Mirror, Mirror On the Wall

by Emily

The healthiness level of my food consumption today mirrors the level of health I felt all day. That is to say, not very healthy at all. I feel rough. It’s rough being sick for 16 days straight. It’s rough finding out that I have a C average in two of my main classes because I’ve had so many tests fall in those 16 days. It’s rough having a music exam that I literally only had 1 feasible hour to study for. Long Wednesdays are always rough. You get the picture.

Breakfast started out well with a big Granny Smith apple dipped in a serving of natural honey peanut butter.

But as I got closer to leaving my sore throat was begging for a cookie dough ice-cream sandwich.

I guess it’s a good thing the treat we’re obsessed with only has 160 calories?

I totally couldn’t get it together to pack lunch and ended up at Taco Bell on campus of all places. Once there, I proceeded to drive the workers crazy by knowing only that I wanted a chicken burrito and asking the ingredients in all the varieties. I believe what I ended up with was a chicken grilled stuft burrito.

Question – why the heck do we have to go with “stuft,” stuffed is literally one letter more? Also, why was this so monsterous? I nibbled away for a solid 45minutes (I knew dinner would be iffy so I wanted to make sure I was very fueled) and I still conceded defeat to the final quarter.

Dinner was in fact the definition of iffy.

Buffalo wing and blue cheese chips. They confirmed both that my cold has killed my taste buds and that I’m a terrible healthy living blogger when I’m sick.

Did I mention that I’m sick?

What do you like to eat when you’re sick? Other than really disliking salads, I don’t have any “sick foods.” It seems like I should be eating normally because my sickness is in my chest/head and not my stomach, but in fact I’ve coughed so hard that I’ve made myself throw up every day of the last 16 days. It’s been fun around here.

15Mar2011

A Love Bribe

by Emily

I know this looks a lot like dinner, but it’s not.

It’s actually a love bribe.

See Adam loves me, a lot in fact. But like any good love, there are a few things he hates about me. His pet peeves include my loud, seal-barking cough; the face I make when I cough (apparently I look like a gecko); and the fact that I woke him up last night because I was snoring so loud the nose made it into his dreams! Sidenote – I never, ever snore, my nose is stuffy from my cold, I swear!

Anyways, since I’ve been ~~dying~~ sick (he might also hate it when I exaggerate) the past two weeks, a love bribe might have been in order. Generally I try to buy his love with food, which works because he’s a fatty. <– See why I need that love bribe.

It worked.

Jenna’s 30 minute lemon brown sugar chicken is a new favorite.

Roasted asparagus is an old favorite.

And since Adam loves molten chocolate cake, I even tore a page out of Women’s Day and tried to whip that up too.

It wasn’t very good, but still, I’m feeling the love!

11Mar2011

I Can’t Operate Machinery

by Emily

It’s Friday-Friday-Friday! It’s been a long and fruitful day around these parts. I did too much yesterday though, and I was definitely paying for it this morning – I got out of bed at 7 but only made it as far as the couch!

Thankfully by the time my one class came around I was able to make it to campus. Walking to campus sucked, but it meant I got an opportunity to copy/photocopy all of my missed notes from various friends. Well not all, music is kind of a lost cause! And I got the good news that our Biochem test is pushed back, so I only have one exam next week 🙂

Walking back from campus in the hail (ouch!) wasn’t fun either, but I made it to Elmwood and got a nice set of work done. I nibbled while I worked, first a black bean burrito from Elmwood Taco and Sub.

My hand’s there to show size. It was sort of a strange burrito – just a tortilla with plain black beans and a slice of cheese – but it ended up being perfect for my sick stomach.

Next I walked over to Starbucks for a plain iced black tea with honey.

The honey worked about as well as you’d imagine it would it an iced drink, but it was a nice idea in theory.

I ordered after 2 so I got to choose a mini treat for free.

Note – I thought the box was so cute I actually brought it home!

I went with the salted caramel bar.

