Seis de Mayo!

by Emily

Okay, okay, so I’m a day late on my May 5th post. Normally I hate to do long-overdue recap posts, but since my new 30 day goal is to post everything, here it is. Quick sidenote – mad props to everyone who engages in drogging (aka drunk blogging); I wanted to share this yesterday but it was just not an option 😉

My classmates I add were touched by serendipity yesterday, when Cinco de Mayo and our last day of classes fell on the same day. After a very long last day of classes (9:25 in the morning to 7 at night) we were able to head out for some much-needed celebration.

First, the morning. Our last day of lab included drawer check out and a final exam. I had a little extra time in the morning to study since I had to skip my workout (boo!), and I think I did pretty well on the exam. I didn’t have it together for breakfast, but I did grab a medium iced coffee with skim milk from Starbucks.

And it was so good I forgot to take a picture until I was down to my last sips; clearly I needed coffee!

Our last lab let out pretty early, and we were left with a six-hour break before our final evening class. No problem, I took my friend Rachel on a mini tour of Elmwood! We ambled down the street from school, stopping to visit a friend at work and hit up the Spot for a study session. I grabbed some brown rice veggie sushi from the co-op for lunch.

And actually stopped at the co-op on the way back to school for dinner as well.

During my night class I noshed on Thai cucumber and peanut salad,

and some vegan pasta salad.

Suddenly we were taking our last quiz of the semester, packing up, and we were done with our first year of school!!! I mean, there are finals next week, but still exciting.

Cinco de Mayo plans were supposed to include a holiday appropriate trip to Cozumel Bar, but a $10 cover later we ended up at JP Bullfeathers.

That was a Jack and ginger ale, but it tasted more like dirty water. Weak drinks aside, JP Bullfeathers ended up being a perfect spot for our end of school celebration; not too packed for good conversation, but busy enough to still be fun.

We ended up sitting at a table and ordering some food as well.

My friend Janessa and I split the turkey and gorgonzola pannini,

which was delicious. Turkey sandwiches seem to be my go-to restaurant order.

And how to do go out on Cinco de Mayo without margaritas?!

What’s the Spanish word for sloshed? Let’s just say I’m glad I could walk less than a minute and be home!

I did stay up to share some dessert, of course.

That’s a caramelized macadamia nut and chocolate mousse tart that Adam brought home.

Now on to today. In true college-girl fashion, I managed to stay in bed well past 1pm!! It helps to have the bladder of a camel and a four-day break before finals begin. 🙂

Adam and made the executive decision that we needed a day together, so we took down a full season of Scrub’s recaps and an entire pizza.

That’s a bruschetta pizza topped with extra green olives, the best pizza topper ever.

The ~~half a~~ pizza pretty much covered all my food groups (what?! dairy, grains, veggies…) but I did sneak in one more veggie with a slice of carrot cake from the co-op.

A few facts – Carrot cake does to count as a veggie. I think I need to be done with the co-op for a few days. It was a glorious day with my husband.

Did you do anything to celebrate Cinco de Mayo? What are you looking forward to this weekend?

29Apr2011

A Random Assortment

by Emily

Spring had sprung. Spring sprang so hard that it wore itself out and had to go lie down.

Let’s pretend we’re chatting face-to-face, this is the expression I make when discussing Buffalo’s descent back to 50* weather –

At least it’s not hot?!

Today was actually a busy day (hence the late recap post); I attended an event this evening and helped set up a bit as well. Since a friend was coming home with me between class and the event, I needed to get in my workout before class. <– not a good day to oversleep. Sometimes when you try to live a healthy life (especially when you make the unhealthy choice to stay up too late at night) you’ve got to weigh your options. For me today, workout > breakfast.

I had a great gym session and I’m glad I squeezed it in! My right knee was feeling a little funny so I lowered the resistance and upped my time – elliptical level 6 random, 40minutes. Followed by a quick strength/stretch session.

When I got to campus for class – after I walked home, showered, walked back – I grabbed a Red Velvet Latte for breakfast.

Skim milk, half syrup, fully delicious!

After class I went to the health center to get my PPD read and learn the shocking news that I don’t have TB. <– I was holding my breath. I celebrated my health with a new yogurt find for lunch, Athenos 0% Greek with strawberry.

I love the idea of jam-on-the-side Greek yogurts, but this wasn’t my favorite. Actually, it was super sour and unappetizing, and I threw it out after a few bites. I’m glad I also packed a clementine which got the taste out of my mouth.

