Tag Archives: veggies

Scarlet In The Face

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Boy was I red in the face about skipping a post last night!  Nah, not really 🙂  Actually we got home close to midnight and I knew I had an early morning so I made the healthy living decision to get to bed.  Sometimes I forget to prioritize sleep, which I’m sure relates to the fact that it’s a month later and I’m still coughing.

Back to yesterday.  My test went well.  Not as well as I would have liked, but at least this one I’m sure I passed!  Plus a test meant getting done with class early – I’m a super fast exam taker – which meant I had time to switch my music class to pass/fail (whew!) and get home to visit the husband (yay!).

I had just enough time for a bowl of freshly chopped pineapple before I had to head back to class.

My music class still feels long (at 6-8:40 it is long!), but now that I’m not terrified of what it’s doing to my GPA it feels a little less tedious.

We had to run to Walgreens across town, and I can pull up our Groupons on my phone, so we ended up going out to dinner at 9pm on a whim!

We headed to Scarlet, a cozy little spot that is actually right down the street from our old apartment.

The inside looks fun and inviting, and we always kicked ourselves for not walking over there last year, but after tasting the food it appears we didn’t miss out on much.  The meal wasn’t terrible, and there were highlights, but overall it was disappointing.  Buffalo restaurants all seem to have menus that read like New York hot spots and food that tastes like TGIFriday’s.  But it was fun to have a Wednesday night date with the husband regardless.

Before we realized everything on the menu was fried, we decided to split 4 appetizers.

Adam and I always just eat off of the same plate, so I’m not even going to attempt to show you portion sizes this post.

We started with complimentary bread with flavored butters (tomato, garlic, and honey).

Then Three Cheese Fondue,

Buffalo Shrimp,

Tempura Chicken Tikka,

and Artichoke Francaise.

The buffalo shrimp were a low-point.

The breading was thick and spongy, the sauce spicy in an overpowering way, and if you’re going to go ahead and serve these deep-fried then you might as well use blue cheese dip rather than haphazardly tossing on blue cheese like someone’s eating these with a fork.  We left the shrimp basically untouched and if all the food had been like this we probably would have left, but thankfully other things were a little better.

The chicken – the one thing we knew would be fried – was pretty good.

The peanut sauce had a nice back spice to it.

The artichokes came in a fabulously lemony butter sauce,

but again, we were expecting something that wasn’t fried.  I enjoyed the big, meaty pieces of flesh, but Adam – who usually adores artichokes – wasn’t a fan.

The high point of the meal was the fondue.

We never could identify what the three cheeses were, but this had great texture (no graininess) and paired well with the apple slices.  Adam scooped into the actual bread bowl a bit and declared it nice and doughy.

So overall not the best (or healthiest) meal, but still fun!

This morning I had to be up early to register for my Fall 2011 classes.  I got everything I wanted, yay!  Actually, I should say I got everything I needed; what I really wanted was a forensic psychology class, but it didn’t fit in my schedule.  If I had my druthers I would be able to take forensic psych and forensic anthropology, in addition to my other courses.

Life for the rest of 2011 planned out, I made a nice fruit salad for breakfast.

This was a mix of pineapple, Cara Cara orange, banana, honey, unsweetened shredded coconut, and a few honey peanuts.

The combination of flavors was great.  I almost never eat my fruit with a fork but it’s actually really satisfying.

What classes did you take just for fun in college? 

My first time around in undergrad I switched majors (communication –> education) after a year of taking almost all communication classes so I took the maximum number of credits each semester just to graduate on time.  Back then I was sad I didn’t get to take more English courses (my 2nd major).  Now that I’m back in school I took an Anthropology course just for fun, and plan on doing one again whenever it fits in my schedule.

Way Back Wednesday

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In spite of the title, I’m actually going to start with a bit of prognosticating.  Prognosticate: to predict according to present indications or signs; foretell.

If you knew what that word meant and are offended that I thought you might not, I’m sorry.  If you didn’t know what that word meant and are offended that I think it’s common knowledge, I’m sorry.

Apologies aside, what I’m trying to say is that I posted this lunch in advance.  While you’re reading, I’ll currently be eating leftover roasted green bean fries.

In a baggie for traveling ease.

Plus an eggnog flavored Nutrament.

I used to love these drinks as a kid, they are so tasty and good!  Plus they have the calories/nutrients to count as a meal, and with my big important test following lunch I need a meal I can sip.

Finally, I packed some dried kiwi and hibiscus to snack on during the break before my night class.

