Back With A Vengeance

I decided to take a break from blogging yesterday since it was so boring and basically the same foods I ate the past few days. I hope you understand! I am back now though!

Back..and healthy gain! That’s right! I had no nausea and a real appetite for real food today! It feels sooo good to eat vegetables and fruit again.

Breakfast started with a Stonyfield Organic Activia Vanilla yogurt, some frozen blueberries, and a handful of Quaker Oatmeal Squares. After eating it, and enjoying every bite, I realized this wasn’t hearty enough and that if I didn’t want to allow myself to snack the entire day, I better eat something that would stick to my ribs more.

Enter, second breakfast. Toasted English muffin with chunky peanut butter (couldn’t quiet stomach the other nut butters yet), flax(!), and homemade raspberry jam. Holy yum.

Now since my sleep schedule is all off my eating schedule is really wack. I basically had breakfast at about noon. >.< Around 2pm I met Karlie (to get the last Harry Potter book!), at Yo Waffle, where I did have a little cup of Tart Original yogurt with fresh bluebs and strawberries. I of course forgot to take a picture though.

When I got back home I was ready for lunch but convinced myself that I shouldn’t be hungry yet. This ended up with me eating a cookie. >.< I need to remind myself that when I’m hungry I should just eat my meal! Who cares about the time!?

An hour or so after that failure I was so hungry I was cranky so I used what we had in the fridge and made what sounded good. This turned out to be a small quesadilla with red and green peppers! It was really good, but I put too much cheese. 

Around 7:30pm we started getting ready for the big BBQ we were having tonight. This of course consisted with opening a bottle of red wine! I had two of the small glasses pictured.

Eventually around 9pm dinner was finally ready! We had so many things on the grill it took a lot of time for everything to be done. I had a Boca Vegan Burger patty, a little bit of macaroni salad, half of an eggplant and maybe half of the pictured vegetables. I just couldn’t fit it all in! But it was deelish. ^_^

For dessert Chase and I went on a nice evening walk to our local convenience store and grabbed some Neopolitan ice cream for everyone.

And to cap off enjoying my re-found appetite I ate the very last of my favorite iced shortbread cookies. <3 It feels so good to be able to eat again and actually enjoy what I’m eating. Hopefully I can start working out again too. I don’t want to do too much too fast in case it sets me back, but maybe tomorrow is the day.

Thanks for sticking with me through this folks! Stay tuned for the NEW Stonyfield Giveaway Winners (since 4 out of 5 left no contact info!)

>.<

Right now I’m taking a little break from my hours of chemistry studying. I must say I don’t think it’s helping. My mind just feels like it can’t comprehend what the questions ask and then when I see how to get the answer I’m not absorbing it! I really really hope I do better on tomorrow’s exam than I feel like I’ll do right now.

This is how I’m feeling right now:

Not sure if you can see that but that’s me (the short one in the middle) with a face just like this >.<! And yes in this analogy the cute Asians around me are chemistry stress!

Today started off terribly to top it off. I got to bed pretty late last night (D&D went long), and so when I woke up this morning I could hardly keep my eyes open. I felt the least rested than I have all semester.

Breakfast to wake myself up! 1/4 cup Kashi Golean Crunch plus 1cup Kashi Autumn Harvest was my base. Then I really packed on the nutrients with tsp of chia seeds, a mushy banana, some fresh (on their way out the door…) strawberries, and some toasted almonds! All covered in delicious and cold skim milk. <3

At least today was the very last day of actual chemistry class! Woot! Also it was the last day of lab! Steph and I’s crystals turned out stunningly too!

Yeah we are geeks and took some home with us. <3 We decided it was kryptonite! It was a lot of fun though and a good way to end in lab.

Afterwards, I headed off to swim alone again. Steph is feeling too much stress this week so I told her not to worry about working out. Some people find relaxation in different things. I swam away 45 minutes and was then mentally ready to start the epic studying.

Well…almost ready! Lunch was very necessary so said my stomach.

Sautéed in EVOO: snap peas, cherry tomatoes, and spinach plus a heaping helping of more Harvest Grain Salad. I seriously made another batch it’s that good. Please try it!! A while later I ate my “dessert” of a vanilla Stonyfield’s Activia and a plum! These yogurts are really growing on me! If I don’t get that review to you guys this Friday I promise it’ll be sometime next week!

 

Chase got off early and we headed over to the mall to pick up his mum a birthday present (her’s was on the 24th!). My stomach was already growling again so I split a small Peanut Butter Cup smoothie from Jus Chilin. I’m so glad I had Chase drinking it because it was so decadent it would have made me sick! He actually ended up devouring most of it while I was in Victoria Secret bumming a free pair. ~.^ I’m glad he did because holy smokes was it good.

