Tag Archives: cheese

Sleeping Hungry

by

Yikes, this is one of those blog posts that veers a little further into the definition of “healthy living.”  Though actually, I think it’s pretty darn healthy to listen to your body!

for this week…

  • the good – I’ve been doing my best to get lots of sleep and I’ve been doing my best to deal with my intense hunger in healthy ways
  • the bad – I’ve been doing a terrible job of packing food for school and I haven’t worked out in almost a full week(!)
  • the ugly – My eats yesterday were consumed under the assumption that I was fueling for a long workout

Yesterday morning (Thursday) I didn’t have time to pack food before school and my stomach was growling in our four-hour class.  I ended up buying pretzels and diet pop from a vending machine at 9am.

Best. Breakfast. Ever.

I stayed on campus for a club meeting and happily ate a slice of cheese pizza as breakfast component #2.  Note, this was also bread/cheese component #1.

Post-pizza my stomach was still growling and I wanted to make sure I was well-fueled for my long workout so I turned to Wegmans hot bar.

Actually, first I ate a Oreo ball from the Tupperware in the back of my car.

But then I turned to hot bar.  Veggies from many different containers plus a few pieces of chicken.

And then bread and cheese component #2.

A jalapeno cheddar bialy with veggie cream cheese.

Yuuuuuuum.  Seriously, just yum.  And I was left super well-fueled … for my nap … at 4pm.

Yup, I fell asleep on the couch at 4pm and stayed fast asleep until 9pm when I awoke just long enough to brush my teeth and transition to the bedroom.

Since I still slept until 7:20 (what? this week my body demands food and sleep) the best I could do for breakfast was iced coffee.

Coffee, skim milk, and 1 Tbsp of English Toffee syrup.

I got out of class at 1 (which is when Adam told me he could pick me up) and have been stuck in limbo waiting for the husband to call ever since.  Sometimes I think being single would help me waste less time; I certainly would have eaten lunch and done some schoolwork this afternoon!

I’m not sure what my plans for this afternoon/evening are now, though I am making my way through this pitcher of Arnold Palmers.

Half home-brewed green tea and half Wegman’s brand organic lemonade.  Good (though I think I prefer AP’s with black tea), but my stomach is definitely ready for lunch!

Bombay To Book Club

by

So this last week has sort of been a healthy living fail.  I haven’t worked out since Sunday, I’ve been eating a fair amount of junk, and I clearly haven’t been hitting my bedtime goals.  I am 100% determined to get in a longer run tomorrow though, which is all the more reason to keep this post short and sweet.

Liquid breakfast consumed in class 1.

An Americano with skim milk and a lavender mint Herbal Water.

I bought this Turkey Pepperoni and Cheese GoPicnic snack back from the bookstore on our break.

The pepperoni was crumbly and weird but the crackers reminded me of Mary’s Gone Crackers which was nice.  I ate all of the cheese and crackers, half the pepperoni, and the candy (duh).

For lunch lunch a friend and I decided to check out the new Indian place that popped up in the food court.

Healthy, real food at Buffalo State?  What, what!  I ordered a channa masala with rice,

topped with tamarind chutney and tons of spicy pickled mangos.

Yum!  I never see tamarind in the states (I used to eat them straight from the pod growing up in St. Thomas) so that was fun.  I ended up using two portions of spicy mangos which may have been a mistake as my mouth was on fire and my stomach hurt all afternoon.

My meal also came with a Naan bread but that was the only part of the dish that wasn’t great so I left it uneaten.

Healthy, spicy, veggies for lunch are totally worth a tummy ache.

After classes 2 and 3 had wrapped I headed back to my house for a quick cupcake frosting session.  Janessa actually stopped by to drop off goodies early this morning because we were heading to Kim’s house for…. book club!

Side note – I’ve always wanted to be part of a book club but when I thought about suggesting the idea to my group of friends I felt a little lame.  I sucked it up and you know what?  They were just as excited about the idea as I was!  Lesson learned when in doubt, if you are excited about something your friends probably will be too.  Don’t be so afraid of sounding silly that you miss out on a fun opportunity.

