Blah, Blah, Blah.

by Emily

Blah, blah, blah. Today was just blah. My mood was blah, my food was blah, my workout was blah, my photos today basically redefine the word blah…

We started our morning by pulling the pre-made chia seed and banana buttermilk pancakes out of the freezer.

I topped mine with a smear of Smart Balance Light and drizzle of maple syrup.

They were good, not boring and blurry like the picture suggests.

Adam drove me to school – a high point in the day because the wind here is ca-razy! – so I could attend my final Biochem lab, my last science lab ever in my degree! That last lab bit would be a lot more exciting if we didn’t have a huge lab final next week that is totally throwing off my study plans for my other finals.

In the afternoon I also attended a study session for another exam that is making me want to curl up in a ball and cry. When I take my Metabolism final two weeks from now we will have a 5minute break after the test and then we’ll be sitting for a comprehensive exam that spans the material from a course two semesters ago through now. Yay. <– can you see why I’m in a blah mood?!

In between test bad news #1 and test bad news #2 I did manage to go to the gym. My half marathon training schedule (which I promise to share on Monday) had me slated for three miles, so I hopped on the treadmill. Aaaaaand I confirmed that I can’t run three miles without having to stop for breaks. Ugh! I ran 3 frustrating miles, followed by a 10minute cool down for a total of 3.5 miles and 40 minutes. With a 5-minute strength/stretch session afterward.

For lunch I packed ~~overnight~~ made in the morning oats. I combined and let stew –

1/3 cup raw oatmeal
2/3 cup skim milk
a 0% Plain Stonyfield yogurt
1/2 a sliced banana
1 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp raisins

Tasted delicious, but looked as brown and boring as my breakfast –

Plus some greens in the form of roasted green beans.

Still tasty cold, and two days later, ps.

I was feeling seriously blah when I got home, and felt myself heading toward Crankypalooza. So I did the not-being-a-psycho-wife thing and took a long shower, scrapped our dinner plans, ordered nachos with extra black beans and sour cream, and cuddled on the couch with Adam to watch some Scrubs.

A serving (weighed out because if you don’t weigh it you’ll seriously just eat the entire bag) of mini Reeses was also consumed.

I’m not sure if it was the cheese, the cuddling, or my Zach Braff crush, but my bad mood lifted! And I knuckled down and finished off all of my remaining work for one of my classes; which further helped to lift my mood. Bring it on finals week!

Are you having the crazy weather and winds in your neck of the woods? Keep dry readers!

15Mar2011

Going Nutz

by Emily

I’m not gonna lie, I’m losing my mind a bit over here! I feel a bit better than I did yesterday, but I’m still not well, and I’m ready to be well! I’m annoyed that I can’t focus on my schoolwork, my legs are ready to run again, and I’m bitter as all get out over the fact that my two week sickness means I can’t run the upcoming Buffalo Half Marathon. <– That was supposed to be my big announcement, more than a week ago now. I flirted with the idea of trying to fit the training plan, but I’m still not able to run and the focus of the nye resolution was the training. Since Buffalo only has one race a year, I might have to kiss that goal goodbye.

I wasn’t sure how hungry I’d be for it, but I knew a big breakfast would help cheer me up.

My stove-top base was 1/4 cup oats, cooked with a small banana and 1/2 cup each skim milk and water, with 1Tbsp chia seeds stirred in at the end.

Topped with Smuckers Natural Peanut Butter with Honey and some butter toffee almonds.

Delicious! I ended up finishing off the entire bowl.

A while back I bought a Groupon for Nutty Guys, which is where the nuts came from.

The website needs some serious streamlining, but it’s worth checking out for these nuts alone!

My morning’s off to a slow start while I wait for my Dayquil to kick in, but I’ve got a music test tomorrow to study for!

What’s driving you nuts today?

28Feb2011

Dunchfast

by Emily

Dunchfast = this post covers breakfast, with dinner snack (yesterday’s) and lunch (coming later today) thrown in as well.

Yesterday after dinner, I enjoyed a snack while I studied for today’s metabolic pathways quiz.

That’s a half serving of Fiber One Caramel Delight Cereal, with soy milk and a few vegan marshmallows.