When we arrived home, Princess Ophelia was wafting.

She made sure I took lots of breaks through my study session.

And made sure I got some brain food aka, stress snacking in. Definitely had a few handfuls. >.<

Around dinner time Chase decided to start up the grill so I jumped on that boat ride and made up the best grilled asparagus I’ve ever tasted(!), grilled cherry tomatoes, Ian’s Sweet Potato Fries, and a Vegan Boca Burger on a English muffin. I’m suddenly on an English muffin kick! Loving the doughy goodness.

And then I continued to study and decided I needed to relax a little and had a tiny pour of red wine. It was really nice but I don’t think it helped me concentrate much. >.<

Around 9, (still studying), I made myself dessert: Strawberry Stonyfield’s Activia topped with fresh strawberries and 1/4 cup Kashi Golean Crunch. I’m really loving this strawberry yogurt! Normally I’m not a fan of flavored ones, but this one is so subtle and non-artificial tasting it’s delicious!

Anyway, I must get back to more studying. =/ Promised myself I can go to bed at midnight (oh sleep I want you!) but only if I get in another 2 hours. Hope you all had a great Tuesday. Almost half way done!

The End is Near!

Phew! I don’t feel like I wasted today like yesterday. I woke up at 10am (still super late for me) and popped right out of bed, put on my workout clothes(!), and made me some breakfast.

1 cup Stonyfield’s Plain Nonfat Yogurt mixed with almond butter and flax and topped with Quaker Oatmeal Squares, fresh blueberries and dried blueberries. After I took the picture I realized I forgot my pinch of toasted almonds, so I threw them on as well and dug in! Mmmm! So many different textures I loved every bite. Creamy, crunchy, chewy, squishy.  <3

After digesting I got my butt in gear and did a 30 minute stationary bike/20 min 30 Day Shred workout. Boy oh boy do these wear me out! I need to keep remind myself that I really do appreciate them afterwards! The weeks I skip them I can definitely feel that my arms and core are weaker.

Showered and dressed, I did sit around and read a little Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix! I really want to finish the series so I can go see the final installment while it’s still in theaters! It’s such a lovely escape from chemistry! ^_^

Eventually, however, I knew I had to get out of the house and get some homework done! I had big plans to do some grocery shopping (finally!) too so I knew I better not go hungry or I’d make a lot of impulse buys.

I found this Lean Cuisine in the freezer and decided to zap it and throw it on a bed of mixed greens with cherry tomatoes. I took about two bites and put it in the dog bowls. If it doesn’t taste good it is not worth eating!!

I satisfied myself with this perfectly ripe plum instead and hit the road.

While I balanced redox equations, I sipped on this tall nonfat latte with caramel drizzle at Starbucks. It was perfect since it was sooo very hot outside.

I then ended up at two different grocery stores getting ingredients for a recipe I’m going to make tomorrow. At The Good Food Store I ended up grabbing a Baked Tofu Wrap with spicy edamame dip for lunch.

It was exactly what I wanted! Whole wheat wrap with spinach, spicy edamame dip, baked tofu and a whole bunch of carrots! I love that they don’t skimp on the veggies. I ate half along with a Costco chocolate chip cookie and a glass of milk.

Then my babies laid about holding hands. ^_^ Aren’t they precious!? While they did that I watched Next Food Network Star! If you haven’t been watching this show you should! All of the episodes are up on Hulu and it’s just so fun to see the different foods and personalities. I hate reality TV shows, but the moment their about food I’m all in! Speaking of that, Hell’s Kitchen starts tomorrow! Anyone else watching?

Eventually we all got hungry for dinner and since it was finally not storming out tonight, we decided on grilling! I had a Vegan Boca Burger on top of a Thoma’s Everything Bagel Thin with ketchup, sriracha and a cut up dill pickle. Sides were corn on the cob(!), grilled cherry tomatoes, and grilled asparagus. My burger didn’t wow me. =( I would have been happier with a big plate of all veggies!

Dessert was all over the place tonight >.> While studying for my chemistry final I had a Milk Chocolate Lindt Truffle..

Followed by an Edy’s Fruit Bar Grape flavored. We bought a huge Costco pack of these 3 years ago and I finally dug some out of the freezer. As you can tell I had to melt a lot of ice off of it! It was refreshing and light.

But didn’t really satisfy so I ended up with another truffle, white chocolate! I am a closet white chocolate lover.