Divine! I told Adam later that this was in my top 10 tasted cookie bars.

I cranked out some good notecards (I’m only halfway done though, missing nutrition classes is hard) and then the husband picked me up around 5:30. Then we headed to Walgreens where I caved and finally bought some Niquil. I’m not anti-medicine, we’re just too poor to buy any; but my coughing was driving Adam made so we bit the bullet. I took some just before starting this post, we’ll have to see if I pass out mid-way!

I waited until after preparing dinner to dose myself in any case.

Roasted asparagus.

Sidenote – this is Adam’s favorite veggie, probably actually his favorite food, period. If you know a veggie hater have them try roasted asparagus!

Reubens <–swoon–>

On two thin slices of rye went Applegate Farms Organic Chicken, two slices of 2% swiss, a handful of sauerkraut, and a serving of 1000 island dressing. Then we sandwiched and pressed in the George Foreman Grill.

So good! Reubens, whether turkey or chicken or tempeh, or sauerkraut or cole slaw, always rock my socks.

And Zzzzzzzzzz…..

Do you take medication when you’re sick? Why or why night?

10Mar2011

Sick of Being Sick

by Emily

I’m sick of being sick! (I’m also tired of being tired, but that’s another – barking dog heavy – story.) Yesterday was a particularly bad day so I didn’t post, but I will recap.

I didn’t go to school again yesterday, which means I’ve basically missed a full week of classes! <– not happy I did make myself 1.5 servings of Special K Red Berries with almond milk for breakfast.

And when Adam got home he made me his favorite snack – matzoh with melted cheddar (50% reduced fat, extra sharp).

I had a rough evening and when it came time for a late dinner I begged the husband to get me a milkshake.

The chicken nuggets with hot mustard he randomly came home with sounded good too, thankfully.

Adam has been joking that I must be dying because of how little I’ve been talking (I have a lot to say normally, can you tell?) but he knew I was sick when I scarfed down dinner; I hate McDonalds!

Even though I’m too sick for class, I did have to go to campus today. I had labwork to turn in and I had to make up the Nutrition test I missed yesterday. I probably could have done really well on the test (and I was really excited about the material) but since the only time I was able to study was the 2hours beforehand I guess I’m just glad that I think I passed!

The walk home was difficult, but I did stop halfway to purchase a huge soda.

Half diet, half not; the combination seemed to work.

I even managed some people food for a late lunch –

leftover roasted green beans,

and a Cara Cara orange.

Dinner was a Three Cheese Stuffed Rigatoni Lean Cuisine.

This wasn’t the tastiest thing ever, but it felt good to eat some veggies.

I bulked it up with 1.5servings of Popcorners.

I had two online assignments due today, and that with my trip out of the house kind of did me in.

When I went to the clinic they said the virus I probably had lasts 1-2weeks. I’m a week into being sick, and I’m keeping my fingers (and all my toes) crossed that I’m back to normal by Monday.

What’s the longest you’ve ever been sick?

7Mar2011

Still Not Really Eating, Like a Sick Person

by Emily

I’m having a hard time being cheery, but I’ll try not to complain too much. Plus, I haven’t really eaten all day so there’s not much to talk about! I was hoping to feel better by now and I don’t, and I’m sort of devastated about it.

I skipped BioChem this morning, but did attempt to go to my afternoon Nutrition courses. I made it 30minutes through the first one before the professor realized I was about to die and told me to go home. She did say I can take the test on Thursday instead of Wednesday at least. That’s extra good because they refused to move my interview tomorrow.

From there I went to the student health center. I learned that I don’t have strep or the flu, just flu-like symptoms, so there’s nothing they can give me. I also learned that if you test me for strep by sticking a q-tip down my throat I’ll puke all over you, myself, and the floor. <– yuck!