We already chose our first book (The Help) but haven’t gotten to read yet so tonight’s meeting was more of a drinks/snacks/silly YouTube videos party.  We had a nice foodie spread for sure.  Kim made spinach and artichoke dip with fresh spinach and white beans,

Hillary made taco dip,

and crescent rolls with pizza filling.

And Anna brought booze but since I was the designated driver I sat that out.

Here were my bites.

Plus dessert!  Janessa made Oreo cheesecake balls with Biscoff!

This idea was so good I sort of can’t even describe it without drooling but it sparked an even better idea that I’ll share later.

And I made Mint Chocolate Chip Swirl Cupcakes.

Recipe to come tomorrow.

And I shall see you all tomorrow too; if I don’t get to bed soon my long run will turn into a short shuffle!

Uncomfortably Full

by

I love long weekends! And long weekends with trips are especially fun. It was great to visit with my grandparents, I don’t get to see them as often as I’d like.

Before we hit the road this morning we ate a final fancy breakfast.

Chicken sausage,

egg casserole leftovers, which I ate cold to my husband and grandma’s duress,

and a banana.

We were not as well provisioned for this trip as we were on Saturday. I did the best I could but still arrived home hungry. A low-fat string cheese,

and a Muscle Milk Light bar.

Yeeetch! I took two bites and decided I’d rather go hungry. At least with the dog we stop more often and I grabbed what I really wanted a bit later, candy.

I’ve been badly wanting Twizzlers for a few weeks and after a serving that craving was satisfied.

Webster slept most of our journey which meant I had time to finish the book I started on the drive over.

Hands of My Father is a memoir about a hearing boy’s childhood with two deaf parents. New addition to my top list of book favorites! I had to hold my breath to keep from crying at least once a chapter and I laughed just as often. The setting of a Jewish neighborhood in Brooklyn post Depression lent itself to some good stories.

When we did get home I spent my evening making chili.  And weighing chili, and pricing servings…

This was for a class assignment, and it was beef to boot so I couldn’t even taste it!  Instead Adam and I got take out for dinner.

Tuna melt on sourdough (no butter on the bread) with cheddar cheese and a side of fries.

Plus a slice of carrot cake.

Umm, plus the last two chocolates.

Can we so uncomfortably full?

Two Desserts

by

I started my morning off right with a run. I didn’t pay attention to time, I forgot my heart rate monitor at home and didn’t check the clock before I left, I just ran. Thanks to the miles markers on the path behind my grandparents’ house I did learn a couple of things – 1. I can’t run a whole mile without stopping to walk (bad). 2. I ran/walked five miles this morning (good).

I came home feeling good in time for breakfast.

Cantaloupe melon,

chicken breakfast sausage,

and a delicious egg casserole with mushrooms, cheese, and bread cubes.

The fluffy texture and slightly sweet flavor were just like a souffle.

Adam and I had to run to the store for my grandma after breakfast and we spotted a Subway where I rewarded myself for my run.  (not that I don’t just drink diet soda all the time anyways but it can still feel like a reward sometimes)

They had Coke Zero and Cherry Coke and getting to mix them gives me this face –

We spent the afternoon hanging out with my grandpa and actually ate lunch at the hospital cafeteria.

I filled a plate at the salad bar with lettuce, a few kidney beans, black olives, almonds, and mushrooms, and some honey French dressing.  Not bad.

Adam and I did a few things around the house for my grandma but overall this has felt like a total relaxation vacation, right down to snacks before dinner.

In addition to a few small handfuls of nuts I had a few mini buckeyes,

and the olives from the husband’s drink.

Adam and Nana had martinis but I was drinking a more pg (and old school!) Tab.

Dinner was great, per usual.

Another small piece of foccacia (with butter after the photo),

side salad (with garlic vinaigrette ATP),

roasted glazed carrots,

and penne with tuna, feta, capers, and fresh tomato.

I like dinner but I enjoyed my two desserts better.  Peanut butter ice cream pie with heath pieces,

plus a bowl of homemade tapioca pudding.

