…I am so tired I forgot to title this post originally

So I already told you guys the good news.  More on that later, I’m too tired right now to be excited.  I don’t know why I’ve been so exhausted lately – other than, you know, working really hard at my internship and continuing to get in bed after midnight even though up I’m at 6 – but this evening it hit me really hard.  I went to work all day, did a quick grocery trip, then had a major meltdown.  The husband is the kindest man on the planet and he ran out and got us calzones for a late dinner.  We are eating now (and watching “Chopped!”) and then I’m going to pour myself into bed.

Packed breakfast for work.  Cinnamon Apple GoGo Squeez.

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Coconut Chia Bar.  <– very nice, the coconut flavor was great

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Muller low-fat Greek yogurt with honeyed apricot.

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Lunch from the Co-op hot bar.  I was hurrying to photograph because I was on the floor at work and I did not get a good picture.

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A salad base – spinach and romaine with red pepper, cherry tomato, and maple vinaigrette – topped with corn relish and a jalopeño cheddar turkey burger.

Post-meltdown fuel.  We shared a buffalo chicken stromboli and a cheese calzone.

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Mmmmmn!  Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!

Me Eat Food

We are 36ish hours away from finding out where we are going to live for the next 5ish years, so clearly I can’t think about anything else.  I’m not even going to try to make this coherent.  Food good.  Me eat food.

I skipped breakfast and packed too light of a lunch and my poor planning for the first half of the day left me starving for the 2nd half.  Whoops.  At least my protein-light mid-day meal was tasty.  Leftover turkey egg cup filling (sautéed mushrooms with green onion and shredded cheese),

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which I topped with some sweet seaweed snack.

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It was a good combination.  Plus 70% dark chocolate.

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On a positive note – I aced my quiz.  101%!

I show you dinner first, since most of my food consumption was in snack form.

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Cheese tortellini (about 1.5 servings) with green pepper, Kerrygold Skellig cheese (a sweet cheddar), and Tarragon vinaigrette.

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Before dinner I had… A pear.

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Jalopeño poppers and bread and butter pickles,

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a handful of chips x2,

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and a slice of turkey.

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And after dinner I had more chips and cheese.

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I was going to have a cookie too but then I got distracted looking at apartments …. in 5 different cities.

An Alarming Morning

So… My alarm didn’t go off this morning.  I woke up naturally, 5 minutes after I was supposed to have been taking my coat off at the hospital.

Eeeeek!  It was a stressful morning.  And I may not have brushed my teeth yet today (don’t worry, I chugged mouthwash!) but I did have a good shift at the hospital.  I worked on some really interesting patients and managed to get all of my work done on time, in spite of my late start.  <– real talk though, I was only a little bit late; I’m basically a master at speedy dressing.  I even looked sort of cute!

I clearly didn’t eat breakfast, but I did manage to grab my packed lunch out of the fridge.  More black-eyed pea salad.

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A new variety of apple.

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And a half serving of dark chocolate.

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I had a little more chocolate after work too, in the form of a caramel marshmallow egg.

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The Cadbury eggs have nothing on this guy.

Dinner ended up being a slice of buffalo chicken pizza (that’s actually a half slice, I split with Adam) with baby carrots and blue cheese.

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So good.  This was actually just supposed to be a snack but I never could motivate myself back up off the couch again.  I guess that means today’s workout will have to be a Friday affair.

When was the last time your alarm let you down?

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I’ve made it halfway through the first week of this rotation and I only sort of want to nap for a million years.  The teachers have warned us for years that this is the placement that makes everyone get in bed at 9 pm.  I’m crazy, so I’m still staying up ’til midnight, but I’m definitely tired!

I’ve been eating breakfast at the hospital but I need to figure out a new system because the cost of bars is going to add up.  This one was a free sample at least.

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And tasty too.  Cascadian Farm Crunchy Peanut Butter Granola Bar.

Lunch was more black-eyed pea salad (beans, green pepper, cheese, smoked almonds).

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The Talenti gelato pint made an awesome leftovers container; gotta love that screw-on lid.

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Plus a pear.

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I skipped the dark chocolate today because I knew we were planning a big dinner.

Of course, then I decided to get a milkshake on the way home.

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You have to do a yearly Shamrock Shake!  This was so good.

I also had a bagel thin with smoked salmon cream cheese when I got home.

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I’ve been so hungry today, I want to say it was yesterday’s workout but let’s be real, I only did 4 miles.

Dinner was fantastic; loaded baked potatoes for the win.

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Toppings included turkey bacon, mushrooms cooked in turkey bacon drippings, Smart Balance Light, shredded cheese, and green onions.

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We were both practically licking our plates.

And I had a Toasted Onion Sea Snax while we watched The Nanny.

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Love that show!  We’ve got two more episodes to go and then I’ve got to get to bed.  Good night!

