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Messy Monday

February 8, 2010 by Katie

First of all, it’s snowing like crazy right now. And I don’t have a delay or a closure or anything. I’m a little terrified of the drive into work – but it’s only about a mile, so I’m sure I will make it.

Second, I started to make oatmeal after my workout, I put extra, extra water in the pan, turned it waaay low, and went upstairs to get ready for work. When I came back down (30 minutes later) – I was faced with a burnt, sticky mess on the stove. Somehow the oats boiled over (despite the big pot and low heat) and made a nasty mess. Boo – no oats this morning.

However, it did give me an excuse to eat my latest obsession – something I have dubbed cereal mash.

Mix it all up and make a mess…

Yummm. The applesauce makes the cereal kind of mushy, but not as soggy as milk does. It is perfection. I’m kind of glad my oats burned this morning.

And some coffee (labeled in case I forget what I’m drinking).

I will leave you with a picture of my sweet pup enjoying the snow when it started yesterday morning…

I love that little face.

Hope your Mondays aren’t too messy!!

Posted in Breakfast | Tagged , , , | 19 Comments »

A Nice Little Saturday

February 6, 2010 by Katie

Happy Saturday!

Here is the latest thing I have been loving. I woke up around 1am last night (after going to bed early) and was hungry – so I made myself a bowl (or two) of this mess. This morning, I wanted more. Who needs milk when you can have applesauce on your cereal? (Okay, I need milk, I love it – but this was really good, too)

Then I took my pup on a vigorous bike ride in the cold Colorado air. After we were both adequately exercised, I parked it on the couch for a lot of the afternoon to watch Psych – coffee in hand, spandex and tennis shoes still on.

Look by my feet – there’s a spoon sitting on the couch. Meeker threw it at me, and it sat there pretty much all afternoon. Silly boys.


I love my mug, and my hat (in my eyes). And my matching blue fleece.

I eventually got hungry again, and I bulked up some leftovers that we had from our dinner out at PF Changs last night. (Still living off those Christmas gift cards…people know we like to eat.)

I ordered Mongolian beef last night – and this afternoon I sautéed cabbage, carrots, red peppers, and scallions and added the leftover beef and brown rice to the veggie mix.


Pretty colors. Amazing taste.

After cleaning the house, I felt snacky– and I satisfied my snack tooth and my sweet tooth with some dessert!



That’s vanilla ice cream with the last of my peanut butter cup trail mix – which I got out of the bulk bins at Sprouts. There also may be a little pecan cookie tucked behind the ice cream. I found a batch of frozen cookies (that I made about a month ago) hiding behind the ice cream in the freezer.

What’s your favorite way to spend a Saturday? You pretty much just saw mine…

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | 21 Comments »

Olive Oyl

February 5, 2010 by Katie

I already gushed over my breakfast, so I’ll jump right in with the mid-day yummies.

The best kind of lunch: leftovers.



This sweet potato stew is still outstanding. Maybe even better the second day.

Then mid afternoon I snacked on a handful of peanut butter cup trail mix and then later, two clementines.

In the 3rd grade world…

No, the title doesn’t refer not olive oil, like the kind Rachael Ray bathes in. But rather, this gal…

This is what the office staff at my school has started calling me. Let me explain. Green Monsters have become the latest craze at my school. And when I say latest craze, I really mean that another teacher and I (hi Kristin!!) have started drinking them during the school hours. The office staff is completely and utterly disgusted by the spinach in the smoothies. At first, my nickname was “spinach girl” and now it’s progressed to Olive Oyl. In fact, the office called me today and said “Hey Olive Oyl, you have some parents here to meet with you, can I send them down?” – I laughed and then wondered what those poor parents probably thought of their child’s teacher…

Anyway, I don’t mind the nickname. In fact, I really like it. It’s not easy being green.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 17 Comments »

Morning Person

February 5, 2010 by Katie

Good Morning!! I forgot how much I love to blog in the AM. I’m always in the best mood – I’ve just worked out, there is so much potential for the day, and I’m usually enjoying my favorite meal while I write: breakfast.