I am actually looking forward to this week since it’s basically the last real one of summer school! PLUS:

1. My badass older sister, Whitney, arrives on Wednesday from New York City! She’ll be staying here with us for a month before she moves on to her new home in San Diego where she will be entering a graduate school program with The Old Globe Theater.
2. Thursday is my mother’s 58th birthday!
3. Friday is my 23rd birthday!
4. Saturday through Sunday will be spent in Idaho visiting my grandpa.

And then one quick week of testing and I’m off to California for a week!

Summer is soo near!

What are you looking forward to this week?

Recharging

Okay. I am officially pumpkin-ed out but I did not waste it! Having just about a 1/2 cup left and not wanting to make more of those super addictive cookies, I decided to tough the heat and have a nice warm bowl of oats for breakfast.

Mix of: old fashioned oats, little bit of barley (not good in this..), flax, pumpkin, almond butter, craisins, drizzle of maple syrup, and pumpkin pie spice.

Filling and delicious as always!

Now I sat around digesting these oats, and almost talked myself out of getting my workout out of the way. But instead of listening to the devil on my shoulder I laced up my tennis and did 30 minutes stationary biking and 20 minutes 30 Day Shred! I just have to keep reminding myself how good I will feel after…

Except after I went really downhill. >.<

I ate this juicy peach hoping it would hold me over until my late lunch (1:30pm) with my mother, but boy was I wrong. I got so dehydrated and hungry by the time I walked into her house I felt sick. That Shred took more out of me than I thought. I didn’t want anything. Not water, not food. Eventually she made me eat, but I was so out of it I didn’t remember to take a picture until half way through!

My mother is the queen of strange concoctions that somehow work. Lunch today was spinach/spring mix greens topped with cottage cheese/vanilla yogurt and strawberries. Sounds gross right? It tasted perfect! I slowly but surely managed to eat the whole bowl and my body immediately started to feel better.

On my way back home I did stop at Starbucks and reward myself with a light refreshing Shaken Iced Tazo Passionfruit Tea. <3

Check out my cherry tomatoes coming in! Yes, Sun, turbocharge these into edible goodness!

And my little Japanese eggplants! I can’t wait for all of this to finish growing!

Due to the light lunch, I was absolutely starving for dinner. I devoured a Dr. Preager’s Gluten Free California Burger (bleh only one left in the box and I can’t wait to be rid of these) which was smothered in sirracha to give it a good taste, a large sweet corn, grilled cherry tomatoes, and a little bit of steamed collard greens drizzled with maple syrup. It was soooo good and super filling.

Then instead studying chemistry I watched the entire season of The Great Food Truck Race. ^_^ Of course this made me hungry so for dessert I had a Chobani 0% Black Cherry topped with 1/4 cup Kashi Golean Crunch. Omg I loved this flavor! My two favorite Chobani’s are now Lemon and Black Cherry!

I am so sick of chemistry it’s really hard to give it my all right now! I am just yearning for August. I have August packed full of fun things (and no chemistry!)! My best friend, Ashton, is having her first child, my boyfriend’s 23rd birthday, my sister (from NYC) is visiting, California vacation, Seattle trip, and tons and tons of fun reading to do! I have to pack three months of summer vacation in to one month, and by the gods I am going to try my hardest to do it!

So instead of dreading Monday, I am going to look it straight in the face and charge through it! Because it is one Monday closer to August. <3

What are you looking forward to?

Back in Action!

I knew today was going to be a good day when I woke up and was able to open my eyes due to there being no build up on them from allergies! I think my steroid shot has officially kicked in! No scratchy, itchy throat, no itchy, dry eyes, no drowsiness. It’s like an allergy-free me! ^_^

I felt like something fresh and cool for breakfast. 0% Blueberry Chobani topped with flax, banana, strawberries, blueberries, Quaker Oatmeal Squares, and almond butter! These yogurt messes never fail to hit the spot.

For my pre-workout snack (snuck during lab while we waited on our filtrations), I ate this entire Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Larabar! I only intended to eat half, but man they are too good! I’m so glad I bought a whole case of this flavor from Amazon. ^_^

Since it was Tuesday, Steph and I did our usual 45 minute lap swim. It felt really good today and the time flew by as I plowed through the water. I’m so glad I brought swimming back into my life. <3 I only wish I could find other fun activities to do besides running and hiking. They’ve both kind of gotten old especially in this heat. =/

I went to Hastings to get my homework done and chowed down on my packed bento. A little bit of white rice, steamed snap peas and asparagus, and a serving of sizzling tofu and veggies leftover from last night. Yum. I love leftovers! I don’t understand those people who refuse to eat them.