P.S. I brought in the last of the ‘Smores Cupcakes to share and they got rave reviews.

I volunteered an hour helping to set up the event – the Nutrition Club arranged for a few local dietitians to come in and speak to us tonight – and then Rachel and I headed back to my apartment to watch Grey’s Anatomy and Private Practice. Shonda Rhimes’ saptastic tv is so much better when you have another girl to sniffle with!

I’m obsessed with taking people to Wegman’s hot bar, so we headed there at 5.

The plan was for this to be dinner but I had difficulty finding enough food, so instead I filled my veggie quota as a pre-dinner snack.

I snagged a glass of punch at the reception,

and then came home for the world’s most random dinner assortment. An apple with 2Tbsp PB,

half a cucumber,

a lemon Chobani with 1 sheet of crumbled graham crackers and a blob of marshmellow filling,

1.5 servings of tortilla chips,

and a Fun Dip for dessert.

Heck yes!

10Apr2011

A Food Log Food Blog

by Emily

So there’s thing 1 and thing 2. Thing 1 – we just got home after our second 9+ hour car trip in two days and I’m too tired to be clever. Thing 2 – due to inclement weather (nearby tornadoes!) we spent much of the weekend without power and my pictures are pretty dark and awful. But, here’s the thing – part of the reason I write this blog is as a food diary (accountability). Sometimes I feel so silly when I’m writing a post that isn’t funny or chockfull of useful ideas or amazing recipes, but I have to remember that I do this for me too. So, feel free to skip this weekend’s recap, or settle in for a food log post.

Friday

I made Adam and myself a huge iced coffee to split on the road.

Coffee + Silk Vanilla Almond Milk + maple syrup.

I also packed a sandwich for breakfast.

Sandwich Thin + Applegate Farms organic sliced chicken + a Light Laughing Cow.

I was randomly starving five minutes later and spent the rest of the day complaining about how hungry I was. Enter an early lunch from Sheetz. Cole slaw,

and a turkey sandwich, with cheddar, honey mustard, lettuce, and tomato, on a pretzel bun.

Bletch x2! Normally I’m really impressed by Sheetz, but this time not so much.

However, Adam and I did split some Reeses Minister that were freaking life changing!

When we saw them again at another gas station we even bought some to bring home.

When we got to Virginia, before a tornado(!!) knocked out the power, there was dinner waiting for us.

Salad,

chips,

and grapes.

Then we spent the night playing cards in the dark.

Saturday

I skipped breakfast in lieu of cuddling up to my books, but made time for a last lunch.

More salad,

a small slice of cheese pizza,

three shrimp with cocktail sauce,

and strawberries and melon.

I also had a cinnamon brownie (we baked them Thursday night to bring down) and some Ruffled for dessert.

I ate my fair share of junk on Saturday unfortunately. I don’t mind digging into desserts or snacks at all, but I prefer to nosh only on unhealthy things that I love, and I feel like I sort of just grazed.

In the afternoon we did get to go out for a short but nice walk with my father-in-law, brother-in-law, and niece.

I even ran several sprints with my niece, it’s so much fun getting little kids to be active.

We went out to dinner, where multiple peanuts we cracked.

Sagebrush is a steakhouse, but fortunately there was some chicken on the menu as well.

I started with a cheddar biscuit,

and a side salad with peanut vinaigrette.

Dinner was grilled chicken,

with bbq sauce,

and broccoli.

We stopped for gas on the way home and I grabbed a (half sweetened) coffee.

I also snacked on some Easter candy,

and this plate of chips x2.

Sunday

My in-laws whipped up breakfast before we had to hit the road.

Scrambled eggs, strawberries, and half a bagel with strawberry cream cheese.

I also ate an apple with cheese in the car,

and a medium plain coffee.

We sang along with the radio, listened to recordings of Adam’s lectures, and reviewed my music reading all afternoon. Then, according to plan we pulled into Grove City at 4:45 and grabbed a late lunch/ early dinner at Primanti Brother’s.

Adam grew up eating there and I’ve seen it on the Food Network so we were pretty excited.

I ordered the turkey and provolone cheese sandwich, which came piled with Cole slaw and French fries!

The bread was boring (and abandoned halfway through), but the slaw and fries were perfectly vinegary. I’d probably never want one again, but it was fun to try.

