CardioFoodie

Big Blog News

2010-01-12T15:27:00.000-06:00

I had mentioned a few days ago that I was working on some blog changes...

I have moved all old posts and gotten the blog up and running! I am still working out a few kinks, playing with plug-ins and designs, and trying to build a blog with no technical skill but it is turning out well!

I am very excited for my blog and want to give a big thanks to all my readers!

Check out the New Blog!

Random Dinner

2010-01-12T07:33:00.000-06:00

First I started the morning off with a large bowl of banana oats. Topped with a few chunks of a granola bar and almond butter. Filled me up!

Planned dinner for last night was Tofu Pad Thai. However, I realized I was missing some key sauce ingredients and had to ditch the plan. I ended up just throwing together some random foods.

First,

Fried Okra (this was pre-breaded and frozen). Although I don't usually eat a lot of fried food this was fun and reminded me of home! (My mom makes some good fresh fried okra)

I also had about half a small roasted butternut squash! Butternut squash is nature's candy I swear.

And I made both the hubby and small side salads.

Turned out to be a fun and tasty dinner.

Hopefully pad thai tonight.

Giveaway News

2010-01-11T16:15:00.000-06:00

Head over to Crunches for Cupcakes and check out Crofter's Organic Giveaway

Lunch and the DVR

2010-01-11T11:55:00.000-06:00

For lunch I decided to cook up one of Boca Burgers I bought. I have never tried this flavor before. It was okay, but the Black bean are still my favorite!

Topped with lettuce, apple, salsa, Laughing Cow, and spicy mustard.

And a sliced apple on the side!

So far today I have had two cups of hot chocolate (diet version)! This chilly weather is giving me warm drink cravings

Rodeo!!!

2010-01-11T10:20:00.002-06:00

Houston Rodeo has just announced its concert lineup! I must decide which days I want to go...is everyday an option?!?!

Banana Oats and Diet Plan Review

2010-01-11T07:44:00.000-06:00

Breakfast was oats with banana, almond butter, and a little bit of Clif Bar crumbled on top. I apologize this picture uploaded sideways 3 times and I gave up!

Put that mix together...

Yum!!!

Are you starting a diet for the new year?

I don't put myself on a "diet" but I do believe in learning to live healthy a lifestyle and eat a healthy diet. There are many diet plans and food delivery out there so check out this article Diet Plan Review: Best Ways to Lose 20 Pounds to compare costs and results of some of the most popular plans.

Sunday Recap

2010-01-11T07:25:00.000-06:00

After a lazy breakfast in bed we ran some errands and then took Trooper to the park!

My dog like to mark his territory everywhere!

It was only about 35 degrees when we went yesterday so the park was pretty dead

Peaceful. It was really a beautiful day!

View up from the dog run. (I love those new condos)

They were setting up the Sunday market.

No other doggies for Trooper to play with today...

So we walked him around the park

Now onto food for the day...

Snack choice of the day. Multiple handfuls were eaten.

Lunch:

Variety of goodies from Whole Foods bar

and

Carrot sticks, grape salad (from Central Market) and then piece of toast spread with 1 Laughing Cow wedge.

Big lunch, I ate all except half the bread that Trooper enjoyed.

Afternoon snack/dessert was our cookies! So good!

Dinner:

My favorite salad from Central Market. I topped the pita bread with hummus, salad mix, and sauce. I ate the topped bread and was too full to eat most of the salad.

Dessert was "baked apples". (I had some apples on their last lives).

Dice one apple

Cover and heat in small sauce pan with sugar, cinnamon, 2 Tbsp water

Once reach desired level of tenderness pour into dessert cup

I always add a layer of crunchiness and then top with whipped cream!

Lazy Breakfast

2010-01-10T07:15:00.000-06:00

This morning I had a bowl of Kashi with banana and a piece of toast.

It is only about 25 degrees here this morning so I am going to wait a bit before running.

Must come up with something to do today: Whole Foods, Sams, Mall, Discovery Green? Must decide.

Sweet Potato Goodness

2010-01-09T18:43:00.000-06:00

Dinner was a sweet potato stuffed with apple chunks and topped with yogurt and cinnamon.

Here is my concoction all mixed up!

I cooked my sweet potato in the microwave.

Stuffed it with microwaved apple chunks, cinnamon, and sugar.

I then wrapped in tin foil and let it sit in oven while my hubby's dinner was in there cooking.

Dessert was fro-yo with chocolate (more than pictured here).

Box Lunches

2010-01-09T16:32:00.000-06:00

Today was my last day of class and I now have my certificate to mediate family law disputes. I am pretty excited about this!

I have been eating boxed lunches all week in class, so I am excited to do some lunch planning next week, but here is a look at the last two days:

Friday was a Chick Fil A box. I was not too excited about the sandwich. It was breaded and greasy. On the plus side it came with lots of lettuce and tomato toppings.

The box included my a fruit cup, brownie, and my favorite chips again! The sandwich was so BIG that I only ate the fruit cup. I saved the chips and took the brownie to my hubby.

Dinner last night was more stuffed acorn squash-see below.

This morning we got up before the sun and ran 5.5 miles with a 15 degree windchill. (Yes I am in still in Houston and yes it is crazy!)

Being proud of myself for running this morning I treated myself to a donut for breakfast:

My donut looked like this with walnuts on top. I forgot to take a picture. (Picture by americanbagelcomapny.com)

Saturday was pizza. I had a this slice of veggie pizza (plus 1/2 another) and a side salad.

I dug into the Baked Lays from yesterday as a snack.

Running Shoes: Hazardous to Your Joints?

2010-01-08T08:36:00.000-06:00

Running Shoes: Hazardous to Your Joints?

This article was sent to me by a friend and I thought I would pass it along to all of you who have seen people running in those weird "barefoot shoe things" and wondered why.

Brrrrrrr

2010-01-08T06:50:00.002-06:00

26 degrees in Houston my friends. And colder tomorrow and Sunday. There is something wrong with the world!

I hopped up this morning and hit the gym for a little elliptical. I have a 4 mile run on the training schedule today and plan to do it after class this evening. Anything over 3 I just can't force myself into boredom on the treadmill, so hopefully I can talk my hubby into taking me out to the park. It gets dark here about 6pm, and I won't run by myself after dark for obvious safety reasons. My training schedule and current 830-530 class do not mesh well!

I started this brisk morning with a bowl of pumpkin oats topped with granola, Kashi, and tiny scoop of almond butter!

Although getting home around 6 makes cooking dinner a bit more inconvenient (considering I still have homework to do!), I did manage to throw together stuffed acorn squash last night before the game.

I had already roasted the squash yesterday, so I added in a wedge of Laughing Cow.

Topped with a spoonful of ground turkey and pasta sauce.

I then topped this with Parmesan, Italian seasoning, and ground pepper.

I baked at 400 for about ten minutes to warm everything through, then put it under the broiler for just a minute because I like my cheese browned a bit!

Delicious!

There were also unpictured chips, salsa, and queso consumed (game food). And the last two pieces of Christmas chocolate!

Hook Em Horns

2010-01-07T17:22:00.000-06:00

The BCS Championship Game is tonight and since my beloved Boilers don't compete at that level, I am cheering for my adopted team: Texas Longhorns!

Today was another day of class from 8:30 to 530ish. I got out a bit early and am blogging until the hubby gets here to pick me up!

This morning I got up super early and hit the gym for about 50 mins. 30 minutes of slow running (but I did hills) and then 20 minutes on the elliptical. My training schedule called for a 45 minute temp run, but I just cannot run for more than 30 minutes on the treadmill-it is too boring!

I worked on some blog things (hopefully to be announced soon!) and then headed to school. The walk was very windy and reminded me that the temperature is dropping to 20 degrees with wind chills in the single digits tonight!!! Can you believe that? I live in Houston now people, it is supposed to be warm! Good thing I hadn't boxed up all my winter gear from the holiday trip.

Lunch was a boxed lunch from Luby's that included a turkey sandwich (some guy got the last one with wheat bread!), fruit cup, Baked Lays Original (my favorite chip of all time!), and a cookie which I tucked back to bring the hubby.

I will likely not be posting tonight because I will be yelling at the TV and cheering on theLong Horns!!!

2009 Fit Hits

2010-01-07T07:12:00.000-06:00

Need some new workout music? (Who doesn't)

Click over to Fit Bottomed Girls and check out Fit Hits: Best of 2009 playlist.

Class from 830-530

2010-01-06T17:24:00.000-06:00

I signed up for a Family Law Mediation course during Intersession, which means I go to class from 830-530 for four days! Although the hours are long, I get really good food and I will be certified to mediate divorces after!

Food from the day:

I apologize for the photos but I had to use my phone, as bringing a camera to a CLE full of attorneys is not really appropriate.

My snack was this Pria bar I got at the store last night. I have never had this bar before but it was on closeout. I didn't enjoy the bar-it had a weirdly strong mint aftertaste- and probably would not pay the 20 cents again.

Lunch was Amazing! TreeBeards catered today and brought with them their famous (or just well known to the local downtown crowd) Chicken/Sausage Gumbo. Yum Yum!

I used willpower and ate in moderation!

I filled up half my plate with the amazing salad which was full of color: radishes, yellow peppers, cherry tomatoes, spring mix, mushrooms, carrots. I accidentally drown my salad in dressing because of the ladle, but it was still delicious!

I ended up only eating a bite of the french bread but saved room for dessert:

I am SO MAD this picture is blurry, but this little concoction was delicious! It wasn't a brownie or a blondie. It was very sweet and chewy and tasted like honey. Anyone have any ideas?

Anyway lunch was good.

This morning I slept until 6 and by the time I checked on the gym it was packed! (Later tonight will be rant on New Year Resolutionist who through a wrench in my regular routine!). I hit my stationary bike and watched the news for 20 minutes.

I have a 3 mile run and strength on the training schedule, but might make today a rest day instead. I really shouldn't though!

We Went Grocery Shopping!!!!

