Post-Mexico Eats & Activities

Hey errbody!  (does anybody else immediately think of Tipsy - errrrbody in the club gettin' tipsy?)

Anyways, it's freakin' Monday.
My day started at 6:30 with an early shift at the gym.
Two words: Reality Check.

Since coming back from Cabo, I've actually adjusted pretty well to normalcy.  Minus the fact that we're smack dab in the middle of midterm season, so stress levels are pretty high!

I promise to do some more Mexico recap but I want to fill you in on my Sunday and Monday! 


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Sunday!


Breakfast:
I was surprisingly well rested and ready for action by 7:30 - I think I'm still riding that post-vacay high.  So, I hopped out of bed and realized I was starving but I didn't have any groceries in the house!


Remedy?
Berry Coconut Whole Wheat Pancakes! 

I added 1/3 cup of whole wheat flour, 1 handful of frozen berries, 1/2 tsp of baking power, 1/3 cup of liquid (I only had water but I usually use almond milk), 2 packets of stevia, salt, and some coconut extract.  SERIOUSLY DELICIOUS! and filling!

Workout & Lunch
I did some silly errands around the apartment.... unpacking a bit, some emailing, some blogging... then I headed out for a much-needed run.

You know those runs that you KNOW will kick your ass?  This was one of them.  I chose a long, hilly run for my first post-vacay exercise just to show myself how out of shape I was.  I only went 9.5 out of the 10 planned miles (because I got super hungry and decided to walk...)

It's scary how fast a weeks worth of crappy (but amazing) food + unusual exercising catches up with you.

I got back to the apartment and realized, once again, NO GROCERIES!
Fall back?  Quinoa Veggie Stir Fry!
1/4 cup of tricolored quinoa, a cup of broccoli and frozen greens, 2/3 cup of meatless crumbles and soy sauce for some flavor -- this is one of my favorite meals, hands down.

I also had a serving of Trader Joe's Sweet and Salty Trail Mix - my favorite.  I routinely eat this for snacks and dessert.

Side note: here are the purchases I made from a jeweler in Mexicoooo!
My first diamond ring (on my ring finger) - white gold band with a diamond and a sapphire.
And a platinum and Swarovski crystal ring (middle finger) for kicks.

Activities and Dinner:
I made a beeline for the door shortly after my lunch (and a few phone calls to Dad and Mom so they knew I survived my Mexican adventure) and headed over to my lady friends' apartment for some catch up and gossiping!

Took a quick break for Trader Joes:
- meatless meatball, black bean and corn enchiladas, spinach, braburn apples, eggplant, feta, almond milk, greek yogurt, more quinoa, more flour, trader joe o's.... the works!

Then I headed home for a nap and an early welcome home dinner with the girls.
Indian food -- always has a special place in my heart!

Vegan Aloo Gobi: curried cauliflower and potatoes - extra spicy!

Roti - whole wheat, over-baked bread.

GUESS WHAT: I didn't have dessert.
Okay.. well I got hungry around 10 and had more trail mix... but check out my commitment to healthy(er) eating.  My body is still recovering from Mexico...

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MONDAY:


Breakfast & Work:
I was up at 6:30 for a much-needed yogurt bowl and cup of coffee.
Hello, weekday work schedule... how I loathe you.

1 1/2 cups of MultiGrain O's, Fat-free greek yogurt, blueberries, cinnamon, stevia, and almond milk.
I'm addicted to carbs + creamy yogurt.

I was actually thankful for my early morning start, because I got to study a bit before taking one of the hardest Arabic tests of my life!  Talk about reality check: work + test?? ON A MONDAY MORNING.

Lunch:
I was debating on if I wanted to just pick something up in between work and class... but I decided to be smart and back a yummy lunch.

BLTC: Turkey Bacon, Laughing Cow cheese, Spinach, Tomato on Whole Wheat. This sandwich was so good... I haven't had a BLT in ages and it sparked a craving!  Guess what I'll be having from now on :) I also had an apple on the side -- braburns are BOMB right now.

Workout & More Work:
I had class until 2 and then a break from 2-4....

This break is usually my nap time, but since I had work at 4, I decided to squeeze in a workout.  Easy 7 mile run -- sadly I only made it to about 6 before I walked home... I don't think my body remembers how to run.  I'm a bit angry.

My anger didn't last long, because I was back at the gym to work a fun environmentally-friendly fitness festival!  My job?? To make people rappel down the side of our gym....

 Yeah, they said I scared away the customers...
What's wrong with a creepy face and some croutch huggers?

