half and scoop out the flesh, taking care not to get too close to the skin so that the potato can still hold its shape.
Mash potato insides, basil, and diced cheddar. Spoon filling back into potato skins and top each side with a slice of cheese.
Bake for 25 minutes at 425 degrees Farenheit.

13Apr2012

Beer Baby Belly

by Emily

Friday’s here! There is lots to do this weekend to make up for missing last week but weekend time is always good. Today lots of food was eaten to make up for missing ….. who am I kidding? I never miss a meal!

Breakfast was a white chocolate macadamia Clif Bar.

Lunch was pizza-pizza. Double because I had double slices! I had to stay at school after class for a group project and by the time I headed home at 2 I was ravenous. I stopped at Zetti’s for two gigantic slices.

Bbq chicken and veggie. The veggie slice was loaded with vegetables; broccoli, spinach, and several types of peppers. I was full to the brim afterwards, mostly with cheese, but at least I got in some solid servings of vegetables.

This evening I went to a baby shower.

It was my first ever shower experience other than the one for my wedding. I can’t even tell you all of the cute shower ideas I spotted, it was like Pinterest come to life!

The party included a sit-down dinner.

Side salad, mixed vegetables, and a bit of stuffing. I wasn’t feeling the heavier stuff after my huge lunch.

I did grab a few handfuls of blue-for-boy candy though.

And a Michelob Ultra.

Thirst quenching because it’s basically water 🙂

I got home a bit before 9 and Adam and I took a gloriously long walk down Elmwood. A bit over two miles which isn’t really long but ate up some time due to ambling.

We stopped at the Village Beer Merchant at the halfway point and split a beer of the root variety.

I ❤ Abita, even its nonalcoholic varieties. I have a six-pack of Abita Strawberry in my office waiting for the summer to come.

How many baby showers have you attended?

8Apr2012

Easter Dinner

by Emily

I hope everyone’s Easter, Passover, or April weekends have been full of family and fun. It’s been good being here in Ohio and seeing lots of familiar faces. I’m feeling pretty good too but definitely still in need of sleep so I’ll keep this quick.

Breakfast. Scrambled eggs, piece of turkey bacon, toast with butter.

Lunch. Pieced together as best I could.

Cup of carrots.

Cup of Sahale Snacks Almonds with Honey, Cranberry + Sea Salt.

Mid-afternoon snack/fun. We walked over to the Cracker Barrel gift shop to peruse the old-time goodies.

Adam and I split a Double Cola.

And I finally got to try divinity candy, a Southern treat made of sugar, corn syrup, and egg whites.

I had that piece shown x 3. Delicious but the back of my throat felt like it was burning with all of the sugar.

Appetizer. A bagel chip with blue cheese pecan spread. x2.

Drink. Bud Light with Lime.

Dinner.

Orzo salad.

Party potatoes.

Stir-fried veggies.

Pretzel roll with butter. x2.

Fruit salad.

Bed.

Did you decorate Easter eggs this year?

8Apr2012

I’m Relleno

by Emily

Hello from Ohio. We’re not here for a happy reason but I’m happy we made it here safely.

We stayed up late catching up on TV last night and I got hungry again. I served myself a big bowl of cereal with skim milk; Cheerios and some raisin/bran/crunch thing.

I had breakfast food for my late-night snack and dinner food for breakfast.

A grilled cheese with Cabot 50% Reduced Sharp Cheddar and Sriracha mayo,

and a sliced honey crisp.

This meal was great but my next bite was terrible. I stole a piece of Adam’s chicken bites from McDonalds –

Ewwwwwww! So fried tasting and gross.

My dad flew into Buffalo this afternoon and we picked him up at the airport and headed off on our road trip. Since we had a “road-guest” we stopped for an actual dinner.

Torero’s served us some damn fine Mexican food! Pretty healthy too! Here was my plate –

Black beans,

rice,

and the Vegi-chiladas. “Steamed carrots, mushrooms, broccoli, yellow squash and zucchini rolled into two flour tortillas, topped with our salsa Mazatlán and garnished with Monterrey Jack cheese. Served with sour cream, lettuce, and tomatoes.”

I ordered my enchiladas sans cheese because I also had a chile relleno waiting for me on my dad’s plate.

Stuffed peppers are usually my favorite Mexican dish but this guy was a little too fried for me. I ended up eating about a third of everything, except I ate 1.25 tortillas and every single bite of vegetable.

I ate two Samoa Jumbles in the car for dessert.

Still good.

Where is your favorite road trip stop?