2010-01-05T19:33:00.000-06:00

Since we took a 2 week vacation to Indiana then NYE, we hadn't been to the grocery store in a little over a month!! You could see wall behind every shelf of the pantry and were left with bread, 1/2 box pasta, and pasta sauce. BUT NOW: FULL Pantry! Notice the shelf dedicated almost entirely to my hubby's ChefBoyrDee (better than fast food for lunch I suppose)

More grocery goods:

YUM: an entire bowl of squash. I am so ready for my spaghetti squash bake.

Apples and Bananas, i.e. my survival.

With all my new goods I finally had options for dinner. But, I have been craving yogurt and banana for days!

So...

I diced up one medium banana and 1/4 large apple

Then topped with Dannon Light n Fit (it was on sale), 1 tsp almond butter, Kashi, cinnamon, and honey. This was unbelievable and really hit the spot.

Also two pieces of toast trying to use up my old jelly. I really didn't need this bread and probably shouldn't have eaten it, but oh well. The dog did get about 3/4 of a slice.

Dessert: (Yes I ate two desserts today) was a cup of Hot Chocolate.

Race Prep:

As I mentioned I really wanted to improve my diet in preparation for my race. Ideally I would like to drop about 5 pounds (1 pound a week) because that is the race weight I feel best at, but....snacking and a sweet tooth may prevent that. I still feel that my training is going well, but I am not getting faster so it may be time to buckle down and count the calories (ugh!).

2 in 1 Toners

2010-01-05T12:20:00.002-06:00

Great Moves to Try by Women's Health

Taco Bell Diet?

2010-01-05T11:42:00.000-06:00

For starters: I had the last bowl of my tomato bisque with a cheese and pepper grilled sandwich.

I ate dessert with lunch: 1 pack 100 calorie Oreo Crisps

Taco Bell Drive-Thru Diet

If you have been watching TV lately you have probably seen the Taco Bell Drive-Thru Diet commercial with Christine as the new "Subway Jared". Honestly, the first time I saw the commercial I thought it was a joke, sadly it was not. Taco Bell as diet food? Really?

I remember my love-affair with the T-Bell in college. Every Friday night my roomie and I would have a T-Bell date and then after hitting the big 2-1 we would hit up T-Bell about 3am for a post-bar food run! Lucky for me I had a really fast metabolism and plenty of time for the gym, so those T-Bell pounds never packed on. But, once I got engaged and entered wedding mode I gave up Taco Bell (and many other bad foods).

I haven't given in to the T-Bell craving since college and don't know that this "Drive-Thru Diet" will make me change that. Although I think it is a positive step to add healthy choices to fastfood menus because so many Americans rely on fastfood; I read with caution Christine's story.

Being healthy is all about healthy choices and exercising. As the find print at the bottom of the website points out, Christine made healthy choices and exercised for over two years!

Overall? I am glad T-Bell is offering healthier options. I would like to see the 1,000+ calorie items nixed or fixed. I still believe the only way to lose weight is simple: Calories consumed - calories burned. But if I am ever in a pinch, the Fresco Chicken Ranchero looks pretty good.

Check out the "Drive-Thru Diet" here.

abc News: Subway Had Jared, Now Taco Bell's Got Christine

Your thoughts on the Taco Bell Diet?

Leftovers Creation

2010-01-05T08:02:00.000-06:00

Lunch was an omelet (1 egg, 2 egg white) with salsa and cheese. On the side Whole Grain bread with strawberry jam

What to do with that leftover veggie tray?

We had quite a full leftover veggie tray from our NYE party and needed to find a way to use it up before the veggies went bad.

Chopped up the leftovers, there was also a full carton of cherry tomatoes.

I cooked up whole grain shells while I roasted all the veggies with olive oil and pepper.

I cooked up two chicken breast.

Combined everything in pan.

Added a can of Cream of Mushroom.

Let it heat through, stirred in about 1/2 to 3/4 cup Parmesan Cheese. (I really like Parmesan cheese). Looks so good!

I ate half a chicken breast and picked out most of the tomatoes for myself (hehe)!

Dessert was this candy coated prune and 100 calorie pack of Oreo crisps.

Last Weekend of Freedom

2010-01-04T07:31:00.000-06:00

I started my Monday morning with a Kashi waffle topped with nuked apples and a dollop(or four) of whip cream!

Sorry for the lack of posting this weekend but it was the last few days with my hubby before he started work today and I start class on Wednesday! Ugh!

The last week has been lazy and full of mindless snacking! Leaving me feeling less than stellar to start the new year. Such is life! I have almost one month and half until my half marathon so I have made the decision to change my diet in preparation.

I will cut out alcohol (it dehydrates me and is unnecessary), sugar (try to at least), and processed snacks (no nutritional value).

I am hoping this diet change will be the final kick in preparing for my big run!

Some eats from the weekend:

Tomato bisque with grilled cheese (1 Arnold sandwich thing and 1 wedge Laughing Cow)

Buffalo Wild Wings Blackened Chicken Salad: the biggest salad ever!

Tuna Salad with apple chunks, tomato, and lettuce.

We also ordered in Chinese (cannot find the pictures!) and rented two movies: The Ugly Truth and The Hangover. Clearly we each picked a movie. I though both movies were just okay. I am hoping to rent Julie and Julia!

In Texas the Ball Drops at 11

2010-01-02T10:08:00.000-06:00

Yes, the ball drops at 11pm in Texas. It was yet another sad realization of living in Texas. I could NOT believe it: how do you watch the ball drop at 11? So sad.

On a happier note, our NYE party was fairly successful!

My NYE dress-I had been waiting to wear it!

Now onto the food:

Bar setup

We had everything organized

The Spread

Up close

More food!

Table center piece

Needless to say: Sandra (Semi-homemade) would be proud of me!

We actually toasted at like 11:30pm. We watched the crazy man jump his car on ESPN, so we just DVRed the ball drop and watched it after! (We may or may not have toasted to the Central and Pacific timezones!)

End of 2009

2009-12-31T09:35:00.000-06:00

This year has gone by so fast that I don't even know where to begin!

-I am halfway done with law school (pending passing grades)

(This is me toasting after my last final!)

-We moved to a new apartment in the yuppie area, and I love it!

-We adopted Trooper and instantly fell in love with him!

(Who wouldn't love this little guy?)

-Kaley came to visit and I had a blast getting to be with old friends

-I celebrated my 1 year wedding anniversary

-I got running back into my life and ran my first 10k

-My wonderful hubby got a much deserved promotion

And countless other things!

And finally...I started the last day of 2009 out with some apple cinnamon oats!

More Miles

2009-12-26T20:38:00.000-06:00

I apologize for the unregular posting, but so far this trip we have driven about 1800 miles...so most of our time has been in the car. But, the trip has been good and we have seen a lot of family!

Here are a few food bites. Unfortunately my meals have been very unregular as well, but here is a food review and my stepdad's "Texas BBQ Sandwich".

Food Review

This is my first time trying the Bear Naked bar. This bar was the fruit and nut variety.

This bar had huge chunks of whole fruit and nuts! The bar was also a very large! I actually split the bar with my hubby because the portion was quite large and contained nearly 300 calories.

The bars flavor was great! Maybe a tad too sweet, but overall great flavor.

Overall, I probably would not pay for this bar again because the portion and calories are a little too much for me. My hubby loved the bar and thought the portion size was fine for him!

Texas BBQ Sandwich

This was obviously a splurge homemade food! This was made from a whole loaf of french bread, mozz cheese, Italian sausage, and sweet BBQ sauce. The sandwich is then baked until melted and warm!

Yum!!!!

We are now in Michigan and watching lots of snow fall!

The Old Hot Spots

2009-12-24T10:16:00.000-06:00

This is a bonus picture of Trooper on the car ride here.

We had to stop at one of my favorite places to eat---Arni's!!! Yum, yum! We got the lunch special which came with soup of the day and the famous Arni's Junior Salad.

I got the tomato soup and it was delicious! It had nice chunks of tomato and was fairly thick. It really hit the spot on such a cold grey day!

The Arni's Junior! Sooooo good! I forgot to ask for light cheese, but I just picked it off. This salad has small chunks of turkey, ham, radishes, scallion, onion, and lettuce.

How Do you Know you're in Indiana?

This was at the grocery store. Yuck! Some things I definitely do not miss!

Training:

Training has been good thus far. I will give a little recap of the total mileage on the trip thus far. Remember the key is to adapt your planned workouts to your vacation.

Sunday: 4 miles

Monday: 8 miles

Tuesday: 5.5 miles

Wednesday: 3 miles

Thursday: Rest + ab work

Merry Christmas Eve to everyone!

Driving All Over!

2009-12-22T15:28:00.000-06:00

I apologize for the lack of posting. We have been trying to spend time with all the families and friends while in Indiana. We have also driven more than humanly possible!

Eats have not been that exciting. We have ate a bowl of oatmeal every morning but after that the day gets crazy and sometimes we end up skipping one meal or another or just snacking our way through the day. Such is the holidays!

On the other side, running/training has been awesome. I did not know whether or not we would be able to handle the cold, but so far so good. Saturday was our planned rest day. Sunday we had a long 90 minute run scheduled, but we ended up spending the whole afternoon with family and by the time we fit in the run it was about 26 degrees and getting dark. Due to the dangerously icing sidewalks, we cut that to 4 miles.

Monday was planned 3 mile run + strength. We did our long run Monday. We ended up cutting a bit short just because that was how the route ended up. We did 8 miles and my bottles actually froze shut on my running belt! Crazy!

Monday night we drove another 100 miles to southern Indiana to visit the hubby's family. Today (Tuesday) we ended up sleeping really late (finally!) and got to our run about 1 in the afternoon. The hubby's little brother also joined us for the run. His little brother plays baseball for his college-so he is a tad better shape than us! Nonetheless we kicked out 5.5 miles at a good pace.

I am not following my training schedule exactly. I have not done my interval training, but have actually added more mileage. The key is that I am still keeping up with training and keeping active even though I am on holiday vacation. It is important to be able to adapt your workouts rather than just skip them! This allows those yummy Christmas cookies to go unnoticed!

