It is always raining and/or freezing cold right around my birthday. Ummm not this year!! Well, the rain is supposed to start (and never stop) tomorrow but I sure got my sunshine fix yesterday. I’m fully stocked on vitamin D now and I have a HOTT shin sleeves tan!
[Random thought: Kids who were born on 2/22/00 will turn 22 on 2/2/22. WOAH. Major jealousy over here. Too bad I'm turning 50 on 3/8/38 and not 38. Ha!]
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Alrighty then…
Breakfast: TJ’s Euro yogurt w/ a crumbled granola bar and 1/2 a pear
I finished the batch of granola bars in 2 days. Oopsies.
Obligatory birthday carrot cake for breakfast. It’s all I wanted when I woke up! To those who asked: I will be posting the recipe I used and my modifications soon. Promise!
With some iced half caf coffee.
After waiting 4 looooooong hours for my breakfast to digest (I have to or else I’ll get crazy cramps), I hit the running trail in my back yard. This 45 mi. run/bike trail leads to Washington D.C! There were so many people taking advantage of the beautiful day on this trail.
It hit 70 degrees here!!!!
I ran 3.5 miles and walked 0.5 miles to cool down for a total of….
It was grand! For the first mile, I kept thinking about how far I was going to run before turning around. It made for one sloooooow mile. Finally I started thinking about some aspects of my life that I’m not so happy about and the time flew by. It’s all about mental strength for me when it comes to running!
….AND I started feeling better about whatever I thought about.
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Look how tall I am!! I could have used an inch or two of height for my birthday 
.
Then I hit the trail again after grabbing some $$ to walk to Whole Foods (~0.85 miles away). You read that right, the trail leads to Whole Foods!!! It’s like the Yellow Brick Road!
…Black Asphalt Trail??
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I caught up on some blogs while walkin’. It really was just an excuse to be in the sunshine!
Check out the background image on my phone
LLE!!!
I picked up some almond cheese and dried goji berries from the bulk section. The almond cheese is 80 cents cheaper here than in Durham!!
Walk stats just to see exactly how far WF’s is from my condo. Not far!
I had some samples at Whole Foods to tie me over but I was in need of some real nourishment when I got back.
Enter a Ginormous Green Protein Monstah.
- 1 cup frozen spinach
- 1/2 banana
- 1/2 cup almond milk
- 1/2 scoop of Riceotein Powder
I found this protein powder in the pantry. I’m assuming it’s my brother’s (Thanks, bro!) It is mixed with STEVIA and is free of soy, milk, and egg protein.
+1/2 a pear
+bites of birthday cake
+a Harvest Spice crunchy granola bar I found lurking in my house
Chocolates!
Dinner was super duper late because we were waiting for my Momma to come home from work! I was a hungry hippo so I made a mini pizza and photographed my food while eagerly waiting her arrival (aka gnawing my hand off).
I broke off a serving of TJ’s Whole Wheat Pizza Dough and topped it with TJ’s pizza sauce, almond cheese, shrimp, and asparagus.
Baked at 450 F for ~ 10 minutes.
I can make 8 of these with the 99 cent pizza dough! Cha ching!
My dad cooked up some shrimp with carrots and asparagus (where I got the pizza topping):
Cabbage w/ pickled something?
My plate except I had about 8 more shrimp than what’s photographed and twice as many veggies.
I’m so shrimp deprived at school….
Dessert was CHOCOLATE and GOJI BERRIES!
Quirky Q
What instantly brightens your mood no matter what? For me, it’s a great run under the sun and baking up a storm!
{ 33 comments… read them below or add one }
I’ve never had almond cheese! Does it just taste like cheese?? I’m clueless.
Working out brightens my day always – I always feel so much better afterwards.
Sounds like a great run! I am LOVING our sunny weather right now too
Sounds like a magical trail to me! I would be heading to the WF a lot
Whole Foods within walking distance would be downright dangerous for my wallet. What a gorgeous day on the yellow brick road!
Would that trail be by our bakery location? I could run forever!!
That pizza looks super tasty…I need to make a trip to TJ’s!
I can’t wait to run again, it always brightens my day! x x
I have a droid too! How do you like the case? I’m thinking of getting one.