I tried to eat my daily apple but this one was on it’s way out unfortunately. =( Too brown inside I didn’t want to chance it making me sick. I stuck the rest of my apples in the fridge so hopefully they’ll be okay to eat.

Once I got home a few hours later I was hungry for an ice cold snack. So I had a 1/2 cup Annie’s Chocolate and Vanilla Bunnies with a 1/2 cup of skim milk. Plus a handful of fresh blueberries! I think these are my favorite Annie’s product which is funny because I never liked chocolate cereal before!

Later, after finishing the 3rd Harry Potter book(!), it was time to turn our grill on! Problem: we were out of propane! A quick run to the gas station alter, we were back in action.

I <3 grilling.

Vegan Boca Burger on a Thoma’s Everything Bagel Thin (finally on my last package of these…) topped with fat-free Kraft American cheese, pickles, and Chase’s dad’s famous BBQ sauce! Also some grilled cherry tomatoes and red onion and….corn on the cob! Hopefully much more corn on the cob to come. I freaking love it. I’d rather have that then the burger.

Soo..when Chase and I were at the gas station earlier we did a little splurging. I kept reading about Harry Potter eating lots of chocolate so I had a bad hankering for milk chocolate. Chase adamantly agreed to a candy fix.

I got a bag of of Pretzel M&M’s for me, but I took one bite and decided they weren’t worth eating. I didn’t like them! So instead Chase split his NutRageous with me. <3 I don’t know why but these things are amazing. I probably have at least a bite of one (of 1/2) once a year and don’t regret it at all!

A few hours later since candy is empty calories and doesn’t keep you full at all, I had a (for the first time) 0% Pomegranate Chobani with 1/4 cup Kashi Golean Crunch. This flavor didn’t wow me so I don’t think I’d go out of my way to get it again.

I’m definitely full now though! I highly doubt I’ll wake up at 2am (like I did last night) due to my stomach being sooooo hungry. (I had to get a snack before it would let me go back to sleep). >.<

What’s your guilty pleasure?

I really do stay away from crap (nutrition-free) candy like NutRageous most of the time, but sometimes I just gotta have some because nothing else will do!

Finally Friday

I am sooo ecstatic that it is finally Friday! This week was extremely rough on me with my exam (which I turned out doing very badly on) so I’ve been looking forward to this three day weekend hardcore.

I have big plans starting with a 20 mile long bike trail with my dad and Chase(!), a 4th of July BBQ at Karlie’s, and a hardcore D&D game to finish it off. ^^ I am putting off chemistry because I need a break!

I must finish today however before I let the weekend begin!

I slept really hard last night so waking up this morning was a slow process. I wasn’t even sure what I wanted for breakfast so I’m not really sure how this got made.

0% Fage Greek Yogurt topped with banana, cherries (the very last!), Quaker Oatmeal Squares, flax, dried blueberries, and almond butter. It wasn’t really what I wanted, but it held me over until 12:30pm.

Even during this 1hr 20min nature hike Steph and I did for Fun Workout Friday. It was soo hot and we were so hungry in the end we weren’t sure if we were going to make it back to civilization! We walked this beautiful trail known as the Kim-Williams Trail right next to the University of Montana. We did this easy walk because I wasn’t sure how well I’d do with with a 4 mile run after donating blood yesterday. It normally takes me a few days to be 100% again so this walk was perfect.

I don’t know how it happened but I was so hungry I managed to forget to snap a photo of my lunch! So I created this lovely Paint image for all of you. <3 As you can tell I’m an artist at heart.

The lunch was actually really mediocre. The flavors just did not go well together. I seriously thought about tossing it, but I hate wasting food and I was sooo hungry.

I also had a photographed Siggi’s Orange & Ginger Yogurt! I’ve tried Siggi’s once before and thought the texture was a little…iffy. I saw these on sale at Good Food Store yesterday though, so I decided to give them another try. =/ Same thing. The flavors don’t wow me and the texture is too…not smooth?

A half hour or so later I was still hungry. My lunch was just not filling. =/ I really wanted some good old fashioned simple carbohydrates! So I indulged in Cookie Friday! I purchased this Revel Bar from the market and loved the first two bites. I’ve never had a revel bar before so I didn’t know that “Revel bars consist of two layers of oatmeal cookie dough sandwiching a fudge-like chocolate filling. The oatmeal cookie dough is similar to a regular oatmeal cookie, and the same dough is used for both the base and the topping of these bars.”