Hope everyone's holidays are going well so far! When I eat something blogworthy I promise to take pictures!

Home Eats

2009-12-20T10:40:00.000-06:00

Bruno Balls! Breadstick dough-fried and covered in Parmesean.

Unhealthy-but gotta have them when you're in town!

I got a side salad to get some veggies in. Pretty darn good. Had seeds, green pepper, cucumber, 1/4 egg, tomatoe, and beets!

I also had an enormous slice of Bruno's Veggie

Jordan is the new dog whisperer.

19 1/2 Hours Later

2009-12-19T13:13:00.000-06:00

We are here! The car ride was long. We hit traffic all the way through Lousiana! This was Trooper's first long car ride...and...it was a disaster. He did not lay down at all for at least 4 1/2 hours!

After that adventure...it snowed for the last 6 hours of the drive. It is still snowing here a bit.

Drive was safe and sound, except for the fact that I almost slid us into a ditch trying to get turned onto my road. I live a tiny, unpaved country road that connects to a highway. I handled it and we arrived safely but that was definitely enough snow driving for now now thin southern blood!

Trooper was packed and ready to leave. Just kidding. He was being a cutie.

Trooper getting his first taste of snow. He just sniffed and sniffed and sniffed!

More snow

Here is Trooper playing with the big dogs!

Storm and Jordan were getting ready for a little nap. Storm is my best friend Anna's dog and Storm loves Jordan!

**I would like to note this post was dedicated mostly to dogs for the following reasons:

1. cannot drive in snow and take photos

2. After a 20 hour drive with only 2 hours of sleep us people should not be photographed

3. The hubby and I have lived off pb&j's and Cliff Bars, not exciting photos!

Tonight is going to be catching up with old friends and watching some big games! Go Purdue Boilers and Go Saints-Who Dat!

Packing, baking, wrapping

2009-12-17T19:44:00.000-06:00

Apples with cinnamon are the best snack ever!

Lunch was a small (very tiny) cup of vegetarian chili.

Tuna salad sandwich--ate most of this. Few wheat thins as well!

Trooper has watched as Jordan and I madly try to prepare for the 20 hour drive!

Is he not the cutest dog in the world?!?!

My present from Santa aka the hubby!

A girl can never have too many handbags. This picture does not do the bag justice. It is pretty. Nice leather, soft, smells of new leather. Also pretty roomy inside, which is good because I tend to carry around a lot of stuff!

Dinner was a piece (okay two) of frozen pizza. The garlic bread kind. Not very healthy, but very tasty!

I stocked up on Cliff bars for the trip! Also will be packing some pb&j's!

Starting tomorrow I will be driving for a good 20 hours, but expect a post once I get settled and eat something blogworthy!

***Shout out to Anna if she is reading this, see you soon!***

Homemade Dog Biscuits

2009-12-16T15:38:00.000-06:00

I decided to use this mix Trooper got for Christmas today. The apartment smells of baked dog biscuits and Trooper is one happy dog.

Just pour mix in bowl and mix in water and oil. Optional to add in peanut butter, honey, or vegetable bits.

Mix and knead into a stiff dough.

Roll out and cut. (I am a horrible baker and I cannot roll dough for the life of me, so this process took longer than it would a normal person)

My first batch were cut and ready to bake!

Trooper surpervised.

40 minutes later....

These turned out great, and smelled pretty good actually.

Trooper approves.

Trooper's First Christmas

2009-12-16T10:02:00.000-06:00

Technically not his first, but this is his first Christmas with us.

He got a squirrel toy. He loves to chase squirrels!

We also got him this huge bone! He can barely carry the thing.

Christmas wore him out!

Oatmeal Returns

2009-12-15T14:37:00.000-06:00

I finally had time for a yummy relaxing breakfast. Oatmeal, with some pumpkin and apples mixed in there!

I also hit the gym for about 2 hours today! It was awesome!

On Sunday the hubby and I ran the Jingle Bell Run and I took my last final. The race was not good. I should have just skipped once my final got moved. My body was mentally and physically exhausted. The first mile was a struggle and it only went downhill from there. I was just really down on myself and then my performance got worse.

The entire race I was just thinking about how I was running bad and I would probably go do bad on my test. Negative thoughts, negative thoughts. (These have been known to be a side effect of law school.)

Anyway I ended up finishing 30th out of 1312 in my age group. Some of these runners were all-stars. There were 5:50 paces for the 5 mile run.

But the race benefitted the YMCA, so I am glad we did it.

My husband did great, and actually beat me by 1 minute. (That will never happen again, haha).

Moral of the story: Don't race when you in the middle of finals. Bad on the body and the mind.

Here is a little family Christmas Picture, and yes I made us all wear our Christmas sweaters!

Almost there

2009-12-12T19:40:00.002-06:00

1 more to go. Almost there.

3 Finals in 4 days has crushed my soul a bit and definitely made me an unpleasant person to be around. Poor hubby and Trooper!

Tax final at 6pm tomorrow.

I am running Jingle Bell Run at 2pm tomorrow. (As you recall this final was supposed to be last Friday, but moved due to weather).

I will survive.

I will go to a bar after and drink many nutritional-less, calorie full drinks. I will enjoy.

Free Holiday Sampler: 20 Songs from iTunes

2009-12-11T07:37:00.001-06:00

Free Holiday Sampler: 20 Songs from iTunes

Posted using ShareThis

3 Finals to Go

2009-12-10T14:19:00.000-06:00

All there is to say about the next 4 days. Final tonight: somewhat prepared. Final tomorrow night: Not possible to be prepared, will sleep less than 4 hours tonight. Final Sunday night: I was prepared a week ago for when it was scheduled.

I have been living off Easy Mac and apples.

Monday: I will sit in bed all day and watch daytime TV.

Giveaway to Check Out!

2009-12-09T15:20:00.000-06:00

Head over to Carrots N Cake to check out how you could win Element Bars. You design your own bar and the ingredients are great!

Coffee Giveaway

2009-12-08T07:49:00.000-06:00

In honor of my Finals Hell Week (1 down, 3 to go)...

Check out Megans Munchies for a San Marcos Coffee Giveaway!

4 Finals in the Next 6 Days!!!!!!

2009-12-07T07:59:00.001-06:00

This is a little bonus post before I return to blogging from finals. Finals are not going well this semester, and Houston's little "snow day" threw off my entire study schedule and study mojo. I now have 4 finals this week, none of which I have even begun studying for! Law school has made me strive for mediocre and it makes me a little sad.

But...on another note, here are some eats:

Spaghetti Squash bake!

Soooo good. And this one spaghetti squash gave me 4 huge meals! Click here for a rundown on how to make the spaghetti squash bake. For this batch I used frozen spinach, peppers, onions, and some shredded carrots for my veggies.

Giant bowls of pumpkin oats have been enjoyed!

Homemade sourdough garlic bread. Could have eaten the whole loaf in one sitting.

Fake pasta. I prepare a thing of Easy Mac (yes I eat the weird orange cheese substance) then add in sauteed frozen vegetables. I then stir in Parmesan cheese and sometimes even half a wedge of Laughing Cow. This stuff is actually really good and takes a whole 5 minutes to prepare!

Last night I made a Pumpkin Milk Shake.

1/2 to 3/4 cup of Edy's Slow Churned Light Vanilla

1/2 cup canned pumpkin

handful of ice cubes

milk

lots of pumpkin pie spice

Blend up then top with whip cream! Pretty darn good stuff!

(Sorry there are no exact measures-I hate measuring! Rarely do. This may be why my baking skills are lacking!)

Want to know what fruits and vegetables are in season? Click here for a list of produce, tips for picking the best one, and tips on storing.

As you know, I will be running my first half marathon on Valentine's Day in Austin! Here is the training schedule I am following.

I am entering Week 3 and so far have kept up with the schedule completely! Competing in the planned 5k, 10k, etc. races may not happen because 1) races are expensive and 2) it is hard to always find races for that exact weekend. Regardless, I will run that distance at a race pace for the scheduled day.

The hubby and I are planning on returning to Indiana for Christmas this year (and Michigan). Any tips for training in the cold? I haven't run in cold weather for over 2 years now!

Snow in Houston????

2009-12-04T11:30:00.000-06:00

Snow and 33 degrees? Are you kidding me?????

It is hard to tell, but it is really coming down out there. And this is spoken from someone who spent 22 years in north-central Indiana.

Here is Trooper in the snow.

Trooper did not like the snow, or the cold. We came inside after 2 minutes and he buried himself in a blanket.

Please send Brain Waves

2009-11-30T16:43:00.001-06:00

Headed to my first final! I am beyond confused with all the Rules of Evidence, I am just hoping something clicks!

Please send all your smart brain waves my way starting at 6pm!!

My First Final is Tomorrow!!!!

2009-11-29T17:46:00.000-06:00

Needless to say I am very unprepared! My studying this semester just has not been as productive as it should be.

At 6pm tomorrow I will be taking my final on Evidence. I have not memorized all the Federal Rules of Evidence, but have memorized most of the hearsay rules thankfully! I will be up late tonight studying, then do practice questions tomorrow!

The rest of the week will be dedicated to Tax. Tax final is Friday night. Then next week I have 3 finals! Ugh!

Anyway, sorry for my major complaining vent. I will return to regular blogging after December 12th I promise!!!

Wish me luck!

Hope you all are enjoying top beginning of the holiday season!

Happy Turkey Day

2009-11-26T15:34:00.001-06:00

For not celebrating the holiday, we have had a decent day here in Houston. The weather is beyond beautiful! The hubby and I had a nice 40 minute (4miles-ish) run this morning at Memorial. I was glad to see there were a lot of runners out there.

There was not stuffing our bellies with endless calories, but we enjoyed some good food and watched a Christmas movie.

I made a pretty decadent turkey sandwich.

This is lightly toasted sourdough bread

1 Swiss Laughing Cough Cheese

Thinly sliced apple

turkey slices

thinly sliced onions

sprinkle of moz. cheese

drizzle of balsamic vingarette

I then broiled this for a few minutes until warm and gooey

Soooo good! My husband was extremely jealous and actually ate a huge chunk of my sandwich when I walked into the kitchen to get a napkin!