I WAS SO HUNGRY because I only grabbed a banana after my run...
By the time I got home, this happened:

Baked potato topped with veggies and black bean soup + dollop of greek yogurt. 

Looks lovely, doesn't it?
I'm actually embarrassed to admit it was kind of tasty.  But, then again, I would have eaten an old shoe at that point.  I had more trail mix for dessert and my tummy has finally stopped growling at me...

I'm off to do more work... in the form of research papers + Arabic.
Welcome back, Casey. 

Daily Indulgences

Funniest text from Sister this morning:
"Omg a guy just texted me 'Happy Monday!' any person who says such things should be shot"
Anybody want to hop on the I Hate Monday train?? 


I, however, had a great day :) no complaints here!
My morning shift at the gym started at 7:45 so I was up an hour earlier to get my bfast going and the coffee flowing...  but really.  Caffeine is essential.

Breakfast:
Bowl of basic oats with a packet of stevia, a sprinkle of cinnamon, topped with blueberries and bananas.  Guess what was added post-pic?  almond milk!! What else?

My shift was harmless...
However, it started pouring and I had to get about 3 cups of hot tea to stay warm at the front desk.  ALSO, walking home in the rain is always interesting.

I was fueled by a growling stomach... so I ran a bit. No joke. I had a backpack on too -- loser alert.

Lunch:
Lunch was a mix of weird cravings and leftovers.

Before you ask me what is wrong with my sense of sight, taste, and smell... it was delicious.  Let me explain: a bed of warmed spinach topped with feta, roasted broccoli, roasted sweet potatoes, meatless meatballs, ketchup, garlic salt, and greek yogurt. 


Greek yogurt + ketchup = creamy perfection.
I love the ketchup, baby.  LOVE.

Also --- had a Peanut Butter Cookie Luna Bar and some pretzels + pb on the side!

Class & Indulgence #1: 
Exhibit A: Arabic test.

Exhibit B:
Pistachio Creme, Ghiarardeli Chocolate, French Vanilla froyo with almonds, graham crackers, and waffle cone bits. 

Exercise & Indulgence #2:
I have to do a project on "Positions of Power in Everyday Life" and my only power position was... running.  Yeah, I'm predictable. I had to awkwardly ask my roommates to snap pictures of me while I was running along -- we got weird looks from passerby's.

So, back to my second indulgence of the day: running!
I texted one of my coworkers who had asked if I'd be down for running 5 miles to our favorite rock formation - obviously that was an automatic yes!  But, I was feeling antsy so I did a fun 6 miler before meeting up with him.  11 miles of light drizzles and great conversation. 


We even stopped at the gym to do a few pull ups... Casey can do a total of 3/4.  He can do a million.  We're going to work on my pull up ability and I'll master 1 full pull up by the end of the month!

Dinner:
More cravings, sparked by lunch.

A huge pile of spinach (warmed) topped with Brussel sprouts sautéed with turkey bacon, onions, and feta cheese, Meatless Meatballs, and a sweet potato with ketchup + greek yogurt. 


SOOO bomb.  Bacon really is magical.
I'm eating my wait in valentine's day goodies (and it's not even the 14th yet... good job, Casey)

HAPPY MONDAY!

Two Days in One

I hate getting behind on blogging... hate it.
But this whole school thing sometimes takes precedence -- don't you hate it when you catch yourself thinking like a responsible adult for once??

ANYWAYS, I was going to just skip over Wednesday and fill you in on yesterday's adventures, but I remembered I went on a great run on humpday so I wanted to tell you about it!

Breakfast & Workout (Wednesday)
Remember those crazy fools who ran 21 miles with me on Saturday?

Well, one of them is in my Tues/Thurs lecture (on Public Opinion and Voting Behavior - snooze) and she asked if she could tag along on my Wednesday morning run!  Hells yes you can!


We planned to meet at the trails to do a fun (and muddy) 10.5 miles around 9, so I fueled up an hour earlier with two slices of sprouted wheat bread (one with jam and one with honey & cinnamon) and 2 slices of turkey bacon from TJoes!

Our run was muddy muddy - at one point I almost cried because my poor shoes were getting gross.  Then I remembered that I'm not a girly girl and I should probably suck it up... so I did.  But I died a little inside.

Just some gorgeous views from our run -- I forgot how much I love trails!

Wednesday Lunch:

I had 30 minutes to grab some lunch before class, but I'm never hungry after running (okay, lies... but today I wasn't).  I was racking my brain for what sounded good and finally decided to go with the last of my greek yogurt with some Trader Joe's Multigrain O's, blueberries, bananas, and cinnamon!

I felt really cool eating out of the container... but really.
I also had a Nutz Over Chocolate Luna Bar -- yum.