5Apr2012

Loop De Loop

by Emily

I’m going to apologize in advance just in case this post makes no sense. I’m tired, and sick, and pretty damn loopy.

After my run and cookie consumption I started the day cautiously optimistic that I would keep feeling good.

To eat in class I packed a green pear,

and a 2% Pineapple Siggi’s.

I loved the 2% fat content of this yogurt but the pineapple was pretty weak. There was no pineapple flavor and the pieces of fruit were few and far between. But the yogurt itself was wonderful. I enjoy the original Siggi’s and the 2% variety was a little sweeter and the texture very creamy and less stiff.

Adam was done at the hospital around the same time I finished my classes so I walked home to meet him for a date before work. I’m not even gonna lie – he took me to dinner at my school’s food court and it was the best damn date I’ve ever been on. I love spending time with the husband so much! First we stopped in at Ashker’s for smoothies since we have a Groupon.

I can’t remember my exact selection but I know that it had a few fruits, carrots, and ginger.

It would have been fantastic except that I forgot that I freaking hate ginger. The texture was spot on but it was just way too spicy for me. I could only drink a third or so but the husband happily finished off the rest.

Then we walked back to campus. I work in the basement of a dorm building so Adam clearly couldn’t hang out with me but I’m a total creeper so the simple fact that he was in the same building as me was exciting.

We were both starving (like gnaw your own arm off starving) so we hit up the food court and ended up discovering a new, totally adorable, perfectly priced “asian” kiosk. We split a Vietnamese coffee for 99 cents.

And I got a tasty lobster roll.

It was good!

We are bottomless pits so we got pizza too. $4 for two slices packed with toppings; apparently college food courts are the place to go for a cheap date!

My veggie slice came with banana peppers, roasted red peppers, and black olives.

Tonight was my last shift at work (the calling sessions only last for a month) and I was sad to say goodbye. Of course there are people who are total jerks to tele-fund-raisers but most people were really nice! I had several older alumni sweetly tell me that they loved talking to me. I’ll miss it!

I’m not sure anyone will miss me after tonight though; today’s sickness levels hit their peak mid-shift and I basically hacked up a lung in the corner all evening. By the time I met Adam I could barely talk. The loopiness had set in at that point so it’s possible I also told bad jokes and laughed like a hyena the whole walk home but I can’t really blame that on the sickness.

But it definitely was my sore throat that demanded a strawberry milkshake.

Mmmmn, if I could set up a constant stream of icy beverage down my throat that would be excellent.

I had to stay up to set up my class schedule for next semester (I can register tomorrow morning) but now it’s clearly time for bed. So goodnight!

2Apr2012

Commercially Yours

by Emily

Does it feel like a Thursday to anyone else? My brain just cannot accept that it’s Monday! The husband thought it was later in the week too so I’m not alone.

Monday’s lunch was munched in class. A pink lady apple,

a caramel Oikos,

and a giant iced coffee (coffee, Silk Unsweetened Almond Milk, English toffee syrup).

After class I had a group work meeting and then it was off to work. My job only lasts for a few more days and I’m definitely going to miss the experience (and $!) when it’s over.

The husband is the man you wish your man would be (is anyone else still in love with the Old Spice commercials?!) so he not only picked me up from school but had dinner waiting when I got home.

A salad of Romaine topped with groats, raisins, ground flax, and Newman’s Own Light Caesar dressing.

And a serving of California Pizza Kitchen’s BBQ Recipe Chicken frozen pizza.

CPK is my favorite chain of all time and this pizza was no slouch. “White meat chicken with a spicy-sweet barbecue sauce, red onions, cilantro, and smoked gouda and mozzarella cheeses over [their] famous crispy thin crust.”

The flavors were great, but the serving did feel a little small. I’m going to try to go to bed soon instead of eating more though. I have a few e-mails to send for clinic and then hopefully I’ll be off to slumber.

What is your favorite commercial? Mine is Burger King’s Angry Whopper commercial (see below) because it reminds me of the “Broodwich” episode of Aqua Teen Hunger Force.

1Apr2012

Three Dessert Sunday

by Emily

The weekend is over and I didn’t catch up on any sleep, aaaahh! After our late night (cough, 4:30, cough cough) I was thrilled to wake up to a pre-made breakfast. Overnight oats in a jar.

In a pb jar with just a little peanut butter left (approximately 2 Tbsp) I combined 1/4 cup of oats, 1/4 cup Silk Unsweetened Almond Milk, and a caramel Oikos.