On the side I had apple slices not pictured and handful of chex mix.

Double Layer Pumpkin Pie

I followed this recipe, EXCEPT I used a store bought reduced fat graham cracker crust, Splenda instead of sugar, and used a pumpkin pie spice mix for the spices. I also used about 3 times more spice because I really, really like pumpkin pie spice!

Store bought crust--so much easier

Mixing the cream cheese part (I used my Kitchen-Aid stand mixer because I love this thing!)

Separating 1 cup cream cheese mixture-adding in 1/2 cup pumpkin (that leaves leftover pumpkin for oats tomorrow~)

Cream cheese layer then pumpkin mix layer

I over-baked mine a bit as you can tell

But it still tasted just fine!!!!!!!!

Studying

2009-11-25T09:22:00.000-06:00

I am quite a sight this week. When I get up from my computer, there is a circle of books, papers, notes, flashcards that radiates out from the center.

Not to gross you out, but I actually did not shower for two days! Yes, that is how intense studying for finals is while in law school.

Currently I am trying to master Evidence. My final is Monday. I will not be celebrating Thanksgiving although I was given a wonderful offer by my friends in Houston!

Please wish me luck in memorizing all the Federal Rules of Evidence in the next few days!!!!

Here are some highlights of food:

Central Market Bar stock up--Yum!

Turkey, hummus, lettuce, spicy mustard on Arnold Mult-Grain Sandwich Thin

Side of carrots and pretzels

Brain Lunch (or so I would like to think)

The hubby and I had baked sweet potatoes last night. I don't like skin on potatoes (I know it has fiber and goodness for you, but I just can't stand it!) I peeled my potato, chopped it into large chunks and microwaved until tender. I then rolled a foil packet and added butter, brown sugar (Splenda mix), cinnamon, and drizzle of honey. I let this heat in the oven while I microwaved the hubby's sweet potato

I added a little Kashi on top. I like my sweet potatoes SWEET! We also had a slice of toasted sour dough bread.

I have had a rough week with stress, so the cheer me up Jordan put a costume on the doggie! I laughed so hard!

He is such a good sport!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope you all enjoy the holiday, I plan on doing a 4-5 mile run tomorrow then studying all day! The hubby will be busy with football.

Things I Thankful for:

My legs-they allow me to run all the miles that I do

My husband- who is supporting me while in school, and deals with a spouse in law school (it is not easy folks)

Trooper-he makes me smile on even the worst day

My brain-it amazes me the amount of information I have learned in my life

My friends-friends are my family and I am thankful for all of their support

What are you thankful for?

11.5 Miles + Some Inspiration

2009-11-22T13:49:00.000-06:00

Good Morning All. (Actually Afternoon!)

Yesterday was a very rainy and cold (TX cold of 50 degrees) and I only got in 3 miles + elliptical. So this morning the hubby and I got up and decided to get in some serious miles!

We ran from our apartment to a park, did a 3 mile loop at the park (the hubby didn't this part of the run), then ran back to the apartment for a total of about 11.5 miles! Woo-hoo!

It felt awesome, and I was really pushing it the last 2-3 miles!

After ice, shower, snack, we went to Academy and I searched for running tights for when we head back Midwest for Christmas.

Fact: Running tights are not flattering on anyone!

On the plus side, I found Pumpkin Pie and Gingerbread Clif bars! I bought two of each to try!

We then hit up Central Market--my favorite grocery store ever!

We got all kinds of goodies!

Then it was time for lunch! Surprisingly I was not really hungry at all. That could be either stress or that sometimes my appetite leaves when I exercise a lot.

I made this ginormous yogurt mess. It had half a HUGE apple, greek yogurt mixed with canned pumpkin, cinnamon, Kashi, and honey! This was huge and I ate the whole darn thing!

We couldn't resist this fresh loaf of sour-dough bread at CM, so I lightly toasted a slice with jam. So good I nibbled before I could get the picture in!

Need Some Inspiration?

My best friend is a very creative and positive person and sent me these photos. She has been dealing with a relationship that was very unhealthy and hurtful. To remind herself that she is amazing (She is!) she created post-its with inspirational sayings and lyrics.

Please remember you are WORTH IT!

Trick Yourself Thin

2009-11-19T16:36:00.000-06:00

Check out this article that I found on Active.com's facebook feed.

P. S. Check out # 7 to see Purdue representing! Makes me wish I would have majored in Food Sciences instead of Pre Law a bit.

I live in the 14th Fattest State

2009-11-18T06:51:00.002-06:00

Ugh...Texas and I just don't mesh well.

Tax Time

2009-11-18T06:49:00.000-06:00

This week is my Tax study week along with finishing up classes, so I may have to go off radar until the weekend. I am very overwhelmed with work right now.

I will give you a few food pictures to tide over.

"Baked" Apple Dessert

Salad bigger than my head, and I ate every last bite!

Pasta with Parmesan asparagus

Roasted asparagus

"Baked" apple dessert in a fun martini glass.

How to make:

Dice up 1 small-medium apple

Heat in sauce pan med heat

Add a couple tablespoons water, cinnamon, sugar

Cover and heat. Stir occasionally until apples reach desired tenderness.

I top mine with a bit of Kashi, spoon of Yoplait Thick and Creamy cinnamon roll yogurt, and drizzle with honey.

Dinner for Two Please

2009-11-16T18:51:00.000-06:00

As you know I am really bogged down with studying right now, so the hubby and I have had two really nice relaxing dinners the past two nights.

Sunday night:

Start of a really good stir-fry: chopped mushrooms, onion, and pineapple chunks (from a can)

Added in these

Also added in sliced carrots and black beans for some extra protein since this was a meat-free dish. (I must mention is extremely hard to get the hubby to eat anything without meat)

Final Product...Yum Yum!

Monday Night:

Salad Bar

Toppings

Blank slate

My salad.

Time to get back to studying.

Food Coma Weekend

2009-11-15T12:39:00.000-06:00

Although I managed to run 9 miles Saturday and 6 miles today. I am still suffering food hangover. I even skipped breakfast--which never ever happens!!!!

After my Saturday run, I toasted up a Whole Wheat Flax waffle, smeared on some pureed pumpkin, cinnamon, and honey. I ate this on the walk to the bar for a dual Alumni Watch Party. Because the game did not go well for us, I won't talk about it more. But I ended up drinking at screw driver at 10am (hello college days) and 2 beers.

I also snagged a pretty good hot dog from the Alumni Club. They were cooking out on the grill. Even toasted to bun. I actually love hot dogs cooked on charcoal...tastes like summer fun. (P.S. It is over 80 here still, so it feels like summer fun)

Dinner was at Chuys (Mexican cuisine) to celebrate a friend's birthday. I ordered a pretty darn good soup and salad combo. I could not resist the Tortilla soup! This was really good tortilla soup. Chunks of white meat chicken, tomatoes, celery, corn, avocado, and spices.

My soup cam with this large-sized dinner salad. I ended up eating about half.

Before we ordered I literally downed an entire basket of chips and jalapeno dip all by myself!

Needless to say I was uncomfortable stuffed!

We hit up a bar for a bit and headed home early to take the doggie out!

My husband also drove all the way back from the burbs at midnight to surprise Trooper and I. Trooper might have been disappointed because he had quite quickly moved into Jordan's spot on the bed and even claimed the pillow!

Unpictured for the day are 4 snickerdoodle cookies and a brownie! Yes, that is a ridiculous amount of sweets and goodness knows how many calories. The realization that I have not started studying seriously hit me yesterday and when a package arrived with homemade bake goods I had a mini-melt down. I admit I felt pretty darn guilty/bad about eating that many cookies (large cookies at that). I am working really hard to get my pre-Texas body back and to drop a few pounds that have crept on from being inactive. Being as short as I am (barely over the 5ft mark) even five pounds can have a pretty negative effect on how my body looks and how I preform athletically.

What do you do to get past a calorie overload? Or how do you keep yourself on track?

For me, I ran 6 miles today when I had planned on 3 earlier this week. I am also going to be way more careful throughout the week to negate all those sugar calories!

Now onto Sunday:

The hubby and I woke up and hit the park. I did a very slow, food/sugar hangover 6 miles. The hubby even managed to run 2 and walk 2. We came home, took the dog on a nice little walk, then hit Sams to stock up until the new year.

At Sams I found a pretty good deal on Arnold's Sandwish Thins, so I decided to cave in and finally give them a try. Upon opening the bad I noticed they had a pretty nice hearty smell to them. I also liked that you could see grains on the texture.

I just lightly toasted my thin, then added red pepper hummus, turkey, mushrooms, and lettuce.

On the side was carrots and grapes.

I really wasn't hungry given all the food I ate yesterday, but I knew my body needed some nutrients after my run this morning.

The rest of the day is dedicated to getting my classwork done(only one more week) and trying to cram in 3 weeks worth of studying into one week!

Wish me luck!

Food Recap for Thursday and Friday

2009-11-13T19:23:00.000-06:00

Food highlights from Thursday and Friday:

Tuna/black bean wrap with carrots for lunch Thursday.

Thursday night we had breakfast for dinner! I love breakfast--it is definitely my favorite meal of the day!

I had a HUGE bowl of pumpkin oats with Kashi and honey on top.

Cup of iced Joe, cup of OJ

The hubby had a HUGE omelet with peppers, onions, and Salami. Two pieces of wheat toast on the side. My hubby likes the Sara Lee "kids" bread.

Friday night was this frozen pizza which I doctored up with nice sized baby ports! Yum, yum!

I had a bite of this ice cream sandwich.

My hubby made brownies, so I ended up eating a brownie with pumpkin ice cream! Oh goodness...food coma!

Good thing I have a nice long run planned for the morning.

Right now it is studying while watching the Friday night Criminal Minds Mini-Marathon on A & E. I love Criminal Minds!

A Post Dedicated to Shoes

2009-11-12T17:05:00.000-06:00

After the 9 miles last Saturday I decided it was time for new shoes!