But the fun was just beginning. There was an outlet mall across the street so Adam suggested we take advantage of the great weather (75*) and walk around a bit. First, I love to walk with the husband. Second, we snagged a Silpat on sale.

And then I literally started hyperventilating with excitement… we spotted a self-serve froyo place!!!

You guys, I can’t even tell you! I got original tart and sugar-free praline, topped with hot fudge, marshmallow, butterfinger, strawberries, and a cherry.

This is the kind of “junk” I feel 100% good about eating.

I’m pretty sure I swooped the whole rest of the drive home.

We stopped for a mini grocery run at Wegmans, and also grabbed some Chinese food (which I’m just not going to blog); our early dinner was a bit too early 😉

If you have a blog, how much of its purpose is food log vs. fun?

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 🙂

19Mar2011

Exotic Culinary Exploration

by Emily

After our race this morning – and a very long recovery in the shower – we spent the rest of the day doing exotic culinary exploration. If you want to get technical, our culinary travels took us to Jamaica, England, Korea, and Canada. If you want to get really technical though, just Canada.

On our way out of town we had an errand at a local bakery and ended up sharing this neat cookie.

Pink always tastes good!

Since parts of Canada are only a 30 minute drive away, we occasionally get Groupon offers for places ‘up north.’ When one came up for a Jamaican spot, my homesickness forced me to bite. And thus we headed to Kool Katz.

It was a low-key spot and the wait staff was so friendly. We ordered a random sampling of familiar dishes. I went with a veggie pattie (fried dough stuffed with seasoned veggies),

And a jerk shrimp skewer appetizer (jerk = a fantastic spice rub).

I also shared bites of Adam’s curried chicken with beans and rice and tostones (fried plantains).

Everything was tasty, but honestly the best dish at the table was this side of cole slaw.

It was tart instead of creamy and full of juicy pieces of citrus fruit. Best cole slaw I’ve ever had! Overall the meal was good, but it didn’t fill the urge we were looking to satisfy. Different places around the Caribbean often serve the same types of dish, but Jamaican style is just not the same as St. Thomian.

While we were in Canada we took advantage of some great views of Niagara Falls, as well as proximity to exotic candies.

While we hung out this afternoon I polished off the Cadbury Pep Bar (England).

The Pep Bars are basically York Patties, but better!

This evening we met up with a big group of friends at Koreana for some tradition Korean fare.

I ordered a spicy chicken dish that came with sticky rice.

It was ok, but the spice level wasn’t as intense as I was looking for and I ended up leaving half of it on the plate. Thankfully the company was amazing as always.

When I got home I supplemented my dinner with some baked fries.

Now I’m done. It was nice to be hungry after yesterday’s incurable bout of satiety 😉

Have you ever eaten Jamaican food? Korean food?

17Feb2011

Slipping into Grumpsville

by Emily

The good news? Several $100 later, I’ve got my computer back! The bad news? I’ve got a major case of the grumps. I’ll try to keep this quick.

I haven’t been to the gym in a week. I’ve also been cranky for a week. I think that is solid scientific evidence that I’m happier when I workout 🙂 In the interest of considering all the data, I should also mention that I haven’t been going because my knee hurts and it’s possible I’m also cranky because I’m pissed about my knee. <– that is extra-strength ironic, you’ll see why in a minute.

First, a breakfast that didn’t make me cranky.

I didn’t want to use banana so instead I beefed up my normal stove-top oats (1/3 cup oats, 1/2 cup each water and So Delicious Unsweetened Coconut Milk) with 1.5 Tbsp of chia seeds and 2 tsp dark brown sugar.

I topped my chewy-in-the-best-way-ever creation with Trader Joe’s Sun Butter.

Sooo good.

Then I walked to school for lab. And I slipped on the ice. And fell. Into a puddle.

Yeah, I don’t even really know what else to say about that. I was angry and soaking wet and I wrenched my already hurt knee and bashed my ‘good’ knee into the sidewalk. And as the day went on I realized my back also is killing me. Hence the trip to Grumpsville.

After lab I walked home, gingerly, and took advantage of the Subway $5 Footlong promotion along the way.

I ate half today, and have the other half leftover for tomorrow.

I got the veggie sub with lettuce, tomato, spinach, red onion, green peppers, cucumber, black olives, and pickles. I added a little Stubbs BBQ Sauce when I got home.

Delish. Also another sandwich that did not miss the cheese.

I also got a large diet coke with ice and dipped pretzels into it.

Heaven.

