Tag Archives: peas

Resoultions Check In: March

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Hello, weekend!  Another week ends and another visitor rolls into town, my brother-in-law is with us until Sunday afternoon (whee!).  But the fun began before he even arrived.

First, not fun – I didn’t post yesterday because I was so tired I felt practically brainless.  I made it through school, and a meeting, and a night shift at work, but when I walked out into the snow at 9pm I burst into tears and proceeded to cry the whole way home!  I knew it was insane but I just couldn’t stop.  On the drive I even said aloud through my tears, “you are crazy cakes, cut it out before you get pulled over.”  Then I came home to the boys playing poker and I stayed up until midnight watching terrible made-for-tv movies and eating Easter candy.  We have our final week of work coming up but I am going to do my damndest to catch up on sleep this next week.

Now, fun – we got to go indoor rock climbing this morning.

We bought a Groupon with another couple and even though Michelle and Patrick made Adam and me look like fat losers we all had a great time.

We were there for two hours before all four of us cried uncle.  I was terrible, weak and flailing, but I loved every minute of it.  I want to focus on arms for the next few months and then go back and try again.

We were near the “good” Wegmans so we stopped on the way home for lunch and grocery shopping.

Fried food abounded but I managed to put together a healthy lunch.  Chicken pot stickers.

Asian style veggies, brussels sprouts, butternut squash.

Pineapple, watermelon, and grapes.

And then we shopped and I didn’t buy Ben and Jerry’s because they didn’t have the new Greek yogurt flavors and I’ve decided that next week I’m going to buy like a million flavors of B&J’s so my freezer is full of choices.

After decorating my blog with run-on sentences (see above) I decorated the apartment for Easter (see below).

I can’t wait until we live in a grown-up house and I can really decorate for holidays.  The main thing holding me back now is the lack of storage space for decorations.

For dinner we broadened my brother-in-law’s horizons and took him to the Indian place.  He’s a fan!  Adam and I split a mango lassi.

And we had paneer pakora (fried cheese) to start.

I ate what’s shown plus another half piece with sauce.

For my main meal I ordered extra-spicy chicken vindaloo which came with rice and a side of veggies.

Here were my servings –

I also ate all of the veggies minus the potatoes and a small piece of stolen naan.

After dinner the boys dropped me off at home alone.  The reason my BIL came into town this weekend was to see The Wrath of the Titans with Adam.  The plan was for me to stay home and get some work done but instead I took a freezing walk and made Katie’s Chocolate Toffee Pretzels.

But the night’s not over yet; I may do some work or drink a beer or both!

Resolutions Check In: March

Um.  Meh?  Not a good month.  But on the plus side I did identify a few things that are holding me back.

1. Workout a minimum of three times per week.

Fail.  Total fail.  I have an old issue with my foot that has been a problem lately and my foot hurts and it’s numb and it’s scary but really that’s no excuse.  I did my typical routine of “Oh, I can’t run?  Guess I better sit on my ass and do nothing.”  I think, thankfully, that I can run again now though.  My specific goal for April is to workout every Monday of this month.  I need to get my weeks off to a better start.

2. Continue to read at least one book a month, for a minimum total of 30 books this year.

13. The Hunger Games – Suzanne Collins

Win.  I wish I had read more but I fulfilled the minimum and I’m well on my way to 30 books this year.  Plus I adored The Hunger Games.

3. Put the time and effort into my school work that I can be proud of each week.

Pass.  I got a 98% on my stats test and I scored well above the average on my other exams.  But I haven’t been working ahead as much as I’d like.

4. Continue working on being a positive person.

Pass.  My specific goal was the March Back Home No Take-out Challenge.  We met our goal but we only did the challenge for three weeks which isn’t all that impressive.  For April – eat breakfast every day.  I know how important breakfast is but lately it’s been eating lost in the shuffle.  I’ll be happier and healthier if I at least shove half a Lara Bar into my backpack.

Has Been And Will Be

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Howdy!  It has been – and will be – a long day, so I’ll keep this quick.

