So grown up
Posted: October 22, 2009 Filed under: Breakfast, Mid-Day Yummies | Tags: cookies, hermits, Newman's Own Organics, salad, tuna, yogurt mess 21 Comments »Look what I opened the door to find yesterday afternoon….
Uh…snack food heaven?!
I wanted to do back flips I was so excited with the quantity and quality of this box-o-samples. Thaaaaaaaank you to Sally over at Newman’s Own Organics for graciously sending me all of these products to try. Someone over at that company has their thinking cap on.
Unfortunately, I had just eaten lunch – so I held back for a few hours and then the first thing I ripped into was the Champion Chip Cookies (surprised?). They were actually more delicious than I hoped – and that’s saying a lot. Kind of a subtle sweetness…and a good crispy, but not crumbly, texture. Meeker loved them too, which is great news, because I can now share the responsibility of eating the 3 bags they sent. Then I tried (one bite each) of the dark chocolate bar and the Hermits.
Winners! I mean, dark chocolate speaks for itself, but had no idea what a hermit was until yesterday. It was molasses-like and chewy and wonderful. In fact, I incorporated it into a very tasty yogurt mess this morning.
- ¾ cup plain yogurt
- 2-3 pieces of banana
- 1 crumbled Hermit
- 1 handful of Quaker cinnamon oat squares
- A dump of cinnamon
Yummers. I actually started inventing this mess while lying in bed before I fell asleep last night. You know you’re a food blogger when…
Moving on…
There are often things I have to do as an “adult” that are overwhelming and I have no idea where to begin. I’m very blessed to have the support of a family and a husband who have taken great care to make life easy for me. However, this sometimes puts me at a disadvantage when I’m trying to act like an “adult” – examples of this include: travel plans, setting up electronics, big purchases, paying taxes, car trouble…I could go on forever. In other words: I’m spoiled.
Posting this Lolcats picture makes me a major nerd – I’m so aware)
However, today I was forced had the opportunity to learn how to get license plates for my very first car. When I walked into the DMV, I wanted to cry. That place overwhelms me and I always feel like I’m doing something wrong. But I manned up, and asked for help. Turns out, I brought the wrong paperwork to register my car, so I had to drive back home (still trying to remain calm) and have Meeker help me (how could I ever live alone?) locate the correct documents. When I walked back in the doors, I consciously made a decision to not get overwhelmed, but instead to smile. After a lot of question asking, and writing a major check, I am now the proud owner of 2 license plates to my very own car (2 months after the temporary plates had expired). I feel so grown up. And I did it all mostly by myself.
Afterwards, I felt so accomplished that I cleaned out my car (all those trips with the dog in the backseat really did a number on the “new car smell”), walked that big, dumb, smelly German shepherd, did some laundry and made a fabulous lunch.
- Lots-o-lettuce
- ½ cucumber
- 1 shredded carrot
- ½ can tuna (mixed with spicy mustard)
- Big dollop of hummus
- Balsamic vinegar
Gah. It was an unreal combo. Seriously delicious. But it didn’t quite fill me up so I had some protein pretzels (thanks again NOO) and a perfectly crispy #1.
To be perfectly honest, I’m not a big pretzel fan, but these were just fine. Not anything to scream about – but as far as pretzels go, I liked them. What I did love about them is the 5 grams of protein in each serving. And my diet always lacks protein, so wherever it can be squeezed in, I’ll take it.
Tonight we are going to a restaurant called La Hacienda for my mother-in-law’s birthday celebration. I am head over heels for this place, but the lighting is really dim, so you’ll have to take my word for it that the food looks and tastes excellent.
Adios and vaya con Dios!
The Napping House
Posted: October 21, 2009 Filed under: Breakfast, Mid-Day Yummies | Tags: apple, avocado, carrot, coffee, pumpkin oats, salad 11 Comments »Anyone out there remember that book? Well, my house is similar today…
Goodness, they are all so cute – I can’t even handle it.
We woke up to snow (sad panda), so I made some warm things for breakfast.
A cup of coffee and pumpkin oats.
In this bowl:
- ½ cup oats
- 1 cup milk
- 1/8 cup pumpkin
- Few drops of vanilla
- Cinnamon
- Butterscotch chips
- Coconut
…absolutely the perfect warm, creamy breakfast for a snow morning.
Then I braved the snow storm, and went to the grocery store and stocked up on some necessities (we were out of almost all the must-haves) and also some things for my raw Wednesday lunch. I had to have a snack before I went to the store to prevent breaking the bank with impulse/hunger purchases.
For raw Wednesday, it was nothing creative this week – just a delicious salad.
Lettuce (buried waaaay in there), ½ avocado, ½ cucumber, ½ apple, 1 carrot, sesame seeds, salt and pepper.