After I prattled on about being recharged from my lazy weekend, I had another terrible night’s sleep! Probably part studying until after midnight and part being so cold that I actually got up at 2am to add another layer.

Breakfast needed to be good.

It was goooood,

and pink!

On the stove top, I cooked 1/4 cup of oats with 1 cup of water and 2/3 cup (frozen, defrosted) strawberries. In the last few minutes I stirred in 1.5 Tbsp chia seeds, and I topped my finished bowl with 1 Tbsp each chunky peanut butter and maple syrup.

I’m not sure I’d try fresh strawberries in oatmeal, but the mushy texture of frozen ones is perfect. Strawberries add this great tangy and sweet back-flavor. Just be carefull; they hold a lot of heat so your bowl stays really hot!

I’m heading to school early to look over past quizzes before my first big nutrition test this week. Since lunch is pre-packed, I thought I might as well pre-post! A serving of leftover Tempeh Hashbrown Casserole,

with a juicy D’Anjou pear.

Just for fun – apples or pears? Peanuts or almonds? Broccoli or cauliflower?

I’m apples, peanuts, cauliflower 🙂

25Feb2011

Fingers Uncrossed

by Emily

I went to bed dreaming of a workout, but apparently everyone else was crossing their fingers for snow.

Instead of gyming it I had breakfast with the husband, who’s going to drive me to and from school for BioChem, thank god.

At least breakfast was good.

Last night I took a near empty peanut butter jar and added 1/4 cup raw oats, 1 Tbsp chia seeds, and a lot of plain soy milk; I was going for the soupy but gummy texture.

Didn’t it ended up looking kind of like the inside of a dragon fruit?

This morning I added a drizzle of maple syrup and dug in.

Overnight Oats in a Jar for the win!

Have you ever eaten a dragon fruit? I’ve actually only seen pictures.

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?

9Feb2011

The Best Reason

by Emily

I’ve got to keep this snappy, today’s a busy day. In addition to it being my long day (classes from 11 – 8:40) I’ve also got a lot of on-campus errands to attend to.

Luckily I’ve learned that busy days aren’t a good reason to skip the gym, they’re the best reason to get a work out in! Starting my day by working out gives me energy, gives my day a sense of purpose, and helps me have a sense of accomplishment all before breakfast!

This morning I headed to the gym for a treadmill workout. I’m trying to balance not increasing my distance too quickly with building endurance, so I decided to run longer for slower. I set the treadmill to 10mph and plugged away for 20minutes and 2miles. 5 minutes each of cool down and stretching and I was on my way.

I also prepared for my busy day by setting up my breakfast last night.

Sidenote – blog reading has given me major chia envy, so I was super excited when I found this bag of Bob’s Red Mill Chia Seeds on sale at Wegman’s the other day.

I decided to try them out using a method cobbled together from a few different blogs.

Last night – in a mostly empty jar of peanut butter – I combined 3/4 cup So Delicious Unsweetened Coconut Milk, 1/3 cup raw oats, and 2 Tbsp chia seeds.

This morning I added in a splash of Vanilla So Delicious and half a sliced banana.

The end result was fantasmic!

The chia seeds really did make a sort of vegan ‘yogurt’ and you can never go wrong with oats in a jar!

Have you tried chia seeds yet? What’s your favorite way to use them? Have you ever grown a Chia Pet?

8Feb2011

Caramel Corn Sounds Good…

by Emily

I don’t know what my deal is because my hunger never abated last night and when I woke up this morning I was still starving! Actually, what I was hungry for was butterscotch (and that was before reading Kath’s post); but that was clearly out of the question. I went ahead and made a sweet and healthy breakfast plate.

A serving of Van’s Vitamin Boost Waffles,

topped with 1 Tbsp maple syrup,

a fresh banana,

a drizzle of Trader Joe’s Sunflower Butter,

and a sprinkle of my simply sweet granola.

This was so tasty! The granola made the dish, you guys need to try this recipe!

P.S. I might not care about the Super Bowl, but you know I care about popcorn 😉 The Popcorn Factory wanted me to let you guys know that their commemorative Super Bowl tins are on sale. DISCOUNT CODE: Your readers can use code WINNER for $10 off $50 at ThePopcornfactory.com (expires March 31, 2011).

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.