My morning started with a trip to the gym.  My CT10k plan called for 11 sets of 3 minutes running / 2 minutes walking, but today was my worst workout ever so I had to mix it up a bit.  My calves were soooooo tight.  I ran and walked super slowly and stopped practically every 5 minutes to stretch but my legs just wouldn’t feel right.  I ended up doing 6 sets of 3/2, followed by 30 minutes of slow walking with my notecards, and then another 6 sets of 3/2.  90 minutes and 6.7 miles in total.  And after my walk home my legs now feel completely better; weird!

I drank a grape G2 while I was at the gym.

Technically this was a drink purchase but I’m not going to count it.  I was feeling very light-headed so calories were a necessity and not just a desire for something other than water.  I am going to buy a few larger (read cheaper unit cost) G2s next time I’m at the store though.

I ate lunch on my walk to school, or at least attempted to.  First, a delightfully crunchy pink lady apple.

Next, I packed a B’More Skyr Vanilla Smoothie.

I had such high hopes – the packaging was neat and I adore Siggi’s skyr yogurts – but alas, stevia.  Yuck, I wish I had looked at the ingredient list more carefully.  I had to throw the drink out after just two sips.  Then I spent the rest of the afternoon bemoaning our no-take-out challenge; I didn’t have anything else to eat and I was starving!

I stayed strong though, and even managed to focus intently for my test.  I’m never really sure, but I think this one went much better than the last few.  Fingers crossed.

And in even better news, the husband got out early from the hospital in time to drive me home from school.  Thus bringing me to food 90% more quickly.

Those are cola gummis I got in Toronto and they were fabulous.  I have the rest of my stash packed for lunch tomorrow and I just can’t wait.

I also made an extraordinary sandwich.

A Sandwich Thin topped with Applegate Farms roasted turkey, sharp cheddar, and tons of sliced sweet pickles.

Mmmmmmmn!  When I was in middle school I’d occasionally pack pickle and cheddar sandwiches for lunch and they are still rocking my socks today.

My delicious sandwich was eaten on the go.  It was warm enough this afternoon to walk Webster sans coats!

We still have more freezing days ahead of us, but it was nice to get a little taste of spring.

Dinner was an oldie but a goodie.

Easy Peasy Peanut Noodles, with an updated recipe page.

Plus the last serving of Malted Heath Bar Toffee Blondie 2 Ingredient Ice Cream for dessert.

I’m pretty sad to see it go.

We’ll call dinner carbo-loading for the marathon night ahead of me.  The things I have to get done for tomorrow list includes studying for my first stats test, three homework assignments for clinical, and a major assignment for management.  And the number things on the list I’m done with is – zero.  Whoops!  Guess I needed to do some work last weekend.

I’m not sure when (or if!) I’ll get to bed but I foresee some midnight snacking in my future.  Sweet dreams to the rest of you!

Day Of Work

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After two very (very, very, very) lazy days, it was time for a day of work. This Sunday was all about getting things done. I –

  • put away two loads of laundry
  • did some dishes
  • ran some errands
  • organized my school binder
  • made all of my note cards from last week’s notes
  • did a case study for clinical practice
  • made a delicious dinner

Breakfast was worth a thumbs up too.

I stirred a Liberte Coconut Yogurt into a big scoop of 1% large curd cottage cheese, topped with shredded sweetened coconut.

The coconut flavor was nice, but the resulting texture was mind-blowing. Too creamy for words.

In between errands and school work was lunch.

I picked up a grab bag-style to-go container from the Co-op.

A salad of yam, corn, and black beans; cilantro tofu; peanut tofu with lots of broccoli; and a little bit of vegan pasta salad.

We took Webster with us on our walking errands and his little sweater was so becoming!

He’s still not 100% down with snow, and shivers like a total wimp.  I tease him mercilessly, telling him that his ancestors in Germany only used to hunt badgers in a climate-controlled living room.

While we were out I found a new M&M variety – Dark Chocolate Mint!

Delish.  These had just the right level of chill to them.

Sometime between the lunch and dinner hours we had salads.