I seriously love tapioca so much, I was moaning with joy while I ate this!  And my grandma sent me home with the dry tapioca so I can make some myself!

I’m going to hurry to get in bed, but first I’ve got to tell you guys that I totally kicked the husband and my grandma’s butts at Rummy 😉

I’ve got another long day in the car tomorrow before I’m back to a short week at school.  Thank goodness I’ve got such good travel partners.

In The Zone

by

My plans for the evening got a little thrown off when I decided to go to the gym come hell or high water.  And my plans for dinner got a little thrown off when Adam ate himself sick snacking while he waited for me.  Everything worked out in the end though.

I was in the study zone this afternoon, working until 6pm before I decided to head to the gym.  Side note – we have a ton of busy work assignments this semester so don’t expect me to do well or anything just because I’m working a lot!  The gym was quick and easy, 30 minutes on the elliptical at random level 6.  I had to stay up super late studying because I went (obviously, you guys see the timestamp!) but I’m glad I got in some movement before our 7-hour drive tomorrow.

I had to go buy notecards and we walked around Elmwood trying to feed me for a while and it got pretty late.  At least I discovered a new favorite when I ended up in front of Zonies.

I split with Adam but gave the larger half to myself (that’s a small plate).

The owner was super nice and let me combine two different calzones in one; they make each order fresh.  I got the eggplant parmesan (baked eggplant, mozzarella, marinara) with spinach and broccoli added in.

The bread was nice and doughy, the marinara was zesty, and they provided me with veggies; I call that a new favorite.

I also bought this Tazo black tea and mixed it with lemonade we had in the fridge for an Arnold Palmer.

We had to wash the dog, and I still have to wash myself!, and by the time I finished with all of the work I planned it was pretty darn late!

Speaking of school, my goal is to read over all my class notes (and make notecards where needed) at the end of every week.  Since I’m doing that, I thought it’d be fun to compile some of the more interesting things I’ve learned each week to share with you guys.  Welcome to –

Fun Fact Fridays

  • Iatrogenic is a term that means inadvertently induced by medical treatment.
  • The preventative and traditional approaches to health involve reducing risk factors before disease occurs or after symptoms appear, but the wellness approach involves positive lifestyle choices that enhance physical and mental well-being.
  • Food Processing is the largest manufacturing industry in the US.
  • In the 1800’s “smouch,” made of dried ash leaves, was routinely added to tea leaves to extend the food profits and supply.  Pea flour or mustard husks (aka “pepper dust”) were also added to pepper.
  • Probiotics naturally live in our guts but need regular replenishing.  Want to replenish yours?  Stonyfield contains four more active cultures than other yogurt brands.

P.S. Can any one who’s ever seen Eurotrip hear the phrase fun facts without thinking of this quote?  “Here’s a fun fact – you made out with your sister, dude!”

Mood Food

by

Today’s eats were a little strange, which made them perfect mood food since I feel a little strange.  I’m an odd mix of nerves and excitement about heading back to school tomorrow.  I’m thrilled about getting back on a schedule but I’m worried that I’m planning on working on too many goals (being a better student, getting on a workout schedule, cooking more often).  I don’t want to set myself up to fail by trying to do/change too much.

I spent my morning setting up the office for school and worked right through breakfast.  Side note – trying to figure out which notes to save for registration exam studying is brutal.  I’m not sure whether I’m throwing away things I need or saving so much that it will be overwhelming.

I didn’t want to head to the grocery on a completely empty stomach so I stirred a scoop of protein powder into a glass of skim milk.

It wasn’t very good (it tasted about as good as it looks), apparently I only like our protein powder after it’s been through the blender.

I did get myself a small but delicious salad from the hot bar too.

A spring mix lettuce base with tarragon vinaigrette, topped with a scoop of corn and kidney bean salad,

a scoop of veggie lo mein,

and a tiny piece of smoked salmon and brie.

The whole combo was super tasty, I think I may need to do salad at the hot bar more often.  I really want to like smoked (basically raw) salmon and usually I’m too afraid but today I loved it.