Just in case we weren’t similar enough – I think you’re talking about my WF on the W&OD trail! If you’re bored when you’re visiting home, you should check out their free “Cooking with Katie” classes. My friend Katie teaches them – she’s super, and it’s fun to learn about (and eat) the delicious foods she makes! There’s one tomorrow night (i can’t go – boo!) about vegetarian stir fry. Follow “Whole Foods Market Vienna” for the deets!
sounds like a great run. Breaking a sweat always makes me happy, and it is such a relaxer for me. Love the mini pizza idea!
err… follow it on Facebook, that is! Also, my day is instantly brightened when I see cute little kids doing cute little kid things. I’ve got mommy fever
My birthday last year was 9/9/09! Too bad I wasn’t 9 ha!
haha love the number bday thing. i was 2 days away from being born on 8/8/88! bummer lol.
can’t wait for you to post that carrot cake recipe!!!
Yourfamily seem to be such acecooks, I’m very envious!! Hmm…my kittens make me happy no matter what
and a big plate of kabocha squash – it makes the world turn round. Those things, and the new issue of Glamour. BLISS!!
A good magazine in the mailbox brightens my day!
Almond cheese? Sign me up! I’ve gotta find me some of this – where’d you track yours down? And gotta just loooove warm weather runs! Cheers for temperate climates
almond cheese! YUM!! it looks like it melts really well on the homemade pizza!! love teh pic of your iphone, that would make me smile everyday! awesome job on the run! I always smile more when its sunny out!
How do you like your Droid now that you’ve had it for a while? I am hoping to get one as soon as I qualify for a discounted upgrade through VErizon!
What a GREAT day, Allie!!! being outside in the warm sunshine instantly boosts me up. Never fails….
your day looks like so much fun! I wish I could have joined you! A nice sunny run followed by a whole food trip? Then pizza with the fam? Lucky girl! haha. How do you like the Droid? I desperately want an iPhone but I have Verizon and I hear that AT&T’s service isn’t too great.
THAT is a yummser dinner!!! Everything about it is sooo part of my favorites!! I love the way cabbage is cooked Chinese-style…perhaps it’s just the way that garlic seems to perfect every ingredient it touches?
hehehe
Nice run there Allie!! I would personally devour the rest of the carrot cake after a run like that. muahah but that’s just me…:P
I’d have to agree…a sunny run + an iced latte will always put a smile on my face =D
So glad I’m not the only one who has to wait forever to run after eating! Guess we are just slow digesters! Haha. I also think that running and baking brighten my day!!
Ooo, what a dinner! I love cabbage and asparagus AND shrimp
If I had the stuff in the fridge I would IMMEDIATELY copy that dinner.
Hmm.. what brightens my mood no matter what? that’s a difficult one, I’m hardly ever in a bad mood. Usually only when I’m sick
but the answer must be something food related 
k so i want to eat with you and your parents. i feel like id fall in love with all of their food. slash i might copy your dads shrimpy creation for dinner tonight
I’m jealous of the 70 degrees!
Happy Belated Birthday!! Ive been wanting to try TJs Pizza dough and u make it look so good!! i think it might have to be on my grocery list next time i go!
I love your random factoid about kids born on 2/22/00 haha that would be pretty stellar!
I have a golden 16 birthday and although the date was not that cool to accompany it I think 16 on the 16th was pretty sweet! Big birthday you know!
Cake for breakfast is probably the best invention ever. It just puts you in such a good mood! I’m jealous you life to close to WF, at home the closest one to my house is half an hour away! That would be quite a walk
Have a great night!
Aw your dad’s food looks exactly like something my mom would make- no joke! Yummy!
Happy Belated Birthday! Totally agree mental strength is half the running battle. That protein powder actually sounds awesome – I hae been looking for rice protein, whey free, naturally sweetened protein powder around here by we seem to have fewer choices.
First, SO jealous of the fact that WF is within walking distance. Meh. If only. But then again, i’d be broke…
Can’t wait for the carrot cake recipe!!! I had some AMAZING carrot cake tonight and now I’m craving it like nothing else!
Love your technique of getting through you run. When I was running and having a hard time, i would think about all the things in my life that are good, all the ways that i’m blessed, pretty soon, my run was over AND I was in a fabulous mood!
LOVE Tj’s pizza dough. So cheap and tasty… My mama and I think it rivals any delivery crust we’ve ever had.
Allie I’m so behind! What an awesome trail! I used to run/walk/bike to a trail near my parents’ house where you didn’t have to go on main roads and LOVED it so much. That’s a good question you had at the end about lifting your mood-sometimes I need to talk things out with Joe or my sis or mom, or pray, or sing with the windows down and the sunshine pouring in.
Hi! I just discovered your blog and I love it. Your meals/snacks all look so tasty!
It’s nice to find another blogger who is allergic to peanuts. You’re so lucky you can eat other nuts though! I can only have almonds.
Is it bad that I find all of your recipes with pecans and hazelnuts really tempting? Deadly, but tempting lol.
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