Well..I’m not a fan of fudge. It’s way too sweet! After the first two bites I knew I should stop eating it. It was going to make me sick fast. But instead of listening to my body I kept going and finished the bar. –_- Boy did I feel sick afterwards.

I don’t know why I ignored the signs. =/ All I’m going to say is that it was a hard week.

After that sugar-over load I didn’t get hungry again for a long time. Finally Chase decided we should make dinner and I decided we should grill!

Grilled: purple cabbage, garlic scape, and cherry tomatoes! Super delicious! I also had a Morningstar Farms California Turk’y burger and a small side of penne with Easy Garlic Scape Pesto. It hit the spot.

For dessert I could not make up my mind on what I wanted. So I decided to eat the healthier of the two first and then if I still really wanted the 2nd I could have it.

1/2 cup Greek yogurt with some blueberries and blackberries and drizzled with honey. I’d forgotten how delicious this simple combination is. I definitely needed something more hearty though. =P

A little slice of Breakfast Blast with some ICBINB spray! Now I’m 100% satisfied. ^_^

I hope everyone has a great 4th of July or Canada Day Weekend!

TGIF

Ahh Friday!! I have this knot in my neck that is slowly, slowly releasing itself due to the happiness that is Friday.

Does anyone remember TGIF television programming on ABC? Man I loved that as a kid. Really not healthy for me (both physically and emotionally), but my dad would always buy me frozen pizza on Friday’s so I could sit at home (by myself, since my family were not recluses…) and enjoy TGIF. I loved it.

First off, my exam went extremely well. I’d be surprised if I didn’t get an A. It’s amazing how pleasant a test can be when they test you on what they taught you! (Unlike my previous chemistry class…)

Anyway, let’s start with food.

Cherry Vanilla Yogurt Mess

• 1 cup Oikos Vanilla Greek Yogurt
• 1/2 cup Kashi Golean Crunch
• 1 Tbsp toasted Almonds
• 1 Tbsp dried tart Cherries
• 1 handful pitted Cherries
• 1 small Banana

= 1 happy camper! I loved this. It tasted great but it also had enough protein in it that I stayed full!

I’ve never had vanilla Greek yogurt before, and it was pleasant enough, but I prefer the tartness of plain.

After breakfast and my exam, I had a little time to kill before the Lap Swim opened at 11am. So I took some pictures of the beautiful day! The past three days have been nothing but rain, so it really lifted my spirits to be out in this.

I have to admit, I got so bored waiting I ate my pre-workout snack even though I wasn’t hungry. =/

I still don’t really care for these. I hate how figs leave a grittiness in your teeth while you eat them. >.< I just don’t like sand, thanks!

Steph and I got in an awesome 40 minute Lap Swim though, so I like to think I used that unneeded fuel for a good use.

So, where did I head when Steph and I parted ways?

You guessed it! Hasting’s Hardback Café! I had a coffee date scheduled for later, so I figured why not sit there and get some good work done on my lab report.

I also ate my lunch while I waited. Wheat Berry Salad with a Quorn Naked Chick’n Cutlet, Coconut ginger carrots, and a side of cherries!

It was so filling, I couldn’t eat all the cherries!

One my “date” arrived, my ex-coworker and good friend Tyler, I sipped on a iced nonfat latte.

Starbucks is way better. That’s my only gripe with this place for studying!! >.< I hate their coffee! Guess I will just have to stick to tea. I wanted to try their iced tea but figured if I was going to use points I should get in a milk serving. Lesson learned.

While Ty and I chatted for a few hours, I got a little hungry and dug into my daily apple. Again, I couldn’t finish it!

And right after my stomach started to have pangs just like yesterday. I think I am going to take a good scrub brush to these apples. There must be something on them that is killing my tummy.

Near 5pm I found Chase in his department and begged him to do something with me this lovely Friday evening. I wanted to go out to eat but he really wanted to BBQ at home. We compromised. We would BBQ at home and then…he’d take me to a movie! Deal.

Boca Vegan Burger on a Thomas Everything Bagel Thin with a slice of Kraft nonfat cheese, pickles, and ketchup. <3 Seriously, tastes like a Happy Meal but better. On the side I finished off the coconut-ginger carrots and grilled tomatoes.

Those carrots were good but make sure when you make them you have a lot of people to share them with. Otherwise, carrots get old real fast. I don’t want to eat another carrot again for awhile. –_-

After eating, it was time for…

Kung Fu Panda 2! (It was pretty darn cute but not as good as the 1st one as always)

I went prepared with a serving of Pirate’s Booty.