Because this did nothing to warm me up – I am now sipping hot water (yeah, I’m a granny) and reading my newest book…
The fireplace is roaring, everyone/everything in the house is sleeping, and I’m parked on the couch with a good story. I guess this snow isn’t so bad after all…
Top Ten
Posted: October 20, 2009 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: apples, avocado, broccoli, cake, carrots, cinnamon, cookies, milk, naan, yogurt 18 Comments »
I’ve been pretty bored with my own posts/eating lately – so I’m mixing it up. I present to you…my top 10 foods, and how I like to eat them. In order…
#1: A is for Apple
Maybe it’s because I’m a teacher. Maybe it’s just a fantastic coincidence. Either way, I love big, crispy, juicy apples. And I usually get them as gifts from my students – which is the best thing ever. Gala is a chart topper, but Braburn, Red Delicious and Granny Smith are also major contenders. However, the second I detect a hint of mush or a mealy texture – they go to the dog.
#2: Broccoli
Steamed, roasted, pureed, sautéed…I like it all. No matter how you prepare it, I like love it. To accompany this delightful, filling and oh-so-satisfying vegetable, I like balsamic vinegar, hummus and spicy mustard. Once I went through a raw broccoli/ranch dressing kick – but I found out it makes my breath smell like dog poop, so the streak ended.
#3: Plain Yogurt
The basis for my yogurt love is its versatility. Sweet? Sure. Savory? You betcha. Snack? Uh-huh. Breakfast? Almost always. Baking? Absolutely.
This is my favorite brand, too. It’s made very near my home and is always reasonably priced and it always delivers. Plus, with Holly’s new discovery, Greek yogurt can literally be created in my sleep. On a side note – I detest yogurts with fruit already in them – but love to add my own fruit to plain yogurt. Weird, I know.
#4 Milk
Okay, not a food. But I have so much love for this drink, it deserves a spot. Almond, soy, cow, chocolate – makes no difference: I love them all. WHY I love milk (I won’t even begin to talk about its ability to join cereal in making a heavenly combination), but when I have that insatiable hunger, a glass of milk always fills in those hunger-cracks and is satisfying, too. It’s probably the fat, and I love it. Another side note – I didn’t like milk until I was in college.
#5 Cookies
Were you wondering when I was going to get to something sweet? I was. I am a major sweet person. I don’t care for chips, popcorn (unless its kettle), pizza, or pretzels. But, I’ve never met a cookie I didn’t like. The big-fat-chocolate-chip variety is my favorite.
#6 Cinnamon
Again, not really a “food” – but I combine it with SO many foods that it also deserves its own spot. My favorite cinnamon-loving-foods: lentils, sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts, pancakes, yogurt (see #3), ice cream, all baked goods (especially scones), coffee, and chili.
#7 Naan
Puffy, fluffy, warm Indian bread. I had this little basket with my lunch today and it reminded me that I really need to learn how to make this stuff on my own. Anybody out there have a good recipe?
#8 Carrots
I’m okay with raw carrots, they make really easy snacks, and are wonderful with hummus. But throw them in a 450* oven for 30 minutes…drooooool. The perfect dipping sauce for these little buggers involves #3 and some spicy mustard. I also really like them glazed.
#9 Avocados
This one is partially for my friend Lana. She loves avocados as much as I do. One of my favorite ways to enjoy these fruits is with a little salt and a spoon. But they make perfect, creamy, smooth, satisfying additions to salads, soups, sandwiches, cottage cheese and so much more…don’t even get me started on guacamole.
#10 CAKE!
Duh. It’s the in the title of my blog. To me, cake represents an indulgence – something I fully believe in. It is my tenth favorite food because I honestly love foods that make me feel fantastic – and cake doesn’t always do that. But it sure tastes good. I love chocolate cake the most, but I don’t discriminate. Coffee, spice, carrot, white, apple…you are all welcome. Yes, I want cake.
So there you have it. What are some of your favorite foods?
Happy Apple Dog
Posted: October 20, 2009 Filed under: Breakfast | Tags: apple, egg, Estes Park, pita, salsa 24 Comments »Meeker and I are headed up a stunning little mountain town called Estes Park for the day.
We are taking the wild puppy, so it should be a real adventure.
I quickly threw together a tasty breakfast to get me down the road.
A toasted pita with an egg and lots-o-salsa…
Delish.
I will leave you with a montage of Punky eating an apple last night.
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
Posted: October 19, 2009 Filed under: Mid-Day Yummies | Tags: burrito, cinnamon, cookie, hummus, ice cream, salad 9 Comments »So far, day one of fall break has been a success.
I slept in until around 7:30 – and lay in bed for another hour. Wonderful. Then I hopped up, threw on shorts, sweatshirt and a snow hat, and went to the doggie park for a couple of hours. The weather was nice and fall-like.
