Weird Blogger Food

Do you ever read someone’s blog and wonder…WTH is she eating?!

 

I admit that I sometimes think that when I read certain blogs. I wonder about flavor combinations and if I would like them.  A good example would be seeing yellow mustard all over roasted veggies on some of my fav blogs.

 

After giving it a go, I now consider that one of my favorite combos!

 

There are also certain things I eat that I think that I might gross out my readers. (Sauerkraut right out of the jar anyone?!)

 

Today my lunch reminded me of one those weird blogger meals. I pretty much combined some random items in a bowl and called it a salad.

 

Can you guess what is in here?

It’s a combo of romaine, shredded cabbage, roasted cauliflower, hummus, meatless meatballs and raisins (golden and red). I topped the whole thing with a healthy drizzle of olive oil.

 

On the side I had some buttered sprouted wheat toast and some homemade raspberry green iced tea.

Pretty delicious!

 

For dessert I had a square of dark chocolate

I think 72% is the perfect chocolate.

 

What are your favorite weird food combos?

What have you seen on blogs that make you think..WTH?

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My Last Post as a Student

I’m happy to report that I was able to do a nice workout at home today. I popped in the P90X Plyometrics DVD and figured I would modify the exercises and stop when I needed to if my feet hurt.

 

Because the workout has so many different moves, I didn’t feel my feet burn. Mostly they hurt when I do the same thing repeatedly like running or standing. This was jumping, squating, and all kinds of other things.

 

I am also going to ice and take ibufrophen to limit any inflammation.

 

Lunch today was also a nice surprise. I rummaged through the fridge and came up with this little gem. Arugula, roasted red peppers and goat cheese baked in the oven on a whole wheat tortilla.

 

Before:

And after! (topped with balsamic glaze)

 

The best news of today though- is that in a few minutes I’m off to my last graduate class EVER! And following that will be an honorary dinner.

 

Gotta go get ready!

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Rush

This afternoon was crazy. The time just kept slipping through my fingers. 

I blame the weather for taking me so long to get everywhere. I’m such a slow driver when there is precipitation on the road.

 

After a few errands I flew in the door, and then back out the door to the gym.

 

I started with speed intervals on the treadmill. I would run 0.25 miles at 6.0 (10 /mi)and then 0.25 at 7.0 (8:35 /mi). I continued this for 3 miles with a short walking break for about 2 minutes.

 

It wasn’t really that fun.

After that I did some ellipticalling while reading magazines and watching TV for about 15 minutes. Now that was fun.

 

I came home and realized I had about 40 minutes or less to shower, eat, and get out the door for student teaching orientation.

 

Food was prepared on the fly and scarfed in a hurry.

I nuked a tortilla with apple and cheddar and on the side had a pomegranate chobani.

The wrap was okay, but the yogurt stole the show. This is my fav flavor.

It’s official.

 

Student teaching orientation was okay, I got to meet my supervisor and it was nice to mingle with other people who are just as nervous as I am!

 

What’s your favorite yogurt flavor?

Don’t forget to enter my Multigrain Cheerios giveaway! I’ll be picking a winner later tonight.

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Hello Mojo!

My mojo is back! This afternoon I felt the cool cold air calling, and I headed out for a wintery run.

Look at the difference from Fall to Winter!

 

FALL

WINTER!

 

 

I’m not gonna lie, the first part of my run was tough!

 

It was cold and hilly and dodging ice wasn’t that fun.  I actually ended up running on some snow for a while, which kind of felt like running on the beach in the sand.

 

After a little while though, I warmed up and just took it slow.

It wasn’t about time, it was just about being out there.

I ended up completing 5 miles, and I felt great! I always find it fascinating how much I warm up by the end. Look at my head sweating through my cap!

Before I left I snapped  a quick picture of the sun starting to go down.

It’s nature beautiful??

 

Post run fuel was some leftover QSC Casserole which is even better the second day. On the side some cucumber and Sabra spinach and artichoke hummus (yum!)

I gotta run, were grabbing some pizza and hanging with a few friends. Nothing crazy, I have my second Praxis in the morning!

 

See ya!

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Success!

Thanks for all the well wishes guys! I can happily say that I passed the test!

 

I actually did more than just pass..I killed it! I needed a 168 to pass and I scored a 191.

 

Now I just have one more of these tests to complete, and that one is on Saturday. Saturday’s test is a written exam, so I won’t know my score right away, but hopefully I will pass. It’s just SO much material, I think my brain is going numb.

 

Fortunately, lunch was a no-brainer today.