I also started munching on the movie popcorn Chase got, and then quickly popped some gum in my mouth. This saved me probably a million points but I did eat about 2 cups.

I knew I wasn’t hungry, it was totally just mindless eating. >.<

Well, even though I did use a few activity points today, I don’t’ feel like I over indulged. I never felt stuffed and I never craved sweets (like I do when I’m depriving myself). So overall, a successful day!

Giveaway Alert: Danica @ Danica’s Daily is giving away a whole case of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups! I for one would love to win them and gift them to my sweetheart. <3 Well..I’d probably at least eat one for myself. ~.^

Getting Things Done!

Phew! I’ve been busy today! Well..sortof. More like busy this night. ^_^ I finally decided that food wasn’t going to make itself and that I needed to hop to it so I could stop blowing all my money on buying lunch at school!

First off I wanted to share with you all this cute picture of my favorite men.

Chase and Vincent love to play video games together!<3

Yeah they were up playing into the wee hours of the morning since Chase had a day off today. But I went to bed early as planned but had trouble falling asleep. All my aches on my body were throbbing. =( Eventually I heated up my hot pad and moved it around my body. It helped a lot and this morning I woke up feeling quiet a bit better.

Blueberry Chobani with more blueberries(!), banana, 4 pt baggie of Quaker Oatmeal Squares, flax and toasted almonds.

Adding more fruit to my breakfast this morning definitely helped me feel satisfied. However, since there’s about half the yogurt in the Chobani cups it didn’t hold me over very well. In  fact, Steph and I skipped working out to eat lunch, do a bit of homework, and then go for a hike up the M! My tummy was growling!

Purchased! Bunch of cut up veggies (only managed about half), a burrito roll, and cherries (half again..). The roll was super good!

Since I have a lack of inspiration in the cooking department right now, I decided to try new food from The Market today. And man, it was good! The burrito roll has a tiny portion of beans ans spices in the middle that were super tasty. I also didn’t mind the bread part since I had veggies to eat it with. Normally I’m not a big bread fan, but I’d definitely eat this again. It was also very filling so I only managed half the cherries and veggies.

And wow! A lunch photo that isn’t taken the night before in my dingy and dark kitchen!? That’s because of this:

Since I hate lugging this thing around...

Ninjaged my dad's camera so I can take better pictures while I"m out and about!

I love it. It’s super compact and easy to use. I wish I’d taken it with me while we went on a 35 minute hike up the M but of course I didn’t. It was so gorgeous today. Almost hit the 80′s! After a lovely hike, we parted ways and I headed straight to the Bucks!

Since it was a goregous day out, I did my homework outside in the sun at Starbucks while I enjoyed a grande iced non-fat latte with caramel drizzle!

It felt so good to feel the fresh air on my face and the sun on my skin. I stupidly ordered a grande though when I should always order a tall. >.< I can never finish them! Will I ever learn? It was delicious all the same, but I hate to waste food and money! I got my homework finished right as a storm set in so I quickly booked it home.

Came home to this bundle of cutness

And was bombarded by this guy wanting to play fetch! (Yes, he does. And he will pester me until I throw it for him)

After saying hello to my babies I realized I was a bit hungry so decided to grab a protein rich snack.

2 pt baggie of peanuts to hold me over

..which made me realize how hungry I was! So I chomped on some dill pickles too.

I’d forgotten we’d finally bought another Costco-sized jar! Expect more pickles.

When Chase got home about an hour and a half later, he was seriously wanting dinner. I was a little surprised since we’d been eating so late recently, so I didn’t have time to make the veggie burgers I was planning. Instead I peaked in the freezer and saw I still had Dr. Praeger’s Gluten Free California Veggie Burgers left. I really don’t care for these since the texture is so mushy, but I’m not going to waste them!

Finally it was dinner time: corn on the cob (grilled!), grilled tomatoes and asparagus, coconut ginger carrots and a Praeger's Gluten Free Cali Burger.

I love veggie filled meals. <3 Especially grilled ones. I almost wasn’t able to finish all this, but I just took my time and ate slowly. Once filled up, I headed to the grocery store to get some food for the week! I stuck pretty much to my list but then I saw…

Kakipi! Hoped it would be as good as the stuff in Japan. It's not, but still delicious! I immiediately broke down the bag in to portioned 4 pt baggies to save myself!

With the ingredients now in hand and the time and drive to cook I whipped up a batch of In a Jiffy Spelt Veggie Burgers.