I didn’t get any pictures our morning, because with lots of dogs, and lots of water – a camera is bound to get ruined. These photos are from the website, and it looked just like this on our visit this morning.
Then I came home, chugged a gallon of water, and my appetite FINALLY caught up with me. Prepare yourselves…
I started off small with a mini-burrito that was post-race swag yesterday
These are made just up the road in Boulder, CO – and it was fairly tasty, but didn’t 3oz. of burrito love didn’t even put a dent in my hunger.
So I made a big ‘ole salad with lettuce, cucumbers, a shredded carrot, a boca burger hummus and the balsamic vinegar. I love vinegar so much that I often contemplate drinking it out of the bottle.
Still not close to full…so something sweet!
This is just Kroger brand ice cream with cinnamon – but it honestly tasted like the best ice cream I have ever had.
So creamy and delicious. But, still a little lot hungry.
More race swag – a “sports cookie” – which was just a cookie (made with whole wheat flour and whey protein powder).
Aaaaaaaand now I am currently demolishing Meeker’s leftover dinosaur of a sandwich that he ate for lunch. I think I might be close to full….one voice inside my head is screaming “stop, stop, you’re going to get fat!” while another voice is calmly saying “you’re hungry…eat” – and I am kind of struggling with which voice to listen to right now. I’ve dealt with this pesky little voice before, and I know that I need to just listen to what my body needs – especially after pushing it so hard yesterday – but it isn’t easy. Hopefully the voices and I will come to some sort of agreement before dinner tonight.
Love, Hate.
Posted: October 18, 2009 Filed under: Mid-Day Yummies | Tags: cookies, ice cream, protien, running, sweet potatoes 16 Comments »I woke up this morning and realized I didn’t have pins for my race number, so I had to go the grocery store at 5am. I told you I wasn’t prepared for this race.
WHY I LOVE RUNNING…
However, despite that, I really enjoyed the race. After the 1st mile, I forgot about the pain in my knee and just got into the groove.
Here I am at mile 5.
And again at mile 9, smiling away.
Something good: I lost complete track of the time and the mileage – and every time I passed a mile marker, I was surprised I was that far along.
Something better: My time – 1:58:37
My goal was under 2 hours, and I just barely snuck in under that mark. Actually, the race clock said 2:02, however my official time was the above number because it took me 4 minutes after the gun went off to get to the starting line. The Denver Marathon was HUGE…throngs and throngs of people the entire time. Lots of energy, lots of fun.
The last quarter of a mile was difficult – I was sprinting and pushing myself to the max. I love that feeling.
This was taken as I was coming down the home stretch. Head down, arms pumping. I was euphoric afterwards.
***
WHY I HATE RUNNING…
…bye-bye appetite.
I asked Meeker (who has a degree in exercise physiology) why this happens and his best guess was because while running longer distances I am burning fat – as opposed to carbohydrates – which doesn’t spike the hunger. Aerobic vs. Anaerobic exercise. But that was just his guess – does anybody out there know why my appetite disappears when I run?
However – after the race I forced my unwilling tummy to eat some of the yummiest post-race oatmeal I have ever had. Thank you Target (who sponsored the race)!
Then my awesome in-laws took us out to lunch, and I got a tiny side salad. So sad.
It tasted really good.
Then, in an attempt to get my hunger started, I suggested we go to the doggie park and walk limp around for a couple of hours. It was a GORGEOUS day here in Colorado – 80 degrees. The best news. We even played in the river with Punky. The cold water felt fabulous on my tired feet.
When I got home (around 4pm), I still wasn’t hungry, but felt sort of weak, so I had a milk/protein powder.
Then a few hours later – I started to feel the beginnings of hunger, so I made 2 batches of cheetahs.
My half…
Sorry for the blur.
These sweet ‘taters sort of woke up my stomach, and I made the most delicious and satisfying creation for dessert.
Ice cream and cinnamon on homemade frozen cookies.
Yessssss. Droooool.
All in all…a fantastic Sunday, aaaaand, I don’t have school ALL NEXT WEEK. I am one happy girl.
Don’t take your dog…
Posted: October 17, 2009 Filed under: Uncategorized 11 Comments »
That little scratch on my left foot is merely evidence of a much larger mistake that I made this afternoon…
Don’t take your dog on a bike ride the night before running a race.
If you stupidly choose to disobey this rule, here are some guidelines…
- No matter how many times you’ve done it, don’t wrap the leash around your hand
- Don’t wear flats
- Make sure your pup goes potty before you leave
…so there we were cruising down the sidewalk at about 15mph when Punky decides she needs to…well, uh…do her potty thing. So she stops abruptly, while I go flying off my bike…landing on my left knee, and rolling into the street. Yup– laying in the middle of the street, bike on the sidewalk, Punky pooping. Wish it was on video tape.