Another NRRW and a few remaining parsnip fries. I ate most of them cold. Does anyone else do that? I love cold roasted veggies! Now I’m snacking on some strawberries. Delish!

 

This afternoon I’m taking off of studying. I need a mental break. I might write over some note cards, but nothing too crazy.

 

I’m going to the gym in a little bit, I figured it is a safe place to test out what I can do with my tailbone. If it hurts, I can leave and I don’t have run back to where I parked. There will also be no ice to slip on.

 

I really do want to run outside, but I think I might wait until next week when I start my training.

 

I realized the other day that I have not run 1 single mile in 2011!! BOO! I need to change that soon. Does the treadmill count?

 

Have you been running outside recently?
What are your tips for being careful in winter terrain?

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Taco Time

I don’t know about you, but I remember when I first started hearing more about dieting and the evils of restaurant foods, there was a lot of hype about the nutritional horror of the taco salad.

 

Top 20 Belly Busting Meals

Fast Food Salad – The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

The 272 Fast Food Items Highest In Calories

 

I guess a lot of people thought that the taco salad was your FRIEND, when really it is your ENEMY. (their words, not mine) But really, if the big fried “bowl” didn’t give it away, then I don’t know what would.

 

In reality, a taco salad made the right way can be a very healthy and delicious meal!

 

Usually when I make tacos, I end up eating them in salad form anyhow since I like all of the fixins, so at least this way I get more veggies and I actually come prepared with a fork.

 

My taco salad consists of romaine lettuce, tomatoes, ground lean turkey (made with taco seasoning according to the packet directions), vegetarian refried beans, sour cream (or nonfat greek yogurt) and some hot sauce.

 

I like to warm the meat and the beans so they wilt the salad, and then mix the whole thing together.

 

Other things I add sometimes:

• Roasted corn (frozen and found at Trader Joe’s)
• Black beans
• Black olives
• Jalapeno
• Onion
• Cilantro
• Salsa
• Shredded Cheese

I mean really, the options are endless!

 

So don’t run for the border. The taco salad just wants to be your friend, ok?

Do you eat fast food? If so, what is your favorite kind?

How do you make your tacos? Hard shell? Soft tortilla? Salad?

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Snow Brings Out the CRAZY

Why is it that the threat of snow makes people completely insane?!

It’s almost 3:30pm and we are scheduled to get about 4 inches of snow here in the Philadelphia area.

You would think that someone said we were getting 400.

People are out and about, and the level of rudeness is turned all the way up.

Let’s start at Costco.

Stupid me decided to make a trip to Costco at 11am. I figured it wouldn’t be too crowded, and I was actually right. So I easily parked near the door. By the time I came out 40 minutes later, the parking lot was jamming.

The second I started walking towards my car, a woman put her blinker on and jetted towards my parking spot.

That’s fine, but you better be patient because I have a bruised tailbone and it’s going to take a me a little while to unload. Not to mention that I actually like to return the cart instead of leaving it in the middle of the lot.

(FREAKOUT #1)

I guess Mercedes SUV didn’t get the memo as she rolled her eyes and inched closer and closer to my car. I SEE YOU!!!!!!!!!!! AND IF YOU JUST WOULD HAVE PARKED SOMEWHERE ELSE INSTEAD OF WAITING, YOU WOULD BE KNEE DEEP IN 7 LAYER DIP and HOT POCKET SAMPLES BY NOW.

(Positive balance to FREAKOUT #1)

On the positive side, Costco had a great selection of affordable fresh berries. I had been craving them, but they are so expensive at the store.

I thoroughly enjoyed every bite of this fruit bowl and the cool whip on top. I also would have enjoyed hurling cool whip in that ladies’ face if I had the chance.

Up Next, the local grocery store.

I’m a glutton for punishment, so I decided to go to the grocery store this afternoon for a few more things (tortillas, crystal light, brown paper lunch bags, and pretzels) (???)

This time I parked really far away.  I even prepared myself for long lines at checkout. Especially when I saw that the self checkouts were broken.

(FREAKOUT #2)

What I didn’t prepare myself for was the woman in line behind me, who was RAMMING ME WITH HER CART. I only have 4 items so BACK OFF! I don’t need your metal deathwagon jamming into my left leg every time the cashier scans at item. It’s not going to make this process faster. You’re not going to squeeze anymore items on the belt by pushing me out of the way. And if you think I’m not capable of throwing this US Weekly at you, you are surely mistaken.