In a Jiffy Spelt Veggie Burgers NOTE: spray the parchment paper! It majorly sticks.

Mine are sans spinach since I didn’t want to buy any and a little sad looking. T.T I had the hardest time getting them off the paper! Not sure how they taste yet but I am bringing one on top of a salad for lunch tomorrow!

Wheat berries!

I also boiled a batch of wheat berries for some quick texture in oats/yogurt/salads. I love the chew they can give a dish.

For dessert, I decided to have what I was craving instead of something that I wasn’t like last night. It started with this:

My Hello Kitty toaster made the best imprint yet! You see her?

And became this!

Big dessert but it's what I was craving. Whole wheat toast, 12g almond butter, tiny bit of jam, flax and banana!

Note to self: Please, please do not cut up your banana with the same knife you cut up an onion with. It will taste funny.

Have a goodnight!

12 Hours of Sleep

I love holidays. I went to bed early last night (around 11pm) and didn’t wake up until 11am! Too much sleep? Probably. But I think my body needed it. I didn’t feel more tired afterwards and instead did everything I wanted to do today. Happy Memorial Day everyone!

Good ol' yogurt mess! Yogurt, granola, mango, banana, craisins, toasted almonds, flax

I had exactly what I wanted for breakfast. Yes I’m sure it’s getting boring to see and I will try my best to get a little bit more creative with breakfast! Especially when I have no time constraints like today… (8 WWPP)

I had planned on going on a jog since Monday’s are normally running days but I stepped one foot out the door and decided it was way too cold! Just in the low 50′s but it just wasn’t appealing to me. So instead I jumped on the stationary bike and did a sweaty hour and 20 minutes coming in at just above 22 miles.

Once showered and dressed I went to the Good Food Store and picked up a few essentials for the week: bananas, strawberries, cherries, lettuce, yogurt and milk. No real impulse buys which I am thoroughly proud of! I’m normally an extreme impulse shopper..That reminds me, I think I need to start working on a budge for June since I’m going to try and get my grocery bill under control!

Another salad very very similar to yesterday. Spring mix, same dressing, craisins, pinch of smoked cheddar, curry cashews and fruit cocktail

Lunch was had pretty late since breakfast was late, about 3pm. I kept it light since I knew Chase would probably want dinner when he got home around 5pm. And then after my salad I had a little “crack” since I knew it would be no good for Chase to come home to a hungry (and okay let’s face it, cranky) me! (7 WWPP)

So Chase failed me and didn't hide them. -_- I proudly only had one serving!

In honor of Memorial Day, I made Chase grill in the rain! Yes it’s been raining off and on today, but nothing screams the beginning of summer to me like grilling!

Dr. Preager's Gluten Free California Veggie Burger on a bagel thin with ketchup with awesome sides: grilled romaine, grilled cherry tomatoes, okra pickles, and Ian's Sweet Potato Fries with some dijionaise for dipping.

I tried a new veggie burger ’cause it was on sale and must say, not really a fan. The patty didn’t hold it’s shape at all and instead squished out of the bun! Not only that but it was somewhat bland. I don’t think I’d purchase these again. I did love the grilled romaine, though next time I”d brush the EVOO on instead of sprinkling. I think most of it dumped off in the grill! The sweet potato fries were also decent, but cutting up my own sweet potato would have been just as good. (9 WWPP)

Stonyfield's Frozen Yogurt - Caramel Creme along with some cherries and strawberries! <3

After watching a movie (Salt – was interesting) and some chemistry I threw together a dessert for Chase and I. We both love strawberries and cherries but unfortunately they are definitely the more expensive fruits! Especially when I buy them organic since they are both in the Top 12 Dirtiest. >.< Must fit them into the budget somehow! (4 WWPP)

Dairy Servings: 2 out of 2!

You know what helps me keep up the motivation to work out? Packing my gym bag the night before. That makes it so I have a mental plan of what I’m going to be doing the next day, plus I have to lug the thing around with me as a constant reminder! It also helps that I happen to really enjoy the look of my gym bag and love to show it off whenever I can. ~.^

My gym bag! Yes I proudly <3 Hello Kitty!

Breakthrough

Again, I didn’t sleep amazingly. -_- I was woken up by the baby (Ophelia) because she wanted under the covers. When she wants under the covers she just punches/scratches at you until you let her in. Finally I gave in, but once under the covers she decided to kneed me in the chest nonstop. This made it difficult to sleep. Sighing, I staggered out of bed and started my day.

