Weekend Eats Part 2

I finally had a productive school day of homework. I'm glad it was rainy and cloudy out. I did fit in a brisk walk, but I wasn't itching to be outside like I normally have been lately. So, sitting down with the chemistry books wasn't so unbearable...;)

Breakfast started with a delicious bowl of hot oats. I haven't been craving them lately, but this morning that's all I wanted. This bowl was made with 1/2 c. oats, 1/2 c. water, 1/2 c. milk, 1 banana, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. On top I added a T. of crunchy peanut butter (the best part!), and 2 T. cranberry pecan granola. It was a very good bowl of oats...:)

Mid-morning munchies...already 3/4 eaten. Ha...

Lunch was a bowl of vegetable soup and a grilled tomato and cheese sandwich...perfect rainy day meal.

A repeat of yesterday's snack with some raisins added too. I love this filling, crunchy, sweet combo. Hits the spot every time!

This was my quick studying snack...a mix of carrots, peppers and cukes.

I also made a big batch of steel cut oats for the upcoming week. There should be enough for 4 breakfasts here. I made it plain so that I can easily add whatever toppings I'm in the mood for. :)

Hunger hit about an hour before supper...I needed a lil' something to calm the stomach, so I had a chocolate cranberry kashi bar. And they certainly didn't go easy on the chocolate chips...yum!

Everything but the Kitchen Sink Salads!! LOVE these types. They look a lil' odd, but really fill me up and keep my tastebuds guessing. I made a basic bed of greens with tomatoes and cukes, and added 1/2 c. black beans, 1/4 an avacado, some grilled onions, 2 T. hummus, and 3 dill pickles. On the side I had some kashis. :)

Tonight I had a super juicy orange while doing some nutrition homework.

And now I've finally decided I've reached the point of feeling too fried to function. :) So I'm watching some John Adams and blogging. Hopefully this week will be as productive as today was!!

SUNDAY SUM-UP:

Monday: 3-mile/30 min crosstraining at the gym with Nicole

Tuesday: 2-mile speed walk with dad

Wednesday: 4-mile run

Thursday: 3-mile/30 min crosstraining at the gym with Nicole

Friday: 4-mile FUN run!

Saturday: 3-mile walk

Sunday: 3-mile walk

Total: 6-mile cross training at the gym, 8-miles walked + walking around campus, 8-miles ran...I can't wait to decrease my gym time and increase my running mileage again. So ready for summer! :-)

Weekend Eats

I decided to record a "day in the life" of my daily eats today. It was a busy day, between trying to accomplish some chemistry homework (umm...not so productive there!) going to a baby shower, and celebrating my dad's birthday party. But I like having a nice busy Saturday now and again. And since I plan on spending my entire day tomorrow with the books, I was glad to give my brain a mental break.

Yesterday I had picked up some panera bagels for breakfast this morning. I had a trail mix bagel with some cream cheese and a big side of fruit. Yum! The bagel was perfectly delicious...doughy on the inside, chewy/crusty on the outside. Add some salted sunflower seeds and bits of fruit peices and it was the perfect bagel. :)

The iced coffee that was too good to not drink before photo'ing. haha...It was my favorite mix of 1 c. starbucks bold, 1/2 c. milk, and a tsp. sugar...+4 ice cubes. :)

This was a brief 1.5-2 hrs of my morning. Not nearly enough, that's for sure. I was pretty much drowning in carboxylic acids and esters. Ick...

The yogurt/TJ's fiber cereal combo was good though...:)

At the shower, I couldn't decide what I wanted to eat. There weren't many protein options...mostly macaroni salads, regular salads, veggies, fruits, things like that. This was my first plate: my mom's macaroni salad, fruit, mixed veggies to munch on...nothing too, too exciting...and still very hungry.


Plate #2...protein available! Someone brought in a wonderful salad of red onions, blue cheese, greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, and chicken. It was really delish. I also added on some more fruit and carrots...

I decided on the third trip, that I really needed to actually fill my stomach up because I was H-U-N-G-R-Y!! More pasta salad, more of the chicken & pineapple salad. Finally! My stomach was satisfied. :) I also ate 3 little cadbury chocolate easter eggs for something sweet.