This will be my first time eating a Nutrament as a meal (rather than just for funsies because they’re delicious), so I’m hoping that’s enough food to get my through my looong day.

Since Wednesdays are both my long school day and a day I always pack a lunch, it makes sense to do a pre-lunch post.  Pre-posts are a little less interesting to me, so I’ve decided to spice them up with a new weekly blog series – Way Back Wednesdays.  Every Wednesday for the foreseeable future, I’m going to include a few pictures from LBL (Life Before Blogging) for your – and my! – enjoyment.

This week’s WBW, a few fun shots from our senior year of college at University of Miami (the U!).  Like a trip to the zoo on one of my parents’ visits.

Or this shot from Adam’s 21st birthday celebration.

That night was actually back home in St. Thomas, on Christmas break.

Where did you celebrate your 21st birthday?

Keep on Truckin’

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Another morning, another run in with a truck, or at least that’s what it felt like!  Even though I have a huge test tomorrow, and a meeting scheduled with my department head, the snooze button was definitely pressed!  Adam caught my cold and was too sick to go to his first class so thankfully(?!) he was able to drive me to campus for my meeting later.

I’m not sure what my mega-exhaustion is about, but since I’ve got a slew of important tests between now and next Friday I’m not going to push it.  Returning to the gym would be nice, but after more than a month off, another week really doesn’t make a difference.  Instead I’ve decided to make this week all about strength and stretch moves.  A decision that led me to meet with my department head dressed like this –

I’ve always got the time/energy for at least 10minutes total a day!  Here’s what I accomplished throughout this afternoon (reps) –

After coffee, of course.

Yesterday I grabbed a cup of (unsweetened) butter toffee flavored coffee from the gas station, and this morning I mixed it with Silk Vanilla Almond Milk and maple syrup over ice.

After my housekeeping trip to campus – my schedule next semester looks crazy!  I register on Thursday so please keep your fingers crossed for me – I baked up a plate of green bean fries.

Baked green beans are where it’s at!

You’ll never believe me if you don’t try for yourself, but they’re better than french fries.

I also had a yogurt bowl.

The base was Target brand Archer Farms Fat Free Honey Almond Yogurt.

The Thick and Creamy line is just like Greek, but I wish I’d tasted before I went ahead and bought two, fake-sugar taste city.

Thankfully my toppings made up for it.

A sliced banana, a sprinkle of cinnamon, and some honey roasted peanuts.

Honey roasted peanuts are basically addictive.

I had several handfuls straight from the bag.

Those handfuls didn’t stop my ever-growing hunger though.  Usually we don’t eat dinner before 8pm, but tonight I was ready at 5!  We started with salads –

Studies show that eating a salad before dinner can help you to eat less overall.

This salad was dressed delectably, in a mix of the last of the Stubbs BBQ sauce shaken with a splash of buttermilk.

Other toppings – on a baby arugula base – included dried cranberries and buttermilk blue cheese crumbles.

I think a bbq sauce salad will have to be a repeat in this week’s meal plan.

The main meal was a pretty fantastic idea as well.

Making pressed sandwiches on our George Foreman grill has been our “thing” this year, and this one included roasted asparagus!

Also 1000 island dressing, 99% lean sliced turkey, and 2oz of 50% reduced extra-sharp cheddar.

On cranberry poppy seed bread from a loaf my grandma bought us at The Bakehouse last week.

It was a pretty fantastic sandwich.

But it still didn’t quite squelch my hunger.  Enter 1/2 an Arnold’s Sandwich Thin, topped with pb, marshmallow topping, and chocolate chips for dessert.

Squelched!

And, um, I should probably be sleeping instead of blogging, so – see ya!

What is your favorite type of peanut?  (honey roasted, candied, red skin…)

Playing Catch Up

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I had big plans to go to the gym this morning, but when the alarm went off I felt like I’d been hit by a truck.  I thought I was all caught up on sleep from Saturday’s 4am fun, but clearly not.

Instead, I went back to bed and didn’t get up until 15minutes before I had to leave the house.  Clearly once I got to school coffee was a necessity.

A medium non-fat latte with sugar-free Irish creme syrup.

We got back our pre-Spring break Biochem exams today; my 85 was even more frustrating when I realized that I had circled B (correct) but written A (incorrect) for a key question.

Lunch was random but delicious.  First a Yoplait Key Lime Greek Yogurt.

Sooo thick and sweet, really tasty.  This tasted more like really thick regular yogurt than Greek yogurt (not a bad thing); the tang all came from the lime flavor.