(Positive balance to freakout #2)

Hmm..this is hard. I guess the rage helped me to work up an appetite for this delicious lunch?

What a crazy afternoon! And I still have yet to see one flake of snow…

Do you find that people are wacko when there is a storm coming?

Is your area expecting snow today/tonight?

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Faking it

Sometimes things aren’t always as they seem.

Study zone on the other side of the “clean” table

With this idea of faking it in mind…. I’ve decided on a new goal.

For various reasons I can’t sign up for race right now. But I really miss training for one. Ever since my half marathon in November, I’ve been craving that focus and dedication to running that I previously had.

I need some new goals, and therefore, I’ve decided to start training for a fictional race, called the 15 by 30 Race.

I’m planning on working up to a 15 mile distance by the end of March, which is right before my 30th birthday.

Here is the training plan I am going to follow as best as I can starting next week.  I am using an outline done by Caitlin at Healthy Tipping Point. Her plan includes tempo and speed runs, which I’ve never done before. But I think that incorporating them will help me to become a better runner.

I’m hoping that with a new plan, I will be able to find my running mojo again! With my new student teaching schedule as well as the yucky winter weather, I know this might be a tough goal, but I really think I can tackle it.

Do you believe in faking it until you make it? In what ways do you do it?

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Change in Plans

A lot of things that I had planned on today ended up changing- and hey, change is good right?

Change #1

I ended up buying actual gifts instead of gift cards (as I mentioned earlier)  because I had a good time shopping and picking things out at the stores where I was going to get gift cards. I was already there, so hey, why not!

 

Change #2

I  decided to go to the gym today instead of running. I’ve got the sniffles and I think running in the cold is going to be a challenge. Plus, I think I’m doing a long run with my running group in the morning.

 

Change #3

Instead of wearing a dress to NYE, I think I’m just going to wear jeans. We’re going to a sports bar anyway and it’s just one night. Plus my one pair of designer jeans are fitting very nicely these days and they need a night out.

 

One thing that didn’t change was what I was planning to eat for lunch. A mix plate of tofu, bulgur, tabbouleh, parsnip fries, and roasted eggplant. I wolfed this down. I was starving!

 

I know I had also promised to show you guys the good stuff I got at TJMaxx yesterday, so here ya go:

My favorite items are this cross shoulder bag, a pair of Joe’s Jeans jeggings and warm shell jacket for snowboarding.

TJ Maxx left the tag on the jacket and I can see that it’s MSRP is $120. I got it for $29! I’m heading to Vail next week (where it is currently 5 degrees) so the more layers, the better!

I ended up getting the Joe’s Jeans for $39 and I looked up the style number and it turns out they go for $128 at Saks!

The bag was another great find because it was exactly what I’ve been looking for for months!  I really wanted a lightweight bag that I can wear cross shoulder. I love my current bag, but it is so heavy and becomes a burden on my shoulder if I’m out and about for too long. This had a $65 price tag, but was only $20. Never heard of the brand before.

I’m a total Maxxinista!

 

Have you worn jeggings yet?

What items are you in need of right now?

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Normalcy

Ahh..the sweet sweet feeling of a normal day.

 

It was great to be back home when I woke up this morning. I got an early start and headed to the gym for Bootcamp.

 

Unfortunately, the instructor was sick so she cancelled class. Both Joe and I have colds too and I’m hoping that they stay dormant and just go away soon.

 

I ended up doing 45 min on the elliptical and some weights. Yep, I did weights on my own!

 

I did 2 sets of 12 of some full body stuff

Assisted Pullups

Incline Bench Pushups

Tricep Rope Pulls

Walking Lunges

Deadlifts

Situps

 

After the gym I did some cleaning and laundry and then headed to Trader Joe’s and TJ Maxx.

 

I hit the goldmine at TJMaxx! I’ll give you recap tomorrow when the lighting in my house is better for pictures.

 

In order to keep my budget in tact, I decided to return two things I got at H&M the other day.

 

GOING BACK!

YEP, YOU TOO!

As much as I like both things I don’t need them and I have other things that I can use instead of them.

 

Lunch was a delicious combo of things I bought at Trader Joe’s. It felt so great to get some fresh food (that I cooked) in my body.

 

Roasted eggplant, bulgur mixed with TJ’s Tabouleh, and baked tofu.

Dinner was Stuffed Chicken with Ricotta.

Now I’m about to curl up with a cup of hot cocoa and a few frozen Andes mints.

These are my new favorite treat!

 

 

 

 

Are you a routine freak like me or can you go with the flow for a long time?

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