Yogurt, granola, papya (the last of it!), mango, toasted almonds, raisins. See? Same as yesterday ^^

Breakfast welcomed me with open arms, however. ^_^ I’m in love with yogurt! I used to only eat it with peanut butter mixed in to give it more of a flavor, but with these juicy fruits and toasted nuts this bowl has all the flavor it needs! This has definitely become a staple of my diet and I intend to eat it often this summer. Hopefully I’ll find some more inspiration on what to put into it! Sorry to bore you with the same food! (8 WWPP)

The weather here in Missoula has been cold, dark and rainy. This makes taking beautiful photos more of a challenge (I apologize!) and also makes me cold! Therefore, I made another cup of Pumpkin Spice Chai tea for school today but didn’t snap a photo.

Half a Blueberry Larabar

The other half of my Blueberry Muffin Larabar was munched on as Steph and I walked to the pool after class. I was able to enjoy it’s flavor better today but it is still not my favorite. Peanut Butter and Jelly is still #1! It gave me the energy I needed for a 40 minute lap swim though! (2 WWPP)

Steph and I got lucky and snagged a lane for the two of us. Shortly after however, we had not one but two(!) people join our lane so we didn’t get to chat much. I always feel a bit rushed having to go in a circle instead of back and forth in half a lane. It was a great workout though. As a side-note, I can sure feel it when my body is having that “aunt” visit. Every part of me just felt more tired. Every stroke took a little more effort.

Leftover Boboli pizza, salad (spinach, cherry tomatoes, feta, Annie's Goddess Dressing), and my daily apple! Not pictured - large amount of baby carrots!

After swimming, showering, and trying to make myself presentable,  lunch was in order. I thought I would devour this quickly but I found myself slowly enjoying my salad and munching on my carrots.(Omg Annie’s dressing really makes all the difference. This salad just had a drizzle (13 g to be exact) but it was so flavorful! I need to try other flavors!)  I didn’t even feel the need to eat my pizza or apple but I went ahead and did anyway. I knew I’d crash later if I didn’t. I really enjoyed just taking my time. I need to practice slowing down more. (8 WWPP)

Come mid-afternoon my energy was waning so Steph and I grabbed a little pick me up. Note to self: university coffee is just not as good as Starbucks. Don’t waste your money on it! I couldn’t even finish my 8 oz cup it was so mediocre. I’m afraid I’ve become a coffee snob! >.< (2 WWPP)

Using a stock image >.< but enjoyed a short non-fat latte with a pump of ameretto while I worked on chemistry. (Side note: what an ugly hand!?)

Chemistry today was rough and hard. I didn’t finish my homework until around 4:30pm. When I drove into my driveway I spotted these beautiful blossoms on one of the trees on my lawn. I had to snap some photos. ^^ I suppose Japan made me notice the flowers more. I never used to look twice.

More blossoms caught my eye in my front yard <3

Even though it was raining, I manged to get Chase to start up the grill! I know I have this same meal often, but it’s one of my favorites right now! (6 WWPP)

Vegan Boca, non-fat cheese, ketchup, and pickles on a Thoma's Everything Bagel Thin. Sides of okra pickles, steamed green beans, and grilled cherry tomatoes!

Breakthrough(!!): After devouring this plate I didn’t immediately grab a snack/dessert. I felt full and content and my mind didn’t think of planning my next meal. It was a great feeling not to care what came next. =) That’s progress!

Instead I worked on studying for my chem quiz and then Chase and I made an impromptu run to Target and Petsmart. Target to return the bike rake that didn’t fit my bike and Petsmart for turtle and betta fish food. At Target I picked up something I’ve been meaning to grab for awhile however.

Swiss Miss Diet Hot Chocolate- only 1 WWPP!

I drank this last time I was on Weight Watcher’s and I still think it is as good as any other hot chocolate mix. The trick to making any hot chocolate taste great is simple. I add some nutmeg! I love nutmeg and it goes really well with hot chocolate.

Trick to making any hot chocolate taste amazing: dash of nutmeg on top!

And finally, about 3 hours after having eaten dinner, I grabbed my favorite dessert. =) (2 WWPP)

Banana and WCW for dessert

Today was a really great “on plan” day for me. I think there are 2 key changes that are helping me out.

1. Working on homework outside the house. It really helps me keep control of my bored snacking. Outside the house, I have to buy something if I want a snack, so I really consider if I want to spend the points (and money!) or not.
2. Taking my time and savoring my food as I eat. It’s no lie that if you eat slower, your body has time to feel full. I’ve always known this but didn’t follow it. =/

Now I just need to remember these two things and keep going with it! Goodnight!