After the shower, it was time to get ready for my dad's birthday party. He cooked some burgers on the grill (underneath all the onions, lettuce and tomato!), and I had some pickles, extra onions, and fries on the side. Along with a nice big side salad. I absolutely LOVE cookouts. This was the first time this year that I ate outside and it felt wonderful!!! :)

Seconds! More salad, some more fries and the rest of the onions and mushroom combo. These were delicious. Lightly sauteed just in pam until soft, and mixed with balsamic vinegar towards the very end. Love 'em!

And a nice slice of birthday cake with vanilla icecream after my dad opened his gifts. It was a nice night of family time and good conversation. Very relaxing and enjoyable. :)

I'm kind of looking forward to a *school day* tomorrow. I'll be happy to catch up a little and feel more mentally prepared for the 2 upcoming busy weeks!

Current Food I'm Eating Now:

Rachel's Pomegranate Orange Cranberry Cottage Cheese! The verdict? It was just okay. I guess I'm just more used to having a saltier, more savory type of cottage cheese. I like eating it with crackers usually. :) This one was sweet and dessert like.

I fit in one of my best runs ever. I felt so good! I covered 4 miles, and there were only a couple points where I felt like stopping. But I kept telling myself to just push through it...don't panic...keep running. Worked like a charm. Combine that with georgeous weather, an active neighberhood (cookouts, kids biking, people eating icecream cones, etc.), and I was having a ton of fun. :)

Tomorrow is a busy, busy day...baby shower, birthday party, and stuff like that. And hopefully some homework too. Gotta focus on that chem exam!

Good Angel vs. Bad Angel

Reason #1-million Why I Love Having A Gym Partner:

On my ride home tonight, I was thinking to myself that it was highly possible Nicole might call and cancel going to the gym. She was feeling sick a couple days back, so I was sort of half-expecting a message to be on the answering machine, "Sorry I can't make it...catch ya Monday though!"

Yep, I was all prepared. Then I sort of toyed with the question of whether or not I would still go to the gym. This was my conversation with myself:

Bad Angel: "Well...it's rainy outside and you deserve a night in with your sweats and a nice supper. Enjoy it!"
Good Angel: "But tomorrow you can't work out either, remember? You'll be in chem lab, and I know you won't feel like working out on a Friday night!"
Bad Angel: "Don't worry about it! Just workout extra hard next week! You've done it before. No biggie!!"

My mind was made up. The Bad Angel won the conversational controversy...Then I came home...and no message was on the phone.

I scurried into my workout clothes, grabbed my water bottle with an apple, and hopped back into the car.

And, might I add, I'm super happy I went to the gym after all. It felt so good to get a good sweat in on the cross trainer. I came home with plenty of time to enjoy a tasty supper and my sweats too...now I just need to figure out which angel is going to win when it comes to my homework. ;)

Today is such a good day. I've been productive with homework, had a delicious iced coffee, had pizza and guacamole for lunch (what a combination!), received THIS in the mail:

And fit in a wonderful 4-mile run too! Lately my breathing has been off, mostly due to the fact that I've been slowly trying to increase my pace. But my problem was that I was doing it with every run which was making me slowly dread my daily run. NOT GOOD!

So today I decided that my main objective was to not look at the clock, and just to enjoy the scenery in my neighberhood. I had the best run in a long time, just taking in the deliciously warm weather, thinking about everything and nothing all at the same time. I considered going further, but decided that I have all summer long to bring my mileage back up and I'd better not push it too fast too soon.

As a post-run snack, I absolutely love having a glass of milk. The protein is great for repairing muscles and helps to fill you up without weighing you down at the same time. Usually I'm more thirsty then hungry after a good workout, so milk fits the bill perfectly. :)

As a continuation of my very productive day, I should get back to doing some homework. I have a fun-filled weekend planned, so I'd like to finish everything up by Friday. :)

Well, I didn't run today, after deciding that my achilles would be better off resting then running. I did however, go to the gym with Nicole. I was close to not going, you know. I was feeling tired and lazy, and hitting the couch early seemed like a good idea. "I deserve it after all! I'm on vacation!"

But knowing Nicole was waiting at the gym for me was what got me out of my seat and into the gym. I decided that if, once I was there, I was too tired to work out, I'd just walk on the treadmill and read a good magazine. I always tell myself that.

BUT, once there, I got motivated and energetic. I pumped out a good, hard-core 30 minutes on the elliptical and felt tired but great at the same time. My heart rate was elevated and I was going strong. Whew...