But like I said, that little foot scratch is nothing compared to the Nancy-Kerrigan-like-pain in my left knee.
Here I am on the couch – being mad at my dog, with a bag of frozen peas that Meeker so thoughtfully placed on my knee.
But I am running this race – I don’t care what my knee feels like. So…after quite a few tears, a tantrum, and generally feeling sorry for myself, I got off the couch, hobbled to the kitchen and made “dinner”
Refried beans, salsa, 1 egg, 1 egg white all rolled in a multi-grain tortilla.
All rolled up. It was good, but this was better…
Frozen chocolate chip cookie.
***
I’m so mad at myself for going on that stupid bike ride. However, I am just trying to stay positive and hoping and praying that it will not be an issue tomorrow. Please say a prayer for me!
Be back with a full race recap tomorrow evening…happy Saturday!!
Regroup
Posted: October 17, 2009 Filed under: Uncategorized 4 Comments »Apparently I am running a half marathon tomorrow…
Because this week was so crazy at work, I haven’t really given the race much any thought whatsoever. I am supremely glad that the first race I ever ran was a marathon, and now all other races seem entirely achievable and non-intimidating. As far as I’m concerned, making it to my fall break is my biggest accomplishment right now. However, I woke up this morning, acutely aware that I had to regroup and focus my thoughts on the race. So, I ate a cookie…
Then a crispy gala – given to me by a student (I haven’t bought apples in weeks!)
Then butternut squash…for breakfast.
I drizzled it with maple syrup to make it more breakfast-like. It was exceptional. While I was eating, I watched my latest Netflix delivery.
It was way more depressing than I wanted it to be – not something I really recommend. Although, I love Amy Adams.
Then Meeker and I headed downtown for the race expo -where I scored big time in the food/beverages department.
Coupons, drinks, snacks, a shirt, dog treats, sunscreen, tape…swag galore.
Salami at a race expo? Meeker was jazzed – he swiped 2 packages.
Bevvies! (that’s our couple speak for beverages)
My cool shirt…
And then a simple lunch – my very favorite kind.
Veggies, hummus and a gala. Perfect.
I think the expo has successfully pushed me into my race mindset and I can’t wait for the 13.1 miles.
Happy Saturday!!
Don’t end, don’t end!
Posted: October 16, 2009 Filed under: Uncategorized 12 Comments »
Breakfast this morning was inspired by Holly’s guest post earlier this week. No, I didn’t have a jar of peanut butter for breakfast. I had the most fantastic yogurt mess ever.
There were so many delicious things in the almost empty jar of peanut butter that I almost don’t know where to begin. Almost…
- ½ cup plain yogurt
- ½ banana (I don’t really love bananas, but this was screaming for its addition)
- 1 tbs. chocolate chips
- Kashi Go Lean
- Pinch of coconut
- Sprinkle of cinnamon
- A few crumbles of some delicious spice cake I received from a parent in my class
….seriously…it was un-real. Half way though eating this, my taste buds were screaming “don’t end, don’t end, don’t end!” I could have eaten out of this jar for the rest of my life. It was that good.
It is finnnnnnnalllly Friday. I feel like Friday could have already happened 100 times this week. My fall break begins in T – 11 hours.
Free Food Fest Continues
Posted: October 15, 2009 Filed under: Uncategorized 15 Comments »
First of all – this is my best friend modeling a shirt with lyrics from one of my all time favorite songs. She’s so hot; I had to put it out there.
I wasn’t really hungry this morning, so I had a little bit of my leftover pumpkin pie in a bowl from last night with a little cottage cheese. I also added some fantastic biscotti to go along with it. Thank you to the wonderful baking moms in my class!
Then snacked on these all morning…
We also had our monthly donated LUNCH FEAST at school. I tell ya, those moms can really throw together a good spread.
I had mostly salads (all awesome) and ½ a baked potato. Delish -all of it. I am so blessed.
For dessert I had a little square of German chocolate cake (which I ate too quickly to photograph) and a wonderfully gooey mess of chocolate cream pie.
ALSO – a very kind mom in my class emptied out her refrigerator and brought me the perishables before she and her family left on vacation. How considerate is that!? Again – so blessed.
(For the record, Tona, I tried to share with some other teachers – but they told me to keep it all…I tried!)
For dinner, I had one of my favorite things…veggies. Brussels sprouts and butternut squash, with nutmeg and hummmmmus.
Nothing better. Nothing, I tell you.
***
In college, I used to do just about anything
for free food. I think I signed up for 6 different credit cards just for a slice or free pizza for each. I never used the cards, but definitely ate the pizza. I also stood in a lot of long lines. Now it is literally being handed to me every day – just for doing my job!
What have you done (would you do!) for good free food?