I got out of class at 1 and ended up napping until 3... it was pathetic.
I'm literally an 80 year old woman.  BUT snacks included the last of my crunchy PB & whole wheat pretzels and some more cookies.

Dinner:
Leftovers!
The mushroom and green chili chicken is still delicious as ever!! But paired with some quinoa, chopped spinach, mushrooms, brussel sprouts, and feta cheese and topped with greek yogurt -- IT WAS AMAZING!!  Perfect comfort food.

I was insatiably hungry - so I kept munching on pretzels until I was full.... I'm going to be that marathoner who gains wait while training :( gahhhh.

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Thirsty Thursday!!  Is that just a college thing?
Unfortunately, I don't believe is such things.  My Thursday schedule is hell and by the time I get home around 8, I'm exhausted!

I had a rough Thursday... I woke up tired (how does that happen) and I was a grump the whole day.

Breakfast:
Okay, I wasn't a grump when I was chowing down on three slices of Healthy Cinnamon French Toast topped with blueberries and maple syrup.

It's like food porn... I can't get enough.

Workout:
My legs didn't want to run.

But I wanted to do something so I went for an easy 3-3.5 miler then headed to CARDIO KICKBOXING!  I've attempted this class twice before and I've left both times... it's one of those choreographed boxing things and I feel like once you get lost it's a really ineffective workout.  But my friend goes all the time and swears by it.... so why not?

It was so much fun!  I felt like a freak -  jumping around, kicking, punching pretend creepers... but I worked up a sweat.  AND this morning, I woke up so freakin' sore.  My arms are loving me.

Lunch, Snacks, and Adventures:
Lunch was my recent obsession -- meatless meatball subs on two slices of whole wheat bread.  I also mix in some spinach and cheese to put it over the edge :)

And obviously another Luna Bar because no meal is complete without it...
After classes I had to drop off my Valentine's Day Care Packages!!!! for my sister and my cousins :)  we're each other's valentines... it's kind of cute.

There was a line a mile long in the two postal places by my apartment, so I decided to take a stroll to the next closest one :) which turned out to be an excellent decision.  They were super nice and, as a reward for walking 2 miles out of my way, I stopped for an Ooey Gooey Vegan Brownie

Are you drooling yet?
I texted the pics to my ladies and sparked some serious chocolate cravings... The brownie is made with a mixture of rice flour and garbanzo bean flour + sweetened with agave nectar and held together with vegan butter and flax.  YUM.

Dinner:
I have a seminar that goes till 8...
so this happened.

I even took another picture instead of recycling the other FOOTLONG VEGGIE SUB pics... just to prove to you that I'm weird and obsessive and apparently really boring when it comes to food choices.

Best decision?  Adding some buffalo spicy sauce to it!  Genius.

I also picked a fight with a boy, ate a bar of this dark chocolate with almonds (read: an entire bar), and curled up in bed with Hulu to watch bad tv reruns...

You'd think I'm PMSing and/or pregnant... however, I don't get my period AND well, it would have to be one heck of an immaculate conception for the latter to happen hahahah

And on that note... I hope you're weekends are off to a great start, my friend :)

Seared Turkey Breast with Mushroom and Green Chili Gravy

I am so excited to share this simple, delicious, easy-to-make recipe with you guys!
I wish it photographed a little bit better because it tasted like a million bucks... but really


Seared Turkey Breast with Mushroom and Green Chili Gravy

Ingredients
- 2 turkey breasts (or chicken - you can probably use meat substitutions with this too)
- 1/2 chopped yellow onion
- 1 cup of chopped mushrooms
- 1 small can of diced green chilies
- 1 tbsp of Wondra flour/thickener
- 1 cup of chicken broth
- salt, pepper, garlic salt to taste

To prepare:
- Start by coating your turkey breast with garlic salt and pepper and pan frying them in non-stick cooking spray.  These are thin and relatively small so they cook up fast!
- Too the pan, add in your onions and your chopped mushrooms and continue sautéing until browned.
- Add in your diced green chilies and your chicken broth and simmer for about 4-5 minutes before adding the tbsp of Wondra and any additional salt and pepper. SUPER EASY!

For dinner, I served my turkey and gravy atop a bed of tri-colored quinoa cooked in chicken broth, a side of roasted brussel sprouts and roasted sweet potato chips -- best meal I've had in awhile!!


I roasted up a bunch of veggies and cooked a full pot of quinoa to have throughout the week. This is part of my brilliant strategy to fuel my body right... and stop eating bars of chocolate.