Romaine with chopped cucumbers and a dressing made of the remains of the yogurt Caesar shaken with evoo and cider vinegar.

Dinner was a real winner.

For 4 servings of creamy, cheesy, buttery, vegetarian yet protein-rich pasta, combine –

  • ~ 4 servings of small shape pasta, cooked
  • ~ 1.5 cups peas
  • 2 pint mushrooms sautéed with chopped green onion and 5 Tbsp butter
  • 4 oz sharp cheddar, shredded
  • 12 oz 0% Plain Fage

So much yum! I didn’t tell the husband that there was plain Greek yogurt (which he thinks he hates) in the pasta and I didn’t hear any complaints. I think pasta with peas and cheese might be our favorite dish.

I’ve got to get back to work; I’m going to hit with week with running start!

Which flavors of M&M’s have you gotten to try?  I think I’ve had them all – regular, peanut, almond, peanut butter, dark chocolate, pretzel, cinnamon, and coconut – the only flavor I missed with strawberry pb which I never found despite hours of searching!

Peas, Planets, and Parties

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Did everyone have a good Friday night?  Mine was fun but late-ish (hence the morning post).

I spent yesterday afternoon hanging out; pretending to work but mostly laughing my head off over the latest “South Park” and “New Girl” episodes.  Have you seen “The New Girl” yet?  Have you seen it more than once?  I saw the pilot and vowed never to return but when a recent episode touted Justin Long I made an exception.  And then I went back and watched all of the episodes I missed.  Awkward first episode, hysterical first season.

Afternoon snacks included popcorn,

a Biscoff spread spoon,

and a piece of this Theo Gingerbread Spice Bar.

I didn’t care for the raw ginger taste of this that much, but the husband (whose taste is a bit stunted due to his missing sense of smell) was a fan.

My late lunch and Adam’s early dinner was easy, peasy, cheesy, and a bit disappointing.

We gussied up boxed mac ‘n cheese with roasted zucchini, tons of peas, a little bit of butter, and a dollop of reduced-fat cream cheese.

But the peas – which we usually love – totally consumed all of the other flavors.  Every bite tasted like pea!  And the cheese factor was completely lacking.

My evening adventures included a stop at the planetarium.

Adam and I went early this year to a Broadway light show that wasn’t really our speed, though we could tell that most of the other patrons were loving it.  The director happened to come across my unenthusiastic post online and asked if I’d like a few free tickets so I could see another show that I might enjoy more.

So last night Anna, Janessa, and I slapped on our 3-D glasses and went to see the Laser Holiday Show.

This time I knew most of the songs and could sing along (in my head!) and I had a great time.  We all agreed that it was a great way to kick off the holiday season. 

Note – I was given the tickets as an unsatisfied customer working with a passionate program director, NOT as a blogger expected to give a review.

Our next stop was the holiday party one of our professors hosted to celebrate the end of the semester.

I was designated driving so I stuck with two glasses of the amazing punch.

Our teacher is a great cook and she made us dinner.  I started with two cheesy-artichoke phyllo dough things.

And here’s my dinner plate –

Some green beans, an eggplant dish, and a chicken dish my professor told me is similar to Chicken Makhani.

Plus cheesecake for dessert.

Mmmmmmmmn!

Then I drove my friends home, made a snowy trek down Elmwood to the bar I thought Adam and his friends were at, came home to find him sound asleep with his phone turned off, and dove into my warm bed around 12:30.

And now I’m off to find breakfast.

I Was Told There’d Be Book Club

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Book club was a success!  And Adam got off of his shift early and got to spend the afternoon with me, so it was a great day all-around.

I got up early to do some final cleaning (when people come over I like to pretend that we’re not slobs) and snacked on a bag of popcorn and a slice of 2% provolone while I worked.

I also did some major 2-for-me-and-1-for-the-bowl-ing while I prepped the fruit salad.

At 10 my friends arrived and we feasted.

We may not have really talked about the book (I Was Told There’d Be Cake) but at least we had some good eats!