This morning’s breakfast (which I am currently eating) is a delicious bowl of oats.

Last night, I made Katie’s vanilla mousse – vegan style.

I topped it with coconut, and somehow only managed to eat half of this cup – leaving the rest for breakfast this morning!

I cooked 1/3 cup oats in the microwave with 2/3 cup water for 3 minutes. Then topped with the mousse, more coconut and some almond butter.

Enjoyed alongside a cup of coffee…a thing of beauty.

Happy Fabulous Friday. (That’s what the janitor at my school calls it…Fabulous Friday)

Posted in Breakfast | Tagged , , , , | 20 Comments »

Mostly

February 4, 2010 by Katie

First of all, thank you all so much for sharing your mistaken lyrics with me last night! I died laughing at so many of them. I realized that I forgot to mention Meeker’s family favorite…his mom and sister used to think that the Christmas song “Emanuel, God with us” said “Emanuel, Gar-Ga-Schmell” – hilarious nonsense.

But my favorite lyrical mistake was from Katie who thought that Nelly’s “Ride Wit Me,” which contains the line “Must be the money” was “Bugs be the bunny.” I laughed about every time it popped into my head today.

On to food…

Today was (mostly) vegan Thursday.

It started with a green monster –

  • 1 apple
  • 1 Clementine
  • 3/4 cup spinach (frozen and thawed)
  • 2-3 cups water
  • 1 tbs. flax seed

I drank this early this morning while I prepared dinner to go in the crockpot…best idea I’ve ever had.

I also had two pieces of ww toast with almond butter about an hour later. (By the way, this bread I just bought is so yummy – cracked wheat. It only has five ingredients!)

At lunchtime, I had another hummus/veggie sandwich and some carrots. Eaten alongside the ever-present mug of hot water.

 

Today’s sandwich was hummus and a quarter of a red bell pepper. My lunches have been pretty lackluster this week.

I also had some strawberry applesauce and two clementines throughout the afternoon.

Then the un-vegan part of my day came around 4pm while I did some office work…

A new bar!

My bestie recommend these to me (unlike myself, she’s a protein junkie) – and I really liked it! About halfway though I realized it had “milk byproducts” in it – which I assume is whey protein or something. So much for the vegan streak. However, I’m glad to have found a new bar that I liked.

When I came home and spelled dinner already finished in the Crockpot – I thanked myself 100 times. I was so hungry and tired today, and I don’t think I could have rustled up anything healthy/creative after the long day.

Caroline’s Sweet Potato Peanut Butter Stew – I modified a little, just based on availability of ingredients in my kitchen.

  • 2 sweet potatoes, chopped into 3/4 inch cubes
  • 1.5 yellow onions, diced
  • 1 can of black, drained and rinsed
  • 1 can of diced fire roasted tomatoes, do not drain
  • 3 cups of water
  • salt and pepper
  • 2 tablespoons cumin
  • 2 tablespoons cinnamon
  • 2 tbs. chunky peanut butter – added after cooking

This was the most hearty, satisfying (and still vegan!) meal I’ve had in a while. All the flavors worked so well together, and it worked really well in the crock pot. Thanks Caroline!

Tomorrow is Friday, and I’m going to bed early. But before that, I think I’ll whip up a batch of vanilla cream mousse to round out this (mostly) vegan day.

Posted in Uncategorized | 18 Comments »

Weeeeedddnnneeessddaaayyy

February 3, 2010 by Katie

Wednesdays seem to drag on…no? The longest day of the week, followed by my favorite day of the week tomorrow! I started off this long day with a brisk walk (for the doggie’s sake), and a batch of chocolate protein + almond butter.

I also took a green monster to school and drank it around 10:30 – half a banana, 1 cup of frozen (and thawed) spinach, ½ cup frozen raspberries, 2 cups water, 3 tbs. flax seeds – blended for 1 minute.

