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! 


-------------------------------
-------------------------------
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...

---------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------

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!

From Miles to Mediterranean

HAPPY SATURDAY!! 
Anybody recovering from a crazy Friday night?? A long run?  A long work week?
Put me down for all of the above!

I had such a fun and excited Friday! But boy am I paying for it this morning -- I just can't seem to get out of bed and wake up (I've eaten both breakfast and lunch in bed!)

Breakfast:
I had one of my favorite breakfasts of ALL TIME!
It involves peanut butter... so.... that explains it all.

Peanut butter jars are a treasure around here but, unfortunately, they don't come around too often (lies, lies... I've gone through two this month).  Instead of filling up the jar with Overnight Oats or Warm Oatmeal.... I went with Trader Joe's Multigrain O's, bananas & blueberries


With each bite that got a bit o' pb leftovers, I swooned.

Workout:
10.5 miles.
Easy.
Hills.
Awkwardly had to run with my sports bra because it was too warm for my long sleeve.
I ran to one of my favorite spots and dedicated the run to Lisa's Grandfather who passed away recently... it was too beautiful not to share it with somebody special.

Lunch & SURPRISES!

I was kind of late getting back from my run so I threw together the quickest lunch I could find... it ended up being the tastiest of my Quinoa Leftovers so far!! 

Sauteed quinoa, turkey bacon, brussel sprouts and feta cheese with garlic salt and pepper. Wow the flavors were amazing.  That feta and bacon combo really stole the show... I also had a Carmel Nut Brownie luna bar.  Those things are da sheeeeit. 

However, I did have a little something special arrive in the mail just in time for Valentine's Day!  My sister's care package - filled with TONS of french chocolates, candies, and cookies from her recent trip to Paris.  And the most amazing card (I love my sister!) AND a Nutella cookbook!!!!

 She threw in an extra valentine - old school style - just for fun!

Honestly, I've been eating these dark chocolate caramels nonstop... don't even get me started with those butter crackers.  SISTERS make the best friends and the best valentines!

Dinner:
Originally, Annie and I were going to head to a great hole-in-the-wall Indian restaurant... but then...
We remembered it was girls date night and we should be sitting outside by the heat lamps, gossiping by candlelight, and getting some seriously good Mediterranean food!

As always, I went with the Middle Eastern Plate, which has a little bit of everything - double salad with a Tomato Basil dressing, Chicken Pomegranate, A Spinach and Cheese Filo roll, a Cinnamon and Raisin chicken film roll, a Levant pinwheel Sandwich, and some fresh fruit, cheese, hummus, and pita!

It looks like a family meal for four...
but I demolished it - as in, no prisoners.

I even had room for...
Molasses Gingersnap ice cream in a homemade waffle cone with a chocolate bottom

Oh, yeah.
Ohhhhh, yeah...

So, my night also included
- a fun trip to Trader Joe's (new almond butter, pb, and cookie purchases were made)
- almost getting a ride home from a really cute stranger (but then... we were responsible and decided not to... worst decision of my life.  It started to rain and we had to wait for the bus)
- a friend's birthday party (dancing, alcohol, the whole 9 yards)
- an impromptu house party (my roommate was walking around taking "shots" of cheese.... oh yeah)
- shenanigans... complete shenanigans.

My body is sore and tired today -- yoga anyone?  Active recovery rest day?!

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.

----------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------

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 :)

Grilled Sandwiches & Groceries

Well, we've made it to humpday!! Which means were this much closer to an amazing weekend!

Any special plans?

I have a few -- hints: boys, the city, friends, and a possible 20 miler?? 

Does it get any better than that??

The theme of this post is simple: CASEY NEEDS TO GO GROCERY SHOPPING.

Breakfast:

I had limited supplies for breakfast -- cereal was on it's last leg, I ran out of almond milk, and I had a handful of blueberries left. What's a girl to do?

Throw it in a bowl, smother it in greek yogurt and strawberry preserves and call it a day :) 

I discovered my love of Trader Joe Multigrain O's over winter break and I've been hooked ever since!  I love that it's a full serving of whole grains (which helps with my never-ending hunger...) in a cup serving AND its about 110 calories -- which means I can go back for multiple refills. 

Workout:

My workout was a lovely and relaxing 10 miler. 

It was lightly drizzling as I stepped out of my apartment and it was perfect running weather -- I feel like I zone out when it's rainy because I feel all intense.  

Minus the fact that I have to blow my nose in my long sleeves every two steps.  yum. 