I also had a Revolution Foods tropical fruit packet.

And during my second break I ate this roasted seaweed snack.

This was bought on a whim, but now it’s going on my permanent grocery list!  It was salty and crunchy, and the portion stretched a really long way for only 30calories.

My class didn’t get out until a little late, then Rachel came over to get some notes, and then I went to the gas station for some coffee (looking forward to iced tomorrow), and by the time I was home I was starving.  I made myself  a snack plate while I cooked dinner.

Baby carrots,

and half an everything bagel with pb and low-fat cream cheese.

I think my month of no-hunger is catching up to me, I felt like I could gnaw my arm off all evening!

Thankfully dinner came together in a snap.

Roasted asparagus,

and lobster ravioli (from our trip to Trader Joe’s) tossed in Newman’s Own Roasted Garlic marinara sauce (free via Foodbuzz Tastemakers’ Program).

This was good, but not filling enough.  Honestly the only reason I didn’t eat an after dinner snack is because I was so hungry I couldn’t decide what I wanted.

I wish I could tell you I filled my evening studying for Wednesday’s big, super important test.  But instead I took a much-needed nap.  As soon as a take a quick shower I’m back to bed to catch up on sleep!

What’s your favorite brand of Greek yogurt?

You and Me Baby Ain’t Nothing But Mammals

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We head to Ohio tomorrow, and my mom comes to visit on Wednesday, so we woke up early to deal with our squalor.  Actually, Adam woke up early to clean the house.  I woke up at 9 to Adam’s amazement that I could sleep through the vacuum cleaner!

Once I did welcome morning, I started my morning with some fantabuous iced coffee.

Yesterday afternoon I bought a cup of caramel flavored coffee from a gas station, and brought it home to the fridge.  This morning I mixed it with 1tsp maple syrup, Silk Vanilla Almond Milk, and ice.

Delicious!  The almond milk has the best texture for iced coffee, it makes it so thick!  When I’m back to retainers in a few weeks I won’t be able to have coffee ever, so I’m trying to enjoy it was much as I can.

The food part of breakfast was pretty fun too –

A Pink Lady apple dipped in the last of the marshmallow icing.

Holy yum this was a good idea!

Our next idea wasn’t necessarily good, but it was necessary… a trip to the zoo!

I bought a Groupon months ago (thinking that by April it’d be, ya know, Spring) that was set to expire so we bundled up and headed out.  There wasn’t a lot to see because of the weather, but I did spend 20minutes or so mooning at the polar bears.

Awwww!  My nickname for Adam is ice bear (German for polar bear).

On the way out we spotted a neat crepe place – we’re coming back next week with my mom! – and Mustachios.

Apparently Adam has been excited about taking me to Mustachios?!?  We ended up coming home with two slices of cheese pizza.

We also hit up the hot bar to get in some veggies.

I got steamed broccoli, glazed mushrooms and carrots, sesame kale, white beans and escarole, and scooped a bunch of veggies and cashews from the cashew chicken.

It was a random but good lunch.

After my month of illness (I’m still coughing by the way), any meal with veggies is a good one.

Later in the afternoon I snacked on matzah with melted extra sharp cheddar.

I also did a bunch of nibbling, raw pasta, marshmallow topping, butter toffee almonds…  No photographs, just informing you guys that my appetite is back 🙂

Dinner was quick and tasty.

I boiled up the last of the spinach and three cheese ravioli, adding a few big handfuls of arugula to the pot at the last minute.  I topped my bowl with buttermilk blue cheese crumbles and a drizzle of honey.

Then we had single-serve ice cream for dessert.

We each at half and then switched flavors halfway through.  Those single-serves are the best idea ever, the texture is so creamy!

I’ve still got to shower, pack, and do some school work… better hop to it!

What’s your favorite zoo animal?  The cutest thing we saw today was the Egyptian Dabb Lizard.  I pretty much love any creature with a big belly; Seth Rogan crush anyone?!

Short On Dinner

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10pm is not technically late, but it feels late, and there’s really no good reason I’m not in bed already so I’ll keep this quick.

We had to take our cars in to a shop this morning (nothing big, just yearly brake, oil, and other things I’m sure I don’t know because I’m such a girl) so we brought them both at once and made an event of it.  Drive in, walk 8 blocks to Starbucks, study, walk back, drive home.  While we studied I made sure to hydrate and caffeinate.

That is a big bottle, but it looks extra big because my non-fat latte is a short, not a tall.  Did you know that all the locations in America carry short cups, they just don’t advertise them?