Yes, that’s an old pickle jar. I drank this while teaching and my class was thoroughly disgusted by it. I told them it was spinach juice – I didn’t really want to get into the whole explanation of a green monster.

At 11:30 – my lunchtime – I pulled some goodies out of my lunchbox, but only ended up eating the hummus and cucumber sandwich. The cucumbers were cold and hurt my teeth – but otherwise it was yummy.

The oranges are still sitting on my desk, waiting to be eaten tomorrow. I opted for another sweet treat – a mom in my class sent in a divine lemon/blueberry custard that I had for lunch dessert.


It was as yummy as it looks. (Thanks, TONA!!)

When the kids were hustled off to PE, a fellow teacher and I ran to Starbucks for a Wednesday pick-me-up.

A grande latte. I like the fat in 2% milk…it’s yummy and it keeps me full. I also had a cornbread vitatop – which was surprisingly sweet. I like sweet surprises.

At my after school job (answering phones in the office) – I ate a bag of popcorn while I graded reading tests…which is my least favorite part of my job. (grading reading tests…not the popcorn)

Actually, I have a little problem with popcorn. The taste is good – but it is so hard for me to eat! I’m sure that sounds bizarre – but I just can’t pick up a few pieces, and get them from the bowl to my mouth. Whenever I eat popcorn, I inevitably end up with popcorn all over me, the floor, and my desk. I feel like a clown, and it drives me nuts. Almost enough to deter me from eating it. Almost.

I went grocery shopping after school – which was kind of a drag, but at least we have food in the house, now!

After a 12 hour day, I really didn’t want to cook, so I had snacks – which I enjoyed just as much as I would have enjoyed a “real meal”.

½ cup plain yogurt, ½ sliced banana, 1 scoop chocolate protein powder, Kashi: honey sunshine – and I added a big scoop of crunchy peanut butter after the picture.

Plus veggies and hummus. Always a wise choice.


Highlights from the 3rd grade world…

For some reason, my class was into singing pop music today. First it was Lady Gaga, and then it quickly turned into Beyonce’s Single Ladies. However, halfway through the chorus of Single Ladies, I discovered that a substantial portion of the class thought that instead of: All the single ladies, all the single ladies…

The lyrics were: All the
scenery, all the scenery…I made them repeat it like 100 times, and laughed my head off the entire time.

What lyrics have you mistaken before??

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 29 Comments »

Celebrate Tuesday!

February 2, 2010 by Katie

I started the day with pilates and this trashcan sized mug…

No, not coffee…(although I did have that later, too)

A monster! Of the green variety. Banana, raspberries, spinach, water.

I also had a piece of toast with almond butter about an hour later.

I finally found the jars at Sprouts…where else?

Lunch was light and enjoyable.

Hot water, Mix 1, KIND bar, Clementine.

I’d never had one of these before, but yum. Loved it.

If you missed my review of the stats on these puppies, look back, they’re pretty stellar. As for the taste, this was mango flavor and it was also stellar. Really, really yummy. Not too sweet, perfectly mango-y. I would spend my own money on this product.

I also had a random piece of bread as I was passing through the staff lounge, and a lot of tea. Green Ginger Tazo to be specific.

After a long day, and a long meeting, my in-laws took us out to sushi to celebrate Tuesday! Two consecutive nights of restaurant eating? I’m getting spoiled.

I started with edamame, and continued with this beautiful boat full.

…and another

The family goes big when sushi is involved. I probably had 7 – 8 pieces, and stopped when I was perfectly full.

Highlights from the 3rd grade world…

This snazzy ring and the icing from a very yummy birthday cupcake!


Now, it’s time for LOST.

Posted in Breakfast, Delish Dinners, Mid-Day Yummies | Tagged , , , , , , , | 25 Comments »

Happy Little Things

February 1, 2010 by Katie

I had the happiest day.