These babies are awesome! Like clouds of cushion under my feet! (And they were on sale)

There is nothing like a new pair of shoes to motivate me!

There is also extra padding around the top part of the heel. I have super skinny heels and ankles so it is very hard to find shoes that my heels don't pull out of, but these fit like a glove!

Fun Fact Day

2009-11-12T07:08:00.000-06:00

While many runners prefer warmer/cooler temps, 55 degrees is considered to be the ideal running temperature. For every 20 degrees above/below 55 degrees a runner will see a 7% degradation in their running ability.

This Fact was found over at Spark People's Running Quiz

This may explain why I pretty much had to quit running this summer when the temps were 110 everyday!

Dinner last night was Subway. We were tired and I did not feel like cooking.

I also had a small bowl of Pumpkin ice cream-I had an excuse, my throat is still sore and ice cream makes it feel better!

Breakfast this morning was baked apple oatmeal again-still delicious!

Family Code here I come!

Another Popcorn Giveaway!

2009-11-11T16:11:00.000-06:00

Awhile back I mentioned that Megan's Munchies was hosting a gourmet popcorn giveaway, well...she is hosting another one!

Head over to check it out!

My Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health Contest Entry

2009-11-11T15:36:00.000-06:00

I need a weekend away to relax and say "Ohm" because I am a law student with two weeks until finals. Exercise has been pushed to the back burner and all forms of relaxation disappeared weeks ago! This semester I have a final the Monday after Thanksgiving, so I will be studying Federal Rules of Evidence instead of celebrating!

I would love a weekend of relaxation and wellness as a reward for surviving finals!

This great contest is brought to you buy Oikos- my favorite Greek Yogurt! (P.S. my favorite flavor is the one with honey!)

Check out their facebook page here!

Brain Food

2009-11-11T15:17:00.000-06:00

I am still trying to get over this illness, aka I sleep all the time. Sleep is bad for studying, so my posting will be limited.

Today I had an awesome brain power snack after class. Gala apple sliced with cinnamon. I made peanut butter dip by using about one and half teaspoons of PB with 2 tablespoons of Dannon Light n Fit Vanilla. I used my mini-drink whisk to mix together until smooth! So good!

Also a few cocoa roasted almonds-they seem like a brain food to me!

Finals Time

2009-11-10T08:02:00.000-06:00

Started my morning with baked apple oatmeal. So good.

I used the stove for oats because I forget to set them overnight. I cooked the oats normally 1/2 oats, 1 cup water. While they were cooking I microwaved diced apple with cinnamon and splash of water for 1 minute. At the end I mixed the apples into the pot and let them cook just a minute or two more.

Yum!

Last night the apartment complex had their monthly meal and last night's theme was Thanksgiving dinner. I of course filled my plate with a sample of everything. We more than likely will not be celebrating this year because I have a final on Monday, so I needed to get some traditional food in now!

Sunday night we went over to a friend's to watch football. I packed a salad and topped it with a piece of the grilled chicken they made. I may or may not have stolen some cheese fries!

This is me hanging my award from the 10k!!!

I must return to the books. I hope to post again soon!

9 Miles!!!

2009-11-08T07:36:00.000-06:00

After not running or exercising this much due to sickness I decided Saturday morning was a makeup. Since I was going to pick my award for placing in the 10k( my first ever 10k) I decided I should earn it...again. Hit the park and I pushed out 9 miles. I have to thank my hubby who ran with me the last 3 because I wanted to quit due to a blister. I am so glad I finished!

On the way home I picked up some new running shoes on sale!

Breakfast was toast eaten on the way out the door (unpictured).

Lunch was a New Greek Yofurt that I found at the grocery store. It is about 50 cents cheaper than Oikos.

Such an amazing texture!

I piled it into a yogurt bowl with berries, Kashi, cinnamon, and honey.

On the side was two pieces of toast. One jam, on PB.

Then I worked on my outline for hours.

Dinner was a side salad. I apologize, this picture will not turn the right direction.

FlatOut pizza. I have found I must use tinfoil like with a pie crust because my oven cooks unevenly.

This baby has mushrooms, spinach, peppers, and onions. Delicious!

BOILER UP!

2009-11-07T14:23:00.000-06:00

Hail Purdue! Boiler Up!

For those of you who do not watch Big Ten Football, Purdue has beaten Michigan in the Big House for the first time since 1966 (my parents were not even alive the last time we won).

Purdue also upset Ohio State this year.

In other words, we are AWESOME!

P.S. In other Big Ten news...Northwestern upset No. 4 Iowa today in Iowa City! Go Wildcats!

Soup, Soup, Soup

2009-11-06T15:21:00.000-06:00

I have been sleeping, studying, and attending class only this week! I am exhausted and not feeling much better!

Since I love butternut squash and I love soup I thought logically I would love butternut squash soup. Wrong. I did not care for this at all. I think I really only care for tomato based soups.

So I got out this can from the pantry. Now this was yummy.

I also made a sammie. Sorry for the weirdly bright picture. I used 1 wedge laughing cow, some pasta sauce, and some shredded cheese. Toasted.

This soup was good and full of lots of vegetable chunks, noodles, and mini-meatballs.

Lots of leftover Halloween candy was consumed this week...ugh it needs to be out of sight!

Sick, Sick, Sick

2009-11-05T06:50:00.000-06:00

Wouldn't you know I get sick right in finals crunch time? I have a final starting November 30th and I haven't really started to study. I am going to be in major trouble! I did about 4 hours of work yesterday then went to bed at 830! I knew my body needs rest to recover. I also skipped the gym, hoping all my energy will go to fighting this bug off!

I woke up this morning not feeling much worse, so I guess that is good. On a bad note, my hubby woke up with a headache-which is how I started to feel bad.

Anyway, let me give you some of my eats over the last few days:

Fruit and Yogurt Bowls topped with Kashi and Cinnamon(of course)

Toast with Palmer's Sugar-Free Blackberry Jam with Fiber

Butternut Squash-roasted with cinnamon, sugar, and honey---Mmmm

Store bought salad. This was actually really good, although I realize I had accidentally stirred the toppings underneath in this picture!

Want to score some icing? (Who doesn't eat that stuff right off the spoon!) Head over to Megan's Munchies to check out a giveaway for icing and jewelry!

Out for now! Posting will be slow until I get over this illness!

Anyone interested in doing a guest blog post on CardioFoodie?

Love Handles

2009-11-04T06:17:00.000-06:00

Check out this article posted on the Houston Chronicle's website about why your hubby or significant other could be making you fat.

Very interesting, I know that my husband and I were very guilty of this our first year of marriage. We got married, we moved to a new city, we felt that everyday was a new experience we should embrace. However, Texas portions quickly added to both of our waistlines. We are working hard to get back to our normal routines.

Good Morning

2009-11-03T07:22:00.000-06:00

It is semi-brisk this morning. Work up at little after 5 and hit the gym. Much needed gym time. I am really stressed right now dealing with studying and the total let down that my family always is. After 45 minutes of sweat time I needed to get to studying.

I got locked out of my building because my key fob wasn't unlocking the gate-luckily my husband overslept and was still in the apartment to come let me in.

Breakfast was instant oats. There was no picture because they overflowed into the microwave and it just wasn't a pretty sight.

However this is...

Ah the makings of my morning coffee

Who Doesn't Love Party Food?

2009-11-02T16:11:00.002-06:00

Head over to Megan's Munchies and check out the picture of great looking party food! I especially love the candy sushi!

Lack of Blogging

2009-11-02T15:42:00.000-06:00

I apologize for the lack of blogging. On top of my weekend being packed full ( I was literally home like 30 minutes a day) I have been dealing with some family issues. I don't want to go into details but lets just say there is a reason I moved 1,000 miles from home and I was reminded this weekend.

Anyway let me give you some of my 10 K Run Photos!

Pre-Race-ready to go!

Yes that is my costume!

Getting started! Boy was it cold!

The hubby caught me in the air, kinda cool!

Final stretch.

Post race! I ended up finishing 1st in my age group! Woo-hoo! I got lucky in that there were only 17 in my age group, but I still did so much better than I though I would given I went to a party the night before.

The one thing I didn't like about this race was the lack of mile markers. I could have pushed so much harder and shaved my time down because I wasn't even breathing hard at the end, but there was not way to tell how far I had gone.

Overall, it was a fun race and I am signing up again next year!

Halloween party Friday night. I was a hunter and my husband a deer!

Sunday at the Wings Over Houston airshow. My husband got fried and I got tan lines in November! I am still totally not adjusted to living in the sub-tropic region!

Gourmet dog cookies for Trooper!

Fun links for those in the Houston area:

Top 5 Sauces that Make Chains Worth Visiting

Cool Polish Market I want to check out!

Preview

2009-10-31T10:42:00.000-05:00

I have to go to an Alumni Watch party in ten minutes, so here is a little preview of my 10k race from this morning!

It was cold out! And yes, I am wearing a costume!

Last Minute Rescue

2009-10-30T07:02:00.000-05:00

My hubby almost threw out this nearly empty peanut butter jar. Luckily I swooped in and rescued it last minute! This morning was pumpkin oats in the pb jar!

I also did Pilates this morning for the first time in quite awhile. I love how aware it makes me feel of my body. The video I follow is for beginners so it is slower and focuses on the moves and your muscles.

Tonight: Law School Halloween Party (I will not be drinking ghoulish treats)

Tomorrow 8am: 10k Race

**For those of you wondering why I would schedule myself like that...I had signed up for the race quite awhile ago assuming that the Halloween Party would actually be on Halloween (crazy-I know). I had planned on running the 10k that morning then going out Saturday night; however, plans change. So I will be attending the festivities and limiting myself to one or two drinks and going light on the greasy bar food. It is important to remember that you can live a healthy lifestyle and still go out with friends!

Rainy Days

2009-10-29T08:20:00.000-05:00

After hitting the gym this morning I made a nice bowl of oats. Sadly I made the instant packet kind because I didn't want to wait. I also topped my oatmeal with a crumbled slice of my mom's apple bread. Yum!