Back on Track Plan:
Confession time: I've been a complete pig recently.  Which I justify because I run more than the average Joe... but it's taking a toll on my body.  I can feel myself getting slower and crapping more than usual on my runs -- I'm telling you, chocolate, chips, and diet soda are NOT good fuel.

Normally I eat pretty healthily, mostly because I love healthy foods, but this weekend was a complete mess.  Filled with some wine here and there, tons of sweets, and tons of chips (which have zero nutritional value...) -- my body hates me.

So, to get back on track, I've been drinking tons of water to flush out all the sodium (critical since I'm bloated as all get out), I cooked up a bunch of healthy leftovers for the week, I've been running like usual, I've been trying to catch up on sleep (underrated but so necessary) and I've been listening to my body - stretching and doing some core work on top of cardio.

Workout:
Yesterday (Monday), I had a shift at the gym before class so my workout had to wait until the late afternoon (after my 2 hour nap... wow).  I ran an easy 8 miles, shaking out my legs and assessing how they were feeling post 20 miles on Saturday.  All is well :)

Other eats from the day:
Bowl of oats topped with maple syrup, bananas, blueberries and chopped pecans!
I always add almond milk post-picture... it's a strange habit of mine.  I also add almond milk to my yogurt bowls AND my ice cream.... start judging, it's okay.

Oh hey foot-long Veggie Delight with Melted Pepperjack Cheese.... I love you.
I hate it when they assume you want a 6 inch and I'm like "Please, I could eat a 6 inch for a light snack... load up the 12 incher" -- I also had a chocolate caramel brownie Luna bar for dessert.

My snacks for the day and my dessert AND my 2:30-3 am snack consisted of Trader Joe cookies and Honey Whole Wheat pretzels dipped in crunchy peanut butter... I thought my roommate was going to strangle me because I was literally in bed munching away in the middle of the night.

I don't know if anybody else finds it hilarious that I sleep walk to get my tubs (plural) of cookies and my jar of PB and get back into bed and eat.... I find it disturbing, but delicious.  And very necessary. 

Alright, folks, I hope your Tuesday is off to a great start!!

I'm excited for class + work today (I have some extremely attractive individuals in my lectures... and that includes my 90 year old professor) 

Off to run!

Meatball Subs and HUMOR

IT'S FRIDAY!!!
I hope we're all ready for the weekend -- but really, is anyone ever not ready for the weekend?
I have a slight confession: my weekend started last night (Thursday) even though I have one baby class today (Arabic from 12-1)... more on that later.

So, I finally went grocery shopping and I came home with an array of random food that I wouldn't typically buy.  BUT, in an effort to add more protein to my diet, I was game to try turkey bacon, meatless meatballs, and turkey breasts.  Get ready for some weird recipes in the near future ;)

Breakfast:
Unsurprisingly, one of my new items made it into my breakfast line up.
I went for a savory breakfast sandwich -- who am I?

Two slices of sprouted flax seed bread, egg beaters, a slice of turkey bacon, and laughing cow light cheese.  This was a flavor masterpiece -- my tastebuds were shocked (they're used to eating sweet things 24/7 starting at 7 am.... it was a big deal)

I'll probably start including more of these savory eats into my morning routine.

Lunch:
Well, since I didn't have my usual oatmeal/yogurt and cereal mess for breakfast, I decided to have one for lunch.  I like to do things backwards and just eat breakfast foods all day... it works.

Greek yogurt, cinnamon, blueberries, banana, multi-grain trader joe's O's and almond milk!
It took me a good 15 minutes to get through this massive bowl...

But of course, I was rushing because all I really wanted was...

So, of course, I decided to buy two tubs of cookies because I'm indecisive and couldn't make up my mind in the 2 hours it took me at trader joe's... I've been keeping these cookies by my bed (along with a jar of crunchy PB) and I swear both tubs are nearly gone.

It's been two days... I'm in trouble.

HUMOR:
1. My sister is amazing and bought us these shirts for our marathon.  I will run for bacon... or donuts... or carrot cake... or chocolate chip cookies (I really don't discriminate).

2. I had a few good laughs in class when I stumbled upon my new motto: dance like your v-jay's on fire.  Is there any other way?? I mean really....

3. I'm kind of a big dill. It's kind of obvious at this point...

I literally take screen shots of these ridiculous things and send them to random people on my phone list... sometimes our humor doesn't match up and I'm left with an awkward "oh.. haha that's cute" reply instead of the expected "OMG CASEY HAHAHAHAH THAT'S HILARIOUS OMG YOU'RE SO FUNNY"... you know?