My plate had potatoes,

fruit salad,

cheesy baked eggs,

and a crepe (so cool!) with Biscoff spread on the inside.

We also made hibiscus mimosas.

It was all great fun.  No people pictures though because we suck at remembering to take them.  I always have my camera with me (duh) so I need to do a better job at snapping candids.

We book clubbed until after 3pm and then my cultural meal pattern group and I baked some Irish soda bread to bring to our presentation tomorrow.  By the time they left I was starving again and my study motivation was seriously waning.  But I have an important cumulative exam – spanning two semesters and material from 2 courses – tomorrow.  What to do, what to do?

Somehow the husband and I decided that the solution was to go out to dinner and study at the table while other people prepared our food!

We went to an all-you-can-eat sushi spot that has a longish wait between courses and it was actually perfect.  I’m not prepared for tomorrow by any means, but I got a lot more done than I would have at home.

I also ate a lot.  I just plain don’t have time to break the pictures down, but here’s a shot of what I ate.

Wow!  Highlights included edamame, tamago (sweet egg) sushi, and tempura zucchini.

And we stopped at Wegmans for a candy cane for dessert.

Sweet dreams!

Hello, Bob

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So, this morning I looked like this –

and now I look like this –

I like it, I think!

I always sort of hate my hair whenever I get it chopped, but I’ve gone short several times now so apparently that’s not holding me back!  I ended up having 14 inches to give to Locks of Love, which is great.

A friend and I went during a long break between classes and it was fun to see people’s reactions when we got back.  “Wait, didn’t you have a pony-tail this morning?!?”  I surprised Adam too.  He picked me up from school and his mouth fell open when I walked out to the car!

BC (before the cut) I ate half of this Coconut Chocolate Chip Clif Bar for breakfast.

And AC (after the cut) I bought a great green juice.

This was blend of spinach, kale, carrot, and cucumber; from a new spot just blocks from my apartment.

This was so good, and “only” $4.  I predict I’ll be there more often than I can afford!

Adam picked me up after school so we could make a quick grocery trip.  We each picked something from the cookie bar for funsies before we did boring stuff like toilet paper.

I chose cinnamon nut rugala and I’m now on the hunt for a rugala recipe to make at home.

While I was fixing Adam’s dinner I snacked on some canned pineapple over 1% cottage cheese.

My dinner was supposed to be some of Monday’s “leftovers,” leftover.

A heaping bowl of pasta, shredded chicken, and tons of peas, topped with parmesan, cranberry relish, and a drizzle of evoo.

I love this bowl so much more than I do anything I eat on Thanksgiving.  But I got up to do something halfway through and when I came back there was a dog face in my bowl!  Webster’s sort of an asshole.

Instead I ate this Smart Ones Brocoli and Cheddar Roasted Potatoes.

Not as good as the dinner I shared with the dog, but not as bad as it looks either.

Have you ever given to Locks of Love?  If you have long hair – how many times have you gone short?

“Leftovers”

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Did everyone have a fantastmic Turkey Day weekend?  (I did!)  We had a great last 1/2 day in Miami, including brunch with one of my best college friends, but got back into town late enough and with enough to do that I knew I was better off not blogging.

I didn’t have it together to pack food this morning but, though I got a little cranky around 1:00, I managed to make it through the school day without food.  Fueled or not, I am so proud of myself for making it to the gym during the break before my last class.  35 minutes, level 6 random, on the elliptical.

I had an after-school errand that made me have to wait longer to eat, but I was ok with it.  I was off to see a boy.

Love him.  And I was so proud, when I went to the vet to pick him up they told me that he was perfectly behaved and everyone was going to miss him.  I took him on a quick walk when we got home and he hadn’t forgotten any of his training during our five-day absence.

He’s a genius.

He’s also shedding like a mad man.  When Adam got home we went out for a lint brush to remedy the winter coat/dog fur situation and also dealt with the food issue.

It’s worth not eating all day to get Wegman’s hot bar for late lunch.  I got a heathy mix of fruits,

and veggies.

Delicious.  I haven’t made brussels sprouts at home in ages but they are always my favorite thing on the buffet line.