And leaving? I had a ton of energy which was great. SO glad I went to the gym. I need to remember that feeling of euphoria I always get, and use that as my motivation for the times when I don't have a friend waiting at the gym! ;)

Top of the Morning to Ya! Time to go green for St. Patty's Day with a lil' something I call my Going Green Smoothie. :-D

Going Green Smoothie

1 super ripe mango

2 c. spinach

4 ice cubes

a lil' water for thinning

I stuck with the green theme for lunch too...:-D Greens, avocados, broccoli, cucumbers...it all fits!

My Irish Soda Bread came out great! I absolutely loved the rustic taste (and appearance!) of the bread. It was sort of like a mix between a scone and a biscuit, all wrapped up in a cute little cross loaf. I took the recipe from Bon Appetit: http://www.bonappetit.com/magazine/1994/03/irish_soda_bread

Before eating supper, my mom and I headed out for a 5-mile walk. Yes, that's the right temperature. It reached 58 degrees today and felt absolutely wonderful!!

The boiled dinner was boiling...I was starving...everything smelt so heavenly.

My Irish Soda Bread all cut up...I was just a lil' proud of the results. ;) Seriously though, it was such an easy bread to make. No need to wait and let it rise either, which is perfect for an impatient cook like myself.

The boiled dinner was fabulous, and now I'm relaxing. I did get some time in for chemistry, but it's not nearly as much as I know I need to. Somehow I manage to completely shut down over spring break. Happens every time!

Today I traded comfort for fashion. I was wearing some straight legged jeans, threw on my skecher walking shoes, and realized that my achilles was feeling a little sore and "rickety." Uh-oh...we all know what that means. I refuse to go back to having achilles tendonitis and not being able to run throughout the summer!!

Anyways, I think it's related to those shoes! So instead I wore my clunky running sneakers. It proved to myself that running is more of a top priority then fashion. Good to know. :)

Current Obsession:

Greek yogurt mixed with a tablespoon of chocolate carnation breakfast, topped with some heart to heart and cinnamon (of course!)

I made up for the fashion faux pas by buying a new pair of jeans! :) I've been dying to get a new pair, ever since last summer when I put on a healthy 10 or so pounds. I decided that it didn't make much sense that I was still wearing the same pants, especially since they were getting a lil' too tight for comfort. Now I can be comfortable in a new cute pair of jeans. :)

I didn't have the most motivation ever today when it came time to hit the road...gotta be honest! But a nice long and slow run did sound a little appealing, so I decided to go with that. I went for what turned into a wonderful 4 mile run. I kept my pace really slow (like, 10-minutes-a-mile slow) but that's exactly what I wanted and needed at the moment.

And I had some of this guy as a finale to my hard work:

I at least did some homework today (and hopefully more tonight!) I brought the car in for an oil change, which ended up taking an hour. That gave me an hours worth of carboxylic acids and nitriles for company. Woohoo...exciting! Not! But I feel good to have gotten that in because I absolutely must do well on the next chemistry exam!

A Day on the Seven Seas

My parents and I spent a wonderful day in Gloucester. You know how I said yesterday was absolutely gorgeous and perfect? Today even topped that.

But before I jump into the fun part, time for my Sunday Sum-Up:
Monday: Ice storm=skipped workout! I couldn't even bring myself to drive to chemistry class at 6:45 in the morning. :(
Tuesday: An absolutely lovely 3-mile run...I'm liking this time change thing which means I can run after I come back from school. Perfect!
Wednesday: A day of studying and exams! I had my kinesiology exam at night which meant not much time to fit in a good workout...it also meant every spare moment was spent with the books.
Thursday: I came t-h-i-s close to skipping my workout. I felt fried from all the exams and quizzes over the week, and with Nicole's phone call saying she wouldn't be at the gym due to being sick, I determined that a night off sounded pretty good. But when Matthew came out with his running gear on, I knew I'd better gear up as well. A 2-miler it was...brisk, fast, and energizing.
Friday: My dad and I headed out for a 3-mile run. The weather was perfect (it's been an awesome week, weatherwise!) Followed by an omelet. Life's good. :)
Saturday: Day 1 of the most perfect weather...my mom and I went for a 3.5-4 mile walk. And later I went for a 2-mile run with the guys (but they went much further.)
Sunday: aka, today! Lots of walking around Gloucester, and a short 1-1.5 mile walk at home.
All Summed Up: 10-miles of running, 4-miles walking + walking around campus.

Now, on to today!...