And then I ate this thing of cashews.

Unfortunately the sandwich and massive snack attack didn’t take care of my other complaint – I was hungry, all day long. Pretty much all day when I wasn’t complaining about my back I was frantic with hunger; Adam thinks I’m a joy to be with. I took unphotographed nibbles of pretty much every item in the fridge (chickpeas leftovers, potatoes, peanut butter…).

Happy Sidenote – I was recently sent some Arnold’s 100% Whole Wheat Flax and Fiber Sandwich Thins to sample. [I like them a lot] The husband is obsessed with them! Look at his lunch –

When we got the last-minute call about my computer (yay) we headed out, scrapping our dinner plans and opting for Moe’s instead.

I housed this veggie burrito with rice, pinto beans, sautéed mushrooms and onions, guacamole, and black olives.

I actually still have an assignment to do tonight (and of course I still have to complain about it) so I’ve got to go. You’ll miss my cheery disposition 🙂

Have you ever slipped on the ice?

16Feb2011

Dinner for Breakfast Through Dinner

by Emily

Thanks for all the well wishes for my sick laptop, guys! Adam’s been a sport about letting me use his and for now I’m viewing it as a glass half full situation because it keeps me from wasting so much time on the internet 😉

There was a situation this morning with the applesauce (you so don’t want to know) so my breakfast ended up being a little less breakfasty.

Apparently I like my morning meals spicy and veggie filled.

This vegan Enchilada from Amy’s was pretty great though.

I also had a cup of Eggnog’n tea with a splash of Silk Hazelnut Soy Creamer.

Lunch was random if nothing else.

A plain So Delicious Coconut Milk Yogurt with some Crofter’s Strawberry Jam,

and a Thai Peanut Primal Strip.

If you’re going to write in and ask “but, Emily, weren’t you hungry after that lunch?” don’t bother. Yes! I was satisfied for an hour or so and then I was starving. I sat through a club meeting after school where everyone was eating pizza and it was pretty torturous.

I was pretty ecstatic that I had time to buy a sandwich before my night class.

I got a 6inch sub with green pepper, red onion, lettuce, tomato, cucumber, pickles, black olives, and bbq sauce.

One of the things I’m loving about the vegan challenge is that I’m learning that it’s ok to skip the cheese sometimes. Before I would have automatically ordered a slice of cheddar on this sandwich and it was totally fine without it.

It was a great night because we got out an hour early from my music class, and then it got even better when I walked in the door to dinner.

I set the husband up with the ingredients and recipe for Cooking Light’s Spicy Moroccan Chickpeas, and then he did the rest before I got home.

Go, husband!

The rest of the evening involved the pre-lab due tomorrow and the chocolate-covered strawberries the husband bought for Valentine’s.

Hasta!

Do you automatically put or skip cheese on your sandwiches? What’s your favorite kind for sandwiches?

7Feb2011

A Loaded Lunch Post

by Emily

Hi guys; I hope everyone is having a good Monday! I prewrote this lunch post and set it to publish in advance because I’ve got a lot to talk about today. While I’m actually eating lunch, you guys will be getting a lunch-time recipe!

First up, the recipe! Homemade Veggie Burgers –

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
half a large sweet onion, chopped
1 large purple eggplant, chopped
2 T worchestire sauce
3 cloves garlic, minced
15 oz can chick peas, drained
1/2 cup raw oats
1 tsp sweet curry powder
1 tsp garam masala
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400*. Spread two baking sheets with aluminum foil and grease thoroughly with cooking spray.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion to pan and saute until starting to become translucent, 2-3minutes. Season with pepper and salt to draw out the moisture.
Add eggplant and worchestire sauce* to the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5-7minutes.
Remove pan from heat and set aside.
Place chick peas in the bowl of a medium food processor and pulse twice. Do not pulse until smooth, remember, you are not making hummus!
Working in 1/2 cup batches, pulse eggplant mixture into the chick peas.
Pulse in oats and seasoning until well-combined, scraping down the sides as need be.
Remove the food processor’s bowl from its base, being careful to mind the blades.
Shape mixture into 8 palm-sized patties and place on the prepared baking trays. The patties will be very soft, but will firm up as they cook.
Bake for 30-35minutes, until the outsides of the burgers have started to brown.

*please note – worchestire sauce is actually not vegan. But, we’ve got three bottles of it in our pantry (from a review for the blog) and I can’t afford to buy another bottle of something else.