Dinner was a winner as well.

Who says you need Thanksgiving leftovers to have a day-after-Thanksgiving inspired dinner?  Into our bowls went a serving of pasta, some shredded rotisserie chicken, peas, a bit of parmesan, and a big dollop of cranberry relish.

I made an extra serving too and I’m excited about having this again as leftovers.

I tried to do some drinking with dinner.

But this Angry Orchard Hard Cider was too sour (it tasted almost rotten!) for me and I only managed a few swigs.

What did you make with your Thanksgiving leftovers?

No Sleep Makes Strange Cravings

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Hello, hello. It’s been a long time (48+ hours!) since I’ve posted and it’s felt even longer. It’s been a crazy couple of days. My meals since I last blogged have been anything but impressive, but it kind of made me want to post all the more since I’m trying to put it all out there. I will add the disclaimer though that this is a *do not as I do* post 😉

I didn’t tell y’all last time, for obvious security reasons, but Monday was Adam’s 1st 24-hour shift at the hospital. It went very well, but I’m still glad that he’ll get to sleep at home most nights this year! I was tired, he was tired, the dog was tired.

<– That’s the scene I walked in on Tuesday afternoon. Swoon.

I had a ton of schoolwork to catch up on and was worried about sleeping without Adam so I pulled a bit of a 24-hour shift myself and only slept 2 hours on Tuesday night. <– this was a terrible idea, but more on that in a minute. I studied mostly standing at the mantle, which was lovely, and had a civilized midnight snack of tea with skim milk and dark chocolates.

Since I packed lunch before my all-nighter, Tuesday’s meals got off to a good start. I mixed together a Stonyfield 0% Chocolate Underground Yogurt with pumpkin puree and the end result was pretty amazing.

I also packed some citrus.

I ended up eating just the tangerine and giving away the orange.

And I bought a coffee – with tons of skim milk and a sprinkle of cinnamon – during a break in class.

Brunch was tasty, but not very filling, so when I came home to my sleeping family I stole a slice of Adam’s Newman’s Own White Pizza.

I also ate this fruit packet.

Wednesday (today) involved a major test and a major paper, so working on practically zero sleep Adam and I knew to grab hot bar for dinner Tuesday night.

An Indian dish and some tofu,

veggies,

which included some “Asian” Brussels sprouts that we so wildly good I almost drove back to Wegman’s to buy more!

I also snacked on a bowl of pretzels and coffee & cream malted milk balls.

And then the evening took a turn South. It’s possible I had a full-scale meltdown and confirmed that I’m now too old to pull all-nighters. Writing my paper involved such dramatic sobbing that I had to reprint a copy of my article because I got it wet with tears. Pathetic, I know.

When I did wrap things up, around 2am, we both celebrated with bowls of Lucky Charms.

Thanks for the cereal, husband, and for loving me in spite of me!

Tuesday I was too tired to be tired (if that makes sense) but today I felt every single missed hour of sleep. Meet breakfast –

And lunch –

Why, yes, classmate wondering why I’m photographing two bags of combos at 10am, I do write a healthy living blog.

But my paper was turned in and my test was at least passed, so today wasn’t a total fail. All I wanted to do at 4:30 when class finished was go home and sleep, but instead I headed to work. Tonight was my final shift which was actually sort of sad. I suppose I won’t miss random strangers calling me an asshole and hanging up, but the whole getting paid thing was nice.

When I got out at 9, I picked up Adam so we could fulfill the strangest food craving I’ll ever have – a McDonald’s Fillet-O-Fish Sandwich.

I hate McDonald’s. I’ve never even tasted this sandwich before. But for some reason I was smelling it all afternoon and it was driving me crazy.

This wasn’t even good (I was right, McDonald’s is gross) but at least I can move forward now.

P.S. I still have to shower (it’s after midnight) and tomorrow I have to *start* studying for Friday’s giant test so if you think tonight’s post was whiney and/or incoherent you probably should wait to read again until this weekend!

Have you ever craved a food that you’ve never tasted before?