No particular reason, just a lot of little happy things: A mom brought me a huge latte this morning. I had a yummy lunch of chicken and zucchini. I loved my outfit. We played a fun game during writing (I like it when the kids like learning). It is NO LONGER pitch black when I leave work at 6:30. LOST comes back tomorrow. I just ate a perfect bowl of vanilla ice cream.

In other news, I forgot my camera at home today. The only meal I really sat down to was dinner, which I didn’t cook. Meeker suggested that I make life easy for myself and cash-in one of our holiday gift cards and pick up some Chili’s. I had a fantastic chicken quesadilla. It has been over a month since we’ve eaten a single meal that was not made in our own kitchen. Nothing like a free meal without dishes.

What was one happy little thing about your Monday?

Posted in Uncategorized | 27 Comments »

Colorful

January 30, 2010 by Katie

I woke up to an extra special delivery!

Mix 1 sent me a case of smoothies to try! I had tried these before at the Denver Marathon, and really liked them – so I am very excited to try all the different varieties.

This company is local (Boulder, CO) and has some pretty good stats:

If you, like me, are wondering what Luo Han Guo is, check it out…it is a longevity fruit from China, and is apparently 300 times sweeter than sugar. I like sweet things.

I’ve yet to try any of my new shipment, but I assure you that I will let you know when I do.

For breakfast, I had cake and coffee, before an hour long skype date with my best friend.

If you’ve read my about page – you already know that I think cake is a perfectly legitimate choice for breakfast.

Best mug of all time, given to me by one of my oldest and dearest friends. (Hi Christine!)

Around lunctime, I snacked on some sweet potatos – sliced thinly, seasoned with salt, garlic, and chili powder and cooked at 400* for about 30 minutes.

Colorful day of eats, no?

Then, the best part of the day…my parents came over to make pizza!!

Daddy’s homemade crust


workin’ hard…

spinach, chicken, onions, green peppers, mozzarella, basil


More colorful deliciousness.

My mama baked a cake. If there was ever any question as to where I inherited my sweet tooth, here she is…

The cake was so simple. Just four ingredients: egg whites, cocoa, powdered sugar, cinnamon. That’s all.

Before cooking

After

Incredible. What’s better than homemade pizza, chocolate cake, and family??

Nada.

 

Posted in Breakfast, Delish Dinners, Mid-Day Yummies, dessert | Tagged , , , , , | 28 Comments »

Veggie Day

January 29, 2010 by Katie

After my veggieless day, yesterday, I honestly woke up craving green.


Quick Fix – a green monster with ½ a banana, 1 scoop protein powder, a lot of spinach, water, almond milk. Very filling, very yummy.

Lunch looked less-than appetizing, but it actually hit the spot.

First up was broccoli slaw with hummus and balsamic vinegar.

Next, I mixed some cottage cheese with berry applesauce.

I’m aware that this looks disgusting, but trust me, it’s way, way better than it looks.

Then I snagged a handful of an interesting trail mix I found in the lounge…

I found out later it was made by the kindergarten class for their “hundred day” party. We have been in school for 100 days! Hard to believe.

I snacked on this guy I found stashed in my purse around 4pm.

You can even see that beautiful three-item-ingredient list: dates, pecans, almonds. Yuuum.

Back at home, I was craving veggies, Again. Isn’t it cool how your body knows what kinds of foods you need to balance things out? I think so.

The produce drawer was low, so I reached for the last of the broccoli slaw and sautéed it in evoo and bbq sauce. Meanwhile, I baked some tofu (seasoned with salt, garlic powder and chili powder). Later, I combined them all, and dabbed the tofu with more bbq sauce. Holy yum. I wanted this x5.

Then, I ate a bowl of cereal for dessert (unpictured).

In the 3rd grade world…

Another fantastic student/teacher picture:


This picture makes me feel all squishy. Geez, I love third graders.

Posted in Uncategorized | 17 Comments »

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