Lunch:

Like I said, continuing with creativity because I'm too lazy to get my butt to the nearest grocery store, I had few options for my midday meal.  

I was craving grilled cheese like no other!! 

So, I spread guacamole and Laughing Cow lite on two pieces of flax and fiber bread and grilled 'er up!  OH MY GOODNESS.  The guac is so warm and creamy -- and the cheese gets all melty.  I swore I was eating the richest sandwich ever, but it was healthy.  that never happens.

Of course I had nanner and crunchy PB on the side
and some hershey's dark chocolate kisses - my latest addiction :)

by the way - does anyone else realize how simply grilling a sandwich totally changes the flavor of the bread??  Or is that just me?

Updates:
School is school.  I'm finally getting used to my schedule and my classes, which is probably a good thing since we're already on week three.

Crew - I realized, as much as I loved it, it wasn't something that I could sustain over a long period without sacrificing the other aspects of my life (i.e. school, friends, work, running...) so, I had to call it quits.  On the plus side, I discovered that I like rowing and I surprisingly like the rowing machines!  New workouts are always fun!

Dinner:
I had work from 2-5:30 at the gym and by the time Lisa met me on my shift, I was starving.
I guess running will do that to ya...

Since all three of us (Annie joined!) needed to go grocery shopping - as you know - we stopped for dinner before heading to Trader Joe's.  It was an easy choice:

INDIAN FOOD!
I went with my favorite: Vegan Aloo Gobi with Roti (sans butter).

Asking for this dish vegan - even though it's typically a vegan dish - means that they don't add in any extra butter or cream (which oddly enough has happened before), so it's a good way to eat indian food without falling into a coma... which I have a tendency to do as soon as "chicken tikka masala" crosses my mind. 

Anyways -- T.Joes was a success. 

2 boxes of cookies have already been enjoyed...

as well as some crunchy peanut butter and dark chocolate. 

I have some exciting meals planned for this week!! 

I Win...

The award for creepiest person everrrrr! 

Thank you, it really is an honor.  I've worked hard to get to where I am today... It takes years to reach this level of creepiness and I'm proud to represent you and all my fellow creepers out there. 

Just wait... It'll all make sense soon. 

Breakfast: 

I've become completely addicted to Trader Joe's Multigrain O's - basically cheerios - with a scoop of fat-free greek yogurt, some jam, berries, and almond milk.  Yogurt and almond milk?  weird.

I couldn't sleep at all last night because I kept getting up to pee & take random trips to the peanut butter jar for some banana and cinnamon rice cake dippage... 

I'm actually not kidding.  I'm that person who sleep walks to the kitchen for late night snacks and it's getting kind of ridiculous. Peanut butter just haunts my dreams. 

I headed to class - my first of the semester - and then rushed home for some food. 

My hunger was out of control yesterday!

Lunch:

This is one of those meals that looks totally weird but tastes delicious.

My full-fiber flax bread made an appearance!  Topped with guacamoles, tomato slices, feta cheese, and spicy brown mustard. Open-Face Guacamole Sandwiches are my thing.

Alright, back to my award for creepiest person...
Check out my Arabic teacher's butt.

I'm not even sure this is legal... but I had to snap a picture because it's amazing.
Like world's 9th wonder status.

He's actually not a good teacher - but I might stay in the class just to stare at that for an hour every day.

Dinner:
As previously mention, my hunger was OUT OF CONTROL yesterday!
Like I was legitimately hungry the entire day - even after handfuls of nuts, protein bars, apples, sandwiches... you name it, I ate it.

Lisa was feeling the same way, so maybe it was the run that revved our metabolisms?
Anyways, come 5 o'clock, I decided to eat dinner before heading to the gym because I seriously couldn't wait until after my workout.

Dinner was courtesy of Trader Joe's - Shepherd's Pie

It was a quick 9 minutes in the microwave and it was fantastic!

Of course, I have this weird thing for shepherd's pie.  My stepmom used to make it for us for special occasions and it always reminds me of home and comfort food! YUM.
I paired 1/2 of the pie with some salad and then proceeded to snack on some dark chocolate and more peanut butter before heading to the gym for a little weight training

Workout:
I decided to, once again, listen to my coach and incorporate some weight training into my workout plans.  I took at Pure Strength class, which is a full-body weight lifting class.  Eh.. it's not body pump.
We barely did any leg work, and we focused on random abs and arm sets.

BUT, a workout is a workout.  And I'm sore today... go figure.

Anyways, I'm off for a run before class!
I'll catch ya later!!