I told the nurse I wouldn’t walk home in the cold after I threw up, but really, what else could I do? I have to tell you though, that walk home might have been one of the hardest things I’ve ever done! I tried to finally get something food-like into my stomach, sipping on a Coke as soon as I made it home.

And the husband brought me Moe’s for dinner.

We did buy real food finally but none that I could handle eating. Instead I had a burrito with chicken, rice, black beans, sour cream, guacamole, cheese, and onions.

Sadly the onion taste permeated the entire thing and I could only stomach a few bites. I ate my chips though. Something is better than nothing.

When was the last time you were sick?

3Mar2011

I Need a Hall Pass for Bad Decisions

by Emily

A bad idea – going to a movie after my 9o’clock class.

A worse idea – getting dinner afterwards and then blogging about it.

A good idea – blogging quickly.

A better idea – letting the pictures do most of the talking.

I ate a few big handfuls of popcorn at the movie.

Hall Pass, by the way. No Knocked Up but definitely funny enough to be worth a see.

Afterwards we got tacos from ETS.

A veggie and a chicken for me.

I thought veggie meant zucchini, squash, etc, but what I got was lettuce, salsa, tomato. Such is life!

Good night!

P.S. The best idea would have been going straight to bed, but instead we’re finishing this episode of Castle and I’m munching on a Bananas Foster Bar. What? I’ve got a hall pass!

2Mar2011

Vegan Challenge Thoughts, and Lunch

by Emily

We’ve completed another Vegan Month! The husband and I both successfully eschewed all animal products (mostly; there were a few packaged food slip-ups) for all of February. First off – No, we didn’t pick February because it’s the shortest month. But yes, we are glad we didn’t have to go another three days!

For the most part, the challenge was a success. Adam completed the entire month with me and I am so proud of him! Our main goal was to push ourselves back to the kitchen and that definitely happened. Other than the last week or so (which with 4+ tests would have been crazy even if we had a personal chef!) we pulled back from our take-out habit and got back to basics. I made a few old favorites, and discovered some great new vegan recipes. It was wonderful to get to flex my creative muscles in the kitchen again.

The part that wasn’t so successful was our attitude. We started strong, but towards the end we just couldn’t wait for the challenge to be over. I’m actually not sure I deem this longing a failure though. It wasn’t a “I want pizza and nachos and buffalo wings, oh my!” craving, all though those things did sound good. Instead I found myself desperate for scrambled eggs and lean meat. All I really wanted towards the end was a turkey sandwich. Unfortunately, since I couldn’t eat the sandwich I ate a lot of french fries instead.

Now that the challenge is over, we are going to return to our normal diet, with improvements. Adam is going to cut back on his milk consumption and mix it up with almond milk half the time. I’m going to continue to question whether or not every dish really needs cheese. We are going to continue to try to ratchet up our produce consumption. We’re going to continue to enjoy a lot of meatless meals, but we are also going to feel good about eating lean, humanely-sourced meats. We’re excited about it.

Now on to today’s lunch.

I finally got that ~~turkey~~ sandwich.

Chicken actually, this was a Sandwich Thin with horseradish mustard, 2% swiss, and Applegate Farms Organic Roasted Chicken Breast (more on that in a sec).

I usually tend towards turkey because I’m afraid chicken will be slimy, but this was anything but. I taste-tested while I assembled my sandwich last night and was very impressed. The roasting gave a great smokey flavor and one serving has just 60 calories.

Plus another juicy pear.

Ok, secs up: At the start of vegan month I received a rather ironic product sample –

a variety of meats from Applegate Farms. While I don’t have a moral issue with the consumption of animals, I do think it’s imperative that those animals be treated with respect. Applegate Farms makes products that mesh with my values.

When I opened the package to squirrel cold cuts into the freezer, I discovered they also sent a cute book, children’s illustrations alongside their food philosophy. I think this page sums up my response to the vegan challenge pretty well –

[Eat less meat, enjoy it more!]

Do you eat (any kind of) meat? Why or why not? What’s your food philosophy?

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.