We had movie plans with friends so it was a quick turnaround once we made it home.  I snacked on baby carrots on the drive.

The husband and I were both a little irritable at the thought of watching a movie without lunch but thankfully(?!) Adam got the time wrong anyways and we had an extra hour or so to kill at the mall.  We ended up going to Jack Astors for lunch.

The husband and I split the Crispy Honey Sesame Chicken.  This was chicken with carrots, green onions, snow peas, red peppers, and bean sprouts in what was billed as a Thai-honey sauce.

The chicken was tasty and the veggies were good, but the sauce ended up tasting like bad American-Chinese food.  We cleared the plate though.

We also split some Reese’s Pieces at the movies.

Sucker Punch, by the way.  The movie was visually stunning and the musical score was fantastic, but the plot was soooo slow.

Things took a bit of a downward turn from there productivity-wise, but honestly any day I spend with the husband is a good one.  I made a major dinner fail.

I used the last of most of the ingredients, trying to make a mini pizza with sharp cheddar and an egg on top.  First I had a cooked pizza with a raw egg on top.  Then I had a cooked egg with a burnt hockey puck on the bottom.  I didn’t even take a picture it was such a disaster.

But, good news – when dinner fails you can finally go get that ice cream you’ve been waiting for.

A kid-sized mint ice cream with Oreo from ColdStone.

Mint ice cream is my favorite, but only when it’s green  🙂

Maybe I should eat some fruit tomorrow?!  We really did try to get me real dinner, but 40 frustrating minutes in the car later determined that Buffalo isn’t exactly a mecca of healthy take-out and I was better off just going to bed.

So I better get going to bed!

Did you know about the short, aka the”real” small, from Starbucks?  What size do you normally order in coffee?

Eeeeee!

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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 –

  1. take a certain set of courses
  2. complete a certain set of clinical hours/experiences
  3. 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 🙂

Biochem Makes Bad Bloggers

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I’ll leave the correlation between fences and good neighbors to Robert Frost, but in my experience Biochem makes bad bloggers.  Especially Biochem exams one has not adequately prepared for!

Yesterday’s post was sacrificed to a cramming session.  Unfortunately, the cramming session was then sacrificed to a orthodontist appointment and subsequent headache.  You can’t win ’em all!  Our teacher is very, very kind, so I probably ended up with a B anyways.  Sidenote – I swear I’m usually not such a terrible student, my (22day!!) sickness is really taking its toll.

I am blogging today though, with pictures and everything, but there’s the problem of not having much to blog.  My involuntary breakfast ban continues, but I did get coffee.

A grande non-fat latte with almond roca syrup (2pumps instead of 5).

I was hungry for lunch – my brain used up all my glucose on the exam – but I hadn’t done a great job of packing.  I brought a Revolution Foods tropical fruit packet.

And the newest Fage, 0% with Mango and Guanabana.

Oh. My. God.  Did you know that Gaunabana is the formal name for Soursop, my favorite fruit of all time that I almost never see outside of the Caribbean?!?  When I was saw the flavor at Wegmans I was so excited I bought two right away (and did a fairly embarrassing dance in the aisle!).  It was divine! 

Yogurt perfection aside, I hadn’t packed enough food!  Thankfully the vending machines in the Dietetics building are stocked with mostly healthy things, so I was able to get this packet of tuna salad and crackers.

It was a little strange – I don’t usually add water chestnuts to my tuna salad – but it did the trick of holding me over through my last nutrition class.

I spent my break between classes working on my lab assignments and watching the snow pile outside.  Then, wonder of wonders, my night class so cancelled!

Eeeeeee!

I came straight home (the husband picked me up) and dove face first into a plate of Granny Smith apple with a serving of Smuckers Natural PB with Honey.

Then we got started on dinner. 

Lemon Chicken Fricassee with Biscuit Topping from Rachael Ray.

We followed the recipe except –

  • substituting olive oil for shortening
  • substituting chicken breasts for thighs
  • using a frozen peas and carrots mix that also had lima beans, corn, and green beans
  • using some packaged frozen biscuits rather than making them

It was ok.  Only ok.  Adam said 6 out of 10, I said I won’t be eating any of the leftovers.

Plus a side salad.

Arugula topped with leftover roasted butternut squash, craisins, buttermilk blue cheese, and Newman’s Own Lite Raspberry and Walnut Dressing.

The salad was tasty at least.

The meal might not have been very good, but the entertainment was; season 5 of Futurama is finally on Netflix Instant Watch!

Did/do you watch Futurama?