I was starving by the time we made our way to the Gloucester House today, but still forced myself to take it slow when looking over the menu. Did I want a large salad with grilled shrimp? Or the Angry Shrimp (spicy shrimp with tomatoes with cannellini beans)? Or the stuffed haddock? Ah...life has way too many decision. ;)

The view was beautiful from our booth too. I love the New Englandy feel of the restaurants around Gloucester.

Silly times=Good times...:)

Anywho...on to the meal. I finally decided upon the Mediterranean Salmon, which the menu described as a "salmon fillet grilled with peppers, onions, summer squash, zucchini and eggplant topped with a lemon caper mayo."

The meal started with a side garden salad. I asked for the raspberry viniagrette on the side, but didn't end up wanting or using it.

Next came...cornbread! I absolutely love, love, love cornbread! I could have eaten the entire basket full and made it my meal. haha...it came as a lovely surprise.

The entree!!! Served with a side of smashed red potatoes. They were light, whipped, and creamy. And I had to take a few seconds to just enjoy the presentation of the main dish because it was just too pretty! I did finally dive in though, and polished it all off. :) The grilled veggies were absolutely perfect, and the salmon was nice and tender. The lemon caper mayo was mostly scraped off, but I did sample a lil', and it was heavenly with the fish. I especially liked the side of fruit as a finish to the meal. :)

Later we went for a nice long walk along the wharf.

Then we reached an opening with some really cool canons.

Enjoying the views...

This cove just always makes me want to go swimming. Haha...it's such a peaceful spot. :)

Spending time with a handsome local...;)

And now I'm home, relaxing. I keep forgetting that I don't have school tomorrow. No getting up early! I love slow mornings. :)

My latest addiction: chocolate rice cakes, cottage cheese, and a dash (or two, or three...or maybe six...:)...) of cinnamon.

Today was perfect. I almost felt guilty for not doing any homework. But not guilty enough to actually do any. ha! It felt nice to force myself not to open my chemistry book. Instead, I went out into the 47 degree sunshine for a long walk with mom, baked some homemade chicken pot pie for lunch, baked some honey oat quick bread for an accompaniment with mom's black bean soup, and enjoyed the most lovely short 2-mile run. I felt absolutely wonderful and considered going further but decided I better keep it short for my legs' sake. :)

Off to get some yogurt for a snack while watching Batman Begins...this spring break thing better not get too enjoyable. Ha...

The Mighty Muffin

I managed to hype myself up enough to head out into the "cold" which turned out to not be all too cold at all. I think I just felt like being wimpy and having an excuse for a day in. ;)

The run was well worth the effort of getting myself motivated, though! Sun shining, legs feeling strong, and just feeling thankful and happy to be outside! It was one of those runs that remind me, "ooohh yeah....I do enjoy running, don't I?"

I think these guys might have had something to do with the pep in my step too...

Yummay!

I felt like baking all afternoon, and I wanted to try something new. So I made some homemade bran muffins. I took the basic recipe from Cooks Illustrated Light cookbook, but tweaked it by subbing half the butter with olive oil, decreasing sugar and raisins by 1/4 c., doing a 1:1 ratio of wheat to white flour, and...I think that's it. I'll post the revised recipe soon...:)

Now I'm in my p.j.'s, ready to relax. It's been a looong week, and my body is ready to unwind. Although I'm hoping I can be motivated enough tomorrow and get some chem homework in. We'll see about that...

Spring break couldn't come soon enough. This week was pure craziness, as I found myself staying up later then normal and getting up at rediculous morning hours. It left me feeling drained and running on empty. Add the recent time change, two tests, two quizzes, and a head cold, and voila! You've just summed me up! :)

My running has been a little off this week due to all the chaos. On Tuesday, I had a fast-paced 3-miler, and didn't head out in my sneaks again until Thursday for a quick 2-miler with my brother. Oh, and when I say quick, I mean quick as in speedy. It's been a busy week, so I'm certainly not beating myself up over the fact I've only gone out twice, but still...

If my head cold can dissipate though, I'll be taking advantage of the weekend. 56 degrees? Yeah, I'm lovin' it. Yesterday and today's frigid temps are well worth it if tomorrow and Sunday are going to make up for it. :)

Lunch today was a heartwarming bowl of homemade split pea soup, sprinkled with lots and lots of fresh ground pepper and a bowl of mixed veggies on the side.

Every meal needs a lil' crunch too. :)