Cider House Run

Let me apologize in advance for what is sure to be a post riddled with typos.  I’ll do my best, but I can’t make any promises.  I’m two days in and I’m going to have to agree with my friends who were in the previous rotation – this placement is exhausting.

Breakfast was a Pirouette Cinnamon Pecan Barre.

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This bar was in my Yumvelope shipment.  The ingredient list is great – dates, walnuts, pecans, agave nectar, hemp seed, rolled oats, hemp protein, ground flax-seed,brown rice protein, vanilla, cinnamon, sea salt, peanuts – but I wasn’t a big fan of the final flavor; too much date.

Plus hospital coffee with 2% milk.

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We get free soda and coffee at this hospital so expect to see a lot of caffeine breaks!

Lunch was an easy assortment.  A Pear Chobani.

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A Honeycrisp apple.

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And 70% dark chocolate.

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I also packed this blue algae nut butter packet but I threw it out one lick in.

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Much too gaggy.

At the end of the day, Adam texted me that he and a friend were at a bar near our house so I met them for a quick drink.

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The McKenzie’s Seasonal Reserve Hard Cider was great.  It had notes of cinnamon that were quite tasty.

I headed straight from Cole’s to meet my friend for a gym visit.  I’m back to the Couch to 10k plan, right where I left off, though obviously I’ve got to stick with it this time.  2 minutes of running/3 minutes of walking, x 10.  I am fat, I am out of shape, I was still a little drunk – my workout was so flipping hard!

In spite of my extreme tiredness and Adam’s messing up our meal plan by eating while I was at the gym, I managed to cobble together a good dinner.  I was worried about not having enough to eat, but I think I ultimately went a bit overboard!

My favorite black-eyed pea salad,

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green beans with shredded parmesan,

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and 1.5 servings of Wegman’s vegan “chicken” nuggets with sweet and sour sauce.

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Everything was delicious.  Those nuggets are awesome.

Have you ever done the inebriated workout?

Day One Of Thirty? {Again}

Complaints first – The chance for 8-hours of sleep passed before I even started this post.  All of my end of internship assignments are due on Friday and I’m freaking out.  I ate two snacks after dinner and I am still flipping hungry.

Complaints aside, it wasn’t a bad day.  We got lots (and lots) of shipments at work so I was nice and busy.

The morning started with smoothies.

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For two: 1 Thai young coconut, ~1 cup frozen blue/blackberries, 1 medium frozen banana, and 2 Tbsp Hey Shuga!  <– don’t forget, you still have another ~hour to enter my giveaway!

I didn’t have a lot of time for lunch so I kept it simple.  A Garuka Bar (from my yumvelope).

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The sweet peanut butter coating was addictively good; I planned on snacking on it throughout a task but every time I tried to walk away I took another bite instead!

I also had a Fage 0% Greek Yogurt with Cinnamon Apple Raisins.

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The flavor isn’t listed on the Fage website and I’ve only seen it at Target.  The apple compote was good, but nothing can really compare to the pure decadence of the honey and strawberry flavors.

I only had an hour between work and night class so Adam and I cashed in a coupon for Subway for dinner.

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6 inch turkey with lettuce, tomato, green pepper, banana pepper, red onion, and honey mustard on Italian herb and cheese bread.

I knew my sandwich wouldn’t quite fill me up and I shared this peanut butter spoon with Webster when I got home.

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Then I also had a plate of baby carrots with the last of some smoked gouda spread.

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And a bag of Smart Fries.

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I ended up dipping my “fries” in yellow mustard.  And then I had a big glass of water; methinks I’m a bit dehydrated!

Back On Winter Break

My title’s no joke – I am officially back on winter break until the 28th!  Since I started my rotation early I’m spending the rest of this portion of the semester catching up on the days of winter break that I missed.  I do have a placement with an outpatient RD on Thursday, but other than that the time is mine.  I’m not doing anything super exciting; in fact, I work every single day of the next two weeks!  I’m hoping to get back into the gym habit too.

My last day of senior practicum was bittersweet, I loved this experience so much more than I was expecting to.  I am going to post some more about the internship after I gather my thoughts, but for now I’ll stick to breakfast.

Breakfast.  A packet of Spiru-Tein Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl Protein Powder shaken with 1.25 cups Silk Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk.

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I didn’t really love the texture/flavor all that much, but at least this kept me full through rounds.  p.s. – this flavor has bee pollen in it so it won’t work for strict vegans

Lunch was packed with veggies.  I brought a container of roasted butternut squash and green beans,

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and topped it with a thing of Sea’s Gift Sweet Seaweed Snack.

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That combo was ridiculous good.  I actually drove to Wegman’s the minute I was done with the day to buy more of the sweet seaweed!

Can I brag for a second?  I brought the nutrition department a thing of my Triple Butterscotch Blondies to say thank you and everyone raved about them.  You know a group of dietitians doesn’t go for seconds on a dessert unless it’s good!