Workout:
I was a lazy bum all day.
I sat in bed (between classes), took a 12 minute nap, and ate cookies & pb instead of going running. So, by the time I finished for the day, around 5, I was itching to run.

I had plans to go out with friends around 8:30, so I had to make it a quickie.  7.3 miles, tempo - it was getting dark and I started to get nervous!  If that isn't motivation to run faster, I don't know what is.

Dinner:
Another purchase made it into my eats for dinnnnaaa!
I've been craving meatball subs ever since a new hot sandwich place opened up near my apartment... Of course, I had to have one.

Open-Faced Meatless Meatball Sub:

I used two slices of my Sprouted Flax Seed bread, a serving of meatless meat balls, 1/2 a cup of marinara, a cup of spinach, a laughing cow wedge, parmesan cheese, and garlic salt.  IT WAS AMAZING!

Guess what I'm having for lunch today?!?!?!

Random, but I had this on my phone.  I had to get approval from sister before I headed out for the night.  I hate the unwritten rule that girls can't wear sweats and parkas to clubs... I was freezing.

My night included dancing, listening to my friend DJ, and late night pizza :) hot, melty cheese and pepperoni to be exact.

Yay for the weekend!

AND SHE LIVES!

I'M FINALLY BACK! and I don't know where to start....

I mentioned (last WEDNESDAY) that I was starting to get a little sick. Well, long story short, this last week has been spent in bed with a fever/coughing up a lung.  It's been bad.

BUT I still would have blogged.  rain or shine... in sickness and in health.
However...
In my state of near-death, I made a cup of tea.  Which then spilled in my bag on my way to work... all over my new MacBook Pro.  I cried.  I died a little inside.... you know how it goes.

It's broken.  It's being repaired.

I think dad's are the world's greatest invention because my dad has been on the phone with me either giving me advice about motrin vs. advil, mucinex vs. sudaphed or trying to fix my old laptop so he can ship it out to me while my new/broken one gets repaired.  I'm so blessed.  I think secretly the man upstairs knew I wouldn't survive without an extra-strength, 24-hr DAD by my side to bail me out.

Anyways.  I've been living off of carbs - when you're sick you don't want salads.  We're talking bread and butter, oatmeal, leftover pizza, sandwiches... but here are some of my comfort food eats:

Aloo Gobi - a vegan curried cauliflower and potato dish - extra spicy & Roti - a whole-wheat baked bread (similar to naan)

Middle Eastern Plate - pomegranate chicken, levantine wrap, cinnamon chicken filo dough wrap, cheese and spinach filo dough wrap, double salad, fruit and cheese, and hummus.

No, I haven't been eating out every meal...

But these are the highlights from the last week! and I wanted to share them with you!

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Normal blogging returns: 

Tuesday eats and activities!

Breakfast:

I woke up super early because I needed to run - but I always need to eat - so I had a really basic bowl of oats.  1/2 cup of rolled oats topped with 1/2 a banana, some chopped pecans, and some blueberries.

Back-to-the-Basics Oatmeal

Workout:

While I've been sick, I've taken it really light on the workouts (although probably not as light as I should have... my parents are probably reading this and pulling out their hair).  However, I'm on the mend.  And yesterday, for some unknown reason, my body woke up at 6 am and wanted to run!  It was strange.  

I did a super relaxed 8 miles, not worrying about time or pacing, and listened when my body decided it was tired and headed back home.  I'm not pushing my luck!

Class:

Important updates from the first two weeks of the second semester - there are cute guys in every single one of my lectures.  I "broke the chair I was sitting in" and had to move to the chair next to a fine gentleman in my Public Opinion lecture.  Lovely. 

Arabic is ridiculous, nothing new there.  It's crazy how much you can forget when you take a month off of all brain activities.... winter break, you kill me. 

Lunch:

Keeping with my weird I'm-sick-so-I-eat-what-I-want cravings, I had....

Open-faced egg over easy with a chicken dog sandwich.

 Also, I'm not sure if this is an amazing or a horrible thing... but I recently discovered the beauty of buying a bag of "day-old donuts" at our local donut hole-in-the-wall and I've been buying buttermilk donuts and saving them in a container to nibble on every day....

Dinner:
I was craving quinoa.  I'm not sure why...
I was also craving something creamy.

So I made a Creamy Vegetable Quinoa Bowl

it was delicious.
I'm going to work out the kinks in the recipe and share it with you -- just imagine a risotto-esque flavor and texture?  It was good!

Anyways, I'm glad to be back and blogging.
Mostly, I'm glad that I'm not dead.
MORE mostly, I'm so glad I have an amazing dad.  

HAPPY HUMP DAY, FOLKS!