Last night was pizza night!

Sorry this photo is sideways-it would not upload correctly! Anyway, I tried using FlatOut Light Italian for crust instead of my usual wheat tortilla.

I could already tell this was going to be genius!

Loaded that baby up with spinach, peppers, onions, and fresh baby portabellas! Sprinkled a little cheese on top.

I just broiled this one. So good! Still manage to burn the very outer edge!

Very good pizza! The two middle pieces were a little soggy on the crust, I think I needed to bake the Flatout longer before adding toppings.

Dessert was warm apple bread with a spoonful of pumpkin ice cream...all drizzled with honey!

Received this Luna bar in the mail to try. Chocolate Peppermint Stick...reminds me of the holidays!

Outlining continues. School continues. I am ready for Christmas Break!

B-Fast

2009-10-27T08:03:00.000-05:00

After hitting the gym this morning starting my day with this perfection bowl of pumpkin oats! Seriously one of the best bowls I have ever made!!!

Check out this article about high calorie Halloween Treats!

I must start incorporating strength training into my week, I miss having muscle definition!

Squash-tastic!

2009-10-27T07:55:00.000-05:00

Italian Stuffed Sqaush

Sauteed frozen spinach, diced onions, baby ports.

Whole grain rice-I really wish I had couscous

Mixed scoop of rice with spinach mixture and pasta sauce to make stuffing.

Stuffed the acorn squash. To cook squash I cut in half and baked cut down for 40 minutes.

While making the main dish was cooking I also threw in some stuffed baby ports. Yum!

I ate four of these-the hubby wasn't fast enough!

Finished squash. After stuffing I topped with mozzarella and baked additional 10-15 minutes until cheese browned slightly. You could also use broiler.

All together now by the candle light. I served the extra stuffing, but these squash were so filling neither of use needed more.

Delicious. That is some extra stuffing so you can see what it looked like mixed.

An hour later I did treat myself to Yoplait Key Lime Pie yogurt for dessert!

Sunday Recap

2009-10-25T12:07:00.000-05:00

Good morning. My breakfast/lunch is pictured above. Frozen berries, Dannon Light & Fit, Kashi, Pb, and cinnamon.

It has been a busy busy weekend. Friday night I began my outlining...ugh. Ended up falling asleep buried in books around 8:30. I guess I was pretty tired.

Saturday morning, woke up, ran 6 miles, had review class at 10, then Alumni game watching party at 11. After game I came home and outlined more. Met the girls later in the evening and we watched Sixteen Candles...ah I love 80s movies.

Sunday: slept until 8!!! Ran to Walmart, ran 3 miles and walked 1 (the hubby joined me so we lightened the mileage), came home and ate my yogurt bowl pictured above. Now it is time for the Texans game and homework.

Highlights from this week:

Honey Crisp apples with cinnamon

Hubby brought me home Fall Flowers

I ate pumpkin oats for soooo many meals this week! And they were all delicous!

Goodies to cook this week!

TGIF

2009-10-23T06:55:00.000-05:00

Well Thursday was gone and done before I knew it. And not much finals studying was had. Ugh. It is incredibly hard to keep up with preparing for class (for those in law school-you know how time consuming it is) and find time to memorize everything from the entire semester for all 5 classes!

Anyways I got in a bit of a workout yesterday. 20 minutes on the elliptical and then 20 minutes on the treadmill [combination of sprints, jogs, and inclined walks].

Lunch was a sandwich. It had hummus, tzatziki sauce, and shredded carrots. I was using up ingredients in the fridge, and this thing was actually really good!

Also a cup of Campbell's Tomato Bisque Soup...pretty good, not as great as I was expecting though.

Dinner was the last of my spaghetti squash (sad)! I added in some frozen spinach, peppers, onions, cheese, seasonings, and put it under the broiler. On the side a piece of burnt makeshift garlic bread and sample of Balsamic chicken I made for the hubby!

Dessert was all about Fall and Halloween. Half a cookie, bowl of pumpkin ice cream topped with a few crushed cocoa roasted almonds, and honey.

I may have had a second (small) bowl of pumpkin ice cream with Kashi Go Lean and honey on top-tasted frozen Pumpkin Pie!

Friday is here and I am hitting the elliptical to keep my legs loose for my long run tomorrow morning!

Hit the Gym, Not the Books

2009-10-22T09:16:00.000-05:00

Okay, that may be a little off basis but it is a nice thought. While at the gym this morning (ironic) I watched a segment on Good Morning America about how exercise may actually make you smarter. According to the study exercising increases awareness, reaction time, etc. I tend to agree with this study. I hit the gym for 30 minutes every morning during finals crunch time. It focuses me so that my studying is actually productive.

Check out the segment on GMA's website by clicking here.

Guest Bloggers: If anyone would be interested in doing a guest post please let me know.

Who Loves Ice Cream?

2009-10-22T06:23:00.000-05:00

Me, me me!!!

Head over to Tri to Cook to enter a chance to win an ice cream maker by Cuisinart.

Food Recap

2009-10-22T06:20:00.001-05:00

I began my very rainy Thursday with a giant bowl of pumpkin oats!

I am going to recap some of the food I have been eating lately since studying has prevented my blogging.

I cooked a nice big spaghetti squash. I actually had to have my husband cut it in half because it was really hard! Please be careful when you are cutting these.

Place cut side down for 30 minutes at 375. Flip over, dress with butter, seasonings, etc. and cook additional 30 minutes cut side up...delicious! I made my squash bake from earlier this week first.

Last night I used the remaining half for this cheese baked squash. I am out of pasta sauce so I drizzled olive oil, seasonings, and cheese all over squash and broiled until cheese was brown on top.

Goodness.

Sorry for the blurry picture. My husband also bought some of the soft-baked Halloween cookies. These are my absolute favorite store bought cookies- so soft!!!! I have eaten my fare share this week!

Another delicious bowl of regular oats with honey from earlier this week!

French Press Time

2009-10-21T15:36:00.000-05:00

It happened. I got a French Press.

Here is my new toy:

Time to brew...

New Coffee. We decided to use the French Press at like midnight, so I could not go buy fresh ground beans so some Starbucks House Blend will have to work.

Brewing.....I let it go about 5 minutes.

Perfection.

MIA

2009-10-20T06:19:00.000-05:00

I apologize for being missing in the blog world lately. Unfortunately this is the beginning of finals crunch for law school, and studying is my number one priority. My blogging will be slimming down until finals are over in early December. For those of you unfamiliar with law school: you only take one test-your final. My entire grade rides on it; therefore I go MIA for about 5 weeks beforehand.

Some of latest eating adventures:

I started with my cooked spaghetti squash. I put half the cooked squash in a small baking dish.

Sauteed up some spinach and artichoke hearts

Then layered the spinach mix, cheese, pasta sauce, and Parmesan on top. Baked at 400 until cheese was golden brown. YUM!!!! I resisted eating the whole thing straight from the dish.

Instead I took a HUGE bowl!

Paired with a piece of Light Wheat toast spread with Garlic and Herb Laughing Cow (makeshift garlic bread)

It was delicious. My husband was jealous. I am considering letting him take the leftovers for lunch....considering.

Tuesday morning: a pretty darn awesome bowl of "baked" cinnamon apple oats.

I got up to hit the gym at 540 and found it to be full! Ugh! Part of me was glad people are exercising, the other part was seriously angry because I go to the gym everyday at that time and none of them have been there before and today they ruined my entire routine.

I am eating oatmeal, blogging, reading Family Law, then hitting the gym at 7. I am willing to push someone off my treadmill! (Probably not really)

Sunday Recap

2009-10-19T11:40:00.000-05:00

Biggest news is the amazing weather! Soooo thankful!

Lunch was bought at Central Market-they have my favorite salad ever! This salad is made with a spring mix lettuce, olives, roasted red peppers, feta cheese, quiona, hummus, pita, and more I can't even list! So good, and so filling!

I had dessert. Yoplait Whips. I warn that I was super hungry all day yesterday so a large amount of food was consumed.

Snack was White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cliff Bar- really more a dessert bar than snack bar.

My hubby made me dinner! I felt like pancakes, and honestly he makes way better pancakes then me. (He did not want his picture taken.) You can see Trooper in the bottom corner helping us make dinner.

Whole Wheat Flax pancake mix pancakes. Topped with cinnamon, canned pumpkin, and maple syrup! Yum! Yum!

Dessert was more pumpkin! I cannot help the pumpkin obsession when we have Fall-like weather! This was Dreyer's pumpkin pie ice cream! So good!

Stay tuned this evening for a post about my new French Press and spaghetti sqaush!

Beautiful Morning

2009-10-18T10:32:00.000-05:00

After a pretty crazy day yesterday (way too much alcohol and excitement from game win!) I suprisingly got up about 630 this morning, started my homework, then went on an easy 3 mile run with the hubby. It was about 60 degrees...which is amazing!!!!

I finally have oatmeal again, and made pumpkin oats this morning.

I was not very hungry so only ate about half of these.

Last night when we headed home we were both pretty hungry, so we caved as we passed Whataburger

This was actually a really good hamburger. If you can't tell from the picture, there were two ginormous tomato slices, lettuce, onion slices, and pickles. And the thing was not greasy, which is hard to do with fast food hamburgers.

Busy Friday

2009-10-16T22:32:00.000-05:00

I apologize that this post will not be complete, but my Friday flew by me! Good news is that my hubby is home!

Breakfast was the usual yogurt bowl and cinnamon sugar toast. Unpictured because I rushed through b-fast in order to hit the gym for 40 minutes on the elliptical watching Saved by the Bell- college years-it was the best start to a Friday morning I have had in awhile!!

The hubby and dog picked me up from school today! I was starving because I forgot to pack lunch and only ate the Fiber One bar stashed in my locker.

I got home and made half a quesadilla. I did not take a picture because honestly the thing did not look pretty, but tasted great!

whole wheat tortilla

black bean salsa

laughing cow cheese wedge

1 artichoke heart

black pepper

Yummy!

I also snacked on a TON of carrots and red pepper hummus!