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I couldn’t have a blondie – they are sooooo not vegan – but when I got home I did eat 1.5 servings of So Delicious Coconut Milk Cookie Dough Ice Cream.

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The flavor of the ice cream is a little bit funky, but the cookie dough pieces are the best I’ve ever had (vegan or otherwise).

Let’s do a final Fashion Friday Monday –

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I accented my outfit with this great bracelet my mom sent me for Valentine’s.

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That is seriously such a “me” pieces of jewelry.

Since the college is closed for Presidents’ Day, my night class was cancelled.  This meant I could go out for celebratory drinks and dinner with friends.

I didn’t plan on drinking much, but I kept a Tea’s Tea Green Tea with Grape in my purse for rehydration purposes.

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Really I only drank 1 Jack and ginger ale.

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I was embarrassingly tipsy afterward.

My friend had a friend visiting from out-of-town so we had to shower her the wonder of Sun Restaurant for dinner.

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I went with the Pad Kee Mao, ordered Thai spicy.  Thai-style fried wide rice noodles with hot and spicy sauce, mixed vegetable, and basil leaves.

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There wasn’t egg listed in the description, but it was definitely present in the dish.  I’ve already cheated on the Vegan 20 Day more than once though, so it’s not like it was a big deal.

I ate a little more than half of my pasta, then brought the rest home for Adam.  I also brought him a whole order of the tea leaf salad that he loves to help bribe him into making me popcorn.

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Score!  I smothered that bowl in melted SmartBalance Light and it was amazing.

Did you have the day off for Presidents’ Day?

And A Class To Go Before I Sleep

My mom texted to check on me after I didn’t post last night, but I promise I wasn’t snowed in/buried alive/on a bender – I’ve just been busy!  Monday wasn’t quite as crazy as Sunday, but I am getting this post up early before night class so I have some tiny chance of painting my nails this evening.  If I miss another holiday colors polish opportunity I will be so sad.

Sunday I ate this Tandoor Chef Vegetable Pad Thai for breakfast.

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Not traditional “morning food,” but one of the best frozen entrées ever.  It is a little calorie-dense at 490kcal a package, but the texture and flavor makes it taste like a splurge and not a sad frozen dinner.

I tried to take a cup of my latest impulse purchase to work with me, but ended up passing Adam my glass after one sip.

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I love Silk’s almond milks but I think I am just not a soy milk girl; this had such a strong aftertaste to me.  Thankfully the husband enjoys it so our carton won’t go to waste.

Adam and Webster picked me up from work, and we got this box from the co-op hot bar on the way home.

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Vegan “cheesy” pasta and 3 stuffed grape leaves, shared 70-30 my favor.

We also split this Opal apple.

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It is fun to try new varieties, but we probably won’t get this one again for the increased price versus “regular” apples.

I was tired from work, and really didn’t want to go to the gym, so I bribed myself with this Justin’s Chocolate Almond Butter packet.

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That stuff is just chocolate frosting, I swear!

At the gym, I finished my first week of CT10k workouts.  4 minutes walking/1 minute running, x 8.  Except I shouldn’t listen to Fiona Apple while I run because I’m obsessed; I ended up running for 10 minutes straight in the middle of my workout.

Dinner was all over the place, but the components were all good.  A handful of baby carrots.

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Pizza crusts stolen from the husband.

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A bit of Chocolove Currants and Almonds in Dark Chocolate.

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Who knew I loved currants?  They definitely helped break up the intensity of the bar.

Finally, we made tasty smoothies.

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Thai young coconut, frozen banana, frozen blueberries, and a bit of brown sugar.

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Adam has recently decided that he is obsessed with Thai young coconuts, so expect to see more of these.  Especially since our coconut was so exciting – it was pink!

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Apparently it’s a common variation relating to the varied levels of phenol found in the coconuts.

Today I grabbed a Coconut Chocolate Chip Clif Bar for breakfast.

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I attended a workshop on TPN in the morning so I got to eat in the hospital rather than my car, which was nice.

Lunch was another tasty black-eyed pea salad.

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Black eyed peas with bread and butter corn, green pepper, smoked almonds, and green Tabasco.  I made a big batch so my lunch for the next two days is already packed.

With a serving of the dark chocolate for dessert.

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And when I got home I ate a pear.

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I took care of a few things for school when I got home from the hospital, and sudddenly I was starving.

Dinner was pretty lame, but I’m in a hurry trying to get to school so I can finish some reading before class.

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And lame doesn’t mean it didn’t taste good!

A box of Health is Wealth Asian Spring Rolls,

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with a dipping sauce of chunky peanut butter and Smart Balance Light.

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Mmmmmmn!

P.S. – You can still win!  Comment on this post before midnight for a chance to win a copy of the “Petite Treats” cookbook.