When I got home Adam and I took a quick walk through the Elmwood Art Festival.  We were naughty and snuck in our own beverages.

The Woodchuck Limited Release Winter Hard Cider is wonderful.  It tastes more like a vanilla-scented apple juice than something boozey.  Also when I went to the site to link for you guys I discovered that they make a pumpkin variety!  <– must find

I knew dinner was going to be on the small side, so I made myself a tasty yogurt bowl to supplement when we got home.

Low-fat coffee yogurt with 1oz of honey roasted peanuts and a drizzle of honey.

One of those combos from when I was a kid that I still love.

We didn’t have any set plans for dinner, but I did want to make a batch of Jenna’s Sweet and Spicy BBQ Beans to have for lunches this week.

I used 2+ cups worth of extra kale and it came out fabulously.  This recipe – which really is sweet and spicy – gives the best chew.

We decided to make the beans the bulk of dinner.

Such a good plan!  I topped my serving with shredded Parmesan, more Sriracha, and a dollop of 0% Plain Fage.

Dee-lish!  I sort of ate around the cheese to save it for the end and I was swooning by my last bite.

To round out my meal with carbs I turned to popcorn.

1 serving, topped with melted butter and cinnamon sugar.  I can’t think of a better way to face a new school year than popcorn.

Who else is heading back to school this year?

Craving Meat

by

A man blogger can not live on bread popcorn alone, so I did make myself a lunch lunch around 2:30.

A toasted Bagel Thin with spinach, artichoke, hummus dip,

and a handful of baby carrots.

I also at a Rocky Road mini ice cream.

Clearly I’m on a mini ice cream kick lately.  I’m just going with it.

I had some plans for dinner – plans I tell you, plans dammit! – but then Adam called.  No he didn’t get home late this time, and I’ve decided that from now on I’m just going to cook dinner as scheduled and not wait anyway.  But when he did get home on time we would need to find the recipe for, purchase the ingredients for, and then bake coffee cakes.  For tomorrow morning.  Gosh darn it, husband!

I shouldn’t really complain though, he mostly did the cakes by himself and I got a dinner out on the town out of the deal.

We went to JP Bullfeathers, because I like their stoic looking bear statue.

After my carb-filled day I was ready for some meat. 

The Cowboy Burger from JP Bullfeathers is a turkey burger with bbq rub, melted cheddar, bbq sauce, and jalopeno poppers on top.  It came with a side of cole slaw.

The cole slaw was only ok (I ate it for the veggies) but the burger was fantastic and exactly what I was craving.  I pushed the bun to the side but otherwise it was devoured.  Meghann blogged about needing a meat fix too so maybe there was something in the water at HLS!

Sidenote – I almost never crave meat meat.  When I say I’m craving meat I typically mean turkey.  I’ve never in my life had a craving for lamb or pork.  Since I stopped eating mammals 13 years ago I crave a juicy burger once or twice a year but other than that I’m generally grossed out by the idea.

How often do you crave meat?  Are you an omnivore or a veg-head?

They Were Only Freshmen

by

Do Bagel Bites count as real food?

I went with “yes,” mostly.  This plate had 400 calories (that’s technically 2 servings) 16 grams of protein and no trans fat with ingredients that I mostly felt good about.

With roasted green beans it wasn’t a terrible lunch if you ask me.

For dessert I started to eat this mini sundae.

But I wasn’t loving it so I moved on halfway through to a mug of hot chocolate. 

My session on campus this afternoon went well; a friend and I went to speak to the incoming Dietetics freshman and answer any questions they had.  No one had any questions for us (boo!) but I tried to be friendly and informative when I had to talk about myself.  It’s so strange to be doing things in an upper classmen capacity!  <– which is actually doubly strange because not only do I still feel like a freshman, but technically I shouldn’t be in college at all anymore!

While I was on campus I managed to pick up my insurance card and my parking pass so I felt pretty accomplished.  I would have liked to go to the gym but my left Achilles tendon has been aching since the first day of HLS so I’ve been taking it easy.  I think maybe I twisted my ankle while I was jumping on the wrench to get the nuts of my tire?!