I ate multiple servings of hummus and at least two giant carrots!

The hubby snacked on chicken nuggets and these chips. I grabbed a few of the chips. They were okay. For some reason I only like original chips, no flavors. I love the simply sea salt Miss Vickies.

The hubby and I also hit up happy hour with the school. I ended up drinking two BudLights and two waters-I must learn to stay hydrated while I am planning long runs!

On the way home we discovered a taco stand setup just a couple blocks from our apartment. We decided to stop-good decision.

Shrimp taco. Amazing. Grilled shrimp, shredded carrot, cabbage, and avocado.

Chicken taco. Grilled chicken, guacamole, grilled onion, diced tomatoes.

After sampling a bit of each...

I went with the shrimp taco. I was soooooo good! We just don't have this kind of food in Indiana!

After a few bites of chocolate and some more water it is off to bed.

Hoping to get in 6 miles tomorrow!

I am Always hungry

2009-10-15T19:26:00.000-05:00

It is true. I feel like I am always hungry. Working my brain all day makes me tired and hungry!

I cheated on lunch. I ate this tuna salad kit.

With carrots and hummus on the side.

And the other half of my Okios with half a Fiber One bar. And chocolate sauce!

Then it was off to school.

Dinner was really breakfast. I used instant oatmeal ( I am out of regular oats), with peanut butter, pumpkin, and the other half of my Fiber One bar. I pretty much put the whole pantry in my oatmeal tonight...and it was good.

Had a piece of cinnamon sugar toast.

Dessert was Boston Cream Pie flavored yogurt with cocoa roast almonds and chocolate sauce. Soooo good!

I also snacked on a bag of 100 calorie popcorn throughout the day.

Now it is tax time.

Hopefully the husband makes it home tomorrow- Trooper needs to calm down, and I need sleep!!

Early Morning, Real Early

2009-10-15T06:47:00.000-05:00

Well, the dog woke me up around 3:30 this morning. He was whining and anxious. I knew he did not need to go out because I took him out right before bed. I think he has gotten very confused and anxious with the hubby gone for this long of a period. Anyway, I turned on the light, pet him, and told him to let me sleep a couple more hours...five minutes later I hear noises. I get up and he is digging threw the trash!!!!! I could not believe it. Trooper does not chew or touch anything that he is not supposed. I mean not one thing (which is saying a lot because we leave laundry all over the place!). After I had to scold him for the first time ever, I just went to bed and ignored the little guy.

I love him to death, but he is getting progressively harder to handle this week and my sleep and school work are suffering the consequences. Anyway I love the little guy regardless.

Breakfast was whatever I could easily find in the fridge. I cut up an apple, half an Okios, Kashi, and drizzled honey.

On the side, cinnamon sugar toast.

I have not made it to the gym yet. I was just too tired when I woke up. I am catching up emails, etc, doing a bit of work, then hitting the gym later this morning.

No Squash

2009-10-14T19:26:00.000-05:00

Well my plans to make spaghetti squash got halted. I got home later than planned and it was about 92 degrees; I couldn't even think about turning the oven on!

Instead I reheated the last half piece of leftover veggie pizza. No more pizza for a long time!

Veggie pizza, I also took the crust off my hubby's pizza since he is gone.

Had carrots to go with my hummus.

Dessert. My sweet tooth is out of control!

This is a pumpkin, apple parfait. It tastes like a wonderful warm apple crisp.

I attended the terrace party, I attempted to try the Chick Fil-A nugget "things"; two of them and I had had enough grease for the week!

Now it is time to play with the dog and do my homework! Gym tomorrow morning!

Yummy Looking Giveaway

2009-10-14T15:02:00.000-05:00

Head over to Food Cent's blog and check out her great giveaway of products/foods from Colorado.

Lunch was multiple snacks between classes-not blog worthy.

I am hitting up a terrace party at my school, but they are serving Domino's and Chick-Fil-A. I do not like either so I will be grabbing a couple drinks with friends then heading home to make spaghetti squash!!!

Fun Fact With Breakfast

2009-10-14T07:02:00.000-05:00

I received my new Food Network magazine yesterday...my mouth is still drooling! Guess what! Remember Coolio? Like the "rapper"? Yeah, he has a cookbook out titled Cooking with Coolio. Check out the latest magazine for a blip on that little fun fact.

Breakfast was strawberries with yogurt and Kashi.

Cinnamon sugar toast. I am really into this lately.

And a major cup of coffee (not pictured) to get me through Tax.

Pumpkin Shake for Dinner

2009-10-13T17:46:00.000-05:00

Trooper's picture to enter a pet photo contest. He is dressed as Santa's helper. I am without a car right now so I could not go buy a doggie costume, but I think I created a pretty cute one.

I snacked on a sliced apple with cinnamon.

I knew I wanted pumpkin for dinner...I am craving Fall anything because right now it is near 90 degrees!

So I made a nice big pumpkin protein shake. This thing was so good, like a pumpkin milkshake.

1 scoop vanilla protein powder

milk

canned pumpkin

sugar to taste

lots of cinnamon

Blend.

I topped mine with a few sprinkles of Kashi, cinnamon, and chocolate sauce.

Wow, this was amazing! Now I don't need to waste a million calories on the Jack N the Box pumpkin shake. Mine tastes amazing and is healthy!

I also had two pieces of cinnamon sugar Light whole wheat toast on the side.

Such a good meal!

What are some of your pumpkin creations?

90210

2009-10-13T11:19:00.000-05:00

Reading family law and watching 90210 on Soap Net. Can't believe how old the beginning ones are!

Lunch was pretty big-more like dinner sized because I ate at 1030 so I could get ready and head to school.

I had half a piece of leftover veggie pizza (still a huge piece even havled) with carrots and hummus

I also snuck in a few bits of peanut butter and chocolate. So much for kicking those sweets! I will try harder the rest of the day.

B-Fast and Granola News

2009-10-13T08:18:00.000-05:00

As you know I love Tuesdays because I have late class and get to hit the gym in the morning. Today I slept in until 6, walked the dog, then hit the gym for 30 minutes of intervals (both hill and speed) on the treadmill and 20 minutes on the elliptical-mainly just to loosen up my legs.

Breakfast was a yogurt bowl. The hubby sprung and bought my Okios!

1/2 container vanilla Okios

strawberries

Kashi Go Lean

spoon of pumpkin

lots of cinnamon

drizzle of honey

This was a serious yogurt bowl!

A blurry picture of wheat toast with jam.

Do you like Granola? What about creating your own granola? Head over to check out Carrots N Cake blog and enter the MixMyGranola giveaway.

Food- Its What I Do

2009-10-12T20:11:00.000-05:00

I will skip lunch and snacks because they consisted of granola bars and a piece of toast-boring!

When I got home from class, I drank a glass of milk with protein powder then hit the gym for 30 minutes on the elliptical. With my new mag-good read!

Then grabbed a tiny, tiny bowl of Kashi Go Lean to refuel. I did a little (very little) homework and decided to catch up on the DVR.

Then it was time for dinner. It was rainy and gray (although well over 80 degrees again) today so I felt like soup and a sammie.

I made a mushroom and spinach sammie with a wedge of garlic and herb Laughing Cow. This was one two pieces of 15 grain bread- very hearty.

While the sammie was cooking I snacked on carrots and red pepper hummus.

Vegetable soup with a scoop of hummus and sammie on the side. This meal really hit the spot!

I ate dessert again. Mainly because I have a large bag of apples to polish off. I really need to cut out desserts for awhile, sugar is a bad cycle for me, when I eat it I crave it, when I don't eat I don't want it.

Baked apples, Kashi, scoop of Okios, scoop of canned pumpkin, whipped cream, drizzle of honey! It was rich and delicious! And I managed to eat 1 1/2 apples!

Now it is Monday night football time! Go Jets!

Food Porn + Giveaway Link

2009-10-12T16:43:00.001-05:00

It is no secret...I love food. For all my foodies out there, below is a list of blogs with amazing pictures of amazing food. Enjoy the food porn.

She Runs, She Eats

Smitten Kitchen

The Pioneer Woman Cooks

The Amateur Gourmet- this blogger has a great, humorous voice as well

Love Popcorn? I know I do! Head over to Megans Munchies to enter her giveaway of gourmet popcorn! You must check out the awesome flavors available!

Breakfast + Steals

2009-10-12T07:09:00.000-05:00

Well it is already after 7 and I am just getting moving. The hubby is gone on business and I pretty much don't fall asleep until the wee hours of the morning-hence skipping my first class to sleep and do homework.

Breakfast was a piece of whole wheat toast, 1/2 container yogurt+strawberries, and coffee.

Love magazines? Check out Houston on the Cheap for a post about Hearst Magazines. Right now you can get any one of their magazine subscriptions for just $6.99!

Lots of Good Food Sunday

2009-10-11T20:11:00.000-05:00

I made the hubby a delicious and healthy breakfast! He has a hard man to talk into eating healthy.

Organic whole wheat and flax waffles, mixed berries, and 3 pieces of turkey bacon.

Because I lovingly gave Jordan the rest of the waffles I made a yogurt bowl. Included were diced apples, Yoplait Thick and Creamy Cinnamon Roll, scoop of canned pumpkin, Kashi Go Lean, and cinnamon! This bowl was big and filling!

I also ate the end piece (my favorite piece of the loaf) of our 15 grain bread with blackberry jam

I did manage to get in my run!!!! Super excited. I did 6 miles in under an hour and it felt great! By the time I got done running and Jordan got done at the store it was almost 2pm and we had not eaten lunch. We were starving and wanted to relax so we ordered pizza from the place right around the block.

We got half vegetarian and half Sicilian sausage and peppers. It was sooo good!

Jordan also ordered the cucumber salad- it was a little heavy on dressing, but pretty darn good anyway.

Yes, I was really hungry! Everything was delicious. My husband ended up eating 3 pieces of pizza and had to remain seated for about 20 minutes before he could walk.

I had a few chunks of a Balance Bar-Cookie Dough. I keep these around the house and eat them like dessert because they taste so great!

Dinner was leftover cucumber salad and garlic bread. Dessert was baked apple parfait- made with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream!

Yes, this was really as good as it looks! Needless to say I am beyond stuffed. I will be sitting on the couch doing homework and watching Knocked Up on E! for the remainder of the night.

Why Texas Makes you Fat

2009-10-11T11:42:00.000-05:00

I used to try my hardest to put on weight, but it just wouldn't happen. In the year and half I have lived in Texas I magically put on 10 pounds! If you want to know why, this blog entry over at Megans Munchies explains it.

The Deep Fried Heart of Texas

Another Beautiful Fall Day

2009-10-11T09:07:00.000-05:00

Moving to Houston has made me cherish seasons so much! I woke up this morning to rain and a cool breeze. My husband is going on a business trip this week so I really want to spend time with him today, and he was not feeling a run at 7 this morning...so I am postponing my long run. Hopefully I will go later today (I am really bad at not running if I don't do it first thing in the morning).

The good news is that Fall is my favorite clothing season. I couldn't resist putting something on even though I am just sitting around the house this morning:

Ah, long sleeve cotton dress with new boat shoes. I really want a plaid scarf to top of this outfit!

No breakfast yet, because I am really not hungry. I always eat breakfast after my workout, so we will see how the morning progresses.

Last night we had a mini-doggie date and then went with a friend to a little house warming party.

The boys who had just got a new townhome are actually from my hometown. That is how my friend (who I went to high school with and randomly ended up in Houston as well) knew them. It was nice to hang out with Midwesterners for the evening! These boys also make their own homemade brew, so Jordan was pretty darn excited! I was pretty excited because one of them is studying to become a chef...that means food!

First sample was spinach & artichoke dip with fresh baked Hawaiian Sweet Bread.

Oh goodness I carb-loaded for no reason!

My husband really enjoyed this queso dip that was loaded with meat chunks. I thought it was good although I don't care for meat in my queso dip.

My husband also sampled their homemade brew and tried a rum and cider.

I didn't have anything to drink because I was planning on my long run today and wanted to be hydrated.

Much fun was had by all and Anna and I even watched the pilot episode for original 90210 on their Netflix. (Anna and I are obsessed with 90210-the old school version!)

Lazy, Cool Saturday

2009-10-10T19:38:00.000-05:00

After the run and breakfast, we decided it was time to relax. Football, couch, naps.

I really wanted Mexican for lunch, so I made a taco salad and mini quesadilla.

Romaine, mushrooms, red pepper hummus, carrots, salsa, tortilla chip bits

Half a whole wheat tortilla, filled with 1 wedge laughing cow, mushroom slices, and salsa (so good)!

After lunch, we watched football and I took a nice long nap! After the nap we took Trooper on a walk and hung out for a bit.

Since it is finally "chilly" out here I decided I wanted something nice and warm for dinner:

Oatmeal!

Baked Apple Oatmeal

Dice up 1/4th apple, put in microwave safe bowl with little bit of cinnamon and sugar

Heat in microwave 1 minute

Warm, soft "baked" apples

Add into pan of oats with even more cinnamon and heat through.

I topped with handful of Kashi Go Lean and dollop of vanilla yogurt.

Yum!

**I signed up for my first ever 10k today. It is actually on Halloween, so I have very little time to get ready! I run 6-7 miles every Sunday but never for speed. I have decided to run the 10k for fun and exercise, not for personal time.**

Do you always race to win, to set a personal record?

For me, running has always been about feeling good, not racing.

Checkout this Giveaway and Some Good Lookin' Oats

2009-10-10T18:08:00.000-05:00

I came across this blog today and found oats! This blogger makes some really good looking oatmeal. I have never put chocolate chips in my oatmeal before, but after seeing the PB and chocolate chips oats pictured here I am definitely trying it.

Check out her giveaway and check out the whole blog, Rosey Rebecca, for awesome lookin' oats!

A miracle in Houston....

2009-10-10T11:00:00.000-05:00

Yes, this is a real photo. It is 57 degrees in Houston this morning. This is the first morning I can remember that it has not been at least 85 degrees when I woke up.

Although I had planned a day off running (mainly because I went to happy hour and had way too many drinks and way too many cheese fries), I could not resist the beautiful weather! I made it the the park before 8, and put in 4 miles in 40 minutes-a nice easy run. It felt good, really good. And my slight hangover was better.

Pre-run fuel. 15-grain toast with blackberry jam.

After my run, I was hungry and slightly chilly (Woo-hoo!)

After a hot shower I made some pumpkin pie (ugh, see my mishap) oats. They did the trick. I made only a 1/2 serving since I already had toast.

Of course I had coffee. Two cups of nice hot Snickerdoodle blend.

My husband was starving as well. Hangover munchies most likely. He wanted bacon and eggs so we whipped up some eggs and turkey bacon.

It smelled so good, I could not resist a couple pieces. I love turkey bacon. I don't notice a taste difference, but it is so much more guilt-free!

Football time!

Blog Changes

2009-10-09T18:31:00.000-05:00

I played around with the blog layout today. Let me know what you think? Like it, hate it, want the old one back?

I will probably find a different picture for the Blog Title, but oatmeal seemed pretty fitting. I think I might resize photo to make it a tad smaller.

Please leave any feedback you have

Aftenoon Snacks

2009-10-09T17:23:00.000-05:00

I really ate my lunch in multiple parts today.

After I got home, I had the remaining half of my Kashi Sample with milk. I thought it was pretty good, although I did not taste much of a difference between the original Go Lean and the Almond Honey Flax.

I made a snack plate.

Cocoa roasted almonds.

Then I made up my peanut butter dip with apples slices.

Peanut Butter Dip

scoop of PB (creamy)

vanilla yogurt (make sure it is regular yogurt so that it is a bit runny, I use Dannon Light N Fit Vanilla)

I use my little condiment dish, put in a smear of PB, then fill up with yogurt.

I use my mini-drink whisk to mix so that it is really smooth and creamy.

Apple slices with peanut butter dip....so good!

It is now off to happy hour with friends. Tomorrow will be a pure food day fast I hope! I need to rejuvenate!

So Much for Pure Food Fasting

2009-10-09T12:48:00.000-05:00

Well, I had to get out of the apartment really fast this morning to work on a group project and did not have time to prepare anything to eat during the day. I had to grab a bar to last me.

I love these Balance bars. (Although this is my least favorite flavor). I actually eat the cookie dough and mocha chip bars as dessert/candy bars.

The bar does not contain any high fructose corn syrup and does contain 15 grams of protein, so it will have to suffice. I will eat only vegetables and natural grains tomorrow...when I have time.

Bad Food Day

2009-10-09T06:13:00.000-05:00

Thursday Recap:
Things did not go any better after my oatmeal disaster.

For lunch I knew I wanted soup.

I heated up veggie soup, which ended up exploding in the microwave. Seriously. I clearly need to stay away from the microwave today.

On the side I made a mock quesadilla. I wanted a sammie, but had no bread. I used red pepper hummus, mushrooms, and salsa.

I love quesadillas, but did not enjoy the hummus. It was overpowering warm and just weird. I finished it though because I did not know how long it would be until dinner.

Dinner:

Things start to go bad again.

My husband got home and was telling me about the incident at work today. He is a safety engineer for an oil services company, so he deals with all sorts of things. Anyway literally five minutes after this conversation I am dicing up an apple and slice my finger open!

It was bleeding pretty heavily and my poor husband had to bandage my hand up today as well.

After this incident I was fed up with food and just made a sandwich with carrots and hummus on the side.

I honestly was not even hungry, but I was frustrated! I am an emotional eater, anxiety eater, bored eater...etc. Anyways I ate and then made some more bad food choices that left me in food and sugar coma. Ugh.

I made this apple parfait with the diced apples, yogurt, and Kashi. Polished most of this off. Also during the evening I managed to eat a chocolate chip cookie and 1/4th of piece of cheesecake. Ugh...sugar overload. My body does not react well to sugar, I literally feel miserable. So beyond feeling overly stuffed I had sugar hangover by about 9 pm.

I hopped on my stationary bike to try and sweat it out...no help. I woke up this morning (Friday) still in food coma and feeling stuffed. I skipped breakfast and opted for some coffee because I am tired. I am thinking about doing a semi-fast today. I don't have a workout planned so I don't need the extra energy, and I feel like my body needs a day to digest all the toxins and sugar I put in it this week.

Do you ever feel like you need a day of cleansing for your body? (I will not actually be completely fasting, but will limit my food to a few natural snacks such as apples or oats, and let my body digest the overboard of food and sugar from this week)

*Here is to hoping to feel less lethargic by tomorrow morning!

Oatmeal Disaster

2009-10-08T08:35:00.000-05:00

My morning started out great. Got to sleep in until almost 630(yes that is sleeping in), headed straight the gym and got my favorite treadmill, then elliptical, came home and was going to make my first batch of pumpkin pie oats. Here is where things start going crazy...

Got my can of pumpkin out, took a picture

Put my oats in the microwave to reheat. And then opened my can to see the pumpkin was a weird dark color and consistency. I thought maybe something was wrong until I noticed that we had accidentally bought Pumpkin Pie Mix instead of canned pumpkin. Ugh! Added sugars, oils, and goodness knows what. But I decided to just use a small spoonful for the morning and buy the right kind this weekend.

Then...I noticed that my oats had boiled up over my bowl and all over the microwave! Ugh again! I saved what I could and cleaned up the microwave.

They were not too bad, but I really dislike the taste of canned pumpkin pie mix.

After this I decided I needed some coffee, asap. I made a yummy Vanilla Iced Coffee to save the day!

Now it is time to work on some homework!

I am really needing to start strength training again. I worked really hard and did weights 3 times a week while getting ready for my wedding. It took a good year but my body transformed and was very defined and toned. Texas and law school has caused me to loose most of that, but now that I am getting back on track with running/cardio I would like to get some muscle tone back. The problem is I am just not that interested in weight training, until I see results I have no motivation to do it.

Do you have any strength training plan that really works for you? Any tips on moves I should try?